Prepare yourself for a diatribe

and if you don't want to hear it, please don't read on. . .

So, I had a lot of time to think in the 10 or so days I was on the road, and unfortunately -  and apparently impossible not to- my thoughts dwell on the turn my life has taken in the last few years.

I have meant for quite some time to send apologies out there into the ether to the friend of a friend I spoke about when my husband first left. She was in her third year of abandonment at the time and unable to move on, bitter and depressed. I vowed not to be her. Arrogance on my part. Well, hello. Now I completely sympathize with her immobility. Mine seems to be more emotional than material, but still. . .

Something I've recently read resonated with me (and I would like to give credit where credit is due but can't remember who or what.) Anyhoo, it went something like this:

Now that he's gone, you can finally hear yourself think. Gather yourself back together. You've been in a lot of little pieces because you're always dealing with him, listening to him, checking on him, trying to find out what he thinks instead of what you think. Do that long enough, you can lose yourself. Just disappear. Don't I know it. I'm still looking for myself . . . 

I now realize that men are just a bandaid, we stick them over an uncomfortable truth we don't want to look at. That is, we're all ultimately alone. Everything else is illusion. We live in solitary confinement inside our own bodies. No man can complete me. I'm on this journey alone.

Ok, I'm done now.

So, to catch you up, from Vilano Beach I hightailed it to Stuart to meet my new great-nephew, Ben. A beautiful little boy, and so wonderful to see Genevieve and Seth who are growing like little weeds. And, of course, Natonio and Sarah - they have a fabulous house with a pool (and I am green with envy.) So happy I stopped but instead of spending the night, I made a beeline for the Fabulous Florida Keys. The girls and I could smell the barn, if you catch my meaning.
So, I got to the dump, I mean house, that I rented on Monday night and have spent the last five days trying to make it habitable. And things are looking up. Two of those days were spent moving out of my storage unit in Florida City and having my things around me has  made things better. (And, not to complain or anything but it is wicked hot and humid here - my least favorite kind of weather. oy) So, without further ado, here is my new abode:

not much to look at from the street side

but this is the back of the house and if it ever cools down,
will be a great living space - nice right?

Here is the canal and tiki out back and nice to see the
working boats going out and coming in. That's my hot tub.
No need for it  yet, that's for sure.

This is a shot of the living room from the kitchen. My BFF was going
to buy that palm from the Habitat Re-Store and I demanded
she let me have it. And she did. She will have
it back in April when I leave..

Yikes! Scary killer palm frond in the canal!

79 degrees when I crossed from Georgia into Florida this afternoon and I couldn't help myself, I made a beeline to Vilano Beach and the Ocean Blue Motel, my fave oceanfront dive. The girls and I took a long walk on the beach, happy happy. Here is the view from the room. And, I am hearing the waves break as I write. Doesn't get much better than this.

Almost home . . .

Lordy I hate the south . . .

As always, I had a wonderful time with my pal, Stacy, in PA for a couple of days. She came up from Maryland and we met in Bigsley, PA, or some such silly name, near Gettysburg. We stayed in an uninteresting blah little rental called Cozy Cottage (should have been with K's: Kozy Kottage. Would have made it more interesting, but I digress) - nothing like the much more fascinating and rather Horrid House of Heads from previous years. BUT,  perfectly adequate. She spoils the girls rotten, as you can see. Oh, do they love her.

We had some interesting shopping - especially the rather creepy Catholic lady who had a shop in her living room in Fairfield. God apparently speaks to her and tells her what to paint on her icons and stuff. Lots of blood and gore. She told us ALL about it. Miss Stacy was way too polite while I wanted to stick needles in my eyes and run out of there screaming. Made for some good laughs the rest of the day though . . .
Found a totally cool third world craft fair at a Mennonite church of all places and a fabulous Lavender farm. Out of this world herbs and lavender and can only imagine what it must be like in summer. Stacy will make a return trip in June. Just wonderful.
We were lucky enough to celebrate Veteran's Day in Chambersburg, PA, sweet little town with a parade consisting of the high school band and various representatives of the armed services and a speech by the mayor. Freezing cold day but a good turn-out. Small town America at it's best. Really touching and so glad we were there to see it (even though we made a quick exit to go to our fave candy store before heading home.)

