This Way Thurs-Way--Almost Home

My friend, Tink, has just taken on the chore of hosting a meme called This Way Thurs-Way. This is a meme which appears every Thursday. In Tink's words, "This Way Thurs-Way is all about photos of signs, paths and things pertaining to being "on the road"." It looks like a fun meme so I thought I would join in. When you are done looking at my picture, why don't you hop on over to This Way Thurs-Way and check out some others.

My first posting on This Way Thurs-Way involves my recent move to Sanibel Island, Florida. We have lived here as winter residents for about 10 years now but finally sold our house up north in Ohio and have moved here permanently. To get to Sanibel, you have to cross a three mile long causeway. And of course you have to pay a toll. But, when I saw this sign, I knew I was almost home.

Family Reunion

Nine years ago next month, my brother and only sibling stopped talking to me. It was over some ridiculous little thing--probably long forgotten by him. And because of this, I also lost touch with my three nieces and their families. I thought of my brother often and really missed him but had resigned myself to the fact that I would never see him again.

Then along came Facebook. Through FB I reconnected with one of my nieces. She informed me that she was getting married next summer and wanted me to come to the wedding. I told her that I would love to but didn't want to make waves. She told me that if her father couldn't get over this silly little tiff with me and accept who she wanted to attend her wedding then he didn't have to come to the wedding! Wow.

Since I was cleaning out my house and had a bunch of family heirlooms which I wanted to divide among my kids and my nieces, I asked my niece if she would like them. She said she would love to have them and would come down with her hubby to be and daughter to get them. My son and his kids made the trek too so that we could all be reunited for a couple of hours. It was a great get together. Unfortunately, my daughter and my two other nieces weren't part of the get together.

Karen was flying in to Detroit on Sept 3rd. Since my niece lives about 20 minutes from the airport, she asked us over for dinner so we could see the other nieces and Karen could see them too. BUT--my niece lives with my brother. She said that he could either stay or leave for the evening. And he told her that he would like to stay!!!!! I was thrilled.

So, about 20 minutes after we picked Karen up at the airport, we arrived at my brother's for the first time in 9 years. I was a bit nervous but we had all decided that we would just act like nothing had ever happened. We walked in, he and I hugged, and the last 9 years just melted away. We all had an amazing evening, laughing, reminiscing, and catching up. The only down side was that my youngest niece was sick and couldn't come over. Also, Dave and his family weren't there to see my brother and cousins.

Unfortunately, 6 days later we moved to Florida. So now, instead of being an hour and a half apart, we are now twenty three and a half hours apart. And my brother, won't travel much beyond Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee so I guess I will be the one who has to do the traveling. But I'm game, believe me.

Here is a picture that I never ever thought would be taken. I will treasure it always.

Our First Crawl of the Season

OK so this isn't the best picture ever taken but it's the best I have. The Sanibel Sunday Bar Crawlers and Militant Shellers Association met today for our first Crawl of the season and a Welcome Home party for the Snowbirds--now dubbed the Sunbirds. But I still answer to Yo Sno, as Tink calls me. Anyway, Gary, Tootie, Cheryl, Tony, Tink, Mr. Snowbird/Sunbird and Yours Truly met at the Sanibel Cafe where we had terrific service. It doesn't hurt when you know the owner!!

This is the sign that Tootie and Gary greeted us with. And these cute little Welcome Home Flip Flops. See Tootie, I have them hanging on my wall already.

Mr. Snowbird had a yummy Crabcake sandwich.

From the Sanibel Cafe, we moved on to the West Wind Pool Bar. Let's face it, 90 degree weather and REALLY HIGH humidity along with nasty little No See Ums is not too conducive to sitting outside--especially if you don't have to. Now, granted, the view is amazing. But even the view wasn't enough to keep us there for very long.

So, we moved on to the Sanibel Grill where it was much more comfortable. By then most of us were drinking Iced Tea instead of adult beverages. It was a lot cooler but really loud with 12 TVs all showing football games and patrons cheering for their respective teams. It was a great opening Crawl. Thanks guys for giving us such a great Welcome Home.

This is what happens when you unknowingly drop your camera in the street and it lays in the mud and sand for 2 days with traffic driving over it!!

Home at Last

OK, so I took some pictures on the way south but somehow or other my camera has gone MIA. I know that it made it to Sanibel because I took pictures crossing the causeway! And I'm sure it made it inside the house. But where it is, I can't say. I can find everything else--but not my trusty little camera. So, you will have to do with narration and no pictures of our trip. The above picture is a picture our daughter took the day before we left.

