The Witch of The Pines

Legend has it that many, many years ago a wicked witch resided in the Land Where the Dandelions Grow.   She lived high on a hill in a tiny little house that could barely be seen through the pines and always, always kept one of her evil eyes focused squarely on the residents of the little cottages that lined the lake shore below.

I don't believe she had a wart on her chin or a cauldron filled with fish eyes and toadstools bubbling away in her fire place, but there was a step-son whom it is said she could have treated more kindly.  It was also rumored that after the wife of one of the cottage people passed away she would swoop down the hill on her broom late at night to comfort the bereaved widower.



The Witch of the Pines was long gone before I arrived in the Land Where The Dandelions Grow so I can only speak of legend.  But I know one thing for certain,  some beautiful rhododendrons have grown and thrived in the ashes of her evil ways.

Perhaps her heart had a soft spot after all.

Let The Fun Begin

Still painting.

Still rearranging.

All boxes unpacked.

Only one item remains in the barn to be brought down to the house.

The dock and the boat are in the water.

Let the fun begin.

She Did It

Nursing school isn't easy.  I know.  I did it.  The thing is that when I started down that road I was eighteen with nothing on my plate but school (and men).  My job was to do the best that I could and successfully complete three years of training, graduate and hopefully find employment.  There were ups and downs along the way but mostly it was full speed ahead with big RN spotlighted at the finish line.

Not so for her.

At the age of forty she found herself unexpectedly standing in the unemployment line.  The good paying job with one of the top freight companies in the country nothing but a bittersweet memory.  There she was, a single Mom with two growing boys to feed and clothe, car payments to make and a house to maintain. What was she to do?

After a year of trauma, drama and a fruitless job search I received this phone call:

Her:  Aunt Sue,  I have made a decision.  I'm going to nursing school.

Me:  Silence.

Me:  More silence, as I attempted to pick my jaw up off the floor where it had dropped in shock.

Her:  Aunt Sue?  Are you there?

Me:  I'm here.  Just trying to wrap my head around this.

Her:  You don't think it's a good idea?

Me:  I think it's a great idea.  But, but....you can't stand hospitals or the sight of blood or anything that is remotely related to nursing.  Do you think you can do this?

Her:  I can.  I don't ever want to be unemployed again.

And so it began.  Armed with little more than guts and gumption and weighed down by a backpack overflowing with responsibilities her  journey towards the coveted RN commenced.

There were trials along the way, both at home and at school.  But with a small village of supporters to lean on in the bad times she pulled herself up and persevered.  It was one step at time; one day at a time.

I remember one particular phone call just about a year ago.  She was finishing up her most difficult semester.  There was too little time.  Too little cash.  Too little of her to go around.  She was going to quit.  She just couldn't do it any longer.  I'll spare you the details of that lengthy conversation, but it is one I will remember always.

She didn't quit.

She turned the corner and found that big bright RN firmly in place waiting for her at the finish line.

Last week, with her village of supporters present, she crossed that finish line.  No, that's not quite right, she sprinted, with a smile as big as Texas and her boys by her side.  Not only did she finish but she did so in grand style.  She had been nominated by her instructors and voted on by her peers to be the key note speaker at graduation.

She did it her way.  With steadfast determination, hard work and a quirky sense of humor.  She walked the walk and now talks the talk of a nurse.  Along the way she set an example of commitment and strength of character for her boys that will last a life time.

As she led her class of graduate nurses out of the auditorium with that smile firmly in place I thought back on that long ago phone call and wondered how I ever doubted her.



Today she she starts her new job.  The one with a title that has initials on the end.

I think she knows this but it doesn't hurt to tell her again.

Congratulations Jodi.  I couldn't be more proud of you or love you any more if you were my own.

Not Quite Ready For Prime Time

Did you think I forgot about you?  Got lost on the way north?  Or worse yet, that The Kid got tired of my chatter and left me stranded and alone on the side of the road?

Fortunately none of the aforementioned took place. (Although it was touch and go for awhile on the stranded and alone on the side of the road scenario. It is a long drive from Florida to Pennsylvania.)  We arrived at the lake two weeks ago, hit the ground running, and haven't yet come up for air yet.

We found Little Red all grown up but not quite ready for prime time.  I can tell you that she is beautiful.  Darn near perfect.  Her new rooms flow well and have added the storage space we so desperately needed.  She retains enough of the old to maintain the charm that grabbed hold of my heart three years ago yet she is clean and bright and warm and cozy and very much updated.

