Author: Susie

When dressing in a high rise apartment building one doesn’t know if it’s cold. It LOOKS cold…I stepped out on the balcony, and IT IS cold! so I got some long sleeved Izod shirts and have one on with a tee shirt, and I’ll carry several other layers… I absolutely hate to put on coats and scarves inside a building. So then I get out into the wind on the ground level and "whoooooooosh!!! whoa!" it’s the wind that gets me! I then put on the coats and scarves! That’s the trouble with living in Miami all my life. I run around in a tee shirt period. When I hang out the laundry the hot wind dries it in seconds… my mother said she left Pittsburgh because she hung out laundry and it came in frozen and dirty. I guess if everyone felt the way I do, Florida would be full of people and break off and float away. We ate coffee cake and coffee and are doing a final wash of sheets and then…. heading north on 441 into the mountains. Dillard House and "all you can eat dinner" here we come. Need elastic pants. Love Susie

Waiting for Christmas! It’s cold and windy here (NW side of ATL). We have been playing all day with Julia’s little 10 month old baby Charles (so we have under one roof, Chuck, Charlie and Charles). Kathy and I took Charles to the Ace hardware which I think is owned by elves as it has lots of fun stuff to buy and we bought Christmas socks for the baby! He immediately set to trying to take them off but he’s a little too little yet. soon, Julia! I took Julia’s baby stroller downstairs to her car and I went "woooooooh!" As it felt like the several times I went to the car to get stuff in Mom’s parking lot in Cleveland. Good grief! I haven’t seen weather report, but will check as we are headed to the Georgia North Carolina line tomorrow. We have boots, jeans, gloves, scarves and jackets with fur! Party tonight at the Paparellis and then… off to my nephew Michael and Kerri’s wedding in Dillard. Love and God bless as we await the amazing beauty that is Christmas! Love Susie

I can’t think of any. South Florida flower that I am, accustomed to the dew of our 90% humidity and heat, I can feel my skin drying up from 50% humidity and 65 degree weather that our host and hostess heat against. Kathy and Charlie Paparelli’s new home is beautiful! The children have all left the nest, except for the final baby Nick who attends school at Alabama and is home now for Christmas break, but we haven’t seen him yet! Apparently young people sleep a lot in the morning. Here’s another thing I don’t really know about… teenagers and the quantities of sleep and food they consume! We are having a quiet morning, like on the cruise ship: fresh brewed coffee, sunny seats on deck 9 (Kathy’s condo is on the 9th floor), lovely deck chairs in Charlie’s den, plenty of good books to read. Can’t complain! Grandmother Kathy will be bringing her first grand baby here (Kathy is baby sitting until Julia retires to be a full time Mom this Thursday). We will then swing into full party mode playing with a 10 month old, then Kathy and I will have a Bible study this evening while the boys (Chuck and Charlie) go out. We’ve been playing with a new travel idea that has my mind reeling! Lisa (second Paparelli daughter) will be married here in Atlanta on July 18. We arrive in Tampa/Sarasota from our 2 ½ month vacation cruising and in England on July 16th. Our car will be at our cousins Laura and Dennis in North Port, Florida near Sarasota. Can you see what’s coming? Why not, while we’re at it, come straight to Atlanta for Lisa’s wedding and then… head north via Boone and New Hampshire to get to the submarine convention on Labor Day in Pittsburgh. Chuck actually hatched this idea when I told him we would have to miss Lisa’s wedding due to being on the trip… So dear readers, I’m not kidding, we are Peabody nuts. Someone should put out a product. Love and kisses! Susie

