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Hurricane Ian, the aftermath
I don’t know where to begin. Relief that Ian didn’t hit directly as first thought and despair that it slammed into the coast about an hour and a half south of us as a Category 4 hurricane. I saw someone post that Sanibel Island and Ft. Myers Beach are decimated as is Ft. Myers and towns and communities all up and down southern Sarasota County, Lee, and Collier Counties. This storm has also caused catastrophic damage on the east coast as well, including flooding in Daytona Beach. We rode out the storm at Southeastern Guide Dogs, my husband’s work. He is the VP of Information Management and Captial Projects, meaning…
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Weekending
Well, I actually had more planned to talk about, but I was stuck on a TEAMS call for my last semester of grad school (thank goodness) then got involved in sorting through my clothes and closet. I’ve lost about 50 pounds since July and lots of stuff needed to go. I had planned to drive to Winter Haven today to Four Purls, but put that off for another day. Hubby decided that since we missed Christmas with his parents, we would go up on Wednesday which resulted in me having to scramble to get time off and get some assignments turned in that are due next Sunday. I think I…
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Good-bye 2021
In 2021, I lost my father, making my siblings and me, orphans. Adults, yes, but orphans, nonetheless. After my mom died in 2019, I knew that sooner, rather than later, we would be also burying my father. In some ways, I was surprised, but in some ways, not. I was very fortunate that I was able to go home the week before he passed and see him. Something, I didn’t have the chance to do with my mom. For that, I am grateful. Losing my dad in February just made the year all that much harder, and it had just gotten started. It colored everything, and I don’t think I…
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A visit to the Chihuly–Blogmas Day 11
Amanda needed to go to the Chihuly Collection in St Pete today to film footage for the final that she is giving to her students next week, so I decided to tag along since it has been a few years since I have been. It’s a beautiful collection and I highly recommend a visit if you are in St. Pete. I’ve added a few of my favorite photos from today.
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Ten on Tuesday—Blogmas Day 7
If you have been reading blogs before Instagram and TikTok took over, you may remember when Carole over at Carole Knits hosted a Ten on Tuesday. I think she still does something similar, but not as often. Anyway, I thought I’d dust off that tradition and try out a Ten on Tuesday. Today’s list is Ten of my favorite things about the Holiday Season. Christmas lights! Cooler weather means lower electric bill. (I’m in Florida, I’ll take what I can get!) Being able to wear long sleeves. Christmas decor. Hallmark Christmas movies! (My family makes fun of me, but I think they secretly like them) Being able to read for…
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Sunsets. Blogmas Day 6
We get some pretty spectacular sunsets from my backyard. I missed tonight’s, but caught the last bits of it. Florida in December, got it love it.
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Sunday-ing. Blogmas Day 5
For the past six years, our favorite place to go while in St. Pete is Bandit Coffee on Central Ave. (I think I discovered it a year after it opened). For the last few months, Amanda and I have made it a Sunday morning tradition to go get coffee and breakfast, often getting the newest pastry offerings. This is one of the most welcoming and unpretentious coffee shops in St. Pete. Prior to the pandemic, it wasn’t unusual for Amanda to head up to work for a while, and even now, it’s not unusual for us to make a run over the Skyway after work for a coffee fix. (Yes,…
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Look! A Squirrel! Blogmas Day 4
Today I had to go out to Coquina Beach on Anna Maria Island to photograph a very sweet family. I have had the privilege of photographing them for seven years now. (I’ll post sneaks tomorrow) While I was waiting for them, this squirrel decide that he(or she) would be my model. It was a nice way to spend the time. I shot these on my iPhone with minimal editing. I think the only thing I did was crop them a little bit. Meanwhile, back at home, Amanda is puppy sitting this one, Luna is seventeen weeks old. Our dogs can’t be bothered. Poor thing, she just wants to play, all…
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Blogmas Day 3. A Foggy Start
This morning I woke up to a rather foggy morning here in Florida. The closer I got to the river, the thicker the fog got. This above photo was taken on campus about 6:15 this morning. Yes, I was already at work. I needed to get a head start today. Anyway, our TSA kiddos came in this morning to check in and to test their bridge to see how much weight it would hold. They built it yesterday, had to let it cure and then tested it this morning. They are prepping for our state competition in February. Speaking of which, some of the weekend will be spent on registering…
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Rainy Saturday.
It was a rainy Saturday here in Florida, the results of a tropical depression on the other side of the Gulf. With all the craziness going on I think we have forgotten that we are still in the middle of hurricane season. Idunn kept me company while I worked on an assignment that I have due on Monday. It’s supposed to rain all day tomorrow and most of the week. The upside is that it should be cooler.
