[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by sunflower3630

Hello Frank and everyone else! wav

I'm a first time poster, after lurking for over a year 8). Don't know why I waited so long, but I finally decided to jump in and join the fun.

Frank, your story was similar to ours. We originally booked a Lifestyle Preview trip for April '04. In January '04 we vacationed in Naples and just for the fun of it, we looked at some homes. Well, we found a new golf community and found the home of our dreams, so we signed on the dotted line to build that home. It was supposed to be ready by Dec 04, which was my retirement date (hubby was already retired). We just thought it was meant to be. We wound up cancelling our Lifestyle Preview. Didn't see the need after finding our dream home. We moved down from the frozen north cold_cold in Apr 05. Love the weather!! When the snow flies up north, we are experiencing our best weather of the year.

Now, fast forward 3+ years later, I really wish we had taken the Preview. One of my best friends & her hubby moved to TV in Nov 05. I am so envious when she tells me all the things she's doing all the time. Ladies luncheons, Village potlucks, Keg parties, Mah Jongg, Hand & Foot, line dancing classes, etc. etc. etc. I sure wish I could be there!!! Sadly, hubby is not interested in TV. He feels there's nothing to do outside TV. Hah! Like there's a reason to be outside TV??!! I KNOW I would be very happy there. Lots and lots of friends our age to have lots and lots of fun with. Well, I just say my prayers each night and hope that he'll have a change of heart. SOON! I want to be young enough to enjoy all TV has to offer!

I sure do love all the posters here at TOTV. Lots of interesting personalities, and lots of hilarious "sistahs" that I would love to hang out with.

I'll keep working on hubby and saying those prayers. I'm even going to bring out St. Joseph and set him in my curio cabinet so maybe someone, out of the clear blue sky, will want to buy our home! It's not even for sale, but I do believe in miracles, you know. I never even got to take St. Joe out of the box with the last house we sold. It wound up selling to the first people who came through. How nice was that? Then, of course, the bottom fell out of the market, and we were very, very grateful to have sold when we did.

Anyway, I'll be talking to y'all!

Pleasant dreams everyone!

AWWWwwww! That makes me sad. I wish you were here. Is there anything we can do to help? I haven't hog tied anyone.........yet, but I could learn!

I NEVER wanted to EVEN think about living in Florida.... The Villages defy discription. I am so glad we found TV and..........TOTV!

Good luck to you Sistah. You still can be one!

[faithfulfrank]

Dear Sun,
Good story. Well, at least you are in Florida and not preparing to shovel any more snow,
and it's not like you are in a ghetto or anything.......I'm sure your place now is nice.
There are many nice 55+ gated communities, all a bit different, and not too many bad ones.

Perhaps you can develop some friendships with other TV'ers here online, then go to visit them down the road for a weekend......that way your Hubby will not feel pressured, and get a taste of not only TV, but the surrounding area. Give it time.......

Now that you are in Florida, you can start visiting other parts of florida...not to relocate, but just to see all the options. If someplace feels like a better fit, well, you can always make that short move.......that short move should be easier now that you have already downsized, etc.

It's all good......!

Frank D.

[TerSul]

My boss just gave me the book "Leisureville" yesterday - a week after we bought in TV!! Should I have read this book before we bought? I never heard of it before...

[Cassie325]

This group is the greatest, most welcoming set of people I have ever NOt met!! You made me cry at how sweet you all are!!! Villages or not...we are TOTV!! WOW!!!

[sunflower3630]

Cassie, you are sooooooo right! This is the BESTest :bigthumbsup: bunch of folks I've never met!! Everyone has been so sweet in their replies. Hubby and I HAVE spent time in TV; that's why I know I want to be there! As I mentioned, I have a dear friend living in TV and we've visited a couple of times. Villages 07, I like the way you think! My BD is in Dec, so I think that would be a nice idea for a birthday gift. I'll start working on that; right after Ike leaves town. Yikes, I'm really concerned about that one. Hope Hanna leaves ya'll alone, too!
Later.............

[faithfulfrank]

Tersul,

Well, it is an interesting book. I did read it, and I did glean some good info from it.....BUT, remember, it only gives one persons opinion of The Villages....and that person is a lot younger, and admitted up front that he had a strong bias against The Villages, and all other 55+ places in general.

As one wise person so wittingly said here, (In the leisurville thread here under the "book" forum) that it was like a childless person writing about raising kids.....or something like that.

Make sure you read it at the kitchen table, so you are close to the salt shaker....you need to read it with more then a few grains of salt.

Enjoy! Frank D.