For three years my dad and his wife Susie have been talking about The Villages, telling Gary and me about the many activities this Florida retirement community has to offer. We would always listen, nod our heads and say, "Yeah, sounds great". The truth is one can't really imagine the mecca of entertainment this place is until they experience it up close and personal.
Susie often describes it as 'Disneyland for seniors'. I think that's a good analysis. Like Disneyland, everything is pristine and clean; Uniform and orderly. Schedules run on time and proprietors and personnel are cheerful and friendly. Each of the two Village squares has its own theme, and a colorful storybook look a like town built around it.
If they choose to,Villagers can gather in either Square every night of the week and dance to a different band , or attend a live performance at any number of showcase venues like Savannah Center, Church on the Square or Katie Belle's - a western style opera house where Dad and Susie took us to see the talented rock n' roll impersonators Donna Moore and Dunning Shaw. If I hadn't known better I would've sworn I was seeing Captain and Tennille, Sonny and Cher, Elton John, Dolly Parton and Liza Minnelli. My dad has a good time whatever he's doing and always tries to get the most out of the moment. So when Shaw as Rod Stewart grooved and moved around the room and got close to where dad was sitting, he spontaneously threw his leg out and up ; Rod Stewart fell on his knees, grabbed dad's leg and crooned to him in his throaty style voice. The audience loved it ! They were hooting and hollering, cheering dad as he became part of the act. It was great fun.
Another feature The Villages is noted for is its 70 mile golf cart path , a well designed transportation system that allows villagers to easily travel anywhere and everywhere within The Villages. Most residents have their own cart, and many are very unique. Some look like a 1940's Woody, 1920's Model T, or a '57 Chevy; Others a Circus wagon, covered wagon, or lunch wagon. Since I'm not a golfer I had never driven a golf cart before, but dad gave me a quick lesson and off we went , part of the golf cart parade.
Dad also gave me a lesson in how to play Pickleball, my new favorite outdoors game. Pickleball is a simple paddle game, playing a special perforated slow moving ball over a tennis type net, on a badminton sized court. There is a total of 78 courts in The Villages, attesting to the popularity of the game there. We played Table Tennis at a Rec center that looked like a grand hotel , and Bocce. While Gary and I were the big winners in Table Tennis, we were the big losers in Bocce.
Bocce is a precision sport requiring good judgement of distance, both Dad and Susie play this competitive game of skill very well. With their 11 to 4 score , I think Gary and I may have helped boost their confidence as they practice and get ready for the upcoming Mallory Square tournament; I'm sure dad will be mailing us a copy of The Villages Daily Sun newspaper with the headline, "Ron and Susie Bag Bocce Battle with Big Win".
Shannon is Dad's youngest child and doesn't live far from The Villages, which gave my sister and me the chance to spend time together, too. She's a master when it comes to grilling food ; Twice during our visit she worked her magic with hamburger and steak. It was nice for both of us to have some quiet time to catch up on the happenings of our lives. We chatted about jewelry, the Internet and played four handed Cribbage with Gary and Brian, Shannons long time companion. I thought about Kathleen and Shannon; Perfect names for St.Patrick's Day. Two lyrical and lovely Irish songs came to mind, " Where the River Shannon Flows" and "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen". Two good songs, two good names, two good daughters.
Kayaking on Lake Miona the final day of our visit was a big thrill for Gary and me. Dad made reservations for the three of us to join a group from The Villages , take a lesson with Ryan Tolar of Discovery Kayak Tours and do some morning kayaking around the lake. For awhile we weren't sure we'd be able to go as I injured my left knee the night before causing us to forgo the 8 a.m. meeting time. My disappointment ran deep at the thought we might miss this opportunity. It was something we had talked about for days and were all looking forward to.
It was obvious I was in pain, so "Doctor" Dad came into my room with a tube of Ultra Strength Muscle Rub , squirted out a dab and rubbed it over my knee. It reminded of me of when I was a little girl and my beloved Grandpa Cooney would do the same thing if I had fallen and hurt myself . Grandpa would comfort me, dry my tears and always made me feel better. I took an analgesic and slipped on my knee brace. I still had some pain but was determined to go kayaking anyway. And am I glad I did ! Since we got there late, we didn't get to be on the lake as long as we wanted to, but it's not always the quantity, but the quality that counts. Due to our late arrival, we ended up having a private lesson with Ryan. He took extra care in showing us how to sit in the Kayak, use our paddle and maneuver our Kayak . This trip wasn't fast paced or white water kind of stuff, but slow moving and serene, allowing us to gain confidence in our endeavor and enjoy the natural beauty all around. Gary and I have only been home a day and already have contacted a sports outlet here in Coeur d' Alene inquiring about buying a Kayak. For me, kayaking on Lake Miona with dad and my husband was one of the highlights of our holiday ,and I can't wait to do it again.
Our days at The Villages passed way too fast and before we knew it, it was time to go, proving the old adage , " Time passes quickly when you're having fun" to be true. I've lived away from my dad for more years than I'd like to say, so am always grateful for our shared experiences and time together. Being with dad ranks high on my 'Making a Memory' map.
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