Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Birthday Week in Naples, FL


While Romney was winning the nomination in Florida,

the unconcerned birds were preening,

the waves were crashing onto the shore,


the fountains were gurgling,


the sun was setting,


and birthday girls were enjoying their treats.


42 comments:

  1. I was down there last weekend too :) We had a wonderful time - the weather was incredible!

    Happy Birthday!

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    1. Becca, I forget that you live down there, right? Perhaps one day we'll run into each other. Reading, no doubt. :)

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  2. Happy birthday, Bellezza dear. Wishing you a year filled with love, laughter and great books! Baci! xoxoxoxox

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    1. Col, what could be better? Thank you so much. xoxoxoxo

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  3. Happy belated birthday...it looks and sounds as though it was fabulous!!!

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    1. Better than our wildest dreams. God is so good! Thanks, Patty.

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  4. It sounds like an absolutely lovely birthday celebration! My favorites--the waves, the sunset and your yummy treats. :) Here's to a fabulous year.

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    1. Les, I'd love to share a yummy treat across the table with you some day. The only dilemma: tea or coffee?

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  5. Happy Birthday, my friend. My aunt lives in Naples...why haven't I visited her yet?

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    1. Audrey, go! Go, go! You'd have such a wonderful time in this beautiful town.

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  6. Happy Birthday! Such lovely photos - including the treats. LOL

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    1. Kay, I'm glad you liked the photos. Wish I could post the great ones of my family, but I'm afraid of ruining the privacy they cherish. As do I. So, we look at treats instead of people. ;)

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  7. Happy Birthday, Bellezza! Your treat looks delightful :)

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    1. Thanks, Terri. It's hard to beat the combination of sweets and sea air. Both are very "tonic". So to speak.

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  8. Happy Birthday.
    Very nice photos. Colorful sunset.

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    1. The sunset picture almost looks fake. Like a Hallmark card. But, it was indeed quite beautiful.

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  9. Crossroads
    Joyce Sutphen
     

    The second half of my life will be black
    to the white rind of the old and fading moon.
    The second half of my life will be water
    over the cracked floor of these desert years.
    I will land on my feet this time,
    knowing at least two languages and who
    my friends are. I will dress for the
    occasion, and my hair shall be
    whatever color I please.
    Everyone will go on celebrating the old
    birthday, counting the years as usual,
    but I will count myself new from this
    inception, this imprint of my own desire.


    The second half of my life will be swift,
    past leaning fenceposts, a gravel shoulder,
    asphalt tickets, the beckon of open road.
    The second half of my life will be wide-eyed,
    fingers shifting through fine sands,
    arms loose at my sides, wandering feet.
    There will be new dreams every night,
    and the drapes will never be closed.
    I will toss my string of keys into a deep
    well and old letters into the grate.


    The second half of my life will be ice
    breaking up on the river, rain
    soaking the fields, a hand
    held out, a fire,
    and smoke going
    upward, always up.

    Not so much the words but the sentiment,
    Hope your birthday went well.

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    1. Parrish, finally a poem I can understand and appreciate. Those words are beautiful!! My father is working on a story called something like "In The Rearview Mirror" because, as the poem indicated, so much is behind us (me) now. However, I love these lines: " will count myself new from this inception, this imprint of my own desire" along with the whole idea of going forward instead of back.

      Thanks, as always, for your insightful comments.

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  10. Lovely photos! Happy Birthday!

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    1. Thanks, Kailana, who does Listening To Wednesday more than I. In fact, I've almost forgotten about it, and when I remember I find my work computer disallowing me to post. Silly work...

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  11. Happy birthday! It looks like you had a very relaxing time (except for the politics).

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    1. Politics...now there's a dirty word. Did you notice I avoided my personal preferences? (But, I'm sure hoping a Republican wins this time!)

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  12. great photos! a belated Happy Birthday!!!

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  13. Happy Belated Birthday! May this year be filled only with love and laughter. I am such a bad friend :)

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    1. Ally, you're not a bad friend at all. And, did you see you won Crossing The Bridge of Sighs? It wasn't even contrived on my part! You're the true winner from Random.org amazing as that sounds.

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  14. What a wonderful place to celebrate your birthday. Hope that your year ahead is wonderful.

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    1. Thanks for the sweet thoughts, Diane. It sure had a lovely start.

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  15. Happy Belated Birthday. The waves, the sunset, the treats.... perfection!

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    1. In every way. But, you know what a delight it is to be by the water whether it's sea or lake, right? :)

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  16. Lovely way to celebrate! And I love the idea of a birthday week!

    Tom was talking to his stepfather, who is in Florida for the winter, about how the campaigning down there would drive him (Tom) crazy. His stepfather told him, 'Tom, you don't drink enough.' :<)

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    1. Nan, my mother (whose birthday is the 31st, the day right after mine) and I always take the two days to celebrate. Now we're lengthening them into the proper amount for Birthday Princesses: a full week!

      I'm not sure how the campaigning in Florida is usually done, but there surely were a lot of butts there when I listened to Romney. Big ones, and I don't mean physically!

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  17. Happy belated birthday! What a lovely setting for your birthday celebrations.

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    1. It was a true get away, Amanda, although my hometown in Illinois was practically as warm as Florida this week. We've only had one or two snow falls, and that's not enough for this Winter loving girl.

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  18. Happy birthday! Sounds - and looks - like you had a good time.

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    1. Thanks for visiting, Bettina, and leaving me your sweet thoughts.

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  19. Happy Belated Birthday. Your birthday treat sure looks yummy!

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    1. And you didn't even have a chance to see all the pasta which was consumed! ;)

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  20. Happy belated Birthday, Bellezza!! Loved the pics you shared - looks like you had an interesting and fun birthday :) And your yummy treat looked delicious! By the way that weather looked lovely! I'm in south FL - down further than Miami and some days those blue skies are just gorgeous - glad you were able to witness some of those during your birthday week :)

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  21. Nadia, I didn't realize you live in southern Florida. I hope the temperatures aren't too hot for you the rest of the year! It's easy to take those blue skies for granted, and I loved seeing them whilst dwelling in the Illinois grey. Thanks for your happy thoughts regarding my birthday.

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  22. A very happy birthday, and I'm especially fond of the pic of the treats! YUM!

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  23. Oh, wow. What gorgeous photos! I need one of those for my birthday. Happy Belated Birthday to you, Bellezza!!!

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