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Our Pandemic Days have been similar in structure to our Pre-Pandemic Days except most of the community is wearing masks. Some of our masks are quite creative and come in multiple colors, patterns, and now all types of closure methods. The masks we are now wearing have evolved over the months and have become fashion accessories. Some of our masks tie at the back, some have fixed ear loops, some adjustable ear loops, and some have ear loops with an added Velcro strip that allow you to remove your mask and jauntily drape it around your neck until you are out and about again.

Other than these changes, “Solivitians” are still walking, biking, exercising, swimming, gardening, playing softball, pickleball, golf, tennis and outside in the air having fun. Our basketball court is busy, our social gatherings are much smaller for safety, and when visiting with neighbors on the street we visit at the suggested 6 foot distance, but life in Solivita is still active and has been good. While following the CDC Guidelines, we do feel safe within our gates.

Our restaurants are open and are serving food, plus doing take-out and delivery. Lee and I have done take-out; but have not yet enjoyed a meal in a restaurant since the pandemic began in March, we are looking forward to visiting our favorite places once the virus is under control. Our grocery stores, drug stores and liquor stores happily deliver our requests promptly. We can place our orders in the morning and be unpacking our deliveries in the afternoon.

The advantage to life in Central Florida, we are spending time outside enjoying our gardens, ponds, natural spaces and are loving the nice weather that arrives with fall. I am not a summer soul, so wherever we lived, once the summer heat is over I am once again a happy girl. Lee and I both enjoy the Fall, Winter and Spring weather in Central Florida; we fling open our windows, turn off the air, and enjoy the treats Mother Nature provides; bright blue skies and cool breezes. Our days are still perfect for swimming, but without humidity, plus the pools are heated and refreshing. The perfect time to sit back in one of our spa tubs and enjoy the weather and the warmth of the water as it bubbles around us.

Yes, Group Activities are limited due to the Pandemic. Our weekly Movie night in Solivita have been temporarily rescheduled, but not cancelled. Our HOA has become quite creative, they are streaming the weekly movies into our homes via our own special Solivita Station. There is one unfortunate Movie Night Change, the HOA is no longer providing free popcorn on movie night. Seems they have not yet worked out a popcorn delivery system for each of our homes. The HOA is not only delivering movies to our homes but sponsoring games, trivia, concerts, all virtual and all entertaining. Kudos to the Solivita HOA and the creative folks entertaining us during the Pandemic.

As cold weather sets in for most of the US, we send good wishes for your health and safety and invite you to visit with us in Solivita to view for yourself how good life can be in the comfort of the warm, embracing, and uncrowded AWARD WINNING 55 PLUS COMMUNITY of SOLIVITA. Visit us in person or visit us virtually. We will be happy to arrange to meet you at your convenience and show you around this special community we call home.

Serves 8

• 5 Hard-boiled Eggs
• 1 tbsp. Butter
• 1½ tbsp. Flour
• 1 cup Milk
• 1 cup shredded Cheese
• ½ cup Sour Cream
• 2 tbsp. Dijon Mustard or more to taste
• 1 1/2 cup sliced Mushrooms, sautéed
• 8 slices of your favorite bread
• 8 slices Ham, warmed for a moment in a skillet
• 8 slices Tomato

Peel hard-boiled eggs, cut in half lengthwise. Remove egg yolks and crumble in a small bowl. Chop cooked egg whites and set aside.

Melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour and cook over medium heat about 1 minute. Add milk slowly, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Turn heat up to medium-high, cook stirring until sauce thickens to consistency of heavy cream. Add shredded cheese gradually, whisking to fully melt. Add sour cream, mustard, and sautéed mushrooms. Stir in chopped egg whites. The sauce can be made to this point and refrigerated. Warm over low heat in the morning.

The next morning – Toast the bread, briefly warm up the ham in a pan. Layer a slice of tomato and a slice of warmed ham over the toast. Heat the Sauce and Top with mushroom sauce. Garnish with crumbled egg yolks & Enjoy with a good hot cup of coffee.

Social Distancing Activities, for the folks not yet ready to dip their toes into an outing:

Plan a Movie Night In

Since a trip to a movie theater is out of the question, why not create your own theater experience at home. Pop a bunch of popcorn, grab an assortment of snacks and fill a cup or glass with your favorite drink. Curl up on the couch and start the film. If you have a projector (and the weather is not too hot), take your movie viewing outside. You can watch movies with loved ones who live outside your home by hopping on a video chat and pressing play at the same time. Alternatively, both Netflix Party and Prime Video Watch Party allow users to watch content and chat online simultaneously with their families and friends. These options are available for the Netflix and Amazon Prime Streaming services, respectively.

