November 28, 2025 - Friday
My walking buddy from home, Dee, is in Florida for a break. She and her daughter, Kristen, came over for a nice walk in the chilly mid-morning air. We pushed it to 2.30 miles and stopped for a selfie to share the sunshine and view with the other walking buddy, Kathy. Miss you, Kathy…
November 29, 2025 - Saturday
Another brisk, breezy morning at 48 degrees. But the day warmed up to 79, so I walked around 10am. Charlotte, my renter for the past 8 years, pulled in today. She has found a new place to rent, thankfully, and it is just 1/4 mile down the street from me. She brought me a dozen bagels from FishHawk Bagels which she orders for others each year on her way over from her granddaughter’s in the Villages.
November 30, 2025 - Sunday
We went to Publix early, got the car washed, and I had my walk done before 9am. Church online at 10:30 while Rich made a potato salad (which we haven’t had in a very long time). It was perfect with a turkey sandwich for lunch.
Went over to Charlotte’s new “digs” to visit. When I told her last January that I wanted to use the condo this year, she started a search for another spot in this community. She has made many friends over the years so was able to find a two-story home with 4 bedrooms and a pool in the screened lanai.
The kitchen is very big and well equipped with everything. So she will prepare meals for her new live-in landlord, Lyle - a very nice guy. He stopped in from his Harley ride for something while I was there. He said to help ourselves to whatever we wanted - meat in the freezer, grill in the lanai, have at it… Of course, we didn’t do any of that, but it was very generous of him to offer.
December 1, 2025 - Monday
At water aerobics this morning, I met a neighbor, Betty, for the first time. We had a nice, long conversation in the pool afterwards as we turned to prunes. She, Joe, and Maddy (dog) are from Illinois where they have a huge lake house. They enjoy vodka, as does Rich, so we will have to continue the conversation soon.
Mr. Handyman came by with the new springs for the window. All is well again.
At line dancing I was promoting the upcoming Christmas Concerts only to find out that one of the members, Linda, of the ukulele group is here in line dancing! Jeez! I asked her where she sits in the practices and she is up front and I am in the back so rarely see her face. WOW! It is a small world which is getting smaller and smaller…
December 2, 2025 - Tuesday
Walked in spite of a threat of rain before our 2-hour ukulele practice. Things are coming together nicely - thank goodness, since the first concert is Friday with one more practice.
When Linda arrived, she had two other Stoneybrook residents with her who have been here all along! I present a picture of them from my view in the back. How could I recognize them?
Kay, Julie, Linda
Then from the front of the room showing their lovely faces…
Linda, Julie, Kay
My son-in-law, Dave, took Zachary to breakfast this morning and when they were preparing to leave, they heard a crash. It was Dave’s 2026 Ford 150 truck that a rental car ricocheted into. WOW!
We stopped at Hot Heads Salon on the way home. Natalia Liya was available to cut Rich’s hair. She was done in 10 minutes and charged $25. It looks good too. The owner, Joe, was just finishing up a cut on Santa Claus - this is the beard and hair he sheered off…
December 3, 2025 - Wednesday
After water aerobics, we went to meet my friend from home, Joyce, for lunch. She has been wintering in Florida for decades. She and her late husband are responsible for us having this condo. In 2008, Lou showed Bob and our son, Randy, this condo just for ha! ha’s! After they got back home, Bob kept talking about it for weeks. Shoulda, coulda, woulda! Finally, I said, let’s talk about it, run the numbers and see if we can manage it. We worked it out and here I am…. He enjoyed many years of coming down to golf in the winter while I was still working.
I have been renting it out since he passed in 2017 and was very successful with summer rentals as well - usually folks who are building a new home or remodeling, etc. This summer wasn’t so good. I had an applicant for July through October, Joseph, who is the foreman on the construction site for Tim Hortons, just down the street from the condo. This was a welcome stay for me as it would keep the money coming in all summer without turnover. We were both happy with the arrangement. He wanted to check out the place, so I asked my neighbor downstairs, Connie, if she would give him the spare key to get in. After he left, I asked her what she thought of him. She said, he was a very nice young man and he took his boots off before stepping inside. I was happy to hear that and the process began - rental application for the gated community, transfer of membership to use the facilities, background check, etc. Well, the move-in date was getting so close and I hadn’t heard back from them. So I called and was told that there was a problem with the background check - Joseph was a felon. I couldn’t believe it and when I texted him the problem, he replied, “That was 33 years ago!” OMG. I was so upset. I immediately told each of my teenage grandkids about this and how the choices they make now will stay with them the rest of their lives!
Fast forward to today - we drive by the Tim Hortons construction site regularly. It is roped off and workers are inside the building. I learned from Connie that he had a big silver truck so when we went by today, there was the truck and someone getting out of it. Rich pulled over and I got out and walked toward him. “Can I help you?” “Are you by chance Joseph?” “I am.” “I’m Monda.” “Hi Monda!” “Do you remember me?” “Yes I do.” We then talked about the sad situation. He explained that he was 19 years old doing teenager things with his buddies. He was the only one who got caught at a time when they were really coming down hard, and is now a convicted felon. He talks about his mother assuring him that with his faith and truth at his center he will get by. And he certainly has done very well in his field.
Glory - I have to remember to look up for selfies! Look at that double chin!
December 4, 2025 - Thursday
Walked before going to practice for Xmas concerts. Then we went to the Elks to have lunch with Tim and Dee. We enjoyed a nice hot Italian sausage sandwich with chips and a few brews.
Need to get our beauty rest for tomorrow’s debut performance! Stay tuned…
