Ed loves stew, so I bought some cubed beef and carrots, celery, mushrooms, tomatoes in a can, potatoes, and he made it and it was good. We had one serving and I froze the rest. That was 4 days ago. Ed would eat stew 3 times a day if he could. I am defrosting two containers for dinner tonight. We still had 2 lbs. of stew beef, so I made another stew – I had to ward him off because he sees himself as Stew Master. Mine is not as tasty. I don’t know what I did. Maybe it was the red wine I added. I froze all of it and it’s in the garage refrigerator. Maybe the flavors will settle and it will be better on defrosting.

This Saturday is the annual Mullet Toss and the proceeds go to charity. A mullet is a fish common to this area. Tattooed wonders park their pickups (you know the ones, with the Confederate flag prominently displayed) and there is a contest to see who can toss a dead fish farthest. Personally I don’t care if it is for charity – surely there are other ways to raise money. Tossing the body of any once-living thing around is disrespectful and gross. But, then, THIS IS SW FLORIDA. (Pause here for a heartfelt retch.)

Susan, my friend and tailor lady, has another customer who became her friend. Whenever she mentions her, I chime in, oh, yes, I remember her, the fascist. (I am not exaggerating.) But, somehow, they get along. Susan finds it hard not to be kind to people. The friend – her name is Lou – told Susan recently that she is moving out of this area because it is TOO LIBERAL. Oh, I am holding my head. She thinks this hotbed of unreconstructed Civil War malcontents, religious fanatics, and Rush Limbaugh/Glen Beck devotees, is too liberal. Hoo-ha.

Lou’s house is already sold. She and husband are living in an RV (and Susan thinks that is funny because they don’t like each other) and will be tooling along to the East Coast of Florida. It is to larf. If she thinks this area is liberal, wait till she finds herself in the middle of what I call “Little New York”. I can’t wait.

Meanwhile, my friend, John B., recommended a lawn guy who said, a week ago, that, yes, he could do our lawn that Ed had neglected because he was sick. He would by today he said. We had to do some shopping. Maybe he came while we were out. In any case, he didn’t show and Ed went out and did most of it himself, which I thought was pushing it because he is only just on his way out of the pneumonia. But he can’t be reasoned with. I have to say the lawn had developed a life of its own and really needed attention.

That’s the story this week.

xx, Teal