Monday Macro

Beach Flower

Shutterbugs - Fun in Gulfport, FL

I spent Wednesday on a trip to Gulfport, a Pinellas County community down on Boca Ciega Bay.  I picked up my riders on the way down and we arrived at the appointed meeting place in Gulfport before 9:30.

We parked on Shore Blvd right across the street from the Village Pub.  Everything was quiet along the street.  Restaurants weren't open just yet and residents were out walking.  The skies were a gorgeous blue.  It was windy and the palms fronds were sparkling in the bright sunshine.

The Shutterbugs originally started as a camera club and over the years it has evolved to a group of people who enjoy the camaraderie as well as the opportunity to get some lovely shots.  It is a group within the Woman's Club of Tarpon Springs but anyone is welcome to join us. This was my first visit to this particular area of Gulfport and I enjoyed every minute of it.

We waited around in front of the Casino Ballroom for the rest of the group and it wasn't long before they came along.  Margo from the Gulfport Chamber of Commerce met us there and gave us a bag full of special offers and information about Gulfport.  She also got permission for us to go into the old ballroom.  If you look up the definition of "casino", the first definition is a building or room used for meetings, public amusements, for dancing,gaming, etc. In this case, there is no gambling, but it is a building dating back to 1934 that is used for weddings, meetings, art shows, and numerous other gatherings.  The ballroom has a 5,000 sq. ft. dance floor and a couple of our members got into the spirit of things.

As we left the ballroom,  I looked out across Boca Ciega Bay.  I was struck by how beautiful the sky and water were -- and how bright the sand was.  I love the sugar-white color of the sand along the Gulf Coast.  It is like no other sand I have ever seen.  

We walked south on Shore Blvd toward Williams Pier.  I did not walk out on the pier because the sun was strong and I had not brought a hat.  The recent surgeries are still healing and I have to be very, very careful of strong sunlight.  

I sat on a bench in the shade while others walked out the pier.  Several of my friends saw a Harley in front of O'Maddy's restaurant across the street from the pier.

We would have lunch later at O'Maddy's but first a few pics of the sights along the beach.

There were a lot of sailboats moored just offshore.  And we saw some under full sail later in the day.  We had a delicious lunch at O' Maddy's and then walked up the street to Beach Drive.

Beach Drive has a mixture of restaurants and retail establishments.  It is a wide street with diagonal parking along both sides.  There are some very picturesque buildings. 

I found a hat at Bo-tiki and a couple of other things.  I loved this little clothing and accessories boutique.

And, my favorite shot of the day -- here it is

Bougainvillea in all its glory!

I want to go back on one of their ArtWalk nights and have dinner at one of the restaurants on Beach Drive.  This little community has an inordinate number of artisan residents -- and I am sure they have been attracted to Gulfport by its "old Florida" charm.

Don't forget you can click twice to get a larger view of these pics for greater detail.

We're gearing up...

for our major fundraiser of the year:  the GFWC Woman's Club of Tarpon Springs.  We are celebrating our 120th anniversary this year. The women of the Woman's Club have been movers and shakers for 120 years. In the early years they were responsible for bringing a school and a library to our small city.  Today's Woman's Club focuses on raising funds for over 30 philanthropies.

So, if you're in the area, consider becoming a major sponsor or taking out an ad in our program and come join us on St. Paddy's Day!

 Cover art design by artist Mitzi Hunter, copyright protected.

 GFWC Woman’s Club of Tarpon Springs 

invites you to our
Annual Charity Fashion Show 

Saturday,
March 17, 2012
11:00AM to 4PM

 Safety Harbor Resort and Spa
105 North Bayshore Drive
Safety Harbor, Florida 34695

Valet parking at the door for $6 fee. Free parking right across the street.
Tickets are $35 per person, gratuity included.
Tickets must be purchased in advance.
Please call or email for tickets: 727-939-1055
813-310-9045 orr6@verizon.net
Luncheon will be served at noon: Chicken Picatta, Salad and Dessert
Fashions by: Accessories and More
There will be a boutique for shopping.

Many thanks to our major sponsor for 2012: 

Freedom Inn, a beautiful Brookdale Senior Living community in Tarpon Springs, FL

Monday Macro

It has been a busy week and...

a very lazy day today.

I got to the meeting on Wednesday to discover that Enchanted Forest had gotten a "Second Place" red ribbon and Hibiscus Highlight had been awarded a "Third Place" yellow ribbon in the Fine Art.  My butterfly necklace received a red ribbon.  So I was very happy.

