Truman, Hemingway, 54 Felines and 3 Slices of Key Lime Pie

A beautiful slice of Key lime pie, one bite missing

Continuing our journey through Florida, we spent a day and a half in the Florida Keys, where I managed to sample three pieces of key lime pie! I split the first piece two ways and the last three ways, but still...

I decided that indulging in key lime pie in the Keys was a must.

We were invited to spend the night with a cousin on Marathon in their rented house. On the way we stopped in Islamorada for a delicious fish lunch and topped it off with the key lime pie below:

That evening we took our hosts out for dinner, an early bird special all-inclusive dinner which included a dessert choice of ice cream and of course, key lime pie, so...

The next day we asked Al and Judy if they wanted to accompany us to Key West. They agreed and we together enjoyed the long bridges and blue expanses of water all the way to the southernmost point of the country.

They also suggested we purchase a dual ticket to Hemingway's house and the Truman Little White House.

Between tours we dined outdoors where three cruise ships were docked. It was a perfectly warm day with a lovely breeze off the water keeping us perfectly comfortable. And then we shared that perfectly delicious slice of pie at the top of the page.

On the first tour we were not allowed to take photos. The Harry S. Truman house has been preserved with the decor of the day, and was not that photo-worthy, anyway. Although we remember him for the BOMB and for standing up to General Douglas MacArthur, Truman, I learned, has an impressive list of other achievements as POTUS.

Dress was casual, though, in this "tropical" white house back in the day. And Harry was pictured on a wall photograph, fishing with a bare hairy chest, which I cannot now un-see! Besides ... his name.

So I knew that Hemingway hung out in Key West and was a larger than life figure, but I didn't know the half of it, including 4 wives, a fancy chandelier in every room of the house, including a bath (didn't count how many), 5 concussions (more than likely alcohol-related), too many 6-toed cats, several war-related injuries ... and 1 self-inflicted (explosive) death!

Now 54 cats (32 are six-toed!)--some still from the same blood-line, dominate the house, sleeping on the master bed and dining room table like they own the place. 3 cat ladies and 1 vet keep them healthy and happy. Our guide knew all their names. I met Daisy Buchanan.

I think this was Daisy on the dining table.

Florida "Vodka-blogging"

My window view tonight.

Today we took a three hour ride on a pontoon boat with the two of the husband's  sibs and their spouses, renting out of Bonita Springs, Florida. 

It was a beautiful, sunny day and the sky was sprinkled with fluffy clouds.

We packed sandwiches, Lays potato chips, potato salad, red grapes, yogurt and adult beverages into two Styrofoam coolers. We traveled as far as we were allowed through the waterways and to the edge of the vast gulf coast ocean.

After returning home I unpacked the coolers. Slightly dehydrated from the sun and sea breezes, I thought I would finish a leftover opened bottled water. I took a huge glug. To my surprise it was vodka, poured and packed by brother-in-law P. So I watered it down with a little OJ and decided I might as well finish it.

I felt hot from the sun and sleepy from the vodka. I couldn't seem to get comfortable enough for a late afternoon Sunday snooze, so I thought I would start this blog post. 

My head is woozy--but I am safely ensconced in this lovely rental house north of Naples--with a view through the lanai to the pond.

With images of egrets nesting in mangroves, leaping fish and playful dolphins and even a sea trout freshly caught still floating in my vodka-infused brain...

Well, let's say it is good to put my feet up and chill out for the evening ... maybe watch a little football.

Picked out this one for my dream house!

Dog headed for the dog beach.

Nothing Burgers and other Nonsense

This hefty ballpark burger from last summer was NOT a nothing burger, lol!

I have been contemplating what words/phrases I find most objectionable and worthy of banning in 2018.

This is an exercise I like to do every January as an alternative to making weight/health resolutions.

So here is what I have come up with so far. Some are new and some are re-iterations of old banned phrases.

