Blah Blah Blah

I'm not really sure what happened, but a few months ago I became overwhelmed.

Then a month ago I lost my kitty, Mocha.  (I'm still having trouble with that one)

I've gone on a cruise, went to a bowl game and hung out with my Dad for a week in the past month.

It seems like just those last three events would have perked me up and had me blogging for days,

but they didn't.

I've just got the Blog Blahs.


I haven't even been excited about picking my Photo of the Day.

That's usually my favorite thing to do each day.


I've decided I'm going to take a month off.


I'll come back around Valentines Day (or next week, if saying that I don't want to blog for awhile means that I can't think about anything else I'd rather be doing.)

I'm not going to quit blogging and I'm not going to shut down my blog.
I'm not going to fade into the sunset and I'm not going to stop visiting your blogs.
Honestly though, I've hardly visited anyone in months.
I just need a rest.

Oh and I've rented that booth space in an antique mall, so trying to prepare for that is really occupying my mind, too.  I've been gathering, shopping, spray painting, evaluating and going over that 6 x 6 space a million times.  It's exciting, but exhausting and I won't be moving into the space until Feb 1st.

I'll see you in a few weeks with Photos of the Day and lots to talk about.

Have a wonderful day!
Kristin

POTD - Giant Bag Tags

POTD - Giant Bag Tags

©2012 Kristin Corlett

So many people are collecting bread bag tags for me and I appreciate it so much!  My ultimate goal is to be able to cover an entire wall with the tags as well as do some other crafts with them.  A friend of mine saw these bag tags on some kind of a chicken meal from Walmart and she knew the second she saw the hearts on the tag and the size of them, that I was going to flip.  She was right.  I was so excited that I took a photo immediately.  I put the tags on my passenger side seat in my car and took this shot.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do with these, but I'm sure thinking about it.

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Engaged

POTD - Engaged

©2012 Kristin Corlett

A picture of a craft project in the works.  I've been cutting out circles and hearts from vintage dictionary pages to eventually sew together.  Tonight I was pleasantly pleased when I realized that I inadvertently captured the word engaged in one of my hearts.  I stacked the hearts on one of my photographs, as a representation of all of the circles I'd been cutting, and really liked the way it all worked together.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Friday Fragments

Welcome to Friday Fragments!  This is the place where we're able to put little snippets of fun or interesting things together without having to stretch that idea into an entire blog post.

Mrs. 4444 is our lovely host and I am so grateful for her continued hosting of this fun carnival.  For more Friday Fragments finds, please head on over to Half-Past Kissin' Time.  Thanks!

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These fragments are weeks in the making!  I've been writing down funny things because I have no brain these days.  I hope you enjoy my Saturday morning Fragments!

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When I was on my Christmas Cruise with my husband we were seated for dinner with a group of people that we hadn't met yet.  At one point everyone left the table and just this guy and I were at the table.  I laughed and said - "Well, do you have something exciting to share real quick while everyone is gone?"  He said, "Sure!  My step-sister is now my step brother and she used to live in Jacksonville."  You could have knocked me over with a feather.  He laughed and said he couldn't believe he blurted that out!

My husband proclaimed one day that people who live in Charleston, SC called the city Chuck.  As in, "I live in Chuck."  My friends Matt and Patti had just driven by Charleston a few days earlier and noticed the exit for North Charleston.  Matt asked my husband if the people in North Charleston called it Up Chuck?

We laughed a long time.

My friend and I are going into business together.  We're taking on a 6x6 booth space in an antiques mall.  That's a pretty small space if we don't get along!  Good thing we are pretty compatible.  Actually, all we have to do is maintain the booth space, we don't actually have to be there all the time.  They are fully staffed with folks who know what they are doing.  That's good news for us!!

I heard on the radio that James Taylor is giving guitar lessons on his website, here.  I don't know if they are free or not, because I don't play guitar so I didn't follow through with the enrollment, but how cool to have lessons from James Taylor.  I really enjoy his music.

