King Mango Strut Parade, January 2023

 Oh Carole,

You would have loved it! Was like our 1960's Boston college days, a troupe of stoned happy adults. Plus familes, people of all ages, seemed like the largest crowd in a decade, thats what Danny said anyway.  We had an outside table at Greenstreets .... compliments of the boys local friends.

The pics will show some. Wanted to add more, have a slew of them but for some reason they are not loading. One float was a celebration of Cconut Grove's 150 birthday. This year's theme, "The Queen is Dead, Long Live the King," honored a new era. With Gov. DeSantis at the helm, we'd better watch out!

Sam's entry....Her Majestry's Last Tour with a skeleton in the back seat. Plus Melissa and her sister. Sam amd William in front.

Josh with his key line pie bike, his entry related to the mess up of Coconut Grove / City of Miami  commiss-ion seats! District 2.

Below: Nancy, Josh's girl, Miss Queen Bee from a Save the Bee's entry.

Danny getting his drone ready, now popular in video shoots.

As of this posting, Miami's Heat arena still has the cyptocurrency FTX logo attached to it. Running of the Bullshittters in every parade!

January 3, 2023. Birthday Wishes

 Hello my dear sister Carole,

Your 73 birtday, we a year apart now, a year and eons. 

I placed a fresh box of chocolates under your picture on the mantel, twenty years since you've been gone. Gone is comphrensible, you not part of this present, away – twenty years is not.

The hum-drum numb grief of emptiness continuing without you, ache and tears an acceptance of this fact. 

*

You'd be proud of your sons, both keep busy. Danny with his video work as well as his immediate need for a plumber. Josh continues baking and baking his key lime pies. We celebrated Josh's birthday this year on the actual date of it. Was also the last day of Hanukkah so we combined both. Had a jollygood evening. 

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The above composed last night, before midnight, posted minutes later when your birthday arrived. In the hours between, I dreamed of your exuberance, inquisitiveness, the fun we shared. Your laughter.  In sleep we were together again, in a crowded small store jammed with "stuff." One of us, most likely you, tried on a pair of  form-fitting colorful plastic jean-like pants, white colored with an artful background. I'd thought how odd the pants were, the shiny, sheen texture of thick plastic. 

In retrospect, perhaps not so unusual. Most everything passes – breath and thumbprints. Birthdays. Agony and loss until both do we part.

Oh Carole, how you are missed.

Carole on Extralove.com