Double Trouble? Or Twice as Nice?

Well I think I am home for awhile now. A week after returning from Florida I flew off to Minneapolis to help Bob with the twins while Gretchen accompanied her band to New York. I hope the kids appreciate how great it is to have such a teacher. Not only is this a lot of extra work for her which she doesn't have to do, it meant leaving her babies for the first time for an extended length of time. As much as moms need a break, such a long one so early in their lives is difficult. My hat is off to her both as a mom and as a dedicated teacher.

Babysitting these children is not as much work as it seems. They continued to go to daycare so as not to upset their routine as well as to make grandma's life easier. The fact, is they genuinely enjoy their second home and were happy to be deposited there each morning and not necessarily thrilled to leave each evening.

When I had them alone, they are easy to entertain and very good at entertaining themselves. They seem to fuss only when they are hungry or tired which occurs at regular intervals. But those needs are easily satisfied. In fact, by evening bedtime it seems as if they are actually asking to go to bed.

Getting them both up and down the stairs together started out to be my biggest challenge until I discovered that Jacob loves climbing the stairs by himself and Robbie is certainly capable of it when prodded a little. We found it great fun making a race out of it.

Mealtime is a great time to bond with children as I have found with other grandsons. We tried a few new things with them. The best was chocolate pudding. You haven't lived until you watch a one year old trying to eat it with his hands. Jake doesn't get nearly as messy as he allows himself to be spoon fed thereby getting much more pleasure out of the whole experience. The same went for ice cream.

Most of all, these children are just a blessing to behold and there is no greater comfort than when either one of them decides you are good enough to cuddle them.

It was a great time for me as during their all too brief visit to Florida we had just started to become pals. I truly believe that we are now bound as good buddies. I was second to daddy and almost even with their daycare teacher Christy. Of course, by the time Mommy returned home, I am sure no one else could take her place for a long time.

Now I Have Responsibilities?

Well we have been home now for about 5 days and they have been 5 of the busiest so far in 2011.

Actually it has been more like the busiest 8 days. We first stopped in Atlanta for a short visit on our way back to the North Pole. It is hard to believe that one week ago today I was Jamming with Drew on guitars. Two days with that little family are guaranteed to be fun-packed and on the go. Drew has gotten to know his Grammy and Pa and has become so much fun to interact with. Ollie is okay with us especially when his parents are not around to rescue him. It is so easy to get him giggling and his belly laugh is contagious. and of course we had to party a little in "Pa's bus".

The minute we hit Woodridge our feet were on the move. First, when we unhooked our tow car, the power steering was gone. The shop had an opening for repairs if we could get their in 30 min. So with the first load of laundry going we headed out to drop it off, leaving us with one car to run errands. I needed to do certain things to prepare for our starting day golf league meeting, we needed to vote for village officials, and we needed to get back to Bertha to empty out 4 months of our accumulated "stuff.

Our wonderful friends started calling to check on our progress home and it was so heart-warming to hear that they were all thrilled that we had returned.

Our winter roomie and niece Lindsay, had purchased her own home while we were gone and we were honored to accompany her on her final walk through and closing. Closing on a house has become a lot more complicated that the last closing we were involved in 30 years ago. It was a little scary watching her sign that huge check and negotiate that huge mortgage. Our experience in house buying suddenly seemed like we dealt with such small numbers.

So between helping Lindsay prepare her place for move in I did two weeks of laundry and attempted to put away 4 months of living stuff. We also took some time off for Date Night at St. Scholastica which was a great way to renew a few relationships with our homeland friends. O and, of course, I found time to get in 18 holes of golf.

Well I have two days now to get reorganized before I take off on Wednesday for Minneapolis to help Bob manage the twins and the household while Gretchen is away with her band. These guys make babysitting so easy these days as the boys will go to day care for most of the day leaving grandma to shop, cook, and pamper herself a little.

