Bittersweet

The weather is unbelievable here in South Florida. Sunny and hot...but I like that. There is always something to do, if you feel like doing something. If not, laid back and lazy is okay too. That's been us today. Well, except for doing the laundry this morning.

There is a flea market in Ft. Myers that boasts 900 vendors...and I believe it! We went there Friday and shopped till we dropped. Bargains galore! Junk too! We must have walked miles just looking at all the goodies for sale, then went back and did it again. That was a fun way to spend two days.

Friday evening, I was sitting outside enjoying the cooling breezes, minding my own business, when I was attacked, unprovoked! I was bit many times over all about my feet and ankles, even on my elbows by huge, blood thirsty mosquitoes!!! I am literally covered in mosquito bites. And let me tell you, they are driving me crazy itching. I went to the local CVS drugstore and bought a gallon of calamine lotion, and look rather like a painted lady right now, but the swelling and redness is much better.
Okay, maybe not a gallon, but I did buy a big bottle and cotton balls, and proceeded to dab this amazing pink nectar of the gods all over me. Aaahhh....better!

I also bought myself a new bottle of bug spray, and one of those new bug repellant clip on, battery operated personal, individual, Off  brand things and a package of refills hoping to encourage the mosquitoes to go bite someone else!

Tomorrow, the plans are to go to visit the winter homes of Thomas Edison, and Henry Ford. They are only a couple of miles from where we are staying, and both Dennis and I love anything to do with history. It should be a fun day, hopefully.

I talked to Mom today, and this is where I got the bittersweet, that's what Mom called it. Her beautiful house, our Family home, closed today. Closed...like shutting the door...ending a chapter of a good book. It's something that had to be done, but it sure wasn't something we wanted to do. Closed...a very appropriate way of putting it.

 Wouldn't it be nice if we could pick "the best day of our life" and stay there? Like going to my parents house for a family gathering, everyone there, happy, healthy, having a really good time. No worries, no problems, at least for the moment. Dad still with us, and my dear nephew, Joe, who died unexpectedly at the tender age of 25, back in 1995. Actually, I would have a hard time with this. I hadn't met my wonderful husband yet, and I didn't have my awesome (step) daughter, nor my 5 grandchildren. I suppose that could be ONE of the many reasons that isn't possible, eh? Ah, well. It was just a thought...

So, I'm really glad to still be here, but I'm really missing my family. We left home two weeks ago today, and are still enjoying ourselves tremendously, but wish our family were here too. Bittersweet. That's what it is...