By the end of 2006, we’ll have been away from home 40% of the time. Our travels included the cross country adventure to visit my daughter in California, attendance at festivals, camping trips, trips to the U.P. and trips to visit my mother (who has alzheimers and lives in Florida).

This morning (September 17th) at about 9:15 we started out for Florida. We’ll be down there approximately six weeks (returning on October 26th). This is the fourth time we’ve driven down since February 2005. (Each time we stay from 4 to 6 weeks.)

Mom and her husband, Hoagie, both reside special needs units in a lovely assisted living facility, Aston Gardens.

Mom’s life certainly isn’t what I’d have wished for her, but she’s comfortable and her deterioration seems to have slowed down considerably. She has a lovely room, nice care-givers, and great food. In her condition, there isn’t more I can wish for her.

Folks often ask why we don’t bring her back to Michigan, but 97-year-old Hoagie her husband of 17 years is down there, and she’s doing well. We have been told that consistency is important so she will probably live out her life there. Besides, the facility is actually less expensive than similar places in Michigan.

The condo that they lived in is empty, except when we or Hoagie’s daughter visit.

It’s a two bedroom, two bath duplex, in King’s Point, a gated community. The place needs major up-dating and remodeling. We love the King’s Point community where it’s located. There are lots of fun people, activities galore, and facilities (pools, club houses, exercise rooms, etc.) and a luxury resort feel. The neighbors are super nice people. We feel more welcome there than at our home in Michigan.

You can see the King’s Point South Club Pool here:

If anything ever happens to Hoagie (he’s 97 and has had multiple strokes, we know it’s always a sad possibility), we may buy the place so we can continue to visit Mom. We can’t imagine a nicer community to live in.

We will arrive in Sun City Center by Tuesday mid-afternoon.

Our over-night stops will be in London, KY, tonight and Macon, GA, tomorrow night. (We’d thought about taking a more easterly route rather than going straight down I-75, but we’ve decided that we’ll go directly down, but maybe, on the return trip, we’ll schedule some extra time and come back through the Smoky Mountain National Park since the color should be excellent according to the Foliage Network website , which provides an archive of previous years’ color patterns.

Last time we visited Mom, one of the nice people we’ve met (Sandy), organized a lunch cruise out of Clearwater. It was great fun. That evening we ate at a beach front restaurant as the sun set.

Should be a nice stay. Today is Mom’s 85th birthday. I will be calling her shortly to remind her that we’re on our way. Sadly she won’t remember when we hang up that we’re coming, but hopefully she’ll still know me.

I’ll write more later.