There are more Dolphins than I expected to see.

 Our area is gearing up for the RNC and the thousands of people expected to come for the three day convention.  From what I can see the streets are getting a cleaning up and the hotels are sprucing up.  The shops and restaurants are all so happy to see the money coming as people will be spending lots of it.

  I am not endorsing any party but just want to share a few of the decorations going up  around the Tampa Bay area.

 

I took a ride over to Clearwater Beach to see what was going on and found more Dolphins than I expected.

 

   

As you come across the causeway onto the beach drive  you will be greeted by dozens of Dolphins around the circle of  Pier 60 park.  The local business all got together and bought a Dolphin and were told to paint it with their own art work and I took a few photos as they lined the park with these really interesting dolphins. Each had a sign at the bottom with the business name.

In the banner below you can see Pier 60  as it jetties off  Clearwater Beach into the Gulf  from the park.  This pier is normally full of fishermen, and on a normal day the beach is totally full of vacationers.

Some people call it paradise.  I call it a great place to walk.

From what I was told, once the convention is over the Dolphin will be scattered around  Tampa Bay in different parks and hot spots for all to enjoy.

 If you come down to  Tampa Bay in the future you may run into some of these Dolphins scattered around town.

This week I'm going to drive the area and see  more of the decorations that will be  put up to entice and entertain the visitors expected.

I'm linking up to 

Wow Us Wednesday 

Outdoor Wednesday 

Alphabet Thursday, the letter M 

Wine and Pinterest....

Did you ever have an upcoming weekend that was filled with simply nothing?

In a perfect world, that is wonderful, right?

This is all I want to do.

Have a glass (or three) of wine.

(I'd like to thank my son for this great photo of his wine glass sitting out on the deck in Juneau)

 On another note,

Pinterest is making me fat and I need to stay out of there. Really, it's chock full of sweets. They may be nice but I need to stop making them (eating them)!  We need to see more old fashioned crafts!

 "Have a great weekend everyone"

Look how pretty and large they are....

 The storms come and go here in So Florida but my Caladium 

plants in the front yard are looking quite nice and are as happy as can be.

I love the look of the leaves and the wonderful red/burgundy color they have produced.

I guess they like soggy soil and lots of shade under the old Oak tree.

I'll be linking this post to

Outdoor Wednesday 

Alaphabet Thursday 

Cottage Garden Party 

Fertilizer Friday 

A soft little bag to hold my knitting while flying...

I've been mentally packing for a few flights I'll be taking in a few weeks and the one thing that must go with me is my knitting.  I hate sitting on planes with nothing to do. Reading is fine but I like to look around and keep my mind on the flight not some good book  (I'm odd like that).

My thought went to a soft bag of sorts to carry my knitting and the ease of just stuffing it in my carry on when I need to. So I dug in my fabric box and found this piece that has been in there for quite some time.  Appropriate enough it's design is about sewing.

I simply cut a rectangle and sewed the sides together.

Then sewed  a band around the top, added a button hole on each side of the band for the draw string.

Why buy some expensive braided rope when I have so many different yarns to choose from.  I simply measured out a length and used six strands to give it some strength.

 Don't laugh but I was being lazy and did not want to get up and hook the end of the yarn to something while I braided it into a rope, so please excuse my foot,  I used my toes.

 Then hooking the new braid to a safety pin, I ran it through the band I created on top.  Worked perfectly!

 There, that was easy and only took about a half hour to make.

 It's so soft and shoves easily into my carry on.

 Now thinking about the security... a few months ago I flew and brought my crochet, that was a hook. I'm wondering if they will let me on with knitting needles?  The one I'm using is in the round, not two long needles.  Hopefully they will not take it from me?  How upset I was when they took my favorite pair of sewing scissors.  They were all of 2 1/2 in long but they took them away from me anyway.  I could have done more damage with my pen?

Has anyone flown lately and brought their knitting needles into the cabin? If anyone has the answer please let me know... TY

I'm linking up to

Inspiration Friday

Vintage Friday 

Frugal Friday 

DIY Link Party @ Funky Junk 

We Did It Wednesday 

Do you use Aloe for it's medicinal purposes?

This doses not happen too often.. It's only the second time I've seen the Aloe Plant bloom. Might have something to do with all the rain we have had over the past month?