I took my car in because the windshield washer fluid wasn't pumping at all.  We had just taken it in moments before it hit the 100K mile, end of the warranty mileage.  We put a few hundred miles on the car since then so we were now over that magic number.  It seems they found a lot more problems with the car and my "I'm just taking it in to unclog the pump" ended up costing me $505.  Almost all of it would have been covered under the warranty if if had died, leaked, been discovered before that 100K.  Sigh sigh.  At least the car is paid off!

I found this poster at a thrift store in Punta Gorda.  I didn't buy it, but I remember seeing it for sale in the 80s.  Gooooooo State!  (you can click to enlarge)

I don't think I've mentioned it yet, but I went to the Outback Bowl in Tampa, FL and watched my Michigan State Spartans come home with a win!  The first half was boring, the second half and the three overtimes were spectacular!  I'm so proud of my Spartans!!

Have a wonderful weekend and please head on over to Mrs. 4444's place to see more Friday Fragments if you haven't already.

The photos of the cactus are in a neighbors yard.  Not my neighbor, but my Dad's.  :)

Kristin

POTD - Turning in Fog

POTD - Turning in Fog

©2012 Kristin Corlett

Driving along the highway the other morning I noticed the most beautiful foggy area with the palm trees looking over everything.  By the time the camera in my phone finally engaged, I was having to turn the corner from the ramp to the main road.  Just on the other side of the overpass, there wasn't even a hint of the fog.  Amazing how different the weather can be just feet apart.

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Royal Palm Tree

POTD - Royal Palm Tree

©2012 Kristin Corlett

This is by far my most very favorite type of palm tree. The palm tree trunk is silky smooth, the top has a beautiful bright green band and the bushy palm fronds remind me more of a bottle brush than a palm frond.  The streets of Punta Gorda were lined with the Royal Palm, the side streets, too.  I had a permanent grin looking out the window of the car.  Just imagine what it could have been like if it was 11:11 and I was standing next to one of these beauties?!!  Oh, that's just too much to even comprehend!!   If you'd like more information on the Royal Palm, just click this link - Pristine Landscape Inc.

Enjoy!
Kristin

My Dad's Place

I really had no idea what to expect when I went to see where my Dad was now living.  He just kept telling me that he looked at the place one day, bought it the next and wasn't planning on coming back for a few months.  So when I asked about the house he'd say, I don't know or I don't remember.  He's been down in Punta Gorda for a few months now and living in the house, but he still was mum about it's condition.  He did tell me the place was pink.  I thought it was going to be as pink as this flower, I found on his back patio, but actually it's a dusty rose that pretty much looks like a rosy tan. 

Tom, my Dad and I arrived fairly late and after dark.  My heart was beating pretty fast as I was so nervous about what I'd find when he opened the door to the inside.

Oh heck!  He was pulling my leg, as it is a real nice place.  The problem for my Dad was that he purchased the place furnished and still with a lot of the former owners things - so it was a little overwhelming for him.  That's why he was so vague about the place.

The outside is nice, if not a typical looking Florida style modular home.  Everyone in his community has a house like this, but interestingly, they are all different.  Some are bigger, some smaller, different colors, landscaping and driveways, the patio's are different or the homes are higher off the ground.  When you look down the street you don't feel as though you are seeing the same image.  I like that. 

Here is my Dad's carport.  Lots of light comes into the house because of the lack of walls.   It bothers me in my place that two sides of my condo are windowless.  He doesn't have that problem at all.

The back patio needs some love, but I can see my Dad entertaining friends back here in the near future. 

