I am so worn out.
It usually happens after finishing a major project. It’s almost the kind of a low grade depression, where you have no motivation to do anything. I was going to go on a walk yesterday, and I couldn’t muster enough willpower. I cancelled the gym session today and slept until 8:00 am instead. It was so nice.
Now I am drinking tea and trying to scrape enough brain cells together to start the new project.
We’ve got an appearance coming up this Saturday, then the edits for the EB are landing in early March. We will have three weeks for those. We might go to Florida for a week.
I have come to the conclusion that my husband is unhappy in Texas. The allergies are killing him. He wants to be able to drive to a beach. He wants warm weather.
I thought it might have just been our house, so we went house shopping last week. We found this incredible beast of a house north of San Antonio. It looked like something out of a movie. This grand white mansion that sits on almost 3 acres, all gated, with a pool and an absolutely gorgeous office space. It needed a coat of paint and some TLC and it could’ve been on a pages of any architectural magazine. Every bedroom upstairs had a balcony that offered the view of the hills. So the style he loves, the security of a gated estate, the amazing square footage, the pool with a screen cage, which you almost never see in Texas (hail), the office space, and a motivated seller. He ooohed and aahed and he loved it, and then he came home and looked at some cookie cutter houses in Florida.
So, we’ll be heading to Jupiter once the edits are done to window house shop and see if we like the area. The thing is, the girls are pretty independent, and it’s time to do stuff that we want to do. Plus, Kid 1 might be heading to Florida eventually.
I love parts of Florida and hate the others. I absolutely loathe Orlando area, because Gordon’s mother’s house was there and all of that is tied up with her dying in agony from cancer, and I still have nightmares about that. You know what else I hate? Those gated communities where they have manicured grass and deed restrictions and neighbors are in your business 24/7. I read “with a view of a golf course” and break out in hives. š
But there are gorgeous houses in Florida and I do love the beach and the tropical nature of it. I would also like to have cool fruit trees. And since Jeaniene is in Jacksonville, it wouldn’t be a long drive for a visit. But more importantly, I wanted to live by the beach as a little girl and all the way into my twenties. In my head it was Mediterranean beach, mountains and the sea, because that’s the region where we vacationed. But that’s not in the cards, unless we move to Greece or Hawaii, so Florida it is.
Most of the comments here are spot on. One thing I would mention is that the southeast Florida counties have the worst traffic in the state. I live in Orlando area and while it’s bad here, it’s still not as bad as there. In addition, I think the gulf coast side has much better beaches. Also, if you are willing to drive a bit, the areas just west of I 75 in Sarasota and manatee counties are still a bit rural and you can get a bit more house for the same money.
Maybe you can look at yarn projects, too, if you’re feeling burnt out of writing. I was sick of my work and went back to knitting to give me something more fun to do and playing with new yarn and making things in pretty colors made me feel happier.
I grew up in the West Palm Beach area. Itās great. I love Jupiter! My favorite beach: http://discover.pbcgov.org/parks/Locations/Loggerhead.aspx
Go see the turtles at the marine life center. Eat at the Breakers.
We have traveled all over due to the Air Force, and I love south Florida. It is expensive, and a little more populated than I care for, but it is a great place to live.
So check out Cape San Blas, Florida a peninsula (water on 3 sides) on the gulf. My sister goes every spring for over 20 years, and Iāve gone many times. So far, low population, they donāt get the crazy party goers over Easter and spring break. We go at Easter and busy is pretty mild. Gorgeous beaches, beautiful condos. You could rent a condo for a week looking out over the gulf and check surrounding areas. I think if you just search for Cape San Blas, youāll see the condos for rent and plenty of pictures. If I could, Iād live there over winter months. Sigh. Someday.
Come check out the beaches of North Carolina….here’s a neighborhood where you can still buy a lot for about $100K and build your dream home. It’s on the intra-coastal waterway and has a private beach access about a 20 minute drive away. https://www.stjamesplantation.com/
Florida? Really?
