A Great Turtle Day!

A couple of weeks ago I spent a few days in my hometown visiting my grandmother. My Aunt Sue started to recall stories that I had never heard before and me, being the frustrated family scribe, had to write it down..

Occasionally, after particularly rainy weather in Blountstown, my grandfather would declare to the children that that day was a good turtle day! They would all load up in the truck and go to some property that he owned, Aunt Sue said it was called Starvation Plantation. They would be in the back and would holler out to their daddy to stop so they could pick up the many box turtles that were in the ditches. Aunt Sue said it was so much fun and they would fill up the back with turtles. After the day of fun they would unload the turtles before they headed back home, muddy, cheeks bright and full of tales to tell their mama. Aunt Sue said that on this piece of property was a building that was called the Flying House. She said it was out in the middle of the pasture and had a exaggerated sloping roofline and from a distance it looked like the house was about to take off flying, like it had wings. She said that they had camped there one night and had hosted her twelth birthday party with a hayride and cook out. It was so much fun to watch her recall these precious memories of her childhood with her sweet daddy. I almost felt like I was there too, picking up box turtles, laughing the day away, and just glad to be alive on a good turtle day!     Suz



Eastern Box Turtle

 P.S. I was interested in finding more about this "Starvation Plantation"which I had never heard of before, but remembered my grandfather taking us to his property that was near some Indian mounds. The information that I found said that there was a Mrs.Jones in 1840, that befriended a group of Creek or Seminole Indians on a trip to Ecofina. She brought them to her home near Blountstown and fed them dinner. She served them some peppered eggs at this meal and the spicy food upset the Indians so much they thought she was trying to poison them. They returned ten days later and killed Mrs.Jones. It seems this area was the scene of much fighting between the Indians and the settlers.

Riches Upon Riches

My daughter. She is something else, she is her own person wrapped up in leopard skin, hippie beads and she always smells like mint and sweet soap. Where she got her spunk is beyond me, where she got her brilliant mind is even more beyond me. She was only two when I gathered up my courage to divorce and move back toTallahassee.  I was trying my best working full time and going to design school and little Lu was the most bright spot in my life. We were so poor and lived in a small apartment in Frenchtown, later when I would tell her I was sorry that we were so lacking she would tell me ," Mama,  I thought we were rich, we always had what we needed and we had each other". I love this girl, now woman and treasure her quick wit, naughty sense of humor and her warmth that radiates. We should all be so rich with the things that count......    Suz

Lindsey Anders Ortolano

Moonshine on the Apalachicola

the old bridge

   Growing  up in Liberty and Calhoun counties , there was never a dull moment for us three kids. We lived on Pea Ridge road in Bristol and what an adventure! My dad was continually getting into trouble as it was his stomping grounds and he knew what trouble to get into. One memorable event was when my dad and a group of men decided they would go down the river in a houseboat and gave some lame excuse of playing cards or something to that effect. Hours and hours went by, it got dark and all the wives started getting worried and calling each other. Hours and more hours went by, still no husbands...... now the law was called, missing husbands on a fast moving river on a houseboat.... didn't sound good. Next thing was talk of dragging the river, had they drowned, tumped over? All gathered at the landing in nightgowns with sleepy and crying children , wives were on the verge of hysteria...... then way off in the distant they heard singing, we're not talking going down to the river music, we're talking somebody got ahold of some moonshine and went houseboating music! Dad later said they were having a grand ole time when they noticed all the wives and families gathered at the river crying and the law looking not to happy to be called out of bed and waiting on them! Needless to say, that was the last houseboat ride he ever took. Dad did all kinds of crazy things on that river like jumping off the bridge into the fast moving current and skiing on the river. I'm not recommending any of this. its just an example of what happens in a small town, on a Saturday night, when nothing is going on but a boat and a jar of moonshine and a fast moving river.       Suz