He even has a storage area where the former kitchen cabinets now reside.  The two gray bins are going back with me to Jacksonville the next time I come down. We gathered up all as many items as possible that my Dad either didn't like or wasn't needed in his place.  The house was full of lighthouses, in the form of little statues, plaques, wall decor, dishtowels, etc.  He wasn't too keep on keeping all of that.  The decorations in the house were also pretty girly.  Tea cups and saucers and tons of items with flowers.  We deflowered the place :)

By the time I left I had gone through every nook and cranny and divided everything we found into piles - Humane Society (towels and blankets),  Habitat for Humanity Resale store (unwanted items that I didn't want),  trash, keep and the Gray Bins.  I will have a booth in an antique mall in a few weeks, so all of the items that I thought I could sell there, I put in the bins. 

I haven't edited the inside photos yet, so I hope to have that finished for tomorrows post.

I really think my Dad is going to be happy there.  Especially now that the decorations are more to his liking!  I don't know if he is going to be a year round resident or just a winter resident.  I don't even think he knows.  He'll figure it out.

Until then - he's got a great place.

Thanks for stopping by!
Kristin

The Boy the Monkey and Batman

I was updating my Facebook status today while I was making my way home.  My first mode of transportation was the car.  My Dad took me to my first stop, the bus.  I took a photo of the bus when it arrived and updated my status - I'm on the bus!

Then a few hours later when I transfered from the bus to the train, I took a quick shot of some folks getting on the train and updated my status - I'm getting on the train!

Then an hour or two later I witnessed something interesting.

A young kid sitting across the aisle from me asked the train conductor when the next "smoke break" was coming up.  The conductor said that it would be about 15 minutes.  The kid then picked up his bag and walked down the aisle.  It was then that I saw it...

The boy was putting on his Batman backpack and the head of a stuffed animal, a monkey, was peeking out the top.  It was kind of sad and kind of sweet all at the same time.  I imagined all sorts of scenarios for the reason he was on the train.  I also imagined all kinds of ages for the boy.  I also couldn't imagine a young boy who carries a stuffed animal would be hanging out with the smokers outside the train.

It intrigued me enough that I mentioned the boy, the monkey and the Batman on Facebook.

Awhile after I posted the comment I went back to my earlier picture and realized that I had inadvertently photographed the kid with backpack!   I enlarged the photo, as I just took a quicky shot with my phone and it wasn't a large file, but you can clearly see the little monkey face peeking out of the backpack.

My seatmate and I ended up talking to the boy for a few minutes before my stop and found out a few things.  He's 18 and had been visiting with his girlfriend for a few weeks.  He's now on his way back home.  He seems like a really nice kid, but he is still such a little boy.  Everything he said just told me that he may have more to learn than a lot of kids his age.  I wish him well.  I'm glad the monkey and Batman were on this trip with him.

Have a great day!
Kristin

Scenes from Punta Gorda

A painted flower above a shop in Fisherman's Village

I'm sitting in a Mexican restaurant - Dean's Tex-Mex to be exact - and they have pretty fast internet service here.  However, the exception is uploading my photos to Photobucket.  It's being pretty sloggy.  So, I thought I'd post just the few that I've managed to load and leave the rest for next week when I return home.

One of the only cool, vintage items we found in the cupboards - 

a 1964-65 New York World's Fair tray.

I'm having a real nice time down here with my Dad.  We've cleaned out nearly every closet, under bed, around the corner and way-back space in his place.  We dropped off three large trash bags of towels and blankets to the humane society (they always appreciate towels and blankets for the animals)  and a huge trunk load of stuff to the Habitat for Humanity Restore store.  I had piled so much stuff into my Dad's livingroom for so many days I was afraid one of us might trip on the stuff.  I'm glad to finally get it out of there.

These were tiny butternut squash that I saw at the Farmer's Market.

He didn't invite me down to clean, but I did it anyway.  It seems easier somehow to clean someone elses place than my own - I've cleaned out the kitchen cupboards inside and out, sprayed the oven and got that wiped down.  I'm going to be relining the shelves in the bathroom with contact paper later today - I'm actually looking less forward to that, than I was the oven.  I can never seem to get contact paper to stick, but those shelves just can't be left bare.

