Back From the Tropics

I returned Tues. night from six days in Cancun where the weather was in the 80s and sunny. Now two days later, I am preparing for a winter snow/ice storm. What's up with that?

The first morning in Mexico, I looked out of my hotel window just in time to see the sun coming up over the ocean. There's nothing more beautiful...

I opened the window and let the balmy breezes lure me awake. I was anxious to head downstairs and enjoy the sand and surf. I spent my childhood on the beach and now that I live far from the ocean, I never seem to get enough of it.

Unfortunately, it was quite windy and the waves were more than I felt I could deal with, so I took advantage of the several pools just feet from ocean. Many hours were spent lounging and reading and sunning and relaxing, and swimming when the urge arose. All in all, it was everything a vacation should be.





These are views of the beach and pools from our eighth floor window.







As wonderful as it is to get away now and then, coming home is wonderful as well. Earlier this evening, I looked out my front door and saw this spectacular winter sunset.

Friends and Family

Not only am I proud to have an Etsy shop, but several of my friends and my daughters also have shops. I think it's time to share my favorites from theirs.

My eldest daughter has two shops, fisheye and fishlegs. The first showcases her lovely upcycled handmade items and the other, the vintage finds she loves to share.




My youngest daughter has a shop, gatonegro, where she upcycles
t-shirts, belts and thrift shop fabrics into great bags and totes.



My middle daughter's shop, aurorafedora, is temporarily in limbo while she reorganizes her life. Here's her totally awesome blog: the hellhole diaries

Since becoming a part of EtsyProjectEmbrace, I have made SO many new friends!! The following are just my favorites from a few of them:

moonovermaize


maclancy


adornbyamysingley


dancingintherains


creativelytangled


I plan to include many more of my TEAMEPE friends in future posts.

Snow Wonder

Here in middle Tennessee, we don't get a lot of snow, but when we do, it's well worth the wait. It snowed much of yesterday and is flurrying this morning. This is the view I see when I stand on my front porch. I live in an old farmhouse on a wooded mountainside with a beautiful valley spread out in front of me.
As a rule, the snow we get in a morning is usually gone by afternoon, but since the temperature today is hovering around 17°, that will likely not be the case.

I wouldn't want to live where there was NO snow, but perhaps this is enough. :)

Etsy Project Embrace

I am very proud to be a member of TEAM EPE (EtsyProjectEmbace), a constantly growing group of Etsians whose purpose is to raise awareness and money to help in the fight against cancer. Started by a small group in support of Laura Slocum of Creatively Tangled who is right now dealing with the disease, we have raised over $6,000 for the American Cancer Society and now boast more than 150 members. Some shops select individual items whose proceeds go to the cause; others give a percentage of all their sales. We now have among our membership others who are dealing or have dealt with cancer, and we offer support in many ways to them as well.

Etsy is SO much more than a selling venue. It is truly a community...

Cassie, My Cat

OK. Let's start with Cassie. I've always loved cats and have had many in my lifetime. Several years ago, a neighbor moved out and left a bevy of cats to fend for themselves. We live out in the country where neighbors are few and far between, so this was very sad. Every day as I passed by, I would see cats sitting on the porch, waiting... One by one, they seemed to disappear.

One afternoon I pulled my car up in front of the house and did my squeaky kitty, kitty, kitty routine, and low and behold, out came this beautiful long-haired pastel tortoise (my personal description). She got into my car, curled up on my lap, and began purring. She was mine!!


In the years we have had her, she has been the perfect companion and friend. Although my husband claims to dislike cats, Cassie lies on his lap, or usually his arm, every evening in front of the TV. When I tell her I am going to bed, she gets up and goes into the bedroom, ready to lie at my feet for the night.

She, like us, is getting "on in years", but I'll always be glad I stopped that day.

Time To Start A Blog!

For several months now, I have read and enjoyed the blogs of both friends and strangers and have finally decided it's time to have one of my own. Now if I can just figure this all out...