Holiday Greetings 2021 From The Little Latitudes

 

January 1, 2021, arrived with great fanfare and no hangover (we are too old for those).  We were on the verge of ending Covid and an adult was about to re-enter the White House.  Then the reality of 2021 headed its ugly rear and the year moved by more slowly and less happily than we had hoped.  Plus, the slow pace of aging continued to take its toll.  At least we ended the year fully vaccinated and boosted against Covid-19.  You should be also.

Early February found Cathy in the hospital receiving a much-needed and long-overdue shoulder replacement.  Thanks to superb insurance subsidized all you great taxpayers, her very expensive hospital stay cost us nothing!  Recovery was a long and slow process but at least now she can move her right arm higher than I have ever before seen it raised!  Then in May, the very tip of her nose was operated on to remove a basal cell carcinoma.  Florida is called the Sunshine State for a good reason.  Its also a Dermatologist’s playground.

On July 1, our wedding anniversary, we were in the emergency room at Sarasota Memorial Hospital dealing with Craig’s 11^th episode of atrial fibrillation.  It was his first episode after a cardiac ablation six years ago.  Not to be outdone, four months later, almost on his 70^th freaking birthday, Craig was back in Sarasota Memorial with another episode of atrial fibrillation.  This is getting really tiring.

When we weren’t whining about our latest medical issue we were being run ragged by Cathy’s rambunctious grandson Channing.  Don’t try telling him that he is 4 years old because you will be instantly corrected “I’m 4 and a half.”   Now that his next birthday is on the horizon his age is officially “I’m almost 5.”  We continue to spend as much time as possible with him in our swimming pool where we have begun teaching him how to dive – and he is getting really good at it.   I sincerely hope his mother gets him in a swimming program.  He could be an Olympic swimmer someday – maybe when he is 19 and a half. 

Travel in 2021 was much reduced from normal years in part because of Covid.  Craig was able to visit Grandson Garrett in Alaska in April.  In June he returned to his beloved Barrow, Alaska, to do research on birds and he saw 3 Polar Bears!   

In July both Craig and Cathy went to Alaska with our next-door neighbors, so Cathy could fish for salmon with her brother at Seward.  That trip was preceded by a day trip to Barrow so Cathy could see what all the excitement was about.  She still prefers Seward where she slayed several very tasty Silver Salmon.   

Finally in August, Craig gave his daughter Jennifer, son-in-law Ryan and Grandson Garrett an early Christmas present flying all of them (in First Class!) to Nome, Alaska for a few days to look for Musk Ox.  A flock/herd of 23 was the highlight of that trip.

The remainder of 2021 was the usual mundane part of living in Florida and growing old.  Thankfully we have great neighbors (although they are from Minnesota and you know which football team they favor!) and frequent visits and bottles of Pinot Noir next door helped make the year enjoyable.

 Plans for 2022 are rapidly taking shape.   In mid-February we depart for Buenos Aires, Argentina, for a 2-week cruise to southern Argentina, Chile, the Falkland Islands, Uruguay, and oh…did I mention 2 days in Antarctica?  It will be Craig’s 7^th continent and Cathy’s fifth.  

April will bring a return trip to see Grandson Garrett in Alaska followed by tundra trip in late May and early June to Bethel, Nome, Kotzebue, and Barrow.  In July we cruise from Vancouver, British Columbia to Seward Alaska for more salmon fishing on Resurrection Bay.  From there we travel to Kalispell Montana for a week with our Vikings-loving neighbors exploring what few glaciers remain in Glacier National Park.

The other exciting part of 2022 is that Cathy plans to “take this job and shove it” and retire on a soon-to-be-determined date.  That will open up many opportunities for being pummeled by Grandson Channing, and travel to places she has not seen.

The accelerating loss of friends and family to the march of Father Time has taught us that life is too short to hold on to baggage from the past.  From beneath a couple of palm trees on the coast of South Florida, we hope you have a happy and safe and enjoyable Holiday season.  If you suddenly find yourself in Florida, be certain to stop by for a glass of wine.  We would love to see you and get caught up.  There is usually a bottle of Pinot Noir sitting around begging to be consumed.

 Merry Holidays.