Week 39: Farewell to My Fabulous Fifties

Sometimes I really do have to pinch myself to see if I’m dreaming. The weather has been fabulous all week here in Florida and the weeks go by so quickly. My days have been filled with appointments for the house, visits from friends and dinners out. It’s been a wonderful whirlwind that shows no signs of slowing down. It seems Wednesday has become my preferred blogging day down here. So if you happen to be following me, look for Wednesday posts from now on.

So let me dive right into my bucket list. Item # 20 (Entertain friends and family in our Florida retirement home.) We had a fabulous time with our friends from Michigan. They were staying with our friends Dave and Kim but we were able to spend a lot of time together. We had lots of delicious dinners out, fun girls’ shopping day and relaxing by the pool. We were sad to see them go. I also was blessed to have Sammi’s boyfriend Andrew’s parents over for a visit during their stay on Sanibel. It was great to meet their sister and brother–in-law and I had fun showing them around. I also had a visit from another Belleville family who is in the process of building a home in Florida so they popped in with Dave and Kim to check out our house and pool. I really enjoyed everyone’s visit. My daughter Jenna and her husband Kristianth are driving down and arriving on Friday evening. Kristianth will be flying back and Jenna will stay behind for a month with her two dogs. She works from home and she is about to “work from pool.” And bonus: Kobe will be so happy to have friends to hang out with. Mike returns next week and my parents will be coming for a long weekend as well. It has been so nice seeing everyone and I was happy to discover that I really love the way the house lives. The big kitchen island is nice for putting out appetizers and the large doorwall really makes the lanai part of the living space.

#16 (Decorating our Florida home.) Kim and I have done a lot of shopping in search of the perfect home accessories. I think we’ve canvassed most of southwest Florida! It’s been fun but I still have a lot of artwork to select. I did manage to find a nice vase for the front bedroom dresser and some cute desk accessories. I also ordered a digital photo frame online. Digital frames have sure come a long way. It has it’s own email address and friends and family can send photos that you can include in your frame. It can play music, tell you the date and the weather as well as showcase your photos. I plan to fill this frame with photos of friends and family that visit us here so it will be a rotating gallery of memories made in our Florida home.

#6 (Keep my Duolingo streak intact.) #10 (Keep attending classes at the Alliance de Francais.) I thought I would have a lot more time to devote to French here but it has proven to be the exact opposite. I have managed to keep my Duolingo streak intact though. I am on day # 909. My treat for making it to day #900 was watching a French film. I watched Sarah’s Key on Netflix, which was a combination of French and English. It is based on a book I read a few years ago by the same name. It was good but the book was better. Isn’t that usually the way of it? My FaceTime French classes continue weekly and I am enjoying conversing, however limited my abilities. What an awesome opportunity to have a native French speaker be able to answer my questions. The French that is taught and written isn’t exactly the French that you will find spoken if you are lucky enough to go to France. One funny thing I learned this week is the French term for a six-pack (the abs version) is le tablet du chocolat. I would much prefer a bar of chocolate to a six pack of beer, so I embrace and salute that terminology!

#13 Meditate daily #18 Read 50 books in 2019. I am combining these two because I have been having trouble getting my meditation in and I am reading “10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works.” That is one heck of a long title. It’s by news anchor Dan Harris. He relates how he had an on-air melt-down and how he subsequently found inner peace, despite his initial skepticism. I am half way through and enjoying it tremendously. I am hoping it will re-motivate me to get my daily meditation sessions in as I definitely feel more focused and productive when I do. That alone doesn’t seem to be motivation enough though so I am hoping this little book will work some magic for me. This is book # 11 of my 80 book goal for 2020 putting me 2 books ahead of schedule.

#7 (Lose 10 pounds) I am sticking with Noom and am STILL 1 pound over that goal. I’ve been walking a lot, regularly exceeding my daily goal. I also squeezed in a work out at the clubhouse. I hope to do a lot more working out when Jenna comes down.

I promised to update you on the landscaping. It’s done! It was done in a day and a half. Here are a few photos of the job “in progress” and a few “after” photos. I added a couple of potted plants which I will plant outside once we close up for the season. The red plants on the side between the houses is Red Tie. It is native to Florida and will grow to be tall enough to provide us with some privacy on our lanai. We also will be adding lanai lights to finish off the space and make it more usable in the evening.

