The Girl Around The World

August 23, 2011 / M.E.

What To Do On Tuesday Night?

Two tickets to see Matisyahou and Trevor Hall? Umm….Yes Please!

August 21, 2011 / M.E.

Living on a boat you have to learn to live without. It’s a bittersweet situation. I sometimes miss the feeling of carpet underneath my feet, the A/C in the sweltering summer heat and a freezer for deliciously cold ice cream on hot days.

Another thing that I miss is my lovable and carefree Golden Retriever, Kingston. This little pup enjoys reggae music and is an expert in fetching tennis balls. He makes friends often by shaking hands with perfect strangers and is very curious about all creatures that are smaller than him.

Kingston as a puppy.

However, having so little space for even ourselves makes it impossible for us to have an energetic, crazy dog on board the boat. As much as I miss Kingston, I know he is better off chasing squirrels around my parents’ backyard than being cooped up with nowhere to run or play.

Kingston is definitely a love in my life but I have to do what is best for him.I do miss him often though…

July 7, 2011 / M.E.

Mexico Beach. Florida

We celebrated the 4th of July in Mexico Beach…no not in Mexico…in the hot, sunny Florida Panhandle.

Matt’s parents rented out a condo overlooking the beach and met us there, along with his brother, sister-in-law and two adorable nephews. Our weekend was filled with sunshine, scalloping, swimming, shrimp po-boys and stuffed strawberry sno-balls.

We had a great time just hanging out and enjoying each other’s company and we cooked some absolutely delicious food!

The menu included:

Fresh, fried trout that Matt’s dad had caught on a recent fishing trip in Louisiana
Homemade Key Lime pies
Shrimp po-boys
Ham, fresh spinach, tomato and cheese omlettes
BLT, avocado cheeseburgers

Raspberry, Prosecco jello shots (I saw the recipe in Bon Appetit…it was supposed to be a gourmet dessert but they didn’t turn out as glamourous as planned)
Pizzas made with dough that Matt’s sister-in-law made from scratch

With this family, it’s not possible to have a bad meal!

Mexico Beach was a great place to spend the holiday weekend. The crowds were few (even in St. Augustine it’s hard to get anywhere around July 4th) and the activities were plentiful. We spent time swimming in the blue-green waters of the Gulf, taking walks around town to get cold treats and finding scallops in the clear water of Port St. Joe.

During one of our walks, we stopped at a cute beach-inspired shop called The Grove. They had colorful hammocks in summery, pastel colors, sea-life and nautical inspired pillows, mermaid statues, compasses and huge framed photographs of sailboats. When it comes to shops, I like places that offer something unique and different and The Grove is exactly that.

On our balcony we had a great view of the fireworks exhibition from Port St. Joe to the pier in Mexico Beach, along with plenty of other fireworks shot off by revelers on the beach.

All in all, we had a fantastic weekend and one that is sure to remain as a wonderful memory.

June 4, 2011 / M.E.

Homosassa. Florida

For my aunt’s birthday, she rounded up the whole family for a wholesome family adventure to Homosassa, Florida. Located on the west coast of Florida this old Florida town is known for its fishing and wildlife.

We stayed at the Homosassa Riverside Resort, which worked out perfectly. Every family had individual rooms but we were all close enough together to be able to walk and meet up with one another. All the rooms were on the water so everyone had a great view.

The most interesting thing about the Homosassa Riverside Resort is Monkey Island. In the middle of the Homosassa River, right beside the resort, is an island with monkeys. This island was created to prevent boaters from running aground on the rocks that were submerged in high tide. After the island had been formed, G. A. Furgason, a strong force behind the development of Homosassa in the 1960’s, decided that the island was missing something. A lighthouse was added but the finishing touch was the monkeys. The monkeys are an attraction today for boaters, resort and restaurant guests.

While my mom opted to go fishing with some of my cousins, I offered to help out with taking my younger cousins to the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. While the kids loved running around looking at the manatees and alligators, my 93-year-old grandmother kept it slow and enjoyed looking at the resident hippo, Lu. This park features the best of Florida wildlife, from a gorgeous Florida Panther and black bears to Roseate Spoonbills and manatees. A great feature about this park is that all the pathways were wide and flat enough for any stroller or wheelchair to get around without any problem. I don’t often think about handicap access but when it becomes a need you start to realize how important easy access really is.

Shelly’s Seafood Market

On the Homosassa River

Crystal Clear Spring Water

Flamingo Reflection

Little Alligator

May 3, 2011 / M.E.

The Epitome of Organic

Fresh lettuce picked out of our garden. No chemicals…purely straight from the seed. Lovely!

April 24, 2011 / M.E.

Happy Easter!

Spent a great Easter weekend with my honey!

April 22, 2011 / M.E.

Grow

Our garden at the marina has really been a joy to me.

It is incredible how fast our little plants have grown! From seeds to plants producing vegetables in a matter of a month.

Our list of growing plants are as follows:

Squash, Onion, Watermelon, Cucumber, Corn, Zucchini, Swiss Chard, Carrots, Cabbage, Lettuce, Cantaloupe, Bell Peppers, Eggplant, Okra, Tomato, Broccoli, String Beans, Hot Peppers, Pumpkin, Lavender, Thyme, Basil, Cilantro and Oregano

Along with various types of flowers from poppies and cosmos to zinnias and sunflowers.

April 21, 2011 / M.E.

Found

Matt, Josh and I went to St. Augustine Beach for an afternoon surf session.

While I was chillin’ on the beach a guy walked by with a metal detector. I bet that guy has found some pretty cool stuff…but not as cool as the huge shark tooth I found by the pier my freshman year of college.