Thursday, May 02, 2024

Re-awakening the Mouse

 Hey folks! 



Wow -- this site has been quiet a while now! 

OMG Minnie!
Minnie and Me... April 2023

Sean and I haven't been to the DLR since 2017 -- Sean briefly visited the parks (EPCOT specifically) in 2018 I believe -- for a dear friend's wedding.

More recently, my mom passed away in February 2023. I was fortuante to spend time with her Thanksgiving week of 2022 and had planned to be out there with her in Januray/ February (Sean and were planning to make alternating trips out to spend time with my mom and assist in whatever way we could). As it turns out, I wasn't able to get to her in time and had to see her leave the world via FaceTime. I'm grateful to Sean for being there. He got her help in her moment of need and she was in hospital where she was being treated at the time of her passing.

2022 Mom & me (26 November 2022 SRQ)
A quick snap when mom dropped me off at the Sarasota airport late November 2022 -- I wish I had gotten more pix but we'd planned to be together again soon -- things don't work out the way you hope. Get those pictures people!

Sean and I (Sean especially) made several trips to Florida this past year to look out for my mom's cats and home, administer her estate and close out all her accounts. My aunt and uncle looked in on my mom's cats (and cleaned their kitty box!) in between trips out while we attempted to rehome her senior kitties -- they live with us now! We sold her house and car (thanks again with the assistance of Sean getting me through all the legalese and car lingo) We finally laid my mom's remains to rest in February this year. At this point, the only thing we need to do is make sure our taxes are filed properly and bring the bins of photos and things home from storage in Florida. I could spend time talking about how a lifetime of memories and life comes down to a 5x5 storage closet filled with 6 big bins of photo albums, loose photos, a computer with more cruise trips and memories and a rolling cooler your adult kid and her spouse had to buy to keep the drinks cold at your life celebration, but I already did that on facebook. I cried a lot and I still do -- but I also know I have to be productive and keep living myself.


And since this is (mostly) a blog about Disney -- it's here to keep a record and share about trips we *did* take, so...

Back in April 2022, we *did* make a point of celebrating Sean's birthday on our way to working on my mom's house -- We spent our arrival night at Old Key West, (picking up our Owner's Locker) and had breakfast Cape May with Minnie and friends... then drove to the Sarasota area in the early afternoon.

Sean & Minnie!
Sean and Minnie!

After the life celebration in February (2024), we spent Superbowl Sunday and Monday de-compressing at the Treehouse Villas. No, we don't have that many points but since we basically banked then ate (lost) our points through the pandemic we had a lot of points unuse and looking at eating more points, Sean found we had enough points and the Villas were available. We didn't go into the parks this trip either. I *did* use the big tub in the villa and the kitchen where we snacked on the leftover veggie and fruit trays from my mom's life celebration. We took Disney transit to Downtown Disney and walked around a bunch. I would never stay at the Villas for a Disney trip. When we go again (and go into the parks) we'll stay somewhere that makes more sense. We did a lot of walking through the golf course because it was easier than taking a bus.


This year we purchased Disneyland Resort APs -- we haven't gone to the parks yet as I'm working and wading through the last few of my MLIS courses -- but we have a trip planned this summer. It's up to Sean if he wants to post anything from our short February trip -- he's the one with the photos for that one. All I have are Treehouse Villa pix and you can see them... here.

But yeah, we'll be doing Disney once again.

I leave you with a parting shot from February 2023 at Cape May with Goofy -- Untitled


Saturday, May 04, 2013

First Visit to Yosemite!!

Untitled
Lots more pictures to come.. but this is me by one of the main entrance signs.. (photo by Patti Aliventi

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Golden Cristo Bites

Part of Disney's "Limited Time Magic," these delicious bites of Monte Cristo will 'glow' away the 1st of February at The Stagedoor.