Friday, February 06, 2009

WOW this is my first blog post.
Tracy has always done them before.
Late last fall Midge and I bought a house in Cocoa Beach, Florida
so the Artgirlz won't be creating in one spot but two.
This has been a big change for us and at times painful.
But we pick up our life tools,
try to use them well
and blast off on a new adventure.





We arrived in Florida in time to surprise Midge's family for Christmas.
We have spent the past 8 weeks updating our mid century modern pad.
Having brought only what would fit in our car,
we are managing with yard sale bargains
and borrowed beach chairs.
We have spent a lot of them time painting, painting and painting,
ripping up floors
and making way too many decisions in a short amount of time.






We have so much to learn and experience here in Florida

.


We need to relearn gardening,
because
house plants can live outside,
Veggies are planted in the fall and winter
and what the hell is that grass they have on their lawns.


And we can grow bananas here!


From flowers to fruit


We are also finding eating locally a bit challenging.


One of the nicest things about our move
is that Midge has the chance to be with her family.
Last weekend her Italian cousins
were visiting her brother Michael in near by Indialantic
and on Sunday we all gathered to cook.


As the kitchen filled with yummy smells,
Philomena patiently taught us how to make pasta
with a shake of the head
or a nod
because she didn't speak English
and our Italian was nil.



We made made little pasta caps called Priest's Caps or Agnolotti.
The results were MAGNIFICO.


It was a heart warming time
hanging out with Maria, Philamena and Franko.



So now Tracy and I are learning how to telecommute.
I am trying to set up a studio in our house that is still in transition,


Midge keeps painting


and
Maxine watches over us,
happy to be back in Florida after leaving when we lost Margaret.

3 comments:

Tina Craig said...

Hi, Al. Best of luck to you and Midge in your new home. I hope we'll still see you up here sometime.
Homemade pasta is the best. Philomena looks like the Italian ladies I grew up with- the church ladies making pasta and pastries for the summer festival.
Ciao! Tina

Tracy Stilwell said...

very excellent sis...just went in and edited the blank space on top...other than that it is perfecto!! xxx

Anonymous said...

Hi Artgirlz,

I love your site so much I mentioned it in my Craft to Heal blog today. The url is http://crafttoheal.blogspot.com. Please visit and post!

Here's part of the post itself...

Craft to Heal Blog 2/7/09
I just read an article that said crafting stores are doing pretty well in this lousy economy. Makes sense to me. People are looking for activities to comfort them, as well as ways to make heartfelt but inexpensive gifts.

Sometimes, though, you can't find what you need at Jo-Ann's, Michaels, or AC Moore. Here are three websites I turn to often for embellishments and the like.

http://www.artgirlz.com/. Look up the word "funky" in the dictionary and you'll find this site. It's charming, it's fun, and they have lots of great beads, charms, rubber stamps, and other embellishments. It's a blast!

Thanks,
Nancy Monson
Author of Craft to Heal: Soothing Your Soul with Sewing, Painting, and Other Pastimes