This is where the girls and I greet the dawn each day. Sunrise never disappoints, is always spectacular, always different, always there! And the sun comes up to the accompaniment of the neighborhood roosters screeching away. I love it.

And, here is a sweet little bag I whipped up yesterday. How cute is that?!

Guess what?

I backed into a car in the Walgreen's parking lot this morning. What the H-E double toothpicks is going on here??  Phase of the moon? Wha???

I can't believe it. I just can't believe it. Today I got a ticket for speeding. Don't get me wrong, I speed all the time. It's a miracle I haven't gotten stopped before. But, not in the Keys. Nope, I set the cruise control and go the speed limit here. So today I was going up Card Sound Road and didn't notice when the speed limit went from 55 to 45 for a short period of time. Busted. 54 in a 45mph zone. Dam it. Dam cop.  So, now I have had three tickets in the period of three weeks, after 30+ years with none! It makes me so dam MAD arrrrrghghghgh.

I have to say that it was a lot easier to ignore Thanksgiving last year when I was in Ireland. Here, it is everywhere. Do I feel sadness and loss? Yes. Thanksgiving was always special for my husband and me. Alone and forgotten? Only for about 5 seconds. Then, my mom and dad, my sister and niece, and my friends, Leslie and Lu, all called me. Most of all today? I feel grateful, thankful. So lucky to be alive in this beautiful world with my wonderful family and friends. Next Thanksgiving will be even better. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Got blond again today and straightened. Some guys selling flowers came in to the shop while I was there. These roses? $5 for a dozen! I bought them for myself. Because they are beautiful and I am worth it.  They even smell wonderful. Bonus!!

  Finished the Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd. Can't believe they got back together. Wrong!

Is this what I look like??

Good morning!

Here is what morning looks like on my street.

In the Pink

I went to a Red Hat luncheon but I had to wear pink because I'm not old enough for red yet. Ha! Check out my cool chapeau. (I am so not good at taking my own picture) Big payoff from the luncheon: an extra ticket was available for Oliver Twist in Coral Gables this afternoon. Fun! So, then I was in Walgreens and picked up this snorkel and a pair of flip flops so I'm good to go. Check out Sophie, Come on in mom, the water's fine!

Seriously, a snorkel is great for swimming laps. I don't know why more people don't do it. Saves on wasted movements . . . like breathing. hmmmm  And, just one more picture today from the F.F.K. (that would be the Fabulous Florida Keys.) My BFF and I were at the Big Chill for lunch and saw this guy begging for french fries.

Mr. Sticky!

So, with no little doggies waking me up at 6am (thank you, Florence!), I got up at 8:30 - heaven!  I would have loved a long walk on the beach but sorry no. I am not interested in picking up a traveling companion in the form of a worm or two in my body.
Instead, I made my way to Homestead, missing my GPS every mile of the way, and landed at BJ's wholesale. I had received a temporary free membership in the mail. Oh my. What a place. A huge warehouse filled with stuff. No pressure to be home until afternoon so I shopped. And I shopped. Now, I want you to know I bought staples. I did not buy anything frivolous until . . . there is an announcement over the loudspeaker, FREE GIFT, show up in the main aisle by aisle 6 and get your FREE GIFT. Well ok, I am all in favor of a free gift. So, I cruise over there.

Look at this cute girl. When about a dozen of us show up at aisle 6, there she is. Now, this girl could sell ice cubes to an Eskimo, or however that metaphor goes. She teases us for about five minutes and then hands us our free gift. A glasses cleaning cloth. Really? Then she says it's our "ticket" and we will need it at the end of her presentation because we are the first ones here and will need to prove that only we are worthy of what is to come. Hmmmm, ok, I won't walk away yet . . . Then, with much fanfare, out comes Mr. Sticky. That's right, Mr. Sticky. Mr. Sticky is apparently a very hot commodity that is just minutes away from being sold on QVC (for those of you not in the know, that is the shopping channel and a complete waste of time if you ask me but anyhoo...) Mr. Sticky (and why not Ms. Sticky I wonder since women are the ones who do the cleaning. Men are too freaking lazy plus they just don't care but I digress) PICKS UP ALMOST EVERYTHING. Mr. Sticky is the lint roller that never needs refills. Then she demonstrates Mr. Sticky on different surfaces and fabrics, picking up crumbs, hair, etc. Mr. Sticky picks up lint, fuzz, dust, dirt, pet hair and even picks up broken glass! Just rinse Mr. Sticky in hot water, and occasionally use soap, then massage Mr. Sticky - I swear I am not making that up!  Ok, I'm thinking, how much because I'm not buying it. Only $24.95 she says and I think no way and then she says but WAIT that's not all. Today only when you buy Mr. Sticky, you get this mini Mr. Sticky or Mr. Sticky Junior or something like that. Fits right in your purse, cute as a button. Ohh I think, but no, too much money. Then, and I told you this girl is good, out comes a mega-Mr. Sticky, telescoping handle and all! You can even clean your floor with it, curtains, ceiling fans, DOG HAIR, etc. Oh, I've got to have that. How much? How much? I figure if it is $10 or under, I'm getting it. She says today only, $24.95 . . . pause for effect . . . YOU GET ALL THREE MR. STICKYs!!!!  Everyone in the crowd bought at least one. Buy some for Christmas gifts! Many people bought two, three, four.  Well, how could I not. She was that gooooood.

