Being a Tourist in Your Own State

Isn't it sad that sometimes we don't even know what treasures our own states hold until we have visitors?  We are always on the look-out for the "off-the-beaten path" places to visit when we have company.  Living in Florida, it can get pretty old to do the Disney, Universal, Sea-World,  "lather, rinse, repeat" cycle, so it's fun to find some "new to us" things to do.

What follows are some pics of one of the fun places we found to visit during our "special someone's" visit.  (There will be more to come sprinkled in with future stitching and what-not posts, as well.)  I wasn't born or raised here, but we learn more and more that we  live in an amazing state.  I *heart* Florida!!!  :)     (PS - the weather is pretty darn awesome most of the year, too!!)  :)


One of our first stops was http://www.wonderworksonline.com/  Wonderworks was a fantasic place in Orlando that was REALLY lots of fun!!  I highly recommend it as a place to go as a "break" from the "go, go, go" of Disney.  This is one of those places where adults can have just as much fun as the kids.

  The premise of this place is that it was picked up (I think by a "supposed" wild weather event and then placed "upside down".  In other words, the basement is the upper floor and the third floor is on the bottom floor.  (Yup, I had to ask directions "more" than once!  LOL   There were lots of exhibits here - you learned about cold water (hypothermia  killed most of the Titanic victims);  you place your hand in a bucket of water that is the same temperature of the water the Titanic sank in, and a clock counts down how long you keep your hand immersed.  I lost by ONE second!!!!!  (My snarky 15-yr old was determined not to let me beat him!)  You can also experience what it feels like to be in a hurricane, an earthquake, throw pitches to some of baseball's greatest, play with monster bubbles, lay on a bed of nails (you have a lot of control over this exhibit), "land" a space shuttle, go on a 4-d roller coaster, a really cool rope climbing adventure (I had to sit that one out due to my knee, but the guys said it was really fun!), do a virtual reality game, see yourself as an astonaut and with a "floating head" AND play laser tag on one of the world's largest laser tag courses!  (BTW - please note....out of the eight people in our group, I kicked MAJOR "sit-upon" at laser tag!!!!!  Got the highest score, I did!!!)  :)

        Ian's "floating" head

"Ace" looking like a bug-head playing one of the Virtual Reality Games

As a disclaimer, I don't work for nor do I know anyone who works for Wonderworks.  (If I would have, I would've know how to score discount tickets - LOL).   They do offer AAA and AARP discounts.

These pics bring back silly, happy moments.  Thanks for letting me share.

Cherish your memories,

*Sharon

Same Airport, Different Emotions....

Don't worry, there are LOTS of Florida tourism pictures that are heading this way in the next few days, but first, let's get one of my musings out of the way, shall we?

Have you ever noticed how ONE airport can have TWO entirely different emotions?  When our "special someone" was winging his way across the country for a visit with us a couple of weeks ago, I couldn't get to the airport fast enough.  It only takes us about an hour to get to the airport from our home, but I swear, getting to the airport to "pick up" seemed to take MUCH longer.  When we got there, I checked the arrival board about every two seconds, waiting for that "at gate" sign to show itself.  The joy and anticipation of hugs was over-whelming.  Tears shed were the 'happy" kind.

Fast forward through two absolutely wonderful weeks (minus one or two tourism "turkey's".  Hey, every state has 'em!)  Same route to the airport...but this time, the trip seemed to take only minutes.  I was trying so hard to cling to every last second.  This time I was staring at the departure board and dreading every minute that ticked by.

Those last final hugs were gut-wrenching and this time the tears were definitely not the joyful kind.  If you happened to be at the Orlando airport on Saturday, I was the lady who was holding on probably a little too tightly and soaking in tears. I was, however, appropraitely attired in black; that wasn't intentional on my part at all.  In fact, it kind of gave me a giggle when I got home and realized how I was dressed for "mourning")  I'm sorry if I happened to be your first impression of Florida - generally speaking, we're mostly a happy bunch!

The tears have stopped and looking at the pictures and remembering the fun memories has begun.  Lots of pics will be posted here in the coming days and weeks.  As my dad  always used to say, here's one to whet your whistle....(what's Florida without a plastic pink flamingo?) 

Cherish every moment,

*Sharon

TUSAL - February

Here are my orts for the month.  It may look like a messy nest, but I like watching the different layers "grow".  The mix of colors is random, funky and fun.  I can't draw a straight line with a ruler nor a circle with a compass, so for me, this is about as artistic as I get.  Sad,  huh?     LOL

You can tell I've been on a Valentine kick lately, look at all those shades of pink!  :)

Thanks so much for visiting with me....I really appreciate your time and each of your comments.  I "heart" ya'all!!!

