21 November 2023
The difference between this morning and yesterday morning is remarkable. Yesterday, I could barely get out of bed. This morning, I was in much better shape. Not perfect, but better.
Today Wade flies in from San Francisco. If I feel up to it, I’ll pick him up at Fort Lauderdale International Airport and we’ll meet Joel and Keith at Outback Steakhouse just off 17th Street. It’s kind of traditional for us. If I’m not up to it, Joel and Keith will pick him up and after dinner at Outback, deliver him to the house. It’ll be good to see Wade. He’s loads of fun and keeps you entertained. He’s also generous and kind and giving.
On Instagram today, there was a post that said if you go to someone’s house for Thanksgiving, be sure to compliment them on their baseboards because they spent the week cleaning them. DO NOT COMPLIMENT ME ON MY BASEBOARDS. I have not cleaned them. As a matter of fact, I’ve done very little that I normally do to clean up for Thanksgiving. I normally use the time before TG to do my “spring cleaning,” something Mother instilled in me – I just don’t do it in the spring.
As I’ve mentioned before, Mother not only believed in deep cleaning the house each spring, she also believed in deep cleaning Archie and me – with laxatives. I don’t miss that aspect.
We are up to nine people for Thanksgiving. I suggested everyone show up around 4ish for cocktails and noshes and we’ll have dinner around 6 or 6:30. The day looks great and by then the sun will be setting and the predicted temperature is 76°F. We will be able to eat outside!
I know I’ve written about the Friendship House on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It was a favorite place of mine when my grandmother Ruby used to take me to Gulfport and Biloxi. They had the best fried oysters I’ve ever had. The only ones comparable are at Kelly’s Landing in Fort Lauderdale.
Facebook has a group post called Mississippi Memories that my cousin Jimmie cued me into. Yesterday, the posted a photo of the Friendship House, exactly as I remembered it.
They provided a history of the place and you can read it here if you have Facebook.
If you like fried oysters, next time you visit me, I’ll take you to Kelly’s Landing so you can see what they are supposed to taste like.
Stay tuned!