December 2020 - A different Christmas - the Covid Christmas

Was treated to Escape Room (late birthday present) from Amigas and it was challenging to say the least.  After dinner we met Val at French's on Clearwater Beach for our Christmas celebration.  It was a fun evening.

Took a five day trip to St. Augustine with Gwen, night at Daytona Beach, ate so much tasty food.  Started with a Walking Tour and learned lots of history, oldest city in the United States.  Toured distillery that surprisingly made run, gin, vodka and bourbon.  We had a tiny taste of each type along with their special mixers.  Took a night time holiday boat tour to see the famous St. Augustine Christmas lights.  Had several bowls of She Crab soup which made my holiday bright and tasty.  Enjoyed lunch on the pier at Joe's Crab Shack and then stopped for some salt water taffy (haven't had that for such a long time).  A best pizza at Captain Pizza, just a hole in the wall, but so darn good.  Walked on the beach and just had a good, restful time.

Had my friends Hilda and Rosa for lunch and stupidly forgot to take a picture.  Here is the table, we ate outside on the patio and it was nice.

It was a little windy so I had to put down painted

rocks to hold table cloth down.  Practical use

of the rocks.

Lovely Christmas dinner with my (I just wrote "our" -- I always speak of us) dear friends Dave and Heather.  Our annual "Castaway" get together, but cut down to a very small group.  Somehow Dave didn't cut down on the size of the prime rib.  So fun to spend time with friends and enjoy a lovely dinner.  Thanks Dave and Heather, that pretty much was my Christmas celebration.

Almost end of the year and took a nice "stroll" in Walshingham Park with Heather.  I'd never been there and it is a picturesque park with excellent walking paths.  We walked (strolled) 2 miles.  Heather walks with another friend once a week and she said they walk 6 miles.  I appreciated her going with me.

New Year's Eve day I had Sue and Q and Vickt over at 12 noon - our New Year's Celebration.  I made Crab Soup and Funeral Sandwiches.  The soup was a disappointment and I'll have to experiment with different recipes.  At $23 a can for crab meat I won't be making it often.  That was a bummer, but live and learn, my first time trying.  I adore crab soup so do want to try another recipe.  The one I used looked decent.  It wasn't awful, just no flavor.

New Year's Eve was home and watch the ball drop.  Pretty uneventful.  Recalled the big parties in Boise, out in the snow, shooting off fireworks and once a shotgun (quite a memory).  But just glad to get this year behind us and hope that we'll see improvements in the New Year.

So close out Covid 2020, and let's move on with vaccinations, health and TRAVEL!!!!!!!

November 2020 - month in review

 November 2020  highlights

Celebrated Robert's birthday with some BBQ, tried Sonny's and it was very good.  I was "good" and ate turkey sandwich with no bread and sliced tomatoes.  Hard, but makes me proud when I can make the best choices for myself.

Happy Birthday, 31

A top day to remember:  De Soto State Park, with Eric's walking group and friends I've made there.  Great group of super folks.

*****#1*****  Was talking with Rosa about my love of shells and desire to find my first whole sand dollar.  Saw lots and lots of broken 1/2 and 3/4 sand dollars and lo and behold, looked down and there she was.  My beautiful whole, entire, real sand dollar.  I was on "Cloud 9".  Two hour, slow walk with photographs and lots of laughs.  One for the books.

Side trip as friends hadn't seen pier so drove down there and saw dolphins (or a dolphin?).  That was cool.  And then I was "blessed" when pooped on by a damn seagull.  Gosh, what an experience, must say that was also a "first" and hopefully a last.  He got 3 out of the 4 of us.  I'll do the sand dollars again, but pass on this.  Now I've got to figure out a cool craft for the shells.  They are washed but have to be bleached and prepared (hardened).  I'm sure this will be great fun.

The day was perfect, temperature, breeze, vibe and amigos.

This tidal area looks like some type of outer space planet.

Our leader, Eric.  One of the best people

I know.  He's such an intelligent, thoughtful,

kind and caring person.  Great writer, photographer,

husband and father.  I'm so blessed I met him.

Photo credit:  Eric Boyette

This leaf looked just like it was made out of copper

when it was on the beach.

My friends, left - Noemi, Rosa and Hilda.  Right

after this picture was when we received our bird shit blessing.

Stellar Day

Dream come true

Just the best.

