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.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Friday, November 22, 2013
Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity-Jig
We are home. After three years of hard work, we have finally gotten Gladys to the point that when we walk through the front door, she feels just as much like "home" as does our long-time home in Green Bay. And being able to fit into the contours of our own bed last night was pure bliss. We both slept very well, although the Eastern Time clock still only said 6:15 when we awoke this morning.
Thursday was a long, long day for both of us. The third day on any trip is a killer, and since Rick had already driven 1000 miles, he told me that he just dreaded getting back behind the wheel of the truck. Neither of us had a particularly restful night, so that added to the problem. Once again, we arose early and headed down the road before stopping for breakfast.
Coming out of Montgomery, we faced several miles of stoplights and limited access road before we crossed the border into Florida to get back on the interstate. The drive to Florida seemed to take forever. There are no major cities along the route and traffic was manageable, but anticipation of getting home and just plain fatigue made the trip seem endless. We took breaks to stretch when we needed to, but we did not loiter either to eat a long lunch or to purchase local delicacies such as freshly boiled peanuts. (Ugh!)
On Thursday we started a count of how many Snowbird campers we passed. Thursday's total actually surprised us because we thought that most Birds would be down here by now. Not so. We passed eight 5th wheel trailers, seven motorhomes, and no travel trailers. I guess trailers are starting to be out of vogue as people find 5th wheel trailers easier to tow. Today, we counted four 5th wheels, four motorhomes, and one die-hard travel-trailer. We both agreed that we are glad we no longer have the care and storage issues of a trailer, and with my achey muscles, I am glad that I do not have to climb up into a trailer at the end of the day. Eh! Gad! I really am starting to sound old!!
Once we crossed the Florida border, we were able to see our first palm trees. That is always my brain's signal that we are again in Florida. For the first time, however, we experienced a new sight. As we got into southern Alabama yesterday morning, we saw cotton fields in bloom. We have never travelled through the Southern United States at this time of year, so this was a new sight for both of us. The plants themselves had reddish-brown bark. Do they start to die off as the cotton ripens, or is that their natural color? I will have to look that up. The cotton bolls themselves were plump and white. We smiled because along the shoulder, we could see clumps of cotton bolls lining the road. We do not know if they blew from the fields or if they blew off a truck of picked cotton. The fields were quite a sight, so we have fun learning something new about a product that we end up wearing each day.
This morning we awoke well-rested, but I soon learned that my desire to do something and my energy to accomplish those tasks are still miles apart. After showers this morning, we started some laundry, and then I decided to scrub down the two bathrooms. Ha! I cleaned the toilet, sink, and mirror in the master bath, and I was exhausted. Remember what I said earlier about "plans"? Rick reminded me that we had only left Mayo Clinic a week ago, and that I have to take things easy. The physical therapist told me that I should do my stretches, "live life" -- that is, do what I can with the energy that I have -- and then rest. I wanted to do more, but God was laughing.
A trip over to Steve and Chris' house was a great respite. The fruits of their labors in their yard really paid off. It looks great, and we hope to be in their position some day. We enjoyed seeing them and hearing about their plans for this year. They took time from their busy schedules to help us get the car ready to drive when we arrived, so we are eternally grateful for their help.
We took a walk around the house when we got back home. Our yard service has done a great job with the trimming and grass, so much so that the temporary patio blocks that make up our front sidewalk now have trimmed greenery (read: weeds) that will prevent the path from turning into a mud patch in the rain. A paver sidewalk, therefore, is on hold until next year.
Our biggest (literally!) issue is the live oak tree in the back yard. It is on the back edge of our property, and the canopy is split into two major branches since power lines go through it. The tree is leaning over the neighbor's house behind us, and the whole thing will make putting in a fence a royal nightmare. The tree is humongous, so we expect that we will have to pay a king's ransom to take it down... if we are even able to do so. Dunedin protects live oaks, so we may need special permission to even remove it. We would love to do so because then we could put in a fence and plant new shade trees in the back yard in more appropriate locations. That may mean spending more time than we originally wanted to down here to make sure the trees last through the summer, but those plans are all in the future right now. We are having our tree service come in on Monday to learn if we are able to remove the tree and, if so, what the cost estimate will be. I may have to lie down after I hear of that expense!
The rickety old wooden fence on the north side of our property is falling down, so that will be one of the tasks that we would like to tackle while we are here. Saws-All to the rescue! Once the fence pieces are at the curb, we can figure out how to add a new fence to the yard to get us our privacy back. We have wanted a new fence for two years now; the time is now right to install one.
The walk-around also revealed our need to paint the exterior of the house. Rick has high hopes of getting the house washed, primed, and covered with two coats of paint yet this year. I feel weary just hearing about it all. I will do what I can to help, even if that is only being a cheerleader-in-a-chair holding his water bottle as he works. He needs to listen to himself as he talks to me by remembering that if he does just a little each day without working himself to exhaustion, the task will be completed in the end.
Painting, new furniture, a new water softener, and a fence will be our goals for this year. That list is ambitious considering I do not know how much I will be able to help. The other plans for remodeled bathrooms, lanai patios, re-landscaped yards, and a remodeled garage all will have to wait until later.
After all, we have lots of plans, but we don't want God to laugh at us too loudly.
Thursday was a long, long day for both of us. The third day on any trip is a killer, and since Rick had already driven 1000 miles, he told me that he just dreaded getting back behind the wheel of the truck. Neither of us had a particularly restful night, so that added to the problem. Once again, we arose early and headed down the road before stopping for breakfast.
Coming out of Montgomery, we faced several miles of stoplights and limited access road before we crossed the border into Florida to get back on the interstate. The drive to Florida seemed to take forever. There are no major cities along the route and traffic was manageable, but anticipation of getting home and just plain fatigue made the trip seem endless. We took breaks to stretch when we needed to, but we did not loiter either to eat a long lunch or to purchase local delicacies such as freshly boiled peanuts. (Ugh!)
On Thursday we started a count of how many Snowbird campers we passed. Thursday's total actually surprised us because we thought that most Birds would be down here by now. Not so. We passed eight 5th wheel trailers, seven motorhomes, and no travel trailers. I guess trailers are starting to be out of vogue as people find 5th wheel trailers easier to tow. Today, we counted four 5th wheels, four motorhomes, and one die-hard travel-trailer. We both agreed that we are glad we no longer have the care and storage issues of a trailer, and with my achey muscles, I am glad that I do not have to climb up into a trailer at the end of the day. Eh! Gad! I really am starting to sound old!!
