March 1, 2014 St. Petersburg, Florida

End of February…a blink of an eye since 2013!

YOUNG AMERICA hasn’t moved since last we met… When we’re not cruising, as from Dec. to May, the blog seems sorta unnecessary.  We are just doing what you are doing.  Living life--only we’re doing it on a boat in a mostly sunny marina.

We celebrated the Holidays in Newburgh with our traditional Christmas Eve event.  Linda, Kris, Molly, Jen and Ada and their families joined us for the evening, and after gifts were exchanged and the New Year toasted, Fred read the Christmas Story to children large and small.   Jenny, Chris, Casey and Rebecca slept over, and Santa did a fine job of locating the kids in New York, while also remembering to stop by their tree in VA. 

We stayed in the brrrrrrry north until mid January, and then drove back to FL, with stops to visit friends and family along the way.  Also spent 5 days in Jacksonville at the annual meeting of the US Power Squadrons.  Fred was re-elected chair of the Trustees of the National Education Fund so he’ll continue his emails and conference calls as they monitor educational grants for the organization.

Fred’s only brother passed away on Dec. 28, and we traveled to North Carolina to spend time with the family and celebrate Ted’s life. Ted’s death was totally unexpected.  He simply took an afternoon nap that didn’t include waking up.  He is missed, as is his wife Rita, who predeceased him by a year and a half.

While we were in NC, Ted’s daughter-n-law Heidi, a Dermatologist, strongly suggested to Fred that he have a spot on his left cheek checked out. Fred had seen his regular derm guy in NY in Oct., but as we wouldn’t see him again until April, we found a St. Pete doctor.  Turns out the spot had melanoma cells in it---only in the upper layer of the skin, and the few that were outside the biopsy site will be removed soon. So by the end of March he’ll be cleared and having regular 3 month (instead of 4-6) checkups for awhile.  Fred has always been careful about the sun, but evidently this is a family thing ---we hadn’t known that Ted had a similar spot removed about 20 years ago.   We’re very happy that this was caught while removal=cure.  Thank you Heidi!

The weather has been a huge topic everywhere, hasn’t it?  We may be in Florida, but we are oh, so glad that YOUNG AMERICA’s furnace works so well!  Even though 30’s and 40’s are rare temps here in St. Pete, they have occurred.   Our kids in NY and VA have told stories of being snowed in with businesses as well as schools closing!   Preparedness does make a big difference---in South Dakota, where below zero temps and lots of snow are not uncommon, my sister found a full parking lot when she went for morning coffee at McDonald’s—the temp was -15, and all the kids were in school.  Ho hum.  Just another winter day.   That is why I am FROM South Dakota.

Our floating home has done a fine job for us for the past SIX (can you believe it?) years, and it is time for some TLC.   This week a whole new bank of batteries replaced the old---12 car type batteries---each filled with lead.   Very Heavy Lead.  Uffda.  Happily we found a worker-bee who could carry the old out and the new in!  Today the engines got overhauled, and tomorrow is another day.   I think Fred began with 53 maintenance items written on his list.

And that is what we are up to.  Daily walks, occasional movies, dinners with friends, I’m taking a celestial navigation course (have a private tutor!) and maintenance, maintenance, maintenance.  St. Pete is a wonderful city, and we are within walking distance of a gazillion restaurants, the grocery store, church and movies.  Doesn’t get much better than that!

When our cruising plans have solidified I’ll update the blog, and in late April or early May we’ll be off on a new adventure together.   In the meantime, be well, remember to breathe, and enjoy each precious day!