On the Other Side of November 11/3/2013

It’s amazing what a couple nights of good sleep will do for your attitude.  When I jotted off that note to y’all on Friday evening, I was not at my best – to say the least.  Almost 20 hours sardined in a truck with my adorable husband and cuddly fur-babies isn’t usually that big a deal.  But add to that the stress of I-75 traffic in really bad weather the first day and a big dog who couldn’t seem to understand why he shouldn’t ride in the front seat with the rest of us the second day,  and . . . well, let’s just say the only one of us NOT needing an attitude adjustment was Maddie.  Why should she?  Her cushy bed – with her in it – sat squarely across my legs for two days while she snoozed through rain, sleek roads, wall to wall semi-trucks, and enough road construction to make you wonder if there is a single stretch along I-75 NOT being repaved, rerouted, or reconfigured!

We slept SO GOOD in our king-sized bed Friday night!  For the first time in 5 1/2 months there was room for Ted, Maddie and I to spread out and have our own space – and a lot of it.  Oh Lordy, that felt good!  We’re slowly getting things unpacked, but we’ve barely made a dent in the 10 boxes that are already here, and we have seven more that should arrive on Monday.  Time is something we have plenty of though, so no rush.

Ted and I both rode down to our favorite lake hang-out, Booger Bottom (BB) on Saturday afternoon for the South’s most important event of the Fall – the Georgia vs Florida game.  I mostly sat outside with the ladies and enjoyed catching up on everyone’s summer.  Oh my gosh, it was good to see everyone!

Georgia won, by the way.  Go DAWGS!

It’s been an awesome weekend here on the ri’vah.  Temps in the low 70’s, with blue skies and a little breeze.  Perfect.

So . . .  what next?  I wish I could tell you a plan today, but the truth is we just don’t have one yet.  Over the next month, while taking a little hiatus from the blog world, Ted and I will be doing a lot of praying, thinking, planning and searching.  Our first  agenda item is a Florida trip to see Julie and Matt and our two grandchildren.  They’ve moved into a new home while we’ve been gone, and we can’t wait to see them . . . and it.  We’re also hoping to get a chance to watch Matthew play football and soccer before the season is over.  While there, we’ll be working with a real estate agent to look at houses/condos in the Ormond Beach/Flagler Beach/New Smyrna Beach areas.  We’ll come home through Amelia Island/Fernandina Beach and maybe spend a couple of nights there – again looking at houses and condos with an agent.  We really have to see what our options are down there before we can begin to finalize “what’s next.”  I’ll be chronicling all that house searching in photos so I can share with you when I’m back online Sunday, December 1.

Another decision I hope to make this month is whether to continue with two blogs – one here in Georgia and one on the Island, or just combine them into one blended blog so you don’t have to switch back and forth.  Another aspect of that is how much time we’ll be spending next summer on the island – something we don’t know yet.   As I’ve done in the past, I’ll continue to try and keep you updated on Mackinac Island activities over the winter . . . with a LOT of help from island friends!  It will help keep all of us tuned in to the Island, and there’s no place more beautiful covered in snow than magical Mackinac.  Winter Island updates will begin in December also – probably Wednesday, December 4. 

I checked on the article Stephanie Fortino wrote  on Bree’s Blog for The Town Crier and unfortunately the writing and photo is copyrighted because The Town Crier is not part of the Associated Press.  In a couple of weeks though you’ll be able to go online and read the article without a subscription – I’ll post a link to that when it’s available.  Ted and I were really excited Saturday when we received this week’s copy of the St. Ignace News and found they ran the article also! 

It will be a busy November, but no busier than yours will be, I’m sure – especially if you have folks coming for Thanksgiving.  Bear and I will get started back working with our Pet Partners group in a week or so, and we are so thrilled about that.  I think he misses it as much as I do . . . truly, I really think he does.

For those of you new to the Mackinac Island blog, the other one I mentioned above, which is active in the winter, is Bree’s Lake Blackshear Blog at www.bree1976.wordpress.com.  If you need something to read one afternoon, you can go to that link and see what we do to stay busy down here in south Georgia!  It’s a more personal blog than the one I write from Michigan – filled with friends we’ve known for years and years and with lots of family gatherings.  And you might learn a historical thing of two about our neck of the woods!  You can click on the “follow” button to receive email announcements of blog posts. 

I guess that’s it for now.  I’m sad saying good night because we won’t be “talking” for a little while.  But this little break is a good thing, and I’m expecting to come back December 1 filled with lots of news you’ll want to hear about.    Please keep us in your prayers, and each of you will be in mine. 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving – filled with family, friends and good food.  Hold each other close, and make sure everyone you care for knows how much you love them. 

And so I say to each of you – I love you (BIG hug)! 

Good Lord willing, I’ll see you all back here on the other side of November!