Oh Brian! I am so sorry to hear about Hazel!
My life has changed so drastically in the past few years. Middle daughter married and moved away to sc. Oldest daughter engaged living with her beau. Son in Jr. College studying Computer Programming. I am divorced now, happily and very amicably. We split the property down the middle. He sold the house we just bought a few years ago and I am under contract to sell the first house we ever owned together. Standing to make a decent profit which becomes my entire nest egg. I'm in Jacksonville right now, which is honestly why I even thought about logging in and checking on you guys. I remembered that Vass lives here and thought we could actually meet face to face and grab dinner. I planned to go back home tomorrow afternoon, but I completed my assignment and can leave tonight. I have opted to do just that. I have a "paramour".... lol.... "boyfriend" at my age sounds just ridiculous. I recently bought a condo in a desirable neighborhood that, in my best laid plans, will appreciate quite nicely and hopefully be a valuable asset when it comes time to retire.
I'm embarrassed to tell you that I actually made it across the pond this past summer! I would have let you all know, but the lovely man I traveled with (above referenced paramour) had us on a tight schedule as we trekked from London to Paris to Amsterdam to Brussels to Rome to Naples to Venice... all in about 12 days. It was one of the most freeing experiences of my life and truly a life changing trip. I will never forget it and I want to travel more now! I still well up recalling that I have seen The Eiffel Tower, Tower Bridge, The Palace Gardens, Westminster Abbey, Trevi Fountain, Pompei, The Amalfi Coast, The Grande Canal, The Ann Frank house, an Amsterdam "coffee shop", The Colleseum, The Pantheon, Notre Dame, The Louvre (outside, not inside), and a "peeing boy". I tasted proper fish and chips, waffles and ice cream, French Onion Soup, Pizza, escargot, Italian breads and cheeses,
GELATO, Charles Quint and Pancakes made with everything you can think of! Truly the most amazing trip of my life. I shall return! Next time, I'd like to fit in Scotland and perhaps Ireland, two of my ancestral homes, and explore maybe more of the English countryside and find that darn Red House in Stonham Aspal Village that my greatX10 grandfather owned. Anyway.... rush hour traffic seems to have cleared up so it's time for me to make my way back to the middle of the state.
Wonderful to see you guys. I will check in more often.
Love
T
