First: We love our house down here. Having everything on one floor makes life so much easier than our three floors at home.
Second: Taxes, yes we would pay a lot less tax if we lived here in Florida.
Third: Great weather, lots of sunshine and warm winters. Though, summers are screaming hot.
All of these are excellent reasons to live in Florida year round but the reasons why we don't are even more compelling.
First: Family. While we do have family in Florida, our children and the majority of our grandchildren are home in Connecticut.
Second: Exercise. We have a very comprehensive schedule in Connecticut that gives Al the exercise he needs to keep his Parkinson's in check. We have tried to find some options here and we do get one day right now but that is a far cry from the 4 days at home.
Third: Our dogs. I love my dogs, I am not willing to expose them to the chemicals that we use to keep bugs and other critters off our lawn. Supposedly it is safe for pets once it dries. It kills bugs for months, I am not willing to take a chance.
Fourth: Our doctors and dentists in Connecticut. We have been with them for years and I am not about to change at this point in our lives.
Fifth: Our friends. We have some great friends that I would really miss if we moved permanently to Florida.
So, as far as I am concerned, we have the best of both worlds. In Florida, I get to see Al's family and my Brother and his wife and in Connecticut, I get to see my other brother and his wife in Vermont. We play half a year in our card league and enjoy that a lot. We plan to continue to enjoy both locations for as long as possible.