Oh gosh, November 17th, time flys.  Over half the month gone.  I have had just the best month.  Catching up with friends I haven't seen in such a long time, everywhere from over 2 years to several months.  Blessed and I'm over joyed.  I woke up the morning feeling like a million dollars and bubbling over with such good feelings.  It almost should be illegal.

I've been to parks, out to eat, to talk, visit, on walks with friends and each visit is magical.  Amazingly, for eating out about 5 times, I have stayed on my healthy eating.  That makes me proud, but I do plan on totally feasting on Thanksgiving.  I am looking forward to attacking food!!!!!! and lots of it.  Here are some photos of my last few weeks.

Long lost cruise friend, Donna.  We live

12 miles apart....what's taken us so long.

Vicky looked up and I did too.  I love, love

this photo.  Thanks Vicky.

Miss Vicky, we enjoyed our walk at

John Chestnut park

Back to the beach, loved these patterns in the sand.  Sue and I went sand dollar shopping, LOL.  Love low tide and walking around on sandbars and in the water.  Super day.

I like these patterns in the sand.

Had our first of the year Friendship Force Suncoast get together and a good turnout, about 30.  We'd gotten together via Zoom a few times, but it was so nice to see our friends in person.  Met at Florida Botanical Garden for a scavenger hunt and happy the rain held back, but just barely.  Sue, Q and me went to dinner at The Savory, a place that was close and had outdoor dining.  It was truly amazing.  Everything we had was delicious, great service.  I loved it and will be back again.  I even ate healthy and took half home for dinner the next night.

Photo credit Sue Olnick

Thanksgiving at Sue and Quinton's house.  Small group of 6, and store bought dinner, turkey and all the trimmings.  Easy and enjoyable with no cooking involved.  Where does Publix cook all those turkeys at once?  Happy and grateful to be healthy and be able to enjoy a lovely meal with friends.  Sue did a great job of social distancing and we all felt safe.  Thanks Sue.

Week of Nov. 23rd home for a few days trying to get things done.  Getting ready for garage sale down in Englewood with my friend Deb.  Going to spend two night with her day after Thanksgiving and then go down to Arcadia and spend two nights with friends from Utah who are snow birding it here for their first time in their motorhome.  Stopping on way home to bring Deb back with me so we can have some more visiting and maybe some beach time.

My friend, Deb.  We had a good visit.

Long time friends from Utah RVing in Arcadia for several

months now that they are retired.  I went down to spend two night

with them and their little Monte.

If you find a sand dollar you tell your friend that we've got

to go find more.  Sue and are do projects together and look

forward to what we can do with the sand dollars.  It was fun!!!!!

Followed with lunch of course.

My blurry photo, but you get the point.  We

were both just so happy up to our knees in the water.

That pretty much wraps up November.  An terrific month since I got to see so many friends.

And during the boring times I had fun amusing myself with my "Mask Montage".

Found a great quote:  Be silly, be honest, be kind  -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Fall in Arizona, spectucular 10/5 -

Cheryl and I left Tucson on Monday 7 am. for our big day.  We drove up to Show Low, AZ, via Superior, Miami, Globe, arriving at our hotel around 4:30 p.m.  We drove through the Salt River Canyon, a very scenic area.

First stop was Superior.  We drove around and took photos of the historic downtowns in all these little towns.  They are showing signs of age and lack of population.  Felt a little sad to see these places dying out.  These were old mining towns with histories back to the 1870's.

1/22/21 - Best finish this up, shortened version.  Cheryl and I had a great trip seeing Fall in the White Mountains.  The colors were breathtaking and we just had a ball because everytime we turned around we had to take another picture, each one prettier than the last.

The trip up was great and we stopped at most pull outs along the way.  That is why Cheryl and I went together, because many people are destination oriented and wanted to see all the spots and stop and take photos.  It was a great trek up the mountain.  Once we arrived and started seeing yellow in the area we knew we were in for the treat.  There is always the fear that you can miss the right time and the leaves will be gone.  John and I went to Colorado, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont the year I retired (2012 - see blogs) and did "Leaf Peeping" as they call it.

A wonderful trip and good memories.  Mother Nature sure is something.  So glad we were able to return to our area where we had just camped a few weeks before to behold the trees changing.

Colors are the Smiles of Nature - Leigh Hunt