Southern Bits and Pieces 2015-2016: Moving on through February…..

Moving on through February…..

It’s the third week of February and as I look outside and see the water and the sunshine I am thankful for the time here. Although the weather has not been as hot and we have had more rain this year I have still managed to get a tan and spend most of my days outdoors. I love days like today where the sky is blue, the waters are calm and the surface of the water reflects the world. I seem to have become an early riser and watching the sky lighten each morning, the boats leave the marina, and birds hang out to fish provides a peaceful beginning to the day. The days and weeks seem a flurry of activity but that short time each morning reminds me that underneath the chaos is a calm and peaceful place.

February brought a Super Bowl party, an Afternoon Tea, music by the pool, a couple of dinner parties, a brunch, and a visit from my dear friend Brenda Riddell. Super Bowl was a lively event at the clubhouse with great food and refreshments and of course the big game. Roger won $50.00 on a $2.00 ticket which was certainly made his night. There was lot of cheering and booing by the clubhouse crowd as the game played out leaving some fans happy and some disappointed. It was a pretty fun night though and at least everyone left the clubhouse still friends.

This year an Afternoon Tea was planned and I was asked to help head up the event. I reluctantly took on the task but was reassured it was only for a small number of women, maybe 20-25 at most. Naively I agreed thinking it would be a quick and easy event to plan. I quickly discovered this was not to be once we were past the initial planning stage. Number grew from 20 to 54 and all of a sudden a small tea blossomed into a major afternoon of entertainment, tea, food and fun. I must admit though it turned out very well and people raved about the event for days. This made the work all worthwhile. We provided finger sandwiches, dainties, scones with clotted cream and lemon curd or jam, and various types of tea. There was a guitar player playing music in the back ground, door prizes, china cups and floral table centers. Brenda arrived the day before the tea so was put to work right away and she proved to be a great asset to our team.

Brenda was here for 10 days although it seemed much shorter than that. We managed to fit in pool time, a fish supper out, a taco dinner party at friends, a brunch at other friends, and a turkey dinner with friends at the condo. Roger took us on an `` interesting drive`` in the rain to see some country side, and we even managed to fit in a bit of shopping. There was also book club, beading night and evening music by the pool. Somehow, amid the week’s activity we managed to put away a few bottles of wine as well. We seemed to wear ourselves out most days and we were into bed some nights by 9:30pm. Hope this doesn’t means we are getting old.

We are looking forward to enjoying the last few weeks here before packing up and heading home. The social calendar is full, but I most want to laze in the sun by the pool and walk in the sand by the ocean taking in the salty fresh air. . A few moments ago as I was writing this blog a couple of big dolphins swam by the window. Smooth and majestic they glided through the water before circling to gather their fish for breakfast. A beautiful sight to start the day!

Take care all!