' For where I am , so you shall also be "

         
                                              I can't believe it is already spring ! It was a holiday filled with wonderment when I was growing up . Coloring eggs , Easter baskets , getting a new dress ,gloves and shoes and then the day arrived and after church the family would head to Torreya park and down by a creek the eggs would be hidden and found , a tin foil wrapped egg would be the prize egg and a picnic would ensue . They were wonderful times and I hope my daughter Lu has good memories like mine . These days I look at Easter totally different , I bask in a different light ...... it is the love of a Father who gave up his son so I may have eternal life and the precious Savior who finally whispered , " It is done " as he gave up his spirit . I am humbled and awed by this , such love ! The exhilaration of finding the tin foil wrapped egg , well .... it's nothing compared to finding the precious gift that God gave us , the gift of Jesus . May God bless your Easter and may you find your prize too! xxoo  Susanne

excuse me , is there anything by Jim Fowler or Jack Hannah ?

                                                               " Sometimes I just sits and reads, and sometimes I just sits ." I love this picture of Buddy who lives at Downtown Books in Apalachicola . He , like myself , loves to hang out in book stores . My friends tease me that when I go missing , and it is often , they know they can find me at the local bookstore here in town . My daughter , Lu , is the same , we love books !  I think it is all the possibilities and the armchair travel that reading provides that is the draw for me . I am simply amazed when people tell me they don't read for enjoyment ..... WHAT ! Anyway , it is the best get away on a cold , rainy , dreary day ...... and if you need to find me , I'll be at Books-a-million , or Barnes and Noble , or Borders or................ xxoo , Susanne

room with a view

                                              As long as I can remember, I've loved going to the beach. The smell of salty air and suntan lotion is permantley etched in my brain . I grew up going to this island , and my mom and daughter and I would make pilgrimages all summer to sit in the sand , drink ice cold lemonade , read magazines and talk about things that were on our minds . For some reason it was easier at the beach , maybe there were limited distractions , but all three generations could connect on the same level . Those were days I would not trade for the world . My mother is gone now , but my daughter still loves to go with her friends , and me......... I'm happy to sit with my coffee and watch the water sometimes from a view like this and be happy to be alive . God bless your day , xxoo Susanne

what new fabrics ?

                                                                      See this ? It keeps me up at night , it makes my blood race , it makes me spend my milk  money ....... it's beautiful fabrics . Of course working with gorgeous home dec fabrics for over 20 years has not helped , now I'm on to the quilting realm . My projects outnumber my time to spend quilting and crafting but no matter , its been the best therapy for me and I get a heirloom quilt or pot holder to boot !!! Hope your creative juices are flowing today , and the best thing about these small , colorful parcels is that my husband doesn't notice that they are stacking up , until he notices we are eating beanie weenies .....again .xxxooo  Susanne

the aftermath

                                                           Ok , this is just plain embarrassing . I went toe to claw with an Alaskan King crab and well ....... you can see the aftermath . It wasn't pretty . I wowed the Husband and friend who witnessed it , they were stunned . All I can say is........... pass the butter sauce ! Much love to you , Susanne

Great things He hath done

              " It's not what you look at that matters , its what you see "  Henry David  Thoreau

  I took a long walk the other day and saw the world through different eyes . I had just found out that a dear friend's father was found with three cancerous tumors on the base of his brain . Things haven't been sounding good and this dear family is trying to hold it all together and trying to just be there . We all are holding our breath to find out what happens next , so I got out for fresh air and a little prayer . All that I had on my mind was possible death , hard decisions , big tears rolling down the face of this dear family ........ but on that walk , all I could see around me was life , the earth's birthing pains , God's gentle hand in creating . In Ecclesiastes , Solomon talks about life and for everything there is a season , the giving and taking , the cycles of life and death , the laughter and tears , the time to labor and a time to rest . God in his infinite wisdom and mercy has thought of everything , no stone left unturned . All I know is that I would rather Him make the decisions , His will be done , even though I don't understand why . He created the stars and the starfish and the wild violets that are peeking out in perfect timing , I put my trust in Him . In Love,  Susanne
                                         

another day in paradise

                                                                      To me , this is paradise . I have sat on this porch on Bay Ave. in Apalachicola for many years . It has been the scene of much wine drinking , book reading , breakfast eating and many good talks with dear friends . You can see the bay from this porch and I love to watch the water turn from gray to gray blue to amethyst . At night if I couldn't sleep ( maybe too much wine ! ) you can see what looked like hundreds of shrimp boats out there with their lights twinkling on the water ....... just beautiful . I consider this welcoming porch to be my friend , I always enjoy coming back to visit . Till next time-  Susanne

the call of the siren

I just got back from a much needed vacation to the beautiful Gulf Coast . It was still very chilly but so clear and so beautiful ! While there I had to visit my favorite place in the world , Apalachicola . The t-shirts say " A quaint drinking village with a fishing problem " , but I call it wonderful . It is a small town  with much history ,  some real characters and  beautiful old homes such as this one .  It is famous for its delicious oysters , and we did partake .... ! It is a place to go to remember what "Old Florida " was like where  palmettos and palms cohabitate with sandy pines . and people look you in the eye and say hello . I love the slow pace and the very southern feel  there that I grew up with and the fact that many artists flock there to be inspired and to just get away from it all . I go there for inspiration myself  , see new and old things ...... and the soft shell crab sandwiches don't hurt !  Until next time - Susanne

hello March !

                                                      The weather is beautiful and sunny here in N.W. Florida and has got me wanting to play outside badly , but obligations keep me in . The week-end was exciting with a bridal shower for my co- worker Krista , work , another wonderful meal by my husband and friend Rick , helping my daughter LuLu move the last of her apartment to a truck ....... did I miss anything ? So now I am having the second cup of java of  the day and need to get up and rock and roll . I wish I could be outside today , I love March . We moved into my childhood home over 10 years ago  in March and my mother's yard was so incredibly beautiful . There are camellias , dogwoods , snowdrops , azaleas , and later came the hydrangeas. I love to mix in shrimp plants, palms , herbs and philodendrons into the mix. When I see all this beauty in nature I have to give thanks to our Creator , we are so richly blessed . I hope to be at the coast this week-end and hope your week is a wonderful one , xxoo Susanne