Making Memories with Mom. Dec 18-30

So my sisters Deb, Betty and I arranged our schedules to be "back to back" to be able to get mom out of the cold Michigan weather and down to her Florida house for a few weeks.  My sister Deb and brother in law Don drove her down and stayed about a week, Julie and I stayed almost two weeks and my sister Betty will be here a week after us.  Thanks for all the driving Deb and Don!
Julie and I got an Enterprise car on Friday and left the boat on Sunday Dec 18 to for the three hour drive across the state to Mom's.  This is actually a drive we have done many times over the last 33 years as Julie's parents were in Sarasota and my parents in Fort Pierce/Vero Beach.  As we make the drive, we note there are still as many cattle and dairy farms as 30 years ago.  It appears farming is still going strong.
We have lots of memories of Mom's house with our kids and we had a great visit with her.  We took her to play cards three days a week.  And had to wait up for her at night because Looper midnight is way earlier than she gets home from cards!!  Two daily walks around the block were part the routine with Mom.  Julie and I took a long hour walk each morning too. Julie cooked up a storm and we all ate well.  We took Mom to get her hair done on Tuesday.  Mom directed us there by memory which was perfect. Then we went to the Citrus Grill House for the early menu which was very tasty!  Here we are before dinner.

 

We met a number of Mom's neighbors.  One of them worked with our friend Tim at Bissell.  Yet another small world story!  Her neighbors are all very nice and caring people.
Lots of nice lights and decorations in the neighborhood.

 



And some vintage lights Mom found in a closet to decorate her home!  I think I remember these from growing up in our home in Spring Lake!

Julie had to make Christmas cookies of course.

 

Hanging out waiting for scraps....



 

Cookie making memories with grandma 1993.

Christmas Eve we went to 4 o'clock Mass.  Of course we had to get there early to get a seat and we also took Mom's neighbor Erma.  The service was very nice with the children's choir and play.  After Mass we had the shrimp bisque that Julie has made many times for Christmas Eve.  It was awesome!
Christmas Day Mom awoke to some new snowflake and gingerbread house decorations that we put up over night.  She also found a stocking stuffed with some cute Christmas socks and other miscellaneous items. 

And Santa left a stocking for Julie and me too.  Another  memory made....
We had a standing rib roast, mashed potatoes, veggies, a little wine, etc...all the traditional /Christmas dinner fare.  It was fabulous!  Testing to see which thermometer works...they both did!

Weather has been fantastic with mostly sunny and in the high 70's and low 80's.  We did get some inopportune showers on two of our daily walks...got completely soaked and needed a warm shower when we got back!

We saw a gentleman riding his bike each morning as we walked and immediately thought of Kevin M...because the gentleman wore a Fox News hat and Philadelphia Eagles shirt!!
Did some minor caulking repairs for Mom, replaced light bulbs, etc. 

Her home is generally in good shape and everyone chips in when here to keep it that way.  Thanks to all my siblings for this.
We also spent the week watching the first 10 episodes of This Is Us, a good show about family life, loss and death. Afterwards we shared some conversations about the death of our parents... all good conversations for us to have and share.  More memories...

Oh, and breaking news!  Deb is coming back to Florida for three more weeks after Betty leaves so Mom (and Deb...) can enjoy some more of the Florida weather.  Enjoy!
We are back in Longboat Key getting ready for our friends Paula and Rich visiting on Sunday.
Happy New Year to all!!  May 2017 be a great year for all.