Confessions of a Grandma

 Hurricane Ian was not kind to my neighborhood. It is very sad to see. Debris waiting for pickup. No saving These places will only be torn down and replaced. These are among the worse but there are many more as bad and many with lesser damage that nevertheless will be a long time in repair. It's already hard to get insurance that is any where near affordable. I wonder what the future will hold. Still, the park held its official Christmas decorating day today. And many have put out lights and wreaths and other decorations. Trees are shining in windows under tarped roofs. It says something about the spirit of people in hard times.

Or what passes for snow here in southwest Florida -- Florida snow ( Richardia grandiflora) It's actually a native of South American countries and is considered an invasive species here. Homeowners and HOAs abhor it because it spreads rapidly and is hard to get rid of. Mowing spreads the seeds and it has to be pulled up by hand and then the lawn resod. I would like to point out that the lush green grass lawns of northern states are not native to Florida either and that they take constant vigilance and heavy handed use of obnoxious chemicals to maintain. I prefer these weeds on the whole.

  Today and every day, may your hearts be filled with gratitude.

 We had a saf trip and arrived in Florida last Thursday. It was a shock to see all the damage in my neighborhood. Some places completely destroyed and others (like mine) with only the most minimal of signs that a hurricane sat over this area for four long destructive hours. We haven't even been south of here where the major damage took place and I am not sure I even want to. It will be a long time before any kind of clean up will be completed. Don and I have been busy settling in -- unpacking a carload of clothes and other things we brought down, travel laundry, grocery shopping (sticker shock at having to refurbish an entire pantry of the staples), and fixing the wear and tear items that always pop up. We found a leaky water intake for the tub when we turned the water back on and some electrical problems, like a fried circuit breaker. Don's electician and plumbing skills and experience come in quite handy.  I did some yard clean up. I actually felt a little guilty because the...

  Well, we are heading south. Who knows exactly what we will find for remnants of Ian. I talked to people in Venice after Nicole and they were quite blasé. People seem to carry on in one way or another. In case you think this is a crazy plan. snow is predicted for the coming week. It's time. I spent the past week mostly dining -- lunch with my sister, lunch with a friends, lunch with Amy and Dane, supper with Kevin. I will be missing all, but then I look forward to seeing my Florida peeps. Don is packing up today.  He insists on driving even though I have driven myself many times and actually quite like the trip. He thinks I am too naive to spend that much time alone on the road. Worrywort. I've had all kinds of things packed for a couple of months. My plan was to have sold the condo by now but then with the hurricane we decided to hang on to it until we were sure about the place in Florida. And Don is still neck deep (well maybe down to chest level now) in his business projec...

  My grandson's high school football team made it to the semifinals for the state. He is JV and of course at that level it was the Varsity A team that got field time, but I went to cheer them on. Of course, I know nothing about football so it was kind of boring. I have seen Hershel Walker campaigning and I wonder how any one could possibly vote for him. But I even more wonder why anyone would think football is a perfectly acceptable activity for growing youth. I spent my time cringing at every tackle and pile up. And why white uniforms? Good grief. Why not just make them brown to begin with? Anyway, it's the other team that will advance to the final so my daughter will be very happy that the season is over. High school football proved to be a life-consuming endeavor for Dane and Amy. I was taken aback at the very beginning -- before the teams took the field. There was a very long caution to both players and fans about good sportsmanship and how speech and behavior that was in a...