Tuesday morning was crazy. We had a 9:00 meeting with an insurance man, then went to the Post Office to mail some boxes for Karen. Then to Salvation Army to drop yet another load of stuff we would love to keep but didn't have room for. Then home to load the remnants of a water bed into the Escape--wooden sides, drawers etc. The bed was not ours! It belonged to Bill who lived with us the whole 35 years we lived in this house. We didn't know he was getting rid of it until the day before the move. So it all had to go to the landfill. Karen and Chuck went while I did the last minute vacuum job and cupboard checking etc. When they got back, we loaded Karen's stuff into the car and took off for the Detroit airport where we dropped her. Then on over to my brother's to drop a box of stuff for my niece. (more on my brother in another post)

We got back to Findlay about 4:30 and started packing everything into the car. Fingers were crossed the entire time but everything made it into the car just as the raindrops started to fall. At 5:15, we said goodbye to Bill, got into the car (with a few tears being shed) and headed south. We drove through rain showers but nothing serious.

Chuck drove first but I took over just outside of Cincinnati. I have to admit--I don't like driving at night. I don't like driving through large cities. I don't like driving in the rain. But wouldn't you know, all three things took place. The night driving wasn't so bad and I have driven through Cinci before but just as we hit the city limits with nowhere to go except straight ahead, the heavens opened up and POURED!! Needless to say, I white knuckled it through the city. It finally let up before we hit the bridge. I stopped at the first rest area in Kentucky and let Chuck take over. We only went about 5 miles though when we decided to stop for the night.

We were on the road at 6:45 the next morning and drove without incident all day. We made it to Gainesville, Florida where we spent the night. We both were awake early the next morning and hit the road about 7:30. Again, the drive was without incident and we arrived on Sanibel about noon yesterday.

The first thing we did was turn on the air conditioning! Then we unloaded the car and unpacked a few boxes leaving most of it for today. We went to Jerry's, a local grocery store which also has a very good restaurant--killing two birds with one stone. So, after dinner and grocery shopping, we headed back home to crash!

Today involved more unpacking, trips to the post office and bank, and out to CROW to pick up cages, say hi to everyone, catch up on the news, tour the new hospital, and get some work assignments. On the way home from CROW, I did stop by the beach to remind me of why we made this move. All I did was see the waves, smell that salt air, and hear the birds and surf and I knew. I was home!!

Heading South

Sorry my blogging has been so erratic lately. But I've been BUSY!! This weekend we went to my son's house on the other side of the state. We got home after midnight last night. Today was clean house, move our tenant to his new house, take stuff to Salvation Army, help my daughter pack boxes which she is sending back to her home, have dinner with friends etc. Tomorrow we have a meeting, go to the dump, vacuum one last time, take daughter to airport, come home and pack the car--and head south!

It is hard to believe that 35 years of living in this house comes to an end tomorrow. It has been a good house full of happy memories. I know that the new owners will love it as much as we have. But, now it's time to enjoy Sanibel and become a fulltime Slacker like some others I know. Not naming any names, mind you.

So hopefully, I'll get back into a regular routine of blogging once we settle in, unpack, and take some time to just relax.

Auctioning Off All (Well Most) of My Worldly Goods

Yesterday was our auction sale. I had been moving stuff out of the house to the barn for a few weeks now so I was getting used to living without a lot of stuff.

Trent, the auctioneer, and his helper showed up at 9:30 am. She went right to work setting out the items.Trent had asked if he could bring a few things from another guy to make the sale a little bigger. I had said, "sure". Apparently a few things turned into the guy's whole household! Trent was a bit upset to say the least. He promised to sell my things first since it was my sale! Since the sale didn't start until 5:00, he knew that it would be dark before the sale ended.

Once Trent and his muscle got back they started hauling stuff out of the house.The two rows of stuff on the left side of the yard is my stuff. The two rows of stuff on the right is part of the other guy's stuff. Kind of gives you an idea of how much stuff the other guy had! Trent started the sale promptly at 5:00. He started with my glassware then moved on to the front yard for the furniture.
He finished up with my stuff and then moved on to the other guy's stuff. When I talked to Trent later, he said that my stuff did pretty well--not so good for the other guy. It would appear that people were either tired or it got too dark because they couldn't even give away a bunch of his stuff. A gorgeous sofa sold for $15!! Sure wish I had needed a new couch.

I won't know how we did until sometime next week but at least that is out of the way. It was kind of sad but I just keep thinking how much happier I will be when I finally settle into my Sanibel home.

Today was spent cleaning house, UPSing 5 boxes south, and making some phone calls.

Tomorrow we head up to Detroit to pick up my daughter at the airport then head to my brother's house to visit with him and his 3 daughters and their families. Trust me, this is a momentous occasion. I haven't seen my brother nor spoken to him in 9 years. He "disowned" me for reasons I will never understand but his daughter's made him see that it was time to put an end to this ridiculousness!! I am so excited. Wish me luck.