December So Far

 

 

It's a busy month, but I'm very thankful for that extra week on the calendar this year, after Thanksgiving and before December 1st. It gave us all a chance to recover and move forward, with a bit of a pause. My shopping is almost done, except for some small items and I'm just waiting patiently (or maybe impatiently) for all my packages to arrive, so I can wrap and ship them to Michigan. I am a big on line shopper and do not miss the days of marathon trips to the mall, carrying heavy shopping bags and overheating in my winter coat. With free shipping and cyber Monday discounts, it's a no brainer for me.

 

 

On Monday, I hosted a luncheon for my yoga group. There are a core group of us that are there every week, since the beginning and I wanted to get us out of the clubhouse for a change. I had everything ready before I left, so it would be easy and stress free when I returned after yoga. I kept things simple with soup, two salads and rolls. I also served two kinds of sangria - a red and a white. The red sangria was Pinot Noir, with apples, oranges, grapes limes, simple syrup, club soda and a cinnamon stick. The white sangria was Sauvignon Blanc, apples, cranberries, simple syrup, club soda and a sprig of rosemary. The recipes can be found on my Fun Drinks Pinterest board.

 

 

The Creamy Tomato Basil Soup I served, was so good. It's my second time making this recipe and I'm sure it won't be the last. It's perfect for company, because you can make it ahead of time in the crock pot and serve when you are ready. The original pin can be found here.

 

 

Wednesday night was the monthly girls night out at our clubhouse. We tried something different this month and ordered some food in, rather than all bring something to share. It was a great idea in this busy season. These girl's nights have been a great addition to the neighborhood calendar and such a good way to casually meet neighbors. We have new people moving in all the time and snowbirds that come and go, so it's important to keep connections open.

 

 

 

My book group met last night and I led the discussion of Little Fires Everywhere. It is a great book for an interesting and lively discussion, with several different themes throughout; including motherhood, adoption, cultural differences and life in suburbia. This book came to my attention from Reese Witherspoon, who picks a book each month, similar to what Oprah used to do. It's interesting that her picks seem to be gaining some cachet and are noted on Amazon as such.

Have a wonderful weekend! I hope to do a post with my Christmas decor next week.

 

Christmas Boat Parade

 

 

 

Over the years, we have been to many Christmas parades and the thing I remember most is that even though bundled up from the cold, I was usually freezing. This year, we went to the Christmas Boat Parade, along the Intercoastal Waterway in Venice and no coats were required.

 

 

 

 

We had planned to just take our chairs and cooler and find a spot along the Intercoastal, but received an invitation to a special event dinner at The Crow's Nest. We were seated at a table by a window and had a perfect view of the boats, very close to where the parade began. Dinner was a set menu and I enjoyed Pesto Salmon Costini, Seafood Bisque (with a shot of sherry on the side to add in - yum), Prime Rib and Key Lime Pie (my favorite) for dessert. It was all delicious and just a really nice and festive evening all around.

 

 

 

 

 

I didn't know what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised with the amount of decoration on the majority of the boats. The fire truck boat (photo above) won the People's Choice award and was really well done and realistic. Of all the entries, my favorite had jumping Dolphins pulling Santa's sleigh, palm trees and alligators - perfect for the Christmas season in Florida.

Happy Tuesday!

 

Thanksgiving in Photos

 

 

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with a lot of blue skies, sunshine and warm temperatures. My daughter Melisssa flew in from Michigan and having at least one daughter here made my weekend. We will see Megan and Adam at Christmas, but still missed them a lot. However, newly married couples need to spread their time between families and we understand that. Time was spent at the beach, the pool and at a lot of fun restaurants. Tropical drinks were enjoyed and we shopped at St. Armands Circle one night. We watched MSU in both football and basketball and unfortunately watched the Lions lose on Thanksgiving Day. We even got in a round of golf in on Sunday before Melisssa flew back to Michigan. It was hard for her to leave and head back to snowy weather, but we see her again in just a few weeks. It will be a busy December for everyone, but we are all looking forward to spending Christmas together back in our home state.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, as a bonus to the weekend, yesterday was our 36th anniversary. We had a lovely dinner out with wine, a lemon drop martini (for me) and a wonderful Italian meal, followed by Creme Brulee for dessert. Here's to many more in this new life we have built here in Florida.

 

Happy Tuesday!