Our Long & Winding Road

div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> Yesterday Jenny and I woke up on a ship in Miami around 6am and arrived home in Dedham around 4:30pm. Travel home to Boston, where they often close roads without posting detour signs, made our that last leg of our journey harrowing at best. Then when I got home I tripped over my suitcase and cut my hand and bruised myself up. The dogs have been needy. Still nome of this chaos has erased the amazing 3 weeks we had. First of all we saw so many people we have been out of touch with since covid hit. Jenny's dad and stepmom first, and then Jenny's mom and my boss from King's Chapel Earl and his wife Marilyn who all joined us for a cruise to the Caribbean. Honestly, I feel as if I won the lottery. We saw so much eye candy! I learned to snorkel and saw sting rays and sea turtles and beautiful fish! I also enjoyed the ocean in a way I haven't since I was a child. What often bothers me about Florida is

 I know I began with a post about family over the holidays, but there's more to tell.  :) After dropping Lucy off at UMiami and putting Zoe on a plane back to Boston, Rali and I drove to Melbourne, FL, and spent 4 nights with my Dad and stepmom, Carole.  As I said to them at some point, a needed calm enters my heart when I get the chance to spend some time with them.   My dad had planned out all the meals - which were delicious even when he played the role of the cranky diner cook! We read books, took walks, watched TV, did a puzzle, and fully relaxed.  A highlight was going to the clubhouse with Carole to meet the other Lakes of Melbourne hookers.  Yes, Carole is the lead hooker; in fact, she has both recruited and tutored quite a few other women as they developed their craft.  Rug hooking, people.  Get your minds out of the gutter!  Goodness.  If you want to see some of Carole's incredible work, check out these pics !

We left Jenny's Dad's house and drove to Key Largo yesterday. The highways and much of  Florida seem like anywhere USA, save for the giant trash heaps and turkey vultures on the side of the expressways. I have such mixed feelings about Florida. I worry about the amount of wetlands they have built upon- about the overpopulation that creates the fodder for the turkey vultures. Still, it's impossible not to revel in the beauty and enjoy the warmth in January. Boston, too, is built on landfill.  We are off to do some snorkeling today in the state parks. I have never snorkeled before, so this will be a first. In three days we head out on our cruise. I feel like I have won the lottery to have so much beauty and luxury ahead.  

Jenny left her job just after Christmas but I worked right up until we left to take Lucy to college on January 10th. In fact, my last missive was after midnight on January 9th. It is hard to let go, but it helped to really leave. Once we got to Miami and the warmer temperatures it was almost as if my brain shifted sideways and I even started to forget what day of the week it was. I think it sometimes it is essential to get far away from your day to day, to let go of all responsibilities, in order to start fresh.

Christmas always allows us to spend time with family. First, we celebrate Wigilia, a Polish tradition, on Christmas Eve with the full Pietraszek clan.  Santa provides a stand-up comedy routine while passing out gifts to the youngins, the adults duke it out in a gender-split Yankee Swap, and then all sit down to enjoy a meatless meal of soup, fish, pierogies, and other delectables.  Since the girls have been able to drive, Aunt Maryanne has moved the start time up so that Rali and I can leave before the meal to return for the Christmas Eve service at First Church; when Zoe and Lucy were younger and the start time was later, Rali missed out on Wigilia and I missed out on her Christmas Eve services.  Sadly, COVID struck my cousin Annie and made her parents hosting the whole family impossible.  We were still able to celebrate Wigilia this year, though, since my in-laws (Jean's parents) invited us down to RI where their sons and their families were staying for a few days.  The Pietrasze

It may not be the best picture of either of us, but both the setting - South Beach, Miami on a Tuesday afternoon in January - and our smiles serve as proof that we are, officially, both on sabbatical.  Truth is, we've already had some fun adventures!  More to come . . .