SATURDAY SIGHTS

The sun seemed to be brighter than usual; and, quite frankly, appeared a little earlier than the time on the clock indicated. Perhaps my mindset was somewhat stunted. Departure time was scheduled for 8:30 am and that's usually the time I start wondering what to eat for breakfast! It was Saturday; everyone off work and Ft. Lauderdale was the destination. The aforementioned breakfast (and coffee) was uppermost in our minds. We took two cars because Mary's brother, Frankie, was going with us. Occupants of OUR auto had the foresight to make coffee and take some along. Enjoyed the drive along the palm tree-edged highway ... relaxing, care-free and scenic. Lauderdale-by-the Sea, a little city spread along the beach, was our first stop. Our stomachs growling in anticipation of a morning feast, we walked a block or so on sandy sidewalks to Beach Cafe. This neat, open-air restaurant was aptly named. It was built right on the beach. After ascending a few wooden steps, we were seated at the front edge of a long seaside pier. It was a calm day and the oceanside was full of swimmers, surfboard students and children building sand castles. Many fishermen tried their luck along the rails of the dock leading out to the ocean. Very enjoyable! We left for the art museum in Ft. Lauderdale to view a collection of artifacts from the Vatican. Items were intermingled as far as paintings, church vestments, architecture history, altar vessels, etc.; but were arranged by reign of popes beginning with St. Peter. The last section dealt with Pope John Paul II and his journey to sainthood. The entire exhibit was interesting, informative and beautiful. Sunday was a day of preparation ... Hillary was to land, literally, around 3:30 pm and after church, we ran a few errands, went to the store and waited. She came strolling in around 5:00 pm and we began laughing, eating (naturally) and exchanging any news. She was absolutely thrilled with the new pool! We will be spending time there, I'm certain. Tomorrow, however, Paul is taking off work and we are going to Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in downtown Miami. A description (probably lengthy) will be forthcoming. Until then ... Marma