Look, Tali, A Birdie!!

"Look, Tali, Grandma has a bird!!" is my first thought for this entry. We are all feeling a little homesick today. I've been missing the kiddies, and Grandpa has been missing Eldon. I think the furniture around here is low, hard to sit on for the elders, and their backs hurt. So they are pining for comfy worn-out chairs back home! Ditto for Red, and he is the main driver! But, back to Tali ... she always is saying, "Look, Drama, Look!!!" So now it is her turn.

The weather was so summery this morning. We sat on the porch drinking coffee and reading the St. Petersburg Times. It was hot and humid. Rains came in the afternoon. We talked about all the snow in the midwest, and how it is just so weird not to be there. After Jason went to work, we walked for awhile. The neighbor has a big mango tree, and it totally did not look as I expected. It is huge, like a giant old oak, and has lots of flower blossoms. Jason said that the mangoes in this area aren't very good, that there are hundreds of varieties. We circled the block and walked down the busy 17th Street thoroughfare. The Kiwanis have paid for an elaborate crossing light. The pedestrians just push a red button, and a voice comes out of the air telling walkers to watch for the cars, when they stop, cross carefully. It is amazing. The cars stop, I take Mom's arm and across we go. Cars are lined up 17 long by the time we get to the other side. On the return trip she was wearing her little white bucket hat, and that was special. I am not a fan of that hat, but, oh, well.....does anyone know us? I think not. We walked on past the park, down another block, and ended up at a little circular pond with ducks and long, pointy billed birds of some kind. Muscovy ducks were bobbing around, and a couple of mallards, and the ubiquitous sea gulls. We sat on a wooden bench, all three of us, and watched the birds until I almost fell asleep. Dad and I thought we should walk farther, but Mom's toe was hurting from an injury in the night. She had stubbed her little toe on the bed post, twice! So we just moseyed on home.

In the evening we returned to the Thai restaurant called 'The King and I' for a meal, and to bid good-by to the guy who owns the condo where we stayed. G'pa and Red stayed home to watch the Iowa State vs Michigan State game. (Plus they do not like rice) It was a great meal. Grandma ordered a pot of soup - Tom Yum Goong. It was served in a pot sized bowl with a flame in the middle to keep it warm. So cool. Plus the soup was delicious. It was a clear broth with shrimps, lemon grass, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, kafir leaves, and cilantro. I ordered a curry dish, called chicken panang. It was made with coconut milk, bell peppers, zucchini, curry paste, and kafir leaves. Again, good! We talked and laughed a lot. It was an enjoyable last evening together. Jason's birthday is on Saturday, so we called it his party.

Tomorrow morning we are heading north. Since we haven't been able to get in contact with Eddie, we are deciding what to see next. Maybe a trip to the old banyan tree that was from Thomas Edison. Maybe a tour through Okefenokee? The country's problems plague us even here, and we are praying that our leaders make the right decisions. Thinking of you all and wish you all were here with us on this warm vacation!

(We fixed sauerkraut and kielbasa for lunch. How does that sound? Not very Florida-ish)