Thursday - April 3

 We hit 95 today!    I walked to the library to play rummikub with Anita....we each won 2 games and then she won the tie breaker.   Sad that this is my last time to play this fun game here at CT till next season.

Mark picked me up at 11:45 and we were off to Salty Papa's Shrimp House and met Rog and Martin, our former neighbors here at CT.    So good to catch up over our awesome lunches - their shrimp (prepared any ole way you like it) is thee best and freshest!    Mark and I shared  1# of fried shrimp (20) with 2 sides.   Rog had oysters and Martin, the jambalaya.

Said our good byes till fall - we sure miss them as neighbors!    They will experience their 1st Florida summer in their condo as last year they went back to MO for one final summer on the water before their closing.

Rog and Martin

After lunch Mark had the great idea that we walk at the Edison Mall (we'll get some steps and be COOL).   So that's where we headed and oh my, just delightful in the coolness.   Have not been here in a few years - forgot how big it is and very few empty stores which is a good thing unlike other malls.    We did 2 rounds around the entire mall and came on home after getting Ruby fueled up.

I made a batch of egg salad and we enjoyed the AC.  Walked in the evening and met Eva and Fred from MA who arrived today for the month of April.   Nice chatting with them!

Wednesday - April 2

 Hot 'n humid Wednesday.    We walked (drippy, drippy)!    Took showers and off to Blossom and Brie in North Fort Myers to meet our Racine boating friends from 15+ years ago for lunch.   Ken and Cathy still spend the summers at Reefpoint Marina on their boat.

Carol and Bob, Cathy and Ken came from Venice for an afternoon in the country.   This is such a unique place.   We all enjoyed our lunch and then walked around to see the animals, but really HOT!

Normally Barbara and Mark from New Bern, NC would've been with us; their timeshare on Anna Maria Island was badly damaged by the hurricanes last fall (Milton and Helene), so they did not come to FL this winter.    Hopefully we can all be together next year!

Connie, Steve, Mark and I love Sweet Bean Cafe towards the beach here in Fort Myers.    Jennifer usually waited on us but we heard that she no longer works there but now at Blossom and Brie.   And that's how we found this place.    The 2 previous times I've been here, Jennifer was not working.  But today.....there she was and so nice to see her and have a brief chat!

Jennifer and Pat

Mark, Pat, Ken, Cathy, Carol, Bob

A bit cooler tonight for our walk - visited with Kevin and Melissa from IL.    She's been counting the empty lots and each day more and more are on the move.    She said there are 180 empty lots.

Tuesday - April 1

 We're in the 90's all week!    Whew!   Mark and I went to 9:00 Mass at St. Therese in North Fort Myers - something different and a return from when we were here in 2016 and had Daisy.

Father Jan Antonik (Polish) was standing in the back of church with a collection basket.   As folks were coming into church, they got out their wallets prepared for a donation, only to have Father smile and say "April Fools"!   Ha.....

Stopped at Wal Mart for a few things and then downtown to Peter's for coffee and shared a piece of blueberry coffee cake.   On home for a bit and then off to Buckingham Farms and met Vinnie and Laurie from Cape Coral.    We met them in 2016 (they bought their PDQ catamaran from John and Beth) and we always enjoy our time together.   Another awesome lunch and visit!

Laurie and Vinnie

Laurie and Pat

Today would've been my Mom's 106th birthday.....I was thinking how excited she would've been about a grandson and great grandson getting married this year!!!

We waited till 7 to walk - temp was 88 and when we returned, it was down to 85...and plenty of humidity!

Monday - March 31

 We left CT at 8 this morning - Mark driving Big Red and me in Ruby heading to Galloway Ford for Big Red's oil and filter change.    Took a little over 1/2 hour to get there and then Mark and I went to Panera for a light breakfast-to-go and on home.

Said good bye to Kathy across the street.   She and John are heading back home to KY till January.

I picked up Lydia for canasta - the ladies were so happy and surprised to see her.   She's a trooper and so good for her to be out and about!

I played with Sue and Estelle against Denise, Vicki and Michelle.   WOW....a really bad day for my last time to play this season.   The other team got all the good cards, breaks, luck, etc.   Oh well....still fun and I will miss the girls and this fun game.

On home and a short time after lunch, Galloway called that Big Red was ready for pick up.   We stopped at Trader Joe's for a few things, I dropped him off at Galloway and came on home.

Did some laundry and enjoyed the AC in Flo and my she shed.

 Went for a "warm" and "short" walk after supper.

Bye bye to March which is going out in a HOT blaze of glory!

 

Sunday - March 30

 Another warm one and will be HOT all week!   We went to 9:30 Mass with Father Steve at St. Francis.   Then to Publix for a few things and onto Shift Coffee Co. at City Walk downtown.   We hadn't been here for a few years cause they didn't have decaf, but today....they had it.    We had gotten some pastries at Publix (no apple fritters and been out of them for 3 months?).    They are so good - clerk didn't not know what the problem was?   I know where the headquarters for the Publix bakery is (close to where my brothers live in Lakeland)....so if I had only known this a few weeks ago, could've checked it out?    Ha!!!

On home and set to work finishing up the she shed and truck.   We have 2 more weeks in FL, but for now,,,,things are in good shape!

We were supposed to meet friends from Bloomington and colleagues at State Farm (Paul and Margaret) for lunch at BJ's Brewhouse, but Paul is sick!    Bummer....we or they have had something come up past few years to keep us from getting together - been 3 years since we were together.

Jim and Lydia invited us to their gazebo to play euchre - fun, but Mark and Lydia beat Jim and I 2 of 3 games.    Lydia was hot!

Leftovers for supper.    Good chat with Ryan who returned from 5 days in Paris yesterday.

9 siblings tonight on zoom.    Mark's Mom (Grandma C) died 9 years ago today.  😔

Have a good week!