My Dad's place was full of lighthouses, so I had to laugh when one of the first displays of snowglobes I found were lighthouses.  We have de-lighthoused his space and it feels so much better.  He chose three or four of the lighthouse items to keep.  The place is looking more and more like him each day.  He's going to really enjoy the place after I leave, I can just feel it.

I've been sitting here for over an hour, so I'd better scoot.
Have a wonderful day!

Kristin

Hanging out with Dad

Hey
Have you wondered what in the heck happened to me? Well my husband and I went to the outback bowl on monday with my dad and then we headed south to punta gorda.  my dad moved into a house down there a few months ago and i was anxious to see the place.  my dad purchased the house with most of the household contents.  about the only things that were taken as far as i could tell were photos and clothing.  it is a little overwhelming to move into someone elses place and try to make it yours, so im here to help sort through and help my dad feel more comfortable here.  the house is full of lighthouse knick knacks, towls, pictures, paintings, plates, etc.  we are currently delighthousing the place.ive taken my dad shopping a few times to try to find items that are more his style, but so far we javent had a whole lot of luck.  i will be back home late sunday.  my husband has already gone home as he had work to do.  my phone is not blogger savvy and i cant seem to capitalize or create a paragraph, so i thank you for slogging through this.  my dad doesnt have internet and i havent found an internet cafe yet.  have a great day.   kristin

POTD - Toast! Cheers!

POTD - Toast!  Cheers!

©2011 Kristin Corlett

Happy New Year!!  A few hours before that clock struck midnight some friends and I gathered together with glasses of sparkling grape juice and toasted to the new year.  We also gave thanks for those that were gathered together and those that couldn't be there.  We said things about love and friendship, too.  They were going on a bit too long so I suggested we have a sip and toast again!

I wish you all a Happy New Year!  and I wish you only the best in the upcoming year.

Enjoy!
Kristin

December Links

My December 2011 links

• POTD - Lace and Palm
• POTD - Major Award
• Please fill my stocking
• POTD - Element
• Indulgences
• POTD - Christmas Candle
• POTD - Merry Christmas
• POTD - Green and Rust
• Friday Fragments
• POTD - Under Water Vision
• Our Room with a View
• POTD - Made in the Shade
• POTD - A Plate of Donuts
• POTD - Mexican Snowglobes
• The Four C's
• Returning Home
• Washy Washy Happy Happy
• On the Good Ship Lollipop
• Friday Fragments
• POTD - Best Of...Mocha
• Trips and Treats
• POTD - Snowman and Kisses
• POTD - Tracks
• Folded Paper Christmas Trees
• POTD - Parlor Chandelier
• Holiday Home Tour
• POTD - Candy Canes
• Friday Fragments

POTD - Lace and Palm

POTD - Lace and Palm

©2011 Kristin Corlett

I'm going to have to update this description because I never did get the artist and title of this sculpture, which is of a boy riding on the back of a dolphin on a big wave. There was a family taking pictures right next to the plaque and I gave up waiting before they were finished. What you see here is a tiny portion of the wave with a palm tree in the background.  I liked the mixture of textures and the five or six different colors of green against that bright blue sky.

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Major Award

POTD - Major Award

©2011 Kristin Corlett

A friend of mine (UP Annie) sent this handmade pop-up card to me in her Christmas envelope, which she made.  I knew I was going to enjoy her card so instead of opening it in my car, where I open most of my mail, I tucked it in my purse so I could read it when all of my attention was focused on the letter.  Then I promptly forgot about it for two days!  Sheesh!  When I realized what I'd done, I think I made that face shown above!!

I thought the pop-up card would make a funny photo of the day, but wasn't sure how to photograph it.  When my friend showed up at dinner tonight with a leg lamp shirt on, I knew I had the perfect background! Thanks Matt for being such a great model and backdrop!

Enjoy!
Kristin

Please fill my stocking

It's the same thing each year.

A few weeks before Christmas my husband and I have "the talk,"  the Christmas talk.  Are we getting each other big gifts (no), what are we going to do for Christmas Day (go to the Christmas Day dinner with the transplant community), and last but not least I mention that he is responsible for filling my stocking.  