When you cruise, someone wonderful comes in twice a day and makes the bed and cleans the bathroom, makes little towel animals, and leaves clean linens. Someone else wonderful makes too much food…. and well, for those of us who imbibe… someone else wonderful provides too much wine. Coffee, lemonade, and soft ice cream are self serve. When you get home and get hungry about noon, you look around for that special someone who is going to make amazing salads, salmon with cream cheese, chilius maximus hamburgers, pizza… oh and he’s not there. Someone else is sitting on my chair, chaise, bar stool, in my bed. OH sigh. As "warm ups" go, this was wonderful. it of course is a warm up for May. Will we be able to survive this over indulgence for 29 days as we travel to England and Scandinavia without changing cabins? We decided to take some elastic waist pants… I carried a sketching book, colored pencils and a third graders paint tin of water colors and one paint brush that shed all the time. I sat and drew and colored and shared the tablet with a lovely little three year old named Olyvia. She can’t speak yet but she just got cochlear implants and her Mom expects her to catch up with speech by the time she is 5. She had the biggest smile and loved drawing!!! Aside from the fact that my water coloring skills are on a third grade level (matching my tin water color box and shedding paint brush) I created a fun little diary!
Dec 6 we started the cruise and I drew from the TV screen. They run music and pretty scenes 24 hours. Light delicate music makes up for the roucous music of the bands in the bars…. Now: every day started with coffee and rolls on the balcony! you can put out a little "wake me up sign" and magic happens with a quiet little knock and "room service"
Dec 7 was a sea day with beautiful flat seas and sunshine and white clouds (we ate eggs benedict with salmon)
Dec 8 – The Feast of the immaculate Conception. We celebrate Mary on a feast day because it was her "Yes" that enables us to make Paradise a reality because Jesus, a man, ended sacrifice for us! Mary’s grace was received before she was born as she was chosen to be the tabernacle of God. Our grace is received all our lives! Maximillian Kolbe called Mary "the Immaculate" and he stressed that Jesus recognizes himself, human, in us. Isn’t it amazing and wonderful that God sees his own eyes, heart, and spirit in us? We walked all around Cozemel and then we found a cute little bar on the water and drank local beer and painted 2 sailboats. Pray for a lovely lady named Carol I met who is taking care of her husband who is fighting ALS. His name is David and he is cruising and working hard to live.
Dec 9: Belize. Found a cute little bar named the Rum Shack and drew some ships that mysteriously either crashed into rocks or just were only 1/2 there. I’m not real good with drawing yet…. "Soup of the Day: Rum" The ship had great art so I spent some time guessing the price of a peter max and just looking at art. Also went to a Thomas Kincade seminar and an auction.
Dec 10: Roatan… a wonderful little beach where I sat and got a wet bottom from the wet deck chair, and drew and painted and drank beer in a little bar that might have been called "the mushroom garden"… I’m not sure if Chuck was teasing and meant my little grass huts I was drawing looked like a mushroom farm…
Dec 11: The 50th anniversary of the day Chuck and I met! Wow and wow – great day. Grand Cayman. Met Guy Harvey who was painting at his studio. I stalked him and watched over over an hour! He uses the same paints as I do and he paints with a tin pie plate as his pallette! uses water as his wetter. he answered all my questions and wished me luck with my painting. Chuck bought a painting on canvas and a shirt! Here’s some notes I wrote in my little book: 7 day cruises are too short. don’t have 3 regular beers and 2 helpings of lunch at 2pm and expect to be hungry for dinner. (take Tums). Formal night is still observed, and Chuck is still cute! Go to all the comedy shows; they are much better than stage productions.
Dec 12: a day at sea. Packing is the worst part… I went to an art auction and to Bingo where they drew for a free cruise. I didn’t win. boo hoo. Inspired by the art and a bottle of wine on the balcony I painted a hibiscus and the sunset. Thanks to God for our health and the good time! Love Susie

When you were little, did you put out your shoes and anticipate gifts in them in the morning? This was the way the Feast of Saint Nicholas was celebrated when I was little. Nicholas was a Greek Bishop in the 4th century so it is only legend that tells us that he saved a whole town from famine, he protected the wrongly accused, and he put coins into people’s shoes who trusted they would find his gifts. Today is a good day to start getting ready for Christmas when the biggest gift of all is given and that is Christ’s love. Do you remember when you were little, or have you seen a small child, shaking gifts under the Christmas tree, peaking under the scotch tape, anticipating what the gifts are, and after opening everything, the little one sits in the middle of all that tissue paper and weeps. "I didn’t get enough…" or "I didn’t get what I wanted." Have you felt the sadness of "not enough" or "not what I wanted," and you can’t say what it is that you want? When Christ walked on earth, it is written about him that he felt pity for the people who crowded in to see him. Why did he feel pity? Because they didn’t know what they were missing; they didn’t know what the "Kingdom" is. He told them to live in the present, giving, praying, loving, but they just couldn’t. Can we? Now those of you who know me intimately, know I keep a calendar that has very detailed plans out into October 2015 (and Chuck just reminded me that "after October 2015, you have to start planning Italy." YIKES!). I often have to remind myself to "live in the present." Enjoy today. Don’t be peering ahead to what I can’t see, and don’t be looking back at the disappointments and the sadness that dogs all our paths. Once I was dogged by a lady at church who didn’t like me. I was giving talks on Spirituality and Advent and Bible studies and she said, in front of people, "I won’t go to your talks, you don’t know anything because you are not a priest." She actively spurned me. I was hurt and puzzled by her mean spirit towards me. I was angry, but then after prayer, I tucked my pride in my back pocket, and I went to her and apologized. "I’m sorry for what I did to you that made you angry with me." That was very hard as I have to really pray hard to be humble! She quit being mean, and now greets me like an old friend. What did I do? Our prideful, "do right" selves might say, "I didn’t do anything; I’m too busy with my own things to try to fix that useless, broken relationship"…. but when we do go out and say "I’m sorry", we free ourselves to receive the gift of love. Harboring old angers is like harboring little boats of meanness, anxiety, hatred, anger, and distrust in our hearts. There is no room for love. So today, on Saint Nicholas day, give a gift of forgiveness even if you "didn’t do it", give a hug, give a kiss. Rebuild the bridge that is rotting between you and another soul. From my Advent meditation book: "It’s in giving that our demons are cast out. It’s in loving that we are healed." God bless you this week. Chuck and I are off on an adventure today, and I might check in to this blog, so look occasionally to see, "Where’s Susie?" Love and kisses. and God bless you.

