Merry Christmas from Destin!

Merry Christmas from Destin! We've had a busy week or so. Spent a lovely afternoon at Eden Plantation and Gardens. Unfortunately no relation! As you can see, it is a beautiful antebellum mansion fit for Natchez in Port Washington, FL just up the road from Destin. The sunset is over East Pass in Destin. They are finally starting to dredge the Harbor so the boats can get out.

We are having fun in between wind and rain! The weather this December has been the worst that anyone can recall down here. It hasn't stopped us much. We've still been out and about. A few movies, lots of eating out, a little shopping, a little work for me, lots of reading for Woody. I've spent more time on facebook than updating my blog, but hey...the important people are my facebook friends! If you aren't on facebook, you should try it. It's great to keep in touch with family and people and old friends you haven't thought about in years and some you don't even remember!! besides...isn't if fun facebooking that you just got a shot in your butt? Yes..I'm officially sick and you know how I hate doctors. Woody finally hog tied me and made me go...he was right, although I hate to admit it. This is my first non-annual get my prescriptions refilled visit in years!

As I reflect on 2009, I must thank Marsha and Karen and The Oncology Group for my semi-return to the work force. I have been able to stay intellectually engaged and buy some toys. When you retire, you hoard your money because you don't know how long you'll live. The issue is: spend for fun now and then become a burden to your kids OR watch your pennies now and leave it all to the kids when you die sooner than expected. While I love my kids, they have to earn their own way now and not depend on mom and dad! Tee Hee!! I still love it that my retirement plan was based on taking my savings and dividing it by the number of years I expected to live. I didn't depend on Wall Street and in retrospect that was a good thing. We may not have millions plural, but we are having a million dollars worth of fun in retirement! Spending the winter in Destin, cruising to Canada, going to my first Nascar race at Bristol, gambling in Cherokee and Vegas, and finally going to the Jack Daniels brewery are just some of the highlights of 2009. I'm not bragging, just sharing my blessings! The Lord has blessed us with good health and sufficient wealth to do fun things!

So as we wrap up 2009 and get ready for the pot luck Christmas dinner in the trailer park tomorrow (yes I know it's an RV resort right on the beach next to million dollar mansions, but it sounds better to say trailer park!), Woody and I wish you Merry Christmas, love enough to share, sufficient wealth to meet your needs, and world peace! Life is good! Celebrate it through all the ups and downs and may you be more up than down in 2010!

A Cold, Dreary Day in Destin

OK, this is getting ridiculous. I'm sitting here in the coach watching the clouds roll in over the water...but at least the wind is from the south which warms us up! The waves are pretty ok but not like the first week when it was wild. We've now been here two weeks and other than the days I was in Las Vegas, it's been cool but sunny, overcast and cool or rainy! While I was in Las Vegas it was great supposedly. If I can just last through today, it is supposed to be beautiful next week. I come to Florida for the sun...I don't care if it is cool, but I MUST HAVE SUN or I get really crunchy. Poor Woody. At least the clouds make for beautiful sunsets. This was yesterday. Oh darn...it's raining again!!!

As always, we're eating too well and went to Callahan's Restaurant and Deli last night with Norm and Bill. The food is fabulous. Not sure where we'll go tonight. We've still not made it to our favorite, Dewey Destin's, but it's just been so cold. I guess we could to the new place that is actually a restaurant, but everyone says the old one on the bay with plastic over the windows and radiant heaters to keep you from totally freezing is still better. It is the one with the kitchen on wheels!

We can't even find a movie we want to go too...it's bad! But if you haven't seen The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw you have to go. It's the best movie I've seen in a long time...you just feel good when you leave. So I've updated my facebook and now the blog...then I think I'll just go read. Finished two books on the flight too and from Las Vegas...Deep Fathom by Rollins and Loitering with Intent by Stuart Woods...both were fabulous reads.

Hope your weekend is better than mine is starting out to be!

I have a Blackberry!

Despite Woody's misgivings, I got a Blackberry today! He really didn't want me to get one, but our IHOP was right next to a Verizon store! Big sign: Free Blackberry with 2 year activation! Now the fun part is I tried to re-sign my contract with Verizon back during the summer and they just were too busy to talk to me so we left. Otherwise I couldn't have gotten this one! So now I'm part of the crackberry generation again.

We've had a great week settling in and eating at our favorite spots. It's really been colder than usual down here in Destin and everyone is complaining. Hopefully in the next few days it will warm up to normal. Today it was in the mid 60's and sunny up until about 3:30P and then it began to cloud up. The sunset should be beautiful...if it is, I'll post pics!

