HAPPY, HAPPY SORROW

Coconut Grove, Miami, FL 25º43.532N | 80º14.193W

Christmas Eve. A day so packed with nostalgia. We had made great plans to celebrate, and I decided that Dale would have wanted me to go into them with gusto, to love the day, to love those around me, to celebrate Christmas.

And so I did. One foot in front of the other, I marched right through, although often crying, and had a grand time with the help of new friends.

On a long walk yesterday, I found a discarded Christmas tree that is now installed in the dinghy, complete with solar lights.

In our decorated chariot, we joined other cruisers for happy hour on a neighboring island. Among the many things cruisers have in common, on this day, we all miss somebody. It soothes the soul to spend the holiday with kindred spirits.

Cruiser formal Christmas Eve Happy Hour.

And speaking of kindred spirits, tonight we celebrated Nova Scotian Christmas Eve with Karen and Dale (my new friend, Dale) from Jessie Marie. The fare included pomegranate cocktails, shrimp, lobster, smoked salmon and other amazingly wonderful things.

To top off the evening, we combined two traditions:

1. Nova Scotia: Sneaking candy canes onto people's cars

2. America: Christmas caroling

Our version:
We dinghied through the mooring field, quietly approaching boats, silently hanging candy canes on the lifelines and bursting into song and laughter as we sped away.

This could possibly be the most fun I've ever had, especially while wiping away sad tears.

Sheer fun. Utter sorrow. They say one makes you appreciate the other more. Perhaps it is true.

Happy Christmas Eve.

Coconut Grove, Miami, FL 25º43.532N | 80º14.193W

Nova Scotian deliciousness!

Delighted as children when we returned from Happy Hour
to find solar lights on the tree doing their magic.