Addendum from Fort DeSoto

After a winter of stellar weather and very little rain the skies opened up in St. Petersburg the last couple days we were there we were hit with all the bad weather pent up for the past 4 months. On our last day, we were hungry for some activity. Don checked the hourly weather forecast on aol (second only to Tom Skilling for accuracy, right?) and decided it would not rain until 1 PM. So about 10:30 am we went out for about a 1 hour bike ride. (Kind of like the 3 hour cruise of Gilligans Island). When we arrived at the farthest most point on the island from our campsite, the sea was raging with the oncoming storm which had already left a lot of wind and tornado damage behind just to the north of us in the early am. It looked like dark skies were definitely headed our way, but Don kept reminding me it was not going to rain until 1:00. Well after we decided it might be coming a little sooner, we took off for home at the same time the wind kicked up and the torrential downpour started with a little hail thrown in for fun. The good news was that the wind was at our backs. As we approached the visitor center where we would have to turn into the wind, we decided to take shelter.

So we were welcomed in by the two rangers on duty and watched their computer radar until it looked like maybe the worst was passed. One of the rangers offered to throw our bikes into her truck and drive us back, but I am married to the nicest man in the world and he would never dream of putting them out like that and especially messing up her truck with our soaking wet clothes. We also remembered about now that we had left our windows open.

Well we needed to get moving so out into the tropical storm we ventured. Thank God there was no lightning threatening us at this time. The problem was that now the wind and rain were pelting us broadside and as we rode over a bridge crossing  a small inlet, I was praying that the sharks had enough sense to get in out of the rain before I was swept away into the ocean.

Unbelievably, we made it back that last mile with a lot of "Hail Marys" under my breath. We spent the next hour wringing ourselves out and mopping up our house. The storm continued with the same ferocity way past 1PM and into the night nonstop.

Greetings from Fort De Soto

At this point in our winter sojourn, I generally start to question whether I want to continue. I am in the mode to return to the jeans and sweatshirts of our northern spring climate and the place we fondly call home.

However, the first evening we were here we rode our bikes in the early evening down to the fishing pier, enjoying the warm sea breezes and watching a pair of dolphins feeding so close to the pier you could almost reach down and touch them. I am not  a fan of aquariums, as those close to me know, and have been to more than anyone should have to as those I am related to think they are great. Seeing sea creatures romp in their own environment however gives me a thrill beyond expression. God's world is a magnificent place and the variety of life inhabiting it are what makes it so special.

Where Has All The Polyester Gone?

We just had our annual visit to Florida National Cemetery where my parents rest in peace. While they were alive, my father would have said "don't bother, what's the point?" but mom would say "you were in Florida and didn't come to visit?" Anyone who knew my mom knows this to be true. There is a certain comfort in knowing they are there and feeling their presence.

This connection to the past  reminds me that we were not always the older generation. In fact, we were once the youngest generation. As time passes one generation cedes to the next their traditions, politics, and faith in the knowledge these will change and the hope that the best you had to offer would remain the same.

I looked around in church today, as I often do, to see what people are wearing. Not to judge, but to see how I measure up in the "dressed like a dowdy old lady department". I was amazed as I realized that the polyester double knits are suddenly vanishing. This is a bittersweet realization because along with the itchy, sweaty fabric an entire generation is vanishing. The World War II generation which grew up during the depression and learned that if it still works you don't replace it. So, if you are a member of that generation, wear your polyester with pride as a badge of survival in some of the most difficult times our country has had to face.

Here's to you Mom and Dad and, by the way, they said to say hi to all of you whose journeys do not take you to the gulf coast of Florida.

The Comings and Goings at Sanlan Ranch



Our Sanlan Campsite



We are quickly coming to an end of our time in Sanlan RV Park. We have spent so much time here this year that it is actually beginning to feel like our home. Of course it helps that we have been literally surrounded by friends and family the past 10 days or so.

It started with the arrival of our friends the Russells. We have missed them so much this winter as it is the first winter our of the past 6 that they have not travelled every step of the way with us. We had them for a few nights in the coach. Nancy was so delighted to be inside the RV experience once again she didn't even notice that it wasn't her own Baby.

Jacob enjoying a slice of birthday cake



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Robbie too

They vacated the coach to make room for the arrival of Bob and Gretchen and their twin boys, Robbie and Jacob. Fortunately they were able to stay on in Lakeland with Larry and Sue for a few more days joining us for the big events of our winter; Robbie and Jake's first birthday party and our annual St. Pat's Day Corned Beef Dinner.

The birthday celebration was enhanced by the presence of our Woodridge friends. They didn't seem to mind that all of the guests at their birthday party were grammas as long as they brought presents wrapped in krinkly paper.



