CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

 On December 6th Clermont had their Christmas parade and Santa came to town. It was a hot, sunny day, glad I wasn't in a red suuit or marching in the parade.

 December 13 was Miracle on 7th Street, which is the address of the First UMC of Clermont where we attend while we are here in the winter.

 Toys are donated so families in need can come and shop for gifts that Saturday. Larry and I were some of Santa's elves helping the parent get gifts for their children.

 We were glad Keith and Marie came and helped in the fun and enjoyment of the day. They helped keep the tables well stocked.

 The parents were able to get at least one toy, a book, a stuffed animal, and a stocking stuffer for each child on their list. A 365 Bible Stories book was given to each family. Families signed up for a time to come this year so there wasn't a long line to wait in. 300 families were signed up, and there was plenty for all.

 Sunday evening was the church cantata. We attended a buffet dinner they offered before the performances. It was a very nice affair.

 Pastor Doug narrated the cantata.

 It was a beautiful cantata by the choir and orchestra.

We all joined in to sing a few carols. On a sad note we heard this was the last cantata Bill will direct for he is leaving. He will certainly be missed.

BACK IN FLORIDA

 We left Hattiesburg early Friday morning after Thanksgiving. We were on the road by 5:45 and in Florida around 8.  It is a long drive across the panhandle to I-75.

 I liked the Blue Angel plane at the welcome center.

 We stopped at Jellystone Park in Madison, FL for the night since the temperature was to drop to freezing at night. It is American Passport park, so we only paid $25.

 What a neat park for kids. Acres for ATV riding,

 water slide with a lazy river, and a jump pad along with lots of activities. We enjoyed walking around the park.
 We arrived at Clerbrook early Saturday afternoon.

 Wednesday evening we went to Winter Park for The Lettermen concert.

 Tony Butala (in the middle) is the only original singer. The other 2 singers have been with the group for almost 30 years. The first half of the show they sang the Lettermen hits. The second half was Christmas songs.

 Florence LaRue, the lead singer from the 5th Dimension, was also part of the concert. It was a really good concert.

 Friday night was Light up Clermont. We went up early to have dinner from the food trucks.

 It turned out to be a beautiful moonlit evening. There was a really good turnout for the festivities.

There was entertainment and then this tree was lit

and all the decorations on the street and around the lake. Clermont is really lit up for the holidays.