The damage to The Villages, and surrounding area, took place in a matter of minutes.  The repairs took more than a year.  Dozens of  blue tarps remained in the villages of Mallory and Caroline well after the tornado’s first anniversary..  It wasn’t that the workers were slow, there was just too much to do.   …

This was our neighborhood in The Village of Caroline.  We lived on Pomaria Place at the bottom of the picture.  In the lower right hand corner, you’ll see a palm tree.  Our house was the next one on the cul-de-sac.  The second street up is Scotia Street, and the one at the top is Norris …

Ruth and I have owned four different homes in The Villages.  We bought the first in 2004 and owned it for eighteen months before upgrading to a nice ranch in August of 2006.  I had a say in each purchase, but Ruth did all the decorating.  I was still working, so I went down for …

As we age, our body breaks down a bit.  I’ve got two titanium knees and arthritis in my left shoulder.  Ruth has atrial fibrillation and a bad back.  One of our friends had heart surgery a couple of years ago and his gallbladder removed this winter.  I’ve got another friend who had the liquid in …

The meeting began about ten minutes following my reunion with Ron.  I’d never been to a review before, so I didn’t know what to expect.  There were about fifteen members on the board representing all sorts of agencies: fire safety, hospitals, senior centers, schools, etc.  Ron sat in the center of the u-shaped panel.  The …

I was looking at some old photos the other day and ran across this picture of Ron and me.  Ron’s the guy in the curlers.  I’m giving him a perm. To be honest, I just applied the magic curling potion.  Ruth did the curler part.  Ron had gotten caught up in the Afro craze from …

I was raised in a simpler time.  Things didn’t move as fast as they do today.  I think the old way may have been better. My first teachers were my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and my parent’s friends.  They provided lessons no matter their intention.  As children, we tend to follow the lead of …

The women in my life started with my mom.  I guess that’s true for most, but I know not all.  If we’ve known our mothers we’re very lucky. Many of my mother’s lessons were unintentional.  For example, she taught me dancing was fun.  I could see how much she enjoyed it when she danced with …