Florida Had Pioneers Too

February 1, 2012

Over the weekend I ventured into the past with the help of the best tour guides ever, my parents. We explored the Pioneer Settlement, located just west of Daytona Beach in Barberville. According to the self-tour literature, the Settlement contains a growing historical collection of 10,000+ objects.  Here are just a few of those objects that caught our attention.

At the sight of this old bottle capper, my Dad reminisced about how his mother used to make her own Root Beer then use one of these cappers to cap the bottles.

In the old Train Depot, my Dad attempted to remember the Morse Code he used back in World War II.

My Mom grew up on a farm, so it was easy for her to identify these plowing tools and explain what each was used for.

 

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Posted by wanderingfloridian

Allergy Nation

January 25, 2012

Allergies have gotten the better of me this past week. And I imagine others are suffering as well.  According to www.pollen.com, today’s national allergy forecast hits hardest in the southern reaches of the United States.

Allergy Forecast Map for Jan. 25, 2012 (www.pollen.com)

As you can see, the only red band on the map is across Central Florida; from Tampa to Orlando to Daytona Beach. 

This is a great resource to check before planning an outdoor excursion. Just enter a city or zip code and find out the allergy forecast for the next few days.  You can also find out exactly what is causing all that sneezing. Today’s culprits here in my area? Juniper, Elm and Alder.

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A New Year, A New List

January 4, 2012

When it comes to making and keeping New Year’s Resolutions, I’m no different from most others. What starts out as a great intention often gets lost in my day-to-day living.  So, this January, I’m not going to overpromise myself.  Here are a few ideas I’m tossing around for this blog in 2012.

1.  Revamp “The List.”  It’s time to step back and discover what it is I’m trying to accomplish with this list, and in what format I want to organize it going forward.

2.  Art Therapy. I spend a lot of time in the Florida outdoors, now it’s time to add a little more culture. Fortunately Florida provides plenty of opportunities to do just that. One artist I plan to learn more about is Salvador Dali, with a visit to the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg. 

3.  Panhandle Explorations. I’ve been all over the state, with the exception of the Panhandle. A trip to Tallahassee, Panama City, Pensacola and others are in order.

4.  Everglades.  I still haven’t entered into the famous swamplands of Florida. This may be the year that changes.

5. Florida Reads. I want to discover writers with Florida ties, and unique writings about Florida itself.

Even with the best of intentions though, it will be the surprises along the way that will undoubtably make the best memories of the year.

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A Writer’s Grave, Turtle ICU and the Year that Was

December 28, 2011

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I can’t believe another year has come and gone! One of the fun things about blogging is you can look back on the year and see what you’ve accomplished, where you’ve been, and what you’ve learned. Although I didn’t travel as much this year, I still had amazing experiences.  Here are a few of my favorites:

No. 1:  Cross Creek, home of Pulitzer Prize winning author, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings…

…with a visit to her gravesite.

 

No. 2:  Turtle ICU at the Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet

No. 3:  Gander Mountain Firearms Academy, in Lake Mary

No. 4:  Dinner at the top-notch Blue restaurant in Flagler Beach.

No. 5:  Deep Sea Fishing out of New Smyrna Beach

I finally tried a Florida avocado, made a Clove Orange, devoured a champagne truffle and tasted the best Muffaleta sandwich ever.  I learned about armadillos, LandLubber grasshoppers, and Herculean trees.

And I’m not through with Florida yet.

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Posted by wanderingfloridian

Clove Oranges: A Christmas Treat

December 21, 2011

Way back in the day I prided myself on being a good Brownie and Girl Scout. To this day many of my fondest memories of childhood stem from the things I did, and the things I learned while in these two great organizations. We were always making something, from cards to macrame plant holders to pottery.  And at Christmas time I particularly remember making Clove Apples.  The scent would linger for days.

I haven’t thought about those clove apples in years but recently, while cruising the internet, I somehow came across an article on making Clove Oranges.  Now isn’t that just the Florida way?

Here’s how to make a Clove Orange to hang on your Christmas tree (per Home Made Gifts Made Easy):

You will need an orange, thin colored ribbon (enough to wrap around your orange twice and a bit more),and cloves.

Clove Orange Instructions

Step 1.
Wrap the ribbon around the orange, twisting at the base, to divide the orange into quarters.

Step 2.
Feed the ends under the piece of ribbon at the top of the orange.

Step 3.
Tie a simple overhand knot to secure the ribbon in place.

Step 4, 5 & 6.
Now start pressing cloves into your orange.
You can also make pretty patterns on your orange with cloves. Try making stars, hearts and more!

