By Shannon Williams
Well, I am a few weeks behind on telling you about the fun I have had, sorry about that, but I had a really fun day in Crystal Beach for the first weekend in February. It seems like I had been out of town or had to go to town for the past several weekends and I just did not have the desire to drive anywhere that day, but I wanted to get out and about.

The weather had been off and on, but this day it was very nice and that was after having some not so nice days with cold and wet weather not to mention the wind. We had been so busy, but don’t ask me why that was, but it seemed as it has been non stop since a few weeks before Thanksgiving. I was hungry for seafood, and I wanted my husband to cook me some shrimp. There is something to be said for living in a place that I can drive two streets over and get all the big fresh shrimp I want. I have been going to JB’s Seafood Market for several years. He is so friendly and gives great tips on what to do with the seafood. I love his frozen boxes of 5lb shrimp, as I can get it already peeled for soups and gumbo or not peeled for grilling and boiling. I always try to keep some in my freezer, but it is so nice and I know it is fresh when frozen or I can get fresh if I want to. I used to have to order shrimp from a food wholesaler in West Texas, it was so costly and I never got anything like I get here and I had to wait at least a week. So, now if I get that craving for wonderful gulf shrimp, I drive two streets and I can get all I need or want. I grew up in a family of 7, so I always cook too much, but with shrimp I do it on purpose so I can make a shrimp chowder.

Next stop was to do a little shopping for fun. Most of my shopping is Amazon and every now and then I wander around Walmart, but as far as just going shopping just to go shopping, I don’t really have the time for that. My neighbor had gotten me several really neat gifts from Selkie Sun and on this Saturday they were having a Galentine Day Party, and it sounded fun, so off I went to meet her and her two fun Granddaughters who are both out of college and living their best life. I usually shop for stuff for the house, as it always fits and I am not disappointed if I don’t fit into it LOL, but I have a couple of events coming up and needed something to make an appearance in for a big work party. I also had brought several gifts for my son on my cruise, but never did find anything for my sweet DIL (Daughter in Law) and every MIL (mother in law) knows that you have to take care of the one who loves your baby.

As I do each year, when I put up Christmas decorations, I just put my everyday decorations in the box that I get Christmas out of. Well, this year, I have misplaced one box of stuff and I had some bare spaces in my living room. Now, I could have looked more for my old stuff, but we have been in the house 10 years and I am changing things up. Right as I entered Selkie Sun, I saw the cutest arrangement of a dried mushroom garland with a string of beads and the cutest little birds, I think they are sandpipers, well I had to have that and so I bought it just as it was. The owner was most helpful in getting me to look outside the box for something for me to wear. I think in a past life I must have been Hawaiian, as I love the Mumu look of clothes not touching my body and thus wear my clothes too big. I decide to trust her and it was a winner winner! I end up with a cute black jump suit that she showed me how to wear and it will do nicely for the event. I was able to get my DIL a cute Bohemian looking cover with a matching set of shorts !! it was a good shopping trip and a ton of fun. They had little valentine bags of goodies and the best little red velvet cupcakes!! The granddaughters took advantage of the photo booth and we all enjoyed the outing.

Now I needed to go to the BIG Store to get the rest of what I wanted to go with the shrimp. I love to eat brussels sprouts in a boil with corn and mushrooms and potatoes, it is just good eating! To top off my fun day, as I was leaving, our favorite door man John was clocking in for his first shift in a long time. That brought a smile to my face. I returned home and starting getting ready to eat all of the shrimp. We had invited my neighbors and the two granddaughters to join us for dinner. Having people over for this type of dinner is fun and easy, I usually have some bread of some type just in case, then I make a cocktail sauce (just like my daddy use to make), a shrimp sauce which is kind of a crawfish dipping sauce, and a kind of rémoulade sauce and garlic butter and it is done. Well, I did gather up all that would be needed for the hubby to create wonderful shrimp, which he did. We all ate all we could and laughed at just about anything. As we were eating dessert, one of the granddaughters had brought a homemade King cake!! I got a call that my 95-year-old mother had fallen. It turns out that she had broken her hip, so I needed to get to Lubbock as fast as I could. I was unsure really what to do and my neighbor and her granddaughters just loved on me, cleaned my kitchen and encouraged me to go pack which I did. More about Mom next week! As I was going to bed that night with so much on my mind about my mother, my heart was full by just a plain simple Saturday morning in my home town with my neighbors and a lovely dinner shared together. It was what I needed with what the week would bring. So, take sometime and enjoy our community, support your local business and most important take the time to get to know them and your neighbors, the day will come when you will need them.

[SW: Feb-13-2024]