I hope that everyone had a great Christmas season with family and preparing for another new year. My wife Pat and I just finished celebrating our 49th wedding anniversary and Christmas with some family south of Tampa. This new year also brings in our 50th anniversary. Very hard for me to comprehend that. I remember my grandparents golden anniversary and they were old! Anyway, we have started to plan a huge year…
Christmas in Florida
To celebrate Christmas with family we drove down to Pat’s brother and sister in law’s place near Bradenton Beach. Tom and Ginny have a beautiful condo right on the water’s edge. A wonderful retirement home.
John, another brother in law, drove over from Parrish Florida to hang out, play games, and have a couple of meals with us. John is the youngest sibling still in his working years.
On the night we arrived, we walked down to the Bridge Street Bistro for a fine dinner of grouper and all the sides. Even a free dessert that comes with another year.
After dinner we walked out to the pier looking at the fine Christmas decorations and lights. The city has buried the utility cables on Bridge St and put up more Christmas lights. It looked very classy.
Tom and Ginny’s condo is on the third level and commands a great view of the harbor. I call it the million dollar view. I’m very happy for them as they make the tough transition into retirement. 🙂
On one of the mornings, Tom took John and I out on his fishing boat for a go at the fish in the bay. It was a perfect sunny and warm day and Tom is like a fishing guide getting the boat in the best position and setting us up for a successful day. And it was very successful, just no fish were caught.
John says where are the fish? 
Captain Tom 
We would walk the beach daily looking for shells, the many tourists, and getting some exercise.
Here we are at a cute set up by the Moose Lodge. Santa is the little guy in red hat.
On the last day, we visited with some English friends, Robert and Kim) who demonstrated a classic Christmas pudding. Christmas pudding is sweet dried-fruit pudding traditionally served as part of Christmas dinner in Britain. It was then covered in brandy and then set on fire. Very tasty!
Then it was back home to our RV in New Port Richey the day after Christmas. Time to make some big plans for our 50th anniversary in 2022!
Thanks
Sounds wonderful!!! Love you both. Have fun!
Thanks dear friend. Happy new year. Love
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We really like that area and stay quite often in Lido Key just down the road a bit!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Yes, Lido is just a couple of miles down the island chain. Very nice area.