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