Over the years, The Villages has been the scene of many reunions, for many reasons — and this weekend was no exception.
This mini reunion involved four Pennsylvania women who have known each other since elementary school — and whose Abraham Lincoln High School graduating class had its 40th anniversary in June 2014.
Diane Baxter Robinson’s efforts last June to meet up with three high school girlfriends to mark that anniversary were snagged due to her friends’ work commitments — but this past Friday, her friends accepted her invitation for a long weekend in The Villages.
When Diane moved to The Village of Duval from the Philadelphia area in 2006 with her husband, Tom, 57, she was only 49. When neighbors teased her about her tender age, she used to joke she had obtained a Green Card to live here until she turned 55. Several other northern friends and the Robinsons found out about The Villages from postcards in a Golf Digest magazine. Tom and Diane made the big decision to move here while on a ‘Lifestyles’ tour with The Villages real estate organization — and have been walking billboards for The Villages ever since.
“I don’t golf every day,” Diane’s husband Tom said, “and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know these gals better. They loved my pancakes this morning. They said I make the best pancakes on the eastern seaboard — and they brought us a lot of soft-Philly pretzels.”
Diane first met Vickie Waddell Robinson, who is not related, when they were in first grade together. She has known Marie Woznicki Gardenier since the fourth grade and Cindy Wei st Kinkaid since ninth grade. The gals endured the heavy rain and windstorm when they arrived in The Villages, but noted it was much warmer than the bad conditions they would fly back to this coming week. “They’ve had a lot of snow. We hope we can go back on time,” Marie quipped, “weather permitting.”
Vickie lives in the greater Philadelphia area, and the other two gals reside in Delaware — north of Wilmington. “It’s just wonderful having my dear friends here,” Diane gushed. “I’ve been anticipating this with great pleasure for a long time, and am not disappointed. This is just great.”
The Robinsons belong to the Pennsylvania Club and Hope Lutheran Church. Diane is a member of Mensa, and the ET support group. “That’s for people with ‘essential tremor,’ Diane explained. “But I think she is an extra-terrestrial,” Tom quipped. “I’m not sure if I’m a true Mensan,” Diane admitted. “I’ve never been tested, but I enjoy the speakers that group has, and their discussion topics. I love learning new things.”
“We’ve made friends with some very nice people in The Villages,” Diane said, “but there’s nothing like having a history to talk about with your old friends.” “Hey, we’re all still in our fifties,” Marie reminded Diane. “We’re not old.”
Tom recently met a gent with a “Sand Barrens’ golf bag, which is from South Jersey, and through him, met an old Philadelphia friend, John Murphy, who now lives in Lynnhaven Village. Tom spent 35 years with the U.S. postal service, and his new friend, John, retired as a deputy commissioner in the Philadelphia prison system. Diane has met several new people here from her area ‘up north’ too — one who lived only a few blocks away, near Heagles Bakery.  “We all blame that bakery for our few extra pounds,” Diane laughed.
The gals all root for Philly teams, and also cheer for Florida teams — secondarily. “Philly is largely a blue collar area” Vickie explained, “with sports fans who are not afraid to show their colors. They are loyal, true and honest, and if they lose, a gloom descends over the whole city.”
“I’m very proud of being from Philadelphia,” Diane added. “The city is filled with little neighborhoods, and people associate themselves with their section of the city. I worked down town for thirty years, as a legal secretary.”
Her friends are finding it tough to finally retire. Vickie actually retired from her life-long career as a teacher and educator, but now does consulting work. Cindy is a commercial banker with Wells Fargo. “It’s Wells Fargo now, after many mergers,” Cindy said; and Marie works managing computerized patient records systems. “I don’t envision giving my work up any time soon,” Marie said, “but the more I see of The Villages, that time frame might get shorter and shorter .”
Diane chose the Cotillion in Wildwood Friday evening, to give her friends a real ‘Southern experience.’ Saturday night, they ate at the new Cody’s at Brownwood and enjoyed the live entertainment at Paddock Square. She’ll show the gals the ‘pre-historic’ section, where The Villages began; and Eaton’s Beach in Weirsdale . She described the décor at the various Villages rec centers, and the gals chose to tour Sea Breeze for its beach theme. They caught the Bobby Goldsboro art show and reception there on Sunday.
The friends will all root for the New England Patriots in next Sunday’s Super Bowl — except for Cindy. “I can’t be for the Patriots since they beat Philadelphia. Philadelphia fans hold grudges a long time,” she joked , “so I’ll root for Seattle “. They’ve all hated Dallas teams since they beat Philadelphia too.
The Robinsons make a mean Philly Cheese Steak sandwich. They recently took the makings over to Florida-native friends who live at Lakeside Landings. Diane made the sautéed onions; Tom used his electric slicer to make the sirloin steak really thin and they brought cheese and rolls from Publix. “It’s a Philly Cheese Steak ‘WIT,’ Diane explained — with pickles and chips. If you put lettuce and tomato on it, then it’s a hoagie.”
