What Marlene Saw

We took a break from studying, and spent two days with my parents on Anna Maria Island. Besides enjoying family,friends and the beach, part of our visit always includes playing penny bingo at St. Bernard's.

Mom and I played and won; I netted $132usp (get it? 132 pennies!) Only two brave men were part of the crowd, and George was clearly the greatest character. He was forever making the ladies roll their eyes....interrupting, talking too loud over the caller and asking relentlessly, "Is it time to eat yet?" (Perhaps the finest feature of this game is the 1:30 potluck!)

During the lunch break, George told this story I just have to pass along. It seems at age 17, he was invited by an uncle to spend the summer with him in Hollywood, California. "My uncle was in the movies," George said. "He was an electrician." (We all moaned, thinking Unc was IN FRONT of the camera!)

"He got me a job holding a spotlight, and you'll never guess who I had to follow with that lamp," George said, pausing theatrically. "Marlene Dietrich!"

George continued. "Well, from the first day I worked there, Marlene Dietrich kept looking me over. I couldn't believe it. It was hot, and I was wearing shorts. She was always looking at me." George was reveling, finally, he had all of us attentive. He was in the spotlight.

"One morning, Marlene came walking out of her dressing room with her staff, and they were looking for someone. I realized they were looking for me!" We all started to glance at each other, thinking we were about to hear a story of seduction that might make us squirm. Was Marlene going to get cozy with a 17 year old kid from the East coast?

"That's him! That's the one!" Marlene said, pointing directly at George.

The St. Bernard's bingo crowd had stopped breathing.

"I will not have anyone working on the set with legs that are better than mine! He is FIRED!" she declared.

"And so I lost my job, " George laughed, "And my uncle had to send me home."

A wonderful story, huh? Understand why I just had to share it?!

Vegetarian Paradise...in Tampa!

Last weekend, I was invited by Ray and Rachel Lakkis of Quality Produce, a great little produce market here in New Port Richey, to visit Tampa, where they buy fruit and veggies. Well, actually, they said, "Yes!" when I asked if I could go with them. Last month, I said I wanted to celebrate my birthday at a giant farmer's market, to see mountains of tomatoes and onions...but we couldn't find such a place. The Lakkises were the answer.

I got up at 3:30 a.m., and at 4 we met at a 7-11, where I left my car. We drove through the predawn morning to Vegetarian Paradise. Look at this Wall of Onions! Fresh foods from all over the world...Peru, Chili (since the earthquake, supplies have dwindled...bridges were knocked out), Washington state and California, beets from my home state in Michigan, and colorful gardens shipped from Mexico. I saw my first purple potato! (Can you see the leaping flames in the top picture? To take off the chill, workers burned old boxes in barrels.)

Amidst the foods, we found some stunning orchids; Ray decided to buy a whole flat, hoping people will buy some for Easter. I did; my magenta beauty sits beside me when I study.

I loved my adventure. We met Mr. and Mrs. Copeland, who run the longest running stand at the market...since the 1920s they've been feeding Florida. And at our feet in the dark, were the kittens...I wondered what veggie scraps kept them going? Even a blue eyed Siamese, in the back of this picture. Now, that is great karma and a grand incarnation...living as a free, wild creature at the fresh food market...among the grapes and melons and green beans. Yum.To see more photos, peek at my Tampa facebook album.

Preparing for Exam...Prayers Welcome

Dear Ones:
As you know, I have been focused since September 2008 on becoming licensed to manage a nursing home, sometimes called a long term care facility.

With my life experience, and having completed a 1000+ hour plus internship at dear Union House Nursing Home in my Glover, Vermont, village, I turned my attention to the national nursing home administrator examination.

Since late November 2009, I have been studying the comprehensive materials I purchased to prepare for the exam. I must have a working knowledge of five main domains: environment, human resources, finance/business, patient care/aging, management.

I have read the 658 page book, and am almost done making note cards for further study...more than 350 cards in the end. Working with these cards will be my final stage of study, reviewing and reviewing the data, some of it very specific, such as fire wall ratings, specific public laws, and accounting procedures.

