Ho Ho Ho and Happy New Year to y'all

Well, we hope you had a very Merry Christmas and that everyone is looking forward with great hope and enthusiasm to 2009 - despite the rather bleak economic outlook. Keep in mind, it's just money - unless you don't have any!!

We had a nice Christmas season here at Woody Acres.

My friend Kathy and I ran the gift exchange here at the park. Those participating bring a wrapped gift in the $5-10 range. Each person got a number when they arrived. The gifts went on tables in the center of a large circle of chairs. This year we had 67 participants - up from about 40 last year. We ran it last year and everyone had so much fun that the word spread this year. Then we drew number to determine who selected a gift first. They opened their gift and displayed it to everyone and had to keep it in sight in front of them. The second person did the same and so on. At any point a person could choose to "steal" a gift that is open rather than to take one off the table. A gift could only be stolen twice - the first time it got a green DOT - green for GO. The second time it got a red DOT - red for STOP. At that point it belonged to the person who had it and was no longer in play. When a person's gift was stolen, they then got to either take another gift off the table and open it or they could steal a different gift. Lots of wine, candies, nuts, salami and cheese were popular gifts and made their way around the circle until they got their red stickers. There were lots of laughs, lots of good-natured whining and teasing, and all-in-all everyone had a fun time. Let's face it, a $5-10 gift is just for fun since none of us in RV's have room for or NEED anything!

We were invited to Becky and Roger's for spaghetti on Christmas Eve. After we played a few games of pegs and jokers, we headed out to Keith and Cheryl's (Minnesotans) for their Christmas Eve open house. They used to be in the park but a few years ago bought land and built a home here in Fulton. They open their home to friends from the park as well as other friends from their church etc. - there are usually at least 40-50 people - on Christmas Eve for Tom & Jerrys. Everyone brings some goodies to share - lefsa, cheese and crackers, cookies, other snackies, etc.

We had Christmas dinner at the clubhouse. We pay $4 each and the park provides roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, as well as coffee and iced tea. Everyone brings a dish - vegetables, salads, desserts, deviled eggs, relish trays, etc. etc. Certainly no one went away hungry. Then, at 5:30 we all went back and had an instant replay of leftovers. There were bread and rolls for those who just wanted a turkey sandwich but there were still salads, potatoes, stuffing, and gravy, vegetables, etc. Good food and lots of fellowship. When we walked home after lunch, we were pleasantly surprised to find a rosy spoonbill in the pond by our "house." A spoonbill is a pretty pink bird that is in the area but not too common so it's fun to see one up close - see picture above.

Friday morning at 5:30 a.m. four of us gals (Becky, Cheryl, Kathy, and I) headed to Corpus Christi for the after Christmas sales. Macy's opened at 6am so we headed there first. Cheryl decorates her main tree with crystal ornaments (Waterford, Sarovsky, etc.) so she was on a mission. We also hit JC Penney, Dillards, Stein Mart, Tuesday Morning, and had lunch at Macaroni Grill. Back in Fulton, we made a stop at a wonderful store called "Shop the World." Each of us found a few things but Cheryl came home with the mother lode - she will have lots of new Christmas decorations for next year - haven't heard what Keith had to say about her purchases . . . .

Saturday was, as usual, pizza with the group and then poker in the evening. It was a good night for both of us. I held pocket aces on the final hand and they held up so I padded my lead and ended up first. Chuck cashed in at third so it was a good night for both of us. It's always fun to play but it's more fun to win!

Finally getting this posted! Been too busy having a good time to sit down at the computer and finish what I started a week ago!!! We're leaving tomorrow morning for two weeks in Orlando FL = meeting Chuck's brother Jon and his wife Phyllis. Taking the computer along so will be "connected" while there.

Keep warm - more later . . .

I could start by whining about the weather here - we have had a couple of cold and windy days - but since I have already had a phone call and an e-mail complaining about the weather in Wisconsin, that probably wouldn't be well received! People in Wisconsin would be out in t-shirts if the weather got back up in the 40s!! Anyway it's 60 here now and supposed to be in the 70s the next few days and back up to 80 by Monday.



Not much new here at Woody Acres - cards ( I was high score at bridge on Tuesday among 4 tables - whoo whoo!!), bingo (both Church and I won Monday night for a grand total of $12.50 - neither of us won on Wednesday night). Yesterday morning the clubhouse kitchen was open for cookie baking - the park provided flour, sugar, oatmeal, eggs, shortening, salt, baking powder, baking soda, etc. etc. We just had to bring the "special" ingredients for our particular recipe. There is a group going caroling around the park tonight so they made up bags of cookies for the shut-ins - the elderly people in the park who can't get out much due to illness and disabilities. They are having turkey soup after caroling then a small Christmas program and cookies in the clubhouse. So filled the bags, left trays and containers of cookies in the clubhouse for tonight, ate a few (had to try each other's recipies), handed out a few to all the men who trooped through stating "it smells good in here", and brought a few home. Good way to bake since neither of us needs to have a whole batch of anything sitting around to tempt us!



Well, we've been here two weeks and we're already planning to go somewhere else! Chuck's brother Jon and sister in law Phyllis had been talking about going to Florida for a week or two to escape Cleveland's winter. We offered to meet them and use our Hilton points for a condo. I started looking for cheap airfares and checked on Allegiant Air which we flew last year from Duluth to Las Vegas. Found that they fly out of McAllen TX - a bit of a drive but doable. Got tickets to Orlando for $29 per person each way - YES, $29!! Our total round trip for the two of us with taxes and fees is $170. Got on the phone to Jon and they are also flying Allegiant out of Toledo OH for $59 per person each way. Then got online and reserved a two-bedroom Hilton condo on International Drive for two weeks. Don't know what we will do while there - may just play it by ear. I'd like to do a day at Epcot - haven't been there in over 20 years, and maybe an airboat ride through the Everglades

Last night we were watching the National Finals Rodeo on tv from Las Vegas and decided to talk with friends Kathy and Bryan about taking a bus trip to the San Antonio Rodeo and Stock Show in February. We have never been to the rodeo there and Billy Ray Cyrus is performing the day of the scheduled bus trip. Would be a new experience!

Well, stay warm and keep repeating, "Spring will come, Spring will come."