Above the clouds

Florida grapefruit is supposed to be sweet; on this trip, however, ours was sour. My bathing suit never made it out of my suitcase. Instead, the sweatshirt, windbreaker, and light gloves I’d worn on the plane from Chicago saw quite a bit of action in Florida’s record-breaking low temps. Beloved beach walks produced an unwelcome development—debilitating knee pain. Not exactly an idyllic vacation, but my mood stayed gratefully above the clouds. Here are just a few aspects of this trip I'm thankful for.

I could be outside in winter without feeling like my spine had fused together as I hunkered down against bitter winds. On more Florida-typical 75 degree days, sunny rays caressed my face, unlike northern sun, which just keeps my nose from feeling frostbitten. Looking down at the sandy beach, my heart overflowed to see sweet, tiny, sanderling shore birds nestled in people’s footprints. Looking up, I felt calm seeing palm fronds gently waving in ocean breezes. Every night I ate freshly picked leaf lettuce, kale, broccoli and tomatoes from my in-laws’ garden. After that treat, I do not get excited about buying the same in a store back home. The good news is that while we were in Florida, the seeds I’d ordered for our Chicago summer garden arrived in the mail. Only a few weeks now until spring.