I posted this last week, but thought I’d repost for anyone who didn’t happen to see it.

I am going to wrap it up here because I have a little online shopping to do! One of my favorite home accessory stores, ZGallerie, is having an online sale. I hope to find a few things to share in a future blog. Have a great and productive week.

Week 38: Farewell to My Fabulous Fifties

I don’t have a lot to share this week. I am enjoying Florida and the weather has been fabulous. I have been busy because there are still errands to be run, items to get for our home and workmen coming and going. One of my errands was picking up some storage containers so I could spend some time organizing my pantry and bathroom cupboards. Today, the hurricane shutter company came. The shutters are partially up. Nick, our installer, will be coming back in the morning with a new screen as the one that he had was made wrong. Hopefully the job will be finished tomorrow. We also had workers here fixing our sprinkler system, which looks like it was damaged during excavation. The county electrical inspector was here today as well to look at the pool electrical. The landscape company is also supposed to be coming tomorrow to re-landscape and sod our backyard as the pool installation removed much of the backyard landscaping. I will snap a few “befores” and show you the “afters” once the job is complete. We were told this could be accomplished in a day. I am excited to see the finished product! In between all this coming and going I also managed to squeeze in my FaceTime French class.

The back of the lanai. Pardon the cushions stacked up in the corner. Nick, the hurricane shutter installer, advised they be moved away from his work area as drilling into cement generates a lot of dust.

Speaking of French, I am on day # 902 of Duolingo. I have completed all the new content and am now just systematically reviewing each category. I am saving my “reward” for hitting day 900 for this evening. My reward is watching a movie in French. I’m afraid I still need to use subtitles to catch it all though. My FaceTime classes are going well. Today we listened to native French speakers, speaking on the radio. They talk very fast and I definitely needed to listen to it a couple times to pick up most of what was being said. I am grateful that my instructor David is kind, patient and encouraging.

I am still using Noom, but my weight loss has stalled. I really need to re-commit. Mike has been back in Michigan for the last three days. Despite eating Lean Cuisine and salads at home for the entire three days, my weight has remained unchanged, hovering 1 1/2 pounds over goal. Frustrating! I managed to take Kobe for a walk twice a day. My steps are always well about 12,000 a day, but it’s the evening snacking that I think is getting in the way. Skinny pop I’m looking at you. My daughter Jenna is coming to stay for a month next week. Maybe I can get her to whip me into shape! I am determined to accomplish this goal so it’s just a matter of time!

We are looking forward to a visit from our Michigan friends this weekend. They will be staying with our mutual friends Dave and Kim but I am sure we will all be spending a lot of time together. We also recently scheduled my parents for a visit in two weeks so I have been asking a few long time Floridians for suggestions of fun things to do in this area. I look forward to seeing everyone and to sharing our outings in the future.

We still have a long way to go on decor and artwork. I did pick up a few books (of course!) which are great for decor and which I also look forward to reading. I’ve been looking for artwork and hope to find a few local art galleries. I did look at Z Gallerie and didn’t have much luck, but I am going to re-visit soon. Our home is very neutral and I’d like to add bit of color with artwork and decorative items. Suggestions are welcome. I don’t want to “overdecorate.” I do feel better in a “lighter” less cluttered environment.

Small vase and books in the back guest room.

Looking for artwork for left wall and not sure what to add to the credenza and the coffee table. Suggestions are welcome.

Have been unsuccessfully looking for a centerpiece for our table. Not sure if I want candlesticks, floral or something else. Stay tuned.

Kobe is thoroughly enjoying being a Florida dog. I thought he would dislike having to be let out on a leash. Electric fences aren’t really a thing here when you are near the water because in Florida, where there’s water, there’s gators. But he loves going out on a leash. He also usually gets two 1 1/2 mile walks a day and spends some time at the neighborhood dog park. The only thing that has me slightly peeved is that Kobe is slimming down quicker than I am. (haha) He will be a “streamlined” dog.