So, I paid for all of my stuff and went home to jump in the pool. So nice to be home away from traffic and hookworms and dengue fever. This is what sunset looked like from my porch, I mean lanai. btw, saw a really big manatee in my canal.

Today I left the girls with Florence, the Prius with Toyota of Homestead to be fixed, picked up a rental at Hertz and guess what? It's a Prius! Yay! Guess what else? No GPS! Yikes! I do not drive anywhere without a GPS. I had some trepidation, well ok, LOTS. Because I am spending the night in Miami Beach and I have never gone off the rock without a GPS. The car rental guy, Dave, was very nice and showed me a map and explained my options (my eyes glazed over) but I made it! (fingers crossed for getting home tomorrow)
I was to be in court in Miami now and it was cancelled so I was left with a reservation at the Sheraton (and what a hell hole let me tell you. On the beach though. But more on that in a minute.) And a ticket to Cirque du Soleil, which I dearly love.
I found out once I got here that the court date will probably be December which is so heart wrenching I can't even begin to think about it . . .
So anyhoo, what was in the news about Miami Beach just the other day? lemme think, lemme think. . .Oh yeah, only HOOKWORM.Arrrrghghghgh So, apparently because the feral cats in the area use the beach as a litter box, and people like to walk barefoot in the sand, they are getting hookworm, starting in the feet, and moving up the body under the skin to the intestines and elsewhere. HOW GROSS IS THAT!
Now, wasn't there something else about Miami Beach?  hmmmm Oh yeah, only DENGUE FEVER!
 Not normally in the U.S., there have been a bunch of cases. Apparently, it starts with a high fever, like 104 or 105, then a flat red rash over the whole body, then a secondary rash, wait! What is that on my arm? There is a red splotch. Oh No! And, I'm feeling kind of hot . . .
Just kidding, Mom.
So, Cirque du Soleil was awesome, as always. The show was Kooza. Somehow I had second row seats but for the first half of the show, I moved up to the front row. Apparently the guy was late and they wouldn't let him in. Yay for me! If you ever have a chance, you must go and see Cirque.
It is awesome.

I was inordinately pleased with myself yesterday. I needed a work table for Miss Elna and look what I found at a yard sale. It's a nice wooden Pier One table - $10! I was told I needed a 4 millimeter allen wrench so I went to the hardware store, back to the yard sale, took the table apart, schlepped it home and put it back together. It's perfect and now I have a studio. Yay for me!

So, while I was putting the table together in this room right off the pool deck, I heard a splash. Uh oh. Crazy rears her furry head...Miss Sophie couldn't contain herself any longer and I'm surprised she lasted this long.

Meanwhile, three doors away, Lucy is chowing down garbage. I did not take a picture of this. Too busy yelling at her. Of course, it came back up with a vengence at about 3:30 this morning. Didn't take a picture of that either (you're welcome.) Gotta love those girls; never a dull moment.

It has been so wonderful being back in the Fabulous Florida Keys and being able to have all the windows and doors flung open to catch the warm tropical breezes and yes, the occasional blood sucking vampire. That would be the mosquito.
Ok, it is part of the territory, just as it is in the summer in Maine. A price you pay for living in paradise. And, yes, I have a few bites - went to the drug store yesterday for spray Benadryl and they were out, dam it.
So anyhoo, I flip on the local TV news this morning while a mosquito is feasting on my ankle, by the way, and they're talking about . . . hello? Oh, just DENGUE FEVER!  Holy crapoli, first case in over 50 years here and you get it from a mosquito bite.
My friend Florence says, it's a million to one you'll get it, you're more likely to have a car accident.
Oh great, says I, I've done the car accident thing, now bring on the Dengue Fever...

Last day on the road!

Thank goodness, trip over. I woke up the last day in Stuart and met these two cuties for breakfast. My mother-in-law and father-in-law never change. We had breakfast at Cracker Barrel and when we came out of the restaurant, guess who was eager to get home? Sophie at the wheel, impatient to get on the raod and be done. So I let her drive down to Key Largo. I figured, what's the worst that could happen? I'm the one who hit a truck!

