Saturday, January 5, 2008

Musings on the holiday.

Musings on the holiday.

I’m sitting outside my '66 Airstream, enjoying a gentle 74 degree breeze, shaded from the sun, as it crosses the clear azure sky by the ocean blue awning....... . Writing, for me, is hard. Words don’t seem to come naturally to my brain or fingertips. I’m at Big Pine Fishing Lodge campground, on Big Pine Key, in the Florida Keys as usual for the Christmas holiday. It’s what I’ve been doing during the season for 25+ years. Most of the folks here have been coming here every year just as I have. The reason I come is that it is as close to Paradise as I can imagine and its easy to get to from my St. Petersburg home. Yesterday I went out on a small boat with “Painter Bob” and we caught enough fish to feed about 10 people. So tonight we will share our bounty with more friends.

Another friend stopped by, Gary, and we talked about the different ways people we know choose to spend their holidays. Some spend it at home with extended families, some with immediate family or with old friends. Some travel to resorts of one kind or another to swim,SCUBA dive, camp, ski, hike, or go to some athletic event. How do you spend your holidays? Are you caught up in the frenetic business of preparing, scheduling, wrapping and cooking or do you use the holiday to relax, regroup, and recuperate? Who do you spend your time with - Family, extended family, friends, neighbors, acquaintances from previous seasons, meeting new people, sharing time and perhaps serving other people less fortunate than yourselves?

However you spend it, do it well, with all the gusto you have and make memories that you will cherish for a lifetime and beyond.

New topic:
Oh yes, I am using the new compostable tableware, as I said I would, for all meals and snacks. They are being received with great interest by all who have tried them. Most say they are very interested to converting to the new product for their own picnics and casual parties. It’s a step. I suspect that the Florida Keys will act as the States of Washington and Oregon have, making recyclable and compostable, disposable ware the only ones acceptable, some time in the foreseeable future.

Got to go..... Santa arrives shortly (5 PM) by boat to greet the kids here at the camp. Then dinner of fresh grouper dinner and the annual Christmas play and party at the recreation hall. ( Last night supper was just caught, Spanish Hogfish for dinner.)

(Three hours later.) Santa arrived on schedule as usual. I’m always amazed that he can fit us in his schedule on his busiest night of the year. He will be back later to take care of his usual business, leaving presents.

I hope your entire Holiday Season is as wonderful as mine is and will be. 2007 has been a busy and profitable year and I have every expectation that 2008 will be even more so. This year I launched 3 new stores, BayBridalShop.com, BustersBooks.com, and finally TocobagaTraders.com. For the year 2008, I will focus on making each of my stores recognized for being the most customer friendly stores on the web, and noted for their exceptional service.

Thank you to all the visitors to my stores and especially to those of you who became customers and friends. Please let me know how I can serve you better by commenting here or by email through the contact page of one of my stores. Thank you.
Make your New Year the best ever.

Bob Lindstrom