Retired Teachers at Recess

Tuesday, December 06, 2016

Marstons in 2016

Over the river and thru the woods IN Grandmother’s house we….went!

Charles found this leaf in Franklin, TN

on his morning dog walk.

We spent 2016 Thanksgiving with son Kevin and family in Waynesboro, TN. It was great to collect warm hugs, grandson interests and a yummy meal.

We left our winter home, Holiday Travel Resort, in Leesburg, FL last April 3, 2016. We are now on the road back for another winter season beginning Dec. 1, 2016.

In December of 2015 Charles played in Tuba Christmas in The Villages, FL. He will play Tuba Christmas Dec. 10, 2016

Another tuba player suggested that he check into the Lake Concert Band which meets in our town of Leesburg, FL. This large concert band, 85 strong, meets weekly has a full performance schedule. Roxie always videos anything Charles does and she put some of this band on You Tube. Charles plays trombone and is thoroughly enjoying music like his college band.

You may click and listen here:
Lake Concert Band, Leesburg, FL
Lake Concert Band, Leesburg, FL

Our activities with FMCA, Family Motor Coaching Association, and the Frustrated Maestros continue. This is “work” we love and friendships we enjoy. Click and check out this blog: All Things Maestro

In June 2016 we traveled to Goshen, IN for the GLAMA rally to direct the Frustrated Maestros. We hurried back home to Franklin, TN to be there when son Kevin came for the annual Methodist conference. However,our daughter/law got sick and son never made it for a night with us. He only attended one conference event. We are happy to say daughter/law got over her illness that followed some May surgery. We had gone to their home in Waynesboro, TN in May to be with our grandsons during surgery.

On July 4, 2016 we loaded the bus with two greyhounds and one magnificent cat and landed in Amana, IA. This destination was to FMCA’s Midwest Area Rally and conducting the Frustrated Maestros for a week.

Following our time in Amana, IA we pointed the bus to W. Springfield, MA for FMCA’s International Reunion. Charles routed this trip so we had time to float Lake Erie in PA at Erie and Seneca Lake, one of the finger lakes, in Watkins Glen, NY. At Erie Lake we waited for the Geese to cross the road before we launched in the lake. In Watkins Glen we put down roots for 4 days and a perm for Roxie at Walmart. We make home wherever we are.

We arrived at The Big E..Eastern States Exposition.. in W Springfield, MA on July 31, 2016. Besides Maestros making a week of music in the pre-rally rehearsals and the rally we enjoyed a lot of walking and the 19^th century village where homes and buildings had been brought in.

At the time to depart one of our levelers refused to retract and Charles pried it up and dropped the MH onto blocks he kept putting under it. With the leveler up we spent the next 2 weeks not using levelers and feeling unlevel. We later headed to Red Bay, AL to have the leveler replaced.

At the conclusion of the MA rally we went to a Corp Campground in Thompson, CT for a week. Our pleasures are walking and boating and this campground had large rocks on the road and a gate to the lake that did not open for a return until 9:00 AM. Early boating was out. We did locate another part of the recreation area across the lake which allowed us nice walking. Mosquitoes followed us in droves attacking our netting head gear.

The highlight of CT was a visit from Alan and Evy Dean. We became friends in 1981 when we traveled to CT for Roxie to consume the Slingerland course for teaching dyslexic students. Evy brought her claim to fame...baking a pie for our dessert after a meal out.

We started our trek to Red Bay, AL and realized we were close to our family in Waynesboro, TN. Son Kevin is Minister of First United Methodist Church. Our parking is pretty close to them! The parsonage is behind the motor home. We spent few nights with them before heading to Red Ba,.AL for our repairs. Got all of our concerns fixed and returned home to Franklin,TN.

We left again on September 25, 2016 for Lewisburg, WV and a week of GEAR’s Music Camp and the GEAR Rally. This two weeks was again a Maestro musical highlight.

On our return to our home in Franklin, TN we stopped at Douglas Lake in Dandride, TN. We soaked up views of the lake and the Smokey Mountains and visited with cousins in Dandridge and Maryville.

Our pet family keeps purpose in our lives. We still have our fawn greyhounds Daisy and Heidi. Heidi has gotten over the injured tail that Roxie shut in the house door in Sept! Took a month and many bandages and meds. But…we saved the tail from amputation.

Daisy and Heidi continue their therapy dog work willingly taking us with them. We visit schools, nursing homes, assisted and alz units and other places. We are registered with Advanced Therapy Dogs of Cheyenne, WY and can make visits anywhere in the country.

