Days 166-194; December 11- January 7, 2016.

We spent a relaxing mid-December weekend in Gulf Port, FL with Debbie and Tom Littlepage. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect and the activity of choice turned out to be beach sitting, beach walking and beach bar time (St. Petersburg Beach) with a craft show, holiday boat parade, shopping and a fantastic meal or two thrown in. Yes, we all stayed on the Namaste together! As always, Debbie and Tom’s company is cherished and the value of their ongoing assistance with electronics cannot be measured. Their rental car was a real treat for getting around easily and transport to the Tampa Airport for our much anticipated home-visit departure. Thanks for everything!

Sammy did not enjoy her first  flight. Did I mention that her ticket cost more than ours? Anyway, we went straight away to meet our newest grandchild Cedar Curtis McFall. He was just a month old and could not be a more perfect and beautiful baby boy. By the time we left he was either sleeping, eating or smiling.

It was a great time and perhaps slightly more relaxing than our October visit. Mostly we spent time with family which included holding Cedar at every opportunity; spending play times with Nate and Leonie; attending Klava’s third grade birthday party where we were in charge of decorating gingerbread houses; picking up Liam and Klava from School and hosting an overnight on Blue Heron; assembling a drum set with Liam; attending Ashleigh’s hockey party and family skate and enjoying the Detroit Zoo light show and a tour of Face Book Detroit Headquarters with PHLAN + Grandma Ollie! Out of town visits from Georgie, Roger and Colleen were highlights. There were lots of shared meals and cups of coffee too.

We also caught up with good friends; celebrated our 49^th anniversary and bringing in 2016 during Bryan and Julie’s wedding at the Art Museum on the U of M campus – a terrific venue and party; and sadly attended the funeral of Dominic Taddonio, a highly accomplished and well loved man.

The practical doc and dental appointments resulted in good reports and a fixed tooth. Haircuts were accomplished and Sammy was groomed. Jo Ann walked her 10,000 steps most days with the company of Judy, Monica and Maureen. Jim finished and delivered three cherry tables and endlessly studied the charts of Florida and the Keys. We did some Christmas decorating and un-decorating, made the usual date bread, cooked a few good meals and left the house in order. The unseasonably warm weather and lack of snow prevented us from an annual downhill trip at Boyne but otherwise it was a whirlwind of the best life has to offer! Thanks to all for your rich company and memorable times!

We flew on the 6th to Tampa and Sammy isn’t any happier about her confinement – the indignity of it all! As I write this we are back onboard the Namaste with Jim doing a few minor maintenance and installation tasks.   We look forward to reuniting with friends and the loop as we move on to the Florida Keys.

Good Boat Name of the day: Audacious and Bodacious as we have seen both names. Audacious means confident, daring, adventurous. Bodacious is likely a combination of bold + audacious so boldly confident, daring and adventurous. Who knew?

Quote of the day: “Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world. It requires profound purpose larger than the self kind of understanding.  -Bill Bullard (not sure which one)

Sorry, the marina we-fi is too slow to upload the pictures.  I will add them when I get a good connection.  Yikes, frustrating!

The beach at St. Petersburg or was it Passe-a-Grille

 

 

Holiday Boat Parade in Gulf Port

 

Christmas Day

 

Grandma and Cedar

Nate at the family skate.  He and Liam love to roller blade throughout the house – getting ready for hockey!

 

Leonie helping Grandma decorate the house

 

Grandpa and Cedar

 

Klava is 9!

 

Oh the indignity of it all!