Once we crossed the Florida border, we were able to see our first palm trees. That is always my brain's signal that we are again in Florida. For the first time, however, we experienced a new sight. As we got into southern Alabama yesterday morning, we saw cotton fields in bloom. We have never travelled through the Southern United States at this time of year, so this was a new sight for both of us. The plants themselves had reddish-brown bark. Do they start to die off as the cotton ripens, or is that their natural color? I will have to look that up. The cotton bolls themselves were plump and white. We smiled because along the shoulder, we could see clumps of cotton bolls lining the road. We do not know if they blew from the fields or if they blew off a truck of picked cotton. The fields were quite a sight, so we have fun learning something new about a product that we end up wearing each day.
This morning we awoke well-rested, but I soon learned that my desire to do something and my energy to accomplish those tasks are still miles apart. After showers this morning, we started some laundry, and then I decided to scrub down the two bathrooms. Ha! I cleaned the toilet, sink, and mirror in the master bath, and I was exhausted. Remember what I said earlier about "plans"? Rick reminded me that we had only left Mayo Clinic a week ago, and that I have to take things easy. The physical therapist told me that I should do my stretches, "live life" -- that is, do what I can with the energy that I have -- and then rest. I wanted to do more, but God was laughing.
A trip over to Steve and Chris' house was a great respite. The fruits of their labors in their yard really paid off. It looks great, and we hope to be in their position some day. We enjoyed seeing them and hearing about their plans for this year. They took time from their busy schedules to help us get the car ready to drive when we arrived, so we are eternally grateful for their help.
We took a walk around the house when we got back home. Our yard service has done a great job with the trimming and grass, so much so that the temporary patio blocks that make up our front sidewalk now have trimmed greenery (read: weeds) that will prevent the path from turning into a mud patch in the rain. A paver sidewalk, therefore, is on hold until next year.
 |
| The leaning live oak presents a fencing issue. |
The rickety old wooden fence on the north side of our property is falling down, so that will be one of the tasks that we would like to tackle while we are here. Saws-All to the rescue! Once the fence pieces are at the curb, we can figure out how to add a new fence to the yard to get us our privacy back. We have wanted a new fence for two years now; the time is now right to install one.
 |
| Our north side fence has partially fallen once, and it needs to come down. |
The walk-around also revealed our need to paint the exterior of the house. Rick has high hopes of getting the house washed, primed, and covered with two coats of paint yet this year. I feel weary just hearing about it all. I will do what I can to help, even if that is only being a cheerleader-in-a-chair holding his water bottle as he works. He needs to listen to himself as he talks to me by remembering that if he does just a little each day without working himself to exhaustion, the task will be completed in the end.
Painting, new furniture, a new water softener, and a fence will be our goals for this year. That list is ambitious considering I do not know how much I will be able to help. The other plans for remodeled bathrooms, lanai patios, re-landscaped yards, and a remodeled garage all will have to wait until later.
After all, we have lots of plans, but we don't want God to laugh at us too loudly.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Four States and Three Major Cities Later
After a blissfully restful night, we were both awake at 4:30 a.m., so we decided to get ready and to leave Illinois early. We made good time and watched the day dawn clearly as we traversed Kentucky. Our breakfast consisted of left-over muffins and orange juice at one of several stops at Rest Stops along the way.
Once again, traffic was fine until we got to Nashville, TN. I do not know what it is about Nashville, but each time we go through the city, our GPS gets all mixed up. Lindsay named it "Victoria" because she said the the voice on the GPS "sounds like someone named Victoria." OK. Whatever. At any rate, Victoria apparently was listening to good old country music instead of paying attention to the roads because, had we followed her directions, we would probably be in Memphis tonight! Traffic was terrible through the city, but with our old-fashioned paper maps, we were able to soon be south of the city.
Although we started in 30-something degree temperatures, we again were blessed with a clear, sunny day. (Side note: an e-mail from Stephanie in Minnesota told us that Rochester was receiving the forecasted snow that we were trying to avoid as we left Wisconsin.) We actually made good progress today, traveling through Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, and two-thirds of Alabama. Unlike their northern problem city, the cities of Birmingham and Montgomery posed no real problems.
Our hotel tonight, just south of Montgomery, is not in the location Rick had envisioned. He is disgruntled about it, but we are both too tired to go further. After a little problem with the first room, we are now settled into a new room for the night. Rick is probably as exhausted as I am right now, so we will try to settle in early tonight.
We have approximately 500 miles and a seven hour drive ahead of us tomorrow, but if we have the stamina to do one more day of this travel, we will be able to sleep in our own house in our own bed tomorrow night in Florida. That luxury will be worth whatever it takes to get there.
Once again, traffic was fine until we got to Nashville, TN. I do not know what it is about Nashville, but each time we go through the city, our GPS gets all mixed up. Lindsay named it "Victoria" because she said the the voice on the GPS "sounds like someone named Victoria." OK. Whatever. At any rate, Victoria apparently was listening to good old country music instead of paying attention to the roads because, had we followed her directions, we would probably be in Memphis tonight! Traffic was terrible through the city, but with our old-fashioned paper maps, we were able to soon be south of the city.
Although we started in 30-something degree temperatures, we again were blessed with a clear, sunny day. (Side note: an e-mail from Stephanie in Minnesota told us that Rochester was receiving the forecasted snow that we were trying to avoid as we left Wisconsin.) We actually made good progress today, traveling through Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, and two-thirds of Alabama. Unlike their northern problem city, the cities of Birmingham and Montgomery posed no real problems.
Our hotel tonight, just south of Montgomery, is not in the location Rick had envisioned. He is disgruntled about it, but we are both too tired to go further. After a little problem with the first room, we are now settled into a new room for the night. Rick is probably as exhausted as I am right now, so we will try to settle in early tonight.
We have approximately 500 miles and a seven hour drive ahead of us tomorrow, but if we have the stamina to do one more day of this travel, we will be able to sleep in our own house in our own bed tomorrow night in Florida. That luxury will be worth whatever it takes to get there.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
"Man Plans..."
My very good friend Bonnie told me that her mother used to say, "Man plans; God laughs." In the past month, Rick and I have found that saying to be so very true. We can have all the plans in the world, but if that is not what God has in mind, those plans are all for naught. We know who is really in charge.
Our original plans for returning to Florida and for continuing our remodeling of Gladys meant leaving on October 25. We had lofty ambitions: purchase new living room furniture; power-wash, prime, and paint the outside of the house; install shutters; add stone around the foundation of the house; select, paint, and hang seven interior doors; remove the leaning oak in the back yard; remove the north fence; install a new white vinyl fence; replace the front patio blocks with a new paver sidewalk, and perhaps (phew!) have a cement lanai patio slab poured in the back yard. We had arranged for financing of all of the above -- we hope -- and were eager to begin.
Such plans! However, since approximately last February, we both had noticed subtle changes in me. I started having slight problems swallowing some types of food. Then I noticed achey muscles and fatigue. This was followed all summer with progressive weakness, more pain, and even greater fatigue. By the end of the summer I had seen three doctors in Wisconsin. The third, my regular doctor, said that I might have a condition called "polymyositis." He advised me to see a local rheumatologist for treatment. Stephanie, our daughter, urged us to get an appointment at Mayo Clinic to have the diagnosis confirmed.