I am on book # 10 of my 80 book goal for 2020. I finished Cottage By The Sea and am currently reading The Finishing School by Joanna Goodman. I am about 1/2 way through and enjoying it so far. She is also the author of one of my previous reads, Home For Unwanted Girls. I am surprised I’ve not been reading as much as I’d hoped. I really anticipate that when the errands slow down there will be a lot more time for reading poolside. Today was actually the first day I was able to spend a little time doing just that!

I will leave it here for now. I look forward to sharing our finished hurricane shutter and hopefully our new landscaping next week. Mike is due back in for the weekend this evening at midnight. I understand Michigan is expecting some snow this evening. You have my sympathies. Now where did I put my sunscreen? **Ducking and running now!** Until next week.

Week 37: Farewell to My Fabulous Fifties- Snowbirding

O.K. I know I usually post on Mondays and today is Wednesday. In my defense, Wednesday seems a lot like Monday when you are on Florida time. Actually, to be more accurate, every day feels more like a weekend. Anyway, my apologies for the late post. We’ve been so busy getting things accomplished while we are here that I really haven’t even had much time for my bucket list! Snowbirding is busy business! And, yes, I know Snowbirding isn’t actually a verb, I verbalized it though. I know what you’re thinking but yes, I used verbalize correctly here, it’s actually a thing. I looked it up: to turn a word, especially a noun, into a verb.

Onward and upward. I’ll start with French. Despite all the busyness, I haven’t lost my streak in Duolingo. I am currently on Day #895. I’ll have to have a little celebration when I reach day #900! I personally feel like that’s part of enjoying life, celebrating milestones, big and little. I have had two private lessons, one via telephone and one Facetiming. I will be having another one later this afternoon. I am glad I decided to continue pursuing my French while in Florida because I fear I might have other wise lost a lot of ground.

I am currently reading book #9 of 2020. I’m giving Debbie Mcomber a try. She’s a favorite of my mom’s. I am reading Cottage By The Sea. Based on the title, I thought it would be a nice little “beach read” and a break from heavy WWII subject matter. I laugh because the book starts out with the young character’s whole family being wiped out by a landslide. So much for light reading. However, I am 1/4 of the way through and enjoying it very much. I am 3 books ahead of schedule based on my goal of 80 books for 2020. As always, I am ever on the look out for a good book, so feel free to send recommendations my way.

What has been occupying most of my time is working on finishing touches. When we arrived, our pool and hot tub were basically done. Job #1 was finding furniture for the lanai. After asking about patio furniture in our neighborhood Facebook group, we landed on Zing, a frequently mentioned store with two locations near us, one in Fort Myers and another in Naples. I was headed to the pet store to get a kennel for our dog Kobe, and the closest Petco was in Fort Myers so to minimize driving, that is where I headed. Mike and I had looked at another store when we were here last time and it was hard to find everything we wanted that would coordinate. It didn’t have to be from the same manufacturer, as long as it “blended well.” We didn’t have much luck there but Zing had everything with lots to pick from. Mike really wanted something in stock rather than special ordering anything so we could start enjoying our outdoors immediately. It wasn’t difficult. My salesperson Andrew was very helpful. I found 2 basic chaises, on special along with a beautiful dining table and chairs plus 4 club chairs and a firepit. Even though it’s hot here, in the winter the evenings are very cool, so it’s nice to sit out back around the fire. I also had an appointment to select drape fabrics and my friend Kim came along to help out. With the help of our awesome salesperson/designer Janet, I was able to find some great options. The drapes will take about a month to be made and installed, so I should still be here. While Kim and I were out we popped in to the Naples Zing as she might be in the market for a couple more things. That store had a much wider selection and really carries some beautiful and stylish stuff. I don’t know if I would’ve made a different choice if I had gone there first or not, as much of it needs to be ordered and takes a while. I am happy with our choice and ready to start enjoying it all. I have already gotten some cute plastic dinner ware, plastic glasses and stemless wine glasses for the back patio.

As far as entertaining, we’ve had our friends and neighbors Dave and Kim over for cocktails around the fire pit and we are in the process of organizing a trip down for my parents. Mike’s mom and stepdad are due to stop by this week as well and our daughter Jenna will be coming for a month in a couple weeks.

Mike enjoying the evening as we wait for our friends’ arrival.

