Social Christmasing

 

When all this social distancing started way back in the spring, I never thought it would extend to Christmas, but it did and we worked really hard to make the best of a weird time and place.  We flew to Michigan (empty airports, especially Detroit) and flying feels as safe as going to the grocery store if you take the proper steps.  No issues, beyond a delayed flight and seven straight hours with a mask on lol.

In Michigan, we rented a house, so it was just our family.  We cooked a lot of good food, enjoyed many bottles of good wine and festive cocktails and stayed up late either talking or playing cards.  My daughter Melissa, hosted us on Christmas Day with a lovely table of appetizers as well.  Extended family were visited with via Zoom.

Our one outing included dinner in a private outdoor dining structure that luckily was heated and then we enjoyed some intense family competition at Top Golf, also heated and a private bay.  I think everyone in the Detroit area had the same idea, but I had made reservations in advance and all was smooth and covid friendly at check in.

We had a wonderful time and I have no regrets about going.  Time with our daughters is precious to me, especially on Christmas.  And, to top things off, we even woke up to snow on Christmas morning.

Happy Wednesday!

All Is Merry and Bright

 

There is an area in Sarasota that does Christmas lights in a big way and I had heard it was a bit extra this year.  It is one of the main shopping areas with a mall (University Town Center), but there are also many outdoor stores and restaurants with outdoor seating.  I booked a reservation at a favorite Italian restaurant and we had a lovely time sitting on the patio surrounded by beautiful lights.  An added bonus was the live Christmas music performed just across the traffic circle.  We are having a few chilly nights in a row here, but a heater right next to our table, kept us comfortable.

After dinner we drove around the area a bit and enjoyed the lights changing color.  I still love palm trees with Christmas lights and am not sure I will become blasé about living in a place where that happens.  We also made a stop in downtown Venice and walked through a park filled with lights by community groups, including a visit to the city tree that I helped decorate.

We are definitely in the Christmas spirit and ready to celebrate this week.  It will look a little different, but we will be with our daughters and there will still be the magic of Christmas shining away, no matter what.

Happy Christmas week!

Life Lately in Photos

 

We have been trying to squeeze every little bit of holiday cheer out of this weird season and so far, we are finding things to do.  We really enjoyed the Christmas Boat Parade in Venice and while not official and city sponsored this year, it was still really good with lots of creative boats, including one with a live band playing.  It’s along the Intercoastal Waterway, so plenty of room to take your chair, a cooler and socially distance.

With my volunteer group, we worked hard one morning decorating a city park and my job was to decorate the big tree the city usually uses for a tree lighting ceremony.  Not this year of course, but there are still lights galore in the park to stroll around and enjoy on your own.

My house has lots of twinkle lights, including a tree on top of the pool waterfall and while I don’t go all out like I used too, I have added a few touches that definitely say Coastal Christmas.

We did a pre Christmas happy hour on the beach, with a sunset that was incredibly beautiful and many toasts to the holiday season.  I am also still having fun with the Aldi Wine Advent Calendar and posting a photo of the wine most nights on Instagram stories.

We have a dinner reservation on Friday in an area filled with Christmas lights, so more fun to come.

Happy Wednesday!