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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.