We thank God for beauty he gives us! In Florida the sun shines and we stand outside in shirt sleeves gazing at a half moon and stars.  Cousins Laura and Dennis have moved from brrrrr Stfford Springs, Connecticut, and we look at the weather channel that shows mounds of northern snow with the windows open and a quiet breeze blowing in.  Laura and Dennis have 2 dogs and  cat and when I came out this morning after another good nights sleep, there was Chuck with the cat at his head, her tail wrapped around his forehead, and 2 dogs in his lap.  This is hard as the "big" dog is the size of a Key deer!  The Chuck got into trouble as he got a fresh cup of coffee and the dogs jumped up on him…  and then Chuck and the chair were covered with coffee, the dogs were escorted outside, and Chuck was shooed into the shower.  I should say here, "All is well" as normal as normal can get.  Last night we drove on the Tamiami Trail which goes all the way from my neighborhood to Tampa.  We ate great food in Venice Florida and congratulated Laura and Dennis on moving south.

Chuck and I will go home to Miami on Monday and try to organize a little as we moved a lot of stuff up from the Keys.  We decided to move back to Miami as I couldn’t find some files and I sighed really deeply and Chuck made the mistake of asking "what’s wrong?" and I recited the litany that I’ve really been reciting for 2 years…. "I can’t find my stuff, I don’t like living in 2 houses, etc etc… " So he, thinking, I’m sure, of how much he loves Miami and the pontoon boat in the water… "We could move back"…  I was finding bins and packing stuff 5 minutes later.    When we get home on Monday… we will try to pack for a 7 day Caribbean cruise that begins next Saturday.  I’ll try to correspond over the holiday when we will really be travelling a lot!  God bless you dears and remember…  God and his angels are near… Thank God.  Love Sue

For a mysterious reason that only the Holy Spirit really understands, Chuck and I moved our "to the Keys" date from yesterday to this coming Thursday. Tomorrow. Oh… I was making noises about staying in Miami because I needed to do yard work, and needed to begin Christmas and wedding prep with wrapping presents etc etc, but really? I didn’t get any yard work done as it rains intermittently with Mother Nature’s version of a south Florida autumn. So,whose decision was it that when the phone rang this morning and a friend needed help? Who shifted our schedule to put us in Miami to help friend Karen who fell while exercising and put a sizable large bump on the back of her head. Thinking, "Nah… it’s nothing", but seeing stars and feeling sick, Karen remembered Chuck who ignored a head bump, and almost died. So Karen did the right thing and went to the ER. Oh how foolish we think we are, taking our "little bumps and pains" to the ER. Brain scan revealed no real damage, but doctor was very cautious that she sustained a concussion and must not drive, or watch TV, or read, but only rest. So we left immediately for Miramar to pick up Karen, drove by her work to pick up her car (they have an exercise place at work), and then we placed her on the sofa at home and watched her… You know me…. watching, watching. So my dears. Remember to thank the Holy Spirit when things change and you think, "Oh darn, things changed" you might be needed! Meanwhile, how about this (quote found on a plaque at a Bealles Outlet): "What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?"
God bless you! Sue

