Snowbirds – not this winter! 1

Tales of Retirement

By Amy Cousineau
Anglican Parish Priest
Retired Fall 2014

We thought we were snowbirds.  For the past seven or eight years we have spent part of each winter in Florida, sometimes just two weeks or so, but last year the whole winter. (See A snowbird experience.).  We enjoyed last year so much that we rented a house for this winter.  And then, about three weeks before we were to leave, it happened.  I got sick!  I was at first reluctant to consult a doctor because of the implications for my travel insurance.  But the pain got so bad I felt I didn’t have a choice.  After some poking and prodding and an ultrasound, the diagnosis was clear – gallbladder problems requiring surgery.

Migration disruption

I said to my husband Fred, “Well this is a fine mess!”  We were committed to a house rental for thousands of dollars (in US funds) as well as Florida visits from family and friends.  We talked through the pros and cons of going anyway and decided it was just too risky.  We have an insurance plan, but I now had a dreaded ‘pre-existing condition’ which would not be covered.  Another gallbladder attack while in the US could be a financial and/or health disaster.

And so we phoned the landlord with trepidation, hoping we could work out something so we wouldn’t have to pay for a house we couldn’t use.  Amazing news!  She had a Plan B and kindly allowed us out of the agreement for just the cost of the deposit.  Then we phoned our five guests.  Although all were disappointed, only one had booked flights.  Within a few days she was able to come up with her own Plan B.

And so the “fine mess” seemed to be resolving itself.  But we still needed to survive the winter in Ontario.

The Silver Lining(s)

As we were sorting things out, I realized that there was a bright silver lining to the change in plans.  We would be able to see Geronimo, our 17-month-old grandson, all winter, and not just for a few days when he came to visit.  As it turns out, not only do we see Geronimo weekly, but we are available to help out in emergencies.  That happened last week when he was too sick with a cold and fever to go to daycare.  Between us, Fred and I babysat for four days.  We couldn’t have done that if we had been 2000 kilometers away.

This was almost enough to make me happy about enduring winter.

And, as the Canadian dollar continues its slide, I think about all the money we are saving by staying home.

And, at this point, the usual freezing cold winter weather has not really begun.

Settling In

We became snowbirds because I hate winter.  As I contemplated a whole winter without Florida sunshine, I asked myself why I hate winter.  I decided it’s because I’m cold all the time, from November until May.  To attack that problem I went out and bought a warm, fleecy housecoat, several sweaters, and a camisole.  I unearthed my wool socks from the back of the drawer.  Now, even when the temperature outside is in the minuses (rare this winter in Southern Ontario, but it has happened), I am warm when I’m in the house.  I also faced the fact that I really don’t like going outside in the winter.  I know all the stuff about embracing winter by getting outdoor exercise, but no matter how much I dress up, my nose gets cold and my knees hurt.  So I gave myself permission not to spend time outdoors and instead started exercising in my tiny ‘gym’ in the basement.

Another thing I hate about winter is the lack of sunlight.  I live with depression, which is well controlled with medication.  But the lack of sunlight can get me down.  Last October I got a SAD light.  (Not a light that makes me sad, but a light that combats Seasonal Affective Disorder, a type of depression that comes from not enough sunlight.)  I’ve had good results using the SAD light for 20 minutes a day.  I think it really helps!

Along with my indoor sunlight, I bought and planted an amaryllis bulb.  It now has four beautiful scarlet blooms to cheer me along.  And I plan to keep buying flowers until there are some blooming in our garden.

But what to do with all that time I expected to spend walking in sunshine, playing golf, and visiting?  I decided on two projects.  One I had already started, but it was too bulky to take to Florida.  I am scanning all our snapshots, which are in umpteen albums in our basement.  Now, with the extra time at home, I hope to finish this project by spring.  The other project I decided on was to learn a new technical skill on my sewing machine.  (For any quilters reading this, I’m learning free motion quilting so I can quilt my own pieced tops.)  This has been going well.  As I practice I’m getting new ideas, learning new things about the technique, and developing “body memory” of how to move the fabric to get the results I want.  I’m now ready to quilt something “real” that doesn’t have to be perfect.

So far so good

And so I would say, ‘so far so good’ about wintering in Ontario.  By the time you read this in early March my gallbladder will be history and I should be feeling fine.

But how I feel by tulip time will tell the tale.  Will I get cabin fever if we get some real winter, with howling winds and snowdrifts, and I have to cancel plans and stay indoors?  Will this constant grey non-winter bring on a depression dip?  Will I run out of projects to keep me busy?  Time will tell.  For the moment this unplanned winter feels like an adventure!