Look up the crime rates for each area you are interested in. You can count on allergies year round because something is always blooming, poisonous bugs, spiders, snakes, even the caterpillars are poisonous, and humidity with heat so bad you can’t breathe outside the house for weeks, and the algae blooms on the beaches can make you deathly ill.
We found a beautiful cat in our yard dying from a snake bite. A huge red tail hawk swooped down and snagged a neighbor’s dog, he had to fight for his dog. They both have wounds and stitches.
Hurricanes, power outages, and flooding are always something to look forward to. Last year only one or two insurance companies would insure homes in Florida so you can imagine the price is sky high. And the HOAs..omg!
I am not trying to be nasty here, just the facts. The medical care here is 20 years behind the West coast and I am a nurse. Do not check into a hospital here without a family member staying with you around the clock. And good luck finding a primary care physician.
Vacation here once a year late winter or early spring. You will think it is paradise and have happy memories. Search around for awhile for a wonderful area. Maybe lease a house for a year before you buy. Become a snow bird but Florida? Really?
This is a bit much. Let’s clear some things up. Gordon was born in Florida. We have both spent considerable time in Florida all over the state during various times of year. We know the state very well.
I would really appreciate if you didn’t issue orders in your comments to me. I don’t react well to people who do that. I realize that you must think I am a small child who doesn’t understand the basics of moving a house, choosing the right area, or doing preliminary research, but I assure you, I have moved 12 times since I was 16 years old and I am quite capable of taking care of it.
Iām so excited for you all in your move and focus on the two of you! My cousin moved from Sarasota to Johnson City Tennessee to retire and then moved back near Sarasota as she just missed Florida and the people were friendlier. I āve got a huge wonderlust per se so when the kids are done with College Iām hoping I can convince Hubby to travel and us work remotely and rent places for long term stays etc. Yāall get some rest and thanks for the blog and your books! They are fabulous to read and I am always amazed and in awe at their creativity. Cheers!
Florida sounds like a great compromise. No point of spending money on something you don’t love 100%.
Besides you would have grown to loath the house on the 3 acres. It takes a special kind of person to tolerate being told what they are allowed to do with their own property.
When I hear Florida, all I can think of are all the news stories that start, “A Florida man…” and then ends with something crazy. But think of all the good stories you’ll get if that’s where you end up.
I humbly submit the state of Virginia. Some interesting homes with all kinds of character, near the beach and less hurricanes.
Idk about allergies it just depends on what heās allergic to.
I have nightmares about Florida hurricanes but am less worried in VA beach idk if itās exposure of what.
But if Gordan is from Florida Iām sure itās part homesickness too. Iāve been all over. Love Texas and Maine… but i always return to Virginia
We lived in NOVA for 25 years. Traffic, mold, allergies, mosquitoes. And then snow! But it’s the longest I ever lived anywhere. Every place in the US has pluses and minuses, doesn’t it?
I have lived on Long Island in New York, in Southern Arizona, Southern California, North and South Carolina, Idaho and in Northern Florida ( Atlantic Beach Jacksonville area). I have traveled extensively all over the entire country and there are very few states that I have not visited. I liked Atlantic Beach -Jacksonville Beach the best. I agree with you that dated communities are the absolute worst, as are any neighborhoods that have Community rules, restrictions and regulations. St Augustine Beach in Florida is not far from Jacksonville and it is absolutely gorgeous. The Atlantic coast is phenomenal there and the beach is by far the best in the country. The weather is beautiful pretty much all year round. Even in the summer when it’s 95 it doesn’t feel so hot because you’re right on the water. The key is to stay within a mile or so of the ocean. If you go farther Inland it’s incredibly humid and hot. However living right on the water means that you have your neighbors living close by but the houses are gorgeous so there is that ????
