Winter Break

I planned the winter break well, for once! On the first night of the vacation, I rushed to NY to see my first childhood friend and her family, because she was in from CA and it was my one chance to see her. We laughed, ate, and laughed some more. Arriving home at 2:30 in the morning, I napped a tad and then zoomed to Philly airport in the morning to fly down to Florida.

Ah! Warmth! Family! Nature! I enjoyed the wildlife in Hommosassa Springs. It would be great to have a photo of the manatees here, but instead, a hippo will have to do. (Yes, I had "a Hippopotomus for Christmas"... Lou was his name and he ate pumpkin pie and melons. He had his dessert first.) I loved walking on the beach and looking for hermit crabs with my niece, digging to reach water with my niece and nephew, talking with my sisters and seeing dolphins. It was luxury to be able to swim outside and chat with my mother, and to see how happy my father was to have us all together. We needed this family time. (I'll add that it was odd for me to be in my deceased sister's part of the world, to see the hospital where she had stayed, and to know she is gone.)

At the end of the trip, I spent one day at Epcot. My Grandma had taken me there as a special trip the year after my grandfather had died, the year the park had opened. Therefore, I have always associated the park with her. Ironically, I stopped going to FL for the holidays in my late teens, and ended up spending winter break largely with Grandma while my immediate family went to the parks, and so I also associate NOT being at Epcot with being with Grandma. Anyway, the last time I was there, Gram and I had flown down from Islip (Macarthur Airport) and she was well enough to do so. Mel was alive and had driven down with my parents. Nana and Papa met us down there. At that point, Pocahontas had just been out in the movie theaters--it was that long ago. We didn't have home email accounts yet. So much has changed in my life.

My niece is now the age I was when I first went to Epcot. It was hard for me to watch her and imagine her remembering this trip 25 years in the future, after so much more will have been lost. I miss my Grandma a lot. And yet, she would have been so unhappy with this war, this 9-11 and post 9-11 world. I went on a ride alone (Spaceship Earth-- which had broken down for about an hour with us on it, many years ago), and just thought about her with loving memories.

I loved having my nephew on my lap, late in the evening, just before the fireworks. He was so tired, and so at ease with me. I felt part of an eternal rite, being Auntie. Lucky me!

After a goodbye breakfast with my parents, I flew back to Philly and made it home in time to go to a party at a friend's house. The next day, I had friends visit, and today has been a calm day to "regroup", to gather photos, to clean up after the cats, to buy a new winter coat and some socks, and yes, to see Desperaux and finish reading Eat, Pray, Love.

Best of all--- I still have 5 more days of vacation!

I hope you are as peaceful as I am!