Well, we had a humdinger of an Ice Storm last night. Trees bent under the weight of the ice and snow and many limbs cracked and broke off completely. The backyard is generally a mess. I ask myself quite seriously for once, Why in hell are we living in the great Northeast? Last night I was talking on the phone to a childhood friend, Richard, and he brought up an interesting point. If the pilgrims had landed on the West Coast (i.e., California), the East Coast would probably still be sparsely populated.
After spending the last three weeks in sunny Florida and, on the road heading there and back, I am feeling really fed up with this weather. I do feel lucky and blessed to have had that time in such beautiful weather (we had absolutely NO precipitation and for the most part full-sun and temperatures in the 70's and low 80's). For the first time in my life I genuinely understand the concept of the Snowbird. When I was younger, I didn't get why someone would pick up and leave their hometown for months at a time. Finally, fast approaching age 66, I get it. Life is too short to struggle with the elements when one can be reclining on the pure white sand, basking in the sun, sipping Margaritas. I observed that a lot of Seniors do it. Don't you miss your family in Rhode Island?, I asked one friendly couple, Dick and Clare, whom we met in Bonita Springs at a glorious outdoor singing and dancing in the street event. Dick, Irish Last Name (not surprising - the Irish love to sing and dance in the streets)shared a bit of his philosophy with me. I figure, this is our time, he told me without hesitating. Besides, the children and grandchildren come down to visit.
Sounds good to me. Or is the "good Catholic Girl" suppose to look for suffering?
Mary Beth
No comments:
Post a Comment