Once each year Venice Florida held a “Bachelor Auction”. This was single men in the area who were usually sponsord by their work place. A prize date with a bachelor was offered. All the proceeds went to “Lung Cancer” research.

So the big night arrives and I join the ladies at the Venice community center to bid on the bachelor I have chosen. Their pictures and all the information about each man is in the advertisement, also the date being offered.

My choice is a handsome man, looks to be about fifty and works at a local bank. In the write up they say a few attractive things about him. He had hiked through the mountains in Napal. I really liked that! Sounded very interesting to me. They are at the north border above China. The date was a balloon ride followed by a brunch.

How does all this sound to you? Would you find it good enough package to bid your hard earned money on?

Before the big night came I had asked my daughter Susie, via phone from Lawrenceville Georgia, how high I should bid to get this date, what if it’s over $3000? Last year the top bid of the night was $5000. My daughter replied, “Whatever it takes Mom!” OK! The decision was made, I’m getting this date.

So back to the drawing board…………I’m seated in this big room with all the ladies at the Venice, Florida community center and the bidding begins! Much to my surprise, tonight the dates are going between $400 and $900. Then they bring out my guy.

You notice I’m already calling him ‘my guy’. So…………Here we go! You’re on Flo! We get up to $800 and only three of us are still in the bidding. We hit $1200, now there are two of us. I hang in there, giving the “paddle” nod each time the auctioneer looks my way. When I bid $1550 the other lady “threw in the towel”.

This was the top bid of the night so my date and I got a write up in the local newspaper including a photo of us taken together. It was on the front page.

Our date was a most delightful balloon ride leaving Venice slowly floating just above the tree tops. It was really fabulous! I loved it! If you have never done a balloon ride I highly recommend the experience.

A Real Estate developer in North Port had, several years earlier, purchased a large area of land, layed out house lots to sell, put in roads, electric lines in the ground and water and sewer. Then sold those small lots to people far and wide, sight unseen.

The problem was almost no one had built a house in this huge ,desolate expansion of land. The roads were all cracked up with weeds growing in the cracks. The Developer had been in litigation for several years with people who had purchased the lots.

In the middle of all this desolation we are coming down. I said to the pilot, “We are heading for that big bush”. He said, “Yes! That will stop us!” Well of course WE GOT NO BRAKES!!!!!!!!!

Crrrrrrrrrrrunch!!!!!

A van meets us there, sets up a folding table and two chairs, puts a cloth over the table, place settings for two and we sit down to a hot brunch. The pilot said he had made that delicous quiche himself.

Can you see us there amidst this vast desolation. Just the two of us sitting at this table in a wilderness. No trees, a few bushes, in the distance a house here and there. Wish I had a picture!

That picture of my date and me in the newspaper, I cut it out and kept it for a while then threw it away. Wish I still had it also. But that is how it goes, if wishes were horses beggers would ride!!!!!!! On second thought the picture of us might still be in the newspaper archives.

On the plane coming back to Sarasota Airport, after spending Christmas with family, the co-pilot announced it was snowing in Venice. Back home in Venice I was told the snow melted as soon as it hit the ground. So much for building a SNOWMAN!!!

When I was on my dairy farm in Ohio and taking a correspondence writing course from Bridgeport Connecticut, I wrote that I had never been bored. The young man who edited my work wrote back, “The only people who have never been bored are stupid people”.

SO…….MEET STUPID FLO!!!!!!!!!!

That is me on the left, my son-in-law Terrell, granddaughter Terri, daughters Susie and Pamela and her husband Tracy.

That is not snow! It is the SIESTA KEY, FLORIDA WHITE SAND BEACH IN JANUARY!!!!!

At ninety one years old, I can honestly say, I have been happy, I have been sad, I have been lonely and I have been angry. But I have no memory of ever being bored! Honest to God!

FRF ♥