I will not lie to you. It was worse than usual getting through the holidays this year. It was a lonely and depressing time and I'm happy to put it behind me. Time to focus on all the good things happening in my life.

The Santa hat on my mailbox was my one nod to the holiday, until....

The Friday before Christmas, some of us met up at my pool for our weekly swim and happy hour. While in the pool, I noticed my Norfolk Pine has been decorated! Hey! Yes, a secret Santa snuck into my yard while I was at work in the morning and look at the result. I was so touched. I couldn't think who it might be and finally, my BFF, Miss Connie, copped to it. So sweet and thoughtful!

In other news, my beloved niece, Ryder, turned 18 last month and I managed to get a quilt done and off to her just in time for the Big Day. Seems like she was about 10 and I blinked and poof! She is all grown up.

My sister asked me to make her a a t-shirt quilt, something I swore I would never do again. But what can I say? It was for Ryder so I agreed and then spent every spare minute working on it until her birthday. So here you have it. The last t-shirt quilt I will ever make. I didn't want the usual boxes, but instead a sort of collage and I think it turned out pretty good. The math just about did me in.

So fast forward to last Friday and I was getting ready for our weekly swim and HH, cleaned the pool and was wiping down the bar in the tiki when I flushed a BAI (big ass iguana). He went scrambling across the pool deck and took a header into the pool where he proceeded to swim around the bottom at high speed. I of course shrieked and jumped up on a bar stool (why? I don't know) and yelled for my neighbor, the resident drug dealer and super mellow dude. He came through for me and managed to get the thing out of the pool when it finally began to tire. Had to be three feet long. When I went back to cleaning up I flushed another smaller one. I cannot stand those things! Without Sophie to chase them off, they are making themselves at home. Yesterday I chased the big one and he went straight up the ginormous palm tree over my fence and out on the frond. I lobbed a few coconuts at him but he was up too far. Just gave me the hairy eyeball. Did you know they actually poop salmonella? Yuck. Disgusting.

So this is my latest project. Bicycle seat covers! I'm sure you've seen the bikes with plastic bags or shower caps protecting the seats. Well, this is a much prettier option, isn't it?

My bike Jimmy modeling his seat cover.

And another little project. Check it out. I trash picked this chair the other day and am in the process of spray painting it a yummy key lime green. Will just need a cushion.

And you know what a Cirque du Soleil groupie I am. I went up to Miami Gardens and saw their steampunk show called Kurios last week. So great!

front row seat!

So, things are good here in the Fabulous Florida Keys. Happy New Year everybody.

Time for a little catch-up and no worries, all is going well with yours truly. Been super busy trying to get a quilt done to meet a deadline and I'm getting close. Will share it with you once the recipient has it in hand.

I had a quiet Thanksgiving. Didn't see a soul I knew but did get a single phone call from my sweet friend Sue in Maine. Very peaceful and I was thankful for that. I walked over to Skippers for a margarita and some tuna tartare. Fab! My house is just in the trees behind the boats you see there so I just have to walk around the top of the canal to get there. 

My plumbing problems have followed me from Maine and don't know if you can see this but it is a single leg on a ladder outside my kitchen window. The plumber had to climb up on the roof to snake the sinks about 8 times. Kitchen sink was backing up into bathroom sink. Old iron plumbing just like in Maine.

I took this picture of my backyard to show you what December 1st looks like in the Fabulous Florida Keys. I still haven't finished cleaning up my garden - just too hard to work out there without my Sophie to help - but I'll get there. Beautiful, right? Lucky me.

 This was a sweet little surprise. I was parked by a secret ocean view I know about, having some coffee and waiting until it was time to go to an appointment, when the African Queen came around the corner. Gotta love Key Largo! Really made my day. 

This takes us to yesterday when I went to the annual Christmas party for the Florida Keys Quilters. Wasn't going to go but MaryLou called me and said WHERE ARE YOU? and I hopped in the car and drove down to the garden center for the party and glad that I did.

Maryann made this little quilt. So cute. Hopefully you can enlarge it and see the 12 days of Christmas. Things like Seven Flamingoes Flocking and Six Dolphins Leaping, Nine Manatees Munching and of course the Seagull in the Palm Tree. Great idea. 

That's all for now. It's another beautiful day here in the Fabulous Florida Keys and I plan to go to Our Lady of Perpetual Mimosas this morning, something I have not yet done this season. I'll keep you posted.

Cheers, 

Lizzie

happy thanksgiving

I've been thinking this week that there is a fine line between honoring one's feelings and healing, and wallowing in them. Can you tell I've been reading Martha Beck? I'm so good at being a victim and drowning in self pity and emotional negativity.
Do you know I have not had even one single day without thinking about my former husband since he left. Usually just in passing or when waking from a dream but still! We've been divorced for over 5 years. That is ridiculous!
Losing Sophie has brought up all those sad feelings again but I've got a handle on it now. I did the right thing for Sophie and while I am sad, I do not have regrets. I only feel immense gratitude for her unconditional love, her humor, her trust in me, and her stellar company.
It's been hard being here without her and I have yet to go in my pool by myself because I miss her so much. But gratitude is winning over sorrow and I'm feeling a little less like I'm pushing through sludge to get to the end of each day now.
So. just had to get that out and now I'll be going about my day.

giving thanks

I've been here a week now. I'd hoped a change of scene would do me good but I am having a hard time settling in. It is just so quiet at my house. I realize I've never been lonely before. I've always had a warm loving presence around me, first my husband and then my dogs. Now I'm alone. Sophie was all I had left. It is hard to sleep without the rhythm of her snoring. I have stopped talking to her like I did the first week because she is gone and I realized without her, I am just an old lady talking to myself. So. Time to stop feeling sorry for myself and get busy.

To that end, on Saturday I attended a rooftop party at Tom and Lu's in honor of his birthday. On Sunday I worked on some curtains for my niece, Genevieve. Love the fabric with mermaids and octopi, but I ran out with one panel left to go so I've got that on order.

And I've been trying to clear up my garden. It is choked with weeds and grass and I've already taken 8 trash cans of stuff to the curb.

I went back to work yesterday. And today, I'm going to start a new project for a birthday present but I'll show you that later. The weather has been perfect, the moon bright and beautiful.
My house? Silent.

We lost a huge talent in Leonard Cohen yesterday. So loved his poetry and music.

I saw you this morning
You were moving so fast
Can't seem to loosen my grip
On the past
And I miss you so much
There's no one in sight
And we're still making love
In my secret life
In my secret life

Read more: Leonard Cohen - In My Secret Life Lyrics | MetroLyrics