It's the same thing each year.

He rolls his eyes and ends the conversation when I mention the stocking.

A week before Christmas I remind him.  "Don't forget that you are responsible for filling my stocking."

He rolls his eyes and says, "I never know what to get you!"   (which by the way is so untrue.  He knows that the kitchen aisle and the paper/crafting/scissor aisle are all the further he needs to go.)


This helpful information is given to him each day until Christmas Eve when I stand in front of him and literally point to the door - "GO!"

Actually, I got that wrong.  This year around noon on the day of Christmas Eve he sighed and said, "I never did get to the store.  I'm sorry."  Like he was given a pass because it was just a few minutes past noon.  Ha!!  Then, I stood in front of him, pointed to the door and said go.

I don't know why he does that because, just like every year, he comes home with a huge grin on his face, carrying three or four bags from Target saying, "I don't think all of this will fit in your stocking, is that OK?"

Then he spends about 20 minutes wrapping up a few things.
You know that I have already set up a wrapping station for him so it's easy.

And he can just hardly wait until I get to dive into my stocking.

This year in my stocking I received...

dishcloths
pot holders
sharpies
a brand new box of 64 Crayons
(he was so tickled.  He said, "It's been a long time since I've gotten you a new box of those and look on the back, you can upload a photo on the Crayola site and turn those into coloring pages!")
a package of pens on a rope
A two pack of scissors
multi colored silicone spatulas
some candies and a few other kitchen goodies.

This is exactly the type of things we both love to give and receive.  I was pleased as punch!  I loved my stocking.  And he really did have a great time shopping for all of it.  I don't know why he resists so much.  I'm actually surprised that he didn't buy me a package of Post-its.  That's usually a guaranteed Tom gift to me.

I gave him - a bacon press, new plastic cutting board, Salt and Pepper grinder set, some Penzey's Spices and two of those long handled back scratchers.  And probably a few other things I can't remember right now.  We tend to give upgrades to our worn out kitchen tools as gifts.   I like that.


Am I the only one that has to go through this?  I doubt it, but it sure feels that way.

I hope you have a wonderful day!
Kristin

POTD - Element

POTD - Element

©2011 Kristin Corlett

One of the small burners in one of my rental condo stoves died within a few months of buying the condo.  It was so low on the list of things to do that I had never called anyone out to fix it.  The condo across the hall, mine as well, had dishwasher issues this week so I finally called in a repairman.  Being without a small burner is one thing, being without a dishwasher is an entirely different matter.  This guy repaired both appliances and for the first time in five years, the stove is running with all four burners. Good deal.  The photo above is a close up of the burner element.  Of course I loved the repeating lines.

Enjoy!
Kristin

Indulgences

I've got a question for you.  All of you.

At what point in the holiday festivities do you stop indulging?

We all know the New Year is coming and Getting Organized and Lose Weight are high up on many a New Years list - even if you don't have a list, or make resolutions.

Back to the things that run through my mind.

Do you abstain from most of the goodies from Thanksgiving to New Year?
Do you bake only the things you like so you will have more of a chance to have more of it?
Do you bake things you don't love so you won't over indulge?
Do you cruise the cookie table at all events eating a small bite of everything so it feels like you didn't have much at all?
Do you give yourself a day or two to indulge and then stop?
Is Christmas Day the end of the sugary snacks?
Do you ask your family to hide the goodies from you?
Do you have an end date? or maybe you don't even think about it?

Are you none of these?
Are you all of these?

Am I the one obsessed?

It's true, I'm a diabetic and the holiday season is amazingly hard on  me.  I can smell the sugar in the air and I can hardly resist.  I made very little in the way of baked goods this year.  Since we had our cruise I just knew I wasn't going to have the time to get it all baked, wrapped and delivered.  I made chocolate covered pretzels and they were really great, but I didn't feel the need to eat them all :)  I didn't make my very favorite Christmas delight, Kookie Brittle, because my willpower was at an all time low.  There were some cookies still in the house that I managed to find today and that's when I thought about when I was going to stop.  Then I wondered if anyone else had to tell themselves to stop?

