Visiting FL

Well, I'm visiting my daughter again in FL.  Trying to help her out with a few things and visiting
with the kids who haven't had much time for me, but they're busy in school and I'm OK with that
as long as I get a few hugs and kisses once in a while.  I take the dog for walks and he seems to like
me if his display of excitement and craziness is an indication of his feelings for me.  I do like him.
I have cats and love them (all 4).  They are so cute, and such company, but they won't go for walks
with me - on or off leash.  Each seems to have a mind of his own (and my one female) and they
don't have any sense of obligation.  They think I'm staff brought in to attend to their needs and
wants (excepting baths - none of that please).

The weather here is quite nice: warm, sunny, light breezes, some rain which cools things nicely.
But it is more of a working vacation we have stuff to do for the lawn (HOA somewhat demanding
about the lawns, paint colors, driveway debris and so much more).  I would like to sell this house
and never see FL again, but my daughter is here and therein lies my dilemma.  So until I get too
old to travel I'll need it if I'm going to see her from time to time.

In this mobile world in which we live  many families share this dilemma with me, and I would
love to know how they work things out.  My daughter left CT for college in FL and never wanted
to return to CT except for short visits.  But when I see some friends or aquaintances whose
children are needy and costing them much money even after finishing school, or driving them
crazy with demands for child-care of their grandchildren, or in trouble with the law, or in poor
financial situations I realize that whatever I might complain about could be 10 times worse.  So
with that in mind I hold my thoughts and complaints and write about them in my journal and
somestimes here.
------

Florida Trip

Well here I am again and wanting to share my worries with readers (all 3 of you).  I'll be heading
to FL (from CT) to visit my daughter (shortly after Halloween).  We'll be down there for maybe
2 weeks.  Though I'm looking forward to seeing my daughter and grandchildren, I am not looking
forward to the drive.  I have to arrange for a cat sitter, clean my house, pack clothes some for the
road and some for when I'm down there.  I guess once we get past NJ we'll be safe from snow, but
then we face it again on the ride home.  I love my daughter and grandchildren and at first loved
the trip to FL.  Once we traveled through the mountains and it was breathtaking, but I guess as I
 age it gets a little harder to plan, to leave my kitties, to drive to and from and to know what I need
to bring. I've tried bringing "everything", but that didn't work.  I suppose I should start my list.
Let's see  clothes, (socks, undies, shoes, nightgown, robe and more),  Reading material is also
important, and I just got new glasses so I can see better now.  But the trip takes a toll on me
(probably on my significant person too, but he doesn't complain).  I know as I get older these
trips will be even less often than they are now.  After all how long is it safe for a person to make
this kind of trip as she or he ages?   Then there's the problem of driving in FL.  I don't want to
speak unkindly about FL traffic, roads and drivers, but the male drivers are a bit agressive and
hostile especially if one is driving with out of state plates.  The roads are 2-4 lanes in each
direction, moving fast which is fine I guess if you know your way around, but if one is used to
the 2 lane roads in the hills of  CT, those roads can seem a bit scary.  God help you if you
take a wrong turn!  It could take you days to find your way out of the maze unless a friend
or relative sends out a rescue team or you get killed in an accident. I'm sure anyone who reads
this will think I'm exaggerating unless he or she has been to certain areas of FL.  If you live there
and are fairly well adjusted to their traffic flow you might think I'm exaggerating, but talk to
people who only have visited a few times and happen to come from a small town somewhere
 else (like New England) and you might understand a little more.

Years ago I lived in FL when I was newly married and not yet had any children, and for a time
we were too poor to afford a vehicle, and when we did get one it was old and unreliable, but
it did help me go grocery shopping, and a few other errands.  Even then I found the big 4-6
lane highways intimidating and pretty much confined my travels to the Air Force base
(Patrick Air Force Base on the east coast).  Fortunately they had most of what we needed
to live there ie food, clothing, small movie theater, some recreational activities and the Atlantic
Ocean was walking  distance from our tiny apartment.  It was a beautiful place to live, but so
hot.  I think I knew then that FL would not become our permanent home if I had a choice.  My
daughter does seem to love it and her children who were born there think it's great.  My
granddaughter, though was crazy about snow when she was here in CT.  It was cute to see her
so excited about something that most New Englanders moan about (except those in the ski
business). It is fun to take a look back at my life so many years ago and contrast it to what it
is like now.  So many changes: computers, cell phones, amazing cars, affordable flight travel,
cheap long distance calling, space travel, color TV  (giving my age way now).  Some pretty
amazing medical advances have also occured during the last 50 or so years.  We should all do
this exercise once in a while.  It makes one grateful for all we now have.  One thing that also
changes is warfare.  It seems peace is still illusive as there is still fighting in so many places,
much hate, racism and crimes of all sort, but the weapons are different and the reasons for
the fighting are less clear at least to me.  So much just seems like hate, opression, and crime,
then  anything else.  It also seems that many people aren't content to have freedom of religion
unless it's their religion.  There are some religions that want to push for conversion, some that
want to use force to bring people into the religion, some religions that want to hurt or destroy
members of other religions.  I cannot understand this, though I do understand being fearful of
some of the more radical religions, but let us remember that Christians were radical at one
time making life horrible for other religions to have a peaceful coexistance, and the Jewish
religion is blamed for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ because he taught a new way to think.
I really believe in live and let live, but that doesn't mean (to me at least) that one should force
his or her beliefs or religion on other groups, but laws of the land should prevail.  No killing
your female off spring because she dated a young man of a different religion or nationality.
That should not be tolerated and the perpetrator should be punished to the fullest extent of
the law.  In this country we have rights for everyone.  If someone wishes to live here he
should follow the laws of this country.  If he doesn't like them then he should leave and go
back to his homeland and see if that's better.  It might be better for the men, but not usually
for the women of these nations.  It's amazing to me that such a mass exodus of people
from the middle eastern nations is taking place in the name of  freedom and a better life,
but will the life be any better if they bring their brutal heritage and tradition with them? They
must change their traditions or they will hate it here and possibly be hated by the people
who don't believe in their ways.  Their women need more respect and protection and their
daughters should not be sold or married off for a price.  Women's rights need to be addressed
now.