Sunday Dinner at the Sierra's

Gator and birds

On Sunday I enjoyed a fine dinner of shrimp scampi, courtesy of chef Luis, and fun evening at my sister Barbara's house.  We celebrated her upcoming 59th birthday and watched a video of a party at their house in August of 1988.  It was hilarious!  It was the only time I remember that Pat, Barbara and I were with our mother, Jean, and stepfather, Ron.  My wife, Zoe, was there, along with my kids, Barbara and Derick, plus my niece, Jennifer, who was 9 at the time.  Sister Pat's husband, Bill, and daughter, Amanda, were also there.  The highlight was a game of giggle belly, which had us all lying on the floor, crisscrossed with our heads on each others' stomachs, then going "ha", "ha, ha", in order down the line.   Of course it never got very far before all of us burst out laughing.  It's impossible to watch the tape without doing the same thing, so we all enjoyed another good laugh together 22 years after the original.  What a good time!  Sorry I didn't take some pics, as I was too caught up in the evening.  Next time. 

Yesterday I attended a meeting of Solos on the Go, the same group that I ran away from in February when I was here.  This time I got there early and was still the only guy present with about 20 ladies.  What a fun group of folks!  We gathered for pizza later in the evening then played some games.  I passed on the games as I'm still a little frustrated by not having any glasses but my tinted ones.  The new ones are supposed to arrive Saturday and I sure will be glad. 

The cold weather is more than a minor nuisance here as it is threatening the crops.  I've been enjoying fresh oranges, orange juice and real tomatoes that taste like summer ones in NC. .How odd it is to enjoy a real tomato sandwich in December!  It will be a tragedy if the crops are damaged, as it will adversely affect a lot of people, especially the farmers.   Here's hoping mother nature will give these good people a break this time.

Jubilee continues to lift my spirits, as I download the Sunday service then listen to it at my leisure.  The music, readings, and of course Howard's insights are timely and helpful.  It's the next best thing to being there and I look forward to each new one.  Walking continues to give me a good boost each day, as does all this sunshine.  And drinking less helps a lot, too.  Overall, I feel terrific!  When my glasses come and the weather warms, I'll definitely be on the golf course or driving range or both.  I also want to take some day trips on the Burg and explore my surroundings more, including the beach, of course. 

St. George Island