Moving time

My "stuff" took up a small area in this very large truck seen delivering it to my storage unit.

Below a Great White Egret seems to be staring in my window "Where is she going?"

Transitional Time

Granddaughters Easter Greenfields of Geneva

Top Floor to be my summer residence

Using up ingredients makes for creative cooking

I spent 2 weeks in Illinois in April.  For the most part the weather was kind to me.  Part of my time was in Rockford assisting with preparing my brother's condo for selling.  It was a monumental task dealing with 30 years of accumulations but with lots of good helpers we were able to do the job, leaving the repainting and carpeting and minor repairs yet to be done.  I also started working on valuing his coin collection and on my return I hope to find some buyers.
Easter  was spent with daughter Emily and baby Penelope, son Michael, wife Karen, and daughter Katherine for brunch at a retirement facility in Geneva Illinois.  It was the first view for my family and my first view of the beautiful finishes.  I had selected an apartment more than a year before but since that time much has changed.  Primarily I discovered how much I enjoy the city of Chicago and all it offers, particularly the ease of getting around on public transportation.  In the end we all agreed I should pursue the idea of living in the city, if only in the short term.
I contacted another retirement facility Admiral at the Lake still under construction and am now considering that possibility which would be an August move in.   Meantime I had a buyer for my Florida condo which now seems like a certainty but leaves me homeless.  Fortunately Emily located a sublease in Chicago, Michael checked out a storage place near him for my worldly goods (more than I should have) and by late June I should have a place to lay my head albeit a climb to the third floor to get home!
So in addition to packing boxes, I'm trying to use up foodstuffs.  I really enjoy the creativity of cooking when I can take a few ingredients and make something.  I started this while living on the boat with limited ingredients and no convenient shopping.  Tonight I made a quiche using frozen spinach, thawed and drained, baby portobello mushrooms (on their last legs) fresh tomato slices, a remaining pie crust,shredded cheese (cheddar and mozzarella) 3 eggs, around a cup of half and half the remnants left from a winter neighbor,  a couple spoonfulls of Dijon mustard and some ground nutmeg mixed with the eggs.  Baked at 375 for 30 minutes, it was delicious.  Tonight I also made barley vegetable soup and recently Kahlua brownies, and cranberry upside down gingerbread with more "leftovers"  Unfortunately I think my larder will outlast my occupancy but I am taking up temporary quarters at a friend's nearby condo for a few weeks before heading north.  I am savoring every water exercise and zumba gold class here, but through the wonders of the internet looking for new activities in my new location.  More later when I'm back on the road.

FAMILY

Family Gathering 1958.  Philip is in middle row on far right.

My most recent trip back to Illinois was to enjoy my granddaughters, ages 3 months, and 4 years and assist in any way as daughter Emily returned to the workforce after maternity leave.  It was amazing how the baby had changed in the almost 2 months I’d been away.  She’s demanding when hungry, and very social with lots of smiles and chatter the rest of the time. My son’s four year old also had added many more large words to her sometimes grown up sounding vocabulary and mastered skills with her IPad!

Midway in my visit though came word of the death of my brother, age 63.  He was discovered by my other brother and one of my sisters.  By all appearances it had happened quickly, either a diabetic coma or a heart attack and occurring not long after he had optimistically bought a new TV and signed up for a new cable contract.

Journalist sister Gayle wrote a wonderful obituary, the link to which I’ve listed.  At tragic times such as this, family and friends are what get you through.  A small service held in my brother Jim’s home brought memories of happier times as we shared stories with those gathered.  Photos, including the one above provided by cousin Kathleen, added more stories.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/rrstar/obituary.aspx?n=philip-worland&pid=156183410

In looking for words of comfort to use at the service I came across Khahil Gibran’s writing on death and used the following excerpt:

“For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and melt into the sun?

And what is it to cease breathing but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand see God unencumbered?

Only when we drink from the river of silence, shall you need to sing.

And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb

And when the earth shall claim you limbs, then shall you truly dance!”

May Philip be at peace with a soul that dances.

Sights of the Season

One of my top activities is attending Martin County Library System all day Book Mania featuring fascinating authors.  This year one my favorite mystery writers, Nevada Barr, whose protagonist is a female National Park ranger with the story set in various US National Parks, was part of a panel and after signing my books posed for a photo!

Stuart's waterfront music stage has a new cover and is the site of Sunday music groups.  Bring a chair and look out over the St. Lucie River enjoying the beautiful breezes.

