52 Ancestors Week 51: Winter

 From Amy Johnson Crow: Week 51's theme is "Winter." Here in the northern hemisphere, we will be welcoming winter on December 21. Yay! (I say "Yay" not because I love winter -- I don't!! -- but because it's the shortest day of the year... meaning we get more daylight after that! Yay!) How would winter have affected your ancestors? Any Snow, Winters, or Frosts in the family tree?

O Rly?

    Next week, winter 2020 will finally arrive and here in New Hampshire we're already feeling the icy grip of old man winter. Sufficed it to say winters in New England can be pretty cold and unforgiving. I remember shoveling snow and my face hurting while moving heavy loads of white stuff. Ever shovel and feel like you get an ice cream headache at the same time? That's winter in New England in a nutshell! It's no wonder my grandparents went to Florida for the winter. And that my friends is how you do a segue!

    I'm not going to deny it. My paternal grandparents were snowbirds before being a snowbird was cool. They were hipster snowbirds! For those who don't know, snowbirds are people who live in Florida for three months out of the year before moving back up north. Grandpa Marco and Grandma Ollie fit the description to a t. We even visited her and her sisters while they stayed in the Sunshine state and it was from their house my family and I went to Disneyworld, Epcot and Sea World. My adventures in the happiest place on Earth are going to be put aside for another time. Let's just say getting stuck on Space Mountain was probably one of the highlights of that trip!

Who is that ADORABLE baby? ;)

    Grandpa Marco built a house in Stuart, Florida and my grandparents called it their winter home up until he passed away in 1983. That didn't stop Grandma from enjoying it, though! Despite her husband passing away relatively young, she still went to the house with her sisters. That showed a LOT of strength. Can you imagine the memories of that place? 

    I have vague memories of visiting that house since I was little the last time I set foot in there. I remember the house in Haverhill a bit more than that house in Florida. I do remember my grandmother and her sisters all standing around the kitchen island eating and talking much like the did in her house back in Haverhill. Some things never change. Little old Italian ladies are always gonna find a way to have a conversation!

    Another way to beat the cold was to admit you had enough just move to Florida. That's exactly what my other grandparents did! Grandpa Robert and Grandma Natalie lived in Holiday and it was there that they spent the rest of their lives. Don't get me wrong, they still visited family up north from time to time. Just when the grass was green and there was no snow.

    They enjoyed growing orchids, golfing and going to flea markets. My grandfather was also a regular at the local Red Lobster. Personally, I'd rather have the lobster straight from Maine. But, I guess if you want a taste of home, you go for the next best thing! And once my grandmother passed away, several of my cousins would visit our grandfather and I think that made him feel better about being in Florida.

     I can see the appeal in going south for the winter even if the sun is like three inches from your face down there. A person would just want to get away from the cold temperatures of the north. It's no wonder many older people decide to visit or stay in warm states like Florida or Arizona. Living in New England in winter, I can't really blame them for wanting to go away for three months or even permanently. The important thing to remember, though, is that even though my grandparents went to Florida, they still maintained ties up here and would visit family. That's always going to be the big thing to me. 

     I suppose it could be said that growing up in New England was a great incentive for my grandparents to go to Florida. They've dealt with it growing up and who can blame them for wanting to get away from it all. Besides, the beaches are AMAZING!

See ya next time!