Self Care - Seeking the (Shade in the) Sun

Sister Cindy and I spent the month of April in our Happy Place the Gulfview in Marco Island, Florida. Paul was with us for 20 days. He headed home early for Turkey Season in Iowa. He has his priorities. 🦃 Nephew Colby visited for several days - to get his fishing fix. 

People ask me, "What did you do in Florida?". The answer is self-care, Florida style. We were ready for a break after a long cold winter! Vail, Colorado, where Cindy lives was especially snowy and icy this season. Our little big town in central Iowa wasn't particularly snowy but was plenty cold and dark, making our decision to expand Marco-time from ten days to a whole month a good one. 

Exercise: swimming and walking

Before heading to Florida, Cindy and I made a plan to get back to our swimming roots this year. In past years at the Gulfview, we watched others doing morning laps in the lovely pool, but we stuck to brief dips to refresh on hot days. Bullock sisters are water people - thanks to our Atlantic roots with a Red Cross Swimming instructor, Momma Pat Bullock. We took and taught swim lessons, were lifeguards, and participated in the swim team in the summer months. 

Evening view Gulfview, looking south

Getting back to swimming was a great idea. We both loved it! We were the early bird swimmers, two to three days a week - arriving a half hour before the 8:00 a.m. group. Bob, the Pool Man was there scrubbing the pool sides and checking chemicals each morning. The pool temp was around 85 degrees, as we watched the sun come up when heading east. 

It's a great shelling beach - I resisted picking many up due to my collection at home

Most other days were beach walk mornings. We strolled eighty beach miles that month. The Gulfview is located nearly in the middle of Marco Beach. We like to alternate going North and South. It's 3.5-4 miles round trip either way. Beach walking is therapeutic. Soft sand, hard-packed sand, and surf sand lapping at our feet. The roar of the Gulf, slapping against the sand is therapeutic "white noise". 

Besides exercise, finding the perfect poolside site with an umbrella was an important activity. The Gulfview is under new management and the grounds look awesome. They've lost several trees around the pool in recent years. Our mom's memorial tree is gone - damaged 2 hurricanes ago. With fewer trees, there are more pool deck umbrellas for folks like me who can't do sun. We had our favorite spots, so we had to get out there fairly early to get the best lounge spots. Reading (and people-watching) by the pool is an excellent way to spend an afternoon. 

Cap'n EPott yachting

A couple of years ago Cindy's longtime Vail friends Eric and Bonnie retired and purchased a condo in Marco Island. We're so pleased that they love it as much as we do. They have a darling place on a canal on the south end of the island. Eric loves to fish so of course he's got a boat. On Easter Sunday - a gorgeous day - we were invited to "yacht" (that's what Cindy calls it) with Eric and Bonnie. We ended up touring around the whole island. I'd never seen my Happy Place from that viewpoint. Very cool! 

Paul, Eric, and our nephew Colby (who arrived the second week for a few days) fished up a storm. Bonnie, Cindy, and I ventured to Naples for a bit of shopping and a lunch of Blackened Grouper. On Friday nights we went to Bonnie and Eric's for "Date Night". We took the wine, and they cooked. They're really good at it. It makes me wish I enjoyed/could cook. 😋 Not enough to actually do it though...

Speaking of food. When we vacationed in Marco in past years - staying a week to ten days, we dined out every night. Not one who loves to cook, even I get tired of restaurant food. This year we actually cooked. The Gulfview helped by making two gas grills available on the grounds. Tacos and chicken were popular on our kitchen menu. 

Outdoor dining - Capri

There are lots of restaurant choices on the island these days. We enjoy going to old favorites that Mom and Dad introduced us to - the Crazy Flamingo for peel and eat shrimp, and The Little Bar for Scallops and Grouper. Don't forget Peanut Butter Pie! Nephew Colby, who has a Detroit-style pizza joint, Alpine Pizza in Lionshead/Vail, enjoys Joey's NY-style pies on Collier Blvd. Just north of Marco is The Isle of Capri - home of the Island Gypsy Cafe and rum drinks.   

