Home For The Holidays

We returned to our boat early Saturday morning after a deliciously decadent week aboard the “ Navigator” and after settling in, immediately began contacting friends and family back home. It was not until early evening that we were finally able to get in touch with Dorothy Weeks and discover that 3 days ago Vinces 98 year old father Ernie had been taken to the hospital suffering from internal bleeding. And so we immediately began preparations to return home.

We did laundry, emptied the fridge, took valuables off the boat, locked it up, paid a month’s mooring fee to the marina, rented a car and headed north. Three days later Vince was at his fathers side--only to eventually discover that it was not internal bleeding after all, but simply a case of anemia which was easily remedied by iron pills!

But when told your 98 year old father is hospitalized with internal bleeding, one does not wait for a prognosis when it could be “too late.” We HAD to come home given the circumstances and we were glad we did.

So much “good” came to us as a result of this decision”

1. Vince got o spend several days of quality time with his dad.
2. I was able to spend an afternoon with my own mother in her nursing home.
3. We spent 3 days with Julies family and 10 days with Trevor and Mel.
4. We were able to attend the annual “Dale Christmas” with an extended family of 22.
5. We hosted a happy evening of card games with our Bridge Group of 30 plus years.
6. I was able to attend Cathie Brydens annual Christmas Pot-Luck along with 16 friends.
7. Vince had breakfast with Basil Wall
8. I got new glasses--which were urgently needed.
9. I got an appointment with a new dermatologist who zapped spots off my hands.
10. I had afternoon tea with my “favourite” friend Cathie McKillop
11. I also had afternoon tea with my most “interesting” friend Karen Nonnecke.
12. And I had breakfast and spent many hours over several days with my “best” friend Karen Hunt who was alone and in real need of companionship after having just received disheartening news concerning a medical condition.

And so we feel we were meant to come home now instead of mid-January as previously planned. Even better--on the trip back we had time to think about alternate options for keeping the boat “on the hard” over the summer. For the past 2 years we’ve hauled out in the Chesapeake which necessitated a 2 month trek south in the fall before reaching Miami. Much as we have enjoyed this trip in the past, it does pose serious hazards in Georgia and delays our trip to the Bahamas--where we REALLY want to be.

On our way back to Florida last week, we drove our car to Titusville (across from the Space Centre) where we left it at Westlands Marina and made arrangements to leave our boat there in June. Now in future years, we can stay in Canada until mid-October and, after celebrating Thanksgiving with extended family at Weekswood Farm, drive south to Florida, board the boat and cross over to the Bahamas in November. This is a much better plan all around. It allows us to spend more time with family and friends in Canada and more time in the Bahamas too. Now--if only the hurricanes co-operate!