That Special Time of the Year

There's a time of the year when the stores get crowded, a parking spot is nonexistent, the most popular items are hard to find, people are lined up at every cash register all the way to the frozen foods with full shopping carts. People are fighting over the last boys' size 12 cargo pants. Ahhhh, the first day of school is upon us!
These clouds hung low over my area as the children ventured out of their homes at the butt crack of dawn after months of sleeping until noon. They squinted up at the sky, it's message to them that the fun was over. Time to live in the real world for another 180 days.
The high schoolers seemed in good spirits.

The first time middle schooler was not impressed. If you don't think boys are just as hormonal as girls, come live at my house for a few days.

Mom's Day Out

For the first time in 8 weeks there is no one around to ask me to do anything for them. So what do I do? Why I head to the beach. Every time I leave my house to run errands, this is my view waiting for the light to change:

I try very hard to remember that even when it's 180 degrees outside and the yellow flies are biting me; this view, a few miles from my house, is a gift. I'm lucky to be able to see it when I have to do something as boring as pay the power bill. It reminds that even though life goes on, we have cars, we have bills, that view is free--at least until they decide to build a 40 story condo on that land.

This was the sunrise at the beach this morning. I snapped this shot around 8:00a.m.

Here's another picture without people to spoil the landscape:

If you look to the left of center, I think that's a dolphin fin. It's supposed to be a dolphin fin, but it's possible it's a guy on a surfboard. I know there was a dolphin fin there when I pushed the button on the camera. Even though I've lived here almost ten years and I've seen a gazillion dolphins, there is nothing more exciting than to be sitting on the beach and see that fin break through the surface of the water. It never fails to make me feel like a tourist and it also makes me wish that I lived in a house on the bay and Flipper could come and visit me at the end of my pier.

Hey Mr. Lifeguard, that gull, that one right there, he took my bread. What are you going to do about it?

Happy Feet and please don't enlarge this picture because you will get a good look at the hair on my legs because I forgot to shave!

Thanks to everyone for your comments and stopping by to read the blog. When I started this blog a few years ago I never dreamed that anyone but me would read the words I put out in the universe. So thank you!

A Letter From:

The Village of Hawk Run Hollow Board of Adjusters
Dear Melissa

We have viewed your site plan for the Northwest Florida version of the Village of Hawk Run Hollow and have determined that your submitted materials of DMC floss and 32ct Vintage linen meet with our approval.




We had put your plans on the back burner because you kept changing your mind regarding the NPI silks threads and the Legacy linen. We found your indecision to be, at the very least, annoying. We could not in good faith approve one plan only to discover a month or so later that you chose completely different materials.



The DMC and 32ct Vintage linen will be fine. Both products have served stitchers well for many years.

We have studied the site plan seen below and other than the mysterious crop circle on plots two, three, five and six we find that your survey seems to be accurate and each square meets the 92x92 stitch requirement. It is our understanding that you are getting to the bottom of the crop circle issue and these findings will not be made public. We only want success for the Northwest Florida Division of the Village. Finding the Village of Hawk Run Hollow published in U.F.O. Sightings magazine would not be positive publicity, and yes we are aware that your planned village is in an area of the country with documented U.F.O. sightings:

The Gulf Breeze, Florida UFOs (Ed Walters), UFO Casebook files


UFO Evidence : Gulf Breeze Sightings

We are writing to inform you that the Northwest Florida Division of the Village of Hawk Run Hollow is absolutely not going to become the next Roswell, NM.



We expect timely updates of your progress and to be notified immediately of any changes you might anticipate to the approved Village plan.

We are watching you.

Sincerely

Village of Hawk Run Hollow
Board of Adjusters

Greetings From

The surface of the sun!

Scary how you can actually see the air in this picture isn't it? I'm southern. Heat is nothing new to me. We southerners love our heat. This summer though, I can't remember it ever being this hot. Seriously. You feel the air. It's like walking through a force field. One day this week Pensacola, FL was the hottest place on earth. I believe it. The picture above was taken about 7:30 this morning.


Here's another angle. My favorite view of the beach a spot where there are no humans. Yes, there were people there and in a few hours they will be elbow to elbow but this morning I was able to snap my first quiet beach shot in months. I'm not sure what the rippley things are above the lifeguard stand but I'm guess it's more solid air!

Why Publix is the Greatest Grocery Store on Earth:



They now carry Dunkin' Donuts coffee beans. The nectar of the gods I tell you. All you Northeasterners can't appreciate how lucky you are to have Dunkin' coffee readily available to you. We are stuck with Starbucks and Krispy Kreme coffee. Krispy Kreme coffee is not my favorite. I dislike it so much I drink milk with my hot donuts. Starbucks, if only the Dulce de Leche Latte was a permanent menu item. I might be your BFF but don't lure me in and get me addicted to a certain latte and then decide not to keep it on the menu. That is so cold. So Publix, I love you!

School starts here on Monday. Thank you, thank you, thank you! This has been one long, hot summer. It doesn't help that the 12 yr old has hit puberty and all the B.O. that comes with it. I feel for him. He actually requested deodorant. The brand he requested doesn't appear to be working though. We've informed him he needs the strong stuff. He's also gotten a little hormonal and most of the summer has been spent trying to stay out of his way.

Reading:

I just finished The Woods by Harlan Coban and Tumbling Blocks by Earlene Fowler.

I'm listening to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

I just started reading The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon.

I love my library.

Hard Core

There are times when chocolate cake for breakfast is the only reason to get out of bed:

The craziness of the past week just dissolves into a gooey chocolate faint, faded, just on the tip of your tongue memory. The best place to hide the crazy:

One version of the recipe for the Texas Sheet Cake can be found here:

The Pioneer Woman Cooks!: The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever.

This cake has been a family favorite for years and it's truly the best chocolate cake ever!

Monday, a week ago, I got some bad family news. The phone call that my dad was in ICU. Prognosis was not good. (He's home now, so things weren't as bad as everyone thought). In the mailbox I found a package:

Inside was this very wicked cool pincushion from Kwilty Kim--Threadheads Unite! Does she rock or what? It really brightened a very dark couple of days. Thanks Kim, I am so honored! By the way Happy Birthday!

The new pincushion will get its maiden voyage on the Dresden Plate quilt I plan to start piecing pretty soon from the assorted fabrics you see below.

Here's my progress as of today on Blackbird Designs Beneath the Sunlit Sky:

I'm waiting on GAST Antique Rose and Grape Leaf.


Here's a Sonne Spotte update:

I'm truly, madly, deeply in love with this bit of needlework. It's joy, plain and simple. Yes, I'm a dork but I don't care. I tried to take some close up shots of the splashes of color but the sun was too bright and no matter where I stood my shadow seemed to cover it up. I gave up. Trust me it's unbelieveably beautiful.



This big guy has set up housekeeping in the tree outside my kitchen window. The web runs from tree to ground. Lives in a mansion of a web let me tell ya. There would have been a photo of the web but one morning at 4am while attempting to quietly chase the dog I ran right through it. I guess I'm lucky the critter doesn't now live in my hair. ICK!