Dilemmas

Today is our 39th wedding anniversary. We'll be entertaining some friends for dinner. The menu? Alphabetically: asparagus, coleslaw, cornbread, garlic/rosemary potato fingers, ribs and cheap red wine. Dessert? Who knows what M is bringing but it's bound to be good!

Last night we played cards with 2 couples: one in their 80's, the others in their 90's. Amazingly sharp people. Now I have new role models! Both couples have been married longer than I've been alive. It gives one pause. Also puts into perspective our 39 years together, and gives me hope we'll have 39 more! After all, I'd only be 96 then! It's wonderful to see how these couples treat each other...he looking over her hand of cards, could see a play which she couldn't. He gently encouraged her "You can do better than that....keep looking" while not giving anything away. She persisted, then saw the play. They shared a special glance, and a smile.

*************

Hubby's just waking up. I'd better slip on my swimsuit for the inpool exercise class (which I've been meaning to join, like forever, but never got there until today!). So...gotta run! But...

in honour of our anniversary, give that special man or woman in your life a nice firm hug, a long soft kiss and a deep meaningful gaze. These moments matter. They really do.

Decorating with Plates

I have a penchant for filling walls with things, you name it: paintings, wall hangings, plates, musical instruments, birdhouses, masks. When I get home, I'll post some pix of what I throw up there in an effort to reveal the inner me whilst simply aesthetically pleasing myself (and, I hope, others) immeasurably.

The nice thing is: I'm not alone. This blogger "The English Muse" does it too. And this website gives some excellent ideas too. What are YOU waiting for?

I took these question from "Someday I'll get there" whose blog title seems to describe my life but who also swiped these 20 questions from Dawn's blog. Confession: I changed one question to one of my own. Find it if you care to.

1. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a ballerina. Then that changed to psychiatrist. So what did I end up being? A bureaucrat in the federal government which required some adept moves and skillful psychological assessments of the upper, middle and lower echelons. So, in a funny, way I guess I got what I wanted. BTW, I still dance!
2. What have you done in the past week to help someone else? I helped the librarian put away books. This is not as simple as you would think as the shelves are limited, more books are being added to the tightly packed shelves, so when you add one book you have to shift about 15 shelves' worth!
3. Who is the best-dressed person you know? My oldest and youngest sisters are the best dressed people I know. Altho I have a sister-in-law whose not too shabby either since she's retired her hobby farm shift!
4. What is on your nightstand? A stack of books to be given to the librarian, alarm clock, lamp, some weird but wonderful home-made Floridian pain salve that works on sore arms, Kleenex and a little flashlight.
5. If you were a cat, what kind of a cat would you be? I would try to emulate my adorable old (now deceased) cat, Dolly, who gave us so many years of laughter, pleasure and joy.
6. If you lived in a house surrounded by acres of trees, what particular type of tree would you want flourishing on your land? Now that's a hard question but right now I love the bottle bush trees down here and in Australia. The red blossoms decorate the ground in a wonderful way whilst the red "bottles" of blossoms add such cheery touches of colour to the street. I could go on and go about more trees so I'll stop now. Ok. I'd also have a few Norfolk pines.
7. What do you find to be very overrated? Television - so much of it is dreck. It's like sifting a sewer for gems. Second would be sex. It's like the outside world sends the message we are all fixated with it (likely we all are else we wouldn't reproduce) but the "sexiness" factor in advertising pushes a falseness whereas I think we should remember the wonderful intimacy good sex provides translates to love not profits.
8. How many email addresses do you have? More than I care to admit. But let's see. One for family & friends. Another for business junk. Another for fitness, physical well being. Another for my blog. Does Twitter count? I think that's it.
9. Have you ever felt replaced? Not only felt it but I was!
10. Would you rather watch football, baseball, or hockey? What a stupid question! None of the above.
11. What is the wallpaper on your phone? Are you kidding me? I'm an old lady...my cell is basic and I barely understand it enough to answer the damn thing let alone add wallpaper or text - jeez!
12. Name a lyric from the song you're listening to. "...drown in love's debris....I'll never learn to be just me first, by myself..." Carly Simon
13. Do you use a feed reader? Yup. iGoogle. Real Age.
14. What chocolate do you always leave in the box? The hard chewy ones but I'll eat even those when I'm in a sugar high.
15. Do words hurt you? Yes, on occasion but I always try to remember that it is I who chooses what to feel and oftimes the speaker did not mean it the way I took it.
16. Are you a talker or a listener? I'm both. Sometimes an excellent listener. Sometimes a non-stop talker. I try to be aware so that it's balanced as I hate being stuck in only one of those modes, myself, or with others.
17. Have you ever walked on the beach at night? Yes, in Daytona.
18. Who is your favorite professional athlete? Tiger Woods: he's such a wonderful role model for children, men and women. He's opened up golf in so many new ways. His self-discipline appears extraordinary. I know he's just a man, but his pedestal can't help but keep growing ever upwards.
19. Which TV show have you seen pretty much every episode of? Hmm. CSI.
20. Who presents the most challenges to you in life? Sometimes it's my husband, for with him, I must have patience. Sometimes, it's my daughter, for with her, I must learn to listen, not judge. Sometimes, it's with certain in-laws, as with them, I must simply accept. Sometimes, it's friends as I struggle to understand them. Mostly I am challenged by myself as my higher self expects so much while my baser self tries to wriggle away from creativity, self-expression, honesty, commitment, and self-discipline. It's always a struggle. But I do -- really I do -- try.

