Monday, December 07, 2009
Family Time and Christmas Spirit in Not-so-sunny Florida
Saturday, December 5, 2009.
The only words to describe Friday are wet and dreary. We didn’t even get off the boat. The weather the whole time we’ve been here has been unseasonably cool, but we can’t complain because it is even colder at home. Even though we aren’t seeing much of the sun, the weekend has been a treat.
We rarely get to see the Malone side of Bob’s family, so having cousins nearby has been a delightful bonus. Late this afternoon, Claudia and her Bob brought niece Amanda aboard Second Wind. Of course Amanda was intrigued by the living space, especially all the nooks and crannies. Then we all met for dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant in St. Pete. Amanda’s mother Marie ordered an authentic feast for all of us. Even the lemonade tea was unusual and delicious. Afterward we gathered at Al and Marie’s house to decorate their Christmas tree. With Amanda playing Christmas carols on the piano, the sparkling tree, and a collection of family, the Christmas spirit is alive and well. I am quite taken with 7-year-old Amanda, who is lively, cute, well-mannered, and smart as a whip.
