When did Autumn get here without warning me? And why?

Yesterday I was wearing a miniskirt. Today, I'm miserable in jeans and a sweater. Sigh.....


My efforts to look for shark teeth have been thwarted twice over. Well I did find a few but none to really brag about. For one, rough seas left a layer of sand covering the usual patches of shells where I like to look and with the 69 degree water there's no chance of me wading. And now it's just too damn windy cold and will remain cold for at least a couple weeks or until Spring if Old Man Winter is grouchy this year. Damn this weather. Damn. Damn.

I know, I know, I'm the winter grinch. While all you sweater and mitten lovers are getting all excited and digging out your beloved long johns, I'm getting ready for my two to three month long grump fest. But again, I have to say I'm not going to complain too much because, well, hello, I live in Florida! So I have come up with a few things to cheer myself up with.

1. I just went to the beach 2 days ago. Wearing shorts.

2. Friday night at 7:55, MrPea and I ran out to our balcony to watch the sky for the space shuttle launch. This was the 6th one I've been able to watch right from my home. Mind you, during the day all you can really see is smoke and a burst of bright orange. But the night launches. Oh my the night launches, ya'll! Flashes of green surrounded by a bright halo and you can usually hear applause and cheers from anyone else who happened to have come out to watch our space shuttle fly into space. There's nothing like it and I saw it right from my own patio. Said a prayer for our astronauts.

3. I'm still on the decaf. Ok I strayed a little a couple weeks ago because I really needed the energy for canvassing BUT that was it. No caffiene for me.

4. My jeans still fit me.

5. Colder weather means I need new shoes. Which gives me just the excuse I need to go shoe shopping.

That's all I could come up with today. Hopefully I can come up with a few more by Thanksgiving. Have any good news? Leave me some.....

Hibiscus Kool-Aid and a Cute Frog

Dear Spring,
Hurry up damnit I'm waiting. Sure, you gave me a few warm days the past couple weeks and we change times starting, oops right now. Still though, I had to wear ugly shoes on my anniversary because you're late this year and my feet are cold and swollen. I had to tie myself over with these pictures from last year.

See?! See what you can do? You can make pretty Strawberry Kool-Aid colored flowers and all these sweet little Kermit lookin' frogs crawl out from all over the place.

Come on Spring you can do it! Be the little engine that could. I believe in you hun. My flip flops are getting dusty and we can't have that in the month of March in Florida, it's just unheard of. Plus the shark teeth are alone out there, waiting for me after the rough seas you're sister, Winter graced us with. She's had her beautiful moments but it's your time to shine now don't you think? Don't just do it for little old me think of the shark teeth, the shark teeth! Ok I have noticed some new leaves and pollen is every where, cursing my sinuses, but frankly I expect more from you. I'm giving you a couple more weeks before I call your Sister Summer, who's way hotter than you by the way, and just ask her to skip over you all together, how'bout that, my friend, no threat! It's not like that's never happened before, ok? You know she steals all the glory just when you're beginning to settle in, are you gonna let that happen? I'm not going to beg.

Waiting Patiently,
Your Number One Fan Angel

Almost over

I finally got an appointment for my radiation and hospital stay. It took about 6 phone calls since no one ever calls people back but I finally got someone to give me a definite day instead of a, "I think it'll be around....but I'll find out and call you back later today or tomorrow morning at the latest." I hate those people. I don't normally say things like that but right now I feel so awful I feel like I can say anything I want. I'll take it back when I get home and I'm feeling better. I already did all the prep stuff the other day, I had to get my blood drawn and a preg test. I go in on Tuesday at 11AM. They give me the scary blue radioactive pill at 1PM then I'm stuck in that prison, I mean room until I can pee and shower my way down to a safe enough level to go home. I'm going to try my best to get home the next evening. But I don't want to get my hopes up so I'll just say I expect to home by at least midday Thursday. After that I'm still 'quarantined' from the rest of society for 48 hours and then I can do whatever I want. I'm expecting not to feel too good anyway so I won't be sad about having to be at home. Since we all have to sleep apart, I'm setting up the guest room today and luckily Mr.Pea and I have separate bathrooms already. I feel like crap, I'm sore all over and tired as hell but I'm happy because I know it's over by the end of this week. AND I'm happy like I said I would be because this month has brought me closer to Spring and after checking the weather this morning, the temperature is already on the rise. The birds were going crazy this morning and there were little, bright lime green leaves forming on some of the bare trees. I also saw a pair of hawks nesting on one the tress nearby. Yes!




