I'm Here in Sunny Florida!

As most of you know by now I made it down here and am enjoying my slow process of unpacking and getting settled. I'm extremely relaxed and feel so fortunate to be here after the Fall I had. I'm going to the pool every day and doing some physical therapy on my shoulder through swimming. It's been warm 75-80 and 60 at night so I'm sleeping with the windows open which is really a treat. We're going to cool down this weekend so I'm soaking up the rays while I can.

I am constantly reminded of what a special place this is. The people and the setting are just wonderful. Everyone has greeted me with open arms and I feel at home here. This is my other family. My southern family.

Well, I'll be bloggin so stay tuned for photos and text about my adventures. I miss you all and I'm happy to be here.

• Love,

TZ

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Hi everyone! It's been frigid down here as you probably have heard on the news. The farmers are losing everything and they say it hasn't been this cold for this long in 35 years. We're all keeping warm as best we can; the nights I'm toasty in my hat and glove and long johns in my sleeping bag. The mornings are rough, 20s and 30s. My heat pump only blows hot air above 40 degrees so it's useless at night and with no furnace on board, I rely on warm clothes and an electric heater to keep me going. It's been a tough stretch.

The good news is it will be warming up in a couple of days so that's good. We've been huddling for brief cocktail hours in the waning sun just so we can all see one another. I've made some great new friends this year and am having a great time despite the weather. They've asked me to teach a jewelry making class at the campground so I'm putting some effort into that. I'm excited!

Will keep you posted as to what's happening. The seasonal folks are all in and the campground is full. Nice to have everyone back! Stay tuned!

Love,
Terry

Here's Nellie's New Floor and Awning!

Hi everyone. Finally got around to snapping some pictures of the new floor and awning, both of which I love. I'm loving not stepping on the green rug anymore and it's much easier to clean! The awning is great to store my bike under, cut down on the heat and have my bistro table there. It's blue and light tan and it's a really nice fabric, sunbrella brand. Anyway, the improvements have made a big difference in the quality of life on Nellie. She feels upgraded, the ole girl!

Right now we are dealing with cold weather in FLA. It's been 38-42 at night and 55 during the day. We're all bundled up and it's supposed to be this way for 10 days still. UGH! Sure beats snow though. Today we had happy hour at one of my friend's mobile home in the park. We fit 15 people in a lanai; a new record. We were all so happy to be warm! Anyway, I hope you all are faring well and I will check in much more frequently from now on!

Love,

Terry and Nellie!

Post Thanksgiving Day!

Well I had a spectacular Thanksgiving, two fantastic meals and lots of good company. Heard from everyone back home too so that was nice. I had my fill of food and drink and managed to sleep 12 hours til the contractor came this morning! It was cool for here today, in the 60s and in the 40s last night! I pulled out the sleeping bag on top of the covers and was just plain toasty! Bought a polisher for the trailer and will be having a polishing party soon to get her spiffed up. I'm excited to see how she'll turn out! The conch shell was blown at 4:30 and we had happy hour which was fun. I'm really getting to know some nice people here so it's great! Tomorrow we're having happy hour at my place so I'm going to make some homeade peach salsa; just looked up a recipe. All is well in sunny Florida. Miss you all!

Love,
TZ

Welcome to Season 2!!!

Hi everyone. I'm back in Florida for season two aboard my beloved Nellie. She fared well this summer in storage. I opened her up and she was just fine. Lost my whirligig (turbine) off the top and replaced that. Got rid of the bees nest in my hot water heater area and got that up and going. The trailer was on a tilt for a coule of days so I got that straightened out and I'm not longer listing. So we're functional and life is good! Weather is 80s and a little humid. Been to the pool every day since I got here. We're having a Thanksgiving feast this Thursday, turkey and all the fixins at 2:00 and then I'm going over to my boss's house for another round of eating and merriment. Should be a good day.

I've decided to put an awning and new floors in Nellie so I've hired a contractor to handle the work. I face the sun so the awning will come in nice and handy and the rug here is ancient so I'm going to put down laminate wood and some tile in the bathroom. I'm very excited about all that.

My friends from last year aren't here this year but I'm branching out and making new friends so it's good. There are probably 10 couples here already and the bulk will be coming after the holiday.

Well, the blog is officially open for business. I'll be taking some pictures and upload them soon.
Thanks for tuning in!

Terry

A Store About My Winter

I got delayed coming home and spent some time in the Tampa airport and decided to write a poem about my experience at Camp Venice Retreat. Here it is, I hope you like it!

A Magical Place

Once I dreamt of a magical place
Where people were friendly and took you for face
Where all of the days drifted together
And you couldn't possibly beat the weather.

I took a chance and bought a trailer
Named her Nellie and vowed not to fail her
I took her to that magical place
Where the people were friendly and took you for face

I couldn't believe what happened to me
A warmer place I never did see
Tom and Harry are wonderful and kind
Whatever you need they never do mind

There's gators and fish and armadillos and owls
Stick around and you'll hear their howls
There's parties and campfires and a"apple pie" and fun
There's a cool pool for spending the day in the sun.

There's Flo an dRick and the Traveling Vaughns
With them around there's never a yawn
There's Roger and Ginny and Big Mike and Sue
There's always happy hour and something to do.

But what make it rich, sweeter than sweet
Is the way it's a family, a close one to keep
We help each other day in and day out
All you have to do is let out a shout

I value so this wonderful place
That I'll come back to each year to be taken for face.
The time of a lifetime that I'll hold so dear
That I hope to be part of year after year.

I made some great friends that I'll have forever
Honest sincere people, who are the best ever
So when I think of Winter '09
It's the hearts I'll remember and the way they do shine.

The Party's Over...

Well, here I sit boarding up my windows for the season wondering where all the time went. And then I look at my blog and my photos and I read my journals and I know where it went this best winter of my life. It was challenging at times, joyous most times, full of new friendships, new experiences, getting to know Nellie and best of all enjoying the time I had here over this four months. I want to thank all my family and friends who supported me coming down here and hearing all my stories about living in Nellie and what that was like. I am a changed person for this experience, better I think, a little older and a little wiser. A day didn't go by that I didn't thank God for giving me this opportunity and giving me the kind and generous people I was surrouncded by all winter. I have decided to come back in November, I have a job waiting for me which is great, and I'm looking forward to a few extra months in the Florida sun. Thanks for coming on this odyssey with me. I am planning to visit friends I made here and will come on and put up pictures of them and my travels. So far I've been invited to Toronto, upstate Vermont, New Hampshire and I have one local couple in Stoughton Massachusetts. I will look forward to keeping the blog alive as these wonderful people touch my life once again. Thanks, I'll see you soon.

Love,
TZ