The Florida Way of Life

I'm finally settling into my new normal here in Florida.  The 2600 mile drive from Idaho was the road trip of the decade and we saw more Bucees and Little Americas than I care to mention.  By the way, we stopped at one every chance we could for potty breaks, snacks or to browse the junk they had to offer.  The drive was interesting, and we noticed how different areas of the country tend to vary.  For instance, Wyoming is flat, very pretty and prone to rain and thunder storms.  Missouri and Tennessee on the other hand, are humid, with lots of hills and green trees.  I would have loved to stop in to visit with the Missouri cousins  but we were in a hurry and they seemed farther south than where we were driving.  We loved Nashville, everyone had that lovely Southern style one will only find south of the Mason-Dixon Line.  I want to visit Nashville again soon and explore the country bars and go to the Grand Ole Opry.  

I found out right away, Orlando is very different from Los Angeles, Seattle and Boise.  Florida is California on steroids weather-wise and to be honest I'm loving it.  Palm trees are in abundance, the greenery is fantastic and the sun shines bright.  I guess I should mention it's warm, very very warm.  The humidity is off the charts and it's only July but I'm okay with it.  By the way, two showers a day and plenty of perfume and  deodorant are a must, just saying...

I'm pleasantly if not wonderfully surprised as to how much I like it here.  I've been to areas close to my house that one could easily compare with Newport Beach or San Marino.  There are other areas where the old homes are fantastic, weeping willows and large horse properties are in abundance.  I forgot to mention there is a pond or lake everywhere.  I missed the greenery during my five years in Boise. 

Florida is the South,  I knew it would be geographically but wow, it's really the south.  Everyone is so nice, kind and very helpful.  Young and old alike call me ma'am and I like that to be honest and I don't feel like I'm an old crone or ready for a wheelchair.  The south has always been known for it's politeness and these are very polite people.  I love hearing the southern accents and being treated with the respect and kindness that was never in my west coast experience. People are friendly, want to talk and find out who and what you're all about.   I find this to be very satisfying.

Ice tea is a southern experience, so when one orders ice tea, always remember it's going to be sweet tea unless you specify it is to be unsweetened.  I am very careful with my sugar intake so overly sweetened ice tea is not my style.  Plus sweet tea is icky, and it's over kill if one happens upon a cookie or a piece of key lime pie.  Southern BBQ is in abundance and the potato salads are fantastic.  I've yet to try the ribs or southern fried anything but it's on my agenda along with southern style baked beans but no fried okra, yuck!

Now that I'm moved into my house, my porch sitting experience in behind the screens.  Sitting out in my lanai after dark is another Florida experience that is hard to explain.  My house backs up to a small jungle and the sounds coming out of it after 9:00 pm are hard to describe other than; I'll never venture over the fence and out into the hinterland of trees after dark.  Poor Toby is scared to be out there with me and Stuart braves the sounds as he feels the need to always be on guard.  The bugs are defiantly as big as cats here, and a wise friend told me straight out to get a screened in porch.  Thank goodness I listened as the first two weeks here, while I was living at the lake, I was chewed to bits by mosquitoes.  Now porch sitting is a comfortable, bug free experience although it's still hot at 9pm.

Every afternoon after the first of June, it tends to rain cats and dogs.  Please do not think I'm talking a simple sprinkle, or a Seattle rain storm.  This is a heavy downpour of Biblical proportions.  The wind will whip like crazy and the lightening and thunder is not for the faint of heart.  Recently the main water pipe from the street to my house was mangled.  It turns out it was a lightening strike!  Like I said, lightening is not for the faint of heart.  All this ex-Californian can say is;  what will a hurricane be like?!  Holy cow!

Publix seems to be the grocery store of choice.  I must admit, I miss Fred Meyer as I knew the layout of the store and all the products.  Publix is near the house and it's new, clean and it's very customer service oriented!  Some of the products in my Publix are very different than what is sold in the PNW.  I was strolling the aisles recently and found three or four different varieties of corn bread mix, fried chicken batters and even southern fried okra and grit mixes.  There are a lot of Caribbean foods that look interesting and I will try them out eventually.  With that said, I finally found my cast-iron pan and will need to re-learn how to cook fried chicken.

Wildlife is in abundance here in Central Florida.  The birds are gorgeous, and I saw my first gator in the large pond up the main road from my development.  He was floating in the water, giving a eerie presence.  I've been told some never see a gator and I saw one on week three, I'm definitely blessed! That being said however, never walk close to a body of water or walk a dog or two close either.  They don't pay much attention to outsiders unless you venture close to the edge so I'll keep my distance, thank you very much.

