This That, An Anniversary, Friends, And A Cat

This is one of the canopy roads in Tallahassee and we are right proud of them around here. I think they are beautiful. There are many more, some, like this one which is Miccosukee Road, quite well traveled and some not much traveled at all. Some of those are dirt roads and are probably the most beautiful ones of all. 
When I took this picture, we were driving into town to try and find a restaurant where we could get breakfast. We'd gone to the Waffle House, as planned, which is only about ten minutes from our house if you take the interstate, which we did. But when we got there, even the parking lot was full and we could see through the big front window that many people were waiting. 
Obviously, some big event had drawn a lot of people from out of town which we finally realized was FAMU's homecoming. FAMU is our HCBU. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, founded in 1887. And homecoming is a very big deal there. There'd been a football game, of course, and there'd been a shooting. I'm not here to discuss that. There were no deaths, but at least eleven injuries, some of children, and one of them critical. It was not a mass shooting incident, per se, but an argument that got out of hand. And I wish I didn't have to mention that but it's the truth. What I'd really love to talk about is the FAMU One Hundred, the marching band, and their drum major who is...Female. First female drum major for FAMU at least. And the Marching 100 is regarded as one of the top marching bands in the country and just being a member is a huge honor so...
Her name is Oluwamodupe Oloyede and I just watched a few videos of her performing with the band and dammit, I started crying. Look her up if you want to. You should. 
She is a queen. 
But I mainly came here today to discuss an anniversary and breakfast was definitely a part of that. We decided to try a restaurant where Glen really likes to get breakfast which is a great deal more fancy than the Waffle House but breakfast is breakfast. So we drove there and the parking lot was, again, full. 
"Let's just go home," I said. "I can't deal with this."
"But we did try another place that was on the way home where I'd eaten before and thought was fine and although they did have parking places and tables available, the wait was still twenty to twenty-five minutes. A kitchen and wait staff can only do so much. I was ready to leave but Glen said, "Nah. Let's just wait," and so we did. We finally got seated and in not a completely unreasonable time, got breakfast. 
As I told Lon and Lis later, when they dropped by, it was nice being surrounded by so many good-looking human beings. It would not have been the same if it had been FSU's homecoming weekend. 
Is that racist? 
So sue me. 
There was one woman at the table next to us and at one point, our eyes caught each other and we nodded to each other. 
It was a moment. Has that ever happened to you? Like...you lock eyes with a stranger and somehow feel as if you've known them before, perhaps even in another lifetime, or at least could be friends? Like, really good friends? 
When she left, she looked at me and nodded and I nodded back. Like, "Yes. I see you. Thank you for seeing me." I sort of wanted to chase her down and say, "Can we be friends? Please?" 
But of course I didn't. 
Damn.

So we had a good breakfast and by that time it was almost one o'clock and we came home and I got a text from Lis. We'd discussed them coming by for coffee before they left town and settled on them being here around two but she asked if it would be okay if they got here a little earlier. 
Oh. Very much yes.
And so we got a fantastic few hours talking with them and Lis and I made our way back to the "veranda" as she calls it, which is my back porch and we had so much to tell each other. As we always do. I am so grateful for their friendship. There is very little I cannot discuss with Lis and honestly, I feel that way about Lon, too, although of course he is a man and that does make somewhat of a difference. But I've spent hours and hours talking to him throughout the time we've known each other and we've all been through a lot together. 

The time came when they had to leave and I'm not going to be specific about what sort of anniversary celebrations went on at that point but I will say...more sweetness. I will also say that when we got married at the ripe old age of thirty, I seriously doubt we had any idea we'd still be having such excellent fun at the age of seventy-two. 
We probably would have winced (at the very least) at the thought. 
Oh well. 

Here's a picture of a very tall palm tree I took while we were waiting for our table at the restaurant where we ate. 

Actually two palms trees. 

It's truly been a beautiful day in all regards. Here's a picture of us having anniversary celebratory martinis. 

My sweet man.

I'm about to cook us some delicious fish. Well, hopefully it will be delicious. And okra and tomatoes. 

Don't bother telling me you don't like okra. There are those of us who do and those of us who don't. 
My opinion is that those who don't have not had them cooked properly. Ain't no slime involved in these okra. 

I need to go start some grits. I'm going to be cooking the stoneground type that need almost an hour to cook. Only the best will do for an anniversary dinner. Cheese may be involved. 

Here's what my hallway looks like now. 

Mr. Moon brought me the roses, Lis and Lon brought us the hydrangea blooms. 
I mean...glory. Right? 

It's been an excellent day and a pretty perfect anniversary. Maurice seems to be about the same as she was yesterday, coming and going, eating some wet food, some dry food, spending some time outside, some time in the cradle, and some time in a mysterious location known only to her. Whatever she is going through, she has not recovered entirely. I am not hovering. Cats have mysterious powers of their own and I respect that. I know for myself that when I am very ill, I need a lot of rest and not a lot of food. 

And this is what's happened on October 25th, 2026 right here in Lloyd, Florida, in the lives of a couple, married for 42 years. 
Forty-two years since we made that leap of faith and vowed those words of commitment. 
Unbelievable. 

Love...Ms. Moon