35th Annual Tarpon Springs Fine Art Festival

Today a dear friend advised me of an Arts Festival being held over the weekend in Tarpon Springs at Craig's Park on the Bayou. Doesn't that sound fantastic? Well, I thought so too so hubby & I careened on down there, finding a parking spot for $5, thanks the local Boy Scout Troop!

To quote the Chamber of Commerce: "This two-day festival has become one of Florida's premier juried art festivals and will feature over 240 artists from across the nation...one thing that makes this show so great is that there is something for everyone. Since this is a juried Festival, it is all fine art. Unlike many shows, much of our art, creations and jewelry are affordably priced. The venue couldn't be prettier, with the Festival wrapping around Spring Bayou and Craig Park. This is also manatee season in Tarpon Springs. Besides the crème de la crème of art, the Festival will ply you with a huge variety of food (yes, there will be kettle corn! and other strange and wondrous stuff you won't find in Canada), drinks and fabulous entertainment." www.tarponspringschamber.com

So whaddja buy, you wanna know? Well, a place like that is irrisistible to someone as weak-willed as me. But given our 39th wedding anniversary is rising over the horizon, it behooved me to plead for a few nice things: a lovely Swarofsky crystel bracelet (which I might never take off), 2 ugly but colourful fish to hang on the hot tub wall, a gift for a friend (this has to remain mysterious) AND a piece of cedar driftwood with 3 very bright red fish attached for the lanai I'll soon be renting or owning (or maybe not).

It was a very windy day which saw vendors hanging onto their tents, some in terror. I saw a very expensive work of glass in pieces at one vendor's tent. It was touch and go but everyone persisted, the gawkers showed up en masse, the music was rousing and the food and beer excellent. I'm so glad hubby was with me as there's no telling what else I would have come home with! I'll try to post pix soon.

We hurried home as the community was having a poolside picnic: free beer (who could resist?), hot dogs, hamburgers and salads! It was lovely and we socialized a lot with the many new friends we've made. The wind was still making his presence known by tossing chairs into the pool. We hope the M's of whom we're quite fond, will return again next year. It was all a little bittersweet as the coming weeks will see the snowbirds take to road and air to return to cooler climes.

Here's my ode to the Tarpon Springs Art Festival, that I may have the chance to revisit it!

White tents, white caps, all wind tossed
Tropic suggestions all painted, high gloss
Jewels, and treasures, and women agape
Men all quite bored; they dawdle, they wait
Imagination abounds, creativity too
How can so many things come in so many hues?
My eyes are like bees flitting flower to flower
How can colour, shape, glitter hold so much power
to mesmerize, tantalize, tranquilize, freeze?
Til credit cards shimmer like sin in the breeze.
And the Bayou is there to assuage your sore feet
It's waters a balm, its vistas so sweet
Come again to Craig Park and all its fine arts
Next year in the spring, when March departs.

Florida Snippets

Gators snoozing by the banks of golf ponds, unknowingly protecting the many balls golfers would love to retrieve....

A little squirrel runs up a tree by the 2nd green, out on a limb already occupied by a hawk. She stops, looks up at him. He looks at her. They're an inch apart. I'm sure there's about to be carnage. Off the limb she scampers and he lifts off. Safe for another day.

I walk by someone's lanai to retrieve my husband's golf ball and notice the entire bottom portion of her screen door is punctuated with many, many golf-ball-sized impressions. I vow not to buy a house on a golf course!

A 93 year old lady golfer in front of us makes a lovely shot then confides, as she clambers onto her cart, it's all due to her new driver which she just bought yesterday. Now that's optimism! I hope to be just like her!

