Snow Mornings – 40 Days of Thankfulness

Today is the second day this season of waking up to snow. Since it snowed on Oct 23, it is believed that we will have 23 days of snow this winter/fall. So this is day two and it’s beautiful.

And to top off this wonderful beauty is that it is a clear day with bright sunshine making the snow sparkle and gleam even more for a winter wonderland kind of feel.

It’s also the first day that I am working at the cupcake shop in town so I get to walk to work in the glistening snow and hopefully avoid the annoyance of ice along the way.

There’s just nothing like it. Growing up snow free, I really appreciate the purity of the perspective and the chill in the air, especially with the warming sun to counteract the shivers.

Thank you, God for such a beautiful day – it is such a treasure. 

A Walk In The Woods – 40 Days of Thankfulness

Have you ever just taken a walk in the woods just to take a walk? No preconceived notions, no expectations, no map with a destination?

Paul and I spent today walking around, and up and down Clifton Gorge and the John Bryan Park outside of Yellow Springs. Though most of the trees had dropped their leaves it was still an amazing time. We just went to walk. Dressed in layers to keep the 32 degree temps at bay, we shivered for a first few minutes debating if we should turn back. We had no map and just followed the trail around and down into the gorge around the other side, up the ridge and back around to the beginning.

We only encountered a couple hardcore hikers, some students from nearby Antioch College and a deer. It was amazing. Part of the trail we followed was an old stagecoach trail that took 18^th and 19^th century passengers from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh, though it would have been an incredibly bumpy ride. I think I would have stayed to the river route.

Unfortunately they discriminate against our 4-legged children and they can't come with us, but with Polly's new blindness it may not be a good idea anyway. 

I am so thankful for this walk in the woods. 

Oh What A Beautiful Morning – 40 Days of Thankfulness

Though the time change does leave me feeling a bit out of sorts, and evenings seem to come too soon, I love the mornings. Last week at dog-walking time (6:45am) we were traipsing through the dark with curious puppies wanting to pick up everything on our path. The cold seemed even more bitter and all I wanted to do when we got home was crawl back under the covers.

This morning as Polly and Millie and I wandered through our quiet town the sky lit up in shades of blue, pink and gray with the sun rising over an unseen cornfield and reaching toward the clouds. Though the air is a brisk 32 degrees, I felt more awake and alive looking forward to my day and enjoying nature’s show.

Thank you God for a beautiful morning. 

A Wonderful Weekend

This has been one of the most wonderful weekends I have had in a long time. Just take a look.

The trio of misfits after a muddy morning at the dog park. Finn is very disappointed in the outcome of events.

Memories soon washed away from Saturday morning's stroll on the beach.

Can the sky get any more blue or any more inviting?

Waiting for a bit of breakfast or just an egret supermodel hoping for the paparazzi to go away.

Inspiration

Road Trippin'

I just love road trips. Even though they take a lot longer than flying, I look at them as a way to see what everyone else is missing. The longest road trip I was ever on was 17 days with Guy. We drove from Clearwater to Arlington, NYC, Albany, Pittsburgh, Atlanta and home again. No one thought we would make it without killing each other, but it wasn’t until the last day that we had a riff about (his interpretation – I killed Santa and my interpretation – I set Santa free to return to the North Pole) losing a Santa wall hanging from the back of the truck. It really is a whole other story so I shall stop here.

So far Ronn and I have taken three road trips; one to Myrtle Beach, another to the woods of North Carolina and Saturday’s adventure to Spring Hill and beyond.
We were on our way to see his friend Eddie and decided to take the long way to scope out some of our own Diners, Drive-ins and Dives opportunities. What we found were some great photo ops and they were brightly taken. We did stop at a place called Maw’s Kitchen. Nothing special, but I only got a burger (not like El Cap) and the hushpuppies were scant on flavor. The other meal on this trip was at the Golden Corral (Eddie’s choice) and it wasn’t horrible. I had a salad and a sliced filet which apparently drew a couple of stares since I didn’t have any fried stuff on my plate. My treat was the blueberry pie that still needed something, but all in all it was a fine meal.
The drive would have only taken a couple hours, but instead we drove right past Spring Hill and meandered up to the Withlacoochee Forest. No one else was there and this was fine by me. I got lost in the wonders of Spanish moss dripping from these incredible oaks. The stories they could tell would be numerous as some laid on the ground after giving up the fight in hurricane-force winds, while others stood proud with no leaves and dressed only in charred bark announcing their heroic deaths. Still some stretched out toward the dried-up lake while right next to them were their majestic brothers reaching toward the sky. I was hoping to see more animals in the park, but I guessed that do to the lack of water the deer, raccoons and even mosquitoes had moved to wetter woods.