Driving here is the biggest challenge.  The roads are full of careless drivers who pay no attention to who or what is on any side of them.  I was told Florida is horrible place to drive and I believe it now that I'm here.  I'm very close to the Disney resort area so that's another breed of human drivers all together.  These are people who come from who knows where, have no clue as to how our streets and highways work and could care less.  It's scary and one takes their life in their own hands when they drive the streets near Disney!

Living in the eastern time zone has been a challenge. TV watching-wise, I've had to adjust my thinking to when The Five is actually on, Jesse Waters is not on during dinner nor is my favorite podcaster.  I'm now 3 hours ahead of my previous life and those 3 hours calls with my cousin now end at 1:00am.  Flights to London from Orlando are now only 7 hours, and I start my Words With Friends games earlier as everyone is still asleep on the west coast.  I'm used to it but I had to change my thought processes.  

Florida is most definitely a way of life.  I've been here a month and already have my tan back.  Outdoor exercising is something to do in the early morning or after dark during the summer months.  Tank tops, shorts and flip flops are most defiantly staples to any wardrobe and floppy hats seem to be the uniform of choice.  I'm not a hat wearer so I guess I'm out of style here.  Florida is casual, easy going and very friendly.  As glad as I am I made the original move out of the PNW, I'm more than happy with my choice of Central Florida.  My house is perfect, I'm completely unpacked and new location is awesome.  I've met several in this community and my new neighbors are all lovely.  Now that I'm a licensed driver and the car is registered, I can now call myself a Floridian but, I will NEVER EVER move again!  

This guy was fence sitting and enjoyed teasing the boys!

 

The Journey Begins

As Easter Sunday approaches, during this time of pray and contemplation, I've once again been thinking about my life.  I have many questions, thoughts and frankly some very real fears that keep popping into my mind as I plan for this journey southbound.  It's all starting to get real.  The house finally sold, movers set up, and even the boys have a mover taking them down to Sissy's house, ahead of my departure.  It's getting real folks, this 2800 mile road trip is my last big move.  The next one will be to be the the old age home but I'm not ready for that yet.  My plan is to live large for the next 20 plus years and enjoy every minute.

Moving again is not easy at almost 70.  I've enjoyed this house, but Boise simply didn't suit me.  The climate is too dry, too cold and the wild fire smoke every summer was horrible.  The little aches and pains are evident, and the thought processes are different this time.  I guess knowing this move is forever makes it even more daunting as there will never be a 40th, 50th or even 60th birthday.  80 is ten years from now, OMG!  My dad used to say that getting old is not for sissies!  No kidding, I'm starting to feel it.  

The worry and stress over the last few weeks have started to get to yours truly.  I'm doing this all by myself again, it's not as easy as it was 10 years ago when I moved from the Covington house to Kent, or even from Kent to Boise.  This time, I've been even more diligent in my planning, and I'm frankly extremely anal retentive.  The budget has been kept close to the penny and I've thought through every decision very carefully.  Money does not grow on trees so budgeting and careful planning have been my mantras.  I've needed a few things before I leave Boise as Florida living is different and these are necessities that need to arrive with me.  Ceiling fans I've been told are a big must, so three have been ordered and delivered as I want them to be installed immediately.  I got rid of a lot of furniture as I'm downsizing space wise in the new house.  I had a lot of stuff, some since college, it needed to be gone.  The beauty of this move is I'm going to buy some new furniture.  It's time to upgrade from my old used hand me downs, to new furniture that's more modern and durable.  I can't wait to furniture shop!

While purging and sorting, I came across some of my old books and even toys.  I found my Barbies and all her clothes.  If I wasn't so busy, I would have sorted the dresses and dressed up Barbie and Midge like I used to.  I found my Nancy Drew books, Stuart Little, the 8 Ball and a ballet bag from when I wanted to be a ballerina.  I never did get the dance lessons but 65 years later, I still have that shoe box!  I found cards and letters, sweet remembrances of my grandparents and friends from years past.  I found all my old record albums, school papers and a couple of dirty books I snuck in the house that my mother never found.  They all hold memories dear and without this move, they would have been tucked away forever.

Thank goodness Toni is taking this "road trip" with me again.  Driving to Orlando alone does not appeal to me.  It's going to be a long, three day journey but we will laugh, talk smack, stop for fast food and enjoy each other's company as we always have.  A better friend could not be found and I pray we see each other more than what we have over the last 5 years.  Hey, I'm four miles from Animal Kingdom and the beach is an hour east of me.  Disney is close and the new EPIC Universal is right next door.  