The couple we play with are brother and sister, obviously enjoying each other's company. Nice to see. They're pretty good players too!

You'd think it was fall the way dead leaves accumulate by our door. I sweep them up every day, and it reminds me of home.

Geckos peek at you from everywhere: between the A/C slats, between the privacy fence slats, from under leaves as you walk down the pathway, from the lanai screen as they scuttle about for bugs. I just love these little guys! Boy, are they fast!

At night, in the hot tub, we watch toads, little ones, big ones, hop about in search of their evening meal on the cement floor near the pool. Seated in the hot tub, we observe them at eye level. So far, none has joined us (thank Heaven).

Two male mallards run up from the lake and walk deliberately to the swimming pool then stand stock still as they realize we're watching them from the hot tub. In a flurry of wings, they take off instead of jumping in the pool.

A black crow chases a hawk which has snagged in its claws something (a mouse?) hidden in a bunch of Spanish moss. It flies low in a ditch and ditches its hungry follower.

The sun seems to pool and puddle on the horizon when it finally sinks into the Gulf of Mexico. But this is my favourite part: everyone on the beach applauds.

We can't get over how nice and friendly people are to us. It's truly joyful to be here. In a parking lot, I sneeze repeatedly; a young man cruising by in his big old truck says "God bless you!"

We neet a couple whom we've admired on the dance-floor. Turns out, although they've lived most of their lives in the States, both have Canadian roots (French Canadian and Maritimer) - they can't hide their joie de vivre! Somehow I just knew it!

Our upstairs neighbour, knowing we love golf, brings us discount golf coupons snipped out of the paper. We pass on the favour and share our 4-some cheapie coupon with an astonished vacationing German couple.

Gracie and Burt introduce us to the elements of the American tango.

Vi checks in on us periodically to provide information and keep us abreast of "happenings"...wine tastings, concerts, casino trips, condos for sale, parties, and so on. She is truly a walking encyclopedia on our community (who walks twice daily, the first walk at 6:30am)!

The Lady Lakers welcome me for an interesting and challenging 9 holes at the Forest Hills golf course while the guys take hubby to Gulf Harbours for a round. A particularly watery hole gives us trouble and the 3-some ahead leave us with a hole open. The marshall chastises us but our intrepid Lorraine laughs and simply tells him to "stuff it!" Such chutzpa!

Sometimes, resourceful black crows thoroughly investigate your golfcart for food as soon as they see you on the green. They hop from the front window to the steering wheel to the seat, into the open glove box, onto the back basket then onto your clubs then fly to the next cart and repeat.

For shopaholics only

I’m not a big flaunter of people, places or things (well, OK, I guess that’s a great big lie) but: if you’re in Florida, Beall’s is THE place to shop. I love Beall’s (pronounced Bell’s). I don’t know who their ladies’ wear buyer is but this much is true: s/he is totally plugged into my style and preferences. Some people get hooked on crack – well! Beall’s is my crack. I can’t walk in without seeing something that is a must-have. If you’re interested in colours (my favourite: florals), style, variety and good prices, try shopping at Beall’s online. They also have Beall’s Outlet shoppes which are every bit as addictive! Give ‘em a go - you don't need to be in Florida to dress like a Floridian. That’s not to say that Macy’s, Dillard’s, JC Penney’s, Kohls, Bonworth’s, Sears, etc, aren’t up to par. They’re all lovely stores with lovely things. It’s just that Beall’s is my favourite.

Now if you want cheap, you should check out Ross’s. They have amazing prices but like our Winners in Canada, you have to scrounge thru the racks a bit. In all honesty, the best bargains to be had here are in the ubiquitous thrift and consignment shops. Things are dirt cheap and even then are often discounted again 50%! Want an entire wardrobe? C’mon down to the Sally Ann or the Gulf Hospice or the Sheriff's Ranches for Youth. You’ll be supporting the needy whilst indulging yourself. This is a particular life-saver for those of us whose shapes are changing (due to diet or pregnancy or other)...donate your too-big or too-little stuff and feel free to stock up on your latest size and style!