Our adventure continued as we drove west to Crystal River and their famous power plant. Ronn had been here several years before and thought it would be nice to show me an up-close view of this hot spot (pun intended.) However, times have changed. After 9/11 nuclear power plants were seen as major targets for terrorist attacks and security was amped up. We were stopped about 3 miles from the parking lot, the truck checked and our IDs taken. The guy was nice and knew we weren’t terrorists, just misinformed lookey-loos and let us leave after some small talk. We did get some good shots from an island near by though.

Hunger started to get annoying and we were expected at Eddie’s so we let the GPS do the talking. Unfortunately, she was a bit confused and led us astray so I had to jump in and navigate as well as drive. No biggie. We made it to Spring Hill safe and sound.
I finally bit the bullet and joined Facebook and on day one I found an old friend from high school who also lives in Spring Hill so I may be making another trip or two up that way. There isn’t any other reason to go to SH except to see friends, but that’s just me.

Fini and Begin Again

My stained glass angel ornament on my pink tree - that's Christmas to me

Life is what happens when you’re trying to write a blog. So instead of writing, I was living, but now I am back and happy to have some semblance of routine and normalcy. Nothing bad kept me from this personal task, all good with holidays to boot, but it did leave me snackered. Here are the top ten things that have transpired over the past 4 weeks. (In no particular order)

O Tannebaum

My perfect pink tree. Kitsche, I know, but aren't you jealous?

I just love my Christmas tree. It is pink with white lights and stands only about 6 feet tall (on a crate.) I have all kinds of ornaments on it even one that was crafted with my own wee hands when I was 3. I got the tree last year for $30 and the guy at the store said, “You’re goin’ to be the only person in Pinellas County with a pink tree.” My response, “I hope so,” even though I knew that there would be many folks in the gayborhood that would adore some pink plastic perfection. Even Guy was jealous. I wrap the bottom and its pedestal wine crate in a Santa-inspired, red and white faux fur skirt and even sans gifts it is a sight to behold. I hate the thought of taking it down and packing it away for another full year.

All the little children

Leilani having a blast at her recital. Her enthusiam was contagious!

It wouldn’t be a holiday without a children’s recital. I was invited to Leilani’s class’ Christmas program and had the honor of listening to three-year-olds massacre the old Christmas standards. It’s sort of like watching the auditions for American Idol, but not sad at all with kids forgetting their lines and waving to mommy in the front row, or those standing fear-struck as dad coerces them to look at the video camera. I just loved it. And of course Leilani stayed on cue and didn’t pick her nose nor lift her dress even once to the relief of her mother.

Noah, not to be outdone, does his famous rolling eyes routine. He's such a comedian.

I’ll be home for ChristmasA quick shot of my family during the gift exchange.

Since my family has developed into quite an extended posse, we try to make it for at least one day a year to be together, including spouses, mates, in-laws and kids. This year my niece Amanda hosted at her posh house. The food was divine with deep-fried turkey, pole beans cooked with bacon, Greek salad, butternut squash casserole and apple cobbler (my addition.) Plus it was great seeing the clan. My nieces and nephews are all grown with the youngest in his second year of college. Brian brought the girlies (his two divine daughters Madison and Sailor) and they are what really make the season bright. Even Laura, the actress, made it home all the way from LA and her Orange County-lifestyle. I miss the lot of them, but we just don’t seem to be able to hook-up much. Plus it is a nice time to catch up and do a simple gift exchange. This year was pretty weak though since my niece Erin left early and no one stole from anyone else, except me to try to get the ball rolling. Plus for me it’s all about giving so I was so pleased to see that Holley, Brian’s wife, got the afghan I made. She is so sweet and really appreciates things like that. My brother never makes it to these things since he lives in Michigan or something and I guess it is better to be there than with us.