Instead of leaving for Florida, we took a detour to Rochester, Minnesota. Fourteen days and over 22 tests/ consultations later, I had a confirmed diagnosis. I have a rare (read 10 people in 1 million!) condition called "dermatomyositis" and "mixed connective tissue disease." Basically, my autoimmune system is attacking my muscles, leaving me with muscle and nerve damage, weakness, and extreme fatigue. There is no cure, but I can be treated with medication. I am now on that medication which has some nasty side-effects, but it is worth them to slowly regain my quality of life. I can now move, for the most part, without pain. I have regained some of my energy although not my stamina yet. Rebuilding muscles, restoring nerves, gaining strength, and increasing my energy level will not happen overnight. Some people take over two years to get back to "near normal."
Throughout this all, the love, concern, and prayers of my family, beloved friends, neighbors, and pastor all have helped us both endure this detour in our life plans. I told Rick, "We were headed down the road with a clear goal in sight, and then suddenly we were forced to turn a corner. Now we have to chart a new course and find a new path to get back to those same goals."
Our trip today is the first part of that new course. Although our youngest daughter did not want us to go, I will not let this condition totally destroy our plans. We watched an inch of snow fall while we were still in Minnesota, so we knew that if we were going to drive our truck back down to Florida, we had a very limited window of opportunity before weather would make such a venture either dangerous or impossible. The weather forecast for Wisconsin showed that we had one clear day this week -- today -- to get out of the state before another rain/ snow mix was headed for the state.
After an almost sleepless night (insomnia is one of the side effects of the medication I am taking), I got up with Rick at 5:00 a.m. I am too weak and tired to drive safely, so we knew that Rick would have to do all of the driving. We normally take two days to get to Gladys; this trip is planned to span three to four days since we did not know how I would travel or how tired Rick would be doing all of the driving.
The day dawned clear, and we had beautiful sunny weather all day. The weather was cold. We noted frost on the roofs of the houses both in Wisconsin and in northern Illinois. Traffic, even at 5:30 in the morning, was incredibly heavy, so the drive through Milwaukee and Chicago was pretty tense.
As we drove through the east-central part of Illinois, we noted an area that gave testament to the monster tornadoes that ravaged the state earlier this week. These rare November tornadoes destroyed whole sections of towns and resulted in eight deaths. At one point, we passed a farm where the barn was intact but the house was leveled. The fields around the area were littered with huge pieces of twisted metal, roofing, boards, and other storm-tossed debris. Suddenly our little shattered plans were rather insignificant in thinking about what thousands of newly-homeless people now face.
We pushed a little further than we originally anticipated, arriving at Mount Vernon, IL, a little after 2:30 p.m. We had stopped earlier for a hot lunch, so that gave us enough energy to do the last hour of driving. When we arrived, Rick went to fill the truck with gas while I crawled onto the bed. I was exhausted. I planned (there is that word again!) on taking a short nap; incredibly, I woke up almost two hours later.
We are in for the night. We'll have a light dinner in our room, relax, review the maps for tomorrow, and see what happens in the morning. While we will set an alarm, if we awake earlier, we may leave earlier. If not, we will take the day as it comes. The weather reports tonight show that rain/ snow are forecast for the upper Midwest, so the further south we go, the better we will feel about avoiding dangerous winter weather. We hope to stay tomorrow night in a hotel in mid-Alabama, arriving in Florida on Thursday and at Gladys on Thursday or Friday.
That's the plan at least.
Our original plans for returning to Florida and for continuing our remodeling of Gladys meant leaving on October 25. We had lofty ambitions: purchase new living room furniture; power-wash, prime, and paint the outside of the house; install shutters; add stone around the foundation of the house; select, paint, and hang seven interior doors; remove the leaning oak in the back yard; remove the north fence; install a new white vinyl fence; replace the front patio blocks with a new paver sidewalk, and perhaps (phew!) have a cement lanai patio slab poured in the back yard. We had arranged for financing of all of the above -- we hope -- and were eager to begin.
Such plans! However, since approximately last February, we both had noticed subtle changes in me. I started having slight problems swallowing some types of food. Then I noticed achey muscles and fatigue. This was followed all summer with progressive weakness, more pain, and even greater fatigue. By the end of the summer I had seen three doctors in Wisconsin. The third, my regular doctor, said that I might have a condition called "polymyositis." He advised me to see a local rheumatologist for treatment. Stephanie, our daughter, urged us to get an appointment at Mayo Clinic to have the diagnosis confirmed.
Instead of leaving for Florida, we took a detour to Rochester, Minnesota. Fourteen days and over 22 tests/ consultations later, I had a confirmed diagnosis. I have a rare (read 10 people in 1 million!) condition called "dermatomyositis" and "mixed connective tissue disease." Basically, my autoimmune system is attacking my muscles, leaving me with muscle and nerve damage, weakness, and extreme fatigue. There is no cure, but I can be treated with medication. I am now on that medication which has some nasty side-effects, but it is worth them to slowly regain my quality of life. I can now move, for the most part, without pain. I have regained some of my energy although not my stamina yet. Rebuilding muscles, restoring nerves, gaining strength, and increasing my energy level will not happen overnight. Some people take over two years to get back to "near normal."
Throughout this all, the love, concern, and prayers of my family, beloved friends, neighbors, and pastor all have helped us both endure this detour in our life plans. I told Rick, "We were headed down the road with a clear goal in sight, and then suddenly we were forced to turn a corner. Now we have to chart a new course and find a new path to get back to those same goals."
Our trip today is the first part of that new course. Although our youngest daughter did not want us to go, I will not let this condition totally destroy our plans. We watched an inch of snow fall while we were still in Minnesota, so we knew that if we were going to drive our truck back down to Florida, we had a very limited window of opportunity before weather would make such a venture either dangerous or impossible. The weather forecast for Wisconsin showed that we had one clear day this week -- today -- to get out of the state before another rain/ snow mix was headed for the state.
After an almost sleepless night (insomnia is one of the side effects of the medication I am taking), I got up with Rick at 5:00 a.m. I am too weak and tired to drive safely, so we knew that Rick would have to do all of the driving. We normally take two days to get to Gladys; this trip is planned to span three to four days since we did not know how I would travel or how tired Rick would be doing all of the driving.
The day dawned clear, and we had beautiful sunny weather all day. The weather was cold. We noted frost on the roofs of the houses both in Wisconsin and in northern Illinois. Traffic, even at 5:30 in the morning, was incredibly heavy, so the drive through Milwaukee and Chicago was pretty tense.