Oh just for the sake of telling someone, yesterday on the way from Peanut's doctor appointment, there was a strange man dressed in all black on the side walk of a busy road and he was, um, having fun with himself in front of all the world. Yeah. Do with that info whatever you want, I just wanted to let ya'll in on that. Kbye

Sweet Nothing

It's ass freezing cold out and the wind is making all those cool scary noises that I love so much. There's a fire in the fireplace, home-made soup heating on the oven, fresh coffee(pinch of sugar lots of cream!) and a sleeping dog warming my feet. I have so much leftover food from yesterday's feast, I don't have to do anything for dinner. In fact everything I wanted to do today is done, so I don't have to do anything at all. Life is goooood....According to the label on the candle, my home is supposed to smell like The Sea of Amalphi but I've never been there so how the hell would I know?

Remember this guy? He must have told all his friends about our hospitality because we had a Christmas visitor.


I haven't heard from my doctor about my scan results. I'll call around Friday if I haven't heard from her yet. But I imagine if there was something urgent to tell, they would have told me by now. Actually on my last day, the tech who was in charge of my scan was nice enough to show me my scans and(knocking on wood) it looked fine.

But I have to brag about my husband for just a second!! Oh gush! Oh swoon! On the first day of my scan I walked out of the hospital after lying still for three and half hours. I was feeling a little stiff from not being allowed to move, not even to itch my own damn nose- and boy was that mind over matter. Little did I know that someone went shopping for me. Look what my Mr.Pea had waiting for me. Joy! Joy!

My husband married a woman who is not impressed nor desires jewelry, perfume or flowers and prefers books as gifts instead. It must be confusing for him because it's taken almost 11 years to figure that out....better late than never. And what better way to spend a cold day inside relaxing by the fire than with some new books? I'm so loving that field guide...and I'm sure I've seen him taking a peek or two at some photos of beautiful Egyptian queen carvings. Should I be jealous?

Haven't been home much

Not bad for December.

no! No! NO!

The past few days have me saying to myself, "Summer don't leave me. I'll be lost without you. "
Living in the south gives me a couple more months until it's time for the sweaters and ugly pants my October issue of Lucky magazine is full of. I hate pants. I hate thick socks. Since I'm on the topic of stuff I hate let me get it out in one shout:

Scarves: get on my nerves
Hats: F-'s up my hair
Gloves: Can't feel a thing with them on
Sweaters and turtle necks: Constrain my moving around and make me feel like I'm in jail and someone's choking me for fun
Heavy warm shoes: ugly, just ugly

This is not limited to winter fashion:

Cold and flu: self explanatory
Less hours of sun: depressing
No swimming: also depressing
Weight gain from the holiday season: ok that's actually fun
Dry air: makes my nose bleed, not fun


But I'm trying not to be about the NEGATIVE so the one thing I can say I look forward to is my coffee. And like I said, I have a couple more months left but I'm sort of in a panic because my winter wardrobe consists of one pair of jeans,one beige sweatshirt, and some ugly running shoes. I never buy anything for winter because I talk myself out of everything I pick up by saying to myself,"Why waste this money when Spring is just a few weeks away? Suck it up and save money for the cute stuff." Plus last year I was sick all winter and barely left the damn front door. This winter I refuse to dress like a scrub-lady whether I'm sick or not. (Suggestions welcome)

I've been busy

Just look at how blue that sky is and take a wild guess what I've been busy doing and why I haven't been blog visiting....


