Seize the Day

How do you wrap up a gorgeous day?

How do you even put it into words when it's a feeling in your heart?

Some things just can't be described. I'm horrible at descriptions. I sometimes think it's because I'm constantly thinking at a Second grade level due to teaching. The words, though, that come to mind are...calm, peaceful, sunny, balmy, quiet, private, golden, brilliant, loving...my own little world. Some would say I live in my own little world anyway. Can't be so bad if I enjoy being in it all the time, can it?     :->

I was exhausted this weekend. Hubby was out of town several days, but he also surprised me, coming back early by one day. But in the meantime I'd lost a lot of sleep...as usual. You'd think I'd get used to this by now, but I never do. His company became a worldwide joint venture with a "Big Gaming Company That I Won't Mention". This happened back in December, so since then his travel has increased from a possible once a month deal to just about every other week.

Suffice it to say, I slept in this morning. Hubby was probably already awake for several hours, but he hung out in bed with me anyway, getting up only to let the dogs out...I think. That's how out of it I was. We didn't get out of bed until 11a.m. He dislikes that since it means half the day is gone by then...but it DOES have it's advantages. ;->

Once up & going, we dressed for the Y & headed for our usual cafe con leche & Cuban toast at La Tropicana in Ybor City. It's a family tradition to do so every Saturday morning. Once in a while a festival is going on & then we go instead to First Watch. (Fantastic crepes!) I love the tradition of cuban toast & coffee, though. There's something about sitting in a place of history & knowing you are becoming a part of it. I like for the boys to have this tradition. I hope that one day they will be able to share it with their children...to be able to say, "Ya know, kids, this is where my mom & Grandpa Keith used to take us."

 I'mnot of Latin or Spanish ethnicity. Quite the opposite. I'm a natural blonde & a Scotch-Irish white-as-white-can-be girl. (Read "always sunburned" there.) But my step-grandfather was Hispanic. My mom & my grandmother used to make Spanish dishes. One of my favs is flan. Cuban sandwiches made at the Silver Ring were always a favorite, too, while growing up. This restaurant always seemed to have a line a block long coming out of it with people who were picking up the sandwiches. My dad would purposely park a block away, hidden around the corner. Then he'd send my mom...another fair blonde...to get sandwiches. Inevitably the men would always tell my mom she could go in front of them. It was rather comical in retrospect. She'd start at the end & one by one weave through the men to the front. In no time she'd have our sandwiches & be back in the car, ready to go. The Silver Ring used to be across from La Tropicana. It closed some time ago in Ybor, but I'm glad to say it just reopened this year a few blocks away from the original location. Same family owns it!

I used to love it when I had to go to my pediatrician. My dad would take off from school to drive us to Tampa to the dr's office. Afterwards, if I was the type of sick where I could keep food down, he'd take me to the Spanish Park restaurant (no longer in existance). We'd enjoy chicken & yellow rice, black beans, Spanish bean soup, and Cuban bread. The people would stop to talk with us there.

Maybe it's all those memories that make me feel like it's important to continue the tradition for our family...for the boys' sake...and for any future grandbabies' sakes. You sit in La Tropicana & the place reverberates with the sounds of people. My hubby doesn't like it when it's too "chatty". The onslaught of noise bothers him (noise sensitivity). But to me, it's a big social...a giant community coffee social. You hear Spanish & English. You see people who come in & instantly start kibitzing (is that the word, babe...). Hugs & laughter. There's a kind of casual social ladder. We're proud to say we sit on the rung that means all the wait staff know who you are. They know us well enough to often bring us our order without us asking. We know them by first name. And if you listen quietly enough, you'll get to hear history come 'round again. I heard one fellow say the other morning that some gentleman there was the only one left of his Ybor City generation. The last of a good thing. La Tropicana is the place where politics gets discussed & decided. It saw the birth of the local Spanish newspaper. The Bushes had to stop here to pick up some of the famous food. It is all about family...and what is happening around you. If you get this way, try it. Sit there & soak up the culture.

Do I digress? Not really. It's all a part of my gorgeous day & the feelings & memories that are created.

From La Tropicana, we headed to the Y. Hubby is workin' on his next triathlon which happens to be at the end of this month. So we worked out for about an hour...him in the pool & on the bikes. Me on the treadmill. Getting a workout just made me feel more wound up with energy. Much more talkative. We headed home with poor Hubby having to listen to me talk up a streak.

Oldest Son called home. He's in New Mexico. We had a fun time talking to him. I keep thinking he'll move back. It will be three years in July that he moved out there to be near his older brother from a different marriage. It always seems like he's just visiting out there. But we had fun talking. Somehow he & I always end up talking "fun trash". His 21st birthday is coming. One of his friends got him a banner for his truck. It says "Fuzzy" (his nickname...don't ask), and his friend ordered it in hot pink. When asked why hot pink & would HE ever have that in HIS car, the friend said, "uh..yeah". I told him to ask his friend what color of lace he was wearing. Broke Oldest Son out into hysterical laughter. But that's the kind of conversations we get into. He's a neat kid, really, even with all the calls home for money. :-D

So the day has gone on comfortably...peacefully. Wonderfully.

And the grand finale???

Hubby & I went out into the side yard where we have a pool. It's not caged in. We have a sort of tiered deck down to it. The yard is full of plants & flowers. Jasmine lines the front fence. A breeze wafts through(...amazing when you have a house in the way, right, honey?).The sun starts to set. The "golden moment" comes. Briefly the jasmine & the tree behind it are lit up in gold. We sat for a while & talked, drinking coffee & cola. We moved to the front yard & talked while Hubby watered a new garden section under our grapefruit tree. (I call it Terebithia.) The dogs wandered around sniffing, barking a hello to the dog across the street, and laid down in the cool mud just created by the hose. Hubby described a new idea for our house...adding a French door & deck from our bedroom just to the side of Terebithia.

And THIS is when you realize that... there's no place like home...no better love ever found...and no other day like today.

Tags: La Tropicana, First Watch Restaurant, Spanish Park Restaurant, The Silver Ring, Ybor City