Flea markets in Florida are de rigueur stops. They carry every little thing your heart desires and then some but you have to commit to a good long stroll, constant eye rolling and neck turning. Definitely a good workout! My latest fix is the variety of magnetic bracelets, of every colour and hue. They’re gorgeous, go with every outfit AND are reputed to help with arthritis and rheumatism. I can’t vouch for that but at $1/bracelet, you can’t beat this little fashion accessory. While we’re on the subject of jewelry, you gotta try what I can the “FMB” line. Between you and me, that’s Flea Market Bling. The rings shine like no diamond I’ve ever seen, and are very moderately priced. I’ve invested in 2 lovely rings both with crystals of amazing clarity and sparkle. So far my finger has not fallen off nor turned green. Now the watch department - that’s another story. Yes, a sad one. These sellers too have watches of every colour and style, lovely stuff. But be forewarned. While they all come with a new battery, they can have problems. I found an incredible deep blue watch that I adore. Its face had a latched cover with cloisonné flowers on it but when the time change happened, it became apparent the watch hands couldn’t be moved past noon – something was wrong. I took it back to the vendor who happily replaced the mechanism on the spot! Thank you, Anna! I also found some different abstract art to adorn our bare rented walls, and will take them home when we leave. Check out our local flea market.

Now in the food department, I’m talking chains here, you can’t beat Applebee’s Restaurants. They are competitively priced – how does a shared appetizer and 2 entrées for $20 sound? What I especially like is this:
· You’re sure to meet the manager – always a good thing
· You’re sure to have a weight watcher choice
· You’re sure to have a dessert portion that, if you’re a dieter, still makes you feel like you stuck to your diet (they’re called “shooters” and they’re baby-sized desserts best shared with your best bud)
· You’re sure to have a pretty good time.

Still in the restaurant category, IHOP is also on my list. IHOP stands for International House of Pancakes. Who can resist a restaurant who, on Shrove Tuesday, aka Pancake Tuesday, opens up their doors and gives FREE pancakes albeit encouraging you to make a charitable donation? I love IHOP. They also have WiFi and great servers.

In my opinion, Cracker Barrel makes the best tea biscuits in all of Florida, but in all honesty, their layout makes for very noisy dining. So, yes, if you want a good homecooked style meal along with the cacophony of multiple very large families, go to Cracker Barrel. They do have lovely rocking chairs and it’s taking all of my shopping willpower to resist having one of their big blue ones sent up home!

There are so many chains and other privately-owned restaurants that are very deserving of mention, but the above are some of my favs for the common folk with limited incomes. You can’t go wrong. But I warn you: if you like vinegar with your French fries – forget it! No vinegar for you! We haven’t yet found a restaurant that provides vinegar. The occasional one will offer malt vinegar, yech! What I find hard to understand is an industry that daily meets the needs of millions of Canadians, most of whom ask for vinegar, they don’t get this subtle yet likely minute-by-minute reminder. Service industry my eye! Next time, maybe I’ll discuss grocery stores.

The Hunt is on

Dilemmas, dilemmas! We've narrowed our choices down to four, all in the condo community we like, and all on the 2nd floor except the last one:

• a lovely reno'd condo painted colours we love, beautiful view, new flooring, kitchen stuff, etc but not furnished. Plus it's more expensive than we'd planned. Not only is it pricey but we'd have to spring for furniture. Always nice to have your own stuff but another cost and chore. The seller's not in a hurry, therefore it's probably not that negotiable.
• a partially reno'd condo, very clean, very presentable. No water view but it would be as easy move-in. Furniture is an option. It's moderately priced and the seller is eager so it might be had for a good price.
• a dump. No view. The carpet is littered with "palmetto bugs" or what I'd plainly say are giant dead cucharachas (cockroaches) plus a dead bat in the lanai. There's no furniture (Thank God) but we'd have to sink about $20K into it (tile, new bathrooms, etc). The man who moved out left his signature on the rim of the toilet and his beer in the fridge. Disgusting but it could probably be had for a song. The only thing to like are the drapes. No idea about the seller's motivation.
• our current abode. It too could be had for a decent price with little reno needed (paint, some tile in the bathrooms) but it's on the ground floor and close to the road so it's noisy. Agent says the seller is motivated and it could be had for a cheap price. It's been "home" for the past 3 months so we're getting used to it but final word is no: not on the ground floor.

So, what to do? I'm thinking we'll try to get a good price on the nicest place and it that doesn't work, then try to get #2 and it that doesn't work, bite the bullet and try for the dump. At least we could tailor it to suit our taste from the getgo.

Hubby says "Wait one more year." And he's probably right. But. It is so very tempting!

Seduced!

Being an inveterate ad-reader, always on the lookout for a place next year in Florida, I was totally gobsmacked by one ad that read something along these lines:

2b/2b in new luxury bldg; 3 balconies overlooking the gulf,

professionally decorated; pool, spa, fitness; dock access.