Schooner Lily moors in downtown Stuart and has many admirers who are walking the waterfront.  Hopefully I will take ride before the season ends.

Back to Florida

After a wonderful family filled Christmas spent with both my granddaughters, Katerine age 4 years and Penelope, age 4 weeks, I left behind my accumulated wool clothes and as in previous years, co-piloted my friend Ginny in the drive south.  This year with unseasonably mild weather we took the shorter route through Chattanooga.  Arriving mid afternoon on the 31st, my 70th, we were treated to dinner at one neighbors and a party at anothers complete with a cake that featured a photo of me on a bike trip.

Me with the "Grands"

Katherine in her special Christmas dress enjoys the trampoline with Uncle Denni

Enzo who I visited in Ithaca in July is now quite the "little man"

My time in Chicago showed me again how convenient the city is as I commuted daily by bus to Emily's condo to assist (mostly holding) with baby Penelope.  The weather was unusually mild which also helped my enjoyment.  Step grandsons Carl and Josh and granddaughter Katherine joined me on their first day of Christmas vacation.  We did the traditional visit to what was Marshall Fields department store, site of my first job in Chicago in 1964! viewing the windows along State Street and the 2 story tall tree.  Under Macy's ownership, it was a disappointing display remembering all the handcrafted ornaments and special animated windows of the past.  Lunch was in the Frango Cafe on the store's 7th floor and everyone loved the traditional frango ice cream.  We rode the bus to Emily's where they met their new cousin also known as Poppy and each had a chance to hold her.
Christmas Eve I moved to Mike and Karen's to enjoy the family festivities through the Christmas morning Santa excitement.  Michael was on call and the boys would go to their Dad's in the afternoon, so Katherine and I set off fo the Worland family gathering at sister Margarets with an overnight and second day celebration to enjoy.  There were 4 babies under one year old, plus Katherine and her two Madison cousins.  It was a fun time particularly since brother in law Denni is so great about playing with the kids who were able to enjoy the trampoline in the great weather.  For me, it has been one of the best Christmases ever and brought home again the importance of being near family.

Chicago Living

For a week I am living in a one bedroom in the west tower of Marina City pictured here. My first stay in this building was about 50 years ago also at Christmas time in the apartment of my aunt and uncle who were among the first tenants in this very unique contemporary mixed use complex. Located on the Chicago River the views are fabulous. Today I made the most of my location, the apartment of my son in laws parents, and an unusually bright sunny and not too cold day. I walked up Michigan Avenue to 4th Presbyterian Church, a magnificent Gothic building surrounded by modern high rises. Les was inducted as a Fellow in the American Institute of Architects at a service held here in 1993. Today I enjoyed the Sunday church service with beautiful Christmas music complete with brass and organ and including the Gloria cantata written by John Rutter in 1974. That contemporary piece was beautiful and a contrast to Handel's Messiah I attended in the afternoon It was the most outstanding performance of that piece that I can remember hearing. I had chills during the final Amen. The Harris Theatre was also very impressive mostly underground structure part of Millinium Park. 2 music performance for my soul and a dinner picked up at the Kris Kringle market--bratwurst and sauerkraut and apple strudel eaten here in my room with a view complete a very special day.

Seasonal Travels

My 2003 VW Passat known as Ruby was my transportation for a November trip to Chicago to await the birth of a grandchild.  She arrived on Thanksgiving Day, 11 days past due but good size and healthy.  In the time leading up to her birth I had time to have an overnight with my four year granddaughter. Thanks to the generosity of long time friend Ginny, I had a home to stay in.  I've accumulated cold weather clothes as the pull of the granddaughters will increase my trips and eventually call for a move back to the Chicago area. 

The drive to and from was made more directly and quickly than I would like but I have to say I was pleased with the VW.  I had never driven it on a long trip by myself and it had never been north in cold weather.  I discovered that when the temperature drops below 40, a small alarm sounds and a snowflake appears next to the outside temperature!!  We questioned the seat heaters when we bought the car but they were part of the package.  Now almost 10 years later I'm making use of them.

For Christmas I will fly back and return to Florida via Ginny's car.  I look forward to being with family but my travel will delay my Christmas cards which I so enjoy sending and receiving.  Completing that will be at the top of my New Years Resolutions. Meantime I'll post some granddaughter photos which are sure to appear on the Holiday letter!  A Joyous and Blessed Christmas to all who may read this post in the next weeks. and wishes for a new year without the strife and rancor that seems to have dominated 2011. Thanks for sharing my life on the road.