Sigh.

I love her.

And now the fun begins.  The walls were left primed as I have a difficult time choosing paint colors from a distance.  Thus I have had a paint brush in hand almost every day for two weeks.  I'm not finished yet, but making progress.  Also the yard is a MESS.  There is a 20 foot radius of dirt and debris around the house that we are in the process of grading and raking in preparation for seed and straw.  Hopefully that task will be completed before next weekend.  There are big plans for the exterior but unfortunately no funds  to execute those plans immediately.  Walkways and patios will be added over the next few summers, which means those plans will be revised and changed numerous times before they are finished.

I promise pictures will be forthcoming once I get the last of the paint on the walls and the remainder of our things moved down from the barn where they have been stored for the past eight months.  It's all in the details people.

Details take time.

I Will Return

Have you given up on me?  I promise I will get with the program eventually.  But for now posts will be intermittent at best.



The car is packed and heading north.  When we arrive at Little Red in a couple of days things will be hectic and we will not have internet service until after May 6th.

Keep the faith, I will return.

Plenty of Nothing

I know.

I know.

It has been a week since my last post.

But folks,

I've got nothing.

Okay,  so there is one little story rattling around in that void between my ears .  It has been rattling around now for almost a week but I can't seem to find the right words to put it together.

Perhaps it needs to rattle around a little longer.

In the mean time we are packing and preparing to close up shop here in increasingly hot and humid south Florida.  That's right peeps, it's almost time to head north.

My BAA south walking buddy is already gone.  And I miss her.  I do.

I wonder if she bought her some skinny jeans on the trip north?

I wonder if Little Red is finished?

I wonder if this makes any sense?


You see what I mean?

Nothing.

It Still Works

Dusting off the macro lens.

Amazingly it still works after all of these months.

An Old Friend

Over the weekend I ran into an old friend.

We haven't spent much time together in quite some time.

Our greeting was tentative at best.

She was still reeling from the sting of my rejection.

But soon the old familiarity returned,

And we picked up where we left off several months ago.

My camera and me.



We made plans to spend more time together.

Even toying with attempting another 365 Project.

But for now,

we're both content to shake off the cobwebs

and see where life takes us.

Touch and Go

Do you know how hard it is to take sharp pictures while drifting along on moving current in a kayak?

Very.

My images from our little expedition did not do the day justice.

And my kayak?

It was taking on water.

My flip flops were floating in the bottom of said vessel.

Eventually I called it a day and handed my camera bag over to the Art Teacher for safe keeping.

It was touch and go there for awhile.

I thought I was on the Titanic.

Into The Mangroves

Finally.

The moon and the stars aligned.

On a perfect Wednesday morning beneath a robin's egg blue sky and puffy white clouds our little boats were launched.



I had been wanting to do some kayaking, south Florida style, for several years.  But The Kid is not an adventurer when it comes to small boats and hot sun and I wasn't about to go it alone.  Not here.  Not where the weather can turn on a dime and the mangrove lined channels have more twists and turns than a 50 pound box of pretzels.

Here there is safety in numbers.  And so I waited.

Patiently.

And one day.

Yesterday.

The moon and the stars aligned and the Dentist, the Art Teacher and the Photographer set sail across the wide expanse of bay.

Into the mangroves.



There is another world among the mangroves.



Silent.  Peaceful.  Calm.



At times the channel was so narrow there was no choice but to proceed single file.



Sun light slid through the trees casting shadows across the water.



A few crabs darted along submerged roots.  But there were others. (I'm convinced of it.)  Lurking in the safety of the shadows.  Watching our progress with curious eyes.



But the beauty was in the dance.

Of light and dark.

The tango of the sun on the tangled roots of the Mangrove.



And it was spectacular.

Feeding Time

Feeding time at the zoo.



You have to have a few screws loose to do this for a living.



Just saying.

Making Memories

The sun was shining.  The sky was blue.  The water smooth as glass.

It was a perfect day for making memories.



Memories of deserted islands in the middle of the ocean.



Of casting the line and waiting impatiently for that little tug on the other end.



Of gathering shells cast by the thousands onto a sandy beach.



of laughing with family.



And long walks along the shore.



Memories of time spent with Grammy



And sand squishing between little toes.



Of playing in the cool Gulf water,

and not minding it one little bit.



It surely was a perfect day for making memories.

Were You Wondering

In case you have been wondering where I have been this week....



These two munckins are in town.  And no, I didn't boil water.