houseboats or" shanty boats" on river much like the one in question

Planting In Faith

                                                      My world has always been full of flowers. I grew up with some of the best gardeners I have ever known, my grandmother Mary who turns 94 this week, my mother of course who was the constant gardener, Aunt Sue to name just a few. I learned so much from them and now I take great pleasure in my daughter Lindsey following in the same footsteps. After supper she'll ask to walk around the yard and we will talk plants, what they are, where they came from, things like that. The snowdrops planted by the back door are our February flowers, and they came from our family home in North Carolina where my grandmother took some bulbs and we all have taken from to plant in our own yards. The hydrangeas are from Mama planting them when we were growing up here and always reminded me of home. I have a mint bed that supplements our iced tea and mojitos if the occasion arises, and it does regularly! Most recently after taking care of Mama's yard for these past four years, before the house sold I made several trips to transplant things from her yard that she loved, therefore I loved. Shrimp plants, amaryllis she had grown from bulbs, iris, holly fern, society garlic.... all the plants I could have gotten locally , but the fact that she had planted them in love and faith made these .... priceless! So this is the legacy I leave Lindsey Lu, and I bet it will be the one she treasures the most. Go do some planting! Suz

"Flower Girls" by Suzanne Conner

My Tribe

                                                         When I start looking around me and take the time to notice the wonderful people that God has put in my life, I am overwhelmed..... to say the least. I guess when you are younger  you take things like that for granted, they'll always be there and time with them can wait. Not so. Some people I wonder why they are in my  life, they seem to test me to the limit and push every button on my control panel but I've come to realize they too have a reason to be connected with me and I with them. These relationships are as important as breathing, eating, shelter....... it is belonging..... to your tribe. My tribe has been made up of interesting characters. A grandfather who was an incredible influence on our lives and who taught us how to be childlike and how to enjoy the outdoors. A mother who showed us how to be a family even if we were a divorced one and taught us that idle hands are the devil's workshop ( evidenced when she found a bottle of liquor hidden behind the freezer and when no one fessed up, we were at church every time the doors opened and grass planting became our new hobby). A father who had a naughty sense of humor and who made so many life mistakes, but you had to love him. A husband who also has a wicked sense of humor but loves fiercely and deeply and though he seems gruff, children swarm over him like bees to honey. A daughter who brillant, smart, funny and so completely comfortable in her skin I have often wondered, where did she come from? In the odd assortment of brothers, grandmothers and friends and family, is where I find myself, nestled somewhere in between. Belonging.             Suz

Where He Came From

                                             My dad, Marvin, was quite a character that grew up on one side of the Appachicola River in Liberty Co. He came from scrappy folk from near Cantonement in a little area called Walnut Hill in Florida. When mentioning this to our friend Hunter, he knew exactly the dirt road Dad grew up on and declared it excellent hog huntin' there. To me, it was a place that time forgot in the sandy pines, dirt roads of backwoods Florida. I didn't really have to much to do with it until, at the age of 60, Dad died waiting for a lung transplant, and I found myself once again on those lonely roads. I was totally surprised by the awesome, deep primal feeling that I was home again and  so was Dad. The same church he went to as a child was the same church family that prepared our dazed family a spread of unpretentious food. Fried chicken, potato salad and cold, sweet tea to get us through the hell that was July in Florida in an un-airconditioned church. He was buried next to his mama and daddy and unbeknownst to us three children, we had each put a cigar in with him and a pocket knife, you know.... to make the journey easier. Recently I came across something in my family remembrances that I had totally forgotten that I had, it was the silver coin that was placed on dad's navel when he was born. I think they did this in the old days to sterilize. I am grateful that I got to go back and see where he started off and where he ended in this beautful little back roads place near the Perdido River.