I got downright giddy coming down the stretch to my beloved Fabulous Florida Keys. My rental house is sweet, the weather a lovely sunny 80 degrees and the girls are obviously relieved to be home at last. Just look at my porch. Actually "porch" isn't good enough. Perhaps veranda? Or lanai?

I am feeling such gratitude for being able to come back here and to such a beautiful place and can't wait to catch up with everybody. 

Happy Belated Birthday!

I would like to wish the divine Miss Maggie a happy birthday. Dahling, you look mahvelous!

Well, today was one helluva day. But, I am focusing on the walk on the beach this morning and spending time with Nat and Sarah tonight. Wonderful. Love the beach. Love those two. So much.   Now, the in-between? not so much . . .
So, off I went after a walk on the beach this morning, over the bridge, into St. Augustine, deserted streets, went to change lanes, checked the rear view, and BAM. I didn't see him and he didn't see me. He, being Mr. Ernest J. Corbett, and a nicer gentleman, you will never meet. (Also, he looked kind of like P. Diddy.) Here is what he was driving:

And, yes, I hit him. Here is where:

See the front tire? There.

This is what his front tire did to my little Prius:

and let me tell you, the left side of the fender was on the ground and cracked right thru the middle before Chris got to me (too shaken up to take a picture then.)

Now, meet Chris. He came in his tow truck - so glad I thought to sign up for AAA. Instead of towing me, He got out the duct tape and cable ties and fixed me up. "Ah worked in a junk yard fer gettin' on 8 years and ah kin tell yew that ain't goin nowhere long's ya keep it under 80." He was awesome. When I was thinking motel room, loaner car, what about the dogs, etc., he came thru and made it so I can get home and go to the Toyota Dealer in Homestead.

 So, Mr. Jimenez, the sheriff's deputy? No sense of humor whatsoever but what do you expect? He wrote me two dam tickets, in spite of Mr. Ernest J. Corbett imploring him not to. My first ticket in 25 years. One for improper lane change and one for lapse of insurance. DON'T ASK.

The girls and I are fine and I'm so glad I got to spend time with Nat and Sarah and forget about this whole mess for awhile. Tomorrow?  Home to Key Largo!!! Yeah baby!

Yay! Back in Florida!

Well, I got to Georgia this afternoon and saw my first palm trees and got downright giddy! Almost home! So, after a doggie stop and some fast food-ugh-I told the girls, try to be patient because we're going to make it to Florida today and I knew just the place!

With my dying cell phone, I called the Ocean Blue Motel and said we needed a room. He said, my housekeeper quit today but I just cleaned unit 202 and if you want it, I'll waive the dog fee. Done! says I.

I love this funky old Florida motel right on the beach. Here is the view from our room. I learned when I checked in that a developer had bought the old motel and plans to tear it down so I am doubly glad we came once more. Long run on the beach tomorrow before we head to Stuart.

Well, I have gained about 10 pounds and am so disgusted with myself, I think I am just going to stop when I get to Georgia and eat grits and bacon grease and gravy and drink that nasty lite beer and move in with some 450-pound Jethro who farts and belches and watches wrestling on TV in his underwear while I lay around with greasy hair, drinking Colt 45 malt liquor, wearing a dirty muumuu, bathing once a month and never brushing my teeth again and Lucy and Sophie become skinny snarling hounds, fighting over the fatty scraps I and my disgusting redneck lover throw out the door of our filthy shack and all this because I gained about 10 pounds. yuck

Gosh, the things you think of when your jeans are too tight. 

Well, plus I am in North Carolina tonight. And, I don't want to say how I am prejudiced against the south and southerners and the stupidity and the ignorance and the accents... 
So, I won't.

So, we started yesterday with a romp in the leaves. Although this appears to be quite the redneck haven, it is beautiful and as long as the dogs have their orange on, I feel pretty good about them not being taken for deer and ending up on the wall.

Good thing they enjoyed their morning outside, because they spent the rest of the day in the cabin while Stacy and I went out for some serious retail therapy, hitting our favorite little spots in Greencastle and Chambersburg.

We managed to drag ourselves away in time to get home, walk the girls, shower and get ready for the big event: Dinner with nephew Josh and his NEW GIRLFRIEND, Mikaela. I was so happy to see Josh, I got all teary - just for a minute.

Here we have Mikaela and

 Josh in his usual taciturn pose

Mikaela is so smart (well she is with Josh, after all) and sweet and cute and I liked her very much and, obviously, so does Josh. We had such a fun dinner at Flannery's in Mercersburg. Therefore, I give the Auntie's Seal of Approval.

