Tuesday, December 17, 2019

CHRISTMAS MUSIC





We always enjoy the music and special programs at Christmas time. On December 6 we went into Epcot and saw the Candlelight Processional with Whoopi Goldberg reading the Christmas story. We stayed and watched the new firework exhibit which were very different and we liked very much.


 Friday, December 13 we went to Florida Lakes Symphony orchestra at the Family Christian Center in Clermont.

They played the Nutcracker Suite, Winter from the Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi, some Carols and Marco Romano sang O Holy Night. 


 Saturday evening we went into Universal for the Holiday Parade.
 These are balloons they use in the Macy's parade in New York on Thanksgiving. I have never gone,so I enjoyed seeing them close up.



 Between the balloons were floats.


 It was a little windy so they were kept low, but it was fun seeing how they were carried.
And of course the parade ended with Santa.
 After the parade we stayed for the concert. This is the 13 year they has performed at Universal.
 There are no seats, so you sit on the ground the whole time.
 We had front row seating, the only problem was the speaker beside us was a little load, kbut we could really see everyone.
 The music was great and the last 20 minutes was the songs from  Who-ville Who's Grinchmas.



Then on Sunday was FUMC's Christmas Cantata.

Some musicians accompanied the choir and the bells played a song. Susan Brandt does a great job of conducting the choir.  We enjoyed a delicious meal in the Wesley Center after the concert.  What a beautiful way to celebrate the Christmas season.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

MY FLIGHT

Larry gave me a tandem hang gliding flight at Wallaby Ranch for my 70th birthday gift. I always wanted to fly like a bird and the last thing on my bucket list to do. The Ranch is in Davenport,FL only 12 miles away from our house.
 The weather was good for a flight on Saturday and I wanted to go while Lynda was still here.
 We arrived at 7:45 a.m. along with about 15 others. It was fun watching everyone take off and land. Finally it was my turn to go up.
 Helped into the harness.
 Stretched out and Marcus( the owner) was my co- pilot, Ready to fly.
 The plane pulls us up. We are off the ground,
 and in the air.
 I flew like a bird. It was great, very quiet and relaxing. Marcus taught me how to turn it.
 A great landing, right where we started.

All smiles.
Jumping for joy!
Once everyone had flown we all went back to their barn and had a very nice breakfast.
 I would recommend hang gliding to anyone. It is way smoother then Soaring at Epcot, no sudden dips and things in your face. I loved it. 

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

MY 70th

 I had a beautiful 70th birthday.
 My sister came to celebrate with me. Larry got a cake and we had the neighbors over for ice cream and cake.

In the morning there was a flock of hooded mergansers on our pond. This is the first time I have ever  seen them on the pond,
When I looked up I saw this amazing sky. It made my birthday very special.

TRAILER REMODELING

Larry was asked by the church to help a family get this trailer ready to move in to by the end of the month. The trailer had been gutted and the husband was trying to do all the work himself, his wife is very ill. He wanted to have the bathroom put in so his wife could at least come with him while he worked on the trailer. Larry needed some help from Roger with plumbing in the tub. Then Larry and Danny put in the toilet.
Bathroom sink and vanity installed.


Larry installed the wall for the bathroom.


Thanks to donations from our Friends and Fellowship Sunday School Class Larry purchased cabinets, counter and sink for the kitchen. On Wednesday he finished the installation.

Larry was glad that Danny was able to give him some help.
The kitchen is finished and they plan to move in tomorrow.

Monday, November 18, 2019

WORK AND TOUR IN LOUISIANA

 9 women from my church went to UMCOR Sager-Brown in Baldwin LA on November 9th to work for the week.
 Packing hygiene kits was the focus of the week.
 Boxes filled with 24 kits each and put on pallets.
 Then they were prayed over.

 I was still in NOMADS mode so I volunteered to help paint.
 I painted 8 of these yellow poles. Most of them needing two or three coats.

We didn't work on Friday, so we went to Avery Island.
 It is where they grow the peppers and manufacture Tabasco. It has been here over 150 years and owned and operated by the descendants of  Edmund Mclhenny, the inventor of it.. The museum was interesting. We then took a tour of all the buildings.
 The first stop was to learn about the peppers. They are hand picked.


 Next was the barrel museum which was very interesting.
 It was a self guided tour but at each place there were videos to watch.
 The mash is put into oak barrels. The lid is covered with salt. Each barrel had the date it was filled.
 The mash sits in the barrel for three years. The barrels on the side were dated Feb 2017.
 You walked in the blending room and you started coughing, the smell was very strong.


 They were bottling today. That number kept changing by 10.

 They were bottling the original red going to Australia.
 Some little bottles.

 At the store you could taste all the kinds and there was lots of fun things to buy. Of course all had something to say or do with Tabasco.
 We then drove around the island to the Jungle Garden. Pam and Noelene were are drivers on the trip so they checked out the map.
 Avery Island is a salt dome.
 The garden would be very pretty, at another time of year. The Chinese Gardens contain a Buddha statue dating back hundreds of years.
 Imagine Snowy egrets nested on the platforms. This helped save them from extinction. We didn't see any, but we did see a wild boar. This would be a beautiful place to visit in the spring.