Stormy Weather

Do you ever feel blown away? Sometimes it is in a good way and sometimes .... not so good . This has been my month to be blown away , in both ways .So many friends lately are dealing with things that I have only read about in the papers . One friend found out that the pain he was feeling in his back was stage four cancer that had metastisized , I saw my brothers children for the first time since he took his life almost four years ago ...very emotional , a young friend of my daughter's drowned in a diving accident last week , I finally sold my mothers house in Blountstown after four years of being up for sale , I found joy in painting that I had only dreamed of , wow , its been a month ! I just have to hand this over to my Creator , knowing that it is in His hands that it is as it should be . I just have to readjust my sails , shake the salt water off of me and continue on . I can  move ahead and count my many blessings and not forget to thank God for His answers . Suz

Girl Talk



" Girl Talk " by Suzanne Conner



"The Sea,once it casts it's spell,holds one in it's net of wonder forever".  Jacques Cousteau

I love my girlfriends , we talk .... a lot , we drink wine together , we cry , and we laugh ..... a lot ! I think we women need this desperately , we are tied together in an invisible net together and amazingly as different as we are , we are all the same. We have the same hopes , fears maybe in different packages but they all boil down to the same things . I am grateful for this band of women and girls , we sustain each other and just remind us ...... that we are not alone in our feelings and it is no accident that God put us together . Suz

One Last Look

" One Last Look ( clear skies ahead ) "

After a much needed vacation in Apalachicola , I feel recharged and refreshed and ready to tackle much neglected projects. The weather was rainy but thats OK , I pulled out my copy of A Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindberg that although was written fifty years ago ,it seems like it still speaks to women today . The need for solitude and re examining the areas of our lives that maybe drain us and how to repair those areas . Anyway , the margaritas were an added bonus , the wonderful food and the sea captains cottage we stayed in was absolutely adorable ! This painting is called " One Last Look ( clear skies ahead ) " may seem a little off but I know a neat lady who is trying to look ahead and away from the past that was hurtful and toxic .I'm proud of her and admire anyone who wants better from this life and is willing to move forward to get it . Bravo Miss M ! Have a wonderful week end, Suz

One Little Indian

my grandfather as a youngster

                                       After a conversation today with Jim at http://www.outdoorsdownsouth.com/ about our common thread of being from Blountstown , I began to reminisce about my grandfather ,Uncle Snap . His real name was Carey but we all called him Uncle Snap , even his children and townspeople. He was quite a character and storyteller and Jim and I were sharing stories about him . When he was a youngster his parents divorced and was raised by his mother . Lucky for him he grew up outdoors and loved the pines and palmettos of Calhoun county . He was crippled from polio but that didn't slow him down at all , he became class president and was captain of the football team , he was amazing. He was also highly excitable and loved the vim and vigor of life . Mama told of him being gored by a bull once and she was notified during school but was not allowed to go home (even though they lived next door to the school ). She said she slowly walked home afraid that he had been killed by the terrible injury , the yard was full of cars .... she expected the worst. When she opened the door of the house she could hear the unmistakable laughter of her father down the hall , she often said it was the best sound she had ever heard in her life ! I have so many stories about him that I will share later , like the alligator in the bathtub and looking for buried treasure in Memaw's yard , the list goes on . But this wonderful man shaped my life , Al and I both say he was and still is our moral compass , and he made our childhood the most wonderful that a child could have . Hope you have a great week ! Suz

Being a river girl ain't easy !



" River Girl " by Suzanne Conner



                      When my now husband and I were dating , we had this conversation , "  Suzy ,how about going fishing at our pond , do you fish ? "  " Do I fish ? My goodness Bryant I grew up on the Appalachicola River, I'm a river girl!" Those words have come to haunt me for the past 20 years . Yes I grew up on the river , yes I love to fresh water fish , but it seems I can only catch them with a cane pole and a worm ...... which my husband thinks is ridiculous . Did I mention I can only fish on the bank or in a john boat ? Further ridiculousness ! I am the only person who has not caught a fish in the Conner pond , and I stand humiliated .....well ,  not really , because you see....... I'm a River Girl ! Have a great day, Suz







growing up on the Appalachicola River



New Olympic category !

