Long Overdue Update

I just looked and it has been FOUR MONTHS since my last Journal entry here. So many things have happened between then and now, I can't begin to write about them all, but the biggest and most important development is that I traveled up to Vero Beach in early January to see my daughter and her family. My grandson, Robbie, had been selected to participate in a National Baseball Youth Tournament (a BIG deal) and my daughter had written, asking if I would come. THAT in itself was a major breakthrough! As you may recall, she had stopped speaking to me several years ago when her first born son got into trouble with the law and I have been trying hard for the last year or so to at least open the communication door enough to get my toe inside. It worked!
Anyway, my original plan was to drive to Vero Beach and stay with my friends who live there. Unfortunately, that plan got shot to Hell when Donna became ill right before Christmas. And to add insult to injury, I got really sick on December 23 and was really wondering if I was going to be well enough to make the long drive on January 2. Giving credit to modern medicine, I made it and just ended up getting a room in the same hotel as my daughter and her family were staying -- right out on the beach.
I can't tell you how wonderful it was to see them! My son-in-law had walked down the ramp from the stadium to greet me (I had phoned my daughter when I arrived at the Historic Dodgertown Stadium). He greeted me with a big bear hug and said how very good it was to see me again. He and I have never really had a problem, but I know he tends to keep quiet and avoid conflict even when he disagrees with my daughter.
After a few minutes, I followed him up the ramp and saw where the others were sitting. My granddaughter, Ashley, broke into a big smile and stood up and gave me a big hug, saying in my ear how much she loves me and has missed me. It was all I could do not to break down crying...I have missed, her too. Then I greeted my daughter with a big hug and told her thanks for asking me to come.
Robbie's team was still waiting to get on the field, but when he saw me, he came over and also gave me a big hug of greeting. I can't believe how tall he is -- of course, everyone is tall when you are me -- but he must be close to 5'11' and he's only 14!
Robbie's team was then called to play and we watched, cheering them on. The rules of play are 7 innings or 90 minutes, whichever comes first. By the end of 90 minutes, Robbie's team was way ahead and was declared the winner. They were scheduled to play their next game at 10:00 Saturday morning.
After driving to the hotel and showering, we all met up at the dining room. The kids wanted to sit on the patio outdoors which overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. They were very much taken by the fact that in was warm enough to be outside in January! And it was a nice evening -- cooling breeze blowing, but not so cold as to require a jacket or sweater.
I laughed all through dinner as the Twins insisted on telling me the story about their "Three Days with Pop" down at his new house in Chincoteague, VA. He remarried sometime in 2013, sold his house in Maryland and has relocated down there full time. I didn't offer anything in the way of comment, but their story was hilarious! At one point, Ashley asked me "What do YOU think about all this Mops?" and I just shook my head and said, "He certainly doesn't sound like the guy I was married to." Even my daughter rolled her eyes as the kids talked and occasionally commented to me "I swear -- he's just not for real." In the end, the Twins made a very firm announcement: "We will NOT be going down there again. Period." Karma, I guess, has a way of coming around after all.
On Saturday morning, there was a brief rain delay so Robbie's team didn't start until 10:30. And in the 90 minute time limit, they were so far ahead of the other team it was like the other team hadn't shown up! As this was tournament play, it was announced that Robbie's teams next game wouldn't be played until Sunday afternoon. I had only gotten a hotel room for one night and still had a 3-1/2 hour drive back to Naples (and believe me - there's a whole lot of NOTHING between Vero Beach and there) so I had already packed my car before going to the stadium. As much as I hated to leave, they were all going back to the hotel to shower and then had some other things they wanted to do. I gave and received hugs and kisses from the Twins and my daughter and her husband. I told my daughter "I hope to see you again before too long." She said, "I wish you lived closer by." And I told her that I wasn't settled in Naples and had been thinking seriously about moving somewhere a little farther north; that I would keep in touch and maybe get up to Maryland this summer to visit.
I had my hands full keeping back tears on the drive home. It was so wonderful to see them all after such a long time, but I know in my heart and mind that I really couldn't deal with moving back to the cold weather (and high taxes) in Maryland. But it's more food for thought...
Funny -- I can go anywhere I want and do anything I want, yet I can't seem to make up my mind what to do! I continue to meditate and pray on it. I'm not going to do a knee-jerk by any stretch of the imagination. And I keep thinking about how my move to Naples unfolded almost two years ago -- the path simply opened up and everything fell into place. I will keep an eye out and one ear to the ground for the signs of what I'm supposed to do next.
Meanwhile, I stay busy with my volunteer work and friends. I joined LA Fitness in November and have been really good about working out at least 3 days a week. Of course, when I got sick, I lost ground. But I've been over there 3 times this week already and am doing some stretching/strength exercises here at home, too.
On the homefront, Woody had to go on insulin for his Feline Diabetes right after the New Year. The special diet was no longer keeping his glucose under control. So now I'm "Nurse Kathi" twice a day. Dr. Sisco was so funny when she was giving me the "in-service" for giving Woody his twice a day injection. I told her, "Doc, when you have given intramuscular injections to a horse that would just as soon kick your head off as look at you, giving this little tiny under the skin thing to a cat is a cake walk!" And Woody is so good about it. It's literally just a tiny pin-prick and he's only getting one unit twice a day, so it takes about half a second for the whole thing. He went this week for his second check-up and his glucose reading was so good, he doesn't have to go back now until February 10th. I'm to continue to keep him on the special diet and just watch for signs that would indicate he needs more insulin (i.e., drinking a lot and peeing a lot). So far, so good.
The weather here is great! We've had a couple of cloudy, cool days but it's mostly in the mid-70's most of the time and almost always sunny. Crazy how I never seem to go to the beach even though I'm just five miles away from it. Maybe I'll get down there over the weekend...
Looking forward to a possible visit from hurtinandhealin in March. And to any of you who live close, or who need a warm mid-winter getaway, let me know! I would love to have you come visit. And I'm already making some summer travel plans for myself...life is good when I can escape the sub-tropical summers down here.
Well, that's about it for this time. The photo I recently posted is of my twin grandkids, Robbie & Ashley. I never thought to ask my daughter to take a picture of the three of us together, but I'm camera-shy anyway. You all take care and keep in touch! Know that I hold each and every one of you in my thoughts and prayers.
xoxo the Cowgirl