The house sitter is all set, as many loose ends as I can are tied up, the new car battery is installed, oil changed in the car, and we’ll get an early start. That of course means that we’ll hit the bottleneck around Fort Lauderdale rather than Miami, but you can’t miss them all unless you’re traveling around midnight. The gathering in Georgia this year will be the larger, although not largest crowd of around twenty; four generations worth. There will be some great photos naturally and plenty of catching up to do. What with the car situation and other requirements yesterday, I didn’t make it over to Robert Is Here (famous fruit stand we have) to get the oranges that I always take up so it will be grabbing those and the required chocolate covered coconut patties at one of the rest stops on the turnpike. The only real issue with getting oranges there is that frequently the smallest quantity you can buy is a five pound bag. Ah well, I’ve had to do that before.

And as always in traveling over a major holiday, especially for those who must be on the roads and in the airways tomorrow, remember that we are all in this together and when there are delays and frustrations, take deep breaths and try to share the holiday spirit. If you know someone who is alone for the holidays, inviting he or she over might not be practical, but an email or phone call to say hello could be. Give that one some thought.