So many kind, compassionate and loving people here in the Fabulous Florida Keys, and as always, some  extra help needed for the doggies and kitties so here is what I've been up to.  --Ok, so I have to dish . . . the perfectly lovely lady who does the baking is generous enough to provide little recipe cards gratis - ONLY if someone buys the baked good, of course. So, my first day I was looking thru them and here is the one to hand out if someone buys a yummy brownie:

BROWNIES

1 box Dncan Hines Brownie Mix (plain)

Follow recipe on box

Use all ingredients noted

Add 1/2 cup ground nuts to the recipe

Bake as directed on box

I am so deliriously happy reading this

Tripping down to Key West

My Daddy wrote me and said he missed reading my blog post. Oops - my bad. Once again losing sight of the here and now, silly me. Looking forward to the holiday passing without participating and then maybe, just maybe, escaping this purgatory that has become my life. SO, here I sit with a cup of peppermint tea and Clannad singing in the background . . .
(Will we treasure all the secrets with life's changing scenes
Where our hearts were warm with love, so much love
Will the flowers grow again as I open out my hand
Precious time, time for healing
The beauty of this land)
BUT I DIGRESS . . . Well, I had a free night at a Westin about to expire so I called up the folks in Old Town Key West and made a reservation. The fabulous Florence, one of a handful I trust to stay with the girls, was available and off I went. I always loved the trip down and never having done it by myself, savored every moment. I stopped off at Ann's Beach in lower Matecumbe:

 

Did you know there are 42 bridges connecting more than 100 islands over a distance of 126 miles and that 15 percent of the total travel time is spent on bridges? (I didn't either; I saw it on Wikipedia.) Anyhoo, how beautiful, right?

 Here's a shot of the 7-mile bridge while I'm going over it - woohoo! (no worries, Mom, totally safe-hardly any oncoming traffic.) I arrived in Key West in time to walk to our - no, make that MY - fave lunch spot: Alonzo's. The BEST margarita and crab salad lunch ever. I spotted Appledore on my way there (used to see her in Boothbay Harbor, Maine), 

shot a picture of these pelicans begging for fish while I caught up with all the news in the Key West Citizen, 

 and almost hurled when I spotted this hairy back. 

OMG, I mean seriously, does he have a clue? Typical male, probably doesn't care and thinks we'd all benefit from gazing upon the disgusting pelt sprouting from his back. I personally would be willing to finance a (hideously painful) waxing session. Hearing his agonized screams would be music to my ears. Woopsie, I seem to be getting carried away. . . so gross     I did the Duval Street Crawl and stopped at some of my favorite places, most notably Fast Buck Freddy's, the Wyland gallery, and Fresh Produce.

I checked into my hotel and I want to show you my view. I was on the ground floor which was totally convenient because I could access the pier right outside my door. Here was the view when I checked in and here is what I saw when I woke up the next morning! wow

Of course, I went to Sunset Celebration and I present here for your amusement, the sword swallower and the juggler guy. Both have been a part of sunset since we started coming to Key West. (Sword swallower said it was his 60th birthday but I think he might have been lying. For one thing he was trying to up his tips and also, he looked more like 72, although I guess swallowing swords every night might age you prematurely. Would also like to say that he had no front teeth so I'm sure that helped with his act- doh! or maybe that's how he lost them.)

The juggler guy is playing with fire and I love this picture with the bird in the background. The star of the show of course, was the sunset and here is one of the many conch shell blowers on hand to celebrate it.

I went off to Kelly's for dinner out in the garden, well known for being the birthplace of Pan American Airlines, dontcha know - the first tickets were sold out of this building in 1927 and the inside bar is actually the wing of a plane - not sure if it's real though . . .

It was fun visiting so many favorite places, albeit kind of bittersweet. I like to think I was making these places my own now and I look forward to going back soon. Ok, Dad? That's all for now.