 So here is the I Hate the South part.  Got bullied on the highway because of my left leaning bumperstickers. Stayed at one of the few hotels in this neck of the woods that takes dogs. Gross smoking room.Was presented with biscuits and gravy and powdered eggs in the morning. I don't like it. Ignorant slack jawed yokels that talk like they have a mouthful of marbles. I heard Rick Perry favors seccesion. That would get my vote.

Ok, having said that, my dear friends, Susan and Bob, now live in South Carolina. They have a lovely little Oasis in a world of southrens. A beautiful old cottage pupulated (get it?) with four fabulous little Cavalier King Charles spaniels. The setting is idillic, the house and studio beautifully decorated. I can see why they put up with this part of the world in order to live in their beautiful bubble. Susan made us a wonderful lunch, pumpkin soup - creamy with a little spice to it. Really fabulous. Salad, bread. Best meal I had all week. Thank you, Sue!

 Here is Bob with their youngest, Delilah. Both so cute!

 And, my sistah, Susan on the porch of her studio (and no, I'm not jealous - much!)

Here are the babies in their little crates. cute as can be. Sophie was totally freaked. V. funny.
And tonight? Still in the south, outside of Columbia, South Carolina, in a nasty place off the freeway. My plan is up early, get thru the rest of this State and Georgia, and get into Florida tomorrow. Yes!

Ok, first off I have to welcome #8 (my lucky number, btw). Great-nephew Benjamin Edwards was born today, a healthy baby boy. So HAPPY, I had me a good cry in the car after Nat called to tell me! Yay, Ben, can't wait to meet you.

Look how beautiful he is.

So now, I have to back up and show you some pictures from a few days ago when I left Langhorne, PA and drove to Philly to visit my super fabu niece, Annie, along with Lucia and Micah. Look at Annie - so cosmopolitan, sitting with her beautiful children at a sidewalk cafe. She looks like Audrey Hepburn.

And, not to brag or anything, but my grand-niece and nephew are not only beautiful but so SMART.  Oh yeah!

We went to the arboretum after breakfast and it was like going back in time to autumn. Look at this gorgeous maple.

So, when I left this sweet little familia (and BigJosh, I missed you mucho), off I went to Mercersburg to visit my beloved nephew, Josh. OMG!!! It has been a year. Look at my gorgeous in-a-three-piece-suit nephew. I told him he looked like something from Fox and Hound. Josh is a lovely person and I am not just saying that because I am his aunt. The boy will go far - already has accomplished so much! Love you, Josh.

 Onward towards Gettysburg after that to meet up with Stacy, but more on that next time . . .

GREETINGS from a Starbucks in Chambersburg, PA. I've been without internet or phone for two days so will plan to update tonight. Getting back on the road this morning, heading for Virginia. ta ta for now.

So, I would just like to go on the record as saying that Connecticut is the WORST place for traffic EVER. I have never ever driven through Connecticut without encountering HORRIBLE traffic. I am so over Connecticut. Well, until next Spring I guess.
Anyhoo, I was kind of excited to avoid the mess of New York by trying to follow my friend and co-worker, Carol's advice. Wrong! I tried to head for Newburgh, NY to cross the river there but something went wrong. Don't ask me what (and Carol: not your fault! probably)
Found myself on the George Washington Bridge. Lovely.

But I made it to Langhorne where, to my surprise, I had booked us at a high rise hotel. Woohoo! Let's see, what do I like best? The fact that I have to take an elevator to the basement to go in and out with the girls? The fact that I am parked about 2 miles away and have to make three trips to unload and then load the car? Or, how about the fact that the internet connection sucks?
Then, this morning before the sun came up - with nowhere really to walk the girls unless I wanted to go to the mall across the street - Sophie decided it would be a good idea to charge a food delivery guy unloading his truck. She ran across the parking lot barking her head off. Poor guy probably peed his pants. Guess she just didn't like the cut of his jib (as my BFF would say.)
Today will be better, I am sure. Lots to look forward to so I'd better get moving - out of Langhorne, PA. More anon.