Well now we've been to Buster's and McGuire's Irish Pub! Two of our favorite restaurants. McGuire's has the best prime cut steak in Destin and almost as good as some we had in Montana last year! Not cheap, but incredible! It also has an entire room of Notre Dame memorabilia! and multiple moose...mooses? decorated for Christmas of course. We've had a horrid storm today with up to 60 mile an hour gusts, horizontal rain, and more rain! The beach sand has moved up to the slips on the beach so it will have to be bulldozed back to the beach!

We're staying in until later this afternoon when it's supposed to clear. Then out to more favorite restaurants! The economy down here seems to continue to be slow. Several more restaurants and stores have closed or are closing. Pat O'Briens opened last year and has already closed at HarborWalk. The RV resort where we stay every year, Camping on the Gulf, is very empty although it should pick up closer to Christmas and New Year's. It still won't be full according to the staff....not like 3 or 4 years ago when we were completely full. Not quite as much fun, but I have a better view of the ocean! The seas today were really rough. We'll see what we do next year when Savannah Elizabeth arrives...I may not be able to come down and leave her for 3 months! We may just do a cruise!

Hello from Palm Tree Land!

We made it to Florida Monday around 6P after driving in rain all day. Only to get more rain today...lots more rain...like flash flooding rain. Near Appalachicola they are expecting 70 mile an hour winds...wonder if an RV can fly? At least it's 60 so the rain is not freezing or turning in to snow! It's supposed to be out of here by tomorrow and back to what we expect of December in Florida. It's still great to see the ocean and the waves...since we're on the beach, we are a bit worried about the 4 ft storm surge...maybe we should move up the hill to a higher spot! Wonder if RV's can float? Oh well...it is what it is.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just wanted to take a minute and wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving and share with you a little Irish prayer from Saint Patrick:

May the strength of God pilot us.
May the power of God preserve us.
May the wisdom of God instruct us.
May the hand of God protect us.
May the way of God direct us.
May the shield of God defend us.

As we enter the holiday season, I get nostalgic for the old days when family fellowship was more important than presents; when seeing the relatives was fun; when cooking was done with love and not obligation; when the children could play outside and be safe; when the only family arguments were over football-GO IRISH; when we all lived close rather than scattered all over the country; when there was peace-although that hasn't happened much in our lifetime so pray for it; when people cared for the poor; when an apology was more important than a grudge; OMG I sound so Leave it to Beaver!!! Yep...I'm definitely old. I'm sounding like my Dad!

Seriously though...have a great time whatever your traditions and locale...and if you're not with your loved ones...give them a call!!!!! I love all of you and Woody and I wish you happy days!

Now to Florida!

We had a blast at Woody's party on Saturday! Lots of good food, fun and many friends! Libby wants to invite Helen to all our family gatherings and Jane wants Cindy! I think our friends have bonded. Woody got lots of chocolate as you can see from the couch picture...a good book, chocolate and green tea!

Just finished up all my writing and editing work and now get to start packing for the winter in Florida...there will be so much more to write. Dewey Destin's, Buster's, McGuire's...all our favorite restaurants. We start cleaning the coach today and then the house for the house sitter!

Taylor Swift, Woody's BD and Other Goodies!

So delighted that Taylor Swift won the Entertainer of the Year in Country Music! She has certainly "entertained" this year and deserves the recognition. Highest ratings in years for Saturday Night Live and the CMA's and yet the "boo birds" come out just because she's young. Trust me, she's smarter than most 40 year olds when it comes to managing her career. I can't believe that Wynonna and Naomi Judd dissed her! Jealousy anyone? Why is it that people who haven't had a hit in years take pot shots at the hottest thing going. In case they haven't noticed, Taylor has brought an entirely new set of fans to country music. If the genre doesn't change with the times, it will be defunct in no time! There are classic country stations still playing the old guard, but the contemporary country stations are eating their lunch! Now a disclaimer! Taylor lives in my hometown so I have to be protective!

Woody's birthday is coming up and we're going to have a little party for him on Saturday. Just a few friends and 5 pounds of shrimp and two pounds of cajun crab dip and 90 other things! Do I know my friends or what? I've made little presents for the girls and can't wait to give them to them. I'm finally having time to do a little artsy stuff!

Getting ready to head out to Florida for the winter. Can't wait to see the ocean, friends, Dewey Destin's, McGuire's, and Buster's! Destin is the most wonderful city and I so love to be there. I'd give anything if the hurricaines would leave Florida alone. If I could get insurance without mortgaging the house, I'd love to live there. Our niece should be back here soon to house sit! Unless she gets a play in New York! She's auditioning like crazy! Then we go to Plan B!

I'm going to try to do better about keeping the blog up to date! and then on to the gallery! Lots of great new pictures to add. Have a great week.