With full approval from the professional regulation division of the Vermont Secretary of State's office, I am taking the exam here in Florida. My plan is to take this three hour exam on April 7 at 11:30 a.m. est...AND PASS IT WITH EASE AND GRACE! WOO HOO! Can you visualize this moment with me? I have spent Lent so absorbed in this project, I decided it would be great to sit for the exam after Easter. And seven is such a good number!

Upon return to Vermont in early May, I will study for and also pass the Vermont state portion of the licensing exam. Yes!

With all this achieved, I await the next phase of my life adventure.

Please understand I might not post much for awhile, as I am so focused on study. You can picture me here on my back porch, with a cup of tea or coffee, my beautiful orchid, and my ever-loyal Cindygirl, our two and a half year old Havanese. I have good company. Thanks for your support.

March Madness...the Mango Rains?

Enjoying a torrential downpour...2.5 inches of rain an hour. Look at our waterfront....we live on a river now!

Breakfast from the Backyard

Last month, we went to the farmer's market and tasted our first POMELO, a large yellow skinned fruit. Yummy. What is a pomelo? Well, some believe this old citrus fruit is the father of the grapefruit, with the orange being the mother.

Papa pomelo probably romanced Momma orange in Indonesia. (Don't all lovers love the tropics?) The fruit of their coupling, the grapefruit, was brought to Barbados in the 17th century and discovered by the Western world in the 18th century.

One of Florida's many blessings is the big, ruby red grapefruit tree in our back yard. Planted about 15 years ago by Shirley and Boyd Earle, it serves up all we can eat these days. In the tree's honor, I decided to do some research.

Grapefruits are just 100 calories each, usually four to six inches wide and either white, pink or ruby; the blush color means they are sweeter.

What a great source of vitamin C, potassium, antioxidants beta carotene and lycopene, bioflavonoids and phytochemicals! This mighty fruit protects us against the common cold, certain forms of cancer, and heart disease. I wish it had been in season when we got the flu.

One full grapefruit contains nearly 100 percent of the adult Recommended-Daily-Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C, over 300 mg of potassium, and 2 mg of iron. We feel like we are eating pure sunlight.

The ruby red fruit is high in lycopene (an antioxidant associated with reduced risk of certain forms of cancer) and beta carotene,which the body converts to vitamin A. Both of these compounds support vision, bone growth, reproduction, cell division and more.

Grapefruit also contains phenolic acid, which inhibits the formation of cancer-causing substances; limonoids, terpenes and monoterpenes, which induce the production of enzymes that help prevent cancer; and bioflavonoids, which inhibit the action of enzymes that promote tumor growth.

Amazingly, grapefruit also blocks prostaglandins that cause inflammation. People suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and other inflammatory diseases would be wise to eat grapefruit daily.

Worried about cholesterol? Grapefruits are especially high in pectin, fiber shown to help lower blood cholesterol. Can you see the new growth, the bright light green leaves forming here? After the hard frosts Florida has has this winter, we are so glad to see our tree weathered it all and is now giving birth to her next crop of fruit.
Some people, like my Mother, can not enjoy grapefruit because it increases the blood levels and side effects of one of her medications. Many oral prescriptions, including some choles­terol and blood pressure medications, antidepressants, antihistamines, sedatives, and estrogens are accelerated by grapefruit compounds called furanocoumarins. Scientists hope that, by studying the furanocoumarins, doses of medications could eventually be lowered when taken with grapefruit juice.

For those of us fortunate to have a tree and an appetite for its offspring, what a blessing.

I'll say good bye for now. I'm going to the backyard to pick some breakfast.

Counting our Blessings in Candyland

Our past few days have been especially blessed.

Neighbor Sandy is home from the rehabilitation center. Vermont friends, Dave and Diane Thurber, found a unit here in the park they liked, and at this moment, they are signing a purchase and sale agreement. (We're standing together, below.)











Down the road a bit, another neighbor learned today she does NOT have cancer.




And, trivial as it may sound compared to all of this...our little place has been transformed, by Louis the Magical Painter, into Candyland! The gray look was how the place looked when we bought it. Candyland is today! Thurmond and puppy Cindy are posing for you to see the length of the place (below).




In the midst of the world's strife and struggle, it is nice to celebrate a bit of personal joy. Watching the news, we can forget there are plenty of wonderful events and people around us. Thought you would like to read some good news.