Living The Elf Code

Elf is probably my favorite Christmas flick.  Britney (along with many others) loves it so much, she is always quoting great lines from the movie.  There are lots of good takeaways from the script.  Most of us live the Elf Code during the Christmas season, but we should try to keep with the Elf philosophy year round.  "Treat everyday like Christmas."   Rule #1 of the Elf Code.

Since we would be away from home the next 18 days, traveling and spending a week with my side of the family, like we do every year, elf culture and parts of the Elf Code would be put to the test.  Traveling can be stressful, and sharing living space for a whole week with twenty other people can also cause tension.  I wanted to take the Elf Code to heart.  It is difficult to share Buddy's affinity for Elf culture, and be as positive as he is, but I wanted to try.  Some of my thoughts and comments in this post came from "10 life lessons from the movie elf" by Dani DiPirro.

At 9:00 Friday morning I threw the toy mouse across the floor and watched the cat go after it, closing the door behind her.  Then we dropped Maggie off at the kennel as we headed down Pevine from Fairfield Glade.
Finding good pet care and leaving our furry friends behind, is one of the most difficult parts of traveling.

Our trip started, heading south for warmer and hopefully sunny weather.  These pretty Pansies were at our first stop, a rest area just inside the Georgia line.  Then, as usual, and expected, our patience was tried in the Atlanta area.  Two different accidents detoured us and slowed us way down.

We stopped one more time, for gas and a restroom break, finally getting to Valdosta around 4:30 (Central time).  Our Howard Johnson pool looked inviting but was way too cold... but look, palm trees!  Elf Code- Let life excite you. "Good news! I saw a dog today!"  One of the things I love most about Buddy the Elf is his ability to be truly excited by life.  We need to take another look around us and see the wonder that really is everywhere.  Too often we get caught up on what we have to get done and forget to stop and really be present and enjoy the moment -- something Buddy seems to do very well.


Joe and I walked 20 minutes and then ate dinner at Burger King, right next to our hotel.  I computerized while Joe watched TV and it was early to bed for both of us.  I am so glad that even I can make it on the nice list.

Saturday morning I wasn't up until 6 am and it was still dark out.  I walked for 30 minutes in a very thick fog, on a sandy road, down through a meadow.  It was a bit eerie.  Elf Code- Take risks.  "Papa says my real father lives in a magical place far away... but the thing is, I've never left the North Pole."  Doing something different -- breaking out of your comfort zone -- is a great way to find new and exciting outlets for positivity in life.

My breakfast consisted of cookies and candies, all within the elf diet and two of my most favorite things to eat.  We had several goodie bags (given and purchased in the past week)  that I included in our snack bag (tis the season).  I planned to keep exercising in an attempt to burn all the extra calories I would be getting over the holidays.


We were on the road around 8 am, drove without mishap or slow down, only stopping once for fuel and "potty break."  We got to Sarah's just before 11 am and Christmas Eve celebrating began fairly quickly, with shots of Limon Chella.  It tasted just like a Lemon drop, only with a big kick. 







We started helping with yard work while Sarah's contracted help (Mike) was working on her new front porch and landscaping.




Seen right, Sarah enjoying her new porch and landscape.









After we had a delicious lunch of potato soup and a sandwich, we all moved to the back yard.  Sarah's sister Martha arrived, and we continued with work, while watching Mike work on the backyard rock patio.

We gave input with some design choices about where to put the fire pit and how to hang porch swings all the while enjoying the beautiful sunshine.

At one point, we needed four more washers to hang the second swing, so we figured out a temporary solution.  We each had to sacrifice and drink another bottle of beer so that we could use the bottle tops for washers.


We cleaned up and left before Mike and his helper got done.  We were off to The Villages, a retirement community that has been the fastest growing town in America over the last five years.



We went to City Fire restaurant in Brownwood, a western themed village.  We were right downtown with live music playing in the main square (video) and people drinking and dancing.  After a great dinner, including very tasty Mojito's, we joined the festivities outside.

We got to see Santa and Mrs Clause, something that Elf gets very excited about.