I am so very grateful that I have not gained a bit of weight, except that one cruise pound which I have lost already, but I must stop the madness.  I can feel myself wanting to wander through the kitchen to see if I can find a cookie, maybe some chocolate chips, anything to feed this sweet tooth that had too much this season.  I realize that even if no one else has to, I have to give myself an end date and stick to it.

Salad in a Jar

photo and info from fat girl trapped in a skinny body

I've been hanging out at Pinterest quite a bit lately (you can follow me if you'd like.  I have a button on the left side near the top) and food in a jar for gift giving was all the rage before Christmas.  One thing I never once thought of was a whole salad in a jar, including the dressing.  It wouldn't necessarily be in the gift giving category, but more of a homemade convenience food.  (Brilliant!)  I make salad and put it in a container, but I still need to add stuff.  I love to eat salads but preparing them is the chore I dread.  I have already gathered a few jars that would be perfect and I got my favorite salad fixin's at the store the other day.  Now to create the salad.

So to redeem myself from a possible whiney post, I'll end it with the Salad in a Jar.  You can pop on over to Julia's sight and read her hints on making a salad in jar that will last a week in the fridge and how she keeps her homemade salad dressing from separating.  I do believe I will enjoy her website.  I'm glad I found it.

This is just one of the many things I'm going to try in this upcoming year.  I may make a list of the new things I've done.  or not. we'll see if any of it is blog worthy :)

Don't forget to let me know about your indulgences and how you handle them.

Have a great day!
Kristin

POTD - Christmas Candle

POTD - Christmas Candle

©2011 Kristin Corlett

This candle was one of the many ornaments on the Christmas Tree where we had Christmas Dinner.  I thought about photographing more of the ornaments, but I was so taken with this candle that I realized that this was the only one I wanted at this time.  I'll kick myself in a few days, but for right now, I'm happy with that decision. 

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - Merry Christmas

POTD - Merry Christmas

©2011 Kristin Corlett

This fabulous Christmas Tree with multi-colored lights was something I discovered in a park in St. Augustine.  I had been wanting to find a public tree so I could practice my "bokeh" technique.  Bokeh is the out of focus background in a photo.  In this case, I chose to have the entire picture to be out of focus so that the Christmas lights would blur. 

Merry Christmas!
Kristin

POTD - Green and Rust

POTD - Green and Rust

©2011 Kristin Corlett

Have you ever seen these giant round containers in and around cities?  I have and yet I don't have a clue what they are used for?  Are they treating waste water?  Is this fresh water?  Does it NOT hold water at all?  Well, in Jamaica there were several of these all next to the dock where our ship pulled in.  I really liked the patina of container and the rust and white of the stairway.  The funniest thing though, was that I took this picture because I thought the palm tree was a mural on the side of the container.  It wasn't until we walked back by it a few hours later that I realized it was a real palm tree. 

Leave me a comment if you know what these containers are for because it's driving me crazy.

Thanks!
Kristin

Friday Fragments

It's Friday Fragments Day!!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

It's Friday Fragments Day!

It's Friday Fragments Day!  

It's Friday Fragments Day!

Welcome to Friday Fragments!  This is the place where we're able to put little snippets of fun or interesting things together without having to stretch that idea into an entire blog post.

Mrs. 4444 is our lovely host and I am so grateful for her continued hosting of this fun carnival.  For more Friday Fragments finds, please head on over to Half-Past Kissin' Time.  Thanks!

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I didn't put a tree this year.  I love my Christmas tree and I love going through each and every ornament, but I go through this every couple of years and I just can't begin to put up the tree.  I have a set of lights on the windows and I have the stockings hanging as well as a few other decorations, but not the full blown decorating thing.