I really like the St Augustine area (up and down the coast a bit) as well. The beaches are not crowded and, while not the white sand perfection of the Destin /Ft Walton Beach area, are perfect for long walks and great for boogie boarding/ sand castle building…. generally a MUCH more relaxed vibe than further south.
For the record- I grew up and lived in NEW MEXICO for 30 years, but have since traveled the world with the Air Force and have seen some amazing beaches in Hawaii, Vietnam and Thailand… St Augustine area still has some of the most livable IMHO.
You can move to Greece whenever you want! I’d love to have you all as my neighbor! And feed you all the greek cuisine you love! Plus my summer house is close to the sea!
I know nothing of Florida and admire the way the two of you work as a team in all aspects of your lives, not just in your writing. I look forward to the next instalment in this saga. Although, I confess that as someone who HATES moving, I cannot even begin to conceptualise that you are going to move again in such a short space. I admit there was a phase in my life where I moved every 6 months for a ridiculous span of time. But that was renting, which is a little different. May the right place materialise before you both.
Well, I disagree with your view on gated communities as we recently retired and moved to one in Florida and LOVE it. We donāt play golf but like all the options we have for activities. While we looked my husband ( an engineer) went to NOAA and mapped the path of every hurricane over the last 100 yrs. He found the lower 1/3rd of Florida the most affected. So Florida was OK but not the lower 1/3. Also be aware if rising sea levels with climate change. Many coastal communities are already being impacted. Finally, consider central Florida. The Ocala area has gorgeous horse estates and homes with some room and you are about 90 mins to a beach on either side. It has higher elevation and is actually an evacuation destination city.
Bewear what you wish for hehe, we moved to a small town on the sea, and live across the street from the beach, wich is great for rasing small children, my husband says that he dreamed of living on the sea, but now summer is our beasy season and we rarely have time to go, only in the evening with the boys, wich is still pretty awesome, but it is not what he expected. The wind is almost constant, the humidity is hi and his back is killing him, and the people are.. well small town. On the plus side there is no traffic, commute, air pollution, and crime, and the boys are outdoors often, so happy house shopping and I wish you find what you are looking for š
Iāve been looking at houses and different cities and even though I put āNo HOAā on the appās filter, it seems thatās all I get! I think I will just stay here but do some serious remodeling?
I am not a realtor, but I really do believe Texas is the best. so I look at Trulia ( which I know is not the best, But) and I found this right on the beach on Mustang Island.
https://www.trulia.com/p/tx/port-aransas/6501-villa-castellon-dr-port-aransas-tx-78373–2071380950
You do know that if your fans didn’t love you so much, you wouldn’t be getting somuch unsolicited help.
My husband moved to the Jupiter area in the mid seventies. I moved there in 2002. It was a great place and still is in some ways, but the small town feel is gone. Last Thanksgiving, my husband saw Justin Bieber driving down the main street in Jupiter. It’s insanely expensive but there are a lot of nice neighborhoods and lots of nice things to do…beaches are wonderful and so easy to get to and enjoy. If you are looking for maybe something a little quieter and low key with good beach access, I would also recommend Hobe Sound. It’s about 20 minutes north of Jupiter and the flood of development isn’t as intense, yet.
opps, I read Jupiter as sarcasm like the the planet!
Love from the UK
(cccccold windswept beaches, but no hurricanes and less nutters with guns though still a few social and ideological cockups and Brexit )
I hope you find a happy landing place wherever you go!
I follow an Instagram feed called “cheapoldhouses”. Their “mother site” Circa Old Houses has this one in Jacksonville that looks kind of fabulous:
https://circaoldhouses.com/property/stunning-jacksonville-fl-home-with-artist-studio-and-barn/
Oh boy. This is a nightmare. The plumbing is likely ancient, the house is definitely not hurricane proof, and the wiring most likely won’t support modern lifestyle. I mean it’s pretty in that Southern tastefully dilapidated way, but I bet you a building inspector would run away screaming.
