May Rally Registration

Winter Gather in Sunny Florida

Twenty-Eight Hoosier Cruisers from all over Florida gathered at Sun N' Fun RV Resort in Sarasota on February 12.  Many of the Hoosier Cruisers were staying at the resort or very nearby while some traveled from two plus hours away.  The weather was gorgeous and those that had to travel did so safely with no worries of snow or freezing rain but our thoughts were with our friends up North and we wished them a quick and warmer winter. We all enjoyed a terrific lunch prepared by chef Joanne and the Boondocks restaurant staff while catching up with everyone and hearing about their winter activities.  We met several members that have not had an opportunity to attend an HC rally yet as well as Trudy and Jerry Landers who joined while here at the resort.   This year promises to be a great rally year and will start off with a May rally hosted by Greg and Bettie Wessel along with the Blodgetts, Judy Hohl and Rem Remley.  Watch for the newsletter out next month for more details.
While at the gather Jane Clashman informed me that Joe and Rachel Johnson of Muncie have been struggling with health issue and can no longer travel.  Check your membership list for an address or contact me if you want to send well wishes.

Good News!

Cassie and I would like to thank all of the Hoosier Cruisers for their cards and phone calls, and especially the prayers -- they helped! Steve is doing better, in cardiac rehab - hoping to return to normal activities soon. Thanks again! All of you are a "blessing" in our lives. Hugs, Steve and Cassie

Member update!

Linda Filson has informed me that Steve Lisle continues to have heart issues and has had another surgery to place a stent in a coronary artery.  I know he would appreciate our prayers and best wishes for a full and complete recovery.   

Hoosier Cruisers gather for Christmas

Another great Christmas dinner was enjoyed by the Hoosier Cruisers Saturday at Mullets in Nappanee.  Harry and Connie Decausemaker once again planned a great event and as always the food was exceptional.  There were many highlights not the least of which was seeing how well Steve Lisle was doing following a close call and surgery just a few days before.  We were also treated to a great Christmas skit performed by Connie along with Bea and David O'dell playing Mr. and Mrs. Clause.  Following a great dinner we all exchanged thoughtful gifts before heading home. 
I'm so thankful this has become an annual tradition as it's great to catch up with everyone as the Winter gets started.
Here is wishing all of you and your families a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New year.   
                                      Rick and Sandy

Linda Filson has just emailed me that Denny's father passed away on November 30.  His furneral will be Dec. 5th. 
She also informed me that Steve Lisle had a heart attack on December 1st.  He had surgery on the the 3rd and a stent placed and seems to be doing well.
Please keep Steve and Denny in your thoughts and prayers at this special time of year.

Member Update-Follow-up X2

Jim Francis tells me that Nina's carotid surgery is scheduled for tomorrow followed by multiple bypass surgery on Friday.  Connie Decausemaker is also scheduled for gall bladder removal on Monday.  Let's keep both of them in our thoughts and prayers during this important time.

Jim Francis called today and reported that Nina's carotid surgery went well. The Dr's said she was a stroke waiting to happen. The next day (Friday) she had a triple bypass performed and did very well. She is resting comfortably and should be moved out of CCU soon. They are both very grateful for all the prayers and look forward to being back with the Hoosier Cruisers soon.

I spoke with Harry Decausemaker today and he reports that Connie did very well with her gall bladder surgery.  Hw wishes to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. 

A Thanks From Ernie

I received the following from Ernie and he asked me to pass it along to his fellow Hoosier Cruisers.

Dear Hoosier Cruisers!

Since my surgery I have received over 50 cards. I have read them all twice.
The one, that was hand delivered to me from the Hoosier Cruiser rally at Steve
and Cassie's. I have looked at quite a few times.

I have shown the card to a lot of friends. They cannot believe the work and time that went
into my "card". I agree with them.

It is a card that I will cherish and keep for a long time.
I thank each and every one of you for a memorable get well card.

Sincerely,

Ernie Clashman

October Rally

The following report was provided by Doug Tillmann.

OCTOBER HOOSIER CRUISER RALLY AT STEVE AND CASSIE LISLE’S FARM

This was the second "Lisle Farm Rally" gathering and we had eighteen coaches at this last Hoosier Cruiser Rally of the season.  After arriving throughout the day Thursday, the Hoosier Cruisers pretty much just sat around and yakked and enjoyed one another's company and the beautiful, sunny, crisp, fall weather until early evening when we caravanned into South Whitley for a nice dinner at the "Brown Stone Cafe".Friday morning there was a "Pitch In" breakfast in Steve Lisle’s meticulously clean garage/workshop.  This was another of those infamous Hoosier Cruiser "Bring-A-Dish-To-Pass" and make everyone fatter type of event where there is more food than the total number of attendees could possibly consume.