Thanks to Bonnie and Eric for suggesting new places to try. There's an Italian Deli, Tony's N.Y. Pizza, and Cocomo's - where they prepared the fish the guys caught. It was delicious! Don't forget breakfast. Doreen's is a bit fancier - the cappuccino doesn't come from a powder-based machine there. Hoot's is a regular kind of place - with lots of old guys gathering to shoot the crap and eat eggs.

Activities: (not many)

The guys fished several times with Eric. They had a great time and didn't get fried by the sun. Colby had a day with a guide all to himself. I think visioning that activity helped him get through a busy winter running a restaurant. 

Paul, Cindy, and I visited the Marco Island Museum one windy afternoon. It's full of archeological, Native American, and island commercial development information. Our Mom - who loved to regale us with Marco history and development information, would have loved it. 

We shopped a bit and went back north to Naples with Bonnie and Eric. I was on the hunt for a big shell for granddaughter Nell - so she could hear the ocean in it. I didn't want to take a smaller one from the beach - visions of baby bro Reece putting it in his mouth. We stopped at a cute area with food trucks and a bar on the bay. Mexican for me, and a margarita! 

So not many activities. We love it that way. We're planning another month there next year. It's hard to wait until April to go, but the crowds and lodging prices are lower then. I hope our sisters and our kids can work in a visit. We have a couple of family weddings coming up this summer - we'll need to start plotting! 

Meanwhile it's onto summer in Iowa! I love this time of the year - bikes and kayaks. Stay safe all! 

With my guy! 

Feeling the love part 4

Four weddings (and no funerals) since late July. Jordan and Jill 9/20/2017. Paul and I were very happy to witness their marriage, together with many of the couple's family and friends. It was grand!

We actually flew to Denver this trip. We've traveled to Colorado by car so many times the gas station attendants along the route know us by name. (no, not really) Paul had never actually exited the Denver airport before - he'd just flown through. Flying was a big deal! Amy collected us curbside in Dave the car. Franklin (the wonder wienie) and Corey were back at the ranch - their apartment not far from downtown Denver.

It's so weird to think of Amy and Corey as husband and wife. I'm still getting used to seeing Jud sporting a wedding ring!

Look at that blue sky! Last year we ate chili in PA with the Parks

On Friday we attended a benefit chili festival put on by firefighters from around the country. It was on Larimer Street on a beautiful Denver day. Amy had helped a guy re-brand his chili powder and he had donated all the bowls for the day. Pretty cool, and the chili was great. 

View from Pottorff's condo

That evening our peeps started to arrive. Logistics boggle my mind, but somehow - through the magic of Uber and Google Maps, we conquered! Cindy hooked us up with awesome accommodations for Friday and Saturday. Our pals Bonnie and Eric (yes, of Christmas Dinner prime rib fame) have a primo place in the Spire in downtown Denver to go along with their lovely home in Edwards. Yep, the best of both worlds! It's super cool, with a view of Rockies stadium and they split tickets to games with other Spire owners. I love how it's decorated - just right for the space and Paul was digging the large TV. We met Cindy there and settled in.

Later we met Jud, Kara, and Kohans (Betsy, Wayne, son Paul and his gf Christine) at a little place called the Corner Office. It was fun catching up. At the last wedding (Amy & Corey's) we didn't get to chat much. Amy and Corey were at the rehearsal dinner. Later, all the youngsters ended at Amy and Corey's place for a few drinks. I love that they like hanging out. My niece Leslie's husband Jordan (not to be confused with her sis Jordan) seems to be a bit of an instigator. He kept them up late, coming up with interesting topics to discuss.

Doing the prep thing

On Saturday, Cindy, Paul and I took a long walk and settled into Sam's 3 for a big breakfast. Then we heard from Amy that Sister Susi (at the venue getting ready) was experiencing FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and wished for some visitors. Betso, Christine and I Ubered over to the venue and checked it out. We got to meet Jill's parents and chat with Susi, Jordan, Amy, and Les in the totally cool urban warehouse venue. After, we met up with the rest of the gang at Lucky Strike, a bowling alley in downtown, until it was time to get ready for the main event.

Look at this wedding cake topper - clones of the brides! 

