The Essential Beachcomber

Oh, the places I've been in 2011.  Places in my work life. Places in my marriage, family, & friends. Places logistically. Places in my head & in my heart. "Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away!  " I traveled more than I ever have reconnecting with family & old friends.  "You'll be on your way up! You'll be seeing great sights! You'll join the high fliers who soar to high heights." 2011 was a fun year for shelling. "You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed. You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest." With Family & Blogger Friends i Love Shelling Snug Harbor Bay Capt. Brian's Observations on the Water Shedding the Wolf (Credit:  www. AbbeyStyle . blogspot .com) Abbey Styl

"Behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us ." (Matthew 1:23 quoting from Isaiah 7:14) This precious Nativity was a gift from my parents.  My birthday falls shortly after Christmas and this was  the cake topper on my 16th birthday cake.  I lost a 2nd sheep to the family poodle who thought it was her chew toy. This Nativity was the 1st one my mother acquired as an adult.  It's probably around 50 years old. My mother purchased this lovely Nativity at a thrift store.  It is Hallmark and was NIB.  She paid a fraction of the original price. My mother's Thomas Kinkade Nativity tree follows the Three Wise Men as the follow the star in search of the  newborn King.  There are about 40 hand-crafted characters depicting Jerusalem at the time of the birth of Jesus.  We almost lost it this year when the box it was packed in was mistakenly thrown into the dumpste

My family minus me who is taking the picture of course. As Christmas & the New Year draw near, we all get nostalgic, recalling and anticipating (or in some cases not so much) celebration of family traditions. In my family the traditions have morphed over the years due to death, divorce, & just shear survival.  We started out trying to be like a Martha Stewart version of the Walton's but ended up more like a southern version of A Christmas Story (you'll shoot your eye out).  Now in 2011 with the loss of parents & grand-parents, the addition of new spouses & babies into the family, & the logistical issues of sibling distance our Christmas has settled into new traditions.  My mother (who lives with me now) loves Christmas & has always gone all out to make it special for me & my siblings. One change in Christmas tradition started about 25 years ago when my mom & dad became full-time pastors ministering to the kids in the migrant camps outside

Overheard somewhere on the beach...... Are you going to the swanky Christmas soiree at Stump Pass? Ssshhh!  I don't know if they are invited. Was this dressy or just Florida casual? Let's head for the buffet table. This is the freshest seafood ever. Hey, that's disgusting.  No double-dipping! Oh no Gurlfren! You did not just swallow that whole. Christmas parties are the best! Why wasn't I invited?  Fa la la la la la la la la ...

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"Royal Palm Manatees" painted by Scott "Scooter" Thompson. My first home was a boat.  My birth father was a frustrated fisherman who worked for the phone company during the day but fished every other waking breathing moment of his life.  We lived on a small charter boat that he finagled a slip for at a small city-owned marina in Clearwater back in 1958.  I learned to swim before I could walk.  For reasons beyond my control I have always had an affinity for the smell of diesel fuel, bait buckets, & men that...shall we say.. have potential.  Between Jesus & Dr. Phil I pretty much have all those issues under control except I just can't pass by a marina full of boats without stopping and taking a look around.  Imagine my delight at stumbling upon this little treasure right in my own backyard.  I was told by an Englewood resident that the restaurant Zeke's had the best hamburgers in town.  You just have to find the darn place.  Zeke's is located