Ann The Gran Community

jnbmd:

  I just keep telling myself I like Joe better than the changing seasons.  

Feeling a little less lonely in Florida

Marsha

Marsha,

I agree with you there.  Mike is the only reason I'm here in Florida now.  I do miss PA, except for the snow and cold.  But, Mike is very happy down here and that makes it all worth it. 

I'm thinking that things won't be quite so lonely for me now that I've hooked up with all of you. 

I never miss an opportunity to tell my husband that I hate Florida!!! I too miss the colored leaves, smell of burning leaves, canning fresh fruit...making jelly...even the first snow...however; after that first snow, I am certain I would be missing the nice ocean breezes of the Atlantic and the sound of the wind blowing through the palm trees in the yard.

I am very lucky because I have three grandchildren just minutes away and two of my children the same distance...so I get a "grandma" fix as often as I can!

Having a sleep over would be sooooo great. I am used to staying (on vacations, that is!) in a log cabin....with three bedrooms and a path!! So no problem w/ "rustic" surroundings...just so we can make samores!! If not able to make samores...just eat chocolate for the weekend. :o)  Plus ME...and smocking...and sewing...you get the picture. In the past, or small Christian Community has rented a condo w/ several bedrooms...split the cost w/ however many rooms we needed and taken along goodies to cook, or just had every meal out. The last time we went out was just a year ago....we had two condo's w/ three bedrooms each (couples in the rooms) and we split the cost three ways per condo. The cost for each condo for two days was $450, so split three ways was $150 for the weekend...Fri eve, Sat eve and Sunday. We didn't have to leave until 2:00 p.m. on Sunday...so we had a nice almost three day weekend. These condos were in Sebring, FL...which is kinda in the middle of the state. It was very nice.  Just a thought in case we can't find the place in the woods...however; I think the woods would be really nice...especially if it has "real" trees!! :o)

Kath

Well, I am so glad for you all,now just think you have 22 brand new friends to chat with and get together with! You guys all know you are welcome to stop by my home any time you are in the area! We love company! And I love having someone to chat with about ME! Just e-mail me and let me know so I can give you directions,and also make sure Anita and Ralph are hidden under the beds or something(Anita and Ralph are my dust bunnies! They came back already and brought the family with them this time!) Bring your suits so we can go to the pool as well!

I so understand about being lonely here,I really miss seeing my kids and grand kids all the time. that is why I am here as well is because of Tom,he is so much better here than up north. He has seasonal depression,so all the sunshine is wonderful for him! He had changed so much since we have been here,now he is happy all the time! I do not miss the snow and cold,with the arthritis,it made it extremely difficult for me to even be out side at all in the winter months. so all this sunshine is good for me as well. I have very few friends here because most of the folks here,are very dear,but so much older than Tom and I,so it had been hard to find people to chum around with.We keep saying we are here 20 years too early for this particular development.We do like it here because everything is so very convenient,but it is hard when you do not have any one to enjoy it with.

So once again, You are all always welcome at my home any time you are in the area! Aw heck,bring your machines and we will set up on the dining room table if we have to!LOL

Later everyone,...........back to the laundry,Oh boy!    Remember.................Happy Stitching!

The pictures are great and it is easy to see all the talent.  I hope some of the attendees will upload additional ones.

Sandy in Tavares

Is there any way we can all post where we are from? I have lost track of whom lived where!! I know that Marsha lives in W. Melbourne, and Norie lives in N. Palm Beach...I know where I am...but I have forgotten where others are!! Maybe all of you can tell us again which city you are living in and we can make a list. I'd be happy to do the list if everyone will begin listing where ya all are. :o)

Kath :o)

Judy...you crack me up!! Anita and Ralph...I'll have to introduce my dust bunnies to yours...although knowing bunnies as I do, maybe that's not a good idea!! LOL

Boy...do I ever know what you mean by seasonal depression. That light deprevation depression was horrible in the North during the winter. I used to take my children to the basement, set up a blanket under a sun light and we would have lunch there every winter day we could possibly do it. Or I made certain we all were down there for at least an hour each day doing something!

Ken enjoyed so much talking to the other "guys" Saturday...he just said he wouldn't mind getting into the ME more than he has...so maybe Tom was a really good influence on him!! Anyway..he said to say "hi" to all.