Some jubilant faces

Ashley Alvillar and Amy are beaming, David Alvillar in the foreground

The wedding was so beautiful. Susi looked gorgeous with her lovely silver hair and gown. There was a solo of the song "I Want to Hold Your Hand". If you haven't seen the video, it includes the vows which say so much about how these two people feel about each other. The ceremony was perfect and Jordan's dress was so perfect. Jill was killing it in her outfit - it was so Jill. 

4 of my fave guys. Corey - not so secretly watching the Clemson game...

Susi with grandson James - so fun watching them interact

We got to see so many of our family members again! My cousins, the Lamms, with the family matriarch, Aunt Marty. Again - I love that we dig each other. I liked watching Marty watch her grandkids have fun together. I got to finally meet our great nephews James and Jonah and see David and Ashley Alvillar for the first time in a long while. One of my favorite parts of the evening was watching the three Alvillar siblings dance to - you guessed it, my song selection, "Love Shack".  Tin Roof...Rusted. Kara made sure that Paul, Cindy and I had the appropriate photos taken - for the guest book and at the photo booth. #shessosmart.

With Aunt Marty. Somebody took a cousin pic - but I didn't get a copy, hint, hint

It was much harder to say goodbye to everyone at this wedding - because I don't know when I'll see some of them again. Ugh. But...there is the Kohan wedding next August - so we have that going for us. Getting excited for Alex and Lisa!

Congrats again to Jordan and Jill. They have faced adversity because of who they are. It isn't easy to be someone who because of who they are, they do not conform to other's expectations and closely held beliefs. They are difference makers, helping to show that love is universal. We need more of it.

I swiped this photo off of Facebook - so good. 

We got to get together with just our kids on Sunday after Cindo dropped us off. I have to admit, I wasn't ready to leave! We walked to a food court type place for a bite - then Corey took off to host clients at the Broncos game and Amy delivered the rest of us to DIA for our flights. Can't wait to see them all again for Thanksgiving in STL!

Mele Kalikimaka without Boldie

I admit I've been fretting about how Christmas Eve might go without Bolder around to be a part of the annual Lefebvre Christmas Eve extravaganza. The guy was larger than life, after all. So I can imagine what my sis Cindy must have felt like before the party. Colby and Cindy's best friends Bonnie and Eric's son Byron were in charge of leading Christmas carols, after years of being mere backup singers.

Cindo was in full party prep when we arrived Sunday. We tried to help where we could - but she and Colby pretty much had it under control. That afternoon, we drove into Vail so Cindy could pick up her Golden Bear jewelry, which was at the store getting polished. Golden Bear is one of Vail's signature stores. Bolder used to buy her pieces for gifts.


Cindy and me with Albert Einstein (at right) at the Golden Bear store in Vail

We thought the best thing we could do was to get out the way Monday,  when Cindo was in full party-prep mode. We did a bit of shopping in Edwards with Jud and Kara, after lunch at Fiesta. Amy came to lunch too after she spent the a.m. in Glenwood Springs at the vapor caves.

Jud, Kara, Paul and I hung out at the Riverwalk Hotel's lobby that afternoon. Jud and Kara played board games as it snowed delightfully. The four of us attended a 5 PM Lutheran Church service held at the Interfaith Chapel where Bolder's memorial service was held. Only about 20 people were there - not sure if the small crowd was due to the snow or the fact that people were traveling. That made it rather intimate though - everyone introduced themselves and we said where we were from. The pastor was from Des Moines! He started naming Lutheran Churches in Iowa, until I mentioned we were Catholic...that put a smile on his face. My favorite part was the candle lit singing of Silent Night at the end. I admit it choked me up at times - very moving. Then it was on to the party!

Cindy was putting the final touches on things. The place looked great! Dips, wings, meatballs, cookies, wine, beer, pop, water - it was all there. The tree was perfect! Paul and I were set to cook the wiener winks. We took a few quick family photos, before people began arriving.

Colby was wearing "The Sweater". It's his legacy from his father. I don't even know the story behind this work of art. But he definitely looked the part. 

Colby doesn't tuck the sweater in like his father does...