And it poured Wednesday afternoon.  Literally poured. I expected to see cats and dogs coming over the gutters and through the downspouts at Cypress Run's Golf Clubhouse. I accidentally left my necklace at the club while trying to pack the paintings up to protect them as I made the messy trudge across a flooding parking lot.  I looked like a drowned rat when I got into the car. Soaked to the skin and water streaming off the end of my new nose.  I got on the phone when I realized I had left the necklace and learned that a friend had taken it home with her.  She gave it to another friend who has it at her house now.  I'll swing by and pick it up this week -- a week that is already setting up to be quite busy.

I am really looking forward to Wednesday when our Shutterbug Club visits the waterfront at Gulfport -- around 40 miles south of Tarpon Springs.  I hope to get a lot of good shots for the blog.

Highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s.  The weather is perfect here.

From the Causeway at Howard Park, Tarpon Springs, FL

Hard to believe it is Saturday already ....

This week has just flown by. I am definitely back into the swing of things with the Friends of the Library. Worked in the bookstore on Monday and Friday. Had my reports ready for the monthly FOL board meeting on Wednesday. I had my two days that I was promising myself that I would take for myself and my other interests.

Does it count that I spent those days organizing my studio as opposed to painting?  Shopping at Michaels as opposed to painting? I did do a background. Not sure what will go on top of it.

This morning I concentrated on getting my paintings framed to enter in the Woman's Club Arts and Crafts show on Tuesday.

One is a watercolor floral entry called "Hibiscus Highlights." 

The other is a landscape done in fluid and liquid acrylics that I named, "Enchanted Forest." 

I played with the necklace and earrings display for my jewelry art entry as well. So I am ready to drop all of them off on Tuesday morning. I've got to remember to take a picture of the necklace and earrings, too. The judge(s) come at 2PM, I think. When we come to the luncheon on Wednesday, the entrants will find out if they won anything. 

Looking forward to the luncheon.  I haven't been to one since mid-October.  And this one is a special one because I so enjoy seeing the creative side of so many of my friends.  We're having it at Cypress Run this year instead  of the Heritage Center.  I don't think it has as much room for displaying the art and photography as well as the crafts.  I am hoping it will work out as well as it usually does.  The food should be better, anyway.  I'll let you know after it is over. ;-)

Another Member of "The Greatest Generation" Is Remembered

Today I attended a memorial service for a friend's mother who passed away this weekend at the age of 94. The service in the chapel at St. Mark's Village in Palm Harbor was a gathering of her family and friends. Two of her daughters spoke about their mother and what a wonderful woman she was. I was moved by her daughters' words and was very glad I had taken the time to go to the service. I went because I think a lot of her youngest daughter and wanted to let her know I cared. It was a lovely celebration of her mother's life.

She was born in 1917 -- the same year my Dad was born. Her father died at 13 and she left school to go to work to help support the family. She lived through the depression just as my Dad and Mom lived through the depression. As I listened to her daughters and to the minister talk about her life I thought about Tom Brokaw's book, "The Greatest Generation." Men and women born just prior to WWI who grew up during the Depression and went on to build modern America. They gave the world new science, art and literature, and economic strength unparalleled in history. They were united by common values. Values like duty, honor, courage, frugality, service, love of family and country, and personal RESPONSIBILITY.

Today's celebration of her life brought thoughts of all these values to mind as I sat there listening to words of love and admiration for this lovely lady. It brought good memories of my own parents and the wish that I had had Dad and Mom around for many more years -- but only years in which they were leading their happy and productive lives. I would never wish for them to linger after they needed to move on -- just as I am sure the family I worshiped with today would not wish that for their mother.

As I drove home, I thought about the state of our nation today -- our crumbling infrastructure, failing corporations, dishonest CEOs and their equally dishonest minions, and the destruction of the great middle class our parents built -- I realized that it all seems to come down to couple of values which seem to have disappeared.

Frugality. Responsibility.

Had those values been accepted by the next generations, I don't believe we would have the situations we have today. Dad would have been 95 in November of this year. If there is such a thing as "spinning" in one's grave, I would imagine that he has drilled himself half way to China by now.

Every Fifth Tuesday

Every Fifth Tuesday is a good day in the Patterson household.

Good for Butch, Good for me.

Beau? Not so much.

That is the day that Lee, the best pet groomer in the free world, comes to spend an hour in our driveway. Beau is not enamored of the grooming experience.