Elf code says to spread cheer (Christmas and otherwise).  "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear."  We can also dance, shout, jump for joy, etc.  It's not always easy to be cheerful, but Buddy serves as a motivating inspiration.  He clearly demonstrates the benefits of having a cheerful attitude.  I am not sure what Joe and I were doing in the above photo, but we were having fun.


During the band's break we went and got ice cream and posed for selfies.  I was almost too full to dance, but managed to get my groove on for several songs.




When we got back to Sarah's, we saw that Mike had completed the outdoor patio in back.  The fire pit was finished so we got a fire going and sat around it.  We gazed at stars, reflected on life, and kept an eye out for Santa, in his sleigh, darting across the sky.  It was the perfect ending for a Christmas eve.


Sunday, Christmas / Birthday morning, I got up and started my tea.  Sarah was already up, with Martha soon to follow.  Martha started working on a paper for her History class and I added photos and notes for this blog.  At 8:00, Joe, Martha and I took a walk around Silver Lake, that Sarah lives on.  It is exactly a three mile loop and made for the perfect morning exercise.


It was a pretty day and we even got to witness sun rain.  The sun was shining and it was lightly raining.  Joe was even sitting out, sunning in it.  Once Roger and Diane (Sarah and Martha's parents) arrived we had cocktails and then lunch.  Sarah had cooked a ham, made deviled eggs, asparagus, and toss salad.  Oh and Stone Crab (which I skipped) was also part of the great meal.

We had to cut out of the afternoon festivities early, to head to Lakeland.  We completed another uneventful leg of the trip for which I was thankful, arriving at our B&B at 4:30.


Once checked in we drove to Mom's in Winter Haven.  Jean had cooked the lasagna dinner and we all enjoyed eating together.  Seen right- Mom, Ben, Brianna, Cathy, Ralph, Jean, Travis and Joe.








Seen left, Mom and Ben looking thoughtful and/or looking at something.

Us girls went for a Christmas night, light walk, finally finding my favorite house near Moms (seen right).


Monday morning I watched the sunrise during my hour walk.  It was foggy down in the valley.  Yes, Florida has a hill.

Joe and I were fed a wonderful breakfast, made by our B&B hostess, and then we were on the road around 10:00, going in the direction of Long Boat key.

The clan; Mom, 5 of her 6 children,
10 of 12 grandchildren, plus 5 significant others.

Taking our time, shopping at Wal-Mart, and getting caught in traffic on Cortez Bridge, we arrived at Silver Sands at 12:30, the first to get there... and were lucky enough to get into two of our four units early.

For our week on the beach, I am going to try to do some of my commentary as captions on photos.  I'll see how this goes. 

This is our tree, with Christmas gift socks for decorations.

I got us settled in, unpacking food and games, setting up both card tables, and putting up the tree and lights (yep, even though Christmas was over for many).  Meanwhile, Joe hit the beach.
People started rolling in, with the Sidensticks (Dave, Patti, Nicole, Michael, and JJ) arriving around 2:00.  Travis, Mom, Jean, and Brianna in the rental car, were next to pull in, followed in close pursuit by Cathy, Ralph, and Ben in their car.  Cathy had lost a bet with Travis on which route was quickest and had to pay up with a case of beer.

The lights out on our deck with a pretty sunset in the background.

Patrick and Tamika (seen right) got here just as we were ready to serve Mom's ham dinner.  Joe had gone to pick up Britney, who was running late because she had missed her flight from Miami to Tampa.  Dinner was reheated for them.  Britney's friend Gregorio came to visit on his way up to Tampa and before he left, Travis returned with Chris and Carol (who's flight was late leaving Indianapolis) and finally, lastly, Mike and Courtney arrived.

The community kitchen and one of our four tables.

As everyone was making their way here, I thought of Buddy's trip from the North Pole.  "I passed through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops, and then I walked through the Lincoln Tunnel."  Buddy's perseverance is demonstrated here and through out the film.  He doesn't give up but instead keeps going or working harder-- all the while maintaining a positive attitude.



