2011 Christmas Letter

CHRISTMAS 2011
Aloha to all and Melikauke Maka

Well to say the very least, in a nut shell; we have had a hectic year. At the end of 2010 we attended a Military Ball w/ the Knights of Columbus 4th Degree Assemblies. Mary had cataract surgery in December, and we spent Christmas with friends & family in the park.

Mary is now an Assistant Clerk with the County Election Board, and also the President for the 2010-2011 season of the Leisure Lake Women’s Fellowship. We are still in charge of showing movies here at our park and we both enjoy that very much. Mary and sometimes Phil have been doing readings at Mass on both Sundays and weekdays. Phil keeps busy with the K of C both regular and the 4th degree as he prepares refreshments for after the meetings. Some of Phil’s other activities include golf, several times a week, helps to provide music for our Saturday morning coffee hour. He has taken a larger interest in Art, and has done several portraits in colored pencil. We have both been going about every six weeks to the local nail spa where we enjoy having pedicure treatments on our feet. Don’t know why it took us so long to find out just how wonderful this makes you feel.

In January, we together with our friends, Jim & MaryAnn Miller, went on a park sponsored cruise to Mexico. While we were on that cruise we booked another cruise next spring to celebrate our 30th Wedding Anniversary. You will have to wait for next years Christmas letter to hear the details of this upcoming trip.

February proved to be special, as Twin Martha and hubby Jim came to visit for 3 weeks. Of course, Brother Joseph is up near Tampa just an hour away and sister Betty lives in Bradenton so we all had a great time visiting together. Even took in a Polo match while they were here.... picnic on the sidelines, stomped the divots at half time and all. Also brother Gary and Alitza were here for Jan, Feb & March so they were included in all the fun things we did during February. Phil, Gary & his friend Don played a lot of music up at the hall for park events. We also had a sad thing happen during February as we lost a Great Grand Baby, Grace. Jessica and Chris were so looking towards the birth of their first baby. We all feel that she is now in that special place that God makes for babies like her and her two uncles Jacob & Joshua.

In March Phil & Gary got in a short fishing trip...lots of fun...but few fish. And then by the end of March everyone went back North and the park became very quiet again. By the way, March 27th brought surprises to Mary. Phil got her to Emerson Point, a nearby park on the beach, under the pretext of a music program. But when we got there our friends, Don & Jane Conn, had a table set up with wine, a wonderful meal, real wine glasses and table service. Mary’s favorite French music playing completed the picture (overlooking the waters of Terra Ceia Bay) for our 29th Wedding Anniversary. Surprise, Surprise... so romantic. What a wonderful gift from Phil.

In April Mary was asked to help read “The Passion” at Church on Palm Sunday and Phil took part in the “Washing of the Feet” on Holy Thursday. Both of these things made a very special Easter for us. Betty went in the hospital for surgery on April 20th, and while she was there, on the 27th, Phil called home announcing that he was having a heart attack while on the golf course. After 5 days in the hospital and a triple bypass on his heart he came home and played music the following Saturday at coffee hour needless to say he was doing great. Betty on the other hand was not. She was in the hospital and then rehab until May 10th. Mary had such a time taking care of both of them and found it much easier when Betty’s Granddaughter came to take her back home to New Jersey to live. We would like to thank our relatives and friends that got us through those difficult times. Especially son Todd and Joyce who had come down for a planned vacation and were here to help bring Phil home from the hospital. Our friends Don, Jane, Carol & Dan, what can we say, without their support we would have never survived as well as we did.

May is a blank for Phil, what with being in the hospital, lots of trips to the doctors and in general just getting back to his old self... of course he hated that he was not allowed to drive or play golf for so many weeks. Mary was busy with Cheyenne, the student, at the Manatee School of the Arts that she has been mentoring for the past 2 years. Cheyenne will graduate this month and go on to college in the fall. Our daughter Marybeth & hubby Steve took a trip to Europe while their son, Scott is stationed in Germany. In fact during August their son Eric went over to visit with his brother...great bonding time for the two boys, great memories for the whole family.

June was hectic with more doctor’s visits and Phil got to start driving again on June 1st.

July, Oh Good, our favorite bike race, the Tour DeFrance, was on TV again and we watched it every day. Mary & Phil took over the coffee hour duties for the park during July thru September. On July 18th Mary had a Heart Ablation to help with her racing heart from A-Fibrillation....this all happened due to a problem with a new meds that they gave to her that did not work out well. As we said lots of doctor visits during June and July.

August found Phil making many trips to St. Pete VA for cardiac rehab....this four week program was very good for him. Also decided to bite the bullet and get our golf cart repairs, sometimes it would start and other times not. Hated to spend the money but am enjoying have a working cart again. Back in March Phil had made this cart into an elephant for the fun day parade. The theme was circus and he took first place.

During September Mary’s favorite soap opera went off the air after 41 years, she was sad to see it go as it has been a part of her life for such a long time. We are now becoming a part of the local Arts Community here in Southern Florida as we have season tickets for the local Manatee Players Theatre and have been to see several recorded productions of plays in famous theatres from New York & Europe. One being Henry the Eight filmed at the Shakespeare Globe Theatre in London

In October we flew to Indianapolis, borrowed a car from son Todd, and after Martha & Jim arrived from California we all drove to Columbus. A classmate, Terry Trautman and his wife Linda had made us an offer we could not refuse... a 5 night stay at the Traut Haus. It was great as we were all involved in the planning and set up for our 55th Class Reunion. They have a beautiful home and were gracious hosts. What a great reunion we had, so much fun visiting with old classmates whom we’ve not seen for the past five years. We also made time to visit with our brothers and sister while in Columbus but must say the time flew by so fast that it was impossible to visit with all the friends that we wanted to see and too soon it was time to leave Indiana and be on our way home to Florida.

November found Phil flying back to Chicago for his guitar convention, great music and fun time with friends while Mary had some much needed down time. The snow birds are fast filling up the park and should all be in by the last of this month. Phil has volunteered to help with Bingo, we will see how long he can take it. We are still enjoying the local theatre and brother Joe will be in Florida very soon. If the weather cooperates we may have Judy and her family down around Christmas time. We look forward to all your cards and letters and send you all wishes for a very Happy Holiday Season.



Phil & Mary Bender PO Box 187, Palmetto, FL 34220