Apricity South (Week 2)

November 12, Thursday

After a trip to Palmetto to get Rich a flu shot and copies of our Covid test results, we made a stop at Detwilers Farm Market (Amish family owned). My friend Drew told us about how fresh, affordable, and busy it was. He was right on all accounts. We were just going to check it out as we just shopped at Publix yesterday. Well, we came out of there with $50 worth of great food - so much for window shopping!

  

Then we had lunch at Acapulco Mexican Restaurant, Lakewood Ranch which was wonderful. There are murals on every wall. 

 

These margaritas were $3 each (house Tequila)!

 

November 13, Friday 

Friday the 13th was pretty uneventful. 

Went to the pool in the afternoon to soak in some natural vitamin D. 

 

November 14, Saturday

This evening we learned that our new camper friend, Gary, had heart surgery and was not doing well. We had gone over to Albany the week before to have a pleasant lunch with him and his wife Judy at the Cheesecake Factory. They seemed OK with it - pretty calm. Friends of theirs had the same surgery and were doing well. He had mentioned shortness of breath at a recent check up. They did some tests and found that he needed a triple bypass which turned out to be quadruple! He was now on a ventilator. This was surely a time for singing the Lord's Prayer and putting him on prayer lines at 1st Congregational and Church on the Hill. 🙏🙏🙏

 

November 15, Sunday

We went to visit Lynn (Bob's cousin) and Zippy at their home in Port Charlotte/Englewood for dinner. 

 

I assured them we had been tested and they were very conscientious of Covid protocol - seating in their beautiful caged pool area was appropriately distanced while we enjoyed a delicious meal and sharing stories, new and old.

 

On the way there, we stopped for gas in North Port. I heard someone asking Rich where we were from, noticing our Massachusetts plates. I put my mask on and got out of the car to investigate. She said she was born and bred in Lenox!! Her name was Ginger Field and she had worked at Eastover after retiring from the Army. Since I had come to know Sue and Ticki (Bazaka sisters whose father owned Eastover) when I worked at Church on the Hill, we could have talked forever. And the Liz Biasin connection with Mike Field was another layer of this being such a small world!

 

November 16, Monday

We met Drew Golaski and Will Foley at their house to drive over to the Ringling Museum for the grand tour of the grounds and the exquisite museum. 

 

 

It was so nice to visit with them afterward in their gorgeous pool area. 

Will and Rich had a lot to talk about since Will is a professor of Hotel and Restaurant Management at U Mass and Rich went to Paul Smith's College for the same degree. All of us have worked in the food industry so there was plenty to talk about. 

 

November 18, Wednesday

We have company coming tomorrow - Jeff and Cindy were work campers of Rich's at North Ranch in Arizona. He hasn't seen them in two years and they are camping here on east coast of Florida. Getting furniture all set up for social distancing. Look forward to meeting them...