The Corkery’s hosted a Tacky Sweater Party tonight. We had a lot of fun and even enjoyed the friendly competition as well as the charades contest and other games.
The votes were tallied in the 3 categories – Just Too Pretty – Ugliest Sweater – Still Pretty Ugly – and prizes were awarded!
Prizes were bottles of wine!
Florence won Just Too Pretty
Danny won Still Pretty Ugly
Dave won Ugliest Sweater (Notice the Beer Tabs on his vest!)
Liz had fun trying to tacky up her place with tinsel garland!
This evening we were off to the Venice Theatre again – this time for the classic A Christmas Carol – in its 15th running here at the theatre. Some of the actors have been in it multiple years – the actor playing Scrooge was playing it for the 13th time. Many of the 51 cast are siblings and parents sharing the stage. It was an excellent production of my favourite Christmas play so I was pleased.
The large clock was heard tolling during Scrooge’s visits by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future.
The cast taking bows at the end!
Today we headed out to the annual Red Hat Luncheon held at the Jacaranda West Golf Club. Because it was Christmas, the Queen Ginny declared that we should wear red – not purple today! Here we are before leaving my place.
The facility is decorated both inside and out so we took a few opportunities to take pictures.
This evening we attended a play in the Pinkerton Theater within the Venice Theater complex. The title, The Great American Trailer Park Christmas, was enough to entice us. It was a fun little musical based in a Florida trailer park called Armadillo Acres and set in the days prior to Christmas. It was quite irreverent as some of the titles of the songs might suggest – Christmas in my Mobile Home, Christmas is for Dummies, The Twelve Days of Amnesia and Trailer Park Christmas Time. One was even a little vulgar – its title _ It It’s Christmas (you fill in the blank) . The set design was neat – including the half decorated tree, the fully decorated trailer, the undecorated trailer that then became decorated, and the garden nome with the extended finger.
We toured the lights on Mission Valley Road tonight with the Munroes and MacIntyres. Since we first moved here, it has been an annual tradition for us. This is the first time for the Munroes. Showcasing 175,000 colored and white lights and more than 400 figurines, the 2.5-acre Christmas wonderland on Mission Valley Boulevard is a holiday experience. The home that we visited has been setting up this impressive show since 1975. They have added new things most years and it is fun to look around and try to find the changes.
Christmas music plays from four different stereo systems placed throughout the yard. One offers classical music; a second plays Christmas favorites like “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”; a third plays Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas tunes; and the fourth provides sounds from Santa’s workshop.
These Santa’s workshop buildings are part of the original displays.
There are polar bears, penguins, snowmen, trains and more: flamingos, toy soldiers, dinosaurs and reindeer galore.
The owner draws inspiration from children’s coloring books, then sketches designs. He hand-builds the displays he can’t find in stores, such as his 12-foot holiday dinosaur. Each character is made from 1/4-inch round steel wire on which Christmas lights are clipped. He uses 400 extension cords for more than 800 amps of power. During December and part of January, his electric bill more than triples.
In the last few years they have added quite a few of the air filled structures.
There is a snow making machine by the pool house so it is always fun to stand in the falling snow!
The roof of the house has a light show synchronized with various Christmas carols.
The family spends six weeks setting up the displays each year. It takes even longer to take the display apart, but they’re not in a rush. The lights and characters are placed in plastic bins and put away until the next year in two 20-foot-by-40-foot storage sheds behind a waterfall in the backyard.
One of the annual events leading up to Christmas is the Venice Avenue Stroll which we all atttended on Thursday evening. We walked up and down the street – visited stores – ate cookies – drank wine – listened to several live performances and generally got in the mood. The weather cooperated with 75 degree temps.
On Saturday we headed to Nokomis for the 26th annual Venice Boat Parade. Since parking was going to an issue, we left early (4PM) and managed time at the beach first. There was also the drum circle – with all the characters that we have come to expect. So the time went quickly while we waited for the 6PM start. Our chairs were put at the viewing spot 36 hours before (along with Gus’ car) and all was waiting for us – front row seats at the Albee Road Bridge which is the start point for the parade.
The boat parade begins – the bridge on Albee Road before it was raised.
Danny, George and Gus
Judy, Debbie, Mary Evelyn and Molly
Florence, Marilyn and Carol (Gus in back row)
Mike and Dave
You would think that the absence of snow and cold would impact the Christmas spirit – but it really doesn’t! I think that people in warmer climates actually try harder since the weather/scenery here doesn’t really jive with the traditional pictures that we associate with Christmas. With that said, I have been very busy making this place as seasonal as possible. This is our 7th Christmas here – for 2 of them we went on cruises and for 2 of them we were lucky to have the MacIntyre clan (all 6) with us. This year we were thrilled to learn that our gang from Dartmouth is going to be here for the season. So decorating seemed essential and I dug out the bins – they have not been unpacked for 3 years so much of the contents were a surprise to me! Last January Liz and I got great 95% off items at Big Lots so I now have a 7 foot tree too.