As we drove through the east-central part of Illinois, we noted an area that gave testament to the monster tornadoes that ravaged the state earlier this week. These rare November tornadoes destroyed whole sections of towns and resulted in eight deaths. At one point, we passed a farm where the barn was intact but the house was leveled. The fields around the area were littered with huge pieces of twisted metal, roofing, boards, and other storm-tossed debris. Suddenly our little shattered plans were rather insignificant in thinking about what thousands of newly-homeless people now face.
We pushed a little further than we originally anticipated, arriving at Mount Vernon, IL, a little after 2:30 p.m. We had stopped earlier for a hot lunch, so that gave us enough energy to do the last hour of driving. When we arrived, Rick went to fill the truck with gas while I crawled onto the bed. I was exhausted. I planned (there is that word again!) on taking a short nap; incredibly, I woke up almost two hours later.
We are in for the night. We'll have a light dinner in our room, relax, review the maps for tomorrow, and see what happens in the morning. While we will set an alarm, if we awake earlier, we may leave earlier. If not, we will take the day as it comes. The weather reports tonight show that rain/ snow are forecast for the upper Midwest, so the further south we go, the better we will feel about avoiding dangerous winter weather. We hope to stay tomorrow night in a hotel in mid-Alabama, arriving in Florida on Thursday and at Gladys on Thursday or Friday.
That's the plan at least.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Safely at our Northern Home
We are safely home in Wisconsin, and even though we are happy to be back with family and friends, we have to admit that Wisconsin did not welcome us home in a manner that we had hoped for. We were met with grey skies, a smattering of rain, and temperatures in the 20s and 30s! Yikes! What happened to spring?
We actually are back in long pants, long sleeved shirts, sweatshirts, and leather jackets. Last night the weather service issued a freeze warning for the entire area, and this morning we awoke to 30 degree temperatures... which was warm compared to the 29 degrees that greeted us on Sunday morning! We heard that the temperature this morning tied a record for the coldest May 13; thankfully, temperatures back into the 70s are predicted for later on this week. Only in Wisconsin...
Before I go further, my friend Bonnie scolded me for not completing my saga of the stain across the Florida Room floor. So to finish that story, I can report that Rob did eventually come back to Gladys to bleach out the new stain he created on the floor and to polish out the dull section of the floor that was under the poultice. The results, sadly, were not a good as we had hoped for. The new stain that he promised would come out did, for the most part, but the joint between the two floors in that area is slightly darker and more noticeable. The overall large stain is lighter than it was before, but it has not totally disappeared. Rob filled in the patches that came out with the poultice, and we are happy with the job he did blending those spots into the rest of the floor.
I am not sorry that we tried to get the stain out because by coming back, Rob also buffed out some scratches on the floor, repaired a problem area in the master bath, and lightened the stain that was in the center of the kitchen floor. We both had hoped that the large stain would be erased, but I guess that stain will just be a reminder of the doors that used to grace the house. Like a birthmark, the stain is part of who Gladys was and is, so we will just put up with it. Ironically, the stain lightened the most on the area of the floor that is completely hidden by the couch. Figures, right?
The trip home was long, tedious, and exhaustive. For some reason, neither Rick nor I seem to be able to get our energy back. We did the trip in two days, and that probably was a big mistake. We started by getting up at 3:00 a.m. on Friday morning. I had not slept well at all on Thursday evening, finally moving to the guest room at midnight so my tossing and turning did not keep Rick awake all night. I finally dozed off a bit, but I do not think that either of us got the rest we truly needed.
At that time of the morning, our trip through Tampa was fast and uneventful. We ate muffins and drank orange juice from cartons at about 6:00 a.m while continuing to drive . Rick drove until northern Florida, and then I took over on Highway 10 across the panhandle. Lunch was compliments of Publix Grocery store: they make mean submarine sandwiches that we really enjoy, so we bought two on Thursday and packed them into our electric cooler. A wayside lunch of sandwiches, pretzels, grapes, and water did not delay us too much, and we were soon traveling the sunny highways of Alabama.
We reached a certain point in Alabama where Rick said, "Isn't this the place that we saw the genuine Alabama horse's ass?" (Note: Rick drives by landmarks, and apparently that episode in our ride down was stored in the mapping region of his brain.)
"I think so, " I said as I looked over the highway and surrounding fields. "All I see, though, are cows." At that point, as if on cue, a very broad cow turned her backside to the road, unceremoniously lifted her tail, and presented us with the gift of a large, steaming, freshly-produced genuine Alabama cow pie! Icky! You will be happy to know that I do not have a picture to include with this part of the narrative.
Traffic was good through Alabama, and we traveled through the two largest cities, Montgomery and Birmingham, with ease. After living for the last four months in the most populated county in Florida, I guess that even large city traffic seems not so bad. Actually, we have had very little trouble with those two cities in the past. The city that always gets us is Nashville, and that metropolis was not on our agenda the first day.
Rick drove through most of Alabama, with us switching off driving again in Tennessee. We noted on this trip that once a person gets north of Ocala, Florida, the palm trees disappear, being replaced by trees and evergreens that one could see in Wisconsin. Alabama is called the "Beautiful State," but if one looks through the beautiful trees, one is greeted by miles and miles of beat up shacks and unkept, grubby homesteads. Poverty and boiled peanuts seem to go hand-in-hand in the state. Tennessee and Kentucky both greeted us with lush greenery, blooming shrubs and trees, and definitely a higher standard of living. We drove as far as Columbia, Tennessee, the first night. Columbia is just south of Nashville, and we did not want to tackle that city at the end of an 11 hour drive.
We both beat the alarm awake on Saturday morning, so we were back on the road by 4:15 a.m. We had about a half-hour drive to get to Nashville, and I will admit that driving through the city before 5:00 a.m. on a weekend is the way to go. We encountered rain, as we generally do in Nashville, but traffic was light so we were able to get through the city without much tension. The last time we went through Nashville we were involved in a rainstorm so strong that we could not even hear directions on the Garmin, and traffic was high while visibility was low. This time we could hear the GPS directions, the rain was sprinkles, and the traffic was light. Compared to last time, this time was a breeze. We followed the rain all the way through Illinois without really catching up to any major storms.
Illinois is a never-ending state when all one wants to do is reach a destination. We switched drivers about every three hours because Illinois is flat and boring, and after abut three hours, highway hypnosis starts to take away that defensive driving edge. Once again, Rick ended up driving more than I did since I refused to drive around Chicago and Milwaukee. I told him once we got north of Milwaukee, I would take over, but he was stubborn, so he actually drove from one hour south of Chicago all the way to Green Bay.
