Time is Fleeting..........

 

 

Well this might well be my final entry to the blog for 2015. We are now packing up all our kitchen and household items with the living area littered with five large Rubbermaid containers. Our condo owner next year has allowed us to store our “things” rather than take out a storage locker which we had to do last year. We are grateful.

 

 

Rushing to finish final paintings, needle felted pieces and transfer a pattern onto linen canvas for rug hooking en route home. Simply couldn’t endure the drive without rug hooking. Fortunately I don’t experience motion sickness and am blessed to be able to pass the time this way. Gord is happy too ‘cause if I am concentrating on my rug, I don’t comment on his erratic driving/speeding/cursing of other drivers cutting us off, etc.

Hoping the weather holds for our trip although, some snow is forecast according to the long range………….

See that the temps at home are still in the “freezing” range- BURRRRRRRRRRR. Re-entry is always a “Bi___”.

 

 

We ate braised short ribs at Guppy’s last night. Thought of Wayne and Sue as I believe, this dish is one of Wayne’s favourites. It was yummy and the March break crowd seems to have gone back to school and work so the restaurant was comfortably busy but not the usual March madness of prior years.

 

 

 We have at least one more restaurant we would like to try before we depart. One touted by locals as “their” favourite- Middle Grounds Grill in Treasure Island. We will likely dine there the night before we leave on March 31^st.

Oh and for old time’s sake; we stopped at the ice cream shop across from Pier House to have Salted Caramel (Gord) and Candy Bar Overload (Laurie) ice cream. YUM!

We enjoyed our trip but we really missed our “pals” who couldn’t join us this year. Hope you are well and we look forward to reconnecting on our return.
Hugs to all,
Laurie

Shells are Nature’s Gift to the World………………………………..

 I realize I have let you all down- not blogging regularly. Always concerned about what is “blog worthy” and don’t always take my iPhone to every activity.

We have had glorious weather these past few days.  Very warm, each day.  Now above normal temps for the period- 85+ degrees F.  Wonderful. Great to spend days swimming, sunning, shelling :-)  I am VERY HAPPY.

Now about shelling……………….

Did you know that shells are nature’s gift to the world?  We went shelling at Honeymoon Island yesterday.  Not a shelling experience for those not willing to walk almost 10K to gather the little bug_____s.  We of course are compelled to walk the distance, take a picnic, and enjoy the Honeymoon Island Park experience.   What a beautiful place.

Shelling this year has been hit and miss- we certainly haven’t found quantity BUT the quality is amazing starting with my find at Shell Key – an oversized whelk earlier in our trip.  At Honeymoon we found three “banded Tulips”- one very large for its type (Laurie’s find).  An incredibly large “lettered Olive” (Gord’s find) and several sand dollars.

Ok some would say not worth the walk, but we of course think it was.   :-)

Pictures tell the story of the most beautiful shells in Florida.  The common “Nutmeg” is in abundance at Honeymoon- but alas, I think I have two large bags full so I held back.  Large “Angel Wings” were found as was an “Apple Murex”.

Ok now I am sounding totally nerdy ………….
And it is after all who I am.

I managed to find some creative outlets for these wonders of the sea.  Am attaching pictures of shell initial, shell mirror and shell picture frame created this year.

Clearly I could do “shell things” ‘til the proverbial cows come home.  Anyone want a “custom order” for a shell initial?

The day prior to our wonderful shelling experience we shared a delicious dinner with friends- Ina Garten’s recipe for Beef Burgundy – so yummy.

Oh and I managed to complete a few still life paintings.  Quite pleasant I think.

Life is good but we are now on the final count down- only 2 ½ weeks to go before we return to our “PROJECT” in the County. I have compiled a list as long as my arm of deficiencies, finishing projects, etc.

Reality will hit us sooner than later………………so glad we have had this time in Florida.  We are truly blessed.  Understand the temps back home are getting more moderate and spring is on the horizon.  So glad for y’all.

Hugs to all…………………………..

Trader Joes!! and much more!

We had a wonderful day yesterday – well at least by my standards.

We went food shopping. Not just any place but at the new Trader Joes in St Petes.

The parking lot had three attendants directing traffic and a police car with “topper flaring” protecting access to the main street. Ok so there is a lot of over the top excess going on BUT there is a reason.

The shop is sooooo interesting. So many private label Trader Joes stuff (bottles of wine for $2.99) - the aisles are blocked with people frozen in time trying to figure out what to buy.

Well we had so much fun, selecting stuff, some junk for Gord’s fixes nightly, and some really good food. Well officially many things are organic or alternatively prepared with less sugar, salt and no preservatives.

Rock on! I know, some people eat to live, but clearly, I am a person who lives to eat. Food is so important to me. I will try and take a pic of all the fun things we bought.

