Drive

We set out last week to drive to our South Carolina home with much trepidation in our hearts.  We don’t know how we will cope with five animals and two humans in the car and in hotels over a period of three days, we don’t know for sure what route we will take, and we don’t know what we will find when we get here.  We have been gone for five and a half months and a lot has changed in that time.  Our tenant was here for five months and we are pretty sure she has taken good care of our southern home.  Most importantly I don’t know how I will feel walking into the house after so long knowing that I can’t stay for the winter.

The drive went well.  We were blessed with beautiful weather and dry roads and since it was over a weekend the traffic was very good.  We were able to go through New York City and to come down 95 which is the shortest and fastest route.  We prefer the Western route if we travel during the week and we avoid all the big cities.  Our animals are actually used to long drives and have become quite good travelers.  We discovered soft carriers for the cats which they really prefer over the hard cases and we have moved the dogs into the back seat where they are very comfortable and can get in and out of the car more easily.  They need the ramp for the back of the car.

Arrive

We arrived to very warm, humid weather.  It was a nice surprise after leaving with snow coming down lightly and then frost on the car both mornings we were on the road.  The sun was shining and everything looked so wonderful and green.  I burst into tears!  So happy to be back and so sad that we cannot be here for the winter.  We have so many wonderful friends here.  I went to lunch the next day with nine wonderful ladies with whom I play occasional golf and it was so good to catch up and to be together after months away.  Many of them had been away too.  We have seen many of our friends and we have caught up with our church community too.  All of it contributing to being happy and sad at the same time.  Our minister said that at some point sadness and joy meet in the same place.  I am trying to figure that one out.  There is great happiness in being here and enjoying walks in warmer weather with no snow or ice on the ground but there are also alligators and bugs so there are trade offs.  The sad part is giving this up for snow and ice when we return north in January.  Our tenant took wonderful care of the house but it felt very, very empty as all of our personal stuff had been put away before we left.  Let me just say that in a matter of days it was full of our stuff once again.

Strive

I strive to find a balance in my life.  I strive to be happy and to absorb any sadness and not let it take over my life.  A good friend died last week after a mighty battle with leukemia.  I am definitely sad about that.  I know she is at peace but her family is struggling.  Don’t think I am very good at balance, I’ve always been more of an all or nothing kind of person.  Believe it or not I think I am sad that there is only one more week to go with IIN.  However, there is joy in knowing that I started this course back in January and I have stayed with it through many months and many events.  Time to say well done.  This past week was mostly about business set up and financial information regarding setting up a business and an interesting lecture by Deepak Chopra that was a little too far out for me.  His saying is “I’m a luminous stardust being with self-awareness.”  This may be true but I have trouble following some of this thinking.  As I strive to figure out what my future might be and how I might proceed as a health coach I have decided to work more at letting things happen rather than trying to make them happen.  There is a tremendous effort that goes into building a business and if I were 20 years younger I might be more enthusiastic.  I want to help people to be well and to feel their best but I am not sure that I am ready to put the energy and effort into building a business.  My life is in a state of upheaval right now and until that calms down and we figure out where we are going to live I don’t think it is possible to come up with a business plan.  Nice idea to come up with a target market but where???  Have you heard about the sandwich generation?  That is those of us who have elderly parents to care for and grandchildren to care for.  Ever made a grilled cheese sandwich?  My mother has a grilled cheese maker that is very heavy and it smooshes the bread and the cheese together while it heats it up.  Right now I feel like a grilled cheese sandwich.  However, I don’t eat those anymore but I sure did growing up.  My 91 year old mother is in the hospital and we have just finished spending two weeks with our grandchildren.  My sister is a saint and is the primary care giver for my mother as she lives quite near her in Montreal.  I get called upon when she needs backup and have primary duty during the summer months when we are in Canada.  This hospital visit is like the first stage in the next stage for my mother.  She has been living alone in a very big house and she is slowly reaching the point where that is not feasible anymore.  I am sad because I know she wants to be in her home where she has lived for 50+ years and to retain her independence but declining health is going to make that difficult.  So sandwiched between Mum and my oh so loved grands.

While taking care of our grandchildren we spent an afternoon with our granddaughter who loves to draw.  In my opinion she is quite talented.  We were impressed that she can spend time on her electronics playing video games etc. but she can also spend hours just sitting with a sketch pad and her colored pencils and drawing.  I asked her if she could do a drawing of my friend Jennifer who is the person that I walk with in Canada and this is what she came up with.  Jennifer loves it.  So do I.

It is good to be back here and to have family with us for Thanksgiving.  Our daughter Margot and her girlfriend Hadley and their dog Brew are with us for the week and we have good friends from Connecticut who are here also for the week.  We hope to have time to catch up with each other, to celebrate and give Thanks for friends and family as we are Giving love and time for each other.  Oh yes, that means there are three dogs and three cats and four humans in the house for the week – whew!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all.  I wish you the joy of your family and friends and if you are lucky enough to have fur-babies, I wish you great joy with them too.  Please remember the 80/20 rule and enjoy your Thanksgiving meal.