A Victorian 1885 October At Sea

Hello, dear friends, 

Good morning from lovely beautiful, and sunny Florida. Here's a sweet photo of my beach. There's a quiet little bench cradled between two stilt homes, and if one is mannerly and respectful, the homeowners will allow the resting upon to appreciate the waving sounds of bliss. The beach has always been a tonic for this ole bygone Weeki Wachee Springs mermaid. I love to beach comb also. I have collected shells for nearly all of my life. If you ever purchased one of my paintings, you'll remember I slipped a small shell wrapped up in a little brown painter's paper bundle. 

In 2015 when I ran away (back home) for a respite, I would drive my mum's little chariot and sit on the bench in the picture above. I had a broken heart, yet not shattered because I had a forlorn temperament for how love went wrong. My story isn't like many love romance stories. Actually, I was happiest I had broken out; if you want the truth. I was severe on the sex and finished with men. I was quietly tending to matters as I had plenty to occupy myself when unexpectedly, I found myself (twin flame) attracted to Jeffrey Shawn. But then again, I am getting ahead of myself. I'm writing a book all about it. I know I've written oodles here on ye olde blog, however it'll be nice to have it in chronological form. It is a love story (about my dearly beloved Jeffrey), a life story and a self-development/ mindset book. It's so many things all wrapped into one. You may have heard me speak about it from the title The Little Mermaid's Transformational Tale.

 

I plan to write and paint it, as Susan Branch did for her book The Fairy Tale Girl, yet with my snarling slice of mermaid twist. 

It may sound to some as though it's a sad tale; however, that is life, and for a book to be good and best, I think It's vital to obtain all the nitty gritty bits and bobs, don't you agree? I have no regrets about how my story has turned out thus far; it's actually a lovely story if you were to ask me. My book will most assuredly explain in the most delightful and hopeful way how a person can turn something terrible into something lovely. As young girls in love, we are starry-eyed at the start, especially in those first relationships. We're entirely naive. An exceptional illustration of naivety is Keira Knightly, starring in the movie The Duchess (2008).

Let us not fret any longer and get on with the pleasurable portions of this post by telling you what I have been up to as of late—well, mostly sketching and dreaming about all the enjoyable days of splashing in paint. I am pleased to write and paint books for your dear hearts. I've been thinking about you and where to have book signings, what to do to make them unique, and how much I can't wait to meet you all, that have supported me so lovingly. The Tale of Sawyer Lamb and The Tale of the Christmas Bunnies comes out next month (November 25, 2022), and I want to make it spectacular. I want to take questions, as when I would have little author tea parties. The children would have time to ask questions after I read my story to them. The children were so fascinated and always wanted to know all manner of details about being a real-life (Weeki Wachee Springs) mermaid. After they wrote down questions, I put them in a message bottle. I also want to order some delightful fancy candy from England as giveaways to go with Sawyers's book, chocolate and lemon drops in little sack bundles, precisely as in the story.

What else have I been up to as of late? A little nesting, cleaning, organising and purging olde items such as clothing and things that are no longer serving the new version of me, playing in the garden, sketching ways to add onto the cottage, plotting the rose garden, drinking loads of tea and filling vases up with fresh cut flowers. Oh, and one of the most fun things Jeffrey and I love is to work in the garden together. This weekend we will be planting nine boxwood (in addition to the ones we've already added and the two topiaries) and about nine Viburnum (variety is suspensum) all along to cover the air conditioner on the side of my parent's home. I'll post some pictures when they're all planted. 

I've been slowly transitioning my photos to a sepia tone or black and white on Instagram. It creates a more authentic aesthetic that I'm setting in motion with my business branding. I tend to love it; however, for those who adore colour, I also add colour photos to be admired when you slide the images. 

As always, I am Taking Joy and remaining on the sunny side of life. Here are a few pretty pictures of the peer near our home when Jeffrey and I went for a walk along the beach. 

Most affably yours til my next swim, Raquelxxx