The end of 1992 Here we go again...

 

I will begin with the end (???) of last year's memorandum to our friends and the public in general. The letter left off with the Martin and the Bill Toalson family enroute on a Christmas trip to Cancun, Mexico and I feel it necessary to tell about it as promised. Great trip and we could write it off as an educational expense as regards to Nathans' edification. At 13, and with his cousins to look after him, he got around that town quite well. I, being old , tired and an abstainer, went to bed at a reasonable hour each night so Nathan (being none of the above) had to bring me up to speed each morning as to what type of entertainment the rest of the family was able to find the previous evening. For those stories you need to see Nathan. If I had an afterthought as to Mexico I would have to consider it better when the water is warmer... That diving is beautiful. If you get a chance to go..GO   Enough....

 

The year seemed to pass soooo fast ; I seem to remember my elders stating that the older you get         -They couldn't have been talking-about me, :I’m only 49 2/1      

 

An uneventful season. Gara Ann has had a busy year and although the economy is still poor, most Marco Island Realtors have been able to struggle along and others (GAM) have done well. Still involved in the church in all of her previous capacities and busy with the Board of Realtors. How she finds time to mother us boys is beyond me. Her big experience this year is going to Iowa to help her sister Alice with her last ?? child. Rather she will care for the other 3 girls while Alice takes care of birthing the last one herself. If Alice and Bob realy cared for aunt Gara Ann they wouldn't have planed on a December child.. (Have you ever been in Iowa in the winter?). So Nathan and I will be orphans for 10 days in December.

 

Summer.. In June we sent Nate to his camp for three weeks and GAM drove up and spent time with her family in MO & IA till Nate was discharged. Then down to GA and my sisters place for a week. I drove up and took over as baby? sitter for Nate while GAM came home and took over the R.E. business. Too busy to make it to the Keys this year.

 

No letter would be complete without a line about our friend that came to call (uninvited) on August 24th.. Andrew was a pain in the *&^%$#@! to say the least. We. here on Marco, count our blessings. Damage was light compared to Homestead. Many of our roofs needed redone and many screen cages around pools were destroyed but we came home to homes!!! The Martins were invited to Naples by friends to camp with 6 adults, 3 kids, 2 dogs, 2 cats & 1 warm fuzzy ferret (all this in a 2 bedroom condo). Our mutt, Pup-Pup sure wanted to play with that ferret and the cats. The storm passed and we came home not knowing what to expect. We were very fortunate.

 

Nathan... now this is a subject that is easy to write about (plenty of material). Note the enclosed article; it was not written by me however it describes Nathan better than I ever could. Nathan... 6'1" X 160 # X size 14 tennies X my shirt size (and any other clothes of mine he wants). I can only describe him as lumbering.. and not resembling "Little Nate" with the exception of his red hair and that "what,me worry??" smile. It took me 45 years to grow out of a 32 waist and this upstart does it in 13. My theory is that McDonalds and Nike are in cahoots, with McD putting a foot-growth-stimulant into those burgers and Nike sharing the shoe profits with them. I have finaly acquired my first pair of (size 10) like new, $100+ shoes... Nate's hand-me-downs from a year ago. Nate is now 14; into surfing and skim-boarding, and a freshman at Lely High School. Enjoying the freedom of High school and the social life that goes with it.