It's October! That means the temperatures should begin to drop a little and we will soon begin to see signs of fall (On the news) as the landscape takes on a different color pallet. My trip cross country provided peeks at the mastery of 'Mother Nature' as she begins to paint our world in rich colors. That is something that we Floridians rarely get to experience. It was just another marvel that we enjoyed during our adventure. Lilly and I made it safely back to the east coast late Tuesday in time to surprise daughter Allie in Atlanta one day early. We will be leaving today, with Allie in tow this time, for Durham, North Carolina where we will enjoy and sing our hearts out at the Andy Grammer Concert! Lilly and I had lots of 'practice time' during our road trip and I am sure those around us will be quite impressed! :)
Lilly and I kinda got chased around the west by the weather. As I mentioned last week we drove 12 hours from Mount Rushmore to get to Glacier National Park where we only got to stay for a couple of hours before deciding to get out in front of an expected epic September snowstorm. Though we contemplated how amazing it would be to see such a storm, we did do the 'smart' thing and left. I guess it's a good thing we did because the storm did not disappoint as an anticipated historic storm...It dropped 50 inches of snow! Lilly and I would have been buried!
The amazing thing about driving out west is that you literally drive for hours and hours and hours without seeing any civilization; the night skies are nothing less than spectacular! You certainly have to make sure you have a full tank of gas before you leave a town. It was sometimes several hours before we would even pass another car. It could be a little scary if I let myself think about the possibility of a medical emergency or possible car problems because of course we had no phone signal either... So, we didn't think about that and instead just sang Andy Grammer songs as we weaved in and out of the most wondrous scenic backdrops one could ever imagine. We visited Idaho Falls before heading to Utah where I was astounded by the Bonneville Salt Flats. It was absolutely the flattest possible terrain that was covered in salt. Yep, salt that looked like snow for as far as we could see. SALT ... FLASHERS .... Everywhere! The white salt met the horizon when we looked back toward the east and to the west, it met the majestic mountain range. Lilly and I vote that it should become an 8th national Wonder! We took our shoes off and walked barefoot over the crunchy substance. Yes, we had to taste it too! Lilly wanted to make a 'salt angel' but it was kinda wet and didn't brush off like snow, so she opted not to. We had a blast driving all over the unmarked and utterly void salt terrain! (You should see our video.) We only saw one other car way off in the distance; it was like we had it all to ourselves!
Though I can now cross 'Drive Cross Country' off my bucket list, I have added two more things. Tour every state capital and visit every presidential library; visit every national park is already on my list. Lilly and I thoroughly enjoyed touring several state capitals and learning of the state's history. We also toured Eisenhower's presidential library which is what encouraged us to add presidential libraries to our bucket list. We again changed plans due to the weather when we got to the ranger station at Arches National Park in Utah. They were experiencing extremely high winds with gusts over 50 MPH. We had Lilly's paddle board strapped to the top of the car and we just didn't want to chance even greater gusts at the top of the mountain. The ranger said that was probably a smart decision. So... We were off to see the hoodoos in Bryce Canyon National Park, then Denver, wheat fields of Kansas, (you should have seen all of the blowing large tumbleweeds) Missouri, Tennessee and ATLANTA! Ta - Da.... We made it!
Life is an adventure, FLASHERS! Squeeze every bit of enjoyment out of it. We did that out west, but will be back in Vero next week to do the same thing in our own backyard! Just take a look at all of the upcoming events happening right here at home! :) Oh Boy...More fun! Never forget that 'Fun is the best thing to have!' :) Go getcha some! :)
Valerie Watkins
Publisher
GUIDE TO HAUNTED HOUSES IN THE U.S.
Tis the month of the haunted. If you get a thrill from being scared...Check out this site that will tell you where the best haunted houses are in the country. This is a fun one for you to share with family and friends who live in different parts of the country... BOO!
I've got some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I have finally lost the 10 pounds that I've been trying to lose for the past 20 years. The bad news is that my skin doesn't fit me anymore. It's like I put on a coat that is two sizes too big and it hangs on me. Everything is sagging. Unfortunately, I can't take my skin off like I would a coat and exchange it for a smaller size. And more bad news...I've swapped the pounds for winkles. My former face had chubby little cheeks with just a few wrinkles. Now they sag too. Even my neck looks worse. I think 5 of those 10 pounds were lost in my face and neck. In other words when you get old, you will have to decide whether you want to be chubby or wrinkled. Not a happy choice! Click Here to read on.