The one thing that we noticed was that the minute we crossed into Illinois, the temperatures started to drop, and by the time we reached Chicago, we had crossed from summer to spring, then back into late winter. I honestly admit that if we did not have family and friends in Wisconsin, we would sell this "summer home" and live permanently in Florida -- and this is coming from a woman who spent the last two summers and hurricane seasons in the stormy, steamy south! We both hate cold weather that much. Yes, Wisconsin has many things like good education, good customer service, superior elderly care, and good healthcare services going for it, but it just cannot seem to get the weather right!
For now, though, we are home. Lindsay gave us both a big hug, so maybe she did miss us more than our truck. She and Christopher were sweethearts, thoughtfully turning on our refrigerator and stocking it with breakfast essentials so we did not have to eat out on Sunday morning. The house looks good, thanks to their watchful care this winter, and we now look forward to getting our spring and summer life into full swing. We have a badly neglected yard to attend to, a rummage sale to rid this house (which seems terribly dark and cluttered after Gladys) of the excess possessions we have accumulated over the years, and a few local trips to take to remind us why we will have a delightful time spending the summer and fall in Wisconsin.
Driving from Florida to Wisconsin in two days is an exhaustive task, but we now know that whether we are in Florida or Wisconsin, we can truly say, "It's good to be home."
We actually are back in long pants, long sleeved shirts, sweatshirts, and leather jackets. Last night the weather service issued a freeze warning for the entire area, and this morning we awoke to 30 degree temperatures... which was warm compared to the 29 degrees that greeted us on Sunday morning! We heard that the temperature this morning tied a record for the coldest May 13; thankfully, temperatures back into the 70s are predicted for later on this week. Only in Wisconsin...
Before I go further, my friend Bonnie scolded me for not completing my saga of the stain across the Florida Room floor. So to finish that story, I can report that Rob did eventually come back to Gladys to bleach out the new stain he created on the floor and to polish out the dull section of the floor that was under the poultice. The results, sadly, were not a good as we had hoped for. The new stain that he promised would come out did, for the most part, but the joint between the two floors in that area is slightly darker and more noticeable. The overall large stain is lighter than it was before, but it has not totally disappeared. Rob filled in the patches that came out with the poultice, and we are happy with the job he did blending those spots into the rest of the floor.
 |
| The floor after the poultice is gone but before the floor was polished. After buffing, the stain is lighter but is not totally gone. |
I am not sorry that we tried to get the stain out because by coming back, Rob also buffed out some scratches on the floor, repaired a problem area in the master bath, and lightened the stain that was in the center of the kitchen floor. We both had hoped that the large stain would be erased, but I guess that stain will just be a reminder of the doors that used to grace the house. Like a birthmark, the stain is part of who Gladys was and is, so we will just put up with it. Ironically, the stain lightened the most on the area of the floor that is completely hidden by the couch. Figures, right?
The trip home was long, tedious, and exhaustive. For some reason, neither Rick nor I seem to be able to get our energy back. We did the trip in two days, and that probably was a big mistake. We started by getting up at 3:00 a.m. on Friday morning. I had not slept well at all on Thursday evening, finally moving to the guest room at midnight so my tossing and turning did not keep Rick awake all night. I finally dozed off a bit, but I do not think that either of us got the rest we truly needed.
At that time of the morning, our trip through Tampa was fast and uneventful. We ate muffins and drank orange juice from cartons at about 6:00 a.m while continuing to drive . Rick drove until northern Florida, and then I took over on Highway 10 across the panhandle. Lunch was compliments of Publix Grocery store: they make mean submarine sandwiches that we really enjoy, so we bought two on Thursday and packed them into our electric cooler. A wayside lunch of sandwiches, pretzels, grapes, and water did not delay us too much, and we were soon traveling the sunny highways of Alabama.
We reached a certain point in Alabama where Rick said, "Isn't this the place that we saw the genuine Alabama horse's ass?" (Note: Rick drives by landmarks, and apparently that episode in our ride down was stored in the mapping region of his brain.)
"I think so, " I said as I looked over the highway and surrounding fields. "All I see, though, are cows." At that point, as if on cue, a very broad cow turned her backside to the road, unceremoniously lifted her tail, and presented us with the gift of a large, steaming, freshly-produced genuine Alabama cow pie! Icky! You will be happy to know that I do not have a picture to include with this part of the narrative.
Traffic was good through Alabama, and we traveled through the two largest cities, Montgomery and Birmingham, with ease. After living for the last four months in the most populated county in Florida, I guess that even large city traffic seems not so bad. Actually, we have had very little trouble with those two cities in the past. The city that always gets us is Nashville, and that metropolis was not on our agenda the first day.
Rick drove through most of Alabama, with us switching off driving again in Tennessee. We noted on this trip that once a person gets north of Ocala, Florida, the palm trees disappear, being replaced by trees and evergreens that one could see in Wisconsin. Alabama is called the "Beautiful State," but if one looks through the beautiful trees, one is greeted by miles and miles of beat up shacks and unkept, grubby homesteads. Poverty and boiled peanuts seem to go hand-in-hand in the state. Tennessee and Kentucky both greeted us with lush greenery, blooming shrubs and trees, and definitely a higher standard of living. We drove as far as Columbia, Tennessee, the first night. Columbia is just south of Nashville, and we did not want to tackle that city at the end of an 11 hour drive.
We both beat the alarm awake on Saturday morning, so we were back on the road by 4:15 a.m. We had about a half-hour drive to get to Nashville, and I will admit that driving through the city before 5:00 a.m. on a weekend is the way to go. We encountered rain, as we generally do in Nashville, but traffic was light so we were able to get through the city without much tension. The last time we went through Nashville we were involved in a rainstorm so strong that we could not even hear directions on the Garmin, and traffic was high while visibility was low. This time we could hear the GPS directions, the rain was sprinkles, and the traffic was light. Compared to last time, this time was a breeze. We followed the rain all the way through Illinois without really catching up to any major storms.
Illinois is a never-ending state when all one wants to do is reach a destination. We switched drivers about every three hours because Illinois is flat and boring, and after abut three hours, highway hypnosis starts to take away that defensive driving edge. Once again, Rick ended up driving more than I did since I refused to drive around Chicago and Milwaukee. I told him once we got north of Milwaukee, I would take over, but he was stubborn, so he actually drove from one hour south of Chicago all the way to Green Bay.
The one thing that we noticed was that the minute we crossed into Illinois, the temperatures started to drop, and by the time we reached Chicago, we had crossed from summer to spring, then back into late winter. I honestly admit that if we did not have family and friends in Wisconsin, we would sell this "summer home" and live permanently in Florida -- and this is coming from a woman who spent the last two summers and hurricane seasons in the stormy, steamy south! We both hate cold weather that much. Yes, Wisconsin has many things like good education, good customer service, superior elderly care, and good healthcare services going for it, but it just cannot seem to get the weather right!
