First Full Day at Rambler's Rest

We woke to very overcast skies.  John took his walk and when he got back he cooked breakfast.  I got a text from my cousin, Mary, saying she and her husband, Paul arrived in Sarasota late Sunday night and wondered just where we were located now.  We hope to get together this week.  Then John took me down to the pool to do my exercises before the rain started.  He went to the weight room to finish his exercise routine.  Almost immediately the raindrops began but it really didn't matter because I was already in the heated pool.  I exercised about an hour and by that time the rain had pretty much stopped.  We headed back to Harvey and I got a shower and made some phone calls.  We made arrangements with Mary and Paul to get together with them tonight and go out to eat.  They bought a house in Palmer Ranch a couple of years ago and I was anxious to see it.  We had some leftovers for lunch and then I touched up the gray roots in my hair.  I don't think my daughter, Michele, who is a hair stylist, would be too happy with my results, but, I think it looks better.  While I was processing John took a nap and I worked on my blog post. We left for my cousin's place at about 5:10 and saw a couple of armadillos on the road outside our campground.  Hopefully, we will get some pictures another time!  We arrived at Mary and Paul's home at 5:50.  It is in a beautiful gated community with a lake in the center.  And their house is gorgeous with an open design, a floating, lighted buffet in the family room and cabinets in the bathrooms, and a screened porch with a beautiful pool!  They were so hospitable.  They decided to feed us there!  She served some appetizers and cooked spinach with white beans, pine nuts and olive oil and garlic that she made and Italian dishes they picked up at a family restaurant called Pizzoli's...cheese stuffed shells, eggplant parmesan, and an asst. of Italian cookies, one with figs.  Well, I certainly broadened my horizons because I have never or was never willing to try eggplant, cooked spinach, pine nuts or figs!  And guess what...I like them all!!  So thank you to my cousin for getting me to try something new.  We talked and caught up on our lives the rest of the evening.  They just finished building a duplex in Mechanicsburg but can't move in yet because their house in Harrisburg, which they have had on the market since June, hasn't sold yet.  However, they have a few nibbles since the open house this past weekend.   We had such a nice time!  We left about 10pm and went to bed when we got back.

Mary, Paul and me in their beautiful house