Cherish,

Sharon

Thank You Hillary!!!!

When I came home from the hospital today to make Ian his soup, this LOVELY package was waiting for me!!!  I was lucky enough to win Hillary's give-a-way.  Can you believe all the goodies she tucked inside???  The hardest part will be deciding which one of these pretties that I'll start stitching first!  Thank you SO
 much Hillary.  This package couldn't have come at a better time for me.  To say it cheered me up is a HUGE understatement.  Thank you so much for sharing the love in your heart - your kindness will always be remembered!!!  May you be blessed as you have blessed others!!

Hugs,
*Sharon

The first 16 years......

Today is our 16th anniversary.  16 years!!   It's not always been perfect but it's always been right.  After I came out of a disastrous first marriage, I was VERY reluctant to be a "Mrs" ever again. My world had been pretty much shattered and I was sure that no one would ever be able to help me put it back together again.  (and I was pretty determined that I was never going to let anyone ever get close enough to even try), but as always, God knew the plan He had for me way before I did.  As corny as it sounds, my hubby is honestly the wind beneath my wings.  He helped me to eventually trust and believe and fly my way back into "myself"....and he loved me all along the journey.
We've had a few bumps and bruises but who hasn't?  We've made it through the best of times and the worst of times and through it all, we've done it together.  There is no one on earth who is more "in my corner" than my Sweetie...he truly is my "forever, for always and no matter what". 

I can't wait to see how much more fun we can get into!!!!!     :)   I love you, "Bear".

*Sharon

One of my most-favorite "foodie" blogs is Jamie Cooks It Up. She has some of the yummiest (and easiest!!!) recipes ever. My family *hearts* her and we don't even know her. :)
Each year around this time, we like to take treats to our favorite library people and to our local firefighters and policemen. It's always fun to find new goodies to try for gift-giving and this year, I went straight to Jamie. Can I just say how happy I am that I did???? Her white chocolate popcorn is so easy and so tasty! I kept making batch after batch as the applause came in. (blush, blush). I say it's always good to have a happy library staff (shh...they have been known to wave the occasional 10 cent late fee for me), as well as happy policemen and firemen. We really do appreciate all the work these folks do for us behind the scenes
So - can I entice you to visit Jamie and make some of this heavenly goodness? This takes about 5 minutes per batch to make - couldn't be any easier! Popcorn and chocolate and m & m's. Need I say more??? :)

Enjoy a treat!
*Sharon









Treats for Everyone!

Friends for All Seasons finish...

This is by Lizzie Kate.  This was a quick, fun stitch.  I love how the birds are included in each season.  This will be a Christmas gift for a dear friend of mine...it now passes on to my  Sweetie for framing.  I can't wait to see what he comes up with!

*Sharon

For Cohen...

Sending love and prayers to Megan and  Brent as they walk where no parent should have to walk.

*Sharon

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...."

With all apologies to Charles Dickens, this quote perfectly sums up the past couple of weeks of my life.  We were blessed to spend a week with one of the dearest people in my life.  (I was forced to promise that I wouldn't tell any embarrasing stories from his childhood on my blog, so I'll avoid that - but suffice to say, this fellow is a real sweetie to me!)
He took vacation time and escaped from the snowy west to come spend time here in sunny Florida.  Thank goodness, the weather cooperated with our plans. The week he was here was just lovely!! :)
Rather than do the crowded, "normal" tourist stuff, we decided to head a bit off the beaten path..  We wound up fishing in the ocean, (all we caught was a "kelp" fish (in otherwords, just a bunch of sea-weed).  We call sea-weed a "kelp fish" 'cause that way, it sounds like you actually caught something (even if you didn't)  :)

One of the stops we made was Gatorland.  My expectations for this place were SO low, but I have to say, we had a really fun time there.  We learned a lot about 'Gators and Crocs and nature in general.
Judging from this sign near the entrance, I was expecting a really "cheesy" day - but it was really a great way to spend a day.....

Here are some other photo's of our adventures with the Gators..............

He's just sleeping...honest! 

We also went to the National Police Hall of Fame and NASA/Kennedy Space Center and the Astronaut Hall of Fame.  We took a couple of "down days" just to relax too.  All in all - just a great week!  I'll post more pics of our various trips/tours later.  I don't want to bore you with ALL my wacky pics on one post!:)

Now for the worst of times part....I MISS HIM!!!!!  I spent all this past week moping and being sad cause I miss all the extra laughter and extra hugs.  I'm feeling better now and getting my groove back - stitching really is good therapy!  (Not to mention my sweet hubby and sweet son who are giving me extra loves!!)