I think "nothing burger" tops the list this year! I take burgers seriously and constantly search for the ultimate burger. So what is a nothing burger? NYC has Bare Burger, but I have never tried it. I have only had Shake Shake burgers and Umami burgers in NYC, because there are usually more exciting choices. But burgers of every variety remain a sacred part of my diet! I take objection to trivializing them in the phrase nothing burger. Let burgers be burgers! And besides, it just sounds stupid. Do you not concur?

So here is my list:

Nothing burger
At the end of the day
It is what it is
We need to have a conversation
With all due respect

I love the usefulness of "it is what it is" but the phrase can be very dismissive and empty.

And a couple of particularly personal un-favorite phrases:

That's racist - it seems everything can be construed to be racist these days.

Sounds like a plan - a rather non-committal response, really.

It was fine - a cop-out response when one asks for a short review of a dinner, concert, sermon, movie, etc.

I can't think of many more at this point in time--(also should be banned).

The vocabulary of the current POTUS is somewhat limited, but still, I like the word amazing, sometimes find things sad and sincerely believe there has been a lot of fake news this past year!

All Quiet on the Western (Michigan) Front

The cold wave has broken!

I hunkered down during a fairly quiet weekend home alone, knowing that the snowy roads and cold temperatures would soon moderate.

The option of going out for a movie, concert or even a hamburger, never rose to the level of hibernatus interruptus-worthy, given the below zero temperatures.

We tape and watch the National Geographic series, Life Below Zero and always marvel at the resilience of the featured lone pioneers of subsistence living, making do in simple shacks built just below the Arctic circle in Alaska. Not for me! When I venture out to get a whole bird for my dinner, I get it from the deli. Gutted. De-feathered. Precooked. Easy Peasy. And we rarely put the thermostat below 70 degrees in the winter. Roasty Toasty!

 I had a big/old TV rattling around in the back of my Subaru for the weekend--one of 4 extra televisions that we need to dispose of, especially now that we have that new one. It turns out no one wants an old (working) TV. I will hopefully find a place to recycle soon but we probably will have to pay dearly...

I was alone here. The husband was off with the daughter to see his Chicago Blackhawks play a losing, albeit exciting game. (A long time ago I went to a couple of hockey games at the United Center and it is something that is very different live (and loud!). They spent the remainder of the weekend with Chicagoland relatives.

They wore their jerseys (you have to) and other hawks paraphernalia. They were gifted with a cute photo of the two of them, posters and winter hats. And took home the above reusable cup.

I was really okay with being alone and primarily home. I did go to church and brunch--enjoying an omelette with bacon, cheese and mushrooms with J. at the Omelette Shop. Later I made phone calls to my two brothers living in Minnesota. I watched a dumb old chick flick movie late into the night (won't embarrass myself by naming it), and finally stripped down the Christmas tree. I needed to purchase a few more bins for proper storage, but again, the weather...

So Monday afternoon I emerged again to grocery shop and buy some plastic bins with red covers, now nicely discounted. I blasted 6 inches of snow off the top of the Subaru at the $2 self-wash place nearby. It was finally above freezing!

And Tuesday afternoon I went to see The Darkest Hour, which documents a few days in the life of Winston Churchill as he had just become prime minister and was contemplating how to deter Hitler. It was a bit dark and heavy--with very heavy drinking and smoking portrayed as well. The husband tells me he watered down his whisky ... I don't know that much about his personal life. Gary Oldham's performance just earned him a Golden Globe award. His fake jowls and rotund appearance, as well as his amazing performance, was convincing. (His makeup artist should also win an award). The 2:45 show time, the recliner chairs and the dark theater made for a relaxing afternoon, but no napping happened!

What a difference a few days can make. The nasty Arctic Blast has receded and predictions are for highs in the low 50's by Thursday--golfing weather! Except for the massive amount of snow remaining on the ground.

Stock Market (Dow Jones Average) Tops 25,000!

A poinsettia in the sun provides a bright note inside today - contrasting starkly with the wintry white outside.

