October 2025

 Dear Family and Friends:  GREETINGS FROM FLORIDA! 

I can’t believe that I have been here over two months now and I am getting to like it more and more each day.  That is, except for the ice-cold air conditioning that has plagued me since I arrived.  So finally I got Dan to turn it completely off in my house and open all the doors and windows so I can just enjoy the fresh air instead, both day and night.  It’s much better that way, or at least until next summer, they say.  I just have to remember to take a sweater to church because their Relief Society room is always more chilly than the chapel. And I find that in getting into either of their cars, I must immediately shut off the AC to the passenger’s side, or else I shiver.  Having overhead fans in each room to circulate the air is enough for me, without having the cold air blowing besides.  Other than that, everything else is just fine.

Because I was interested to know more about where I am, Dan brought me a couple of maps so I could see for myself exactly where Sebring lies in the state and the layout of Sebring itself.  I’d say it lies about mid state, both north and south and east and west.  It’s about one to two hours from both Orlando and Tampa, and lies as the southern tip of a triangle between them, if you can imagine such a thing.  And I sorta imagine it might be about the same distance from Sebring to the State Capitol in Tallahassee at the top of the state to the biggest city of Miami at the bottom.

As for Sebring itself, it’s a nice-sized town of about 15,000 or so, and is the county seat of Highland County, which is quite large, with many little towns or communities within Sebring’s realm.  The US Highway 27 is the main thoroughfare through town and all businesses are aligned along both sides of it.  The city and county offices, however, are all on the other side of Lake Jackson, which lies between both parts of the city.  There also seems to be many lakes in this particular area and throughout Florida that are continually filled by the little rain showers that happen so frequently.  And the rain keeps everything so green.  I was also struck by the fact that there are no curbs nor sidewalks and no ditches, either, for the excess water to flow into, but eventually it all winds up in the lakes and ponds anyway, I guess.

Something else that struck me was the fact that along with being so green, it has so much undergrowth and trees that it appears to be almost like a jungle in some areas.  Dan says that the large state park just west of us is quite filled with it.  A long stretch of this jungle-like growth lines the south side of Hammock Drive, which is the road leading to our neck-of-the-woods.  But peeking out from behind it along the way are many houses.  This makes our area seem more rural than I had originally thought it to be, except for one thing.  Would you believe that there is, among all that roadside foliage and just a short distance before reaching the entrance to our little community, a Circle K Mini Mart?  Yes!  Standing there all by itself!  But I’m sure it gets plenty of use, especially by Dan & Cathy, who get their soda and pomegranate drinks there.  I tried her drink of a pomegranate and raspberry mixture and liked it very much.  So it’s now my drink too.

Where I live is just a little west of the actual city limits in a closed community called Golf Hammock and has over 200 inhabitants and though there is an association with its rules and regulations, they never seem to associate or get together for any reason, so I guess there’s no way of sharing my puzzles for potlucks or anything here.  But maybe I’ll have better luck with a church group, or definitely with the seniors group I’ve been attending.  I passed out the puzzle about Halloween as we were eating, recently, and they seemed to like that, so I’ll share the one for Thanksgiving at the potluck that is scheduled for later in November.  In making the move here, it was fairly easy to include the lighter-weight laptop computer but not the heavier copying machine, so Dan soon purchased another one to replace it.  Little by little, as I attempt to have the folks here become acquainted with my puzzles, it appears I won’t be making any more new ones, so I will now be printing only the existing ones.  But they will be new to these Floridians, so that’s okay.  I may still continue to include old ones with these monthly letters.  We’ll see.

I am enjoying attending the seniors group at a place called Nu Hope.  I go twice a week at 8:30 and eat a nice breakfast with them.  Then we have an hour of exercises from our chairs, which are geared to the capaciity and ability of all.  On Mondays, that is followed by another hour or more of Bingo, using lots of its variations.  I surprised myself by filling all the spaces on one of the four cards I was playing with, and won myself a simple little prize.  On Wednesday, a net is erected and we enjoy a lively game of seated volleyball.  I’m not sure what happens on the other days.  But each day at 11:30 we are treated to a nice lunch.  The meals are served piping hot right from their own kitchen, and it’s all free!  Of course, they do appreciate a little donation once in a while, but nothing is required.  It’s great fun and I am meeting a really great group of people that've become good friends.

I meet great people at church too.  Dan has started a special Wednesday night class for those who are interested in delving further into the scriptures.  By going with him, I’m getting to know a few more of the members on a more personal level, which is good.  And because there is a sort of potluck dinner afterwards, I get to eat too.  In fact, I am managing to eat pretty well, either on my own or with what is provided for me.  I think I have been able to maintain my weight at between 125 and 130 pounds.  But I am a little concerned because I tested with a low blood pressure reading rather than a normal or high one, when I met with Dr. Kundlas, who is my primary care provider now.  Of course, it’s not good to have high blood pressure, but maybe it’s not so good to have a low one either.  Cathy gave me a blood pressure gauge to use at home and keep a record of the readings to see if if there is any improvement.  But unfortunately none so far.

Cathy is very much like my daughter True, who likes to keep things nice and bright and beautiful, and she has been adding things to my house here and there to make it nicer.  She has a real “eye” for beauty and design.  I really appreciate that because I don’t have any at all, and anything is ok by me.  Cathy is also so very thoughtful of others.  I was impressed when she made banana bread and took three loaves to share with the seniors at Nu Hope.  And she is always seeing to it that certain ones have a way to church by going to get them herself.  And she regularly invites the missionaries along with any investigators to eat dinner at her home.  This behavior is not at all put on for show, she is just naturally kind and loving.  She's also trying desperately to get me to be more open with my love for her in return, but I’m just not like that.
 
They say that when a person marries, he not only marries the person but also their entire family.  That is certainly true with Dan & Cathy, because he's taken on quite a number of members in her rather large family as well.  But it was done willingly.  In fact, Dan is going with Cathy over this Halloween weekend (leaving Friday and returning Tuesday) to be there for one of her children whose baby is to be blessed.  Dan was even asked to use his priesthood in performing the baby’s christening and blessing, and he is pleased and honored to do so.  Incidentally, to again show how big-hearted Cathy is, all of her six children were adopted.  There are certainly not many who would take on that kind of responsibility.  Is there?  I certainly do love her and Dan.  They have been so good to me.  I hope I won’t be a burden to them.

Well, since I want to be sure Dan has a chance to receive this letter and get it posted on the e-mail list before he leaves, I had better call it quits for this month and wish each one a Happy Halloween along with a caution not to get tricked by failing to treat.  And to keep a smile on your face, love in your heart and to enjoy this wonderful life our Heavenly Father has so graciously given unto us.  May He bless you and those you love with health and good cheer, is my wish for you.  And it comes with my love for you as well.      

Marie