I began with decorating the lanai – traditional red/green plus the Santa’s from my original collection in Dartmouth.
The living/dining room area is done in more Florida colours and are all new items so it was really fun deciding what to buy and where to put it.
This place is small so even the bathroom got done – I did stop there and am not planning on decorating the bedroom.
We arrived on November 17th to spend our winter in Florida. As usual it is exciting to make the trek (2 great flights with Delta) and to land safely in this warm state. The downside is the cleaning and organizing that happens during the first week. Most of that is now done and we can begin to really enjoy the time here. We have made the semi-annual big visit to Costco and came away $450 poorer. The freezer is now stocked and we can begin the fun. Since arriving, we have been joined by the Munroes and the Cullens who arrived on Tuesday and Saturday. On Friday we began the weekly dinner out at Altheas on Miami and were joined by the MacIntyres and Pothiers. The weather has been warm but the sunny days have been fewer as cloud cover seems to be the order of the day. So we haven’t been to the beach yet but that will happen soon I am sure.
I have a square vine wreath on the front screen – left it there for the summer and when we returned it had a sweet little nest in the top left hand corner – birds were all gone but I guess they nested there when we were away!
Last week we began putting out the lawn furniture and doing a little cleanup of the leaves and weeds. I walked by the plant in the backyard by our shed many times before I realized that the majority of what I was looking at was a large rubber plant which grew during the summer. They are a real problem as they undermine foundations etc. but it is so nice that I will keep it until we go home. The only part of the plant that was there last spring was the darker varigated leaves you see down at the bottom (artificial) in a gray planter. The real plant is over 4 foot tall. LOL
We celebrated American Thanksgiving at Judy and Mike’s. The weather cooperated with temps in the high 70’s during the day. It cooled a little when the sun went down but by then we were inside eating. There were 12 of us and we did a potluck – had appetizers (including Chris Brothers pepperoni we brought from home) baked ham, baked beans, scalloped potatoes, carrots, peas, rolls, dessert. The guys ate at the dining room table and the girls ate in the living room. It was a super time with lots of laughs and loud voices!
Gus and Mike
Dave, Danny, and Charles
George and Dave
Marilyn and Judy
Mary Evelyn, Molly and Carol Ann
Dave and Mike carving the ham
Molly, Mary Evelyn, Judy, Carol Ann and Carol
For many years when Bob and Mary Daniels visited we talked about going for the day to see the Ford Edison Winter Estates in Fort Myers and this year we finally did it! We picked a spectacular day and enjoyed every moment. All four of us felt like true tourists and spent the time there soaking up the history and beauty of the place. 
The gardens contain more than 1,700 plants representing more than 400 species from six continents.
The most famous tree is the banyan, a four foot tree planted around 1925 that now covers almost an acre of the grounds.
The Estates collection also includes the sausage tree, tropical fruit trees including mango and citrus, orchids, bromeliads, cycads, and more than 50 species of palms.
Edison Winter Estate – Seminole Lodge
When you visit Thomas A. Edison’s winter estate, you enter a world unlike any other.
The furnishings and architecture of these gracious, rambling buildings are reminiscent of a bygone era.
The original design included a kitchen and dining room in the north wing.
In 1906 the Edisons had this part of the house remodeled to serve as family bedroom suites.
Visitors used the dining room and kitchen in the newly renovated Guest House. The Main House includes Library, Study and Edison’s Den.
Edison initially sold this home to his friend Ezra Gilliland.
Edison re-acquired the home in 1906 and remodeled it for use as a guest house for visitors and includes Family and Dining Rooms as well as Kitchen.
The pool was constructed in 1910 and now reflects the 1928 remodel with addition of the Tea and Bath House.
When Edison purchased his Fort Myers property, bamboo, which he was using in his light bulb, was growing wild on the grounds.
Today, the gardens contain more than a dozen varieties of this unique grass.
Ford Winter Estate – The Mangoes
Henry Ford purchased his home in 1916, providing him the opportunity to vacation with Thomas Edison.
The Ford porch, adjacent to the vintage garage, offers a spectacular riverfront view of the Caloosahatchee River.
25 of us met at Sharkey’s Beach for a potluck supper to celebrate Easter. The weather cooperated and by 5 PM it was sunny and warm. The food was delicious and the company wonderful.
Adventure Logan 
