Day 2 in Florida. I heard the rumblings of a family getting their day started downstairs from my bedroom, but I successfully forced a bit more sleep out of my groggy head. When I woke the house was quiet. The kiddos off to preschool, the papa off to work and the mama and baby to the store to buy food for Thanksgiving. I was a total slug! But it was nice. I stepped outside barefoot in the hopes of seeing the lizards and frogs I’d been promised, but they’d already retreated.
On this day we did the normal stuff of a family. Infused with marathon conversations between Simona and myself. But floors were swept, groceries put away, babies napped, kids were picked up from school, a Key Lime Pie was purchased. At one point, when the middle kiddo was stomping on an already dead and dried up worm I cheered her on by saying, “Yeah, git ‘em!” and an old lady parked a few cars down dramatically shook her head at me in a show of ultimate disappointment. I engaged her in a serious staring contest and she gave up first. I win. I don’t think I told you that story, Simona.
But, BUT the best part of the day was when I mostly got to cross off #29 from my list:
#29 – Spend an afternoon lounging at a pool sipping cocktails
(We forgot the sipping cocktails part). BUT I think an afternoon spent at a pool in November for this Midwestern girl, might make up for it.
There weren’t too many people at the pool. Maybe because it was Wednesday afternoon, maybe because Floridians think that 75 degrees is pretty chilly. Either way I hung out poolside, went for a swim and felt the hot sun in my skin. Whenever I could remember I repeated under my breath, “It’s November. It’s November. It’s November.”
Day 3 – Thanksgiving
I was surprised to learn when I made it downstairs for breakfast that Simona and I were heading out for the morning by ourselves! She took me to two Wetlands Nature Centers within 10 minutes of her house (Green Cay and Wakodahatchee). Apparently it was too chilly for alligators - which was fine by me because I think I’m really scared of alligators. But the crazy looking birds and lily pads and other good stuff
We got home and the family took a walk to the park while I hung back and called my grandma (who just turned 96 – woot woot!) We prepared our Thanksgiving meal and I finally figured out the secret to my mom’s famous sweet potato/apple bake (the secret is that she left out a step on her recipe card). That’s one way to never be bested in making your signature dish. But HA. I figured your game out, lady.
A game of I Spy With My Little Eye was played on a long walk after dinner. And I finally go to see a toad in the wild hopping through the grass. A Thanksgiving miracle.
My flight out the next morning was super early and I was sad to say goodbye to my pals who ain’t ever coming back to Chicago. But I’m happy to have a new place to visit and many Adventursgivings to come. ( I made that up when we were looking for (not looking for) alligators and talking about going to the Everglades – it sounds fun, right? Adventuresgiving It’s good).
I hope your Thanksgiving was excellent too, friends. Tell me about it.