I will readily admit to enjoying renovation/restoration projects (and not living in a hurricane zone). š
Just keep in mind… hurricanes. We get hit here (sw louisiana) so often it almost becomes routine. Florida gets hit a lot more than we do. š The ocean is wonderful, though, and Florida fruit is nice. Hre it seems like everyone has satsuma trees and the abundance of home grown oranges in early winter is super nice. My aunt anf u cle used to live in Miami and though they loved in a neighborhood with manicured lawns, theirs was a magical yard full of lush trees. My mom remembers a visit when they made a version of orange marmalade from the kumkwat yeild of one of their trees.
My best friend also lived in the jacksonville area for a while and loved it.
Good luck with the house hunt, And i have to agree, the thought of Home Owner Associations makes me break out in hives.
How about the Low Country? Or Port Aransas? Both beautiful and without the problems of Florida.
My in-laws love Tampa Bay (they’re in Lutz)! Whenever we go to visit, we love the weather and the surrounding area on the West Coast of Florida. My parents are out in New Smyrna / Daytona Beach area as snowbirds (rest of the time in Vermont to get the mountains and snow for winter sports) – which I grew up visiting since my grandmother lived there, and I love that area as well. It does sound like the hurricanes are a little less bad in the Tampa area, though, since there’s a bit of a sheltering effect because of the bay/inlet impact on weather conditions (such that it lessens a storm’s effects once it gets further inland). My father also loved the North Carolina beach areas – especially because he loved scuba diving the wrecks in the area, but my mom just loved Florida and the communities there. Good Luck in your search!! If you’re looking for a realtor in Tampa – my in-laws have a family member who did awesome in finding them a house that wasn’t cookie cutter, wasn’t in a gated community, but was still awesome and beautiful/big/Mediterranean in feel. And all while they were still located in Albany finishing out their research jobs while my stepfather-in-law was about to retire. I don’t think they ever actually saw the house before they bought it, but it turned out to be awesome – and actually slightly bigger than their old house in Albany – but almost all on one level so it was easier on the knees (my MIL has severe arthritis). Anyway, lmk if you’re looking for a realtor recommendation in the area, since he’s the nephew of my stepfather-in-law’s sister-in-law, so he’s extended family. I’m glad you guys are figuring out your next chapter!
This is the second time in two days that someone I follow online has indicated a move to Florida is in their future! Happy house hunting! I very much miss living near the ocean.
Gated communities suck the life out of the residents.
I miss living in Florida, and I only live about 20 miles north of the AL/FL line. š
Hope you check out the NW Florida Emerald Coast area. It has absolutely the most beautiful beaches, although I am biased, as I grew up there. But the sugar white sand and the emerald green water do something good to my soul. š
I agree with you about the HOAs. My sister is an interior designer and, for a while, worked for an HOA for a while on their design board. She had so many stories about how people were so petty about the height or color or style of something in their neighbors yards. Turned me off HOAs as well.
Happy house looking!
As several previous posts have implied, it’s not the gate that’s the problem; it’s the HOA, and those abound even in non-gated communities. All the best in finding something that works for you that’s 100% yours to own and control.
Doing the happy dance that you are once again looking at Florida.
Have you checked out Citrus County? We have Manatees! And a Beach! The best part is that we are about 2 hours from Gainesville, Orlando and Tampa. The perfect distance from the city.
I loved my fruit trees in Florida! I had 3 orange trees, a loquat, and planted a mulberry (had never had them before, tasty), an avacado (had my first one from the tree last year), a fig and 4 blueberry bushes. I believe yards should have an edible portion! Yes, I made orange juice and marmalade! We put in a smallish pond with fountain and had frog serenades every night in the summer, a snapping turtle found its way back there last summer. We also had a couple of snakes that came through on occasion, an absolutely gorgeous gopher snake, it moved in when my neighbors garbage brought in palm rats (they cut a gorgeous nightblooming jasmine down off our fence, because that was what was attracting the rats yeah right). I loved living in the center of the State and being missed by hurricanes, but only being an hour and a half drive to either coast. Sorry about the Orlando associations. I don’t like it because of the traffic and commercialism. I left Ocala in part because it is growing (gated communities) and the traffic has boomed in the last 5 years. Too many crazy drivers and constant sirens. I figured out I loved the dream of Florida, but the constant heat and lack of seasons just wasn’t for me. I hope you find a great new town!