Kath :o)

Kath,

I agree with you.  I didn't get to go to the "party" and I also forgot to sign up for the roster(not doing very good, am I)  BUT it would be nice to have a listing of where everybody is along with their name and screen name - could print it off and refer to it.

Hey Ann, the retreat you went to Im pretty sure is the one in Silver Springs, it's just down the road a couple blocks from the Attraction "Silver Springs"  It's an older place but has a big gymnasium area for setting up sewing machines and then an entry way for meet and greet or for just hanging out and taking a break.  HA.. AND Kath, it has lots and lots of TREES, after all it's in the "forest".

I'm so sorry your trip Kath, to FWhouse was a disappointment.  I thought you should have tried the new strore first.  I couldn't imagine them changing the old place to be that impressive and mind you it's been over 10 years that I've been there.  You would have had to pass the new store if you got off I-4 onto Hwy 98.  Someone else that's close will have to check it out... Elaine, want to meet in Ocala and take a road trip??  HA

OK, for all of you whining about living in FL and not being near grandchildren or change of seasons etc.  I have a few things to say to you- - -  CHANGE YOUR FRAME OF MIND!  You have to make the most of where you are and what GOD has given you, start making Lemonade ladies.  If you knew 1/2 of what I've been thru you would say.. "hmmm I can appreciate where I am"  Fla has a lot of draw backs but if you start thinking about where you came from and all the BAD things you had up there, you will find the score is pretty even.  I KNOW, I'm from Michigan. On top of that my grandchildren and only child live in Jacksonville and I'm lucky to see them ONCE every 6 months.  I would drive the 2 hrs just to see them BUT they are never home long enough to do that so have to wait.

Our seasons are Warm Warmer Warmest and HOT. AND don't we have the ability to decorate our homes for Spring Summer Winter and Fall????  Isn't that what we do with our sewing machines?? DECORATE. Even EVE wasn't happy in the Garden of Eden so lets all start thinking how we can improve where we are instead of telling our significant others how awful we think it is.  The last time I left Mich, I hated it so bad, hated the house I was living in, hated the neighborhood, hated the people, had no friends except his friends and most of them had wives that worked and I didnt. anyway when I left, I didn't have him.. he died. To sum it all up, be THANKFUL you have each and every day to spend with someone you love and make where you are the best place it can be for tomorrow it may be GONE.

Ok I'll get off my soap box.. lol  WE really don't realize how well we have it here in FL when the temps are in the 90's everyday and the hurricanes come etc etc etc, but at least we do know that the one we love is next to us and we can enjoy TODAY!! and be sew sew sew happy doing what we want!!

By the way... Judy and Kath, I DON'T have dust bunnies... but can my fur balls play with your dust bunnies??  LOL

Hello Ladies (and gents too) I would just like to say "Ditto" to everything everyone else said about our Saturday get-together. I know that a great time was had by all.

Kath - if you are making the info sheet - here is mine:  Joan Rueff, Okeechobee, FL, screen name: rueffinit

I am the one who brought the Tyvek wall hanging. Tyvek paper can be purchased or you can use those strong, slick envelopes that you can get at the post office. There is no charge for them until you turn them in addressed and ready to be mailed. Here is the hand-out I received at the class I attended on Tyvek:

Creative Tyvek Tips:

1.  Paint Tyvek (unprinted side) with a variety of paints. I like Setacolors by Pebeo and Lumiere's by Jacquard. The best Lumiere's for this project are the colors with the word "Halo" in them. Blend colors for more interest.

2.  Allow to dry.  Preheat iron to medium setting for a slower and more controlled reaction of the Tyvek and a hot setting for a much quicker, "melted" or "lacey" affect.

4.  Place a pressing cloth underneath the Tyvek to protect your board and use parchment paper (from the grocery store) on top of the Tyvek.

5.  Placing the painted side up and pressing causes "creaters" in the Tyvek.

6.  Placing the painted side down causes "bubbles" or relief in the Tyvek.

7.  Work in a ventillated area, wearing a mack.

8.  Tyvek can be stitched to a fabric project using a straight stitch, a 90/14 needle and tear-away stabilizer.

9.  Tyvek can be glued with fabric glue on fabric or general use glue on paper projects.

NOTE:  I purchased the Lumiere paint from CheapJoe.com, although they did not specify "halo."  The instructor said she paid over $5.00 a bottle for her Lumiere paint but on CheapJoe.com they are $3.19. I showed the Tyvek to my neighbor and her mind went crazy thinking of ways to use this in her jewelry making and purse projects. I press the Tyvek out in the garage with the door open and a fan blowing just to be safe. I am also trying to think of more ways to use this in my scrapbooking - clouds, snow, bubbles, leaves, flowers, etc. etc. Also, I have been using two pieces of parchment paper, one on top and one on the bottom, instead of a pressing cloth.

wow, I just read today's messages and you guys have hurt my feelings, I became a Florida girl when my daddy moved us here in 1950 I was 7 years old. We first lived in Panama City and then moved to Miami, Fl. My father was a carpenter and you could work year around here, not like Indiana where it was mostly seasonal. 

