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Tuesday, November 29, 2016

From Key Largo to Home!

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Here we are heading out on Sunday for a glass-bottomed boat tour outside of Key Largo.

And I have to admit that I was relaxed and enjoying this so much that I didn’t even remember to take photos.

Sometimes you just have to see life in real time, and get out from behind the camera lens.

I did end up taking photos of a couple of things that took my breath away, besides the sea and the sun and puffy white clouds.

Who can resist a gorgeous green iguana?


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Look at that vibrant color?

He was just sunning himself in the waiting area before we boarded the glass-bottomed boat and I couldn’t resist taking a photo of him.  Her?  Who knows.  If you are going to be green, be the best vibrant green that you can be!

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Are there fish in here somewhere?

I’m not one who gets motion sick, but watching the ocean floor pass by through the windows in the bottom of the boat made me feel like I was reading in a car on a windy road.  We saw a shark, several barracudas lots of colorful little fish, but the camera couldn’t capture them very well, so I gave up.  I just enjoyed!

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Do you see what I see?

By far the most amazing creature was right outside of our hotel room in the canal, and I spotted him on two different days.  What looks like a submerged balloon is a manatee!


He was there on the surface not far from my lounge chair, and I hopped up to catch him, but he quickly went deeper and deeper until he couldn't be seen at all.

Such beautiful gentle creatures!

And these funny ibis were EVERYWHERE, sometimes running around in groups of 5 or 6:

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So fun to watch!

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It was a great way to relax and soak up the vitamin D!

When temps are this lovely in Florida, I can understand why so many adapt the snow-bird life when they reach retirement age.  Every day was just beautiful.  It was great for my mind, body and soul!

Our travel home began yesterday mid-afternoon and we were home by bedtime. Uneventful travel, lost the ONE PIN I had to pin the fabric to my hexie papers –looked for it under my seat as best as I could and no dice.  Oh well.  Someone will find it!

I finished my audio book, I finished the one kindle book that was on the tablet, and didn’t have internet to download another. (Didn’t think ahead before leaving the hotel!) and I just closed my eyes and slept the last leg home.

HOME.

A whole month HOME!


Who is happier to see me??

So funny!  Sadie always jumps up onto THIS spot on the bed.  She always looks the same.  And if you point the camera, Emmy Lou turns her head away.  ALWAYS the same.

Yep, it’s good to be home.

Today I’ll start cherry picking through the orders that DO NOT have Essential Triangle Tools included, and get those out.

 4,000 copies of Addicted to Scraps have arrived at the Yellow Freight Depot and we’ll go over tonight and pick those up.  The next big delivery Mid-December should be the 4,000 Essential Triangle Tools and I’ll be able to fill those orders still in pre-order status.

Tomorrow afternoon, after a dentist appointment, I’m headed to the cabin to sew my brains out though the weekend. And clue #2 of En Provence will go live on FRIDAY!

As nice as it was to “relax” in Florida, I’m not good at “DOING NOTHING”  and now I’ll have time to do what I really WANT to do – SEW!

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Quiltville Quote of the Day!

Vintage signature quilt shared by Kevin H.

I've always loved what the Dalai Lama said about ripples. "Just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water, the actions of individuals can have far-reaching effects."

When I look at names on signature quilts time stops in its tracks and I love to think of the lives - the men, the women, the children and all they were to each other and how the way they treated each other has reached out into our time with these same ripples, or fingerprints.

Make sure the fingerprints you leave are happy, loving ones.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!


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22 comments:

  1. always good to recharge the batteries of life and slow down for a couple days - I'm sure your body will thank you for the vacation and the vitamin D. We didn't take the glass bottom boat tour when we were there but we did get out on a boat that went real close to the shore by all the tree roots- not sure on the name of the trees but the manatees were weaving in and out among the roots and there must have been 3 or 4 that we saw there.

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  2. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy your month-long time with your family/friends and sewing. Merry Christmas, Bonnie.

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  3. Bonnie, glad you could recharge your batteries. We don't want you to run out of energy (or worse, burn out).

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  4. Have a wonderful winter break and get those batteries recharged. Winter hasn't hit here in MT yet, but it will come eventually and I will be Bon Bon sewing all winter. Thank you for the mystery. Love it all ready. I wanted to let you know I really like your new rulers. Nice job. Hugs Kerri


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  5. Sounds like you could have spent more time there and I am sure your husband would enjoy more scuba diving (I would think that it would be a good place for tennis in the winter). My step-sister and husband go to Florida for golf in the winter (can't do that it Vermont). I have been once, but it wasn't all vacation, because my Mom was in a nursing home. My daughter wanted to see the Manatees, but there didn't seem to be time to drive to the coast from Ocala.