$1100/m or $208K (cost price) for sale.

Always an optimist, I call and make an appointment with Dolly DeCoy (not her real name) to view this miracle. Trust me: we've seen such a variety of good and bad that our expectations are well-contained.

The building is as promised: brand, spanking new, painted floridian colours coral and turquoise (I know; sounds garish but in the Florida sun, it's quite attractive), and we note from the apartment listing, only minimally occupied. At the 2-story atrium-style entry, while we wait for Dolly to buzz us in, we admire an imposing bronze sculpture of a nymph riding two dolphins amidst a spray of water.

Dolly welcomes us; she's an older woman, blonde, very well-groomed with a very intense manner. Vivacious. Verbal diarhhea. The apartment is lovely, has a welcoming entrance, large open kitchen with a bar overlooking the dining room combo living room. One bedroom is off the living room and it is large with its own balcony and large bath including a large whirlpool tub. It's beautifully decorated. The 2nd bedroom is as large as the first; it too is impressive with a very large bath and its own balcony and spectacular view. The large screen TV dominated the living room. Dolly offers us freshly squeezed grapefruit juice in balloon wine glasses, which we sip as we wander the rooms, gape over the views from the balconies and are seduced by the rental price, the wonderfully tasteful yet upscale decor and Dolly's sparkling personality. She's selling her place at cost price altho the same one on any other floor will cost you an additional $100,000, she says.

But that's not all. She then takes us up one floor to show her "friend's" empty apartment so we "can appreciate the size." Next comes the tour of the fitness room where there is the latest equipment including TVs over the treadmills and ellipticals, and there's a sauna in both the men's and women's washrooms. She says the building is so new, she's the only one to have used it to her knowledge. We ooh and ahh then obediently follow Dolly down the hall (all the while admiring the creamy buttercup paint and crown mouldings) to the business centre, a room with a nice-sized conference room, fax, library, washroom/kitchen plus a view. We ooh and ahh and again follow Dolly into the office.

The office? Well, yes, we are trying to sell these apartments and I'd like to show you a 3 bedroom, she says, introducing us to one of the office staff who hands us a package. Our internal alarm bells are firing - have we inadvertently walked into a darn old timeshare presentation again? Will we never learn? The two ladies, Dolly and the office staffer, lead us to the 3 bedroom. It too is perfectly lovely with an even better series of view than the others as it directly faces the gulf and the harbour. The furniture and decor are beautiful. All of us can easily envisage ourselves living there. I note the most expensive of the apartments is in the $750K range!

But wait, there's more. Let me show you the pool, the hot tub, the bar-b-que's (or as she describes it: poolside cabanas with separate grills). Then the multi-purpose club room - is it possible to be more ga-ga than we already are? - with its soaring ceiling, imposing columns, baby grand player piano, media centre, bar, serving kitchen, incredible couches, chairs and heavy oak tables and plush chairs where we could easily envisage ourselves playing cards. The club room is gi-normous and leads out to a large terrace overlooking a conservation area (Dolly: I watch a cute little raccoon make his rounds every morning! So much fun, idn't it? I notice Dolly replaces her s's for d's in certain words.)

Each floor has a central gathering area beautifully furnished where residents can simply sit and chat or read the newspaper, and overlook the atrium entrance. There's lots of places where you can get away from each other, Dolly says, noting her husband likes to take off when she's vacuuming. (Funny, I can't imaging Dolly vacuuming.) She regales us with her persuasive personality, and stories from what is obviously an interesting, rich and diverse lifestyle. As I listen, my little brain is scuttling about trying to figure out at what point we can cut to the chase and either settle the matter of renting or just get the Hell out. I've had enough; we've been here 2 hours already and she's not asking the typical landlady-type questions. I find my opening; state our interest and we manage to exit with Dolly promising to call us on Sunday, as she has an interested party wanting to rent it over the summer and we could possibly have it next fall.

We discuss what we've seen. All of us are bowled over and cannot believe that anyone would rent a place like that for $11oo/month! My opinion is it's a come-on, a means for the owner to find new buyers although I'd stated from our very first contact that not only had I no interest in buying, I had not the means. My husband bluntly says he doesn't like it. We'd be out of our social element there - too many rich people. Our friends agree. Might be hard to keep up with the Joneses there, they say. But who says you have to keep up with the Joneses? I can easily envisage us in that place, no matter the social strata around us. But I can't calm those alarm bells that are shouting "Too good to be true! Too good to be true!" And you know what that means.

Stay tuned for the next phase of this particular adventure.