I’m thankful for…. food for the soul…. and food for the tummy!

Yes, I do love to eat!  St. Thomas is my favorite Island for food, such a great variety, from the elegant, to the good old, down home food of my native Kentucky, it’s all a gastronomic pleasure!  So this is the deal, Sherelene loves the beach and the sun, and I can live with it for about a week a year, and so we spend our Marriott points to visit a resort we couldn’t otherwise afford! This year is our third trip back to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. We’ve done Maui in Hawaii, The Grand Caymans, Jamaica, St. Kitts, Aruba, St. Lucia, Puerto Rico, Belize, and we’ve loved them all, but for me, the far eastern coast of St. Thomas, Red Hook, is my favorite.  One of the reasons is the extremely friendly staff of the Ritz.  The other is the food!!!  I’ve finally learned enough restaurants to know where to get what ever we are in a mood for. Above, from upper left to right; Filtet Mignon at Pesce Italian restaurant, fresh pineapples in the local market, the steak and ribs selection at The Old Stone Farmhouse restaurant across the Island.  Seafood selection for this evening at the same Old Stone Farmhouse, below Zucchini bread (wonderful!), Breakfast potatoes, and Chicken Sausage at the Blue Water at the Ritz, and finally in the lower left corner one of my favorites, filet mignon meatballs and marinara sauce at Peceses, great over spaghetti!

Probably one of the main  reasons I keep coming back to St. Thomas is Molly Malone’s my favorite Irish Pub eatery, in the world.  Great people serve you, great people own Molly’s, the food is fantastic, and the atmosphere is the real deal.  You meet such interesting folks, both tourists and locals and the entire experience is authentic.  My favorite dish is the grilled cheese and turkey sandwich, a staple for my breakfast, Sherelene loves the French toast!  Tonight I will have their famous Meatloaf!  I’ve had a special place in my heart for the Irish ever since my first cousin Ned Beatty played a role in the great film “Rudy”.  Molly’s is like going home after along trip!

And then the kind folks at the Ritz help us celebrate our Anniversary, with special treats like this!

Late entry, Molly Malone’s fabulous Meatloaf, some of the best I’ve ever had!!!

Food For the Soul:

Last night Sherelene and I shared some food for the soul, we watched the film 7 Days in Utopia together.  Piled up in the bed with stack of pillows we watched the film on my laptop cuddled up together.  The film is about a young, up and coming,  golfer who has a major melt down at the end of a tournament he is about to win.  He storms off in a huff and ends up in a little Texas town of Utopia, where a kind rancher, played by Robert Duvall, helps him find his game, and much more.  I will share clips from this extraordinary film at the next workshop in Ga.  Needless to say it is a powerful film of redemption!   For some time I have been traveling with a half dozen film clips on my iPad.  When on the plane, or waiting in a airport terminal I put on my headphones and watch these clips over and over.  They serve as a constant reminder to me of what I believe in (my convictions), what I live for (my purpose), and how I am to conduct myself, (my behavior).  They are my food for spiritual thought.  We must all constantly remind ourselves that while we are in this world,  we are not of this world, Jesus has set us apart, as His.  While we are to witness to the world with our words and our actions, and the sharing of His love, we are to always know we are only visitors here, our place is with Him for eternity.  Our mission is to encourage others to join us there…..

So fill your tummy today, with good food, and your heart and soul, with the food of the spirit, the Word of God.  May His greatest blessings be with you and yours today, tomorrow, and forever…….

the pilgrim

*Photo Note;  All images point and shoot cameras.