After breakfast there was a rousing game of "Family Feud" where the folks were divided into competing groups and were asked a series of goofy questions about pretty much everything.  There was a lot of hootin’ and hollerin’ and it was lots of fun.  As we were leaving the "Family Feud" event we were all surprised as we were "strafed" by two A-10 Thunder Bolt fighter aircraft as they went through some low altitude, high speed, acrobatic gyrations which made our teeth and the windows rattle. These awesome, thundering, airborne fighting machines, also known as the "Warthog" were, as we found out later, based at the Air Guard base in Ft. Wayne and the event was quietly orchestrated by Steve Lisle and his son-in-law.  The Warthogs, with GAU-8 Avenger gatling guns mounted in their noses, made us tremble and we were all glad that they were not angry at us and that they are on our side.

After lunch, we spent the afternoon playing Euchre and the dice game "Toss ‘em Up" in in the Community Center/Lisle Garage.  Dinner was another pitch-in along with  a big pot of brats which Barb and Jim Gibson had prepared.

After dinner we all donned warm clothes and blankets and listened to a roving minstrel as he strummed his guitar and sang to us as we sat around one of Steve Lisle’s itty-bitty, teeny-weeny campfires which had flames leaping fourteen feet into the pitch black, chilly fall night.  Ahhh, life is good !

After another pitch-in breakfast, Saturday morning found Jim & Bobbie Gibson laboring in the field setting up yard games. We all lined up and carried marshmallows across a course between two popsicle sticks and then pitched them into a bowl.  We all acted like teeny-boppers and had lots of fun.  Then some of the Cruisers engaged in a treasure hunt by elite teams named: "The Pudgy Pumpkins", "The Squishy Squashes", "The Wicked Witches", "The Scary Scare Crows", "The Groovy Ghosts" and "The Sassy Spiders".  No kidding !   That was the team names.  Unfortunately, it began to rain and the rest of the yard games that Jim & Bobbie had worked so hard to set up went unused.

After dinner we were treated to a sort of gift/door prize drawing. This one, like the one last year at the Lisle Rally, was different in that when your name was drawn you could select a gift from the table or you could "steal" one that a fellow Cruiser had previously drawn.  Betty Tilmann drew a nice, fuzzy blanket that was promptly "stolen" from poor Betty and  then came into Lois Stoner's possession .  Now, Betty was not happy about this but the picture of Lois cradling the blanket, cuddling it to her cheeks and sort of "bonding" with it was touching indeed.  Unfortunately for Lois, poor Miss Lois, her ecstasy was short lived.  The blanket went in and out of her control countless times and resulted in Lois finally losing it to Mae Stevens which did not make Lois a happy camper.  The blanket ultimately ended up with Mae which left Lois in a state of moderate to severe depression.  Congratulations to Mae and our very special sympathies go out to poor, sad, depressed Miss Lois for losing her treasured, soft, fuzzy blanket. Boo Hoo Hoo for Lois ! ! !

A great big  - ! Yeehah ! -  type thank you goes out to Steve and Cassie and Jim & Bobbie Gibson and Danny & Mary Lou Biddle for all of their efforts in staging another absolutely top drawer rally at the Lisle Farm !

It was a great rally and brought our 2012 season to a bitter-sweet end.

See you after the snow melts !

Amana Octoberfest

Amana Octoberfest Parade

Great cooks make for great meals

The Hoosier Cruisers joined the National RV Great Lakers in a wonderful Fall rally at the Amana Colonies in Iowa.  The event began with a great evening of brats over the campfire and of course marshmallows and somores for desert. This was a wonderful opportunity for everyone to get to know each other and share stories of travels.  We kicked off Friday with a tour of the Amana Heritage Museum to familiarize ourselves with this very unique community.  There was ample time the rest of the day to explore the "colonies" and of course begin the shopping escapades that are always available during festivals.  Saturday began with a pitch-in breakfast followed by a parade in downtown Amana,  more touring and shopping.  After dinner on our own our rally masters had arranged tickets to a wonderful play where we enjoyed a comedy performed by some very professional actors at the Old Creamery Theater adjacent to the campground.  Sunday was very relaxing and closed with a family style dinner at the Ox Yoke Restaurant and some more campfire time.  Monday started for six of us with 18 holes on one of the most picturesque courses I've ever played.  The weather was perfect and the course condition outstanding making this outing one to remember.  The afternoon included a great tour of the Amana Furniture Factory where we learned how truly fine craftsmen and women make some to the finest furniture in the world.  We closed the rally with a carry in dinner of great food from the Great Lakers and Hoosier Cruiser ladies.

Dinner at the Ox Yoke

 We had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed our friends the National Great Lakers.  I know some lasting friendships were made and we look forward to another combined rally in the future.  The Hoosier Cruisers would like to invite all the Great Lakers to attend any of our future rallies and look forward to meeting those that were unable to attend this wonderful event.  I know I can speak for all attendees in extending our appreciation to Dennis and Betty Behnken and Greg and Bettie Wessel for organizing this fabulous rally.  By the way Dennis thanks for the fabulous weather- you "rock"!

It's a lonely job but somebody has to do it.