I'm not even Bah-Humbug!  I am loaded with Christmas Spirit, just not the tree.

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I have this little Mexican clay Nativity set that I love, but I do something funny each year.  Sometimes I don't notice until I put everything away after Christmas, but today I made it my photo of the day and so I noticed right away, but after editing.  I rarely get the Joseph figure in the correct spot.  Usually I put one of the Wisemen thereby mistake because he has this red heart looking box in his arms.  I arranged my Nativity scene, took all of the photos I needed to pick out a good photo of the day, edited the photos, picked my favorite and added it to my 365 Photo Project calendar.  Then I saw it.  No Joseph.  One Wiseman.  Too funny.

 

 

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Our transplant community is having a Christmas Day dinner.  This has been going on longer than I've been a part of the community, but it's so nice that I'm now more involved.  I did make a suggestion this year and asked that the organizers listen to me -- I didn't like the food that we'd been served for the past few years -- so I asked if a few of us could make the side dishes and the organization could spring for the meat and dessert.  Thankfully everyone agreed.  Now I'm petrified that we won't have enough food.  I just found out that we will have almost 50 people.  I'll be a busy bee cooking Christmas morning!

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I teased my husband when I got home yesterday afternoon that I could tell he was super busy because the dishes hadn't been done and the overflowing trash was still there.  He never does those jobs anyway and I truly was just teasing.  I went and took a nap, due to a short sleeping night, and when I got up he had done the dishes, taken out the trash and was at the store buying groceries for the week.  I love those types of surprises. 

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That's Tom and I just last week on Grand Cayman.  

Pretend that the water is a gorgeous blue because it truly was!!

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Today - 23 December 2011 - is the six year anniversary of my husband's liver transplant.  What a blessing and what a Christmas gift it was for both of us. We have truly been blessed as Tom has really had very few complications since his transplant and is living a much happier life.  He's still a grumpy guy, but those times come far less than they did pre transplant. :o)   Who knew that one of the darkest times of our lives came to be the beginning of the happiest years of my life.

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I hope that you are enjoying Hanukkah or Christmas or the Solstice or whatever it is that you celebrate this time of year.  I also hope that you stop by Mrs. 4444's place for more Friday Fragments!

Have a great day!
Kristin

POTD - Under Water Vision

POTD - Under Water Vision

©2011 Kristin Corlett

I saw this boat hanging out in the port in Jamaica.  It doesn't look like it gets a whole lot of business, but then again, I could be very wrong!    You wouldn't get me on that boat, that's for sure.  I can do a cruise ship, but not something this small. 

Enjoy!
Kristin

Our Room with a View

My husband and I have been married for ten years, as of June 23rd, 2011.  We have been on quite a few cruises and we have always had a great time together so my husband booked us on a Christmas Cruise on the Norwegian Sun as our anniversary gift to each other.

I wholeheartedly agreed!

The cruise he chose was the Western Caribbean - Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Jamaica and Bahamas.  We had never been to any of those places on previous cruises, so I was excited to go.

People always talk about the rooms on the cruise ships.  Tom and I got a porthole view room just once, on our first cruise.  The second cruise we got a balcony and we have had a balcony room ever since.  I won't cruise without one.

On with the tour of our room.

We were at the very back of the ship - the last door on the right.  This hallway actually doesn't look that long in this shot - it was around 800 feet long...OK, maybe 750.  A football field is 100 yards or 300 feet.  On any of the decks walking from the front of the ship to the back just didn't seem like a big deal, but getting onto the elevator at the front and walking this loooong looong hallway seemed like it took forever!  There were several elevators that came to our floor at various points along this hallway, so we didn't have to walk it every time.  I'm just being dramatic.

When we got to our room, this is what we saw.  Our room was actually about 3 feet shy in length from all the other standard balcony rooms because we were that last cabin.  There had to be enough turning room for carts and other assorted items in the hallway, so our room was shortened to make this possible. The other cabins on this side of the ship had a larger sofa that pulled out into a bed and there was a curtain between the sofa and the bed. 