Sanibel Islands is probably too remote for you but pretty amazing for all the natural loot that washes up everyday on the beach! Really family friendly community and laid back!
I know this is long and more personal, so you don’t have to post it. I just wanted to offer some help to Gordon. When Iām not at my day job as a pharmacist, Iām sharing tips on staying safe when taking medicines and supplements on my website, http://www.TheMedicationInsider.com.
Having allergies is no fun. Perhaps one of these tips will make your life easier until you can move to a place where your allergies wonāt bother you.
From my 40 years as a pharmacist, I remember the days when we had far fewer options to relieve symptoms of āhay feverā or allergic rhinitis. Today we have steroid nasal sprays and non-sedating antihistamines, but back 30 years ago, while some folks could take the same antihistamine all year long, others found that after a few months their medicine would stop working. Most of the time they could fix that just by switching to another antihistamine, until, several months later, THAT medicine would quit working, too!
But hereās the weird thing. If you stayed off your old antihistamine for several months, when you restarted it, it started working again! Back then, it wasnāt unusual for people with year-round allergies to cycle through 2 or 3 different antihistamines over the course of a year, taking each one for 3-6 months at a time.
Today, newer antihistamines like ClaritinĀ® (loratadine), AllegraĀ® (fexofenadine) and Zyrtec (cetirizine) have 3 major advantages over those older medicines: they rarely cause drowsiness, you only have to take them once a day, and they rarely quit working on you. But rarely doesnāt mean never. Itās possible that you could improve your allergy symptoms just by switching your current antihistamine to a different one.
SudafedĀ® did a big switch a few years ago, and now contains phenylephrine instead of pseudoephedrine, as Sudafed PEĀ®. If you have switched to the over-the-counter SudafedĀ® PE or other decongestant that you find on the shelf these days, you could be suffering needlessly, because that stuff doesnāt work! The federal government restricted pseudoephedrine to behind the pharmacy counter because it is widely used for methamphetamine manufacturing. Phenylephrine is the weak substitute on the shelf in its place, which is only 1/3 as potent as pseudoephedrine. If you need serious allergy relief, itās worth it to go to the pharmacy counter and ask for a product with pseudoephedrine.
You might consider giving ActifedĀ® or its generic, triprolidine/pseudoephedrine a try. This is my personal favorite antihistamine and decongestant combination. It works GREAT for both a stuffy AND a runny nose at the same time, and is inexpensive. Because it contains the original formula of SudafedĀ®, youāll need to ask for it at the pharmacy counter, and because itās an older medicine, itās not commonly available, so youāll probably need to go to an independent pharmacy and ask them to special order it for you. I never leave home without it.
One last tip: you can also ease allergy symptoms by desensitizing yourself to what youāre allergic to. If your allergies are from plant-based pollens, eating local raw honey could help. The trick is to get locally sourced honey, usually available at your local farmerās market. One teaspoonful 1-3 times daily is the suggested dose.
I hope this helps.
If you go to Jupiter, check out Little Moir’s Food Shack (and their second location Leftovers Cafe) – it’s delicious!
My parents live in Florida in a little town called Yankeetown (I kid you not), near Crystal River. Name aside, this place is amazing because it’s where the manatees come in!!!! They love it and I love to visit.
Ah. Read this after the other post. Then you should absolutely move to Florida. My childhood was spent in New Mexico, and 40 years later, 21 of them in Atlanta, I only feel like HOME when I’m in the New Mexico desert.