Day 2  Make a game plan to do what you love. "First we'll make snow angels for two hours, then we'll go ice skating, then we'll eat a whole roll of Tollhouse cookie dough as fast as we can, and then we'll snuggle."

Breakfast each morning at Mom's beach side condo.

We all had our plans for vacation, and started in on them first thing Tuesday.  While my tea steeped, I went for an hour walk.

You can see our view of the gulf from the kitchen table.

Carol and I ran to Wal-Mart to complete our shopping trip for our dinners.  The drive back took so long because the traffic was horrible.

Mom's smoking lounge.

During the day, our clan hung out at the beach and pool, went on walks, did a lot of gaming on electronic devices, etc. 

Courtney and Mike sunning.

More sunbathers

It was a beautiful day at the pool and beach.

White Egret

Joe grilled the chicken early, and a little later I started my food preparation.  I nearly drove everyone out of the main room while sauteing onions.  Man were they strong. 


I had to confer about food prep with Britney and Jean, and probably Carol.  I just hate cooking, especially for a crowd of 21.  I was so grateful for Britney's help in the kitchen.

Below, Joe and I were conferring about something too.  LOL

Sister Cathy

Then, while I cooked the rest of the meal, we celebrated Christmas, each opening our bag (seen below) from Cathy.  There were 20 total.
"Gifting's my favorite"   This elf saying definitely applies to Cathy. 
I wish I liked to shop more and didn't mind parting with my money.  It is nice to get material things, however, we should also consider giving time, not things.  Cathy gives both. 







Mom has given us this wonderful gift of time together with a week at the beach each year.  A generous and fabulous annual vacation we will always treasure.

Mom handed out our Christmas cards with gift money, and got lots of hugs of thanks.  














The usual clowning around continued as each 'girl' got their pair of gift socks off the tree, and some began to modeled them.



 
Everyone waited patiently while I finished cooking the rice and got dinner served.  Group activities include talking, playing games, joking around, and playing on electronic devices.

Our evening walk after dinner resulted in some clowning around as we also enjoyed the Christmas lights.

Wednesday, our third day of family vacation at Silver Sands, started as usual with breakfast at the beachfront condo.  There was always a fresh pot of coffee and crumb cake, sweet rolls, or pastries to go with it.  It was a progressive breakfast, in that people progressively showed up as they crawled out of bed.  When one pot of coffee was emptied, another was made.

Joe typically started his sunning soon after his breakfast, and can be seen as usual, right photo, at the pool before anyone else got there.

Walkway to breach, right beside our beachfront condo.

There were morning walks on the beach:

Jean and Brianna

Patrick and Tamika

Carol and Britney

It was again in the 80's, so several of us swam.  The ocean was quite cold, but Britney (below) and a few others gave it a try.

Cold Courtney and Britney

The pool was heated and much more inviting.  Even Mom got in, seen left with Jean.




Sunbathing continued, as did the fun and games and goofing around.







Being positive, happy, and silly is easy Elf practice when you are on vacation and with a bunch of fun, crazy people.

Seen lower left, Patrick, Britney, and Ben tried to recreate a childhood memory photo taken probably twenty years ago.  Silly kids.

Photo of mirror that shows me and
the exercise equipment in the back ground.

I walked to the tennis club and worked out in their gym.  This is a new amenity for us this year.

View I had from the elliptical.
Rental bikes and tennis courts just outside.

We had great hors d'oeuvres and then Patti's lasagna for dinner.  











There was more clowning around by all.

We Villhauer's had our little gift exchange.  Above, Britney models her new sweatshirt and the cat ears hat Courtney knit for her.




Not sure who took these photos, but glad they remembered to go down to the beach to catch the sunset.  




The evening walk included more clowning around and then Pokeman hunting, so ended up being quite long.









<-Getting coffee cake to go with my tea Thursday, after my morning walk.  

It was another great day for sitting in the sun, but many of us got a little red.
 









I had to use this Christmas scarf (from Judy) to cover my chest that burns so easily.


I liked sitting by the pool and going for frequent dips, but out by the ocean the breeze was cooler and it was wonderful sitting there too.