Stopped and saw my beloved niece, Annie, today along with Lucia and Micah (who is a BIG little boy now) and had the added bonus of seeing my sisterfriend, Karen. So wonderful to see them all and Annie makes some mean flatbreads-yum. Here are those crazy kids on their magic carpet (dressed in their super star capes.) They are so creative and imaginative and awesome and clever and beautiful.

After way too short a visit, I was off to Mercersburg in the pouring rain, just me and the 18-wheelers. Bit of a white knuckler but only took 4 hours.
So, in my never ending quest to find the perfect place to stay that will take dogs and is near nephew Josh (remember the Bates Motel from last year? Norman?Coming Mother.) I rented a log cabin out in banjo country (cue Deliverance theme.) Definitely sense snake handler churches in the area. The good news: It is clean and charming and comfortable. The bad news: There are 7 dead animals on the living room walls. Staring at me. very very creepy. Very very spooky. I am hanging out in the kitchen 'til bedtime. Luckily no heads in the bedroom.

OK, on the wall? A flattened bear. Gross!
I'll be glad when my friend, Stacy, comes to visit. When they coined the phrase: cooler heads prevail, they were thinking of Stacy. (whoever they are...actually when I am thinking they right now, I'm thinking of those heads in the other room.) Yikes!
deep yoga breaths . . .

The sacrifices I make . . .

I trust this is my worst travel day of the trip. I left Mass, went thru Connecticut (easy breezy for once), New York - added on a good 2 hours trying for the George Washington bridge when I somehow took a wrong turn - Yikes! (Should have listened to my trusty GPS.) Then New Jersey and into Pennsylvania.

Trying to get on the bridge-yikes!

So tonight, I am back at the most disgusting motel on the planet (yeah ok, I'm exaggerating - but only a little.) To make matters worse, I heard a program on Radio Times all about bedbugs yesterday. At the time, I thought you know? I really shouldn't listen to this considering where I'm headed, but did I listen to myself? Nooooooo. Candlewood Suites, of nondescript Horsham, PA, is dirty and disgusting. The clientele? Not exactly stellar. But, at least someone down the hall is burning patchouli incense to mask the smell of, oh I don't know, a dead body? Poo? Trying not to think about it. And why you might ask, are you staying there for the second year in a row?? A fabulous 3 mile path thru the woods from the back of the motel, perfect hike for the doggies and me after a long slog of a day on the road, that's why. The things I do . . . Oh! Did I mention I picked up the TV remote and it was covered in something akin to maple syrup. GROSS.

* * * 

So, let me back up and think only of soft and sweet and wonderful and beautiful things tonight ... like my lovely Anna and her pretty puppy, Izzy.

L to R:    Izzy and Anna    <3

On the road again . . .

I made sure I enjoyed every minute of my very last night ever at the Salt Shed: fire in the fireplace, nice hot bath with my new book of Shakespeare, lots of stars and half a moon on a midnight walk. Then, the guys were out in their lobster boats at 5am, their bright cabin lights on the horizon until sunrise, what a special place. I will miss living here and one day, will only think of it with love and appreciation and not regret for what was or might have been. So.  
I finished packing up and we headed south this morning. Tonight the temps are going to be in the teens in Maine so we got out just in the nick of time. There were mixed feelings from the girls (and not a little anxiety.)
Not to be left behind was Sophie: I AM coming with you, right? Right? RIGHT?

And, then there was Lucy: But Mummy, I don't want to leave!! Noooooo

My goal this trip was to not have the passenger seat filled to the roof like last year and when all was said and done I had to stop at the Post Office and mail a few things. Here is what I ended up with. Oh my, what a nice neat packing job that is. HA

So, I said goodbye to Maine 'til the Spring and drove thru New Hampshire, and into Massachusetts where I had a lovely dinner with my family. My sister made a pork loin with fresh rosemary, potatoes, and salad. yum  I walked in and said, this smells like my mother's house! Who knew she had it in her?? Fab, Sessie, thank you! My sympathy was with Will and his horrid math homework. His teacher is obviously a sadist. But I digress... We landed at my fave hotel, Element, where the girls received a doggie bag with treats, poop bags and a tennis ball, and made themselves right at home. Tomorrow, after a walk with my sweet Anna and Izzy, we are off to Philly.

Forgot to show you the kids from Hannaford yesterday. The Mad Hatter was particularly fabulous. I also went and said goodbye to my beloved Boothbay Harbor for the season.

It's getting wicked cold in Maine. I'm talking hat and gloves and fleece and winter coat cold. Time to head south. I spent yesterday stuffing my luggage carrier and cursing at it. Finally got it closed and locked with frozen fingers and believe me, I'm not opening it until I get to Florida. So, now I have to find a place to put my clothes and stuff. Oh, didn't I tell you? I couldn't bear to leave my fabric behind so it's all up there. oy vey