We have just about everything here in this state, even an occasional snow day.  Where I live here in Citrus County, we have rolling hills, we are almost 50 ft about sea level.  We have beautiful pine trees, oaks, cedar & etc.  We even have some of so fl here with palm trees and hisbiscus.  I have lived in Indiana, New Jersey, New York, Alaska, Istanbul, Turkey, London and a few other places overseas.  I will take Florida any day.  I admit when I moved from so fl, it was a change for me.  I was used to a temperature that was the same all the time, with sea breezes.  Ann, can relate to this, she was from Miami Beach.  But I do enjoy the change of seasons we have, we have some leaf color changes, wintery days, we do use our fireplace to warm up the house in the early am. The spring time is fantastic here with all the azaleas in bloom.  We can swim year aroun din the springs around here too.

I like being near the water, even though it isn't the Atlantic Ocean but I go and get my fix at the Gulf of Mexico once in a while.  We have lakes here all over the place.  We are the nature coast and we really do have a lot of nature here.  I feed 6 squirrels, 2 bunny rabbits, (not dust bunnies), several kinds of birds, we even have a family of red tain hawks, several gopher turtles, the coyote comes by once in a while.  WE live in a golfing community not out in the woods, we are all on one acre lots.  I know how you feel about neighbors, it has taken a few years to get the neighbors to even say hello but have found out most of us are new to the neighbor hood and thought no one wanted to be friendly.  Walk a mile in someone else's shoes I believe would cover wouldn't it Lynn?

No matter how close your kids are they are busy.  We have one family in Orlando and one family in Royal Palm beach and we see the ones farthest away about 3 times a year.  The Orlando family is my daughter and we just naturally see each other more.  She would drive all the way to Miami a lot more than her brother in Royal Palm Beach.

Lynn, I wrote this on your blog because you felt like me about Florida.  Take each day at a time.  Now I will get off my soapbox too.  We just came back from riding the Harley and went to breakfast in Dunnellen and I need to get busy, sorry you guys are homesick.  I need to get rid of fur dust bunnies from the cats and the little dog we watched.  Hope you have a good day.

Joan,

I am going to print out these directions and look for the paper - maybe check out the post office.  I didn't make it to the get together last Saturday and would love to see you upload a picture of what the paper will look like when you get done.  I'm having trouble wrapping my brain around it but it sounds very intriging.....

Sandy in Tavares

Alright you guys,Whoa! I said I missed my Grand kids and Daughter not the rest of it,LOL. I enjoy the weather here a LOT. I would not go back to live there but would like to visit more often than we are able to.Trust me ladies,I do know how to make Lemonade,I've been doing it for years! It was not meant to be an insult on Florida or anyone that is here,born here or transplanted here. I love being near the water and beach and would like to go more often there as well. I first lived here in 1968,my first husband was in the Navy and stationed in Mayport,Florida. We lived in, or I should say one block from Jax Beach.(believe it or not ,the rent was cheap then,LOL) we lived here for 3 years then moved to Newport,RI,which after Florida was a total shocker,brrrr.From there we moved to Erie,Pa and lived on his folks golf course,in a small house they had there on the property.I was 7 months pregnant when he was killed in a car accident. From there I moved back to Michigan,so my folks could help me out until I had my daughter.In 1990,I moved back to Florida to take care of my folks until they passed away ,one in 1996 and the other in 1998.I lived in Venice ,then moved to Sarasota for a number of years.The reason I went back to Michigan is much too personal to share but it was tragic,and it devastated me.Then after 3 years back,I met Tom,through his Aunt,who I worked with. Well, shall we say ,the rest is history! So ,heck no ,I wouldn't go back to live,never. I love it here. I just wish the folks here in my community were a tad more friendly. It would be nice to have someone to shop with ,and go get pedicures and stuff.Don't get me wrong I love Tom to pieces,but hey don't we still need female companionships too? LOL Somehow I can't picture him getting a pedicure with me,LOL.