Madison and Sailor Grace having a blast on Christmas Eve. They really make the holiday for me.

Sailor helping her mom with her new afghan. It was my first big project and turned out so sweet.

Feliz Navidad

You can't have black beans and rice without red wine vinegar!

And to balance out all the stress from driving to the family Christmas, I spent Christmas Day at Michelle’s and enjoyed my favorite meal of all time – Cuban roast pork, black beans and rice and baked ziti. Last year, she went to Ohio to visit family (why else would someone go to Ohio) and this left me beanless for the first Christmas in more than 10 years. It was painful. But I made up for it this year with double plates of food and a very sick belly that evening. Her family had done the Christmas Eve too so it was just us, Vivi, Ronn and her mom lounging around watching the Food Network and drinking wine. Mich and I recycle presents (meaning we usually take something we have and give that as a gift instead of buying something impersonal – except wine, that is good for all occasions.) This year I gave Vivi a Mary Poppins Barbie I had gotten about 12 years ago from an ex-boyfriend. It was still in the box with most of the accessories. I also shared with her half of my Hello Kitty collection (the other half goes to Leilani with her brother Noah gets my X-Men comic collection.) There was only a touch of drama, but it wouldn’t be a holiday without someone drinking too much and being all passive aggressive. (Vivi took the picture of her mom to the left, not too bad I thought. )
Vivi has already learned-leave the gun, take the cannoli!






Cause I’m a loser baby
Weight Watchers is a godsend. I am doing pretty well though I have fallen off the wagon a couple times. It’s the holidays and I let myself falter from time to time, but try to keep up with the exercising. I know that this is my time, and 2009 is all about me. I no longer want to think about my weight or convince myself that one day I will be thin. I am working towards my goal and I plan to be the hottest beatch at next year’s New Year’s Eve celebration. Now, I just need a hot guy to show me off. So far I have found a bunch of new recipes, including a vegetarian chili that so rocks, I just love a cup of it in the afternoon when I get ready to work out. I feel more alive than before and even when I am naughty (which I love being naughty) I can still be on track, a touch. I have vowed to not buy any new clothes until I get to the halfway point (which I am shooting for the end of April) and will be treating myself to exercise toys, accessories for my bike and cookbooks instead. I just love deciphering recipes, deconstructing them and making them more healthy. And that is what this is all about – it’s not a diet, it’s a healthy way to live.

I want to ride my bicycle
I just love, love, love my bike. I really do. I like to ride to the beach on Saturday morning, ride my bike to my friends’ homes, ride to the store and the library, and ride around just for fun. The weather has been great here and that only inspires me to get out and ride even more. My morning rides are the hardest to convince myself of, but when I do get peddling, the music in my ears and a fresh cup of juice or a smoothie when I get back really bring it all together. I feel so much better about myself when I ride. Since I can’t walk much, it is one of the only ways I can get mobile. My boss even gave me a harnessed pouch for Finnegan to ride in when I go out riding. I’ve thought about riding up to Georgie’s in the evening for cocktails since I will have to stick to one and not feel too guilty about the calories. We’ll see about that later. Future adventures include: the Saturday Morning Market downtown, visiting Michelle and Renee (both are just a few miles more) and maybe one day go all the way to Guy’s.
Santa baby

Made this when I was three - aren't you impressed???

Christmas was simple this year. I wasn’t able to give very much, if anything since money is pretty tight, but I was blessed with several treats. Ronn gave me a bottle of vodka accompanied by a bottle of deliciously spiced olives. That was my Christmas morning treat – a spicy martini to go with the healthy egg white omelet and tomatoes. Michelle shared with me a set of espresso cups and saucers from her grandmother and homemade marinara and cranberry sauce that she canned. Guy made it a Warholiday with a money tray in Andy style and a pink martini ornament for my pink Christmas tree. Heidi shared her generosity with my kids by getting the kitties some cat nip balls and Finnegan a squeaky toy. I just love how she always thinks of the pets during the holidays. Patty gave me a flask, though it only holds six ounces (HA) because she knows me so well. I know that will definitely get a lot of use. I always feel blessed when people share gifts with me, even if it is stuff that I never considered, I still am grateful since no one really has to do it. Plus, my friends are the same way since they appreciate anything that is given to them and they teach their kids this too, since just being kin is a gift.

