Mini Me Goes in Search of Crafting Friends & Turtles

Hubby checking he could reach the ceiling

Mini Me decided to take a break from the beach (awaiting knitted bathers from CB!) and planning renovations -- shopping for step stools with life sized me and hubby at Walmart just about did her in!  Spotting a WoodCraft Store (selling electric wood shop tools/machines) on the way hubby mused that must be the male equivalent of a Quilting Store.

So off mini me went on Saturday scouting out a local Needlecrafting Group at the St Petersburg Library -- meeting a new Amigurumi friend (yes that is piglet) before getting lost in a yarn basket ...


The group ranges from teenagers to Grandmas sitting in the Children's area complete with rocking chair and an 'observer' who we tried to coax into knitting again. Knitting seemed to be big with the group, so mini-me has also discovered several quilting groups - and potentially a weaving group - in the area to explore along with a women's group at the local church.  Still missing her book club though.



Conversation centred on teaching the youngsters how to ride the local bus, university including coursera.com (free on-line university courses highly recommended by the twins) and using a cro or afghan hook.  "Crochet on the double"  is a new one on mini me - always more to learn!  Mini me now features in the group's Facebook blog too (Mad Yarnigan).

 

 

Back at the beach, life sized me realises this lifestyle may require a new lighter casual wardrobe and attitude as the temperatures hit 30+ degrees and the a/c kicks in automatically.  With a large number of snowbirds here, people keep asking us when we are leaving - meaning heading 'back home up North', and they are amazed to learn we plan to stay through the summer.  

Our view onto the beach  (UK 3rd floor, the ground being labelled P for parking and pool) brings an ever changing scene.   Beach joggers, shell hunters, bicyclists (yes on the beach*), swimmers, paragliders, jet skiers, boats of all descriptions, fisherman, plus helicopters -- with bi-planes and sea birds that fly by very close at eye level.  Playful pelicans swoop, soar, glide and dive for fish headlong into the sea - often in pairs - and pop up again tipping their heads back to swallow their catch whole.  At night we have blinking lights from ships into Tampa Bay and Egmont Key lighthouse.  And always the chattering seagulls. Humm, do you think I could get a rod and go catch my own dinner?

 

* Life sized me thinks biking to work on the beach would even beat her old walking to work commute  along the Thames path, so a new ambition is formed.  Plus it would avoid the traffic and crazy Florida drivers!!

 

Life-sized me has been getting creative with one-pot meals given that our merger goods are still on the high seas and going into storage this end until the renovations are completed.  Off to cook dinner (note everything here supersized including the onions, apples, watermelons and cleaning product bottles) and take the 'before renovation' pictures of our condo. 

 

About those green and loggerhead turtles nesting on the beach .... discovered today our sliding doors are designed to meet the 'Turtle Code' . . . now just to find a turtle --

 
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