Dunedin, FL – It has been an intense couple of days, but the pressure is now off! Nothing dire, so fear not; tonight was the Carefree’s Got Talent Show (Carefree runs this RV park) and I was part of one of the acts! The show is an annual event here, encouraging residents of Carefree parks across the US to share their talents for some handsome prizes ($250 cash for the winner at each park and then, at the national finals, a first prize of $5,000).
Nancy, one of the longtime residents of the park, found out that I like to sing some weeks ago, and suggested we put a little something together for the show. She wrote a poem about peace that was inspired by the movie “Lincoln”, and worked up a number that included it plus a couple of patriotic songs. We chatted about it now and then, but didn’t really get serious about it till a few days ago.
When we both agreed to make a go of it, we kicked into high gear, borrowing a keyboard so I could learn the music, and meeting early in the morning to figure out how our entry would unfold. I guess we worked well under pressure, because we were first runners up at the show, which consisted of six separate numbers!
The show was preceded by a community pork roast dinner, which Nancy and I tried to enjoy as it slid past the butterflies in our stomachs. I’ve had “God Bless America” and “Let there be Peace on Earth” ringing in my brain constantly for the last 48 hours (didn’t want to flub the words!), so it was quite a relief to find we were second on the program and could enjoy the rest of the show once we were done. I don’t remember much of our actual performance, but judging from our fan club (spouses, relatives and friends) I guess we did OK!
We enjoyed talents of another type last night, when John and Fawn took us (and Algarve the pooch!) again to the guys’ cousin Linda’s place for another of her feasts! This time she made gnocchi, meat sauce and meatballs, preceded by a delicious tray of Italian cheeses and grapes and followed by homemade apple pie. Her wonderful cooking, acquired at her mother’s side, was such a treat. So was the conversation, again full of old family stories.
We arrived early enough to include a field trip to Mazzaro, the Italian food store where Linda got all the fixings for the meal. It’s a hugely popular spot, with sections of fresh vegetables, cheeses of all kinds, a huge selection of wines, olive oils, teas, pastas, gelatos, olives, spices and sweets. The eclectic décor included plaster religious statues, pictures of Italy, baskets and kitchen tools and even a row of Vespa motorbikes displayed above the cash. There’s also a café where you can taste some of the delicacies, and they hold wine tastings a couple of times a week. It was a feast for the senses – and then we got to taste some of the varied fare at Linda’s. A good time was had by all!
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