Ok Enough of that ,now I must REMIND you guys that please do Not give out your e-mail addresses on the site.The biggest reason is for your own protection. they have special stuff out there that do nothing but scan sites for addresses for spam,for one thing,and the other is just to protect you all from the nutzoids out there that wish to sell your address to companies or whom ever will pay for it. Please refrain from it ,OK? I wouldn't want anyone to be harmed from doing it.

Please guys, I am trying to get something together for when we move to groups,so please e-mail me and I will explain why I asked you all to hold off on passing information for a few days.Trust me on this one,LOL.

Yes you can bring your fur balls over for a play date,LOL!

So long for now...............Happy Stitching!

OK- I will begin immediately on digitizing bricks, to make free standing lace fireplaces, or we can do applique bricks, too, and I will look for all the fall leaves designs I can find. We'll all make our own fire places, and if you have a gas heater, it can be camoflaged, I think...and if not use a fan and some metallic material with colored lights, and it will look like a fire going in the hearth...and we can put leaves everywhere loosely, so they can fall. Turn your air conditioners to REALLY COLD, and put a "fire" in your fireplace, and make some hot chocolate...just don't OPEN your outside doors or you will blow the whole thing! You can even get the fake snow to spray on your windows to make believe you are out in the woods freezing your boombalayla off...and all the dust bunnies, and other assorted critters we have will do nicely...anyone have a Deer statue in their yard? We would also need a misting machine, and a recording of birds singing...and mittens, and scarves, so get busy girls...the HOLIDAYS are coming!!!! We can do this! Florida isn't so bad...you don't have to shovel the snow, and you can return to summer any time you want to! And the only ice you'll ever slip on will be in your drink cup! We can make white sand snowmen, and fiber-filled snowballs to fight with. They're even reusable! Can't say that about real snow! See? It's not so bad here! Sun, sand, imagination, funny friends...we have it all!

you are too funny, we have a real fireplace up here in central fl and  use it quite a bit, we have trees that their leaves turn colors and fall and have to be raked up.  We even have pine cones that make great fire starters or door wreathes, then we can spray fake snow on it. we do occasionally wear heavier jackets for the morning and evening hours.  We even have jack frost and he can do our flowers and trees in.

Jeepers Creepers... Never meant to get the ball rolling on my lack of love for Florida... it is the state honest.  I was born and raised an ole country girl and hard to beat it out of me. I only moved to Florida to care for my aging parents which I am most grateful to be able to have the ability to do believe me (Thank you Lord).  IT has been very hard because for me making friends comes easily normally and I have never been anywhere I have not met a friend.  IT has been most difficult here and believe me I have made the effort.  I have now been down here 9 years and made a few especially since I became involved with the Renaissance League and participate in the FLaRF every year. I may one day move back to VA and regret it because of the cold and my aching bones but that is HOME to me.  I have no family here other than my parents all my family is in Virginia except my daughter who for some ungodly reason moved to Canada (ok don't start on me you Canadians I don't hate Canada) I have the dilemma of the inability of seeing my grandkids grow up since my parents are going down hill and I can't make that trip to the north.  My family in Virginia (which is my son and his wonderful wife) can't make the trip down here because he is disabled and unable to travel.  So not singing my woes in saying I am not happy in Florida but was an honest point, meaning you just don't meet true friends down here or I wasn't .... you all just might have changed all that.  I'll be here until the Lord feels it time to call my parents home and I am not in any hurry for that to happen so in the  mean time  I intend to make the best of it and the best I do is sew sew sew... now with lots of knowledgeable new sew buddies... that seem to have lots of dust bunnies friends to play with... sounds like fun to me.

Now I jump off my soap box... dust my buns off (never could make that last step) and keep on trucking.

    Now if I can remember who is who (hope there is not test) I'll be doing just as well but I was the one with the shirt!

Happy week and sewing to all

~norie

OK OK I feel my teeth chattering now... Kath.. where is my boggin and scarf?  

Elaine, MY daddy brought ME to Florida in 1951 when I was 8 years old! He bought a small hotel on Washington Avenue on Miami Beach and lost his shirt! He then went into real estate and then insurance until he retired in 1980 and he and my mother moved to Wildwood. Miami Beach was, and still is, a very, very small town. It was a wonderful place to grow up. Since moving to Orlando in 1981 I miss the smell of the ocean. It took quite a while for me to adjust to loving inland.But I found Bill here and that's worth everything!

