Carolina Cards by Mary H.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

 

Update: We got up very early (and you all know how I like early - but we did enjoy a lovely sunrise), packed up the last bits, did the goodby (I did well, for me!) and set off. About 20 minutes on the road, the engine light came on, stayed on. Never happened before, and our truck is fairly newish (3 yrs old) and is maintained well. In fact, just serviced a week before we left home. Stopped, checked all that Mr. knew to check, dug out the owners manual, read....etc. We think (hope!) it is just faulty electronics with the light, BUT....we decided we didn't want to take a chance, perhaps get stranded along the highway. So called the DD, let her know we were coming back. All the places are closed today, but she thinks perhaps the local dealership is open a few hours on Saturday. Had to unload enough stuff to stay another night. Mr. just said, he's not driving over the weekend. Today traffic would have been ok, but not the weekend. I'm thinking perhaps our Guardian Angel was at work, and telling us to stay off the highway today. I do believe things happen for a reason! So talk witcha latah. Hope your overnight celebrations didn'd have any bad repercussions this morning. I watched some awesome fireworks out over the water, as I sat at the laptop watching some videos.



Good Morning! As you read this post, we're on the road back to Upstate South Carolina...sorry to leave the sunny warm climes of South Florida and of course the Daughter. But life has to return to normal, and there it is. We had a lovely Christmas, quiet, but we were together as a family....the folks I love best in all the world, so a real blessing to us all. It was a gorgeous sunny day too.

 Looking forward to the start of the last season of Downton Abbey...which I think is to start on our Public Broadcast Station this Sunday. Perhaps Series 7 Doc Martin too, but I've seen that on Acorn TV already, plus have the dvd set. I'll watch it again though. Love my Doc Martin.

DH & DD went to see the new Star Wars. Since that genre is not something I enjoy, I stayed with the poochies. (One girl has been ill - won't eat, listless - so many vet trips, and still no resolution.) Wednesday was a trip to Sarasota to see a veterinary neurologist, and that night, DD had to get a tiny camera down her throat. Can you imagine this kind of technology? Now they're checking her intestines & stomach.  At least after some tests (think it was an MRI) the neurologist felt confident to rule out a brain tumor-- which we're told could cause some of her symptoms. Dallas was not thrilled to have to swallow the camera, but she was very good about it. Poor dog couldn't have any food 8 hours prior - which is why the vet didn't handle the camera bit; then after it got swallowed, no food until the next morning. Now when she's outside, she has to be watched for when the camera is passed...UGH! DD has a stronger, less squeamish stomach than I do. However, if it is not passed through her system  & found - surgery will be required to remove it. We're hoping she will eliminate it. I was amazed at how well DD handled her baby to get her to swallow this camera, which is about the size of my little finger joint. I worried that the dog would get choked, but she didn't. Hope this is not TMI...I thought it was kinda interesting...had no idea this kind of thing is done with animals.

 

 

I hope that all my blog friends had a good night to celebrate the dawn of a new year. As for me, I can't believe just how fast 2015 sped past. When I was a kid, I'd hear old people (younger than I am now!!!!) talk about how fast time would fly. I was so puzzled, because time moved along slowly to me, 24 hours to the day, 7 days per week, etc. etc. So how could it move any faster than it did? Utter nonsense.  Thought I'd never be 16 years old. Then -- forever  for the 2 yrs until 18...and on to 21. Then my husband was in the service for 4 years......gone overseas for 2 years and we thought that would never end. It did;  ever since then, time just seems to keep moving faster & faster.Our daughter grew up so fast.  My brain tells me, this isn't really true...but good heavens, we just celebrated 2015...and here we are at 2016 awready!!

 

 

Sorry to say I did very little coloring while away. Just dragged along the big copic bag for nothing. I did practice watercolor with the Zig brushes one morning, and it was absolute rubbish. I'm not sure if it was the thickness of the watercolor paper (I think I had stamped on Strathmore 140# paper since my plan was to experiment with different papers). Stamped in black Versafine, embossed with clear. Now I've embossed the images previously that I watercolored with these markers, and was pleased with the results. So I don't think embossing was the problem. I think perhaps the paper OR could be that I just wasn't in the mood.

 

Oh yes, we did manage to go to 2 lovely stamping stores while we were here: Sparkle n Sprinkle (Ruskin)  & WhimSoDoodle  (St. Petersburg). Had some delicious foods at a favorite Italian place (a marvelous old Italian market that also has a scrumptious bakery along with grocery goods and the most delicious sandwiches..yum), and a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant, where the service is as good as the food is. I happen to love most ethnic foods.

 

We've had a relaxing quiet time. Read my kindle - a very good book called Jubilee Trail - very old - by Gwen Bristow. Finally got published in Kindle form, so I saved it to read on this trip. It's set in 1840-s, and about a well bred young lady from New York, who longs for adventure, marries a fella who comes to New York from far off California. Which most people of that time had never heard of. Then they travel back to California, over the Jubilee Trail by mule train. So much hardship. This author has written other books, which I've enjoyed. I tend to read authors, and I love historical fiction, if it's well written. I had read this book as a teenager, enjoyed it immensely, and have read it several times over the years (much like Gone With the Wind...that's a book I have to re-read about every 5-10 yrs). Don't think it's in print, but I did find a hardback on Amazon some years ago, and paid a high price to buy it from a dealer. I had had a copy long years ago, but loaned it out, never got it back. That's about when I decided if I really love a book, I don't loan the hardback. I try to find a paperback. It's lovely to have the story on Kindle. I'm so pleased to see some of my old beloved books now in Kindle format!

 

OK.. enough rambling on with trivia. When we get home, I expect we'll be busy for a few days with the unpacking, collecting the mail, paying bills. Also had our credit card compromised just before we left home; thankfully the bank caught the fraud, so we only got the aggravation of having to get a new card. We do have a backup, but that one is for internet purchases, etc. and has a low limit. So that must be sorted on our return. So maybe I'll be too busy to feel my usual 'down in the dumps' mood from missing the kid!!!

 

Please have a wonderful day, and God Bless you all. I pray that ALL of us will have a good year, and have lots of crafty fun. Hugs