Once you’re finished, hang the clove orange on your tree by tying it on with the extra ribbon, and enjoy the spicy Christmas aroma!

Alternatively, decorate several oranges (or clementines, mandarins, etc) with cloves and display them in bowls around the house. This will add a beautiful aroma to your rooms at Christmas time, and looks great too!

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Posted by wanderingfloridian

9/11

September 14, 2011

For me, as for many others around the country, this past weekend was all about the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

Southeast Museum of Photography

It was back in 2002 that I first visited Ground Zero and I still remember how it resembled a war zone. It was just too difficult to comprehend.  For this 10th anniversary, I decided I would do something locally. Many wonderful ceremonies were held around the state of Florida, yet I chose to do something quiet and introspective, checking out an exhibit at the Southeast Museum of Photography in Daytona Beach on Saturday afternoon. The exhibit, entitled “A Second Telling — September 11: here is new york,” features photographs from a 2002 New York exhibition organized in response to the attacks.  

On Sunday, I awoke, made a cup of green tea, and settled into my spot on the sofa. After watching part of the New York ceremony, I flipped over to the History Channel and watched several documentaries on that fateful day.  The more I watched the more strength I felt. I wanted to move back to New York and be in the thick of that incredible city once again. Terrorists will never kill the strength and spirit of New York!  Never.

Finally I tore myself away from the in-depth documentaries and took a relaxing drive along the Florida coast, glancing over at the calmness of the ocean as often as I could. Eventually I parked my car and wandered down to the beach for a walk in the lukewarm water. Calmness and clarity returned, and I smiled at the way the ocean can soothe even the toughest of memories.

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Posted by wanderingfloridian

Getting Storm-Organized

September 7, 2011

It wasn’t until Hurricane Irene curved away from the state of Florida that I  began thinking about what could have happened. With photos soon emerging of the storm-induced flooding in the Northeast part of the country, and the assault of Tropical Storm Lee as we vacationed in Western North Carolina over Labor Day, I knew it was time to prepare. That is, to get storm-organized.   

As I see it, there are two ways to prepare. First, if the electricity is knocked out, are we prepared?  Yes and no. We have a generator, a little fuel and a little food and water stocked up.  Could we survive for a week? Yes.  But we might want to stock up on more batteries and water, and build up that first aid kit.

Second, what if we have to evacuate at some point? What am I taking with me and how fast can I gather it?  This is a potential reality for all Florida residents, and nothing has prompted this Floridian into action more than the recent storms. Besides essential food, water and first aid supplies, what would I want to save?  With this question in mind I headed to Target to purchase a pink bin for personal items that I would want to save if disaster were heading my way. 

Next I began looking around the house, making a list of those things to gather quickly.  So far my list contains important papers, a few old photo albums (which I fortunately consolidated earlier this year), a few small family antiques,and a few pieces of jewelry including a black pearl I bought in Beijing a few years ago. 

During this list making process I realized that all my photos and mementoes of my years in the European modeling scene are scattered all over the place, in no particular order.  Knowing that I would want to save something from that time in my life,  I’ve decided that my next project is to turn this: 

Into this: 

And with four more storms brewing out there at the moment, I might want to hurry.

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Posted by wanderingfloridian

Thanks for the Ocean, Dad

June 15, 2011

In honor of Father’s Day this upcoming weekend, I’m reminiscing about my childhood. More specifically, I’m reminiscing about how my Dad made sure I learned to swim before turning 5, how he drove us to Florida every year for vacation, and how we couldn’t wait to get in the ocean!

My Dad and me on the beach; Panama City 1974

When we weren’t in New York or Alabama, we were in Florida. At times it was Panama City Beach, where my mom had a good friend who owned a hotel. Other times it was Coral Springs (and later Delray Beach), where my mom’s twin sister lived.  We also visited Tarpon Springs and the Florida Keys. We even took a cruise out of Miami one year. But it was our times on the beach, in the water, that I remember most.

It was never about Disney World or any other Florida theme park. It was about the ocean, about the sand, about family.  I’d forgotten that.  Now as an adult, when I look at Florida, I overlook the beach as a main attraction, as a family fun destination. It should be at the top of my list because it is truly something to love about Florida.

I’m fortunate my Dad is still here, although he’s no longer able to swim in the ocean. He still enjoys being near it though, whether watching it from the jetty at Ponce Inlet, or from the Flagler Pier.  And although I travel all over the world scuba diving its depths, the Florida shore is what makes me smile the most. 

Thanks for giving me the ocean, Dad. I love you.

Me with my Mom and Dad, Ponce Inlet Jetty, 2009

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Posted by wanderingfloridian

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