Now that's a delicatession

Had to make a run to the local supermarket for a few Thanksgiving "staples". Kerry, the twins and I spent hours walking through this fantastic supermarket, but it was the deli that brought me to my knees. I'm New Jersey born and raised and had local butcher shops, milk men, bakeries and deli's all around me. I have had the great fortune to live and visit many places across the US and overseas and presently residing in Georiga...all have introduced me to the flavor that makes each unique, but it is the deli's and the bakeries that I miss most of all. Walking into this store was like coming home. I didn't know which way to turn first.

Supermarket in Vicenza...yes, that is the delicatessen area. Be still my heart.

Case after case of meats, cheeses, olives, salads, ready to eat meals.

Fresh Vegies, beautiful and fresh.

Braids of garlic.

Fresh, ripe and red tomatoes. These are the size of baseballs.

It's all big in Italy. Check out the size of that salami...so big,they needed a dolly to move it.

So many wonderful cheeses to select from.

Fresh wheels of aged cheeses.

Fresh pizza pies for the lunch crowd.

Couldn't resist a slice and a coke.


The twins sleeping as we check boots out at the local shoe store.

Mommy feeding the twins.

Sweet Kit Kat greeting me at the airport. This sweet girl holds my heart in her hands.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving. Sea Witch

Jetting to Vincenza to see grandchildren

Dear friends, I am writing this from Gate D in the Charlotte Douglas Airport as I wait for my flight to Frankfort, Germany and then on to Venice, Italy to spend Thanksgiving with my son, his lovely wife, and their three ravioli's...my grandchildren.

This is an unexpected pleasure as my son and his wife decided (out of the blue) to send me a ticket to come visit them in Vincenza, Italy for Thanksgiving holiday.

As many of you know, I have recently become the grandma-ma of twins two months ago. This double addition to the family has been a blessing and a joy. The only difficult part is they are so far away so I can only see my raviolis from the webcam or pictures in email.

To be able to hold them in my arms and then play with Kit Kat as we craft and glitter and bake away is the best possible world a grandmother could ever want.

So, look for future postings over the next few days about my adventures in Vincenza with the delightful grandchildren and their wonderful mother and father. Enjoy your weekend. Sea Witch

Open House - Vintage Village

My first Open House, this season, was at Vintage Village, the coziest shop in metro Atlanta. Vintage Village is a lovely place to shop for antiques and vintage items along with great altered art pieces and materials and unique gift items. What makes Vintage Village unique is the people inside...genuine and warm, our dealers are like family and it all comes together during events like these. I hope you enjoy the photos below and if you would like to see more, click on this LINK.

Thank you for stopping by to visit. My next posting will feature my second open house at Queen of Hearts. Sea Witch

was Slew, All in A day, by the Indiens

I have a fondness for cemeteries. They do not frighten me nor do I feel "creeped" out as many of my friends say of my interest in them. I have always found them to be peaceful places and an historical diary of communities. As I walk through them, I am always drawn to the words carved into the markers by those who helped these individuals pass. When I was traveling in New England several weeks ago, my honey wanted to take me to the South Nashua, New Hampshire cemetery that he often visited as a boy. It was a lovely autumn morning, with just a light chill in the air and a brilliant blue sky as a backdrop. If you are not aware of its location, you will drive right by it as it is just off of a busy highway. A hidden gem of this area's history so to speak.

Once a one room schoolhouse, this building now serves as storage for funeral tents, chairs, and other equipment. Lovely, old brick building with a working hand pump around the side.

This blazing red tree stands next to this grouping of head stones from the 18th and 19th century.

The leaves were at the height of their color change and it seemed like a fitting mantle to those who now rest here.

The older slate stones seemed to hold their inscriptions better than the granite markers that already showed signs of decay from pollution. Many of the inscriptions on the granite stones were difficult to read as they had become soft and muddied.

Another tree ablaze with color in this quiet resting place.

Slate stone has lovely memorial carving of a weeping willow tree. Typical of the historical mourning symbols. Rebecca was 2 years and 10 months when she crossed over. Rest peacefully, sweet Rebecca.

You can still see the scribe marks that the sculptor used as a guide to carve the lettering on the marker. Here lies the body of Mrs. Jemima Houston - wife of Mr. Ovid Houston - who departed this life December 26, 1765 - in 27th year of her life.

Marker with lovely deep carving in memory of Mr. Ovid Houston's second wife, Catherine Houston. November 17, 1778, departed in the 45th year of her age.

My favorite stone. Inscribed: Memento, Mori. Here lies the body of Mr. Thomas Lund. Who Departed this life Sept 5th, 1724 in the 42 year of his Age. this man, with Seven more that lies in this Grave; was Slew, All in A day, by the Indiens. I have written this exactly as taken from the marker.

These markers are what draws me to these hallowed places, to touch first hand our country's history. To feel some of the spirit that another before me has brought to this ground. Sea Witch

With Joyful Abandon

dive into your life! This child will be covered in leaves rich in autumn's colors and he will emerge laughing, shaking off a few leaves and will dive in all over again. Can you think of any better metaphor for life?