" Turtle Games " by Suzanne Conner

                                I hope everyone had a great fourth of July ! It was strange it being in the middle of the week but we had a nice time regardless . Lu and her hubby Sonny came over for pulled pork sandwiches , corn on the cob and blackberry cobbler . We watched Rosemary and Thyme episodes on netflix and pulled out old photos and laughed and cried . I love getting together with my family. There aren't too many of us these days but the ones that are here , we love and cherish . You don't realize how important relationships are until they're gone sometimes . Now I savor every moment and I don't want to miss any thing ! I am getting ready for the next show at Polka Dot Press , session two of the Art of Summer Living the Market District is putting on . I look forward to the experience and truly enjoy Kim and Nancy there , they are wonderful and have so many great ideas . I have loved being at Bedfellows with Gina and the girls , they have been so great and gracious to me . Have a good week and enjoy , my painting is called      "Turtle Games " ( just in time for the summer olympics ! ) and is shown over at Sweet Patina on Thomasville Rd . If you haven't been in there yet , it is quite the treat for the eyes , I love it ! Suz

First Dance



my mother Carol at sixteen



                        This painting is called " First Dance" . I love the idea of outdoor parties and the lantern light illuminating the dresses and the pretty girls ! I thought you would get a kick out of seeing the inspiration behind my dressed up ladies , my mama . Here she was probably sixteen years old in my grandmother's living room . I love the gloves ....... mama said that when they would go to town , and we're talking Blountstown , they did not leave the  house without gloves and hats ! Can you believe it ? I have many more beautiful photos of mama and her sisters that I will share all along . But for now , its the fourth of July and I have my flipflops on and hamburgers to grill ! Happy Independence Day ! Suz



 







Goodbye to Andy

                                   I have to say I am sad today. Andy Griffeth died and I am sad . I grew up watching Mayberry and Andy all my life , still laughing at the reruns like the first time I saw it . It reminded me so much of my growing up in a small , country North Florida town . We had our Howard and our Barneys ,and even our Aunt Beas at our church who clucked over every detail imaginable. When our family moved to the unfamiliar big city of Orlando , I could turn on the tv and be transported back home . When people made fun of my southern dialect I knew there were more that sounded just like me and was reassured every time I watched .And to top it off my dad looked and sounded just like him , at least to us , so I guess I always associate Andy with my dad who passed away at sixty years of age . Well  anyway, goodbye Andy and thank you for bringing so much laughter , wise humor and southern antics into our homes....... at least for this homesick for her hometown girl.       Suzanne

Simple Living



" A Simple Life " by Suzanne Conner

                                              Is there anything better than having a clothesline to get that fresh , air dried smell and crunchy feel to sheets and clothes ? Yes , one at a pink beach cottage with a view of the sea ! I am intent on living a simpler life and to enjoy little things as much as I can and this is one of my must haves . I grew up with one of these and it is where mama and Miss Iris used to visit while they hung out the clothes . and its where we would tie up a puppy so he wouldn't run off but could run back and forth tethered to the line . We built many a fort with a sheet and the line , we just didn't know any better ..... it just didn't get any better ! I know it sounds corny and maybe it lacks sophistication , but I need one of these to help me simplify my life , but also to bring back those memories that I hold so dear ! Wish me luck convincing my husband that bras and clothes hanging out there won't be so bad ! Have a great week and  happy Fourth of July. Suzanne

After the dance



" The Walk Home" by Suzanne Conner

                        We have established that I am not a prissy girl , but my mother and her two sisters definitely were and are girly girls . There were three sisters , a redhead , a blonde and a brunette . They were beautiful young ladies ( still beautful even now ) and my grandmother liked to make sure they were dressed to the nines . You may have read my blog about the dresses I found up in Memaw's attic and the memories came flooding back . The sisters lived next door to the high school in Blountstown and were all very active in cheerleading , homecoming queen, and school activities while the only brother was a football player and all round good guy . I can just envision them walking home after the dance  and talking about the cute guys they danced with , the pretty dresses that they had seen and the fun that they had that night . Their radiance  was only outdone by the moon light , stars and fireflies twinkling about . This is not my memory , but I know these women and they haven't changed so much and they still like to dress up and just be beautiful .   Suzanne

