I hate leaving. What a beautiful week it’s been. Beauty and fun at every turn. I was hoping for a gorgeous sunset for the last night and, while it wasn’t colorful, Florida did not disappoint. If money was no object and I could have anything I wished, I would live on the farm in West Virginia in the spring and fall, Colorado in summer and at Christmas, and Florida the rest of the time. But, until I WIN the Powerball, I’ll settle for getting here for even a little bit of a break in January or February. I am so grateful for this opportunity.

I had the opportunity to see my dear friend, Lionel, yesterday. I haven’t seen him since my mother died thirteen years ago. My mom had promised my brother a trip to Florida that spring but she died before they could go. I stepped in and brought my brother down to Disney World. Gary has cerebral palsy and had never done anything like that. Lionel drove over from Tampa to spend the day with Gary and I. It was so wonderful to see him and his beautiful family (I got to see all three of his kids!) and spend a few hours catching up over some pretty decent Mexican food yesterday.

I got back to Clearwater in time for this one last sunset. I noticed a large group of people down the beach and walked into the middle of a big Super Bowl party…just in time to catch the National Anthem. My heart swelled with hope and pride when I turned to the woman beside me and the man on the other side…standing, hats off, hands on their hearts…singing, some crying with the emotion of the moment. I cheered along with the crowd when they panned to show the soldiers watching from overseas. It was beautiful to share this moment with complete strangers and feel that human relationship. There is hope for a better tomorrow. There is always hope.

I leave today for St. Augustine. I’ll stay there a couple of nights and I’ll have to get up early to catch the sunrise. Keep following along…we’ve still got a week of fun ahead of us! Let’s go! ❤️

“Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭65:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