There are lights in the pool and various settings to change colors. Pool can switch colors in a program from our phones. Red, orange, green, blue, purple and pink. There’s a setting called “Party” and one called “Romance.” Once I memorize the setting colors, I’ll know exactly what’s on Mike’s mind. Lol.

Perfect place to relax with a good book and a cold drink.

My husband, Mike has been managing to get around quite well despite his casted leg. He mostly uses the knee scooter with a little help from his blinged out crutches. He has an appointment when he gets back to have the cast changed. I think he is really longing for the day when he can swim in the pool and enjoy the hot tub. Maybe he’ll even play a little pickle ball, thought next time I hope he’ll be more aware that he’s not 18 anymore and take it a little easier.

I have been trying to keep up with Noom, though I have not been stellar. I’ve gotten a lot of walks in and have taken Kobe to the dog park several times. I’ve easily exceeded my 10,000 step goal every day. The seafood here is plentiful and delicious so I have been taking advantage of that. I am not back to my goal weight, still about 1 1/2 pound over. But I am working on it. I have made it to the gym once this week, and want to step up attendance there. There have just been so many appointments and workers (pool people, electricians, landscapers). Now that the pool is in, we need our landscaping re-done, so Mike’s been working on getting that scheduled. I’ve spent some time getting drawer and pantry organizers and figuring out where is the best place to store everything. There is still a bit to do as far as decorating. We have no artwork on the walls, and almost no decorative items. Looking forward to taking my time here and enjoying the process.

And with that, I will leave you as I’ve yet more errands to run. The sun is shining and life is good and I wish the same for you, my friends.

Week 36: Farewell to My Fabulous Fifties- The Achilles Incident

My bucket list quest has been a bit side-stepped this week in order to help care for my husband post-operatively. Here is the link to my original bucket list for anyone interested. For those that have been following the saga of my husband Mike’s ruptured Achilles tendon, he had a successful surgery on Tuesday afternoon. He does indeed have a non-weight-bearing cast and it looks like he will be hobbling about in it for quite some time. He has a scooter, crutches and a “peg leg” that allow him several options for getting around. The peg leg was loaned from a friend who had the same surgery a while back. Mike likes the scooter and the peg leg as it gives him use of his arms. He finds the crutches to be a bit cumbersome and restricting. I will say he has some of the fanciest crutches around though as one of our artistic team members decorated them with the office logo and colors. He relies on them usually if we are going out to a restaurant because he can sit without worrying about the scooter or taking off any equipment. He will have to have his cast changed periodically, as they progressively take the foot from slightly pointed to flat to avoid putting too much pressure on the tendon. Despite the fact that he is an excellent patient, taking care of Mike has occupied a lot of my time early in the week. But now that his wound is healing and he is off of pain meds, he doesn’t really relish being fussed over. As the week has progressed, he’s become increasingly independent and things are getting back to our new normal. He’ll still let me run grab something from another room for him as a matter of convenience, but other than that he is like a two year old, “Me do it myself.”

Mike and the Peg leg. I will say this thing sounds a little scary when Mike comes thumping along. It reminds me of Poe’s Tell-tale Heart. Thump-thump, thump thump!

Another thing that has bumped my bucket list off of my priority list this week is the fact that we celebrated my oldest daughter Jenna’s birthday. Her birthday is actually at the end of the month, but as we will be in Florida then, we asked to celebrate it early. We had a yummy lunch at Crispelli’s Bakery and Pizza. My daughter Sammi, her boyfriend Andrew, Jenna and her husband Kristianth were all there. We ordered 3 pizzas as well as cheese bread. Apparently cheese bread is from a “secret menu” that my daughter is familiar with as it’s not on the menu. My daughter Sammi’s boyfriend had a yummy rueben sandwich and my husband supplemented the pizza with a bowl of Minestrone. Everything was delicious and I would definitely recommend this place. We all agreed the pizza was just the way we like it, thin crust with just the right balance of sauce, toppings and cheese! We ended with ice cream cake at Jenna’s house, admiring her new office space and watching her pets play with one another. It was wonderful just being together! She will be going to Spain for a wedding and taking a side-trip to Paris this summer, not to see the Eiffel Tower but for a trip to Disneyland, Paris. Anyone that knows her knows that she is a Disneyphile! So for her birthday, we got them 2 day, 2 park Disneyland Paris tickets. One of her life-time goals is to visit every Disney park in the world so we were happy to oblige in her personal bucket-list adventure.