For now, though, we are home. Lindsay gave us both a big hug, so maybe she did miss us more than our truck. She and Christopher were sweethearts, thoughtfully turning on our refrigerator and stocking it with breakfast essentials so we did not have to eat out on Sunday morning. The house looks good, thanks to their watchful care this winter, and we now look forward to getting our spring and summer life into full swing. We have a badly neglected yard to attend to, a rummage sale to rid this house (which seems terribly dark and cluttered after Gladys) of the excess possessions we have accumulated over the years, and a few local trips to take to remind us why we will have a delightful time spending the summer and fall in Wisconsin.
Driving from Florida to Wisconsin in two days is an exhaustive task, but we now know that whether we are in Florida or Wisconsin, we can truly say, "It's good to be home."
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Looking North
We have spent the last couple of days getting ready for our road trip north. Although I would much rather fly home, we have to take the truck back to Wisconsin because we are hauling back two dressers that Lindsay wants to use for the baby's room. She and Chris also have plans for the truck this summer; I suspect that they missed the truck more than they missed us.
Yesterday morning was spent filling the box of the truck with everything we wanted to take home. We know that we are going to encounter rain when we approach Wisconsin on Saturday, so in addition to padding, we also tried to make most of the items fairly water resistant. The largest piece of furniture we are taking north is a triple dresser with six drawers. We packed some clothes in the drawers since, of course, we brought way too much down with us.
Once the dresser was lying on its back and wrapped in plastic, we decided to see if a bathroom ceiling fan that did not work in the master bath down here would go north and be useful in Lindsay's house. She has a downstairs bathroom that badly needs remodeling, so we might be able to figure out some way of adding ventilation to that space when she and Chris rebuild it. We encased the fan box in a oversized garden garbage bag, and that slipped nicely into the front of the truck bed next to the dresser. A small box from Steve and Chris also was wrapped in a garbage bag and added to the bed.
Two blue plastic tubs were next, and on top of each of those were added small disassembled tables, extra folding lawn chairs, and an extra bicycle pump wrapped up like a mummy. On the face of the dresser, we added the matching mirror, padding the whole thing with left-over insulation board from the old windows and lots of blankets and towels.
Across the back of the truck, we were able to slip in a tall, thin dresser, and on top of that we added a well-padded piece of glass that protects the triple dresser top. Everything is strapped together and pretty secure. We were able to roll the tonneau cover over everything and shut the back gate. Although the truck bed does not have a lock on it, our belongings are fairly secure since one is simply confronted with the side of the tall dresser when the gate is lowered. To get at anything else in that bed, a person would have to roll up the tonneau cover and do a lot of unstrapping and unwrapping. If they want to steal my shoes or some old dressers that badly, have at it!
In the afternoon, we took one last trip to Sand Key Beach. There was quite a strong breeze, so after a while when sitting in the shade of the umbrella, I actually got chilled. Being in the sun was uncomfortably hot, but being in the shade too long was not great either. We did enjoy our time at the beach, though, watching the sailboats and jet skis, while also relaxing and reading our Kindles.
Today we got up early, changed the linens on the beds, and cleaned the house. Everything is scrubbed down for the next six months. We emptied out the refrigerator, storing the few remaining cold items in our electric cooler which will travel north with us. The dishes are washed and put away, the refrigerator is scrubbed and open, and the circuits to both the 'fridge and dishwasher are turned off.
Our bags are packed, so we will pack the back part of the truck later this afternoon. We've taken everything from the car, and we've moved the trikes into the Florida room, so we have only to drive the car in the garage when we return from eating dinner today. Once that is hooked up to the battery charger, it will be safely in place for the summer.
Personal showers this evening will be followed by one last load of laundry before we unhook the laundry facilities. We plan an early start tomorrow: the alarm will go off at 3:00 a.m., and we hope to be on the road by 3:30 at the latest. We plan to drive as far as Columbia, TN the first day. That is exactly the half-way point between Gladys and Green Bay. It will be an 11 hour drive... but probably closer to 13 hours before arrival taking in stopping for lunch and restroom breaks.
I pray that the weather will be good and that the traffic will be light. We think that by starting early, we will avoid most of the congestion of the Friday rush hour around major cities.
We both are going to miss Gladys. She certainly has become a home to us down here, and if we did not have friends, family, and a wonderful home in Green Bay waiting for us, I do not know that either of us would want to leave. However, this year will be the first time in three years that we will be in Wisconsin for the summer, so I am looking forward to spending some quality time in our yard and neglected flower gardens. The nice thing about leaving Gladys now is knowing that when we return in the fall, we will have a comfortable, inviting structure to welcome us home in Florida.
Yesterday morning was spent filling the box of the truck with everything we wanted to take home. We know that we are going to encounter rain when we approach Wisconsin on Saturday, so in addition to padding, we also tried to make most of the items fairly water resistant. The largest piece of furniture we are taking north is a triple dresser with six drawers. We packed some clothes in the drawers since, of course, we brought way too much down with us.
Once the dresser was lying on its back and wrapped in plastic, we decided to see if a bathroom ceiling fan that did not work in the master bath down here would go north and be useful in Lindsay's house. She has a downstairs bathroom that badly needs remodeling, so we might be able to figure out some way of adding ventilation to that space when she and Chris rebuild it. We encased the fan box in a oversized garden garbage bag, and that slipped nicely into the front of the truck bed next to the dresser. A small box from Steve and Chris also was wrapped in a garbage bag and added to the bed.
Two blue plastic tubs were next, and on top of each of those were added small disassembled tables, extra folding lawn chairs, and an extra bicycle pump wrapped up like a mummy. On the face of the dresser, we added the matching mirror, padding the whole thing with left-over insulation board from the old windows and lots of blankets and towels.
Across the back of the truck, we were able to slip in a tall, thin dresser, and on top of that we added a well-padded piece of glass that protects the triple dresser top. Everything is strapped together and pretty secure. We were able to roll the tonneau cover over everything and shut the back gate. Although the truck bed does not have a lock on it, our belongings are fairly secure since one is simply confronted with the side of the tall dresser when the gate is lowered. To get at anything else in that bed, a person would have to roll up the tonneau cover and do a lot of unstrapping and unwrapping. If they want to steal my shoes or some old dressers that badly, have at it!
In the afternoon, we took one last trip to Sand Key Beach. There was quite a strong breeze, so after a while when sitting in the shade of the umbrella, I actually got chilled. Being in the sun was uncomfortably hot, but being in the shade too long was not great either. We did enjoy our time at the beach, though, watching the sailboats and jet skis, while also relaxing and reading our Kindles.
Today we got up early, changed the linens on the beds, and cleaned the house. Everything is scrubbed down for the next six months. We emptied out the refrigerator, storing the few remaining cold items in our electric cooler which will travel north with us. The dishes are washed and put away, the refrigerator is scrubbed and open, and the circuits to both the 'fridge and dishwasher are turned off.
