Hurricane Ian is Too Close to Home

Whenever there is a weather event in Florida I get concerned. I grew up in Florida and went to college in Florida. I moved away after college but went home at least once a year ever since to visit with my parents. Now that they are no longer with us and since the pandemic, we haven’t returned. But my sister just bought a small condo not far from where our parents lived. My mom gave our house to the neighbors who took such wonderful care of her and none of us were interested enough to want it. Additionally I know a lot of high school classmates who still live there, and know of colleagues from the Midwest who moved there and other people in my past that have homes there for six months out of the year. Many people in our building have homes there for winter. So when hurricane Ian was on the books I knew it wouldn’t be good. My dad located our family on the west coast in 1960 because he was well aware of where the hurricanes typically hit. He was in the coast guard for over twenty years and knew that the west side of Florida was safer. And we didn’t live on the water either - just in case. I was always biting my fingernails whenever hurricanes hit when my mom was still alive. The last two resulted in evacuations. One of them was to a rehab unit quite far inland - she was recovering from hip surgery and there was no choice. She was not happy but at least it would be safer. This terrible hurricane Ian at least made landfall south of where it was originally intended so I felt better for all of the people we know. I am hopeful that my sister’s new condo survived the episode, but I’m sure that the neighborhood was affected because it is on the water. I never wanted to live anywhere near the water and I’m really glad we don’t. But it seems that even living inland doesn’t help much with monster storms like this. 

Six Months to the Day

It’s been six months to the day. My mom passed away on a Saturday afternoon on February 15. It’s easy to remember because it’s the day after Valentine’s Day and she was born in February. I think about her every day still. It was a whirlwind drive to and from Florida and the funeral. My parents made all the arrangements a long time ago and she was buried at a Florida National Cemetery next to my Dad. She was a Navy veteran - something both my parents were proud of. We were able to celebrate her life right before the pandemic struck. But it seems like it happened so quickly. It just so happens that I received an email from my cousin yesterday that includes a translated Polish letter her mother wrote about twenty years ago. It describes my mom’s family unit and included a lot of information I already knew about but was interested to hear again. The “estate” isn’t settled yet, but there is no hurry. Everything feels like it’s been put on hold and it doesn’t appear that things will normalize again for quite some time. We used to meet every month with my siblings and that has stopped, so there really wasn’t any opportunity to relive things as one might normally do. Our routine has changed and we don’t see anyone. Somehow it doesn’t seem fair but I don’t know what that should even mean anymore. This was supposed to be a time to “enjoy” our golden years. I just don’t see that happening. I feel like I’m still stuck in February. 

Lake Pasadena Park

We go to the pond every time we visit Florida. We were just there in December when we were visiting my mom. She was doing better at home and was in control of things, but had caregivers living in the home 24/7. I had a feeling it was going to be our last visit - and it was. Mom took a bad fall in January and never really snapped back. The last year has been very difficult for her and she passed away last week. As we were going through things in the house we decided to go out for a late breakfast. Afterwards we took a ride to Pasadena Pond. It’s my husband’s favorite place. As youngsters we would go there with stale bread from the bakery to feed the ducks. We fished there, and at a smaller pond closer to home, with bamboo rods and dough balls. There is something peaceful about the place. All the birds cohabitate without a lot of fuss. The birds freely move around the area and end up in someone’s front yard. They hardly notice the dogs as they approach. So we drove around the pond a couple of times. The island seemed quiet, the snapping turtles were sunbathing, and the feathered friends approached the car hoping for a handout. I’m not sure when we will return to this place. Mom was really the only reason we traveled to Florida. I’m not sure I want to return. 

A Death in the Family

She was 97 years old. But to me she will always be young at heart, so generous and independent. That was my mom. One week ago this afternoon she passed away at home in Florida - in the same house we moved to in 1960. She was completely in charge until the end. The last year has been very difficult for her. I knew she was failing but believed she would pull out if it. But logically speaking I knew that wouldn’t be the case this time. I treasure the weekly phone calls we had since I moved out of the house in 1975 - and the almost daily emails over the last many years since she got her first iPad. I had a feeling our visit in December would be the last. It was the best birthday I can remember. Mom and Dad made funeral arrangements many years ago, and they would be buried at Florida National Cemetery. Dad was 21 years in the Coast Guard and Mom was in the Navy. So Mom joined Dad on Wednesday after the military honors. I’m sure Dad is happy now. It’s going to take a while for me to get used to all of this. 

A Visit to Sunken Gardens

It’s been a very long time since I last visited Sunken Gardens in Florida. It’s been there for as long as we lived there, and many years before that. It’s undergone a lot of transitions over the years. Every time we visit Florida to visit my mom, we plan to go, but it never seemed to work out - until our last trip earlier this month. I never really paid that much attention to gardens. But I love the US Botanic garden in DC. As with most of these places, they are used as wedding back drops. It was a beautiful day as we made our way around the actual sunken space. We were greeted by parrots, flamingos, koi, turtles and scampering lizards. Christmas decorations also brightened up the area. But the best part were all the tropical plants that you always need to see in the “tropical spaces” of all the other Botanic gardens. In Florida, the whole thing is a tropical space. The flowers were pretty and the ponds and waterfalls were fun. The detail on the bark of the palms and huge leaves was quite interesting - each one made for a lovely photo. So we had a lovely time at the gardens - I’m glad we finally got to visit. 

Papayas in the Back Yard

We’ve seen papayas growing in the US Botanic Garden. In the warm, moist and humid climate they do very well. So when we went to visit my mom in Florida last week, it just seemed funny to see papayas growing in the yard. We never had papayas when I was living there all those years ago. We had grapefruit and orange trees. In fact, one orange tree still is living - and there was one orange left on the branches. I’m not sure they are edible anymore. But the foliage in Florida is very different than that in northern Virginia - and even more different than the Midwest where we lived for thirty years. The hibiscus in the front yard was still in bloom, as well as other “exotic” plants around the house. When I think about it I really only spent 15 years growing up in Florida, and four of those years were in Tallahassee at Florida State. None of us want to live there full time - even in retirement - the culture is so different from what we are accustomed to. And my husband and I don’t golf, fish, boat, swim, etc. We do enjoy visiting once in a while - but that’s about it. It was after all my father’s idea to move there. We know he at least really liked it.