20-Dec-2023. I’ve Returned from Germany

Sorry for we week-long pause in posting - it's been hectic! On 13-Dec I flew to Germany for my aunts funeral. Although obviously super sad, it was nice to reconnect with many relatives that I had not seen since 2018 (and before).

As can be seen in the picture above, last Sunday 17-Dec I took a giant plane from Frankfurt back to Charleston SC where I had left my car and belongings. I got up early on Monday and drove the 500 miles from Charleston to Sarasota – sadly the drive took me 11+ hours because I hit tons of construction and traffic in both Orlando and Tampa.

Arrived in Sarasota on Monday evening (18 – Dec) and then on Tuesday noon "reported for duty" at a new pet sitting assignment.

My newest pet opportunity is with Yoshi the dog and 2 cats named Taz (lighter) and Trigger (darker). Yoshi doesn't have a yard where he can be let out so he requires I walk him morning, noon, evening and bedtime so he can get out and get some exercise and do his business. He is adorable because he loves finding large palm fronds and carrying them all the way back home. I also enjoy all the unique and artistic mailboxes I have found while walking through Yoshi's neighborhood. I've also spent a majority of every day with my mom – lots of stuff on our agenda including running errands, visiting friends and getting ready for the holidays.

My kids and daughter-in-law will be arriving on Saturday, December 23 at which point I move out of my pet sitting house into an Airbnb. I'll be there for a week and we are looking forward to hosting Christmas Eve and Christmas feast at our rental home.

I'll be picking up Kristen, Trevor and Hannah tomorrow morning at the Tampa airport and then the fun begins. Hope everyone is ready for the holidays and is looking forward to sometime with family and friends. Below some photos of my new pet friends and time in Florida.