 
So after that we discovered a fabulously “junked out” antique market with so much stuff we couldn’t see it all…………………. Made no purchases but have to go back to go in a different circle to really SEE what is going on there. I am always looking for vintage things to apply my rug hooking projects to, and vintage Christmas (although I have so many things I should be shot!).

Always looking for mohair shawls, beautiful felt coats, etc. which I can further felt, wash, and cut into strips for my rugs.

And then we went to senior’s day at Beall’s.”Start the Car” I go to purchase stuff for my demented dear Mom in long term care in Toronto whose clothing goes through hell after the first washing. BUT it is important to me, and it would be to her if she was in her right mind, to look great if only for a few weeks at a time.
  
We lunched at a new place on Park Blvd called Cheddars which was quite good.

 
We ended our afternoon at Chi’s Nail Salon on Gulf Blvd for pedis (yup Gord had one too!)

I made some cranberry ginger scones and a rather yummy pizza for dinner and at least one of us was able to stay up for the second night in a row of The Voice.

Weather is poor with thick, sea fog which has shut down Tampa Bay and the beach area. A cruise ship had to be escorted into port by a tug boat.

Oh well, all fine when the temps are so moderate and besides if it was sunny, I wouldn’t have had such a full day :-)

A Blog Entry--Shamed into it! :)

I am sadly lacking as a blogger. So sorry. BUT our Flordian lifestyle is perhaps not blog worthy. 

We golf, I paint, I create fibre paintings, shell crafts and so on.    

This needle felted piece is called “Stormy Day At the Beach” understandably. 

I love wool rovings- they have so much texture. I will mount this piece on driftwood or a piece of my dear friend Wayne Baker’s donated barn board- now in the studio but yet to be cut.

Gord golfs so many more days than I. And I have no pictures of him doing so- just the laundry. :)

We eat reasonably well- usually at home ‘cause I am finding the food in restaurants less than satisfying.

Grouper is good but the rest is so- so. 

The sunsets are always to die for…….

The best thing about being here is “being here” and not having to endure the wrath of winter at home. 

Home made curried chicken with toasted almonds – YUM!

Hugs to all who have to shovel, layer clothing, and endure.  

Shelling Extraodinaire!!!!!

Day before yesterday met with Sue and Bill for coffee and treats at Café de Paris. Bill treated although it was his birthday. I had key lime tart to die for. Bill had a chocolate eclaire. Sue had the best selection which was a beautiful poached pear crepe with chocolate drizzle-amazing.

 

 

 

 

We chatted for almost two hours and had a lovely time.

 

BUT Saturday was the day for the best shell find of my shelling career. We went to Shell Key Preserve and although the shelling was not unique in any way, I found the best Lightening Whelk of my shelling career. 

 

 

 

 

Less than 10 minutes into our shelling adventure we found it rolling in the surf.

 

 

 

 

Amazing but HEAVY. So Gord carried it for the rest of the trip. 

 

 

 

 

It was chilly - my feet were numbing along the way but I wanted to tough it out 'cause after all- you just never know. The boat ride was the usual fab but no Dolphins en route. Sadly. The weather was just too cool. I wore my slicker the entire day. 

 

 

 

 

We finished our shell trip thinking of you both with a lovely lunch at John's Pass at Sculley's eating a cup of clam chowder, coconut shrimp and calamari. YUM.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thinking of you in so many ways.

 

Hugs,

 

Laurie 

All that remains...........

(Click on the above arrow to start the audio--it will be just like you are inside my head.  Scary, right?)

I donned the snowshoes today and headed out to enjoy the sun.  It was lovely--windy and very cold but still lovely. 

I happened upon the remains of this past summer's sunflowers and this Jesse Cook song came to mind.  Is this a sign of cabin fever?

Summer Sunflowers

Fall Sunflowers

 



Winter Sunflowers

Hope you had a chance to get out and enjoy the sun and soak up some Vitamin D?  It does wonders. 

Just another note about the blog.  I can only set a few email addresses up to be notified of a new post so put it in your "Favourites" and don't forget to check in every now and then.  AND do a post of your own.  You may have noticed I have strayed a bit away from the blog theme but what the heck!

Also from the south.... Just south of Seven.

Today Mom and Dad had a day with just Miss Zoë, so Justin and I had a Mommy/Son day. The day started out with snuggles and a movie and then we took to the yard for a sunny day of sledding. I would have liked to get more pictures but Little Man said to "put down my phone and watch. No pictures Mom."

After lunch we painted some pictures with our new paint and had a nap... Both of us :)

When John came home we hit the hill again until dinner. 

This weekend is the sled dog races in Marmora. Some more winter fun... Just south of Seven.