Road Trip

 

 

 

Any Florida Gator alumni or fans reading today? On Saturday, we took a road trip to Gainsville for the MSU versus University of Florida basketball game. When we were living in Michigan, though we didn't have season tickets for basketball, we still made it to quite a few games. There is nothing like being at the Breslin Center, with the crazy Izzone, but experiencing a different basketball arena and its loud student section was a lot of fun too.

 

 

 

 

 

It was a noon game and a three hour drive, so we left early, got coffee for the road and made it in plenty of time to park and walk a bit around campus. I do love seeing a college campus for the first time and there is always great energy as you walk around. I was proudly wearing my green and white and found a lot of fellow Spartans also enjoying the campus before the game. And, all good Spartans know to say "Go Green" as you pass another Spartan.

 

 

The game was exciting and MSU won in the last few seconds after letting Florida catch up in the final stretch. It was a long drive back with a lot of traffic leaving Gainsville and on I75 south, but seeing the game live and helping cheer the Spartans to victory was so worth it to this MSU alum.

Happy Tuesday!

 

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.

 

{ Linking with these friends}

Savvy Southern Style

Between Naps on the Porch

21 Rosemary Lane

Stonegable

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!