Tag Archives: Florida Panhandle

Florida Bucket List: St. Joseph State Park

Every time I'm in Florida's panhandle, I have a little daydream about moving to a shack on the water and watching the sun go down every night, then building a bonfire and watching the stars as I listen to the water lap at the powdery sand. The reality is I can't afford a beach cottage anywhere in Florida, and, given the panhandle's history with hurricanes, I don't really want to live on the edge of land up there, anyway. But, man, what a fantasy. The shrimp tastes fresher there, the beer tastes colder, and stars seem brighter. Things feel simpler, far less crowded, and more easygoing, too. So, instead of moving, I escape whenever I can to one of the glorious state parks that offer campsites in earshot of those gentle waves. St. Joseph Peninsula State Park ranks as one of my top places to see the sun go...

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2023 in Florida: The Year I Could Do Without

"Is it OK with you if we don't trim the tree this year?" I ask my husband this on Christmas Eve's Eve, en route to the grocery store to stock up on Tropo Chico and steak. Without missing a beat, he tells me "of course." I've had merrier years, y'all. 2023 came at me rapid fire.  Oh, it started optimistically enough, with my dad coming back from "he'll be dead soon" proclamation on Nov. 30 to "he's coming home and his future looks healthy and incredible" on Dec. 31.

2023 gave me warning signs, though.

I, ever the optimist (despite my press), chose not to see them. Barry's uncle died rather abruptly and with little warning toward the end of 2022; it was tragic and all too soon (no time is not "too soon" with someone as warm and friendly and funny and loving as Uncle Barry), but I chose to see it as...

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