November 2023 – May 2024
As usual the 2023 – 2024 “season” at Cypress Woods flew by. Although we may not have attended as many events as in prior years we did keep very busy. There was Pickleball (of course), Pickleball happy hours, the 2nd annual Pickleball Tournament, Corn Hole (Bill plays, I watch), Social Committee meetings (my 6th and final year on the committee), Broadway plays and musicals at Barbara B Mann, various gatherings within Cypress Woods with friends and neighbors, and visits to our favorite restaurants. Bill also introduced Pub Darts as an activity in the resort.
Silver, Gold, and Bronze Medalists
For Christmas, we added several new strings of Christmas lights to the front of our lot. Next year we “may” tackle the rear of the lot as well. For something completely different, we attended a wine tasting/live music event with friends at the Golden Rind Cheese & Wine shop (complete with a Christmas-decorated charcuterie board). We also invited friends over for a Christmas Day yummy non-traditional Christmas Chinese dinner prepared by Bill.
One weekend around Christmas-time, I drove to Orlando to spend some time with my niece and attend “Drawn to Life” at Disney Springs. We thoroughly enjoyed the production and had a great time catching up.
Get ready for a groundbreaking creative partnership between renowned memory-makers Cirque du Soleil and Disney. Set your creativity in motion. With Drawn to Life, Walt Disney Animation’s art is brought to life in a way that has never been possible before. Bring the whole family together for an extraordinary experience as the stage is turned into a massive animated table for this stunning new show, which features live acrobatics. Along with brand-new Disney animation and an original score that draws inspiration from legendary Disney music, Cirque du Soleil’s inventive design, acrobatic performances, stunning choreography, and varied costuming reimagine the art of classic Disney animation. All of the mind-blowing exuberance and high-flying stunts for which Cirque du Soleil is renowned are present in the performance.
This tribute to Disney Animation’s art embraces the actions and feelings of life. The plot of the show focuses on a motivated young woman who finds one last item left by her animator father—a collection of incomplete sketches. She sets out on an exciting quest infused with her Disney childhood memories, assisted by a magical pencil and a funny band of creative muses. We’ll accompany her as she dives into an imaginative realm of animation and unearths fresh options that bring her future into motion.
cirquedusoleil
One sunny day, Bill and I drove over to Sanibel and Captiva Islands to see how they were recovering after hurricane Ian. Unfortunately our favorite hotel and its pool bar was not open yet and my favorite jewelry store has closed permanently. We did discover a great Cajun restaurant (Mudbugs) on the island that we will have to visit again in the future.
Ft. Myers Beach was badly devastated by hurricane Ian and many of the small mom-and-pop businesses have been purchased by investment companies. One such company, Margaritaville, has built a new resort there. Although Margaritaville resorts are not our style, we decided to go check it out one afternoon. We actually had a great time enjoying a drink and the ambiance at the waterfront bar and dinner at the grill overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.
I cannot fail to mention a girl’s outing to the Wisteria Tea Room (always a treat) and our standing Tuesday afternoon mahjong sessions. Fun!!!!
Even our shy little dog Dawn got into the social scene by making a couple of new friends during the season. First was Gabby, a friend’s lovable white fur ball, that we volunteered to keep while they were out of town. Then Harper’s parents volunteered to keep Dawn for several weeks while we were gone on an adventure. We gave Dawn and Harper (also a sheltie), and her parents, several opportunities to get acquainted with play dates and sleep-overs.
So, where are we going on this multi week adventure that I just mentioned? Stay tuned and you’ll soon (I hope) find out.
