By Ann Burnside Love
The new lady in the apartment next door moved in, then
disappeared. Six months later she returned. Seems she owns a summer home in
Maine where the community requires residents to be there for six months a year.
Her brood is large, and each family loves to come there for a couple of weeks
every summer. But there would be gaps if no one were in residence continuously.
Actually, she’s due back from her second and what she said
would be her last summer away for six months, because she’s too tired to keep
it up. So when she sold her house in our area, she established her new home in
our senior residential community so it would be ready and waiting for her at
all times. This is her permanent home.
Of course, that‘s an extreme example, but we also have “snowbirds”
in our midst who winter in warm locales, and they come back from Florida,
Arizona or the Caribbean for Thanksgiving, Christmas and other occasions to be
with their families.
Most of us, however, leave for much shorter intervals when
we visit families, friends and vacation spots we’ve loved for years. Yes, those
who are inclined to cruise do so. Those who yearn to visit the ocean — as I do
— go there.
The whole idea is that we don’t just move in and stay here,
period. We visit. We vacation. We take a tour or a cruise or visit national
parks, and we also go with our families on group trips. Some leave to provide
support to ill or injured relatives.
We do all the same things everybody else does. However, unlike
everybody else, all we have to do is tell the folks at the front desk we will
be away, arrange for plants to be watered, lock up and leave. That’s it.
Convenient, isn’t it? One of our many conveniences — and reasons to be living
here.
Oh, yes. In my case, I need to make suitable arrangements
for Vanessa the Cat. She’s pretty amenable, so long as I stock the cupboard
with her favorite cat foods before I go and arrange for someone to check on her
every day.
Fortunately, friends line up for cat visitation rights!
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