Thursday, June 11, 2009

Home is where the heart is!

Made it home a couple of days ago and have been catching up with family and friends via phone, working on my upcoming Africa trip and wrapping up my promises made in Cartagena. Busy but happy.

Had a harrowing trip over from Ft. Lauderdale...serious monsoon the whole way and people were driving on Alligator Alley as if it were a sunny day. Saw more accidents in 2.5 hours than I have in the last two months. Ugly ones.

And then, after a pit stop at a rest stop, I saw something ahead of me on the access road leading up to The Alley. It moved and was about four feet long. As I approached, the baby alligator, on its tippy toes, turned his head to look at me. I moved the car closer and went for my camera and he bolted across the road and into a ditch, filled to the brim with water. Away he swam. Had to smile. In the middle of nowhere and yet, I had scared this local resident.

Today, I am finalizing all of my plans, packing and getting ready for "sister's week" which we will celebrate in Masanutten, Virginia. My sister, Linda, is picking me up at the Roanoke airport tomorrow and then we will continue driving up. Sheryl has arranged for us all to stay at a condo, using some "points" she has. We don't see each other much and it will be good to reconnect at our leisure and not at a funeral. Once one's parents are gone, and with families in different states, it is difficult to pull everyone together. Am very happy we are making the effort.

We are contemplating selling our home here in Florida to get ready for an eventual retirement...I may just slow down one day. Who knows!! Went to the doctor's the other day to check on a couple of things...all fine. And I needed a malaria prescription because that is a danger in Africa. Had a super great surprise. The tech who weighed me in asked if I had been ill. Told her, "no, why?" I weighed 10 pounds less than I had six months earlier. Guess the gym and walking the beach in Colombia has helped. Feeling good.

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