Our bags are packed, so we will pack the back part of the truck later this afternoon. We've taken everything from the car, and we've moved the trikes into the Florida room, so we have only to drive the car in the garage when we return from eating dinner today. Once that is hooked up to the battery charger, it will be safely in place for the summer.
Personal showers this evening will be followed by one last load of laundry before we unhook the laundry facilities. We plan an early start tomorrow: the alarm will go off at 3:00 a.m., and we hope to be on the road by 3:30 at the latest. We plan to drive as far as Columbia, TN the first day. That is exactly the half-way point between Gladys and Green Bay. It will be an 11 hour drive... but probably closer to 13 hours before arrival taking in stopping for lunch and restroom breaks.
I pray that the weather will be good and that the traffic will be light. We think that by starting early, we will avoid most of the congestion of the Friday rush hour around major cities.
We both are going to miss Gladys. She certainly has become a home to us down here, and if we did not have friends, family, and a wonderful home in Green Bay waiting for us, I do not know that either of us would want to leave. However, this year will be the first time in three years that we will be in Wisconsin for the summer, so I am looking forward to spending some quality time in our yard and neglected flower gardens. The nice thing about leaving Gladys now is knowing that when we return in the fall, we will have a comfortable, inviting structure to welcome us home in Florida.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Progress in the Final Week
As we enter our final week this spring in Dunedin, I have to smile because the week started yesterday with yet another celebration. This one, of course, was for Cinco de Mayo. While less than half of the population in this area is of Mexican descent, the holiday gave everyone another chance to listen to music, to enjoy ethnic foods, and to overindulge in margaritas. Let it never be said that Dunedin does not enjoy a good party.
Today was a very productive day. We got up early and were greeted with a beautiful little freesia that seemed to have bloomed overnight in the back yard. The side yard also shows buds about to open, and that saddens me because I know that our lawn service is coming later today, and they will all be gone. I did take the chance to get a quick picture of the flower that was open although even that was tricky because we have had quite a gusty breeze all day long.
Our yard needs so much work, but we just do not have the time nor the money to do anything about it this year. Because Dunedin in reliant on well water, the city rightfully has put fertilizer restrictions on residential use. We know there are some types of fertilizers and weed killers that we can use, but we have to do more research to understand what is legal and what is prohibited. Someday (big sigh) maybe we will be able to grow more grass than weeds, and ultimately we may be able to hook up to the reclaimed water that is available in our neighborhood to actually keep the lawn looking good.
The good thing about the brisk breeze today is that it brought in cooler temperatures, so this day was a perfect day to work outside. Rick finished painting the second coat of paint on the south fascia, and then we worked together on the south fascia of the Florida room. We sanded and primed that in the morning, and as I write this Rick is putting on the first application of the finish coat. We'll add a second coat tomorrow, and then our work for this spring is finished here at Gladys.
We were finished with the initial outdoor painting by 10:30, so that gave us time yet this morning to run some errands, and to come back and trim some trees since Mondays are the days the city will come around and collect "bulk" items like tree branches. We actually did some fence-line creative cutting to take down vines and budding Brazilian Pepper Trees that were threatening to invade our backyard again. We also trimmed the old fashioned carnation bush in the corner of our lot. Finally, Rick climbed on the roof and cut off the brown or yellow fronds from the front yard palm tree. Since I trimmed the south side bushes last week, we now should have Gladys looking pretty good for the summer.
Naturally, this is Florida, so we know that Gladys will be totally overgrown by the time we return, but at least we have a good effort before we have to leave for the summer.
Tomorrow morning we'll finish the last coat of paint so we can pack away the painting supplies for the season. Unfortunately, with the high humidity of the summer, all paint cans and metal tools have to be stored in the house or they will completely rust by the fall.
After the outdoor work, we'll begin to pack the paperwork and the clothes that we want to take back to Wisconsin. Thankfully, I found my "things to do before we go North" list that I made last year, and we have done over half of those tasks -- like arranging for the water to be turned off and forwarding the mail to Wisconsin -- already.
We are both sad to be packing up Gladys for the summer, but we also are looking forward to getting to our "summer home" in the North. Our family is anxious to have us home, we have my niece's wedding to look forward to, and most importantly, we have a new little addition that hopefully will join our family in June. For the first time, Gladys has become "home" to us, but we know that once we are safely in Wisconsin, that house also will be home again. We are thankful that we have the opportunity to own two houses and to feel equally comfortable and welcomed in both places.
Today was a very productive day. We got up early and were greeted with a beautiful little freesia that seemed to have bloomed overnight in the back yard. The side yard also shows buds about to open, and that saddens me because I know that our lawn service is coming later today, and they will all be gone. I did take the chance to get a quick picture of the flower that was open although even that was tricky because we have had quite a gusty breeze all day long.
 |
| Wild pink freesia are the only flowers blooming in the yard that are not weeds! |
The good thing about the brisk breeze today is that it brought in cooler temperatures, so this day was a perfect day to work outside. Rick finished painting the second coat of paint on the south fascia, and then we worked together on the south fascia of the Florida room. We sanded and primed that in the morning, and as I write this Rick is putting on the first application of the finish coat. We'll add a second coat tomorrow, and then our work for this spring is finished here at Gladys.
 |
| The fascia on the south side of the house is complete. A close look also shows that the hibiscus are starting to bloom. |
We were finished with the initial outdoor painting by 10:30, so that gave us time yet this morning to run some errands, and to come back and trim some trees since Mondays are the days the city will come around and collect "bulk" items like tree branches. We actually did some fence-line creative cutting to take down vines and budding Brazilian Pepper Trees that were threatening to invade our backyard again. We also trimmed the old fashioned carnation bush in the corner of our lot. Finally, Rick climbed on the roof and cut off the brown or yellow fronds from the front yard palm tree. Since I trimmed the south side bushes last week, we now should have Gladys looking pretty good for the summer.
 |
| Our backyard is bare, but until we can put up a fence, we do not want to plant anything new. We removed the invasive Pepper trees before they spread further. |
Naturally, this is Florida, so we know that Gladys will be totally overgrown by the time we return, but at least we have a good effort before we have to leave for the summer.
Tomorrow morning we'll finish the last coat of paint so we can pack away the painting supplies for the season. Unfortunately, with the high humidity of the summer, all paint cans and metal tools have to be stored in the house or they will completely rust by the fall.
After the outdoor work, we'll begin to pack the paperwork and the clothes that we want to take back to Wisconsin. Thankfully, I found my "things to do before we go North" list that I made last year, and we have done over half of those tasks -- like arranging for the water to be turned off and forwarding the mail to Wisconsin -- already.