OCTOBER SPECIALS, CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS
Pumpkin Superfood
Anti-Aging Facial
Spicy Pumpkin
Body Scrub & Wrap
Reiki I, II, & Advanced Immersion Workshop
Click Herefor a full listing of services and specials
Introduction to Genealogy Classes will be offered at the Indian River County Main Library, 1600 21st Street, Vero Beach FL. This class is FREE to the public, but you must sign up at least 3 days before the first class.
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3 Session Class (October 12th, 19th and 25th, 2019)
10 am to 12 noon.
Sign up in the main library or call (772) 444-7470. The sign-up sheet for this class is on the IRGS table across from the elevator on the second floor.
A store that sells husbands has just opened in New York City,... Where a woman may go to choose a husband. Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates. You may visit the store ONLY ONCE! There are six floors and the attributes of the men increase as the shopper ascends the flights. There is, however, a catch... You may choose any man from a particular floor, or you may choose to go up a floor,.. But you cannot go back down except to exit the building! So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband...
On the first floor the sign on the door reads: Floor 1 - These men have jobs and love the Lord.
She then goes to the second floor. The second floor sign reads: Floor 2 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, and love kids.
She thinks for a while, and then goes to the third floor. The third floor sign reads: Floor 3 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, and are extremely good looking. "Wow," she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going.
She goes to the fourth floor and the sign reads: Floor 4 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, are drop dead good looking and help with the housework. "Oh, mercy me!" she exclaims, "I can hardly stand it!"
Still, she goes to the fifth floor and the sign reads: Floor 5 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, are drop dead gorgeous, help with the housework, and have a strong romantic streak.
She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the sixth floor and the sign reads:.....Floor 6 - You are visitor no. 43,630,912 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please. Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store. Watch your step as you exit the building, and have a nice day!
IS THIS REALLY WHAT WE'VE COME TO?
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Sat, October 19, 2019
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM EDT
JACKSONVILLE, FL
The Seafood Soul Festival combines the love of seafood and soul food with live entertainment. The event also features general vendors displaying art, clothing, jewelry, house-hold products and much more. This is a family-friendly event.
A Spectacular Celebration of Global Cuisines, Music & More Party for the Senses Delight in an unforgettable night at this specially ticketed soiree featuring global cuisine. Eat to the Beat Concert Series. Embrace your inner groupie during live performances at America Gardens Theatre, August 29 through November 19, 2019.
There is something fulfilling about getting wood that is about to be discarded and turning it into something that will make you smile. Like these pumpkins! :)
It's important to stay on top of learning. Try playing word games, or mind puzzles that are easily found online. Learning is not just for the kids, but also for the young at heart who strive to learn something new every day. Whenever possible, read something, try something, and watch something new, to keep your mind active and your spirit invigorated. Read to your Grandchildren via Skype or Facetime it will be one of their favorite activities !
MOVIE TITLES
Can you name all these movies that won the BEST PICTURE award?
Coat your pumpkins with a floor cleaner and it will preserve them for most of the season!
WHICH HALLOWEEN CANDIES HAVE THE FEWEST CALORIES?
It's not easy to keep your hand out of that basket you put
all your Trick or Treat candy in! Heres a slideshow that might help tell you which ones are the best to buy.
Example: Altogether, I thought her presentation was very good.
ALL TOGETHER means 'gathered', with everything in one place. Example: We were all together at the family reunion last fall.
WE LOVE OUR FLASHERS WHO DON'T KEEP US A SECRET! PLEASE SHARE US WITH EVERYONE!
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Click below to follow us on Facebook where there's a lot more in store! :)
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Mercy Turns 100!
Mercy was always kind and routinely greeted the garbage men who serviced her route. They became quite friendly and the men told her that they would surprise her if she stuck in there and made it to see 100th birthday! Mercy lived up to her end of the bargain and so did the men! Three grown men singing and giving this 100 year old lady a day that touched her speechless. It's so easy to be kind and you never know just how much that kindness will mean to someone! Shower your days with kindness, FLASHERS! Click Here to watch the video.
We're all familiar with the classic Stroganoff made with beef. but this one with chicken was new to me and easy to make in a slow cooker.
Recipe serves four.
Sunrise Rotary Vero Beach Foundation, Sunrise Rotary Vero Beach club's own foundation, put up $10,000 to be matched by club members for the Bahamas Relief....Club members more than matched that amount and will be sending to a Rotary Bahamas Relief effort $22,863.00. One of the club members, Kevin Anderson's son, Oliver, had a lemonade stand to raise money and donated it towards the effort...Oliver delivered his check a few weeks earlier. Renato Tavares, a past Sunrise member, held a fundraiser at one of his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu locations and donated $3500.
Photo #1: The Big Check held by Oliver, president Robin Pelensky and Foundation Treasurer Bob McCabe.
Photo #2: Lemonade Stand for Bahamas Relief
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