This is a piece that I'm working on for my mom.  This is SOOO not my style - but she asked me to stitch something for her that was small, blue, spring-like and flowery.  I found this design and think it fit her request nicely.  I'll be glad when it's finished and can start on something that's more "me" - but I feel priviledged to

stitch for my Mom.

This is "Blue Posey" from Jeanette Crews "Hydrangeas" book.

Thanks so much for all your visits and kind words...ya'all are just the sweetest bunch of bloggers anywhere!

Wanna come for cheesecake?

Okay, so I am dumping ("personal responsibility") for the moment and I'm laying the blame for my calorie disaster on George Washington!  Years ago, when Ian was younger and just learning about the presidents, I started making cherry pie or cherry cheesecake on President's Day...it  became a yummy tradition.  This year, we voted to go with the cheesecake.  I don't even want to think about the calories involved - but it was so yummy, it was worth the splurge.
There's plenty of slices left - wanna come and share??  :)

*Sharon

How much is that doggy in the basket?

Thought I'd post a pic of Tea-Tsu hanging out in our Christmas "book basket".  She just hopped  right in and called it her own.  Come to think of it,  she calls most everything around here, "her" own!  LOL

Enjoy!

*Sharon

Happy Home Sampler Progress....

This is a progress shot of my "carry-over" project from '09.  I'm going to be working on this AND adding in some new projects for 2010.  I can't wait to see what stitches the new year brings...  :)

*Sharon

Happy "Flu" Year...

Yup, let the coughing and sneezing begin...  :(   

We have a white board on our door that leads from our laundry room into our garage.  Usually, one of us will grab the marker and write family "I love you's", favorite scriptures, holiday messages or quotes on the board.  It's been so fun to try to "sneak" the messages when no one is looking...and even more fun to find messages that someone else has written.  Ian's message today was to erase the "Happy New Year" message and change it to "Happy Flu Year".   I sure do love that not-so-little guy.  He keeps me laughing even when it's the LAST thing I feel like doing.
Ugh - bring on the tea with honey and lemon - I'm off to sneeze and stitch, and sneeze and stitch and...well, you get the idea.

Stay healthy!

*Sharon

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.....

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...in my stitching room!!! I got bit by the Christmas stitching bug early this year, and now I can add another finish to my pile! This is "Cold Hands" by Lizzie Kate. I just love this little guy - he'll be going to live with a friend in Ohio.




Currently, I'm working on "The Angels Sang" by Little House Needleworks. Not much progress to show on this one, but at least I'm headed in the right direction. (I think!) My son asked if this was going to be a ghost!! Me: "Nope, it's going to be an angel." Snarky Son: "All-righty then, if you say so - sure looks like a ghost to me though." :)
You'll have too stay tuned to watch the "ghost" grow wings and a halo!! :)


*Sharon

Tea Tsu Strikes Again!

My little sweetie just came home from the groomers...I thought I'd share her latest look with you. Okay, so there's not much difference between her "old look" and her "new look", but she's been strutting and stylin' around here like she's on the red carpet, so I decided to take advantage of her "posings". Enjoy! :)
Four-legged friends rule!
*Sharon
(Edited to add - Sheesh, I just realized I just took her picture on the same rug that I took her picture on last time she went to the groomers'. I've gotta find doggie some new digs!) :)

Stitching a Snowman...

I'm just having a blast stitching this fine fellow. This design is Lizzie Kate's "Cold Hands, Warm Heart". He's one of about 6 Christmas gifts I'd like to make for holiday giving this year. I love doing Holiday stitching, but I also have a stack of everyday "just for me" designs that I'm itching to get started on. Ah well, all good things in due time.
Sweltering and Stitching, (still in the upper 90's here - where's fall????)
*Sharon

Merry Friends Finish

Whoo-hoo! I think this is FINALLY the year that I "get it" - Christmas is coming!! Yea I know, most folks already know that - but this year, I "get" that I need to start my Christmas stitching now and not wait until December 1st to put in the first stitch on my Christmas "wanna-do's". So, with that being said, I proudly present my first "stitched for Christmas '09" finish! :) I just love Lizzie Kate's designs - they stitch up so fast and easy!
It feels sooooo good to have one gift under my belt. Next up - Lizzie Kate's "Cold Hands". This will be my 2nd time for stitching "Cold Hands"...I had a friend put in a special request for this design, so gift #2 will be soon underway!!! :)
Thanks for taking a peek!
Hugs,
*Sharon

My apologies to Delicate Beauties...(and a clock picture too)!