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  6. The Keys are so beautiful and you captured the colors perfectly. It sounds like a perfect "unwind" vacation. Enjoy your time off and all of the fun sewing days ahead.

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  7. Can I just say thank you. For everything. Just everything. Your daily posts make my day and I have taken more than one of your sayings to heart. Your ripples reach far.

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  8. Love the manatee shot. Reminds me of my college days way back in the dark ages when I used to spend belly time at the end of my parents dock studying. There was a small gathering of manatees that came to visit almost every time I was there. I used to touch them and talk to them. That is illegal now and maybe was then, but they came to me and loved to get the attention.

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  9. I am glad you are home and met with such a cute welcoming couple!!! Perfect pair, those two! And I know they were glad to see you both back where you belong - and I know you are going to have a great time at the sewing machine because you took the time to get re-charged and now it's 'go' time!!!
    And now it is time for me to get back to my partner in crime - getting through these 4-patches has me also doing other things too!! So, spools are being created, super small 4-patches for a future project being created with the 'left-overs' from the strip sets I made to make these 4-patches, and mostly, I am having fun being behind the machine again.
    Loved yesterday's post, now it makes me want to go sew with them!! Here is to a great sewing week and making magic out of nothing at all. Here is to neutral 4-patches, they are so cute. Did not expect that, so this is fun!! Thanks Bonnie.

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  10. I spent 14 years in Miami but only got to see manatees up close a few times. The most memorable was canoeing in one of the canals when a manatee began surfacing right next to me. I swear I could have touched him/her but didn't want to chance it. It was fantastic since they are so graceful - but ohhh the scars from boat motors/etc.

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  11. You are a prime example at leaving happy, quilty ripples in the lives of so many of us. Thank you again!

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  12. Anonymous11:32 AM EST

    Three things how large was that miniature dinosaur, and was it in a cage or free range.

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  13. Beautiful photographs; I loved looking at the warmth & wildlife while it snows here.

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  14. Although not in the Keys I do spend 4 months in SW Fl and my other 3 seasons in Maine so I am almost always only an hours drive from the beautiful ocean. It certainly does have a calming effect on me even in a raging storm. So glad you were able to enjoy your time near the water. We have a manatee park near us and it is always so much fun to visit. One day last year, a cold one down south, we saw between 30-50 (who could count them) at one time and what a treat that was. Bonnie, enjoy your month off or should I say month at home, because I expect that much of that time will be sewing for a book project, writing the book and the wonderful blogs, they often brighten my day. Thank you for giving so much of yourself to us.

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  15. Cabin time doing what you LOVE, sounds just like Heaven on Earth. I'm recuperating from too much fun and surprises on the Weekend. More 4 patches to getdone by Friday. Taking my sweet time this year.

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  16. It's been snowing in Utah, and now the temperature is really dropping. Your lovely Florida pictures make me want to take a trip. Maybe next year I'll haul my camping trailer to Florida for the winter! But instead I built a large fire in the fireplace and worked on En Provence. I have finished 453 4-patches, 200 of them just today. This is my first mystery, and I'm trying to make enough pieces to make a twin and a queen size quilt simultaneously. I've learned already that reading your instructions carefully, and following directions precisely, results in amazingly accurate patches. Bonnie, thank you so much for all you do, and how you invite us all into your life.

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  17. Your glass bottom boat experience brought back memories of wanting to watch for sea life through the glass, but checking the horizon most of the time to counteract the severe motion sickness it caused. Still a beautiful experience at Key West. Thanks for sharing and enjoy your winter break!

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  18. I, too, had the insight "living" behind a camera, sometimes I missed out on LIFE as it was happening in an attempt to catch it in a photo... love your thoughts and 'stream of consciousness' style ... it is indeed a good thing to unwind, but after two days, maybe three of not sewing, I tend to become a little 'testy'... smiles and hugs, happy holiday with friends, critters and family... I've done about 120 4-patches... and happily looking toward Friday's new clue... Thanks, again, for your contribution to MY life... and all the others who follow your avocation.
    Cats

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  19. So happy you enjoyed your vacation in the Florida Keys.

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  20. Going away is so anticipated and fun, but going home is really the best!! So glad you were able to relax and enjoy some real time off!!

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  21. thank you for sharing the manatee shots...and your whole vacation! you still think of us when you're taking some much needed time off...THANK YOU!!

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  22. What a delightful vacation. I loved seeing videos of the manatee. As a 4th generation Californian on the shady side of my 67th birthday, there are still so many things I want to see and experience. I'm blessed by all that you share here.
    Piecefully,
    Carol in California
    Arizona or bust!!
    ❤️

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