This photo makes me smile in a big way. What memories it invokes of my dad raking leaves into piles all over the yard (no blowers back then) and then pretending like he didn't want his three daughters messing them up by diving into them. We would laugh and giggle and roll around in them until our hair was full of nature. Dad would pretend to grumble that we wrecked his work and he would have to rake them all over again...always making a bigger and deeper pile for us to jump back into.

Even God's four-leggeds know a good time when they see it.

Go, find a pile of leaves and send nature fluttering all around you. Have a wonderful Monday. Sea Witch

100th Post Winner is...

can you stand it? Who is the lucky winner of my 100th post drawing that my dog, Kota, selected by his cold, wet nose???? Why it is:

Catnip Studio

Whoo hoo, lots of horns, noisemakers, dogs barking, cats screeching, small children screaming with glee! Confetti dropping and cake for everyone! So Kathy of Catnip Studio, please send me your snail mail address via email and I will pack your goodies up and send them on to you. If you are not familiar with Kathy's blog, http://www.vintagecatnip.blogspot.com/, you must visit. This is one talented woman with a lot of oars in many seas as my hubby likes to say. It is her joy for life and her willingness to share her many talents with all of us through her blog that lured me to her site and kept me as a follower and a favorite. Congratulations Kathy!

The 100 post stash but wait, there's more!

I had a total of 93 entries and I thank all of you who left comments, became followers and noted my 100 post giveaway on your blog. You made this lots of fun for me and I enjoyed reading all of your comments.

Here is Kota sniffing out the names to pull.


And the winners are:

Catnip Studio (www.vintagecatpnip.blogspot.com)

Winners? Did you say winners?
Why, yes I did. As I added a few more goodies to the larder, I decided to pull 6 other entries and send you a sand and sea glass (mermaid's tears) in a tiny bottle necklace. I had made these while sailing in the Bahamas with my honey a few years ago and sold them all over the Abacos to the local shops there. Legend says that if you take some sand from your visit to a beach, that you will return one day. With this simple little necklace and the bottle of island sand hanging from it, I wish the wearer the opportunity to travel to the Bahamian island chain and enjoy their lovely beaches as I do. Here are those winners:

• Brocantess (http://www.brocantess.blogspot.com/)
• Deb Sea (http://www.dyingtobeyours.blogspot.com/)
• Tracy (http://www.athomeontheridge.blogspot.com/)
• Gypsy Purple (http://www.gypsypurple.blogspot.com/)
• Barb (http://www.thefrenchelements.blogspot.com/)
• Karen Valentine (http://www.mydesertcottage.blogspot.com/)
  
  Ladies, please send me your snail mail via an email and I will have these wrapped and packaged to send to you. Excited to know that these are going all over the world, perhaps one day I will meet up with all of you as I adore travel.

The sand and the sea glass were all taken from Elbow Cay, Abaco, Bahaamas. Kathy, you will also receive a necklace.

Closer look at that tiny bottle filled with Bahamian sand and sea glass.

Just a few more treasures I have tossed into the 100th post package. Sweet, ladies china hand ashtray...yes, I said ashtray....too pretty for nasty ashes but perfect for rings or hold some fresh lavender. A vintage millinery bouquet that I repurposed into a blazer pin. It will always be spring when you wear this. And the pretty little doily under both of them.

So, I thank everyone for participating in my 100th Post Giveaway. I enjoyed reading all of your comments and making new friends. Have a wonderful weekend and blessings to everyone...and Happy Friday the 13th! Sea Witch

Is that a Parrotfish on my header?

Yes, I've switched out my header again. Just wasn't feeling the love with the spotted moray eel and needed a "lighter" feeling to the header, something more welcoming. What better way to welcome visitors then the sweet and funny face of a Parrot Fish. They have powerful jaws and teeth that look like the beak of a parrot. I adore these goofy looking, brilliant colored species with their parrot shaped beaks that give you the appearance of them grinning right at you.

To me they are the closest thing to swimming cartoons with their bright colors and funny faces. They are the most common and most colorful of species living on coral reefs around the world. All sizes and colors (I have seem some as big as a 50 pound dog), friendly and unafraid of divers, they will often follow you as you move around in their world. (photos enlarge when you click on them.)

Stoplight Parrotfish - male. Named for the brilliant yellow stoplight on its tail (pectoral fin).

A sex changing fish, the colors of the Stoplight parrotfish in the initial phase (below) when it could be either a male or female are dramatically different from when it is in the terminal phase (above) sporting brilliant colors when it is definitely a male.

Stoplight Parrot Fish either male or female in initial phase.

Princess Parrotfish with a cheeky grin. Always a brilliant blue and the face of my latest header.

Bi-color Parrotfish - male How can you not be passionate about this species with so many brilliant colors to choose from?

The parrotfish diet is primarily algae extracted from chunks of coral ripped from a reef. You can actually "hear" them crunching the coral while swimming with them. These coral crunchers pulverize the coral with the grinding teeth in their throat and most of the sand in their region is actually the ground up and undigested coral they excrete.

Wishing you a colorful day and thanks for stopping by. Sea Witch