 I bought a tiny potted Aloe 5 years ago because I actually use it for burns and cuts. I also rubbed the soothing gel that comes from the leaves on a surgical scar that was rather large and sore.  Today this scar, that is on my lower back is smooth and not too bad to look at and I really think the Aloe helped it heal.  The original plant  outgrew the pot so I put it way out back near the creek and it grew to the size of a garbage can lid. It may be funny but once in a while you will see me go down there with the scissors to cut a piece for some cut or abrasion.   The babies that grew beside it were always pulled and I'd give them to friends and neighbors.

 The flowers are rather like hanging bells and have a waxy feel about them.

 I'll be linking this post to

Tuesdays Garden Party 

Outdoor Wednesday

What's It Wednesday 

Fertilizer Friday 

Did you ever get so upset that you wanted to kick something?

 

Not too often do I get so upset that I have to take a step back and regroup or possibly kick something!

This past week my favorite statue, one that has been sitting on my back deck for years,  was blown off the deck rail and smashed the poor Angels  head right off into 5 pieces!

"I wanted to cry" 

She has been wired to the tree but the rain storm blew so hard the other night and smash!

She fell one floor down onto the ground between two large oak trees and all I could do was put her in the kitchen sink for a bath.

I had to try and save her.

Out came the liquid nails. I then went to work seeing if I could piece her head together.

A bit of glue and some masking tape and by golly I think I did it.

There may still be a few holes where I could not patch so I got out the water proof plaster and sealed her even further.  She will be out in the weather you know!

I tied her to the tree with strong fishing wire that I doubled up and intertwined around her wings and body, then used a really nice sticky tape made to hold corners of carpets,  to anchor her to the deck rail.

Saved!

And I did not have to kick anyone or anything!

My Angel  has always been the first thing I saw from my kitchen window as I filled the kettle, and it would have been sad to loose her.

I'm linking up to

Metamorphosis Monday 

Tuesdays To Do List 

White Wednesday 

Alphabet Thursday 

Sunny Simple Sunday 

Marvelously Messy Monday 

What do you do with your spare time? I knit because it calms me....

For the past three months I have been on a knitting frenzy.  

This is what I do in my spare time. I love to knit and can knit without a pattern. I'm not saying the items turn out perfect. I just look at a photo and do the best I can.

 Winter in Oklahoma is cold and my daughter and her three small boys have no winter clothing.  I told her as she starts to get their wardrobe of cold weather clothes together to wait on the hats and scarves till grandma's box arrives. 

I did not count all the items made but I can say the three small boys have two sets of hats and scarves.

My daughter has two sets of leg warmers and 4 scarves with one matching hat along with an eternity scarf. 

 I really love all the new yarns we now have to choose from, so many different textures and colors.

This one should keep Gina's head and neck warm.

 Lets not forget Dad,  my son in law. I made the scarf extra wide so he could wrap it around his nose and face during those cold winter Oklahoma ice and snow storms.

  For the boys I made each  a sweater.  I only had two complete and they went in the box.  I'm still working on the third sweater and that will go with me when I fly there in three weeks.  Yes, grandma is going to visit.  It will be so nice to see the kids once again.. I only had the pleasure once in the past three years. Guam is so far and that tiny island did not have the kind of  trauma center that could take care of me if needed.  I  could not trust my heart on such a long trip. Imagine if I had trouble and was in a plane over some South Pacific island.. what would they do with me?  So we  kept in touch through Face Time.  The kids did come visit once as the plane fair ran them, for a family of 5, close to $10,000.  really!  Thankfully here in Florida,both grandmas live within 5 hours by car, from each other.

 

The package is in the mail.   I've gotten in the habit of sending a box ahead of me when I fly.  This box would cost who knows what to put on a plane, so this has become what we who travel do, instead of paying to stow it on commercial.

I've got to think of something new to do while sitting.  Maybe I'll make myself a new sweater?  Or I can start on a layette for child number 4.  My daughter and her husband are thinking of their next production, a little girl.  Gina said, "there is much too much Testosterone floating around her home".  Then she laughed and said, "You watch mom, I'll have twin boys"!

We will see?

I'm linking up to

Wow Us Wednesday 

Creative Things 

Thrifty Things Friday 

Inspiration Friday 

Thank You, Thank You, and how proud I am of you all!

I'd like to take a moment to say a BIG  

"Thank You"  

to all the men and women who continue to serve our great Country.

 This MARINE is a quadruple amputee named Todd Nicely of Arnold, Missouri. Check out his t-shirt and you'll see that he manages to have a sense of humor about his sacrifice!

And he is cute to boot!

God Bless You Son!