Nor did I purchase a camel.



But we're having a great time anyway.

March Madness

I'm not talking about that little ole basketball tournament taking place around the country either.  Although I could be what with the Cinderella darling of the tourny, FGCU,  residing a mere 20 miles to our north.  Folks around here are down right giddy about that formerly unknown team.

What I'm talkin about is the WEATHER.  What happened to spring?   Did it hybernate with the bears and forget to set the alarm clock?  Did it take an extended European vacation and lose its passport?  Seriously, I want to know.  What's up with the weather?

We have lived in south Florida for 17 years (now there's a blog post in and of itself) and this is by far the coldest March we have ever witnessed.  Typically March comes in like a lamb and exits like a playful puppy.  Not this year.  March roared in on the lion express and has held south Florida hostage ever since.

I see those northern eyes rolling.  You have no sympathy for my plight.  But seriously folks, a frost warning?  In south Florida?   On the 27th of March?  Impossible.  Unthinkable.  Unheard of.  Rediculous.  I am more than a little tired of the cold and the wind.  Usually by this time the pool temperature is hovering around the 80 degree mark.  This year?  It is a whopping 62 degrees.

My babies are coming tomorrow.  What's a Grammy to do?



I guess I'll start boiling water.

Little Red Update

This was me upon arrival at the cottage two weeks ago.  I was a sreaming gull swooping in on an unsuspecting contractor and his crew.  I was frustrated, angry and screeching at anyone who came within ear shot.



The cottage was a mess.  I am aware that it is currently a construction zone and that dirt and debris come with the territory.  What I was upset about was an apparent lack of concern for protecting what was there that would be saved i.e. the wood flooring installed 15 months ago and the bathroom that was finished last summer.  Add to that the disappointment of what I had invisioned versus the end product and you could say I was bummed.

More than a little.

After returning to Florida on Sunday evening upset and disappointed, I received an email on Wednesday announcing that the kitchen cabinets had arrived earlier than expected.  A little tinkering with the contractor's schedule and some smart travel research on The Kid's part had me hopping a plane on Saturday morning and making my way back north.

What a difference a week makes. What I found when I arrived was a much tidier Little Red.  Most of the trash and debris had been removed from the premises. The wood floors had been cleaned and recovered (there was concern that the entire floor might have to be replaced) and the bathroom emptied of its junk.  My spirits were lifted.

The second trip was a quickie with my entire visit minus one night spent at the cottage.  Apologies to family for sneaking in and out but there just wasn't time for anything else.

Little Red is now sporting 70% of her new red coat.  A break in current weather conditions will be necessary to complete the job.



The exterior will require some "creative" landscaping in order to minimize some of the design flaws.  Flaws on the exterior only, inside the placement of doors and windows makes perfect sense and works well for good traffic flow.  On the exterior we have large spaces with no windows and one area where several windows are clustered together.  It's all about compromise people.



This is the view as you step inside the new entry, much lighter and brighter.



And the view from the kitchen looking north.



I was extremely excited to see the crew who arrived to install the cabinets.  They are my favorite team of workers and I had not expected to see them again.





Down the hall is our brand new second bedroom.  Well actually it is the original bedroom reconfigured.  It remains small but serves the purpose.  No more sleeping on the porch for overnight guests.  That is unless they want to!



The new master is a nice size and looks out on the lake.



The dresser in the photo (covered in sheet rock dust), is our new bathroom vanity.  I'll let you know how that works for us.



The doorway in the upper left-hand corner leads to a utility room.  It's a little unconventional having the laundry room off of the master bedroom but we think it will work well.



Above is the new master bath.

And below is the lake side view of the cottage taken on my first trip north.  The siding on this side is now completely installed.



And there you have it.

The contractor and I worked on some of my concerns during my last visit.  A couple of brain storming sessions with The Kid on speaker phone and the design team standing by for consult did the trick.

The next time I see her she will be finished.

At least that's what they tell me.

I'm not holding my breath.

Friends With Benefits

It is one week before Easter.  The height of "season."  Traffic is snarled.  Shops are crowded.  Check-out lines at the grocery store are long... and slow.