We had a nice closet on the right and a pretty big bathroom, for a ship bathroom, on the left in the hallway.  I didn't get a photo of the bathroom - it was all white and just didn't photograph well at all.

This looks very odd, but this is the two views of our balcony.  On the left is extended portion of our balcony.  On the right is the normal size of the balcony on our side.  Where the glass ends is essentially the end of our room and where the balcony should stop.  Since we are the last room, we get that extra 10 feet or so.  We got a lounge chair, too.  We could see the entire side of the ship and the back, too.  The balcony was worth every square foot that we lost in the room.  Tom and I spent hours and hours out here.

The sunrise and sunset were never in the same place in the sky (from our balcony) because the ship was moving in a different direction from the morning or evening before - having the side and back view was advantageous.  I saw a sunset that hardly anyone on our side of the ship could see from their balcony.  Have I mentioned that I loved our balcony?  OK, I thought so.

Here's the back of the ship that I took when we were docked in Cozumel.  See those back balconies - they are just huge compared to the others. 

We got the pleasure of watching another ship come in and dock.  We were actually a captive audience - we weren't allowed to go to our ship until this one coming in was fully anchored and it took about 30 minutes.  Still, I enjoyed seeing it all in action.  It didn't make for good pictures though. 


That was a quickie tour of the room and I tossed in the docking of the other ship just so I could show off that gorgeous Caribbean blue water. 

I hope you have a wonderful day.
Kristin

POTD - Made in the Shade

POTD - Made in the Shade

©2011 Kristin Corlett

Out on the deck, just outside of the Garden Buffet on the Norwegian Sun, is a wonderful space to dine.  The blazing sun and the rain could ruin an otherwise great meal, but the ships designers came up with this giant tent like structure to shade nearly the entire deck.  The sun shining on the white fabric really accentuated the perfect seams.  Of course I loved the play of lines and couldn't wait to feature this as a photo of the day.

Enjoy!
Kristin

POTD - A Plate of Donuts

If I haven't mentioned it a million times already, I am in the final days of my 365 photo project.  Trying to come up with fun things to photograph elude me sometimes, so I keep my eyes open for possible photo topics to keep in my pocket and pull out when I need them. 

I saw a blog post about donuts a while back and a plate full of donuts seemed like a real nice photo subject.  Bavarian creme, chocolate with sprinkles, a couple of nutty donuts and some powdered sugar ones.  Don't you just want to grab one and dive right in?

Me, too! and I know the secret!!

The secret is that these are not full sized donuts.  They are mini ones.  Very mini!

The tiny round sprinkles just look huge on that mini confection if you think about it. 

All of these donuts are actually decorated Cheerios!


Yepper - Cheerios.

I kept putting the donuts in the freezer to keep the chocolate from melting as I arranged them on the plate for the photo shoot.  I realized that this was a great picture to show the scale of the plate of donuts.  I think we all know the size of a pound of butter.

That little teeny plate I found at the flea market.  It's a small Holly Hobby plate.  I picked it up for a dime.  I'd looked in nearly every shop for something small to put the donuts into or on.  I'm so fortunate to have found this plate near the end of our flea market tour.

I'd like to thank The Unconfidential Cook for the Tiny Treats blog post which started this whole quest for mini donuts and a teeny plate to put them on.  I had so much fun and the donuts are the official photo for Day 353.

I hope you have a great day!!
Kristin


12 more days of my 365 Photo Project.  Just 12 more days!

POTD - Mexican Snowglobes

POTD - Mexican Snowglobes

©2011 Kristin Corlett

Ticky tacky snowglobes make me squeal with delight every time I see them.  I did my best to arrange these before I took a photo.  However, not all stores understand my kind of vacation photography.  I think I was making the poor woman at the souvenir shop a bit nervous.  We made her day though an bought a few items, but not a snowglobe.

Enjoy!
Kristin