Finnegan Begin Again
I waited 35 years to get a puppy for Christmas and it finally happened. Finn is still with his mommy and grandma since he isn’t weaned. It will be about 4 more weeks until he comes home to me. I have been visiting him at least once a week and even held him all night on New Year’s Eve. It was a quiet end to the year. Ronn joined me over at Patty and Jim’s where we sat out back, drank champagne and held puppies – what could be more magical? My first kiss of the new year was Finn with his sour puppy breath and newly opened eyes to see how much I love him. I am so excited to be a new mommy.

Kids in America

Dancing to "They Don't Know About Us" by Tracey Ullman

I ended the year dancing with my dear friends Patty and Tuttie to old 80s tunes and began 2009 dancing with Renee and Malika to reggae/hip hop favorites. I just love to dance, but don’t get the chance much. Being a goth kid in high school and college limited my dance moves though I have always loved dancing around the house. That is where it ended since I felt clumsy with my weight and lost with all the choreography. But that is all changing. Malika was showing me how to belly dance and Renee shared some of her Jamaican moves getting me up and running and I didn’t care how I looked, as long as I was having fun. So that is one of my new year’s goals – to dance more just for fun. Plus it is great exercise. Dexy's Dancing!!

Hot Hot Hot
For my new adventure in 2009 I got a new haircut. It isn’t too different from before and is even a recollection of a few years ago with short curls framing my face. I love it an am so excited with my new look. 2009 has so much possibility! Plus I have the perfect accessory for my new look - FINN!

And one sad note. On December 20, Jerry Taylor was murdered. Jerry and I worked together for several years. Though not close, we shared many laughs in boring meetings. As circumstances would have it, I spotted him a few months ago at my new place of business and found it a touch comforting to see someone from the old stomping grounds. He was an innocent victim of a deranged psychopath who also murdered Beth Evans, his ex-wife and a friend of Jerry’s. We weren’t close, but it still keeps me struck with sadness to think how this vibrant man and loving father will not longer be there to bring light into his daughter’s eyes.

It’s Raining Money

This is how I felt about us leaving this little bit of paradise - Bound up by a world I just don't want to be in anymore.

Up to this point every day was sunny and bright with a perfect temperature, but a little rain was due. Even rainy days are needed and on our trip it gave the perfect excuse to spend the day indoors. At the cabin it was only dripping through the trees, but the creek was rushing with a loud dose of white noise. From the front porch swing it sounded almost violent and mechanical like streaming cars on a freeway. I could have stayed there all day taking brief interludes in the hot tub when the rain allowed, but we decided to get going since it was our last day.

The contrast of the rushing water, the cool air and the slowed pace of this hovel in the woods made me feel like I belonged.

We took this opportunity to go to Harrah’s Casino, on the reservation. I have only been to two gambling places; Vegas and a boat somewhere in Indiana. Now Vegas is fun with lots to do and see. This was more subtle. The clientele were experts at this kind of gambling and I was a complete novice so when I lost my first $1.50 on video poker I stopped since I didn’t have anyone to ask how to play and make it worth my while.

Striking out on new adventures against a bright blue sky, I still have hope when it comes to overwhelming happiness and know one day I will find my place.

I like watching people gambling when it is all there in your face, but this was video blackjack with no sound or smell of cards which made it a bit boring. I wandered around the casino and hotel killing time.

The rain and the thought of the last day really gripped me and I broke out in tears as we watched TV that night. I didn’t want to pack or leave. The self pity raged through me and I wished that I had a different life where I could take my time on vacation and just be. Don’t get me wrong, I love my home and kitties, but I wanted to stay just for another day or two, but that wasn’t to be.

Like tears, rushing away, but pooled to feed.

Resigning myself that this time I had to go back, I started working on a plan for my next trip and for all the ease of those trips after that one since I hope to not be on anyone else’s timetable by then. Wish me luck!