PeeDee our 11 year old Canadian born cat travels with us. He is more than a feline. He is a total statement!

Our at home kitty, Lulu, really belongs to our neighbor Ben.

After our flood in 2010 when Ben brought his 4 cats back home when his house was ready Lulu could not get along with her “siblings.” We gladly took her in and Ben cares for her while we are gone. She has a kitty window which is open as Ben chooses. She has constant heat or AC, a light on, radio, two potties, comfy beds and her daily food. She and Charles have a real relationship. We miss her a lot when we are away but are very happy she has a warm or cool space to call her home. We just say we live with Lulu when anyone ask if our house has an occupant. Lulu does not do rain, wind, cold, hot, noise!

Ewingville News Blog click and look.

Roxie has created an information blog, Ewingville News Blog, of the matters that affect our neighborhood.

In February 2017 we will leave our park and travel to Lakeland, FL for another area FMCA Rally. Charles will direct the Maestros. We will return to our park in Leesburg, FL.

Next we will travel to Gaffney, SC and regular Freightliner Service. We will stop 3 days in Modoc, SC (Augusta) to enjoy a COE spot on Modoc Lake.

After service we will stop in East TN and visit Marston cousins.

July 2017 will find us in Indianapolis, IN for an International FMCA Reunion. Charles is directing and Roxie will be Maestro Rally captain setting up all arrangements. Amana, IA and the Seven Amana Colonies for the Midwest rally will be in August and Charles will be directing. His directing any rally means a lot of responsibilities for Roxie.

A Greyt Grey Christmas

We enjoy hearing from you.

Seasons Greetings to each of you.

Please write to us at MarsCreate@aol.com.

Sunday, December 20, 2015

2015 Marstons Anserwing the Roll.

Season’s Greetings

A year has gone quickly since we last updated our personal blog “Retired Teachers at Recess.” We have completed 18 years of retirement from teaching school!!

We left our winter park, Holiday Travel Resort, in Leesburg, FL last April 5, 2015. We are now back here for another winter season beginning Dec. 4, 2015.

This year Charles has given up Volley Ball and being manager of the season. This has come as a shock to many.

Our activities with FMCA, Family Motor Coaching Association, and the Frustrated Maestros continue. This is “work” we love and friendships we enjoy.
http://www.frustratedmaestros.blogspot.com/ or Frustrated Maestros
Check out this blog.

In July we were in Madison, WI for the International FMCA Reunion. The highlight of this rally was presenting a musical “Back to Your Senior Year in High School” for the convention. The seven scenes began with the football season and Homecoming Court, a sock hop, the concert and graduation activities.
Maestros were the actors in costumes of their choice.
The musical was put together with narration by Charles.

Roxie was Frustrated Maestro Captain working closely with FMCA (Family Motor Coaching Association) months ahead to set up this Maestro International Rally. Ninety-three Maestros were registered and of these 73 performed.

This video is the final scene
of the Senior Year Show in Madison.
Click your back button to return to this blog. Click on the blue words.

God of the Ages, Curtain Call Military Escort

Returning to TN we visited Flower MacMillen in Trimble, MO. Flower and Glenn were Maestros who played harmonicas. Flower lost Glen last summer and so a stop with her was a must for us. Flower visited us in Franklin on her trek to FL in the fall.

October 2 we landed in Waynesboro, TN, 90 miles southeast at son Kevin and family’s home for a weekend. Kevin is pastor of First United Methodist Church. October 2 we landed in Waynesboro, TN, 90 miles southeast at son Kevin and family’s home for a weekend. Kevin is pastor of First United Methodist Church.

Charles arranged “God of the Ages” for a brass choir composed of our grandson, Michael, the high school band director, a businessman and himself. They played from the balcony. During the service this group and Kevin accompanied the choir on “God Be With You Until We Meet Again.”

Needless to say one mother-grandmother was very proud as she did the video.

Please click on the blue words. When done with video click your back button to return to this blog.

God of The Ages God Be With You Till We Meet Again

Our grandsons are growing at ages 21, 16 and 12. Just yesterday, December 19, our 12 year John was born in Missouri while Kevin was in seminary. Daughter-in-law PJ is a teacher of autistic preschoolers. She drives an hour one way to work each day to Pulaski, TN.

