I see someone has been weaving a lot more than me lately....

The garden is looking pretty good these days. The drought conditions of summer haven't taken hold yet. The rose bush is producing with a vengence!

Piecing some colors to Mr. Gator. Hmmmm.... not sure I'm liking this at all. Will need to play around with it some more.

Turn the lights off 

Headed towards June

May has been a very hectic month and I'm glad it's almost over. Lots of good stuff, but still stressful.

I have arrived at my new work home at the Main library, downtown Ft. Lauderdale. There are supposed to be some interesting things coming in the future... a move to a bigger space, butterfly gardens, partnerships with MOA, Ft. Laud.  Should prove to be interesting. Here's a picture of my little space

Upon reading an article about how urban area beach lighting affects sea turtles, I was inspired to do this new piece. I'm using a 2x4 that I found in the garage. I like the idea and the feel of painting on wood. I don't like frames... I really don't. For some reason frames feel like a barrier, and I feel like there are enough of those in my life.

Ascending sea turtles...

...bringing a message

Mr. Gator is coming along too. I will be adding more to the quilt top and have added some lights and "little pink houses for you and me". This one will be called Zero Lot-Line Bayou

Miss Puddy is giving me the eye. She is reminding me that I have not done any work on the big loom. Yes, the rug has been neglected during this hectic month of May but now since things seem to be slowing down, I will work on it a bit every day.

Closing Time

We returned from closing on the parsonage in Crescent City last night and I still feel like I'm coming out of a dream. It was a strange and emotional 4 days.

When we got to C. City, the weather had turned bad and there were tornado warnings. That's a good sign, right?

Storm clouds over Lake Stella

We got to the house to do the walk through and the owner and Realtor  were there. They showed us around the yard first and then the house, giving much detail on both. This was super helpful as there seemed to be a lot to know.  The owner had suffered a tragedy four years ago which I won't go into for the sake of privacy. I think that her selling the house with everything in it is a way for her to try to move on which she seems to be having a very hard time doing.

After the closing I was exhausted, physically and mentally. We went back to the parsonage and I had a good cry. Then Jerry took me to Musselwhite's in Palatka and I had a gorgeous steak dinner! Feeling much better.

Day 2 we went to the insurance place and Kmart in Palatka for some odds and ends. I was still exhausted from the day before and my balance was lousy. We took a little walk at Dunne's Creek park, stopped at Winn Dixie and got a rack of spare ribs that the C. City soccer team had going in the smoker out front to raise money for the kids... yum... We had dinner on the front porch and watched the sun set over Lake Stella.

Day 3 the girls came up with Minnie. I really needed them too. Up to this point I felt like I was in someone else's house and essentially I was. The owner left everything... like down to shampoo and silverware. And being as I felt like I was in a B&B, I was doing nothing to change this. I was still in the, "OMG she left her grandmothers handsewn quilt behind!" stage. So the girls started getting things together and got us moving. My sister and her husband came up too and stayed a few hours. We headed back up to Winn Dixie for more of those smoked BBQ ribs for everyone. After my sister went back down to Cocoa Beach, we all took Minnie for a walk to see the bald eagle nest down the street... yeah, right down the street. It was dusk and from over head came a big hoot... a big old barred owl right over head just like this one! He was eyeing Minnie I think.

And in the field across the street from our house, fireflies. I haven't seen fireflies since I was a little girl and used to collect them in a jar.

Jerry and Minnie by Lake Stella

Day 4 the girls went exploring as this will be Che's home in a couple of weeks. We got to babysit Minnie. Took her for a long walk to the park to wear her out. Fat chance. She's a fun girl though but a handful. She is a Plott hound mix and at 10 months already weighs 57 lbs. Minnie is a pound rescue and we all love her already.

We all hung around till about 4:30 and headed back to Hollywood. This has been just a wonderful 4 days and I feel so incredibly blessed. The next couple of weeks will be rough. Waiting for the doctors to review my case and see what is to be done with the brain booger. But the memory of fireflies will sustain me.

Staycay over

We took a week off and just hung out around here. We were waiting to be called to go to closing on the Crescent City house, and hoping it would happen during the week off, but of course that would have been too easy. Anyway, we close on the 15th of May, so we'll just need to take a couple more days off gosh darnit!

While hanging around the house like a couple of slugs, we did manage to go to Big Cypress Loop Road and do some site seeing (but mostly me running away from blow flys and giant hornets). There were quite a few of these guys about

We also went to one of my favorite places in S FL, Fairchild Tropical Gardens. It is a gorgeous place and they now have a wonderful butterfly and hummingbird house

Not sure if you can see his sweet little tiny-ness. Little miracles with wings

And look at this handsome fellow! We've never seen a multicolored lizard like this guy... he looks like a little dinosaur

I am still working on the Jacaranda quilt. But I've also been playing with the new Derwent Inktense pencils and I love them! This is acrylic with some pencil work.

If you wet the fabric beforehand, the pencil glides on ... just like butta!

April endings

Some hand quilting on an abstract piece. Sitting and stitching is very relaxing. Very meditative. And I need that right now.

Big life stuff happening and I am feeling a bit nervous about it. I have a job interview tomorrow for my old job in the library I used to work in. No new learning curve or anything, but I have grown to hate interviews. The house was appraised for more than our offer, so for all intents and purposes, it is ours. Just waiting for a closing date. And all this with wonky head. My balance has gotten worse in the past 6 months. I am nervous about our trip to Miami to see the doctors. But I am trying very hard. Jerry and I started doing Tai Chi and I think that it is helping already. We have a weeks vacation coming up, so hopefully we can go up to Crescent City and close on the house that week. I will try to relax and not worry. Then after vacation, we'll go to Miami.

I made a sort of lame yet functional design wall in the loom room. It really helps to be able to see what I'm working on. If you look at a piece for a while, you can get new ideas and what not.

Went to get in my car this morning and was greeted by these two. They are just growing out of the lawn. Just the two of them. Little reminders of hope.

New developments

Things are moving along here in Lala Land. I have been very busy with life stuff though and this morning woke up with an unhappy neck, so here we go in reverse again. But I did manage to make this little cloth. This is a nice way to stamp fabric. I used a bit of Fabulous Foam Sheet and drew a pattern into it with a pencil, pressing down hard.

One of the two big life things taking up my mental and physical time is the acoustic neuroma. It has grown slightly again so my days of watch and wait are over, I'm afraid. I am going to the Univ. of Miami to discuss radiosurgery options with Dr. Eshragi. Their radiosurgery team is one of the best in the country, so I am very grateful for that.

Remember this?

This is the other big life thing. And for a change, it is something fun and I'm so excited! We made an offer on this house in Crescent City, Florida and we are now waiting for the closing date. It is our retirement home and, though that is in the future still a bit, this house just couldn't be passed up.

This will be our future view from the front porch

We should be able to make it up there at least once a month and holidays / vacations. North FL is home for me. So I am really happy about this. The house was the Methodist minister's parsonage, so that's what I call it.

Can we say "studio"?

April stuff

In the studio...

My manatee pal is getting some lovely water plants added to his new habitat.

And Mr. Gator is "chomping" at the bit to come to life.

The studio rug is coming along slowly, but I do like the way the colors are behaving.

And did you know that Royal Poinciana seed pods make a nifty stamp?

On the bookshelf...
I just started reading The Blazing World. So far I am liking it.


In the garden...

Lovely little tomatoes...

and the loofah plant is taking over the patio railing. This plant is a survivor just like me and Reba!