huggett2day: 2024

Saturday, July 20, 2024

Graduation and a little time with Lily

It was so exciting to be able to be a part of the celebration for Celia's high school graduation. We had a grand time with family, celebrating this smart, kind, ambitious, loving young woman. She is on her way!!

And the bonus was a quick visit with Lily while Elissa and Celia attended orientation at Western Carolina University! A stained glass project and a photo op in the corvette!!!! Good times!!

Alaskan Cruise with the Livingstons 2024

I wanted to do something BIG.... a trip that they would never forget. Something Jack and Sam would enjoy and an adventure that Jonn and Jenna could get excited about. It took a while to land firmly on the idea of a cruise because motion sickness runs rampant in the Livingston family and Jenna is claustrophobic. So it makes perfect sense to board a huge ship holding around 6,000 people that is moving in the ocean for most of the trip...right??? We chose Royal Caribbean, a new line for us, because of the options for kids and the ports of call. Scagway and Juneau were our destinations and Jonn and Jenna chose several fabulous excursions. They elected to kayak on the ocean with whales (in the distance)
and they chartered a helicopter that flew them to a glacier where they took a short hike. In spite of their motion sickness issues they had a fabulous time. John and I chose tamer adventures, a whale watch where we saw a mama and baby and a land tour that was interesting.

Our flights to and from the cruise were a challenge to say the very least ......

but it really was a fabulous trip even though we had to lie to get Jack on the ship......

Friday, July 19, 2024

Winter 2024

The plans were in place, we were headed to Florida for the winter. We had already decided that we planned to prepare the house for sale during this trip and knew that if things went as planned that this would be our final winter in the Sunshine state. Little did we know what was ahead of us. John started experiencing excessive back pain 2 days after our arrival and after several doctor visits we learned that surgery would be the best next step. Our plans to return to Greenville for Christmas would have to be canceled. On December 29 he had surgery followed by months of slow, cautious recovery!

In February we decided to pray and cross our fingers as we stepped onboard a Holland America ship and headed out on an eastern Caribbean cruise. We were very grateful that John did well, never needed the wheelchair that we brought with us, and we had a marvelous time. After months of recuperation it felt great to enjoy food that I had not prepared and go on low key adventures....to be a part of the world again! We simplified our activities and rested as needed but it was all worth it! The batik shop was gorgeous, the bird exhibit was delightful, St. Thomas was incredibly beautiful and Half Moon Cay was amazing (as always).

We proceeded with the plan to sell the house so packing and sorting and donating and cleaning became the focus of every day while John worked with an in home physical therapist to get stronger and heal. It was a bit bittersweet..... 13 winters in paradise has been quite the luxurious life,,,,,but we were both ready to close that chapter and become full time Carolinians. I have taken lots of photos over the years but decided that a picture of the bottlebrush tree in front of the house which was blooming more beautifully than ever before would represent my final memory. So long Solivita!!! We have had a wonderful time!!

And then it happened..... while packing the back of the truck to bring things back to South Carolina I lost my balance and fell. The hired help was to arrive 10 minutes later to pack the rented trailer and although I didn't realize it I had broken my foot. Life was going to move at a much slower pace for the next 7 weeks!