Little things mean a lot.
 

In all of the recreation centers that I have been in, the folding chairs are something to write about. They are really the finest card chairs I have ever seen. They are heavy and upholstered in fabric that matches the rec centers theme. They could have chosen run of the mill card table chairs but they didn't.

Behind us at Odell Recreation Center, someone comes to paint the outside of the building and the other structures, the shelterhouse, the storage shed, the sun covers for the shuffleboard, they all have been painted once a year since we have been here. The pool is clean and sparkling. The wall that belongs to the Odell center that defines our property is power washed once a year. They could have chosen to not care for it as well.

The dinner and bingo that we attended at Odell for five dollars a person was wonderful. We had pasta and sauce and rolls and really good salad. And the Bingo gave back all of the money that was collected with no take for the house. They could have done it not quite as nice and people would still have been pleased.

Have you noticed any little things here in TV that you thought were really well done?

If so share.

There are people just like we were once who are reading this forum and they are excited about making The Villages their home. There is so much here that is good and wonderful and far superior to what you might expect.

Tell them about this place and do it out of the kindness of your hearts.

Oh my, where do I begin GG,
 

this is such a good thread to give "atta boys" where they are due....
The pools are wonderful, no short cuts with furniture or care, ready for bingo/golf cart...(who could imagine playing bingo from a golf cart)....all recreational equipment: bocce, pickle ball, tennis courts with practice boards, volleyball, picnic tables under pavillions, all equipment available for use for owners and their guests, air-gun range, pool tables that are top notch..Even the recreation bathrooms have been given that extra touch....All facilities are open to many many wonderful classes with top notch teachers, (one of our neighbors teaches Yoga - and has master credentials)...Even down to the kind people that greet you at the gates....We have one gate keeper that greets us with "Have a Blessed Day"....such a great guy....Love love love this place and all the wonderful people we have met here....
And you certainly can not forget how the administration of TOTV have dotted the "i's" and crossed the "t's" to give us a great forum for "speaking our minds"....and last but not least, giving us the opportunity to know our Village ambassador "GG"...Ok, I'm finished...giggle

The entire community is beautiful. Landscaping is maintained well, flowers are like fine jewelry on the main streets, they add that extra sparkle. Those brown wood fences around TV and one behind my house, are repaired, repainted and kept looking neat and cared for. The rec centers and the pools and outdoor game areas are well taken care of. There are pools, billiard tables, archery areas, bocce, shuffleboard courts, tennis and pickleball courts, miles and miles of cart paths, singing birds, anoles, tall birds, fox squirrels, gators, so many creatures who add to the charm and distinction of living here in TV.

I love to drive my cart past the Palmer CC and check out the pond for alligators. The putting greens as well as the course itself at Palmer is a sight to behold. The flower beds located all over TV are incredible. I also love the blooming azalias under the gorgeous oak trees off Stillwell. I love the fact that we have one of best EMT's services right here in TV. I believe they have won recognition as top notch. I enjoy the Daily Sun and all the happy news it reports; for the bad news I have the internet. I especially enjoy TOTV; whenever I need to know something I ask and it is answered within hours, sometime minutes. I can go on and on but I'll stop here since it's time for my cart ride with Duffy into Sumter.

bingo/golf cart
 

what's bingo/golf cart?

Great Thread GG!!
 

As Oprah says the love is in the details.

I remember our dear Muncle used to comment on all the workers who kept this place so beautiful... Gracie you are good to remind us of this. Every day I think how lucky we are to live in such a special place...

We were in TV for a couple of weeks recently and had some good friends down who had never been to TV before. All they had to go on was how much Sandy and I rave about the place.

Their first (and ongoing) reaction(s) to TV? The same as ours was when we first came to TV:

- Simply amazed at how large the entire development is,
- Surprised that the infrastructure, including the pools, rec centers, and golf courses, gets started before the housing construction,
- Completely floored by how pristine everything is - the rec centers, the squares, the landscaping.....,
- Jaws dropped when they got to see more and more of the stores, shopping, and restaurants that are only a golf cart ride away.

It was interesting to see their reactions continue to evolve through the week of their stay. We're glad we were able to share it all with them.

Bill

At Chula Vista Rec. Center
 

You can sit in your golf cart near the pool and play Bingo....What a hoot!..

Keep the good messages coming our way
 

Gracie,

That's exactly the kind of "fix" that TV wannabes need. TV is such a beautiful, kind, and respectful way to live. It's almost too good to be true, but it is...TRUE. Keep the "fixes" coming our way. Who needs drugs when you've got TV for your daily high? <g>

Gene and Kathy
(save a TV house for us)

Thanks, Gracie...
 

for such a positive post. What a breath of fresh air you are! All of us living here are truly blessed to be in such a wonderful place. We have so much for so little. (This is not our first rodeo, but definitely the best.)

Every day, I thank God for leading us to TV.

We are always amazed what a wonderful job the landscaping crews do with flower beds, refreshing the mulch, adding little touches of color in every nook and cranny of TV. It truly is amazing how the grounds are kept so beautifully.

Don't even get me started on the Rec centers . . . simply amazing. Even the felt on the pool tables match the color scheme! Christmas ornaments on the trees match the rec center's theme (and each rec center has a different theme.)

We love it here. Thanks GG for starting a "grateful" thread.

The first time we came here on a `Lifestyle` visit, we went to town and saw a classic car show with a 50`s & 60`s band playing in the gazebo, I turned to my wife and said,`Honey I`m Home` and the landscaping everywhere is wonderful, just like Disney without the kids. We never met so many nice people all in one place. I have never been so active in my life, I need to find a job so I can rest up.

When I first moved in my house there was an absence that worried me. An absence of songbirds. My part of Hemingway was all new construction and the birds had gone elsewhere. Now, I have my own personal mockingbird,who serenades me from early morning until dark. He cusses out my cats whenever they're in the lanai. There are plenty of other songbirds too, but I'm really attached to my mockingbird.
I don't think mockingbirds are provided by management but frankly it wouldn't surprise me. No detail is overlooked to make TV beautiful, fresh, clean and attractive. I marvel at the ever changing display of flowers everywhere, and the beautiful trees.

I'm grateful for the preserves. I love driving by them and seeing the mama duck with her babies swimming by, the alligator at Palmer floating along, the sandhill cranes (my absolute favorites) feeding, the mass of egrets (I think that's what they are) that sleep on the preserve by Morse Blvd.

I owe a debt to the Morses for Church on the Square and the performers they bring there. For those who don't know, the Morses give them free housing when they perform there. Since some of the groups are large (choirs, orchestras), this is not a cheap endeavor, but the tickets are.

Most of all, I'm thankful for the wonderful people who live here. Without Harold Schwartz's dream and Gary Morse's willingness to fulfill that dream, I never would have met so many kind, generous people.