The resources and activities Florida has to offer are endless.  Cape Canaveral is close by and from what I've come to understand, the space launches can be seen from my back yard.  I do plan to drive over to see one up close and personal but it would be nice to watch from the comfort of my patio.  I want to see an alligator but not in my yard.  Manatees are abundant as are plenty of birds.  It's going to be humid, I'm prepared and I hope I'll be better preserved as I do not want to look like a dried up old prune in 10 years.  Hopefully the humidity will keep the wrinkles at bay.  Christmas in 80 degrees is starting to sound better and better!

All told, this is a positive move for it being my last one.  Who would have thought my forever home would be in Winter Garden, Florida! Hey, Florida is a solid Red State so I'll adjust quickly.  Therefore I'm getting excited, anxious and frankly a bit scared but it's going to be great.  Let's get this show on the road and let the journey begin!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.  

~Proverbs 3:5-6

Happy Birthday In Heaven

As I type this blog, I'm thinking about my mother as today would have been her 100th birthday.  It's amazing to think about and as she always said; "you know what that makes you!"  She was 30 when I was born, so enough said.

Mom was a sweet loving soul.  She loved my dad without reservation and was always his biggest champion.  She spoiled him rotten; he loved it and I know he repaid her in kind.  Dinner was on the table every night by six, after of course a glass of wine or cocktail and discussion about his day.  He always said he'd never trade her in as it would be too hard to train a new model.  That would have been impossible as my mother was one of a kind.

Mom gave us 100%.  She was the best cook I knew of and still today, can't be beat on her chocolate cake, molasses cookies or Christmas treats.  She would bake tons of cookies at Christmas and would give boxes of them as gifts.  They were always enjoyed and never a crumb was left behind.  We always had plenty, always food on the table and a kiss good night, every night.  My mother was one of the most loving souls on the planet.

As they got older, they traveled extensively first in their RV, then driving trips by car and hotel stays along the way.  Finally, they traveled by train, through Canada, the east coast and back to Los Angeles.  When my dad lost his eyesight, Mom was in the driver's seat and happily drove them wherever their hearts would take them.  At 80, they followed the Mississippi down from St. Paul to New Orleans!   We would get postcards from their different destinations, and I still have them packed away as they are treasures that I could never let go of.  They loved their Hawaii visits to see the grandchildren who lived so far away.  I'd get a two-hour phone call when they returned, telling me of their adventures and how much the kids had grown since they'd last visited.  First, they'd visit the family on Lanai, then they would retreat to Molokai to recharge and enjoy the quiet of the island.  When they were about my age now, they rode the mules down to Father Damion's leper colony.  It's been closed for many years and at last check it's a museum at the bottom of a steep hill that only mules can access.  I cannot imagine that journey at my age and I'm fit and active.   Mom and Dad were exceptional.

Their last twelve years were spent close to us in Washington.  Mom was not going to let Kristina live too far away as she was bound and determined to be a part of her life.  I'm eternally grateful for this as they helped me out more than I could ever have imagined.  Kristina got to be close to one set of grandparents and loved them like I did my own.  Mom and Kristina had a special bond, and I know that Mom is watching over her, laughing and shaking her head at the same time.  She loved Kristina with all her heart just as she loved her other three.  My mother was one of the most devoted grandmothers I know of and I hope to emulate her someday with one of my own.  I know Nikki, Kelli, Richard and Kristina greatly miss them both and remember them with love in their hearts.

My dad left us in 2012.  Mom never did recover from his passing.  She was with me when John died, and for that alone, I can never thank her enough.  She held Kristina and I together and kept us sane.  I retired in early 2014 and was with her consistently until she passed in November 2014.  We spent a lot of time together in those last months. Since I was alone as well, we had each other for company.  We talked about the past, our lives and remembered the good times and some of the harder times.    My biggest regret is I never had a picture taken with her as an adult.  Why?  Who knows, but in my list of regrets, that's one of them. 

Therefore, as I end this tribute to my mother, I wish her a glorious happy 100th birthday in heaven.  I miss you mom, and wish you were here.  These last ten years since you left have been happy, and some of it very sad.  Somehow however, I know you know and probably have shed a few tears with me.  Happy Birthday Mommy, keep a place in heaven for me and tell those with you how much I love and miss them.