I was going to talk about how this nightmare I'm living in began 17 months ago and there is still no end in sight. How, I try to REALIZE DEEPLY that the present moment is all I ever have and I need to make the Now the primary focus of my life but how the Now just feels like living in limbo these days. I was also going to talk about how I decided it was time to stop the sleeping pills and antidepressants (resulting in 1.) three sleepless nights in a row to the point I am practically incoherent,  and 2.) the realization I am not ready to go off the antidepressants.) And, I was going to talk about how much I miss my husband and my old life . . .
BUT, instead I will tell you about the hawk with the broken wing that Sophie flushed out of the grass at 6:00 this morning. Poor thing couldn't fly and tried to hop away. I'm sure I woke up the neighborhood screaming at Lucy to leave it alone. I ran home and called the Wild Bird Center and woke someone up, waited while she found a pencil to take the info, and within a half hour, a guy showed up and rescued my bird. Yay.
So, the moral of my story?  Heck if I know. But I'm so happy about the bird and it's rescue and it snapped me out of the pity party I was having.
If you're looking for a worthy charity, why not give a little somethin somethin to the Wild Bird Center in Key Largo this holiday season?

Well, it is bone chilling cold here in the Fabulous Florida Keys. 40's the last two mornings! Yesterday when we went for our walk, there were buzzards circling above and I figured they were up there waiting for Sophie to keel over from the cold since she is now naked. Oh, I felt so guilty!! She slept under a blanket last night...

So, yesterday I went with the Red Hats for a tour of the gardens at Kona Kai and a look at their art gallery. Well, I have a new fave artist. I love his paintings. He is from the Netherlands, resides in France and is Dirk Verdoorn. The show dealt mostly with his paintings of the Miami River but also included one of a barge in France and one of the Spiegel Grove in Key Largo (that's the ship they sunk to make an artificial reef.) Anyhoo, Think hyper-realism on the water. This was my favorite and the photo doesn't do it justice. Gorgeous paintings.
Beautiful day but  cold at the Kona Kai. 






Afterwards, we all went to Snapper's for lunch which was wonderful, as always.

I would also like to report that it was my BFF's birthday! You go Leslie!

And, just one more: Look at this cute little Hanukkha gift I made. Sweet!

Elizabeth Edwards died yesterday. The last years of her life, the only life she'll ever have, were marred by that filthy cheating, lying pig of a husband and that slut who, let's face it, should be ashamed to call herself a woman, exhibiting such a complete and utter lack of moral fiber or respect for another woman. I can only trust that they will suffer as much as she did. In my opinion, neither deserve to walk this earth.

I heard on the news this morning that Elizabeth Edwards is on her death bed. I've perhaps mentioned her situation in the past. It makes me sick. Let's review, shall we? Her husband, Jon Edwards, is a cheating lying pig who deserves to have his you know what hacked off and stuffed down his throat, but enough about him. I want to bring up Rielle Hunter (real name, Lisa Druck) once more because I just can't wrap my mind around her behavior. What kind of evil witch sleeps with another man's wife (and let's not even go into the fact that she had been diagnosed with cancer at the time?) What in the world could cause a woman to treat another woman this way? And, how does she live with herself, especially today? Why is it that she hasn't opened a vein and gone for a dirt nap by now? Actually, that would be too good for her. She deserves to suffer, like Elizabeth Edwards is suffering, before she checks out.
Just wondering, that's all.

Another feeding frenzy on Saturday when the Florida Keys Quilters held their annual holiday party. And, there were some fabulous gifts, let me tell you,  many handmade, all sewing related. Heaven. Some of the ladies went to Edna's house earlier in the week to do the decorating and the whole house looked so fabulous. We met at 10am on Saturday to lay out the food and do the cooking and schmooze. Then, everyone is organized in a big circle in the living room, with their own present in their lap. Edna perches in her chair and starts to read: Confessions of a Fabric-holic. Very funny book and every time the word "fabric" comes up, you pass your gift to the left. Until the end, at which time the gifts have gone around 40 or so women about one and a half times. At the end of the book, the gift you get is the one in your hands. Lots of laughs and fun when we all open presents and then, the feeding frenzy begins.
 So, we are having record cold temps here in the Keys. Only in the 50's this morning and, in the 40's tomorrow morning which is unheard of here!! I. Feel. So. Guilty.  What a time to have Sophie shaved. Poor baby is naked! I wish I were a faster knitter, I'd knit her a sweater.