Make a Photo Album, you know, the one you “Never Had Time for”

Pull out your boxes of photos, look through the photos on your PC and your phone, or on your camera cards, and select some good ones for printing. The experience of viewing old photos is fun and will bring back lots of happy memories of times shared with family, friends, and beautiful places visited. Choose some good pix, print them, and make an album. Once you have finished, you will be glad you did. Plus, after months of the Pandemic and hanging around our homes, we no longer have any excuses that start with “I just don’t have the time”.

Make a Grateful List

Sit down, reflect on all the things in your life that you are grateful for and make a list. This is a great way to feel joy and be thankful for the wonderful times, friends, family, and the joy life has given to you. Making my list filled me with warm, wonderful feelings and helps to calm the worries that this Pandemic has inflicted upon us all. I typed my list and keep it on my refrigerator, each time I look at it I do feel inner peace and joy.

Have some Youtube Fun

Log on to Youtube and check out the underwater camera live in Deerfield Beach, Florida. The underwater video is amazing. The city has installed Spinner, the Sea Camera, at the bottom of the city’s landmark fishing pier, which stretches out over the ocean nearly 1,000 feet from the shoreline at a depth of about 30 feet. You can see everything from parrotfish to sharks to sea turtles. The water is blue, and the view is breathtaking. The water is clear, the fish are plentiful. This view and experience is awesome, and as near to a snorkel trip as you can get without getting wet. Continue your armchair vacation by tripping around the world via you tube. No ticket, no passport, and no unnecessary exposure to the virus. This is a great way to see where you have been and a great way to view where you want to go, (once this pandemic is history).

StarGaze with a Telescope

Since the Pandemic, we have quite a few clients and friends who have invested in a Telescope to Star Gaze, Moon Watch, and to help them see the space shots from their front lawn or rear lanai. One of our friends said, “Although We may not be able to travel, our eyes through the lens of the telescope, can safely travel to new beautiful places”. October will be a great month for Moon Watching. 2020 has delivered a Pandemic to us, a Presidential Election, lots of worry, unemployment, job and food insecurity for millions of our fellow world citizens, and 13 full moons. In October we will enjoy two full moons, the Harvest Moon on October 1st and the Full Hunter’s moon on the 31st. Being full moons, both October Moons will rise around sunset.

While Stargazing through a telescope we were reminded of a wonderful evening spent in Flagstaff at the Lowell Observatory viewing the stars with the Lowell Educators. It was at this Observatory in Flagstaff that Pluto, once believed to be the ninth planet, was discovered by astronomer Clyde W. Tombaugh. If you are lucky enough to be there on a dark night when the sky is clear, you too can climb up the ladder of one of the telescopes at the observatory and view the planets and stars but until then, it is fun to view the stars from Solivita.

The state of Florida is once again open for all to enjoy the fun, sun and beauty that Florida offers. This month’s newsletter includes Social Distancing Activities, and a few suggestions for the folks looking to go “out and about.”

We recently took a walk through the Mead Botanical Gardens, 47 acres of natural habitat for picnicking, nature walks and wildlife viewing. Mead Gardens has some short trails lined with tall pine trees, a creek, a boardwalk, a greenhouse, and a pond, plus a butterfly garden. If you have a well- behaved dog, bring him along for a walk, as leashed dogs are allowed too. The address is 1300 S. Denning Drive in Winter Park. If you choose not to picnic, the city of Winter Park has wonderful dining, outside and inside. You can dine al fresco and enjoy pasta, pizza, burgers, Greek and Turkish Food in Winter Park, and after all these months, it sure does feel good to be out and about again.

Mead Gardens is also hosting a Haunted Hike in the Garden
Please know Tickets must be purchased in advance
Thursday, Oct. 29 & Friday Oct. 30
6:30 PM – 11:00 PM

Put on a costume if you wish, walk with a happy heart, bring a mask, as it is required to be admitted, and have some fun. Experience spine-chilling tales from Mead Botanical Garden’s 80-year history by the moonlight. Mead Gardens is usually closed at night, but this is the perfect setting for an evening adventure. During this 40-minute hike, a master storyteller will share spooky tales of local legends and unexplained mysteries with you as you walk the garden’s most haunted trails.

Enjoy scary old black and white films prior to your tour in the socially distanced, outdoor waiting area. Adult beverages, and treats will be available for purchase.
Hikes run every 15 minutes throughout the evening, from 7 – 10:15 p.m. Group size is limited to 8 people to ensure no one disappears. Keep your eyes peeled for restless critters that lurk in the garden at night.