Soul Food

 Instrument cases litter the floor. Voices bounce off the walls. Strings vibrate. Music fills the air. I'm stopping to write a bit with sweet music all around.

Thanksgiving vacation has filled us up with sun and sounds and sweet potato casserole. We didn't know we would spend Wednesday digging in warm white sand, watching the sun drop behind the horizon, and playing with Georgia friends; it was an unexpected reunion. It was a glorious day. It was soul food. We returned home and fell into bed.

Filled up, I woke to run the Turkey Trot here in Tallahassee. I love to stand freezing cold jumping up and down with a group of strangers. I can smell clean clothes as we bundle and wait for the start. Soon the clean will wash away with the warmth of the sun mixed with sweat and strength and exhaustion. The race starts and I zig zag through the crowd looking for a space for my pace. It takes awhile today. The crowd is big. 6000+. People take off too fast and talk too much and fall away. I breathe and run and breathe and run and find a pace, like a swimming stroke. Just keep it steady. At mile four I feel my legs grow weak, but with strong lungs and a steady pace, I can keep it. Mile Six. I know I can finish strong. 41:40. Ahhh. I could go on and on. We collect water and oranges and head home to rest now and eat a lot.

Thanksgiving with friends and home again. We play all Saturday with the children at Mission San Luis. They watch the blacksmith for an hour. They shoot a bow and arrow, they watch the men dressed in period costumes shoot a musket. A neighbor has a tree heavy with tangerines. A freeze might settle in tonight so they must be picked. Amelia rides the little motorcycle all over the yard. Now turkey soup and a bluegrass jam. The children sleep and the walls collect sweet sounds.

Our souls are fed.








Comments

  1. KellyNovember 25, 2012 at 3:19 PM

    I can hardly recognize George Wilder with his long hair. He is still in the number one position for future husband for Aida :: (according to her, that is). Glad you had such lovely company and weather!

    ReplyDelete
  2. JoniNovember 28, 2012 at 6:31 PM

    such a treat to spend the day with y'all! Definitely soul food for us too. The mid-70s temps made me want to move to Florida :) Plus you're there. But....we'll be staying here and looking fwd to future visits!

    ReplyDelete

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