A lovely week in Florida...

This is the end of my second week in Deland, FL, this December, and Penelope and I have have had a truly wonderful time.  It's hard to believe it's real sometimes ... visiting some of P.'s friends, going to a state park, walking out by the ocean, watching sunsets over glasses of wine, creating great meals together, getting to explore each other's souls.

Tomorrow  I'm flying back to California to spend Christmas with my daughter Lisa, son-in-law Matthew, her mother Sandi.  Penelope is staying behind to spend Christmas with her daughter Erin, son-in-law Keith, and sister Pat.  Then she's flying out to join me a couple of days later to celebrate the new year, sail on Dog Days (God willing, the weather clear, and the creeks not rising).  After that it's back to Florida, thence to Alizee in North Carolina and getting her ready to sail to the Bahamas between the end of February and first of March.