A Keys Thanksgiving!

The harbor's filling up fast with newly arriving boats, mostly on their way to the Bahamas. Our friends Sue and Al on Wind Dancer got here Wednesday, Nov. 14th, just in time to say goodbye to Daren, who left early the next day! I hardly recognized Al, who's been gluten-free for nearly a month. He lost 9 pounds the first week and his stomach is gone! Not that he was Santa...but still quite a healthy improvement. Sue'd read a book that pharmacist friend Don had also recommended...Wheat Belly. Wheat's very inflammatory, and I found that cutting it out (Paleo diet)caused my swollen knee to finally return to normal...hooray! Health friend Sage took me to a lecture on Curcumin a few weeks ago at our local health food store, and that stuff's amazing! It's from tumeric root, which is used in curry. Apparently, Indians don't have anywhere near the Alheimer's, dementia, or depression we do. ...Also less cancer and heart disease, but that might be from a lack of junk food!? The day before Thanksgiving, Sue and Al hosted a lovely gluten-free brunch on their boat for 8, all of whom are heading for the Bahamas, except me. But that's OK! I really do like it here and it's a much easier commute for Daren. I found a really easy GF recipe online for pumpkin, orange, pecan, cranberry bread that was quite yummy. It had no sugar in it but, slathered with honey butter, it was delicious! Yesterday was a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration at Dockside Bar & Grill. They provided the turkey, ham, and desserts, and we each brought side dishes and a $5 donation, which went to a local charity. There must've been 150 people and 7 dogs there (Libby stayed home). The shaded deck was packed, but we found a double picnic table in the sun behind the stage where 8 of us enjoyed a great visit without the full volume of the fantastic live music! There was an amazing selection of fabulous foods by creative cruising cooks! The weather was perfect, and it was such a fun day, it was impossible not to be FULL of gratitude!! I hope Dockside'll host another feast for Christmas! We'll see.. Sailor friend Sage flew to Rochester last Friday for Thanksgiving with family, and I went with her and cute dog Bella to the Key West airport. (Southwest Airlines!) Bella can go anywhere as a designated service animal and I sure wish I could get that for Libby!! It was fun having Sage's little Prius car for a week. It doubled as a big kennel for Libby in the morning when I took showers! Dog's aren't allowed and Libby makes quite a fuss when she's tied outside! But she was quite content in Sage's car, allowing me to take longer showers! I picked up Sage and Bella today, and they had a great time with family. It's a stunningly beautiful drive and only an hour west of Marathon. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving, too. Daren was in California, but will be home next Wednesday! Sue and Al were afraid they'd miss him, but everyone's waiting for this north wind to shift back to the Southeast in order to cross the Gulfstream, and who knows when that'll happen! In the meantime, it's nice having them as neighbors!