After a short weekend with our family we went to Asheville, NC for the GEAR rally in October and an enjoyable time with the Maestros. We presented an evening of musical parodies

The week before this rally this Maestro chapter had Music Camp involving reading a variety of music, jamming with polkas, brass choirs, jazz and vocals.

Meanwhile we were active in Franklin, TN politics to get our at large alderman reelected. Roxie has created an information blog, Ewingville News Blog, of the matters that affect our neighborhood. We did get our alderman re-elected. Check out this News Blog:
Ewingville News Blog

We have been allied with several neighborhoods over the efforts of Parks and Recreation to put a walking trail right behind our homes. This has taken much communication and dedication to keeping neighbors informed. The City board votes on this in January 2016 so we are in touch with folks 700 miles from home. The Internet and our landline allow us to hear our hometown radio which gives us news of these efforts.

In March 2016 we will leave our park and travel to Perry, GA for another International FMCA Reunion. Charles will direct the Maestros. Roxie is already at work as Rally Captain making arrangements with FMCA. We will return to our park
in Leesburg, FL for 3 weeks.

Next we will travel to Gaffney, SC and regular Freightliner Service. We will stop 3 days in Modoc, SC (Augusta)
to enjoy a COE spot on Modoc Lake.

After service we will stop in East TN and visit Marston cousins.

We will be in Lewisburg, WVA for a 2016 GEAR planning meeting for the fall rally the last weekend in April. From there we fall south to our home in Franklin, TN for a few weeks.

We will be in Goshen, IN in June and return home after that rally.

July will find us in Amana, IA and the Seven Amana Colonies

for the Midwest rally.

Two weeks later we will be in West Springfield, MA for another International FMCA Reunion.

Our pet family keeps purpose in our lives. We still have our fawn greyhounds Daisy and Heidi. Daisy is accident prone and managed to break her toe in half running in our own back yard as Charles watched in September. Toe was amputated at the joint. She has recently bottomed out while we visited son Kevin and family in Waynesboro, TN. This put 3 of her four feet in bandages for 2+ weeks, antibiotics and lots of dealing with torrential rains while we were to keep the bandages dry!!

PeeDee our 10 year old Canadian born cat travels with us.
He is more than a feline. He is a total statement!

Our at home kitty, Lulu, really belongs to our neighbor Ben.

Not much grass grows under our feet!

We enjoy hearing from each of you.

Best wishes for a happy holiday season and a fulfilling 2016.

Please write to us at MarsCreate@aol.com.

Wednesday, December 03, 2014

Fall Recap!

Greetings from the senior Marstons!

We trust your activities have been good.

As usual our activities are full

of hustle and bustle.

We hope this has been

on the productive side of life!

We left our TN home on Nov. 25, 2014 bound for a visit with son Kevin

and our family in Waynesboro, TN.

Kevin is a United Methodist Minister

and our daughter/law is a teacher.

We had a good visit and departed on Dec. 1.

Our immediate destination was to a trusted independent repair in Guntersville, AL We had some small issues with our furnace.

Next we headed south making one night stops in Gadsden, AL, Thomasville, GA and Chieftan, FL. The last stop is just 80 miles from our park in Leesburg but it drops us into our very poorly lit park to get much set up

done on sand.

In Gadsden, AL we stayed in a city run large park, Noccalulu Falls. The park is named

for a distraught Indian maiden

who jumped to her death

at the falls

rather than marry into the Creek Tribe.

We are into our park, Holiday Travel Resort of Leesburg, FL on Dec. 4 until April 4, 2015. Volley Ball, compu ter and band activities will fill some of our time. Click and look.

HTR Volley Ball

HTR Computer

Strike Up the Band

We continue to make preparations for

Frustrated Maestro events in Sarasota, FL,

Goshen, IN and Madison, WI through

July 2015.

Frustrated Maestro Blog
or http://www.frustratedmaestros
.blogspot.com/

In September we traveled to Marion, NC for GEAR’s Music Camp at Tom Johnson RV. We caravaned to the Western North Carolina Fairgrounds for a FMCA area rally. As usual these weeks are filled with rehearsals and performances on an intense

and rewarding schedule.

We arrived home on Oct. 7. The fall at home included prescheduled medical appointments, music arranging and ends with massive leaf removal from our tree laden yard.

Meanwhile we begin to inventory our packing needs to be off again for 4.5 months.

Lulu, our neighbor’s cat, continues to live with us. She has a kitty window, lights, radio, plenty of food and our neighbor is sure she is in each evening with her kitty window closed. Lulu does not do rain, wind, cold, hot, noise!