Say hello
to sunshine….
We leave
once more for the warmth and sunshine of Florida. Every year we think it will
be our last trip down, but we continue to be drawn by the promise of the sun
and the friends who wait for us to arrive.
The spring,
summer and fall have been a whirlwind for us as we navigated the life of the
sandwich generation and are reminded of our own aging. No one is immune from
the challenges and changes in life and sometimes it all comes at once. My sister called it an upside down year and
that is what it has been. These past few months have left us little time to
connect with friends here in Manitoba and it seems strange to head back south
after not seeing very much of them. I
hope they all understand.
We head
south this year with my mom settling into Fairview nursing home. It’s a change for
her and a change for the family, but for both a bit of a relief as now her daily
needs are taken care of. The process of placement is a difficult one and I am
glad I had siblings to share it with. We had many an evening with late suppers,
wine, whiskey and laughter after a day of sorting, packing and visiting our
mom. Sister time took on a whole new meaning. Perhaps that was the silver lining, all the
time spent together.
Health issues
plagued us through the first part of the summer but we now feel patched back
together and ready to move on. It was sisters to the rescue again when I was
down for the count. They put a lot of miles on the road back and forth from
Winnipeg this summer and fall. Their spouses were a godsend and always ready to
take on a task. We feel blessed!
We did
manage to sneak in some time for Grandchildren but could always use more. I do
know we have the greatest Grandkids ever. Smart, loving, funny and…. need I say
more…. The BEST!
Our
preparations to head south are well underway with many boxes ticked off of our list of to-do’s. The last few days are hectic every year as the
last minute chores and packing get done. We finish up the last of our appointments,
banking, packing and cleaning and then it’s off to a warmer climate.
We say a temporary
good bye to our friends of Manitoba and a see you soon to our friends of
Florida! I will do my best to keep this
blog up to date and include as many pictures as I can.
Take care
and have a good winter.
