Stone Crabs For Andi

The pink dot on the right

 is where I come from. Boca Raton, Florida.

The pink dot on the left is where we went to.

Everglades City.

For Andi's birthday her boyfriend flew in from Sweden.

And her father, myself and some other family friends headed over to Everglades City for some stone crabs,conch fritters, soft shell crabs, and key lime pie.

This is where the stone crabs come from for the famous 

'Joe's Stone Crab' on Miami Beach!

We have to drive across the state through this.

Doesn't it look pretty from the air?

On the ground .....

But this is what it really looks like.

If you like weeds , snakes and gators.....

this is your kind of place.

Pythons and gators galore and fighting for turf.

Have you heard about all the 'loonie birds' 

that have let their pythons go free in the Everglades?

Talk about irresponsible....

Well, it is a real mess.

But this is no mess.

This is the gold of Florida.

Our state prize.

Maine has Lobster, and we have stone crabs.

Don't freak out.

But, can you tell me what this is?

I will give you a hint.....it tastes like chicken.

That's my girl!

She loves her stone crabs!!

Not the stuff that 'tastes like chicken.'

I surprised her with a birthday cake.

Okay peeps,

what do you think?

Is he cute?

They met while being counselors at summer camp last year.

They are going back again this summer.

  He is in college in Sweden, and studying law.

I like that.

*But let me get back to where we were......

FLORIDA'S LAST FRONTIER "EVERGLADES CITY and CHOKOLOSKEE, at the entrance to the Western Everglades, were two frontier outposts until 1923 when Barron Collier made Everglades City the seat of Collier County and supply depot for the construction of the Tamiami Trail. Prior to the boom, this isolated region was Florida's last outpost for fur trappers, plumage hunters, Cuban fishermen, and people with a disdain for modern civilization."

There is all kinds of history about this area. 

Great stories.

The towns people actually killed the town bully.

The people that were 'wanted by the law' could safely live here. 

It took law enforcement about 2 days to get out here.

A real city of outlaws in a lawless environment.

The man in the black and white picture....

this is a wax model of him

Note the fly swatter.

This place is uninhabitable from the spring months to fall.

There are mosquito's, nats , 'no-see-ums' (these are really bad), 

I just don't know how they did it for an entire lifetime.

I had enough of the glades in this short visit.

I love nature, but not 'Everglades' nature.

To me is it scary.

Imagine being lost out there.

*Snakes, gators, panthers, and yes, we have panthers.

We took a few last pictures and packed up and headed home.

Hope you enjoyed our day trip.

Would you 

drive through the everglades for stone crabs ?

Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her BLOG.....
Interior Design, Palm Beach, Boca Raton,Ft.Lauderdale,Design Service, Window Treatments, 
TurnKey Interior Design Service,Paint selection, Floor-Plans,Online Interior Design,
Design Center of The Americas, D.C.O.T.A., Stone crabs, everglades city

How 'Green' Can I Be?.

I saw this galvanized sink

in a post on Millie's Blog,

'The Laurel Hedge' last night.

I really, really like the look. I have always been drawn to industrial touches.

In addition, the sink made me think of

a time when I was a wee little kid

still living in Texas at my grandmother's house.

She had a washtub or a rotating washing machine

Out in the shed in the backyard.

The thing I remember is being fascinated by 

' THE WRINGER'.

Those 2 rubber rolls that you put the fabric into.

You would then crank the handle and the fabric would come out the other side completely squeezed out.

So wrung out that it was amazing to me.

Sort of like magic to a little kid.

But I remember the warning.......

don't get your fingers caught in the wringer.

OUCH....

hence the saying;

'He's been through the wringer!'

I think I did something just like this .....

1907 - 1920 

www.sciencemuseum.org.uk

Doesn't she just look glamorous with her modern machine ?

The Wringer

You can buy a new wringer here.

And strap it onto your fabulous new tub.

