THE MANY COLORS OF HEAVEN ON EARTH

Anna Maria Island

Okay... I know I said that I grew up in paradise... 

And to be honest

even more magnificent is the fact that

 from the time I was a baby

I was fortunate to become friends with this small little island.

It was always a Polk County retreat

and my parents had a beach house there for about 20 years.

Fun at the beach house...

(Laurie... Christy... Kevin... at the beach house @ 1987)

and I took my children there EVERY summer

with memories galore...

(Kelsey with me at the Harrington House)

SO... every time I steal away to FLORIDA

I try to spend my days 

basking in a little beach paradise!

THIS IS ANNA MARIA

The Rod and Reel Pier... 

It's not much to look at, but the seafood is awesome!!

You can also see porpoise swimming by, and

pelicans, fishermen, fresh air...terrific memories!

And, this is the Camp/Carlton family...

My parents, my siblings/spouses and their kiddos and their littles!!

(minus three more littles that have been born since this pic was taken)

See the gorgeous Anna Maria backdrop

on a white powdered sugar beach!

YOU'VE  GOTTA LOVE ANNA MARIA!!

Below is one of the beautiful water pics 

From my favorite beach

ANNA MARIA ISLAND


The waters here are generally calm!

There are just so many marvelous images of 

this favorite beach of mine!

JUST LOOK AT THE WHITE SAND

THE TURQUOISE WATER

THE BRIGHT BLUE, BLUE SKY!!

Below are the beautiful sunsets...

GOD PAINTS A DIFFERENT SKY EACH NIGHT

AND THE COLORS 

CHANGE EVERY SECOND!

WHAT A GLORIOUS WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE!!

DRAMATIC SUNSETS!!

Especially on rainy days!

THERE IS NO PLACE CLOSER TO HEAVEN ON EARTH!

Family Fun on ANNA MARIA at Sunset!

We take walks on the beach 
We run on the beach
We find sea shells and listen to the waves gently lapping against the shore...

It's been my DREAM to return to FLORIDA some day 

and settle down on a little strip of land 

here on this beautiful island.

I BELIEVE DREAMS CAN COME TRUE!

At the beach... for me, at least... I get soaked in vitamin D

A little sunshine for my soul

A renewed spirit for the days ahead!

Even the rhythms of the waves give hope to a fresh, new tomorrow...

creating a sense of calm inside...

Each gentle wave brings goodness and peace...

And as the waves recede and go back into the sea,

I imagine them carrying our toxins way out to the middle of the gulf...

settling them deep, deep in the bottom of the sea!



When we were children, my mother taught us a song
We sang it with her...
"There's a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea..."

She would play it on her guitar...

I like to think that the hole in the bottom of the sea
is deep enough to contain all our
fears and struggles...

ANNA MARIA is a SOUL-FULL PLACE!!

La - Ti - Do!

...or to quote a good friend...

ANNA MARIA is...

So - Mi!


Jeanne