That's an understatement.

Beau HATES the grooming experience. He likes Lee, but he doesn't like getting a bath or having his paws messed with. And, he hates it even more when Lee does does the other stuff a good groomer does. LOL

I took a picture of our scruffy little guy this morning.

It had been six weeks this time because we had a scheduling conflict last week - our fault -- not Ultra-Pet's. I kind of like Beau in his scruffy mode.

But he seems to lose several years in age after he receives his "spa" services. Beau is ten years old now, we think. When we adopted him in 2005, he was already 3 years old. He has slowed down a little in the last couple of years but is still very puppy-like most days.

Tonight he is sprawled in the middle of the room watching Brian Williams on NBC upside down. At 10 o'clock, he will go sit in front of Butch and stare steadily at him to let him know it is bedtime -- and that means time for his bedtime snack. If he doesn't move fast enough, he'll go get on his "nite nite" bed next to our bedroom door and wait for us to head that way. Our lives changed when this little guy took up residence in his new home. We will be forever grateful.

Love my Mondays

It is hard to believe it is January 9. The past couple of winters had me thinking our world was changing and I would be doomed to frigid winters from then on out. This winter has returned to normal. Even above normal for our area of Florida. Today's high here along the Gulf Coast was 76° and it is after 7PM and we're still above 70°. It was a gorgeous day.

Simply gorgeous.

Mondays for me mean getting out of the house before noon and working for a couple of hours in the Friends of the Library book store after catching up on any office work. Today I met our handyman at the Friends' building and talked to him about somethings we need to get done in the parking lot. Then I went into the library and priced books, back filled our spinner racks and chatted with customers and friends who happened by.

I left the library at 2:30 and went to Sweet Bay to do the weekly grocery shopping before getting home a little before 4PM.

A typical Monday -- and those who know me understand that I got a LOT of pleasure out of this return to normal activities.

While at the library, I picked up an art book: Drawing and Painting on Rice Paper. Tomorrow I will spend several hours in my little studio while I wait for Beau's groomer to arrive. He is WAY overdue for a cut. I know he'll feel a lot better when he gets rid of some of that fur.

Time to catch up my games in Words with Friends on FaceBook where I am getting my butt royally kicked by most everyone I am playing. On a couple of games all of my available letters are consonants. On a couple of others they are mostly vowels. I have no happy medium. So I muddle along sticking an "X" here and a "Z"" there in some games and an "I" or an "O" on the board somewhere in the others. I refuse to give up.

Turning the Page

Though I have been blogging for almost four years now, I decided to get rid of the old blogs and turn over a new leaf. Not sure why. Maybe it comes from the prolonged period of inactivity I had from Halloween until Christmas as I recovered from several surgeries for skin cancer and facial reconstruction. That complete slowdown to my life gave me a lot of time to think about how I was spending a lot of my time previously. And, it allowed me time to think about the changes I intended to make when released by my surgeon to resume normal activity.

I decided on the following changes and they are NOT "resolutions."

Change #1: Less time on FaceBook.

Change #2: More time creating my blog. Adding more memories to it.

Change #3: Less disorganized volunteer time. More organized time. Certain days will be off limits.

Change #4: More time for my artwork. Both painting and jewelry art.

Change #5: Less of me physically. Meaning I have gotten serious about a healthier lifestyle.

Change #6: More time being physically active. Meaning allotting time for daily exercise.

We just completed WEEK 1 of 2012 and this is how I am doing:

#1: I have reduced time on FB by one half. Stopped playing all but 3 games and eliminated the farming. Still have more to accomplish here. But, damn, those games are fun. They kept me sane from Halloween to Christmas.

#2: I just created this new blog. This is post #1.

#3: I am reserving Tuesdays and Thursdays (as well as most weekends) for non-volunteer activities.

#4: I read two art books this week and have two videos to view this afternoon.

#5: I started Weight Watchers again on 12/26. I weighed in yesterday and am down 5 pounds. I got my first star!

#6: I contacted Silver & Fit. Registered for a Tarpon Total Fitness membership and will start a program there this coming week. Saw my new PCP, Dr. Shari Berg in Palm Harbor, and was cleared for the exercise. I am determined not to be what my friend, Gina, calls a "January Exerciser."

Hmmm... I wonder if that means I should wait until February to start?

Laughing as I type this. Nah, I'll bite the bullet and "git 'er done!"

Happy New Year for me!