After a fairly sleepless night in the guest room after Rick snored me out of bed, I awoke rather late (7:13 a.m. EST) to sunlight streaming through the window. Today turned out to be a beautiful Florida November day: sunshine, a slight breeze, with highs in the low 80's. Strangely for us, being in this beautiful weather and seeing both turkeys and Christmas trees on display is somehow surreal. A call from my mother in Wisconsin reminded us that they are having temperatures in the low teens right now. I think I like the Florida temperatures much better.
We took advantage of the day by going down to Largo (about 8 miles south of here). We wanted to find the clinic where I had chosen my rheumatologist. When we were at Mayo, Rick and I spent over three hours researching sites and doctors in the area. I thought I had chosen a well-qualified doctor with good reviews from patients. The facility itself is very nice, but Rick has started second-guessing my decision just because they are across the street from a hospital that has less than a grand reputation. I will have to check to see if the doctor is affiliated with other hospitals; he is freaked about the fact that the doctors all own the clinic, making it a for-profit operation. I just want a facility where I can get blood work done, consult with the doctor to have my treatment coordinated with Mayo, and try to get on with my life. I hope this is the right place.
After finding the clinic, we started furniture shopping. Thus far, Gladys has cast-off furniture-- our old sofa from our camper and a couple of Ikea chairs in the living room. The sofa was custom-made and expensive, but it is not a full-size sofa, and it is starting to show its age by having cushions that sag at the top. Plumping them up restores them, but only temporarily. The Ikea chairs are comfortable for a while, but they, too, are not made for full-time living room comfort. Currently, only the wonderful cherry tables that Rick made will be a permanent part of the living room decor.
We debated on whether to purchase a new sofa and two recliners, or to buy two matching sofas. We like the chair idea, but since we would need two different recliners to match our individual sizes, then the question comes in as to which chair would be positioned to use when watching TV. Additionally, the chairs would have their backs to the front door, so seeing the back side of a high recliner is not the most ideal view for incoming guests.
Our other option is buying two identical sofas, one on each side of an area rug with our coffee table in the middle. While this option is more expensive, it will give us more seating, a cleaner back-side look from the door, and a lower profile over which to see the rest of the room. We went to a store in Largo that specializes in sofas made by Temple, Inc. Temple is a made-in-the-USA furniture manufacturer in North Carolina. They make sofas with shorter depth and height for shorter people like we are. If a person cannot find a sofa to fit her in their stock line, Temple also offers tailor-made construction. One can choose arms, backs, cushions, and finish designs -- for a price, of course. We like the fact that the company does not skimp on the design elements; the frames are all hardwood instead of particleboard, the frames are more heavy-duty than normal, and the company is energy and recycling conscious. I would rather buy and support a family-owned company here in America than a facility overseas that uses both cheap labor and cheap materials.
After much discussion, we narrowed the selection down to one stock Temple sofa that seemed to fit our needs. We brought four material samples home, eliminated one almost immediately, and then worked with the remaining three. From those, we both like the color scheme on one and the slightly better quality of material on the other. The jury is still out on the final selection.
As usual, Rick then began to doubt what we had decided upon. The height of the sofa seat we chose is a couple of inches higher than the Sheirl sofa we currently own. Now he worries that the new sofa would be too high. Actually, we sat in a similar (although not exactly the same model) Temple sofa in the store, and it was very comfortable. He is worried that we did not sit on the sofa we would be buying, but we both know that fabric choice and simple manufacturing components all factor into how the sofa will fit and feel.
He now wants to look at a store that carries Sheirl sofas like the ones we have in Green Bay. While I am not opposed to looking further, I can honestly state that I am happy with what we have chosen from Temple. They are good quality, will last us well for the time we spend in Florida, will fit our decorating style, and will be less expensive than a Sheirl sofa. I am not convinced that Sheirl is the way to go, but I will try to keep an open mind and look.
After lunch we made a quick trip to Target to get some badly-needed supplies, and then we came home. I was exhausted by that time, both from being out and from my lack of sleep yesterday. Rick was antsy, so while I took a nap, he went out with a transit to measure our back yard.
Putting up a privacy fence is going to be a priority very soon, so he was anxious to survey the land. We are on hold with those plans until Monday when the tree service comes in to let us know if we can remove that giant tree. For right now, all we can do is remove the old fence and draw plans for the future.
I know that Rick was irritated that I could not go out and help him. He does not blame me, but he is having a really hard time not having me there to help or at least to work along side him. He always has done the majority of the work, yet having me out of the picture is difficult for him to stay motivated.
We will not do much while we are down here this trip. Both girls called, and we had a delightful call on Facetime interacting with our new grandson, Owen. We miss him and the rest of the family. This will be a strange Thanksgiving with no one around; however, I am sure that we will manage.
Tomorrow we need to go to the store and stock up on food for the week. Actually, yesterday we took a ride around the neighborhood and saw a Schwan's food delivery truck. Since we get Schwan's Foods in Green Bay, we asked him to stop by our house. He obliged, so we now have food in the freezer that are all-time favorites. We plan to leave the refrigerator running while we are north for the holidays, so if we do not eat out the freezer before we leave, that is OK too.
Tensions are high tonight. We are not in agreement about the furniture, the reality of my limitations is starting to make itself known, and we are concerned both about finances and family members at home. Maybe a good night's sleep tonight will make Sunday dawn brighter.
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