Summertime , where the living is easy



                                                     " Let us lay in the sun and count every beautiful thing we can see "





" Sunkissed  "  by Suzanne Conner





                              I want to celebrate the first days of summer with a kiss from the sun, but tropical storm Debbie has other plans . But in the meantime I can make my list and look forward to the sun coming out . On my list to do this summer ......... take a picnic somewhere special like Torreya Park , go to Appalachicola and paint on Arlene's front porch for a week end , indulge in pedicures regularly , build a clothesline ( I love the smell of crisp air dried sheets ) , spend some quality, time with my family , sit under the sprinklers and stay cool ! Maybe read those books I got for some summer reading last summer , paint with friends .... with a little wine and generally just take it easy . Meanwhile I am getting ready to show my work at Polka Dot Press for Art Walk and put more art in at Sweet Patina . My work will be at Bedfellows another week or two so it looks like a busy summer ......... now where is that bottle of Neutragena SunGlow ?





view from Arlene's front porch





The Constant Gardener

" I live in the garden ..... I just sleep in the house ".     Jim Long

" Constant Gardener " by Suzanne Conner

                                       I   painted this with my sweet mama in mind . She was a constant gardener . She wasn't happy until she was pulling weeds , planting seeds and just beautifying this world . Thats how I will always think of her . She was one of these people who was not afraid of hard work and her yard and home showed it , talk about woman power ! She was left with three of us to raise and basically did everything that a man could do to keep a home up , alone . Later in life , when we were all grown and out of the house , she moved back to Blountstown to be with her mama and once again a wonderful yard was in full production and we were all wowed . At church she was teased about human sacrifices being buried under her plants because they were so gorgeous ! She would just smile and not say a word...... mmmmm I wonder ?   She was on the "Yard of Month" board and after winning it so many times she was embarrassed, so she would drive around poor neighborhoods and would plant that sign in sweet , little yards that had been loved on by it's owner . I loved that about my mama , she was real and not puffed up . She was part of the earth , and it was a part of her . Suz

Being myself



" By being yourself, you put something wonderful in the world that was not there before".          Edwin Elliott



1. 

Salt water in our veins

"Ocean's Hem" by Suzanne Conner

       " Far , Far on that untrodden shore , God's secret place I find ".                   G. Tersteegan

" Ocean Strand " by Suzanne Conner

             A darling young lady, Erin , and I were having a conversation this week about being born and raised in Florida . Both of us agreed that when we needed to be soothed or reinvigorated , we go to the coast or just to water in general . But the coast with its waves crashing and the seagulls .... I just know these are the sounds that I crave the most . Seeing the turquoise waters and the white sand and being lulled by the waves , I am in heaven . My first memories are of the beach and playing in the sand . It is a powerful pull for us to experience the awesomeness and beauty of God's creation . I am always amazed . Erin and I both agreed , we have salt water coursing through  our veins ! Till next time , Suz

Sunday Best



" Sunday Best " by Suzanne Conner , inspired by Frantic Ann Morely

                           Last night's Art Walk was a success ! It is so much fun and despite the rain , a good group of art lovers came out . A lot of people asked me what was my inspiration for many of the pieces , I have to say that one woman stands out that truly inspired me to paint women and that is Frantic Ann Morely . I did this painting for a friend of mine that is similar to Ann's Island girls , I try not to get too close to her style , but since this was for a friend , I came close . Sadly , she is no longer with us but I can imagine her up in heaven enjoying the marvelous colors and vibrancy that marked her time and talents here on earth . Thank you for all who came out and more painting to come . Suz

Beach Days

" Beach Days " by Suzanne Conner

    "Morning light shining in fills my heart , happiness to be home in my sea cottage ".        Fairmaiden


