Bye Bye 2013 -- Stay the Course!

One last glimpse of our beach to ring out 2013

Since I've started running, almost every run begins with AC/DC's "Back in Black" blasting through my earbuds. It's a bit of a tradition for me, oddly enough as someone who's no longer into tradition. Late afternoon today, I went on my last run of the year. It was a perfect as perfect could be. The requisite music was on, and as I ran past Pop's house he was at his spot, waving to me. I waved back. A few deer skittled by as the miles peeled by. Several osprey were calling so loudly I actually could hear them over the scorching iPod. The winds picked up and cooled me off on an overly warm and humid evening for this time of year. I sprinted, I walked, and I just ran for a while. It was so good.

I knew with every passing second how great that moment was, nothing slipped by unnoticed.

New Year's is again upon us. These past few months at time went tortuously slow, while others went tortuously fast.

This was not an easy year for us at Deer Run, on a business level and a personal level. Then again, we're no different than most people, who DOESN'T have their ups and downs in life, right?

I don't make resolutions. I set intentions. For me, I intend to stay the course for 2014. This involves activism, work, fitness, food, acts of kindness, and pretty much every other aspect of my life.

Way to be.

I'm not sad to see 2013 go away. There's a few weeks I wish I literally could wipe off the year, they were that bad. There's a few weeks that were so good, I wish I literally could re-live them exactly as they were, they were that good.

Life without peaks and valleys really wouldn't be much fun, would it?

I wish you all a very healthy, happy and prosperous New Year.

As always, I keep my faith that more people will choose veg in the New Year, and with every compassionate forkful, the world is that much better.

Blessed Be!

It Ain't Norman Rockwell...

Sunrise came Christmas Eve day at low tide.
It was magnificent.

I've been looking on line from time to time at the pictures of Christmas that the media is posting, as well as things on other people's Facebook pages. Incredibly warm and beautiful photos of giant Christmas trees, twinkling lights, model train sets, children on Santa's lap, snowscapes, and well, you get the drift. Occasionally I get a pang of I'm not sure what. Perhaps it's nostalgia, remembering so long ago scenes like that in my own life. Surrounded by family and friends, snowed in, hot (vegan) chocolate (no mini-marshmallows, Dandies didn't have the minis like they do now way back then), hours spent searching for perfect gifts.

This year's official annual photo of the decorating
of the ocean mangrove.
It's thirsty work all that decorating, ya know?!
The right side is filling in nicely, post-tornado.

A few days ago, I donned my best free box and thrift shop tropical Christmas costume along with a great wig, glitter, sunglasses and sparkly Santa hat. I drove up and down the Keys delivering cookies. All this happened as I turned the volume to maximum as metal music spewed forth towards never ending blue skies painted so bright it hurt my eyes. Palm trees were everywhere I looked. People bicycled in flip flops, Santa hats and t-shirts. Yes, the stores have some traditional looking seasonal decorations. Pine trees, fake snow, Christmas music, and glitter (glitter knows no seasonal or religious boundaries by the way) are the order of the day in the land of retail. But, I know otherwise for I am much wiser.

It ain't Normal Rockwell down here, but probably only because good ol' Norm never visited the Keys. Trust me, if he did, we'd all be looking at a lot more palm trees, and a lot less snowscapes.