Workouts have slipped a bit as doctor appointments and post-op recovery interfered with bootcamp. I did discover a 20 minute NordicTrack HIT (high intensity interval) workout that I loved. This is going to be helpful on those days when I am running non-stop. Surely I can find 20 minutes somewhere! Between that and the abbreviated core yoga class, I will have a few options.

I had my first french class via telephone on Friday. It went surprisingly well. I thought it would be difficult to speak for an hour, but we just talked about what was going on in our lives. My instructor, David would correct me as necessary but both he and I were pleased with the outcome. I am really excited about this because speaking has been my weak link. I can read French and write it somewhat better than conversing and this forces the issue. I hope to go back to regular classes once I am back in Michigan. We set up another telephone conversation for next Saturday. I am still doing Duolingo. They added new content not too long ago and I just finished it and am now back to reviewing. I am on day #886. I’ve really surprised myself on my ability to keep the streak intact. I guess when you’re motivated enough, anything is possible.

As far as item #18, I am currently reading “A Dangerous Act of Kindness” and am about 1/4 way through. This is book #7 of my 80 book goal for 2020. We are heading to Florida at the end of the week, and I am looking forward to having a lot more reading time there! It is definitely my preferred way of enjoying my free time. I’m not much for TV but I will say I enjoy picking a series and watching it with Mike. Our current series are: YOU. This show is on Netflix and we are really enjoying it. Great dialogue, clever characters, though the storyline is a bit disconcerting. We binged season 1 and are currently in the middle of season 2. The other series that we’ve been watching lately is The Politician (Netflix). Our daughter recommended it and we binged our way through season 1.

Well, as I said earlier, we are driving to Florida later this week. Mike got the all-clear from his doctor as long as he’s back in time for his re-cast. I will remain in Florida with Kobe and Mike will fly back after a short stay. He plans to fly down a few times while Kobe and I are down there. My daughter Jenna and her 2 pups plan to come down for a long visit too. As she works from home, she can work from anywhere, so why not pool-side? Speaking of pools, our salt-water pool should be done and filled by the time we get down there. I feel awful for Mike though as he has really been looking forward to the pool and hot tub and since he has a cast, this is going to prove difficult for him. He’s a clever guy though, so I’m sure he’ll figure something out.

The last few things for our Florida house include finishing the paint on the newly installed trim around the foyer mirror and selecting furniture for the lanai. We are thinking we want a round dining table with 6 chairs, 2 chaises, 4 chairs as a conversational area and possibly a fire pit table. We are expecting delivery of our barstools shortly after our arrival and I have an appointment to select curtains for the bedrooms and valances for 2 of the bathrooms. We hope to do some decor shopping for artwork and accessories while we are down there too.

I am happy to report that my remaining bucket list items are dwindling but I have selected a few items to work on while I am in Florida. I hope to get a little more accomplished with my family tree(#37), to teach my dog Kobe a few more tricks(#31), to practice random acts of kindness with regularity(#3), to get better at practicing weekly yoga(#50), and daily meditation(#13) and visualization(#29). I will definitely be staying in contact with friends and family(#28) and work on my reading goal for 2020(#18). I’ll continue learning French (#6, #10) and start learning sign language(#15). I also look forward to putting some finishing touches on decorating the Florida house(#16) as well as hosting friends and family there(#20). I will work on re-capturing and maintaining my 10 pound weight-loss (#7). I will work on strengthening my left hip flexor and calf muscle in hopes of being able to do a 5K(#5). I also hope to take advantage of the pilates and yoga classes offered at our clubhouse and I am excited that Jenna has already volunteered to come along. I hope I can convince my good friend Kim to join us too! I can’t wait to explore the Naples, Fort Myers, and Bonita Springs areas. New cities, new adventures! Of course my list has a few remaining things that can only be done in Michigan, so those items will be waiting for me when I return.

Until next week, I hope you all have plenty to keep you busy and that all of your Achilles tendons remain intact. Seriously, that is a monkey wrench you really don’t want to deal with. Have a wonderful week.