Happy Easter

Hope you had a Happy Easter!!  It was wonderful to spend time with our children and grandchildren.  Our holidays started with a visit to Greenville and time with the Livingstons.

 The following weekend we traveled to West End and visited the Popes.  I just love decorating Easter eggs with the kids.

Some after bathtime snuggles with Papa.

Aunt Krista surprised us with a visit on Saturday and challenged Lily to a race on Celia's bicycle, to which Celia shouted, "Aunt Krista, what on earth?" I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.

Then we traveled to Raleigh to spend a little time with Krista and enjoyed a visit to Duke gardens.  It was a great visit.

Time with my family makes me one happy woman!

Not the homecoming that I had in mind

Back in Asheville and glad to be home until I took a fall.  Off to the ER and x-rays behind us, 5 days later I am beginning to feel better and now almost like new.  I will never trust stairs again.

So long Solivita

We have had a wonderful time getting to know you!! 

Looking forward to seeing you again this winter. 

Exercise

This blog would not be complete without a post about exercise.  Exercise is typically thought of as a four letter word, we have had a great time.   We started out with bicycling which we have always enjoyed and Solivita is ideal for our pace of bicycling.

Then we moved on to working out in the gym.  As you can see John took it very seriously, me...not so much.

Then there was pickleball, which has been a blast.  For non-athletic people, we have had a great time and don't even embarass ourselves as much as we did in the beginning. 

And of course there was my walking path.  Early mornings became my time to take the 2 1/2 mile walke aroung the lake on Shorehaven Blvd.  Just beautiful!!

GO MAGIC!!!

John was invited to go to an Orlando Magic game against the New Jersey Nets in the new Amway Center with his friend, Tom.   

It was especially exciting because it was the first game after Dwight Howard announced his decision to stay with the team.  (Can you believe that I know this much about basketball??) 

The Magic won by 14 points. Tom, thank you so much for inviting John to go, he had a blast and I was thrilled that I didn't have to go!

Guinnesws World Record

Solivita tried to break the Guinness World Record for the largest Zumba class.  The standing record was 3,013.  Alas, we fell short by 200 people, even busing in 1,200 people from school and local groups.  The weather held off, rain clouds were heavy, sound systems and large screens were in place and almost 3,000 people danced for 35 minutes.  They even included a belly dance (almost 3,000 people belly dancing, what a hoot) Well, I did my part and it was really fun trying!!

Bok Tower Gardens

We attended the 21st annual International Carillon Festival .  The carillon at Bok Tower Gardens has 60 bells ranging in weight from 16 pounds to nearly 12 tons.   The day was perfect as we sat on a bench shaded by a large oak tree and  soaked in the sounds of the carillon as music floated to the ground from the 205 foot singing tower. Friends , Jim and Sally were with us and said that it felt a little like what heaven will be like.

Established in 1929, by Edward W. Bok as a gift to the American people, the 50 acre garden was designed by noted landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.

It was a marvelous day!!