So far it looks like my husband survived this round of lay-offs. So we feel ok for now. I'll feel more secure in a couple months when it's all finished though.

I'm still trying to get rid of the remnants of that nasty flu we had but I feel so much better. If only it would rain and wash all the pollen away though....

Remember this guy?

The neighborhood groundskeeper told me that he's been safely relocated. I saw another one this morning. I only saw his head in the water and it was about the size of a beer bottle. Great.

The Beach, Varmints and the like

Can you spot one in this tree? 50 points if you can :o)


This is my favorite time of year! Yes, just last week I was warming my footsies by the fire and today the windows are open for maximum bird singing volume. It happens just like that, overnight and Spring is banging down the door! March truly comes in like a lion 'round these parts and this year, she's early. The breeze is loud and fresh from the sea, just a stone's throw away and the smell of jasmine fills my home(I buy Claratin in bulk). Azaleas bloom in their gaudiest fuchsia attire.
I listen every night for the frog, toad and crickets choir but it's still too early and not quite hot enough. I've spotted two bald eagles already in the past couple weeks and there are ospreys constantly flying overheard clutching fish. And dammit, I never have the luck to have my new camera handy when this happens! I'm going to have to start keeping it in my pocket all the time.
I have some huge feathers I found last year and I haven't figured out a good art project to include them in(suggestions welcomed). They are all over the place. I have yet to encounter the juvenile alligator, who, I saw last year, all summer lounging near the pool, no joke! There's a lake near the pool which separates my neighborhood from a shishifoo golf course and Mr.Alligator sunned himself on that side, the mossy bank closest to the pool, probably trying to get a view of all the bikini action. I have a feeling he might have been relocated. He was pretty small but large enough to scare the sugar out of me. Strangely, I'll miss seeing him.
I wish I had a bird feeder. This is the first place I've ever lived where it was impossible to put one out. I want to get a window feeder, if I can remember next time I'm at the hardware store. I have a sort of awe for cardinals. My Grandmother loved them so much and I can't see or hear one with out thinking of her. I am the worst person on Earth in the morning so my long morning walks with Peanut are the best way to start a day. The little birds around here make 'electronic' sounding songs. The squirrels ignore us as they bounce about, digging here and there. Peanut wants to eat them. Actually there's one who lives near the pool that has learned how beg and steal food-that's him up there. I made friends with him last Spring. Snakes are all over the place too(eek). Sometimes I think they exist just to freak me out and get in fights with Peanut. I found a mini turtle last year by the lake who was stuck in some tall grass. Right after I took this picture he stuck his little head out and tried to bite me. I forgave him for not wanting to be my friend and put him down close to the water where I think he was trying to go.
There's a secret beach I can't wait to ride my bike to where there are shark teeth galore. Sharks! Their eggs wash up onto the shore so I'm scared to death of swimming there. MrPea isn't.
He surfs there too. Usually, I just have a picnic or a book when I go by myself.
The birds of prey don't even bother to fly away with their catch, they land right there on the shore and dig in, I love it. I'm still not officially allowed to ride my bike for just a couple more weeks(the damn anemia dammit!) but I can't wait because I don't want to miss the dolphins. I can see them all year long here but in April and May they migrate back to the north. You can see hundreds upon hundreds of them and you can see from the size of the fins, the babies!!! I heard my brother, who is I swear, MrCaptainSwimTeam, once say you can hear them if you swim out far enough. I'm not a good enough swimmer, plus I'm scared to death of sharks so I'll take his word for it.
I LOVE the hot, humid summer and flipflops and summer dresses and loud, angry, afternoon thunderstorms but this is my favorite, happiest time of year....sick or not! I intend not to waste a millisecond of it and enjoy it.


*I've been reading CrossCreek again, for the millionth gazillionth time can you tell? Most of these pictures were taken last year with my cell phone and I can't wait to take some good ones with my new camera. Keep your fingers crossed for me so I can get on my bike and ride to the secret beach again! When summer is here I'll be bragging about how summer is my favorite. I do that every season.