The Minnesota Chilsons arrived without incident for Spring break. Bob immediately removed his socks from inside his sandals, a fashion fopaw he was ridiculed for by one of Tampa's finest as he emerged from the airport terminal. They fell right into motorhome life unloading their gear which included  two pack and plays, a double stroller, and two high chairs. All we needed was the couch and washing machine in the front yard to complete the picture.



Our early St. Pat's celebration



It took the twins a day to adjust to the time changes and unusual sleeping arrangements and it was smooth sailing after that. Gretchen and Bob both got an opportunity to explore our beautiful trails by bike and  our favorite place here, the Circle Bar B preserve. Robbie and Jake enjoyed the swimming pool and exploring the inside of our Bertha and rearrange my kitchen drawers.

It seems that as soon as they all began to arrive, it was time for them all to begin to depart. Once again we are alone in our little house on wheels enjoying the last lazy days of our summer (er winter) in Florida,

As much a I enjoy our travels, it is always great to click the heels of our shoes together and chant "There's no place like home. Wherever we wander we still have our roots firmly planted in Woodridge.

I will miss a few things about this place though;

• The grand Live Oak trees adorned with mysterious Spanish moss
• The hiking trails. I have been clocking 5.5 miles on my pedometer on most days.
•  The exoctic birds which have been gracing our backyards and their hooting at their mates.
• The sandy dry golf course which allows even a missed hit to travel forever, with berns which steer a wayward  ball back into the  fairway, and  beautiful of  plants and wildlife.
• The friendly neighbors
• The bike trails which we have now discovered lead to the Circle Bar B preserve.
• The Circle Bar B bird sanctuary.
• The Auburndale Flea Market
• Cocktails on the patio while watching amazing sunsets.



The view from our patio





Move Over Jimmy Buffet

That's me in the doorway of our cottage

Well here we are at the end of our recent excursion to Key West. One of the best things about Key West is the time. Everything runs in slow motion - even the motorcycles. It's easy to fall into the easy going casual atmosphere here as soon as you park the car and take to the streets.

Each evening, the sun puts on a spectacular show for free and we took it in on our first night there in Mallory Square. This is also where I discocvered that marvelous concoction called a mudslide. It is made of Irish cream, kahlua and vodka. Yummmmm.

Duval Street was alive with a wonderful variety of people young and old, dressed everywhich way but formal. It is impossible to differentiate the millionaires from the paupers by appearances. The noise and music from the open air bars and restaurants drifts into the street keeping pace with the rhythm of life.

Only in America can a magnificant theater like The Strand become a Walgreens.

This is where Ernest Hemingway came to write when he wasn't fishing or drinking at Sloppy Joe's. It's the place where shipwrickers and especially Mel Fischer, became millionairs, where Harry Truman had his vacation White House, and where roosters roam freely along the streets and occasionally into the restaurants.

The architecture is unique and inviting and the palm, banyon, and kapok trees are abundunt and lush.

And sometimes it is even difficult to tell what is real and what is not.

Only 70 miles away, and accessible only by boat or seaplane lies the Dry Tortugas National Park.

 We took a high speed cagtamaran out to the island which includes both breakfast and lunch on the boat. First we toured Fort Jefferson which was  built as a Civil War fortification and later used as a prison. It was here that Dr. Sammuel Mudd spent his days of confinement under the most severe conditions. This was his reward for following his hippocratic oath setting the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth after he assasinated President Lincoln.

 Most of this park is underwater where coral reefs attract a myriad of sea creatures.

It was very hot in the sun which made it easy to hit the water after lunch with the snorkel gear. We were warned that the Man of War Jellyfish population had recently increased and to stay clear of them as their sting can be devastating. I was able to take in some brain coral, and abundance of plant life and a large baracuda, or two or three before giving up trying to allude the jellies.

The water is extremely clear and, thanks to a recent series of calm sea days, many of the local residents were visible with the naked eye from above the water along the moat wall of Fort Jefferson. Walking along the moat wall after my swim was a lot more rewarding. Don't ask me to name what I saw, you just have to take my word that I saw a great deal of marine life in its natural habitat.

We finished our trip with a delicious dinner at a waterfront restaurant where I indulged myself with Key West Pinks (shrimp) caught that day in the very waters we had just traversed.

 So anytime you have an opportunity to travel down to the point where Highway 1 begins and ends don't miss it. I guarantee you'll have an adventure worh the trouble.

We sure did.