The Dow Jones Average did not reach 25,000 by the 25th (of December) like I was thinking it would, but finally today that historic level was reached--and exceeded!

In addition, two million jobs have been created in the past year. There is a growing sense that the economy (and the country) is moving in the right direction--in spite of all the negativity and hand-wringing on the part of much of the media. More people have jobs, more people have houses, many companies handed out large bonuses to their employees at the end of 2017, 401k plans have exploded, and people have renewed hope for their futures.

Of course, suffering still continues in many places ... from next door to North Korea.

Jesus famously said "the poor you will always have with you" (Matthew 26:11).

Here in the United States people lost houses in Texas as a result of the flooding from Hurricane Harvey and in California from the recent raging forest fires. Homelessness is epic in California cities like LA. The U.S. Virgin Islands have been devastated by a double whammy of hurricanes Irma and Maria.

And we try to help in our small way. Mostly through our church. Also, we have friends and family members willing to do, for instance, Bible translation in the Congo, evangelization in Ghana and teaching in Kazakhstan. And we support them to do the things that we cannot.

When poor people have nothing else, they can receive the gospel, accept Christ as their Savior and inherit eternal life.

We who are "rich" also have that promise.

 But I hope we never become homeless here in Michigan! The current sub-zero temperatures would be difficult to manage!

I am thankful that our financial future is more secure today than it was a year ago, even as our investments multiply. I don't know how long we will live, but I much prefer to not be a financial burden on anyone else, including the government ... for as long as we both shall live.

********************

My Dad passed away and entered into his eternal reward when he was 65 years old, of pancreatic cancer--long before he could become a burden. We would have celebrated his 108th birthday today! Happy Birthday, Dad!

New Year 2018 Ushers in Cold Arctic Blast

When a storm is headed for the East Coast all other news ceases to exist!

I was in Princeton New Jersey once during a February snow storm (pic above). I will never forget how the city was paralyzed for days. All the area airports were shut down as well and I was stuck on the beautiful Princeton campus for a few days.

I hear NYC schools and probably others all along the coast will be closed tomorrow. I'm guessing daughter M will work from home. Her office in Manhattan closes when the schools close. They are calling this storm a bomb cyclone, whatever that is. I read that it is a real meteorological term. It combines two already frightening words. I always thought polar vortex sounded scary enough!

Here in Michigan we are more prepared for snow. We tend to drive big vehicles. We have plenty of snowplows and salt. And it takes a lot of (blowing and drifting) snow to cancel city schools.

I enjoy all the stories of struggle and hardship, though.

Even the grand dog in Central Florida, who is always hot and sprawled out on the cool tile floor is now enjoying a cozy bed taken out of storage, and tolerates the blanket tossed over him by his indulgent parents. The cacti etc, will have to be sheltered for a night or two, as possible frost has been predicted.

A friend currently in Hawaii brags of a "cold night" with a low of 67. I could handle that!

Now I hate bitterly cold weather as much as anyone, but I also hate myself a little for being wimpy about it.

 It is winter. And it can get very cold. Get over it!

Still, not much rouses me out of the comfort zone of my warm house. Earlier tonight I realized we were nearly out of coffee (a minor emergency), so I donned a warm hat and my oldest Uggs and headed out. My Subaru has never failed to start, although it whines about it.

I forgot about the need for coffee until after 9 PM. By then the streets were empty. The plows had cleared away some of the fresh snow, but I was cautious to not slide into the parked cars that dominate our side streets. It was way too cold for salt to be effective.

The wind was still and the cold white silence was really quite beautiful. Eerily so.

I will watch the news again tomorrow to see how the coastal "snowflakes" are faring. I certainly don't wish any one harm, especially the homeless and pets who are more vulnerable to literally freezing to death. I just object to the over-hyping of the weather, when storms happen on the East Coast!

Meanwhile you can find me toasting under my new electric throw. Sipping hot tea.