Prior to arriving, Colby and Amy had been at E-town and Woody's, Bolder's fave hangouts, for refreshments to prepare for the evening. Byron arrived a bit later - looking classy - hair freshly cut, and with new glasses. I think they went to the garage for some liquid courage prior to their first set. People continued to arrive, and the noise level began to arrive. Paul and I chatted with the friends we've made through the years.

Then it was time. Colby, Byron, the Sanders kids - Kelsey and Reeve, Sarah Melzer and a few others got into position and it was time. We sing, and if we don't know the words, we sing "hanna hanna hanna". It's fun. This year, Bart Garton wrote a song to one of the Christmas tunes with works about Bolder. Was it Winter Wonderland? It was very clever, mentioning how he liked to bowl, and how he buttoned his shirts to the top. It made us all sing and smile. Cindy's friend Clarey kept hugging her the whole night! Actually Cindy got hugged a lot by a lot of people. Kara got mistaken by someone else's girlfriend. Holly broke a wine glass and just kept eating her wiener.

We sang the very last set about 9 p.m. That's when the kids come out in the Hawaiian skirts and we do Mele Kalikimaka, complete with motions. It was so fun, we did it twice. I was feeling the joy. This holiday season, every time I heard that song - in Younkers or where ever, I though of Bolder watching over me. It made me happy. About 10ish it was time to go. Of course Cindy was up until all hours cleaning up. I hope she was pleased with the party - as pleased as one who has lost a spouse could be. And all the parents can be pleased that Bolder's legacy has been passed on through their children. A Merry Christmas Bolder Style!

Friday night in big D (enver)

Amy had plans for us in Denver Friday night. First, we picked up Amy's friend Becca on our way downtown for a drink. Becca is an Iowa girl - she grew up in Muscatine and like her daddy works for the investment firm, Edward D. Jones. Becca is a University of Iowa grad who worked in Santa Barbara for a few years after college. Besides being Amy's friend, she also assists our daughter with her IRA account.

We parked in a city lot downtown (and chatting, stupidly forgot to pay the man...cha-ching $60 fine later when we came out. OUCH). We headed up to a mod lounge at the top of a hotel on something like the 27th floor. It had a beautiful view of downtown and the mountains. A few minutes after we got settled, Amy's friend Rachel, an English teacher, arrived with her Mom who was visiting from Urbandale along with a friend of hers from Adel. We had a nice adult bevvie and chatted about jobs and Iowa stuff.

Later we dropped Becca off on our way to Amy's surprise for her daddy (her daddy's day gift)- an evening at Denver's oldest restaurant:
Buckhorn Exchange
http://www.buckhorn.com/

This guy smiled at me whilst I ate

We shared a meal of bison, elk and a tiny bird, with an appetizer of fried artichoke. We so enjoyed an evening of catching up on Creston talk and hearing about Amy's life in Denver. The meat was all so tender and the atmosphere unique and interesting. Quite a night.

This guy stared at me whilst I ate...

Saturday we were off fairly early - heading for the hills...but not without stopping at the Duffyroll joint. Uncle Bill usually gets these unique rolls when we stay with them. We picked up Amy and our first stop with Silverthorne where they have, you guessed it, a Columbia Outlet Store. We ate a Noodle Joint, arriving at Lefebvre's just before 2 p.m.

Really...it's a rooster with a boulder in it...from Iowa with love! And check out Bolder's shorts!

Bolder - the mayor

Bolder and Cindo loved the Boulder Rooster (or faked it well). It was our first chance to see Cindo after her partial knee replacement surgery. She's still on one crutch, but it getting around pretty well. In July she'll get the other one done. We had a nice drink at E-Town, where Bolder spends time shooting the breeze with the fellas.

That night friends Bonnie and Eric and our nephew chef supreme Colby came over to Lefebvre's for a fab supper.

Colby lives in his own apartment these days and works in the valley for a chain of barbecue restaurants. Good food, conversation, and a good time - celebrating Bolder's completion of radiation.

We know where Colby gets his cookin' genes!

That concludes our Saturday. We did miss our Juddy - who was busy helping GF Kara move to a new apartment in Kansas City.