My mother’s “world famous” Fruit Bowl

World famous fruit bowl

Well, her Fruit Bowl is famous in our family, anyway.  From family members in San Diego to New York City to Atlanta to Michigan to Singapore…my mom’s Florida Fruit Bowl gets raves with her relatives and visitors.

She only makes it in Florida, not when she returns home to the Thumb of Michigan.  Therefore, when we all visit Fort Myers Beach the first words out of our mouth can be, “So…are you still making Fruit Bowl?”

Up close

Here is her recipe, just in case you choose to replicate it.  I wrote it down last night, and hopefully didn’t screw up the ingredients.  It is VERY simple.  Especially if you’re in Florida and can find fruit of just-the-right-ripeness.

Joanne’s Fruit Bowl

grapefruits (sectioned  and squeeze in extra juice)

oranges (sectioned  and squeeze in extra juice)

fresh pineapple w juice

whole large papaya

4 mangos (make sure ripe)

large globe grapes, halved and seeded

7 kiwi

With coconut, almonds and pecans if you like

That’s it.  Wa la!  My mom and Kiah like Fruit Bowl just plain.  Some folks add yogurt.  Dad and I ate ours over some brown rice sprinkled with nuts and coconut.

Yum…

Good bye, palm tree reflections…

It’s hard to leave Florida.  It’s even harder knowing you won’t eat Fruit Bowl for a whole year.  Of course, we could make our own.  But there’s something special about my mom’s version.  There’s something special about eating it on the lanai overlooking the Back Bay, watching dolphins leap in the air.

What is your favorite food that your mom makes (or made)?

P.S.  I’m home now.  Very uneventful lovely traveling day, even though we rose at 4:30 a.m.  I napped for 20 minutes now just to garner the strength to write this blog.

Going to measure that snow bank soon–will report back to you tomorrow with official contest results.  Click here if you don’t know what I’m talking about.

P.S.S.  Mom and Dad–THANK YOU!! We had the best time.  You are the best parents in the whole world.

It was warmer today in the Upper Peninsula than in southern Florida!

 

Look at that temperature!

 

No kidding.  We talked with Barry this morning in the Upper Peninsula and he said temperatures were in the 60′s.  I didn’t think much about this until we drove off the south end of the island.

We were shopping at Coconut Point. It’s a giant outdoor mall.  The kind of place that shoppers love.  It’s got everything.

We looked at the thermometer in the car.  58 degrees.

Was this a bad joke?  Could it be warmer back at home than in the tropics of southern Florida?

St. Patrick’s Day parade on Fort Myers Beach

Seriously, we weren’t upset.  We had a great day.  Let’s backtrack.  My mom and I decided to venture out into the rainy drizzle this morning.  We brought our big maroon umbrella.  Kiah and Dad chose to stay inside.  They raised their eyebrows as we left.  We said, “We might be back in two minutes if it’s raining too hard.”

Doggie Bride and Groom. Honest.

We found ourselves in the middle of the island’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.  The condo floats lined up in Santini Plaza, ready to go.  We headed into the midst of the pre-parade excitement.  Barry always takes photos before the local parades, so I knew the routine.  Mom and I mingled among the golf carts and parade participants.  I snapped photos.

We really liked the little bride and groom dogs, with their cart dragging cans and proclaiming “Just Married”.  The male dog started howling.  He didn’t seem happy about the marriage.

Simple language of shells and sticks

We upped the umbrella and walked toward the beach.  Later, we put down the umbrella.  Then put it up.

We decided we were having loads of fun, pushing the edges of our comfort zone, walking in the raining.  We saw only two other people on the beach.  The others didn’t know what they were missing.

Open shell

Today was our Last Full Day in southern Florida.  In fact, Kiah and I will fly to our respective homes (New York City and the Upper Peninsula) early early early tomorrow morning.  We’re leaving the condo with my dad as chauffeur at 5 a.m.  Kiah will reach NYC around 11 a.m., but I won’t be back in L’Anse until late afternoon.