Here are some alternatives to the shiny silver sinks.

I think these are so adorable. There are a 'bazzillion' designs.
Check it out.

Are you ready to go green again?

Things were uncomplicated.

I wondered when I would see this in movies.

How did they ever do this????

It looked to me that they were clothes lines on pulleys.

What do you think?

Were they?

I think a cute new tub hooked up like the first image, 

with a brand new wringer would be great for hand washed items.

...But the whole load?

How far are you willing to go to be 'green.'

All I can handle is a bit of hand wash.

Many of the images in the post were from people's sites who want to live 'off the grid.'

The term off-the-grid (OTG) or off-grid 

refers to living in a self-sufficient manner without reliance on one or more public utilities.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

I am perfectly happy 

living 'on the grid.'

Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her BLOG.....

Interior Design, Palm Beach, Boca Raton,Ft.Lauderdale,Design Service, Window Treatments, TurnKey Interior Design Service,Paint selection, Floor-Plans,Online Interior Design,
Design Center of The Americas, D.C.O.T.A.,Clothes Wringers, galvanized tubs

My Greatest Accomplishment To Date!!

22 years ago today she came along......

My Daughter.

Andi.

*4 years old and she was IMMA.

Andi looked like this everyday at preschool.

I made those crazy head bands for her.

She had them in every color.

They were soft and strechy - no head aches.

This fold up tent was set up in front of the TV.

Her hang out.

Her favorite program was PeeWee Herman.

Andi's Joey Girl.

And of course she could do a mean 'time step.'

NOT!!

Andi's first trip to NYC with Mommy.

Ogunquit Maine....

collecting starfish for the plane ride home.

whew!!!! did they ever stink on the plane!!!

But she was happy.

So I was happy.

We went every summer.

In this shot she is about 13.

Andi, selling lemonade on Marginal Way in Ogunquit Maine.

Here she is with her cousins.

Andi became an accomplished rider.

I was soooo proud.

Here she is on my Hershey.

Here she is on her horse 'Mon Dauphin'

Prince.

She turned out to be a hot shot jumper.

Andi grazing Hershey after a show (with sweaty HAT HAIR).

Do we look happy AND PROUD?

You Bet!

Here Andi is at a horsie affair at ( Trumps )Mara Lago in Palm Beach.

This kid can shop!!

In High School

OMG

It wasn't all fun......

this is Andi's room  in high school.

These shots are for BLACK MAIL at a later date.

I hope she has daughters.

And when she rides them about cleaning their rooms...

Yep, you guessed it.

Granny will come to the rescue.

I will show them these pictures,

and Andi will not have a leg to stand on.

Life's a bitch. hahahahah

Andi goes to camp.

But not as a camper,

 but a counselor.

A card I made and sent to her at camp.

These are all her favorite stuffed critters.

The kids love her. Frankly how could they not?

She is fabulous in every way.

The apple doesn't fall too terribly far from the tree. hahahaha

She is a good sport and from the looks of it,

will do anything for a laugh.

Andi is going back for her 3rd year as camp counselor this summer.

And after camp she will join the Peace Corp.

She just is graduating college.

University of Miami, with a major in History and a minor in French.

I think she may end up in Haiti (in the Peace Corp).

This is Andi today.

Andi wore this pot on her head all the time when she was a toddler.

hmmmmmm....

I have never done anything in my life

that has made me more proud.

We may not get along perfectly,

but it is how she fits into the world around her

that is most important to me.

And I KNOW she will do fine.

She is good, kind, and caring.

And beautiful.

This is a winning combination.

What is your greatest accomplishment ?

I love you Tweetie Bird!!! 
Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her BLOG.....
Interior Design, Palm Beach, Boca Raton,Ft.Lauderdale,Design Service, Window Treatments, TurnKey Interior Design Service,Paint selection, Floor-Plans,Online Interior Design,
Design Center of The Americas, D.C.O.T.A., My greatest accomplishment