Passover in Paradise

Wifey and I would, over the early years of our marriage, typically host seders at our house. They were short on religion, and long on family togetherness. One year, when the Ds were little, we took our family along with my Mom and in laws and sister and brother in law to a Chabad community seder. That rather ponderous event went over like a lead balloon... The rest of the time we'd gather, and Wifey would bring in food, and we'd drink and laugh. A few years, when the firm was making serious jack, we'd have the events catered. Alas, now Mom is gone, and my father in law is in a nursing home, so our family seders have devolved to dinners near the MJH -- a restaurant called Soyka, which features a killer matzoh ball soup and other Jewish soul food. We've spend the last 2 seders there, and plan to go today. But last night, for first seder, we were invited to my law partner Paul's son's in laws -- a gorgeous house on La Gorce Island in Miami Beach. We've grown close to Alex and Danielle and their adorable boy Roger, and looked forward to spending an evening with them. D2 came from Gville, albeit with greater difficulty than expected. As the pilot on the regional jet spooled up the engine on her early am flight, feathers flew everywhere. A bird or birds had decided to spend the night in the engine, and succeeded in canceling the flight. As GNV is such a podunk airport, American Eagle hired a fleet of taxis, and took the whole planeload to JAX, a bit less podunk. D2 made it home 6 hours late. She was annoyed, but I told her her day was better than the Gville birds...and when I greeted her with a LOL bagel and nova, and her puppy Bo, well, she perked up nicely... So we drove to the Beach, and walked into a scene from Miami Vice -- at least the opulence of the houses they featured. The house sits on the Bay, and the back yard was spectacular. We drank wine and chatted, and it was so warm and special. The seder was short on religion, too -- the youngest guest simply read and answered the Four Questions, and then our host and Paul gave toasts. We ate brisket and chicken and maybe the best kugel since my mother in law used to cook. The talk was all positive -- young folks starting their careers, and finishing school, or starting college. Warm, funny, Jewish jokes were told, and the laughter was sincere. Wifey and the Ds beamed -- and I was so proud of them all. Wifey teetotaled herself into having to drive home, and we did -- talking of Passovers past, and those to come. Today D1 came over to spend sister time, and the dogs enjoyed getting together -- hopefully a preview of the Ds kids someday. We should be so lucky... We fetch the olds in a few hours. Mirta, my sista of another mother, will be joining us -- she is visiting my father in law and Cip's best friend Edna's parents - all residents of the Old PEople Kennel, as Edna's husband Marc has named the place. I'll order a quick couple of Ketel Ones, the better to appreciate the rustic spendor of my in laws, and we'll have our meal. This might be Mirta's first seder, such as it is, and I'll disclaim that it's simply a meal with funny cracker bread. My Gator Rabbi bud FedExed some Schmurah matzah -- the exceptionally pure stuff only for Pesach. Years ago, my friend Jeff and I visited the Dickensian factory in Brooklyn where they make the stuff -- the water and flour have to be together less than 2 minutes before they're put in the oven -- to prevent even a microscopic level of leavening that takes place in the absence of yeast. These Dudes take this stuff seriously! So we plan on having another fine, unleavened day. Good times, in the Spring...