BLOG IS GOING ON HIATUS

Saturday, April 14 – We have extended our stay here in Amelia Island, Florida, due to an unexpected health issue. Marsha was awaken from a restless night on Wednesday with a minor stroke. Luckily, we were near a large city (Jacksonville, FL). Within a very short time, we were at Baptist Hospital, and Marsha was receiving emergency care. After extensive testing, it was determined she had a minor stroke on the left side of her brain. She has some difficulty using her right arm, a weakness when walking, and minor difficulty forming thoughts into words. She was released from the hospital Thursday evening to return home to the RV.

It is amazing the progress she has made in just a very short time. She is doing home therapy which they taught her in the hospital. Monday she will begin physical, occupational, and speech therapy on an outpatient basis. We are spending our time exercising, taking short walks, and getting Marsha back to her fun-loving self! With hard work and support of medical staff, she is expected to have a full recovery! Paul is confident that we will be able to move on in a very short time.

We are remaining here in Amelia Island, Florida, until her neurologist releases her to travel. We will then travel to Canton, Ohio, our summer home. The manager here at Bow & Arrow Campground graciously permitted us to extend our stay to a month, even crediting us the cost of our first week. That was very thoughtful, and we thank him for his kindness.

We will not be blogging until Marsha is healthy. Marsha won’t be doing much computer reading as she cannot leave a comment. We will update her progress and keep our “blogger” family informed. Marsha is doing well and on the road to recovery. She would appreciate your prayers and encouragement.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y’all back soon. Hope you have a great day.

WE TRIED TO HAVE A BEACH DAY.

Saturday, April 8 – With good intentions, we headed down to the beach just a few steps from John's house on Amelia Island, Florida. The weather report was not good, but we had high hopes any rain would hold off until later in the day. Of course, the boys have a great time even if the adults would never dream of going in that cold water. They wanted to remind us how wonderful it is to be young. They skim boarded, boogie boarded, dug in the sand, tossed the football, and of course did a little swimming.

Paul testing the waters.

Paul saying NO WAY!

These boys just crack us up! L-R: Graham, Hudson, Noah. Graham and Hudson are twins.

These guys kept us entertained while we waited for the sun to shine.

The sky was getting a little dark and the air was cooling down, so we decided to retreat back to the pool area. The water was warmer, but the adults remained as spectators while the boys challenged each other to swimming contests. After a short stay at the pool, we gave up on any hopes of enjoying a sunny Florida day at the beach and headed back to the house.

After a quick snack for lunch, the Mexican Train game was dug out. We enjoyed several hours of fun. Marsha was the winner, and of course, she didn't want to mention it in the blog! Her name and date are also placed permanently on the lid of the box as a historical documentation of the win. That's a neat tradition!

What would a family get together be without food? Soon it was time for dinner. Karen had prepared BBQ, corn on the cob, French fries, and baked beans. Yummy!

After visiting for a while longer it was time to bid our farewell for the day and head back to the RV for the night. Unfortunately, the weather isn't looking good for any more beach time, so we'll have to find other ways to enjoy some family time together for the next couple of days.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y’all back real soon. Have a great day!

FERNANDINA BEACH, AMELIA ISLAND.

Friday, April 6 - Having arrived a day earlier than planned here in Amelia Island, Florida, we had a day to kill before meeting up with Paul's brother and the family for dinner tonight. It was a beautiful day, so we decided to get a little exercise by visiting historic downtown Fernandina Beach. (You can always click on any photo to enlarge it.)

Our last visit to Amelia Island was back in 2013. The downtown area has expanded since then. It still retains its quaint small town feel, but there are many more restaurants, shops, and taverns to serve the expanding tourists trade. We noticed significant building taking place increasing the residential community and hotel space as well.

David Levy Yulee, the prime mover behind the Florida Railroad Company and the founding of modern Fernandina.

We enjoyed walking along the dock and stopping into several of the small shops to checkout the displays. We always enjoy visiting this downtown area because it is not overcrowded with tourists even though it is less than an hour from Jacksonville, Florida.

Thanks Fernandina Beach for caring.

Remember when we were in San Antonio and Paul wanted to try out to be part of a mariachi band. Well, now he thinks he might want to be a pirate instead. He thought this guy could answer some of his questions about how exciting it would be to be a pirate.

Later in the day, we headed to Paul’s brother John’s, who has a home here on Amelia Island. It was great to see John and Karen and a new addition, Grandpa Doc, Karen's father. John's son Ryan, Holly and the boys arrived shortly afterwards. We headed into town to enjoy pizza. After dinner, we returned to John's to enjoy some family time with the gang.

Karen, John, Paul, Ryan.

The gang.

If the weather cooperates, we have a little beach time planned for tomorrow. Stop back and enjoy the beautiful beach here at Amelia Island with us.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y’all back real soon. Have a great day.