Have you ever felt the need to apologize to a piece of needlework? I love this piece so much and have always intended to finish it, but somehow it just keeps getting pushed further and further down into my "favorites" pile.
I started this piece in 2006, for crying out loud!!! :(
Anyway, I'm setting up a loose rotation schedule for myself in hopes of making some real progress with this. I'm still "floss-tossing" and "fabric fondling" to choose the next smaller piece I will do in my rotation. I'm stuck between choosing "Bosco Booberry" (he's so cute!) or "Killer Dust Bunnies". (that piece cracks me up!) Of course, "Bless Our Home" and "Cups of Friendship" are also calling to me to stitch them too. Do I dare live large and (GASP!) start them all??? Nah, remember Delicate Beauties, remember Delicate Beauties....(you don't have to read that over and over - that's just a reminder to me not to get too far off target - lol)
I think I'll sleep on it tonight and make my decision later this week. 'Course by then, some of you lovely people will probably entice me with your wonderful projects and then I'll want to start even MORE stitched goodies. Honestly, the web can be hazardous for stitchers...so many gorgeous designs that call my name when I see your work. :)
Our town had a spectacular art fair this week-end. The town shuts down to traffic and is filled with block after block of every type of artwork imaginable. The talent always amazes me...if I look at a log, I see a log. These artists look at a log and see a dolphin or a fish or a manatee. The wooden bowls are so smooth and just unbelievable with their many blends of wood. The jewelry, glasswork and ceramics are beautiful too. AND, the BEST PART??? Just look at what my sweetie bought for me!!

A teapot (w/ cup!!) clock! (Now, did you really think you were going to get away from my blog w/o reading "something" about tea???) :) Isn't this just the cutest?! The lady who makes these does the most amazing ceramic pieces - mostly large table tops, etc. She just happened to have this little pot and cup and we knew it was destined to come home with us. The colors are a perfect match for our kitchen colors/counter-tops. This was just made to hang over the door to our pantry! (Yes, I know - we have lots of clocks already in residence in our kitchen - think coffee pot, microwave, etc...but come on, a teapot clock!!?? Gotta have it, baby!!! :) Don't think my sweetie's kindness will go un-noticed, I see a few of his favorite desserts very soon in his future!! :)

I hope you each had a wonderful week-end and are ready to jump in to a mah-velous Monday! :)

*Sharon

Iced Tea Finish

Okay, so it's not a BIG finish...but it IS a finish! (And BTW, please try not to notice how LONG it took me to do the "not a BIG' finish!) :(
This was a fun stitch - life just keeps getting in the way of my stitching times. I wouldn't have it any other way though...'cause life, in addition to sometimes causing trouble, also carries with it the bonus of unexpected hugs from loved ones, time spent talking about important "nothings" with friends, and a lot of times, life includes good food! :)
Anyway, this little fellow will go (all together now - ya'all know the answer to this one!) - into my tea-themed kitchen. There's a spot on my kitchen island that just cries out for a snowman in a teacup. :)
Now, I'm going to treat myself and start something new AND pull out my long-standing (or is that long-suffering?) UFO, "Delicate Beauties". I'll post my new project and my latest DB pic later.
Thanks for all the lovely visits and comments. I appreciate each of you visiting!
Hugs,
*Sharon

Details:
"Iced Tea" by Midnight Stitching
28 ct. hand dyed fabric - "Sky"
Specialty Threads as called for in design (including that always dreaded Kreinik metallic)

Brrr....Iced Tea

The next piece that caught my stitching fancy is "Iced Tea" by Midnight Stitching. Isn't this just the cutest little fellow? (Now that he has eyes, anyway - before that he was just a kinda creepy-looking white blob! lol) I'm posting before and after pics so that you can see that I'm heading in the right direction with this! :)
Speaking of "cold", (we were? well, snowmen are cold, right?) Darn Nyquil must be kicking in...I seem to have caught that nasty cold bug that's been making the rounds...I am totally enjoying the irony that I'm stitching on a piece called "Iced Tea" while in "real life", I'm sipping EXTRA HOT tea w/ honey and lemon. :)
Must be the Nyquil again - but that just strikes me as being VERY funny. (Don't worry, I'm not out in "public" saying this lame stuff - I'm home all day today!) :)
Stay warm!
*Sharon