To my chilly friends who live north of Flagler street… I bid a warm good morning! Hey! What happened to autumn? Hallowe’en was beautiful and brisk. The trees were all swaying and the ghosties hanging in them moved back and forth and the witch’s rags were swinging on her narrow waist. The witch cackled on her own schedule and little kids came for candy! It was pure bliss! We went to a friend’s (Perry who sold us this lovely lake house) 50th birthday party last night and it was outside… I had on 2 jackets. Then this morning. It’s here. 52 degrees. brrrrr. Winter. Of course the TV is reporting snow or heavy rain and mud in most of the nation. Even Big Pine Key Tie Dye Mickey reports 56 degrees. OH boy. Chuck and I have to go to north Georgia for my nephew’s Christmas wedding and I think I’ll need boots and a snow suit. Aside from the weather, Ads on TV shout of the evils of both guys running for governor so Florida is once again embroiled in the ugliness of an election, and today I heard the first ad on medical marijuana. "Pill mills will be selling pot without a prescription" the ad says. Well maybe Florida drivers could stand a little calming down. In the last few days of driving in Miami I’ve been out to save my life. I know I drive slow due to being a 25 mile per hour Big Pine Key resident, but I was doing the speed limit (40 mph) and cars were "on my butt" and racing around me…. where do I go? Yikes. The Turnpike is worse. Let me out of here and back to our island…. it’s true I chafe at going 25 mph when I need to get to church on time, but I also have to be careful of our Key deer and the turtles on the road. No! real turtles! My sister Sarah is showing her art in a gallery in Neptune Beach and she is inspiring me from a distance. Her work in amazing and her fire to create tells me "we all can do this!" I "found" 2 canvases at Goodwill and I’m working on preparing the first one… The canvas is 34 inches by 22 inches and I’m not even worrying about "how can I fill this thing with something meaningful?" My sister would advise… "Just pick up a brush, get in the zone, and let her rip!" A final note. I indicated to some friends that I have been sleeping in lately as sleep doesn’t come easy to me lately (another friend advised, that’s the plague of "old age"…) Oh boy so my eyes and knees have gone and now I can’t sleep. What am I 104 years old? Any way, I debated going to church at 8am for All Saints Day… well, I intended to sleep in, but my Guardian Angel had other ideas. "Get up!" she said at 7:15am on Saturday morning. And so I rolled out of bed and went to church. You know what? We need to listen to those little promptings. Our angels know what we need to be doing. So plaster a smile on your face and move on with chin up and well, a positive attitude. That attitude says "I’ll try." I might not be able to do this on my own, but I got this angel pushing me from behind. So, get creative, and smile. Love and kisses this chilly autumn morning. God bless you!

My sister has given me an assignment and it isn’t palm trees! Sarah gave me a large cardboard box that I deconstructed during the Dolphins football game. I then used two pieces in a "flower" painting… you will see it in the Keys. She paints with a lot of found stuff including cardboard collaged on… So this morning Sarah gave me a picture of a beach with an old wooden walkway (looks like the panels off pallets we get at Home Depot and throw away) (oh how many of those I have thrown away!!!!!). So my assignment is to paint the beach walk with sand and footprints (circles) and the dune we are walking towards. It’s cool in Jacksonville. We have the sliding door open and I can hear the cars woosh by on the road a few blocks away. The beach is about 5 blocks to the east and…. I hope to take my nieces there today. God bless us today! Love Sue

I drove up to Jacksonville yesterday after 2 ½ hours of Yoga and after a quick shower, and I arrived in time to share a glass of wine with my sister “the artist” and then we were off with niece Jennie and friend Fred who helped build Sarah’s space at the gallery. Last night was a black light party at the gallery and people were painted, and the gallery was in full party! It felt like “Artist’s in Paradise” on Big Pine Key. I am very excited about joining the local Big Pine key gallery and getting ready for a show. This morning Sarah had to work at the gallery and we moved her paintings all around on the “wall” that Jennie and Fred built where Sarah shows her art. After rearranging her space, I’m playing starving artist and “copying” a painting or two that I love. Later today we will paint at home. I’m staying close to Sarah as she does cool things like paint on old torn blue jeans … OH my gosh the things we have thrown out, for example old vegetable bags that Jennie says we can hang ornaments off… I say, paint over them on canvas. I’m afraid I will become a “tinker” or a “twanger” one who picks up bits of iron and copper from the streets as I see so much of it incorporated in Sarah’s paintings! I am having a wonderful time on an artist’s retreat!!!!! God bless us all!