Second Wind on the Great Loop and Beyond

The Christmas holiday was a blur, but excellent nonetheless. A short visit with Scott and Anne in Tallahassee was a whirlwind of activity: go to a garage sale and an art show, paint a wall, redecorate, clean the house, cook, and put on a party all in the same day. That describes “Life with Scott and Anne”. It was great fun.

Then word came that my aunt Virginia in Birmingham was not doing well. Bob and Anne dropped me off at her hospital room on our drive back to Huntsville. She died a few days later. At the age of 90, Virginia was ready to go. The funeral was a celebration of a loving, vibrant lady and a life well lived. It also gave us an opportunity to see family members that we don’t often get to see. A couple of days later it was time for our annual party. So with Scott and Anne’s help, we decorated the house, installed our fabulous new painting series by Anne (visible behind the photo of Anne/Susan with antlers), put together some party food (with help from Costco), enjoyed being hosts at a fun party, delighted in the arrival of Susan and Keith, got ready for Christmas, relished a delicious, eventful Christmas dinner (including an emergency visit to the hospital by Anne), loved having Jim, Martha, Allison, and Mackenzie for a quick visit, partied on New Year’s Eve, then collapsed until it was time to head back to the boat. This Christmas holiday was memorable in every way, including the sensation of riding a roller coaster of activities and emotions.