Catch-up (Where's the mustard) or We're movin' on up

Disclaimer: accident pics are from 2005.... OLD PICS... so on to blog post:

Heading down the road; UHaul in tow and confused kitty

How I had hoped to put some more miles on the ZiOs mobile this summer. But beyond our trip to Duluth to close up shop once and for all, and hauling the rest of our earthly belongings back down to SoFlo, no real trips have transpired. The Hearthouse is sold and closed for good and so is the Lake Condo.













We bought a house! We are moving in this Thursday, July 21st the 11th anniversary of that fateful motorcycle accident. Everything that happened that day has brought us to this moment.

July 21 2005 one minute on the back of a bike and the next...

...waking up in the hospital. July 21 2005

Who would have thought so many wonderful things would have come forward from this event?  I could never have imagined I would have settled in Southern Florida nor could I have imagined being retired and forging this fabulous life with Gerard Zimney. I have said to most of you that we have no memory of the accident for a reason. We always say it really was no accident. It did stop us in our tracks and made us find our way forward with each other... healthy and happy.

How far we've come

We are completely packed... Just a few odds and ends that we use for our daily living. These last few days lend some time to type these words and play catch up with you all. We are going to pack the cookware by Tuesday and then we will explore some new restaurants and let someone else do the cooking the last couple days.

We were so blessed to have sold the condo so easily and with a tidy profit. We had four showings and each brought an offer! Two were full price offers. The cash offer sealed the deal. AND the new house's appraisal came in 15k higher than what we offered!  Blessed beyond belief!!! In gratitude we are.

Moving to the new house has us mostly just moving in. We will do just a little painting just two rooms and then letting our possessions land in their new spaces and places. We thought we didn't want to take care of a home again, but truth be told we were just a tad bit bored with a home owner's association doing it all. So we will do our own lawn and pool care and I am so excited about getting veggies planted in a raised bed garden.

One of our previous neighbors said of their move,  what they loved most about leaving our complex is the privacy. Even though we thought we'd like condo life, it turned out it wasn't for us. One of the things I am most looking forward to is silence .... no more banks of air conditioners roaring 24/7. No one caring about the size of our van and the furry creatures will have a yard to roam again. No pool rules!

I am hoping by next week, we can pick up our kayak and take a relaxing break from the unpacking out in the water.

Hobie Revolution 13.. our new watercraft

We will be looking to add a second kayak, just trying to decide if we need to buy a second pedal kayak or if a paddle kayak will do the trick. Gerard is looking forward to building a rack for the kayaks. So many new experiences are on their way.

contemplating lawn mowing... looks at home in the new yard

To replace the social aspect, we hope to have friends and family come visit. Steve and Corine are on the calendar for the end of March. Let us know if you can make your way down to us. We will need to get you on the calendar because we think we are going to do some AirBnB also.  Playing host to others will provide a little extra income as well as connection with people. So let your family and friends know that we are a great place for a getaway. I will post pics of the guest quarters very soon. We'd appreciate your word of mouth. It will also provide an excellent reason to bake!

We have been inundated with heat and humidity. I think it will take some time for me to acclimate to summer in the south, more than this year for sure.  We have been indoors, in the air conditioning, no outdoor dining, no summer festivals... it's just too damn hot for me. However, I am itching to get some road time in. Once we are settled, Sitka and I will take off up A1A up to at least Assateague Island... farther up the seashore if we don't get too late in the season. Gerard says for now he is content with staying home and be in charge of kitty care. Sitka and I will be sure to bring you along for the ride through this blog.

SItka and my first solo trip to Chockoloskee Island in the Everglades