Brianna takes the plunge.

 

I had a nice chat with Britney, trying to reconcile our differences, that was making me feel disconnected from her the past several months.  I really admire her heart for the oppressed, etc. and her willingness to give up a lot for what she is so passionate about.  I can talk the talk but not walk the walk.   I also like that Britney speaks her mind.

Two more lessons from Elf  (1) We could all learn something from Buddy's ability to be open and honest with those around him.  Buddy tells his girl friend, "If you can sing alone, you can sing in front of other people. There's no difference."  He tells a fake Santa "You sit on a throne of lies!"   When he goes into the shop, -World's Best Cup Of Coffee- he shouts “You did it! Congratulations! Great job, everybody!”  Buddy is never afraid to speak the truth and say what is on his mind.  (2) Be yourself, even when it's hard to know who you are.  "Actually, I'm a human, but I was raised by elves."  Buddy chooses to stay true to himself -- a trait I admire in anyone (human or elf!).   Britney's shirt kind of speaks to this:  "I know sometimes I look back, but it's to know where I come from."  She would not tell us the translation, but made us figure it out.

Killing time waiting to go on a walk.

Britney reviews some dance moves with Joe.

And then she tries me for a spin.

Next I got her to french braid my hair.

Finally we are off and walking the beach.

Walks and talks occurred along the surf.

Another knitting project.

Winners of the poker tournament Joe sponsored.

Gaming in the main room of the large condo while dinner cooked.

Cocktail hour, it's 5:00 somewhere.

Our good friend Linda and her husband Mike came for dinner.  She had been our first babysitter when we were looking at houses in Normal, before we even moved there.  It was wonderful to see her and catch up on life.

Britney with a beautiful sun set over the ocean.

We took a short walk to show Mike and Linda around as the sun set before dinner.  Linda and I ended up splitting a bottle of tasty red wine, the name of which escapes me. 

Four sisters and a Pirate.

After dinner and our company left, many of us headed out on another, longer (Pokemon) walk.

Friday, December 30th, day 5 at the condos.  A cold front with rain had come through overnight and it was windy, damp, and cold.  This was a good thing because many of us were a little burnt and could use a day of rest from sunning.  Below, we lingered at the breakfast condo, playing games, working puzzles, chatting, and yes, joking around.

 

One thing Buddy does incredibly well is to freely dole out compliments.  This is an Elf trait that really adds to positivity, and one we all should keep in mind.  "Deb, you have such a pretty face. You should be on a Christmas card!"  And then to Sarah, “Nice purple dress. Very purpley.”

Britney, Holly, Jean for a cold beach walk.

Britney, Chris and Jean

The Sidenstick's, (Dave's clan) went biking and others of us walked the beach.

Britney and I

Later we did a little beach combing.  This does not constitute walking exercise because we move along so slowly.

Pretty crab colors

 

It was fun to look at all the different
shells.  I am amazed at the variety, even within one species.  There were so many pretty ones.

<- The beach combing stance ->

 Not very attractive, but necessary.
Holly left, Jean right

I was helping Jean find certain types of shells she wanted to take home to her co-workers.

Because of the cold cloudy day, more time was spent up at the large party condo (where the seven young adults slept and we ate dinner each night).  We played games, chatted, watched TV, etc.

Britney, Dave, JJ, Holly, Nicole, Jean and Michael,
waiting for sunset and annual popcorn tossing.

I went to the gym to work out because I had been such a slug all day.  I did weights, giving it a little extra oomph, and did a set of 25 crunches between each machine.  



Let the popcorn tossing begin.










At bedtime, I started feeling bad.  I was aching, chilled and feverish.  I tossed and turned for several hours.  I wondered how much of the aches and pain were from the hard workout and 125 crunches I had done.

Saturday morning sunrise captured by Carol.

Is Chris giving his cousin Courtney a hard time?

Courtney, Jean, and Brianna were not feeling well, and neither was I.  The day was slow to warm up, so many of us were lazy about getting outside.

Courtney and Britney, sisterly love.

