Hey, better safe than sorry, no?

I would just like to remind everyone that the Pink Bra Walk honoring Ralphie Smith is tomorrow, benefitting breast cancer research, hospice and the humane society.

Thank you to our model, Sue.

So, on Monday my bestie, Gloria, taught a class at The Art Box. The medium was watercolors on rice paper and then we applied wax to make a batik painting. So much fun!

Teacher

My friend, Elaine, with a tropical scene

My subject was Lucy at the Lake

Elaine had the idea to make fabric transfers from our paintings so I think mine will become a pillow for the cottage.

 And, did I mention that my parents are visiting? Here is dad and Lucy collecting a piece of jetsam floating by (or is it flotsam? I can never remember.)

Ok, so on Wednesday, we went up to the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood. Oh, gambling you are thinking. Wrong! We rented a chickee and spent the day at their beautiful pool. Here is Miss Florence posing in our chickee. There is a flat screen TV, lounges, fridge, ceiling fan, music, you get the picture: lux! Our pool boy was Andrew - forgot to get a picture. But here are the five of us.

Florence supplied the hats

They have a super good water slide, steep and fast. We had a great time and then caught the bus back to the Keys. So great to have someone else do the driving for a change so I caught a little snooze on the way home. Divine decadence dahling.

A few things to share this morning . . .

Rose is stunning in an apron (yes, my mummy and daddy are visiting)

raffle quilt for the wounded warriors - let me know if you want tickets

Connie's cross stitch - beautiful.

Sisters visiting the quilt guild 

So, maybe I've been a bit blue but the creative juices have not dried up. We are having a cold snap in the Fabulous Florida Keys which is a great excuse to stay in and sew. Never got out of my jammies until after noon yesterday. I whipped up this cute little evening bag, just have to sew down the corners and sew the button on.

I am considering tearing this bag apart and starting over. What a pain in my you know what this has been. When am I going to learn not to use Amy Butler's patterns? I love her fabrics but have you ever made her messenger bag? Only about a thousand pattern pieces. Same with this one. I've been saving this home dec fabric. It's what we covered our sun room furniture with way back when.

And, a little update on Sophie who underwent cancer surgery again. Only good news to report as the surgeon got it all and she is on the road to recovery.

this is what I've been waking up to - sweetness

I'm baaaaaaaack

So, I've made it through Thanksgiving, Christmas, the New Year, made it through Valentine's Day and whenever I have started to write something I think, well nobody wants to hear that and so I delete it. I've gotten some satisfaction from the writing of it but somehow it's not the same as when I send it out to the universe.
I haven't posted because I know everybody thinks, well she must be over IT by now. She is moving on. She is making a life. She is strong and powerful and she is over him. I am so over him. I am. But here is my dilemma.  I would like to be grateful I got to know and love someone so so much but all I can think about is how I was (metaphorically) lying on the sand, reading my book, feeling warm and happy and loved and I looked up from the last page, disoriented, to wonder how the ocean had moved so far away and everything  had changed. I still feel that bewilderment every day. What happened to my sweet little life and the husband I planned on loving forever?
So, there you have it. I am still struggling. I still dream about him and worst of all, I hate him. I hate him like I have never hated anybody and never will again. That's what I need to get past and I don't care what anybody thinks (and doesn't say because I don't talk about it to anybody any more), it is a process and I'm not there yet. And, by the way, a person can grieve for 10 years before it is perceived as a psychiatric ailment so I still have some time left before I am certifiable. Ok, that is all.