“In a couple years I’ll move back up north!” Twenty eight years of living in the beautiful land of sunshine and flowers and each year I told my family the same thing. Then came the 2005 Christmas!
I flew to Pittsburg airport for a three weeks visit with my daughter Pamela her husband Tracy and my granddaughters Evin and Sarah. That gave me two weeks before Christmas Day and fly home on New Year’s Day.
Soon after arriving my daughter casually mentioned that a condo was for sale and ask if I would like to go with her to see it. The picture in the newspaper add looked quite interesting and I said I would love to.
She called the listing agent and ask for a showing and told her we would meet her at the condo. It was adorable and by the time we got to the sun room with its three walls of glass and even a tall narrow window on the fourth wall I had practically moved in.
I immediately wrote an offer contingent on selling my home in Florida in three months. The owners countered giving me two months from New Year’s Day when I would be back home. I took it!!!!!!!!
Pamela had her secretary reschedule the appointments for her patients from the first week in January and purchased a ticket to fly to my home and help get my home ready to sell. Not many people fly on New Year’s Day and she got a seat right beside mine.
I called Hans, broker owner of Bird Bay Realty and listed my condo for Tracy’s suggested price $239,900, raised Hans’ commission from his 5% to 6%, offered a $2000 bonus to the selling agent and ask for an open house every Sunday afternoon until we had a contract.
Then my daughter started clearing my home of all the clutter, like my doll collection, stuffed animals, too many pictures on the walls et cetera. she filled the nail holes, painted the walls and…….as I happened to look out at the lanai, there she was with my table up side ways and maneuvering it through the screen door going to the deck. She took the big umbrella I had stored in the corner, stood it up over the table, took out the four chairs for around the table and……..”Hey, that looks great! Why didn’t I think of that?”
Hans’ daughter Amber held my open house. I set up a light lunch for her guests on the divider counter between my kitchen and dining area, bid her good luck with her open house and returned when her two hours was up to find out how her open house had gone.
She had a goodly number of guests and neighbors told me later they had enjoyed lunch at my home several Sundays. You can come along with me to view what her guests saw. 
From the front hall you step into the guest bedroom with its twin beds. 
My grandchildren enjoy this delightful view from the window as they share this room. 
Then find your way back across the hall to see the mirror wall reflecting the dining area where we have family dinners. 
Walking past the table we go through the living room area with its wall of glass and a glimpse of the screened lanai. 
We have a look-see at the master bedroom. 
We step through the open glass doors to the lanai, then on to the wood deck and the lake with the soft sound of the fountain as the water falls back into the lake. 
They had their nephew’s FLAT STANLEY, a school project and took his photo visiting the many interesting places in the Venice area like the Venice beach, down town, restaurants et cetera and mailed all this back up north to him. Their nephew should have received an A double plus for that school project. They are very special people!!!!!
And lucky me, I got a contract one day before the two months were up. It was $230,000 cash and close April 20. That sounded good to me……..so I sign it. We had a deal! I called my agent in Salem Ohio and set that closing for April 25.
Ten days before closing I purchase plane tickets for my great granddaughter Kimberley and a friend in Atlanta to come down, I sign my Buick Regal over to her as a gift and she drives it to her home.
It was Spring break and my daughter Pamela her husband Tracy and my granddaughters Evin and Sarah flew down for one last vacation in my Florida home. A few days before closing Meredythe flew in to stay with me through the closing.
So we all celebrated by having dinner at our favorite restaurant The Crab and Finn on Armand Circle. Tracy took the photo.
Hans was so kind to take Meredythe and me to the closing. Pam and Tracy took their rental car back to Tampa airport and I didn’t have a car.
My good friends Tom and Debbie took us to our hotel just across the bay to stay over night and the airport limousine picked us up the next morning and took us to Sarasota airport where we both board a plane to Atlanta Georgia. There Meredythe took a plane to Columbus Ohio and I went to Pittsburg where Pam met my plane.
I purchased a new Honda Civic coupe, closed on my new home in Highland
Creek, moved in and rested and rested and……………………………… 
The above is my replacement for Florida. My first winter in northern Ohio after living 28 years in Venice Florida, I called this home my IGLOO!!!!! This charming room with three walls of glass and even a tall narrow window on the fourth wall has truly been my life saver!
That table and eight chairs has been a perfect place for my family dinners. I call that room FLO’S HILLTOP SCENIC CAFE!