Merry Christmas Eve

Christmas eve has been good so far. We have just returned from looking at Christmas lights in Williston. Glendon, Mom and I drove by the North Florida Memorial Hospital and saw a spectacular display of lights around a man made pond. There were all sorts of lights and Christmas figures like the Nativity scene and Santa. We also used Glendon's two gift cards to Carabbas for the spaghetti dinner both Glendon and I got. She got hot spicy Italian sausage with her spaghetti and I got meat sauce and mushrooms with mine. Mom got butter saute scallops and a couple of shrimps done on the grill. Joe our friend and secondary adoptive family member left for his daughter's house around noon today. This is an earlier picture of Joe holding his daughter's baby. His daughter Theresa is standing kind of in front of him. Theresa's husband John Mark is in back. They are in the front yard of his old house in Pine Hills where Joe grew up. Joe has changes since he has moved to Minnesota. He lost his thin figure and is more robust. He fixed the best steak on the grill. He purchased the top variety of meats from Winn Dixie. He got New York Strip, T-bone and Sirloin. Joe wants to return to the way he looks in this picture and maybe in time this would happen. However, it is so easy to slip off the wagon when someone presents you with 2 pounds of chocolate candy or you sister gets some grand chocolate cookies. There was no pecan or key lime pie this year, but chocolate was our main theme. Joe said he would take the turkey home with him if he had his head chopped off for turkey dinner. Fortunately, this did not happened. The turkey " General" will live to gobble another day. I found he has been on his good behavior since I have been here. Joe brought us political debate, opinions of women's place in society, a sharp to the point image of Pine Hills the way he remembers it. He leaves with a revolted world view, but deep inside Glendon Mom and I know he loves to debate and come back for more. He has another week left in Florida. I hope Joe soaks up all the atmosphere Florida has to offer and takes it back with him to Minnesota to last him the rest of the winter season.