We are both sad to be packing up Gladys for the summer, but we also are looking forward to getting to our "summer home" in the North. Our family is anxious to have us home, we have my niece's wedding to look forward to, and most importantly, we have a new little addition that hopefully will join our family in June. For the first time, Gladys has become "home" to us, but we know that once we are safely in Wisconsin, that house also will be home again. We are thankful that we have the opportunity to own two houses and to feel equally comfortable and welcomed in both places.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Weather and Waiting
The weather has not cooperated with us this week, so we have made little progress on the fascia work. We have had rain predicted for most of the week, and moisture has followed those predictions for most days. Strangely, yesterday the skies were threatening all day long, but we did not receive a drop in Dunedin. Communities to the north, south, and west all got soaked, but we did not. Today dawned grey, but as I opened the blinds this morning, I was greeted by bright sunshine... and pouring rain! Go figure. The weathermen (who are correct down here about as often as they are correct in Wisconsin) say that we are already getting into "a Florida summer pattern" of sunshine each morning and rain about 3:00 p.m. We'll see.
If the roof and grass dries yet this morning, we would like to get out and to at least finish the south side fascias on the house. Late yesterday Rick finished scraping and filling in the fascia on the south side of the Florida room. I hope to get that sanded and primed today while he works on actually painting the south fascia of the house. That fascia is a bit more tricky since he has to use the taller ladder, but we bought a small roller, so we are hoping that the final coat will go much more quickly than previous coats.
While we have been stuck indoors, I have been working more on the family genealogy. Doing so, even with the Internet, is not as user-friendly as it used to be. When I started on this venture years ago, almost every record online was free. Now Ancestry.com has purchased the rights to many records, and, naturally, people can only have access to those files for a fee. Even the British records are not accessible unless I go through Ancestry.com.uk, again, for a fee! The only records that I have found that are still accessible without charge are through the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints -- the Mormons -- in Salt Lake, City. Their FamilySearch.org is invaluable.
I have been able to trace my family back to my great-great-great grandparents (thus, add another "great" on for my children) to the late 1700s/ early 1800s. Once the trail goes back to Germany (Prussia), records get a bit dicey since most are in the original German or Polish. I made some recent discoveries that are rather fun. My mother, who will be 90 this May, said that she had vague memories of her great grandfather George, but that she did not know and could not even name her great grandmother. I learned that her great grandmother's name was Susan Woodworth. My sister's name also is Susan. I wonder if, as a child, my mother heard that name and it stayed in the recesses of her memory as a good name even though she could not make a connection later on to an actual person from the past.
I also have taken Rick's family back a bit, although again, the Anderson side gives me trouble because of the way the Norwegians used to change surnames by adding "son" or "datter" (daughter) to the first name of the father. I lose them once the line goes back to Norway, but the English side is a bit easier. Our one regret is that we did not stay longer in Cornwall when we were in England. I wanted to visit some cemeteries and churches, but the Cornish roads are notoriously narrow and bordered by hedges, and our camper van was rather wide. We lived in fear of meeting another vehicle while we were driving through the area, so we did not stay.
I must admit, also, that the English are not overly creative. Many times John X will marry Mary Y, and they will have a son named John X and a daughter named Mary X. Those children, in turn, will each have a son and a daughter whom they will name John and Mary. Ugh! Get creative, even! I must admit that neither Richard nor Steven is very unique when it comes to English names. However, I have been able to take their family back to the late 1700s, so that it rather cool. At least the parish records of England are in a language I can read, although I have to admit that spelling leaves much to be desired.
We are still waiting for Rob to come back and finish our floor. We talked to him today, and he promised to come between 2 and 3 p.m. Since it is now 4:00 p.m., I am not holding my breath that he will come.
We are to the point where we are starting to pile up everything that we want to take back to Wisconsin. Somehow, I do not think that our truck will be large enough. I hope that with this next trip North, we will be taking most of what we need back to Wisconsin. We are only making one more trip with the truck, so we soon have to figure out what belongs where in our two-house life.
If the roof and grass dries yet this morning, we would like to get out and to at least finish the south side fascias on the house. Late yesterday Rick finished scraping and filling in the fascia on the south side of the Florida room. I hope to get that sanded and primed today while he works on actually painting the south fascia of the house. That fascia is a bit more tricky since he has to use the taller ladder, but we bought a small roller, so we are hoping that the final coat will go much more quickly than previous coats.
While we have been stuck indoors, I have been working more on the family genealogy. Doing so, even with the Internet, is not as user-friendly as it used to be. When I started on this venture years ago, almost every record online was free. Now Ancestry.com has purchased the rights to many records, and, naturally, people can only have access to those files for a fee. Even the British records are not accessible unless I go through Ancestry.com.uk, again, for a fee! The only records that I have found that are still accessible without charge are through the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints -- the Mormons -- in Salt Lake, City. Their FamilySearch.org is invaluable.
I have been able to trace my family back to my great-great-great grandparents (thus, add another "great" on for my children) to the late 1700s/ early 1800s. Once the trail goes back to Germany (Prussia), records get a bit dicey since most are in the original German or Polish. I made some recent discoveries that are rather fun. My mother, who will be 90 this May, said that she had vague memories of her great grandfather George, but that she did not know and could not even name her great grandmother. I learned that her great grandmother's name was Susan Woodworth. My sister's name also is Susan. I wonder if, as a child, my mother heard that name and it stayed in the recesses of her memory as a good name even though she could not make a connection later on to an actual person from the past.
I also have taken Rick's family back a bit, although again, the Anderson side gives me trouble because of the way the Norwegians used to change surnames by adding "son" or "datter" (daughter) to the first name of the father. I lose them once the line goes back to Norway, but the English side is a bit easier. Our one regret is that we did not stay longer in Cornwall when we were in England. I wanted to visit some cemeteries and churches, but the Cornish roads are notoriously narrow and bordered by hedges, and our camper van was rather wide. We lived in fear of meeting another vehicle while we were driving through the area, so we did not stay.
I must admit, also, that the English are not overly creative. Many times John X will marry Mary Y, and they will have a son named John X and a daughter named Mary X. Those children, in turn, will each have a son and a daughter whom they will name John and Mary. Ugh! Get creative, even! I must admit that neither Richard nor Steven is very unique when it comes to English names. However, I have been able to take their family back to the late 1700s, so that it rather cool. At least the parish records of England are in a language I can read, although I have to admit that spelling leaves much to be desired.
We are still waiting for Rob to come back and finish our floor. We talked to him today, and he promised to come between 2 and 3 p.m. Since it is now 4:00 p.m., I am not holding my breath that he will come.
We are to the point where we are starting to pile up everything that we want to take back to Wisconsin. Somehow, I do not think that our truck will be large enough. I hope that with this next trip North, we will be taking most of what we need back to Wisconsin. We are only making one more trip with the truck, so we soon have to figure out what belongs where in our two-house life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)