Come to the Florida Sunshine Tree

Hey, guess what, Larue? We're flying to Florida for Christmas.

H. just booked three round-trip flights to Florida for Christmas week. We're heading to the Sunshine State with our Figgy pudding in tow. I have to figure out how to pack our gifts, and stow away our Christmas stockings.

Our family has been buffeted by some strong Florida-in-hurricane-season winds over the last few years, with the tulip tree fall uprooting us from our house for eight months, a dark and devastating health problem, Dad's illness and death, waning work, depression and more. But now H. has a big book contract--he is working really hard on it. And I have various assignments, including weaving a man's life story into a self-published book. [He was a monk as a young man and a rather ruthless businessman after that, not to mention husband, father, grandfather and university administrator. Some fascinating threads to weave.]

So it will be nice to be able to fly away, soak up some sunshine, sip a tropical drink, walk by the water--and not have to spend vacation worrying about how/if we will swing our mortgage, health insurance payment, heating oil balance or cell phone bill. We will miss our Maine family and Sis and Don and Sug [Sis and Don have agreed to watch her Puffness] but I hope we will recharge and see nature and breathe calmly. We three have always loved nature, ever since tiny Fig walked with us all over Cape Cod.

One night, we will also see H.'s stepmother and stepbrother, who live in Florida, and his cousin and family, in Boca Raton, for Christmas itself.

It might be superstrange, though, to be in a clime where I won't need my cozy cashmere Burberry scarf day and night, and where there's no chance of a White Christmas. And we better haul out the holly and get the tree up early so we can enjoy it before we jet off December 23.

Should be different, and I hope different will be a plus. My brooding Irish soul and Italian inner drama already have me focusing on some details that I know will be less than perfect, but.....it's all good.

Good night.

TCOY

1. Boot camp in the brisk park weather.
2. Walked Sug around block once.
3. Myfitnesspal.com.