I was feeling yuckie, so I skipped walking and
other physical activities.

Eventually, most everybody went out to sit in the sun at the pool and beach, but it was still kind of cold.  Very few people actually swam but we enjoyed the warm sunshine.  I was hoping it would bake the sickness out of me, but it just wasn't hot enough.







Seen right, David tried his luck again at fishing, with no success, while others watched and cheered him on.  He did get a few bites and had his shrimp (bait) stolen.

Below, two games of bounce ball.  Dave and Nicole vs Patti and Michael.  Then Joseph and Brianna vs Patrick and Travis.

David continued his efforts at fishing, while Mike watched and caught rays.  This time, Dave only attracted a Great Blue Heron who was eyeing his bait on his extra, unattended pole.






Hard telling what Britney is up to, as usual.






I think she decided the water was too cold to go wading.






And then?  Your guess is as good as mine.  Maybe some Tai Chi, or was she challenging the cold waves?

Another sunset and popcorn on the beach.

The younger folk stayed up to celebrate New Years Eve but I was in bed by 9:00, still feeling bad.  Joe and Britney hit the hay early also, because they had to get up at 3am to get Britney to Tampa for a 6 am flight.





Sunday, the 1st day of 2017, was the last day of vacation.  Britney came in and hugged me good bye at 3:15 am.  I felt too bad to even get out of bed, but I was thinking of one of Buddy's often spoken lines:  "And guess what, I love you, I love you, I love youuuuuu"  And I would really miss her.

 

When I got up at 8 am, I still did not feel good.  Neither did Brianna.  Courtney and Jean seemed better though.  It was our last day of sun but the pool was still too cold for me.  Some of our 'kids' swam in the pool and even went in the ocean.

I photographed these Cormorants drying off during a walk earlier in the week.  

We had our annual lunch at the Beach House.  I had thought about staying home, but didn't want to miss out on family fun.  Since the restaurant didn't take reservations, we had to wait for their only large table to clear.  We killed time taking our family photos first, and were then seated soon after.

I could only eat half of what I was served and then later felt so bloated.  All the fishy smelling foods everyone around me was eating did not help either.  But I still enjoyed the dining experience.








Make smiling your favorite.  As Buddy says, "I just like to smile! Smiling's my favorite."  The small act of smiling can change not only someone else's day, but your own as well.  My family makes me smile, which makes me happy, which helped me not feel so bad.  Smiles and laughter are good medicine.

An Osprey photographed earlier in the week.

Back at the ranch, I felt even more bloated.  I got busy with some preliminary packing, which everybody else was doing, and the moving around kind of helped.  Because we had had such a large, late lunch, we just snacked for dinner, trying to get rid of leftovers.  I tried Activa yogurt to see if that would help.  Several of us did our nightly walk.  That also helped me feel better, but now I was coughing and sneezing quite a bit.

It was time to say goodbye to some folks who would be leaving before many of us got up the next morning.  I hate goodbyes... so prefer saying see you later.  "Does somebody need a hug?"  Showing affection is a way of life for Buddy.  It is a great way to connect with others and make their lives, and yours, more positive.  I gave hugs, and needed the hugs I got back. 

I had more chills and abdominal pain at bedtime and was beginning to fear I had the same thing I got sick with two summers ago, which had landed me in the hospital for six days.  I was even thinking about hitching a ride home with Courtney and Mike rather than continue another six days of travel with Joe.  I didn't want to get others sick and I wanted to be home.

Being home where I could rest, I thought would help me feel better faster.  Any how, you will see in my next post, that I continued our trip.  Luckily, my fever had broken overnight.

In closing, not everyday can be like Christmas.  We have to go to work, earn a living, clean house, repair broken and damaged things, and on and on.  We simply couldn't afford the time and money to celebrate with gatherings, gifts, musical performances, holiday eating and drinking, etc., year round.  And, if we did this everyday, it would lose its special feel.  However, we can live the Elf Code on a regular basis, being hard working, while also being positive and upbeat... singing, complementing others, telling friends and family we love them, being excited about life, an so on.