                I grew up in the Panhandle of Florida , with I think , the most beautiful beaches in the south . My mother would rent a cottage , usually at Mexico Beach for a week or two and off we would go to refuel and relax in the sun . So many wonderful memories of playing in the turquoise water and finding sand dollars on the sand bar , lunch would consist of pimento cheese sandwiches , pickles ,  jars filled with cold tea and an apple . If the weather was bad we would read and play with age old puzzles or nap till the sun would inevitably come back out and off we would go for another romp . The days were blissful and content , and I wouldn't trade them for anything . I  hope this summer holds wonderment and relaxation ........ and maybe a homemade pimento cheese sandwich on the beach with my girl !

A Different Time

      I was inspired to paint my " Little Debbies " in evening gowns after finding my mother's prom dresses in my grandmother's attic . When I found the oblong box and opened it , I am sure I gasped . There were three of my mothers dresses carefully wrapped just like they were worn the night before. Although the tuille had seen better days and it has been 50 plus years since my sweet mother wore them , the sequins were still sparkly , the ribbons were were still satiny and remembrances of seeing pictures of mama wearing these dresses  , was so wonderful to me . Mama passed away four years ago and my grandmother , at 94 , is thankfully still here with us .But when I found her gowns , I was taken back to being a little girl and hearing Mama tell me about dressing up for the dances , her date that evening ,the corsage that graced her wrist and the faint scent of her perfume Madame Rochas . This is my celebration of a darling mother, who loved to dress in evening gowns and dance the night away .

I can play nicely !

" It is a happy talent to know how to play ".  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ok , I have to admit I have a new obsession ........ Marblecam on my iphone ! It was a free app and oh the fun , who needs TV ?  Who needs to cook dinner ? Who has time to clean a rapidly growing mess in our house ? My husband just looks at me like I'm crazy ! I'm really not .......... really ....... no I'm serious !  Anyway , play time is essential in this frenzy of a life we lead , I'm wondering , how do you play ?  Just remember to play thats all . Have a wonderful day and enjoy your time off . By the way , we are having hummus again for supper , oh well !   Suz

Art Therapy 101

"The Constant Gardener "by Suzanne Conner

       It was wonderful to have a day off today, it was busy but it was all mine ! I have been busy  painting to get ready for an art walk in the Market District mid-month . I kept thinking on how to tell my story about the paintings I do , why I do it ? When my mother died four years ago , then six months later my youngest  brother ended his life , my world came to a halt . I was deep in grief and questions and was directed to a therapist who , as part of the therapy , encouraged me to get back to the little girl who loved to paint and draw . I began to see the world and relationships in an all new life . I savor life now and the people that God has graciously surrounded me with . I celebrate women to honor the strong , southern ladies who have been an inspiration to me and who helped raise me , cook with me , befriend me , laugh and cry with me . I also paint from my childhood too , mermaids , beautiful shimmery angels who watch over every aspect of life , memories of the beach and summer nights . I hope that something in them resonate with you too , enjoy !




" Flower Power " by Suzanne Conner

Welcome to my little world



" Island Angel " by Suzanne Conner

             Welcome to Firefly Evenings , devoted to art , design , and musings on the world around me . I have always loved creating,  mostly through pottery , sewing , baking , painting and many other interests. All I know is that I must create ..... and so I do . Please join me in enjoying the simple things in life like sitting back and taking in the beauty of our Creator's world on a firefly evening .

" Anna at the beach " by Suzanne Conner

These are a few of  my paintings I've recently done . I love to paint angels , this one has a seashell on her dress and I love the shimmery colors in her clothes and wings . I do believe we have guardian angels that watch over us , I imagined mine looked like this one !  The painting on the left is of my niece , Anna , on a beautiful summer day . Growing up here in the Panhandle of Florida , this was our typical summer day , balmy , and beautiful ..... usually followed by a  tall glass of lemonade mixed with tea . I wouldn't trade it for anything !