Thursday, February 11, 2010

February in Florida


February, when the days of winter seem endless and no amount of wistful recollecting can bring back any air of summer. ~Shirley Jackson

I would add to the quote above: unless you go to Florida.

You may be wondering why I have not posted lately. We went to Florida to visit and help my husband's parents. Dad is legally responsible for his 99-year-old aunt, who is currently in a nursing home. It has been decided that her home needs to be sold and we had to get it cleaned out so it would be ready to place on the market. Her place is about a two-hour drive for them, too long for either of my husband's parents to drive nowadays. The plan was to clean everything out in just one day, which we did, but we had no time left over to visit the aunt at the nursing home. So, we made plans to go back days later on Saturday. Even though her memory is not good, she seemed to recognize my husband, remarking on his beard. She is such a sweet lady, truly one of social graces with a loving heart for Christ.

I brought home a few things, really just a few, but I have yet to unpack them, so they are waiting for me, cluttering the art/craft room I just cleared out a few weeks ago. I have not had the energy to go through them yet. My husband's parents are also trying to get us to take things we would like from their home also, for which we really have no room at this time.

Florida's weather ranged from cool to nearly too warm for what we brought to wear, but the humidity is the real difference. I had forgotten what it was like, but now I remember why my hair took all day to dry naturally when we lived there!

We studied this Red Shouldered Hawk sitting on a wire just across the street from the house. I saw a hawk there often when I stayed there the summer before last helping out while my husband's mother was in the hospital and nursing home, but I never got a really good photograph of that one. Perhaps it is the same hawk. I caught it just as it turned to consider me.

We arrived back home on Tuesday evening and unpacked only the necessities, food and bathroom things, as we would be getting up early the next morning to drive to the airport. My husband had to be in Chicago for work the rest of the week. I took that Wednesday off myself, but unpacked the clothes. Thursday was for errands and Friday back to lessons and the airport.

~ My Lord, please watch over our family in Florida and thank you for providing us the opportunity to help them. ~