Thursday, December 8, 2016

Glad to be here

Florida sunset last night
For many reasons, I''m glad to be here right now. First of all, the weather could not be better for a Pacific Northwesterner like me: a high in the 70s F, a little foggy in the mornings but sunny later in the day, with a light breeze. I just looked at the weather at home: 24 and snowing, but it should clear up. Just for fun, I looked up at the clock and saw that my fellow hikers would be gathering right now to go hiking and wondered if anybody showed up. Well, it turns out that twelve intrepid hikers will be going out today, and if I were there, it would have been thirteen! We are nothing if not dedicated.
The living room yesterday
But instead, I am visiting with my sister Norma Jean, who is dressed appropriately in shorts and t-shirt, with her furry dog curled up in the foreground, eyeing me. Little Lexie, my grand-niece, is lying in the chair, not feeling well. She's better today, I think, since she went to school. I got a chance to visit with them yesterday. Little Alicia has grown a great deal in the year since I saw her last.
Alicia with her iPad
She is quite a handful, I must say! She never stopped moving, even when she was watching things on her iPad. I sure enjoyed seeing her, and the two of them, with their mother (my niece Allison), will be here all weekend. I should get a year's worth of little ones by the time I leave.
Sisters DJan and Norma Jean
My nephew Peter took this picture of us yesterday, so I could have something to put on my post today. I have fallen into Norma Jean's routine (we are both people who appreciate a schedule): wake up to a cup of coffee at 6:30am, leave for the gym by 7:17am in our bathing suits, be ready for the door to the outside pool to open at 7:30, and be in the water by 7:32! She swims for a mile; yesterday I managed 25 minutes, but today it was a full 30 minutes swimming laps.

Then I take a nice hot shower and spend the time waiting for her to finish up while lifting a few weights in the gym. I went out to get this picture of her just before she finished for the day.
Norma Jean starting on another lap
It's a wonderful heated pool that is kept covered at night. I swam in the lane to her left. You can see someone in the next lane also swimming laps. The same people show up every morning to get their exercise in first thing.

After we come back to her house, we then step into our running shoes and go out for a 2.5-mile brisk walk. She does this routine five days a week, with a longer six-mile walk on Sunday. She rests on Saturdays. This will be my own routine until I get back to my own schedule.

So far, I have really enjoyed swimming in the early morning. If I had an outdoor pool like this one, I'd be there, too, but of course in Bellingham they are inside, with many more people trying to use the lanes. For now, it's just when I come to Florida that I swim laps.

I'm really glad to be here for many reasons, but the main one is connecting once again with my Florida family. Until later, think of me in lovely Florida sunshine.
:-)

22 comments:

  1. Glad you are enjoying your visit with your sister! Great pic of you two!

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  2. You and your sister are definitely two peas in a pod. So similar in so many ways. My sister, Betty Jean, sounds and looks like me, has a similar sense of humor, doesn't suffer fools gladly, but that's about it for our similarities. I know you are going to have such a good time with you family.

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  3. My goodness those little girls are growing! You have a wonderful time! :)

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  4. Have a wonderful, wonderful time.
    I really need to get back to the pool.

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  5. You day is filled with a toddler, sisterly love and exercise. Great combination, after all

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  6. I'm so glad you made it safely and are enjoying yourself. Those little ones are so precious.

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  7. Things look great: weather, exercise and relatives.

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  8. you two look so happy together! That's great!

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  9. Welcome to Florida: my birthplace and about 10 minutes from my home in South Georgia.
    Love that you are spending wonderful times with your Sister and family. Enjoy. Enjoy. Enjoy!!!
    Love,
    Jackie

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  10. I'm thinking of you in Florida while we're getting snow up here! Enjoy yourvisit.

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  11. So glad you are getting to see the kids and spend time with them.
    It is very cold here, with snow in some places turning to rain tomorrow. 40 degrees and raining is the worst!

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  12. Swimming and walking. Nice combination!

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  13. Love the pictures! You look so happy:-) Glad you are enjoying yourself and the warmth that FL and family have to offer you.

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  14. You are having a great time with your sister. Keep it up.

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  15. Exercise runs in the family! What good strong hearts you two must have. I hope you're having a great time. Swimming and sunning.

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  16. Such a treat to enjoy sunshine and warmth in the middle of the winter.

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  17. I'll think of you warm and swimming laps and doing short brisk walks and surrounded byy loved ones. :)

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  18. Goodness you got out just in time and are missing all the cold. You two are cut from the same cloth in both looks and desire for a regular exercise routine which is great. I can imagine if your sister didn't like to exercise, you would be crawling the walls. Lucky you getting to swim every day. What a wonderful full body exercise. I sure miss it. Keep enjoying.

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  19. You two are more than sisters. You are soul mates from previous lives!

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  20. Glad to hear you landed safely without any more airport fiascos and Vitamin C powder!!

    I so enjoyed your arrival photos and sharing your family in FL. [four legged ones too]

    Shorts? Wow....it's been two days now here, that we're all dressed in layers and sweat pants. An Arctic Mass reached us this week. And 38 degree wind chill. BRRRR

    LOVED the photo of the two sisters!!!! My favorite.

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  21. Hello, beautiful sky shot. I hope you enjoy your Florida visit. I have been in Florida since Oct and will stay till March. I love the weather here and do not miss the cold and snow. Happy Monday, enjoy your day and week ahead!

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  22. I'm so happy you had this quality time together. You are both so active and healthy. It must run in the family genes.

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