A new year and a new home! Bill and I moved to the east coast of Florida, after living on the west coast for over fifty years. It felt like a sudden decision, but in actuality, we have been living in limbo for the last six years since we sold our big house and the two golf courses. We loved living in our “guest house/Air B&B” for those years, close to BIll’s Mom, but her death at the end of September helped with our decision.
We are now living a half an hour from our youngest of four children, knowing as we age we should have family nearby. Tyler and Stephanie are parents to three of our eight grandchildren, and we are delighted to watch them grow close by, instead of the three hour trek across the state. It is not easy to pick up and move, knowing we still have two young grands in California, one big grand and two greats in the same area, one grand in Tampa, and the big grand in the area we just left. But, a plane flight away, a car ride away, and of course FaceTime!
We bought a delightfully cheerful villa in a 55 and older community in Delray Beach, four miles from the Atlantic and the charming downtown. We are looking forward to meeting new people with all the activities planned in this community, finding our place with golf for Bill, and pool aerobics for me. The upside is the ease at which we can lock the door and leave with no worries about the property. (I do not think Bill will miss the five acres of maintenance he left behind!)
It has been fun decorating, hauling all my sentimentals, books, furniture and whatever was in storage for so long. I have kept Bill busy repainting the entire place, correcting the crooked light switches and outlets on the wall, and keeping Amazon busy at my door. My resolution for 2026 is to complete the history of Camp Maqua, book two, as soon as my interviews are complete. Thankfully, the developer is sharp as a tack with his memories, and forwarded great photos and history. The residents have also been great with their memories and photos of how they found Camp Maqua, so onward and upward! Happy New Year to you all!