It's tiring being retired! Our weekly schedule is proof!

We are still enjoying our time at Bentsen Grove Resort in Mission, Texas. We are into our second month here, and we're beginning to get into a schedule. On Monday, Denisa heads to line dance class in the morning. It's great exercise, as she can get her 10,000 steps in a three-hour line dance class.

We've been blessed with great teachers, who have an amazing number of dances memorized and at the tips of their toes! They have danced over 70 different dances in class this season. It's amazing that they know so many! A past teacher (pictured below in the jean jacket) is 87-year-old Marie. She's proof that line dancing keeps you young! We've been missing her in class because she is battling breast cancer right now.

Marie was leaving the park this week to head home to start chemotherapy, so we organized a flash dance in her honor. Just down the street, we were plotting our strategy to enter the dance from four different directions at the appropriate time. Our leaders found that organizing line dancers is a little like herding cats.

But we all made it to the right location, coming in to the dance at different times to give it the flash dance feeling. We were wearing different shades of pink and dancing to "Mama Maria" in honor and support of Marie's battle with breast cancer. She plans to be back next fall to continue dancing here at Bentsen Grove.

Whew! That story was a bit of a detour from the description of our weekly activities. On Monday, Denisa finishes line dance just in time for a little snack before heading off to Spanish class with Mark. We are learning key Spanish phrases and words, and our teacher hosted a pot luck fiesta this week. That's another example of great volunteer leaders here at Bentsen Grove Resort. Monday night is bingo night. But after 4 straight win-less evenings, Denisa has turned in her bingo dauber to go to card-making class for the evening.

Tuesday has the least scheduled activities. So it's a good day to catch some time in the pool at swim-nastics for a good workout without even sweating. Then it's time to head to the pickleball courts for some real exercise. Even in the new air-conditioned in-door courts, we are sweating.

We were here for the grand opening of this new facility. We've found that pickleball is a great sports for all ages. The ribbon-cutters in the picture below are Max and Clara--two of our favorite players. This year they are celebrating 90th birthdays, as well as their 70th wedding anniversary--and they are still very good pickleball players. Again, evidence that exercise keeps you young.

Wednesday brings intermediate line dancing, and Denisa works up a sweat in this fast-paced class. But she loves this aerobic exercise with fancy footwork to cool music. It's good exercise for the body and the mind trying to remember all the complicated steps. She then goes directly to card-making class, which is like "crafts on steroids." The group has all the stamps, die-cuts, and punches, and leaders that patiently show newbies how to use them. Below is a picture of some of the cards Denisa has made this winter.

Thursday has more line dancing, lunch at the rec hall, and more pickleball. That's followed with an evening in glass class. Denisa has tried different fused glass techniques--again guided by great volunteers that enjoy teaching newbies. We have access to the glass cutting tools and kilns that a professional shop would have. One of the easiest is the melted glass earrings pictured below. It looks like Denisa is trying to get a pair in every color.

Friday has fewer activities, so it's a great day for zumba and some more pickleball. But we have to be sure to make it to the produce truck that sells local fruits and vegetables right inside the resort. There might be time for more ball after stocking up on groceries for the week. But we can't wear out our legs on pickleball, because there is a dance every Friday evening. We love to two-step, but we are learning new couple's dances this year. It's also fun to visit with the many other dancers that look forward to this form of exercise as much as we do.

Saturday morning has breakfast and a park-wide activity, followed by lunch. We've found a festival most weekends to fill the rest of the day. 

Church services and bible study start off our Sunday, with over 200 people gathering in the rec hall. We usually finish the day with ice cream sundaes. Volunteers dip ice cream every evening, but we get toppings too for our sundaes on Sunday.

We are enjoying fun activities throughout the week here, and we don't even have to leave the park! We hate to complain, but it's hard to find time to fit in a trip to the pool, and we really need to juice some of the oranges off our trees. It's certainly tiring being retired!!