I think it's not the state of Florida, but the place one's in, that might make them unhappy. It's hard to be away from family and friends, no matter where you're living. When Bill and I were square dancing we had a large circle of friends and entertained often. As grandchildren and AnnTheGran took over my life square dancing went on the back burner and now we have few friends and socialize very little. Now the two grandchildren still in Central Florida are a junior and senior in high school and we don't see them very often and, of course, DD and her 4 moved to Kentucky 7 years ago and that's left a big hole.

Something else to take into consideration is that we've chosen a very solitary hobby. Sitting in front of a sewing machine and/or a computer can be satisfying, but I get lonely for face to face human contact! Maybe that's why I enjoy embroidery events, seminars and get togethers so much.

The place near Silver Springs might be the place I'm thinking of. It did have a huge gymnasium. It was really an ideal place for an embroidery retreat. The rooms weren't fancy, but they were adequate and they were air conditioned. I didn't miss TV, but it was tough going without internet access! I can't remember if I had any bars on my cell phone.

Anyway, I've got the pictures off my camera and as soon as I get them sized down I'll upload them, probably tomorrow.

TTFN

Just want to say that I do know how some of you feel about living in Fla.  I came down here in 1964 from NYC.  Now you talk about a cultural shock.  I just hated it and vowed someday to go back 'home in NYC'.  Well here it is 44 years later and a bomb could not get me out of the state.

I live in Ormond Beach, west of I-95 and let me tell you I have seen it show 5 times.  I have a wood burning fireplace that gets more use than I would like.  I have maple and sweet gum trees that turn into beautiful colors in the fall.  I have a wardrob for all weather changes and need most of the stuff every year.  If you really need the fall or sping colors get the old machine out and make it happen.

Two years ago my daughter and I went to the Westminister Kennel Club Show in NYC and the day we arrived snow started and in the next 36 hours we were in the biggest snowfall on record in the city.  It was fun but quess what?  I blessed the weather at 72 when we arrived back in Daytona Beach.

Just remember when you are making friends here that 75% of the time they are or know of someone that came from where you do.  So don't blame the people in Fla.  they are from all over.

Marge

WELL, Norie...21 new friends in a single afternoon averages out to about 2 and 1/3 friends for each year you've been here! We all just didn't know we were supposed to be finding you, but I would have if I could have!!!

Friends and family are very important, and it IS hard to be away from them. My whole family is in upstate New York, and I get "hesitant" to answer the phone in the winter, especially, because I never know what kind of news I will hear. Most recently, my sister had that bad accident, and that was truly the first bad news, and it was summer time! So, it goes to show that we can't always predict the way life will go, but we can do something to change our outlook where ever we are, and I think you are a terrific machine embroiderer- I WAS STUNNED AT HOW CUTE YOUR SHIRT IS!!! Coming to the luncheon was a good step!

If it's my doll that you are wanting, I will be happy to share the designs and info. You could even name her "VIRGINIA"!!! 

I am trying to get some more faces digitized, to give everyone a choice in how they want to make their faces, etc. I'm building a file of information, and I will definitely send it to you when I get it done. What format is your machine? I have .hus and .pes formats, but can save to any that is in my software. I have sent a copy of all my designs that I made for the dolls so far to the Library of Congress, to register the copyright to them, but I can give you permission to use them. I did not create the body pattern, or the patterns for the clothes, only the embroidery.

See, I have also forgotten who had what, except for a few things- I really need to know who had the Red hat quilt!!! I have a cousin in Maine who can't find anything to do with Red or Pink hats, and I was thinking to make a quilt for her! Where did you find that material, as it is SOOOO CUTE! I would also like to know what the pattern is called for the design of the quilt, if possible! I just need to see ALL the pics that were taken! I know I missed out on something! I just know it! So, until later today (since it's 2:41 a.m.) I will close my message, and get back to whatever it was I was doing before, if I can remember.......oh, yeah! I was trying to stop my kitty cats from eating all my dust bunnies up! (Does it count that my dust bunnies are made up of cat hair? Would they be fur-bunnies?) Lol! I really need the "Cat hair in my food" design too! (Judy- see I remembered that!)

 Anyway- HAPPY SEWING TO ALL!!!

Dawn