Yesterday, out of necessity, I found myself in one of those slow moving lines at the local Winn Dixie.  The friendly clerk rang up my order while I bagged groceries and placed them in the cart.  (You would think that their corporate office would have enough data accumulated to warrant the approval of additional staffing during this busy time of the year.  They certainly seem to be aware of all of our other buying habits.  But once again, I digress)

The clerk offered up my total, $134.78 and I quickly moved around the counter to pay for my purchase.  You can imagine the look of shock and dismay when I opened my wallet to retrieve my credit card and found it empty.  That's right peeps, no cash, no credit card, no check book.  Zip. Nada. Nothing.   (I had been traveling earlier in the week and had moved my credit cards and drivers license to a more travel friendly purse and failed to return them to my wallet.)

I was screwed.

Panic set in as I looked down that long line of impatient Easter shoppers.  Their faces were grim.  I explained my predicament to the now not so friendly clerk who wishes only to banish me from her sight.  She informed me that the purchase would need to be voided and re-rung "if" I returned.  "I'll return," I pleaded.  "I'll only be ten minutes.  Please don't move my cart.  I don't want to have to start over."

Defeated and humiliated I kept my head down, refusing to look at my fellow shoppers who have mutiny on their collective minds when suddenly I heard a small voice in the distance.

"Susan, do you need something?"

My head snapped up as I searched the faces of the angry mob for the source of that voice.  And there she was, like manna from heaven, my neighbor both here and there, my walking buddy, my good friend, DiAnn.

"Yes," I yelled down the line.  "I need cash."

"I have money," she hollered back.  "How much do you need?"

"$135."

Eight heads turned in unison with each volley of words.  It was a ping pong match of hope.

Finally a deal was struck and Dianne made her way to the front of the line; added her items to my purchase and presented a credit card that put an end to my pain and suffering.  I offered a heart felt apology to the clerk and the other now smiling shoppers and crept out the door.  Actually I  think I danced out the door, relieved to have escaped the lynch mob.

As for DiAnn, she is my hero.

I am forever indebted to her for being at the back of my check-out line on that fateful day,  engrossed in the National Enquirer, with a credit card in her pocket.

It's nice to have friends with benefits.

Milky Way Distraction

Up.  Down.  Up.  Down.  That's the sad saga of my weight issues.

Last winter intentional & I skipped our way to Down.  Upon arrival intentional took an unauthorized spa vacation & forgot to return leaving me stranded and alone.  I did what I usually do when left to my own devices, began to overindulge and before you can say peanut butter ice cream I was back at Up.

Intentional is now settled in at the spa, addicted to the holistic hot stone treatments & refusing to come home. Looks like I'm on my own.   Every other day or so I begin packing my bags in preparation for the return trip to Down.  The trip requires a lot of prep work as it is a lengthy journey made on foot at a snail's pace.  There is no bullet train or Dreamliner with scheduled stops at Down.

Inevitably there are distractions.  This week it was this.

 

Pioneer Woman's ridiculously decadent Milky Way cake.  (Not my photo, hers.  I was too busy indulging in the gooey goodness that is this cake to stop & take a picture!)  This delightful little ditty boasts 11 (yes, you read that correctly), 11 full sized Milky Way candy bars  divided between the cake and the topping.  It is to die for and the return trip to Down is being postponed until the cake pan is licked clean.

If intentional doesn't ditch the spa life soon I'm afraid I'm going to look like this.



Perhaps I should seek council with the new Pope.

Ice, Ice, Baby

Traveling messes with my mojo.

With each passing year my attention span grows shorter and shorter.  A week away from routine leaves me scattered and unfocused.  Fortunately this morning I awoke with the thread of a thought that has managed to stay with me.  This means you're in luck.  There will be a post today.  Whether or not it makes sense is still up in the air.

Last week western Pennsylvania was sporting it's spring finery..grey skies, snow flurries, and temperatures that fluctuated from 28 degrees to 66 on the day I left for Florida.  There were occasional breaks in the cloud cover allowing the sun to peek through, but for the most part it was typical western PA gray.



When I arrived I was excited to find the lake still frozen over.  In all the years I lived in PA, I had never seen this sight.  (Apparently when the temperatures dropped and the snow fell, we stuck close to home.)



The only thing missing was sunshine and the foot of snow I was hoping to find.


There were hopeful signs of spring along the edge of the lake.  Not a good sight for the ice fisherman dotting the horizon, but a welcome reprieve for the ever present Canadians.




Do you think their feet ever get cold?

My visit to PA went quickly.  Time was spent with my big sis, our Moms and the Principal.  I checked on Little Red (more on that later) and got a shopping fix with Marcia.

I'm thinking that a winter vaca to the cottage should become an annual event.



Perhaps then I'd get that foot of snow.