Cabbage Key 2010

, originally uploaded by Kiki Marcus.

I found the dollar Steve and I left on Cabbage Key in April of 2009. When I finally laid eyes on it I started crying, laughing then clapped my hands and jumped up and down in place like Steve used to when he was extremely pleased. Guess a few idiosyncrasies tend to be exchanged between a husband and wife. And as promised, I left a new dollar, two actually, behind.

The trip out to Cabbage Key and back was rather joyful. I didn't spend the entire time talking about Steve but everything I did or saw reminded me of being there with him. And every memory brought a smile to my face. A few brought tears to my eyes but the wind on the boat quickly whisked them away.

If you've never been to the restaurant on Cabbage Key, you need to know the story of why the place is covered in dollar bills. Evidently, back in the day, when the fishermen finished on the water they'd stop in for a beer on the way home. If it was a good catch day, they'd leave some money pinned up behind the bar with their name written on it for beer money on the days when they had a bad catch day. Tourism being what it is, and fishermen finding new places to stop in for beers, when people come for a meal you tape up your own dollar after having decorated it. Everything that falls to the floor (and eventually it all falls to the floor) goes to charity.

Which was why I was so nervous to find our dollar. The tape they give to use is not very good and it had been a year and half since our visit.

I have to thank Paul, a wonderful friend of my mother, who managed to convince the staff at the restaurant to do something out of the ordinary: allow me to use a stapler. I don't know how he did it, I'm afraid to ask, but I know they have a strict no stapler rule. I wanted to make sure they'd be there in five years when I return. Somehow, knowing they'll hang on that ceiling waiting for me delivers a small measure of peace to my heart.

And I will take any measure of peace I can get.