Off to Florida Again

Tomorrow morning I leave for another quick trip to Florida.  I was there between Christmas and New Years with my aunt, mom, and Denise for vacation and to get my aunt back to her winter Florida home after the holidays.  This time I am flying down to Punta Gorda, spending two days with my parents in Sarasota, then helping them drive back to Northern Indiana.  I'm excited for a break from the next blast of cold that is set to hit the area again, and I am hoping for smooth travels both down and back.  I'm taking way too much reading thinking about all the free time I will have, but I actually will probably be going all over Sarasota with my parents, running errands and seeing people before they leave.  And I will be spending at least half of the trip on the way home doing my share of the driving.

Today was my one day in the office this week, so I worked hard to get projects to the point that they can sit for the rest of the week until I get back next Monday.  I will have access to email and can respond to anything urgent if needed.

Last night I got together with Eric, Michelle, Emily and Joel.  They came to my house to hang out for a while and then we went out to eat at Culver's together.  Yummo.  The kiddos are growing fast.  I need to prioritize seeming them more often.

Before that (Friday and Saturday) I was at The Hermitage for board meetings.  At the last meeting I was chosen as board president, so this time at The Hermitage but not as retreat-feeling as it usually is.  In fact, I came home mentally exhausted after a day and a half of meetings.  We did start out the meetings with a spiritual retreat from 9-3 on Friday, but then we went into a time of strategic planning.  That was good but intense, and then after that I had to lead the regular board meeting.  The board is a wonderful group of people with deep love for The Hermitage, and they are a pleasure to lead, but this time it certainly felt like work.

We had two days of warmer weather last week (into the 40s and low 50s!) and I felt like I was coming out of hibernation.  About 1/2 of our snow disappeared, but we still have a lot of it left to melt.  And I was able to walk around outside without scarf, gloves, and hat, for at least a while.  Here's to more signs of spring in the weeks ahead!