Swell of a jellyfish

What a lovely time we’ve experienced!  Last night we attended the Dinner Theatre, watching “The King and I.”  This afternoon we met my brother Tim and his wife Michele at Coconut Point and lunched at a restaurant called The Grape.  Most of our party departed for shopping adventures.  Dad and I settled ourselves in Barnes and Noble.  We looked for books.  I found four that looked interesting (having forgotten my list of books-to-read at the condo) and we settled down in the coffee shop for a Frappucino.

Three birds. Three shadows.

Kiah and I are now debating whether to scurry downstairs and swirl in the whirlpool–one last time.

Thank you all for joining us for our Florida adventures.  (Although you may get one other Florida post tomorrow night.)

Solitude… Add a little Mad Hatter & Alice and stir.

Lone pelican

When you’re surrounded by people and beautiful family members for days…do you sometimes feel the need for solitude?  To be alone with your thoughts and feelings and to watch the waves roll in and out, in and out?

Rise ‘n shine, Morning Glory on the beach!

I am always one who loves being with others…but needs many moments of silence and aloneness.  It feels like a fierce need, to experience solitude.  After moments or days of “otherness” it feels so important to nourish the “innerness”.  As important as eating or drinking or sleeping.

Shadows on the dock

It’s good to live among folks who understand this.  Folks who cherish their own alone-time.  Today my daughter sought her own quietness by the pool, and Mom wanted to go grocery shopping rather than stroll along the beach.

I hitched a ride with them to the Publix supermarket (2 1/2 miles north) and slowly (oh-so-slowly) meandered back down the beach toward home.

Anhinga with outstretched wings

It is a special solitary walk when you connect with your deepest self and feel joy fill you.  Sometimes that happens simply being in nature.  Other times you feel blessed with insights.  Sometimes you feel so present, so content.  The crazy-thoughts and indecision and judgments lull into the background, suddenly not as important.

Empty beach chairs

When you return to other people, you’re filled up with your own spirit once again.  You have so much more to give.  Your cup overfloweth with contentment and peace…you can share from the fullness of your gift of solitude.

Vibrant hibiscus

As for the rest of the day, does anyone want to know? It’s been a quiet day.  We haven’t been gallivanting anywhere, at least yet.  We’ve read and napped and relaxed by the pool.  My mom prepared Red Pepper Soup (for tomorrow night’s dinner).  Kiah brought this recipe for her grandma.  Sorry I don’t have time to type it out for you.

We’re heading off to the Dinner Theatre tonight.  Anyone want to guess what musical we’re attending?  This is a long-standing tradition–attending the Dinner Theatre–when we visit Mom and Dad in Florida.

Oh!  I almost forgot to tell you what Kiah and I did last night.  We walked about a mile to the theatre on the island and saw the new “Alice and Wonderland”.  Kiah and I LOVED it.  I had to write an itty bitty blog on Simply Here this morning, giving voice to the creativity this movie sparked.  Click here if you want to read “When You Visited Wonderland”.

Here are some of our favorite quotes from the movie:

Alice:  Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

The Mad Hatter (to Alice):  You used to be much more…”muchier.” You’ve lost your muchness.

The Mad Hatter (to Alice):  Have I gone mad?

Alice:  (repeating what her father told her as a child):  I’m afraid so. You’re entirely bonkers. But I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are.

Peek into our family photo album…Fort Myers Beach

Mom and sister-in-law Michele

Daughter Kiah

Brother Tim, Mom, Kiah and me

Tim helps Mom up (after putting on shoes)

Coffee and orange juice at the Outrigger (Meet my dad!)

Captain Tim

A Michigan State Spartan fan

Shells in the sky and other Gulf Coast tales

Shell in the sky

Hi, readers.  Still coming to you LIVE from the Florida coast.  Enjoying 1) warmth.  Temps around 74 today, 2)  sunlight.  Sunlight!  Sunlight!!  3)  Not too much wind.  Ahhhh….that adds another six degrees at least.  4)  family.  Oh, lovely, lovely family!!

I just took a poll from family members.  Here’s the scoop.  You can share what you think.  Lately I’ve taken to compressing 90% of the photos for this blog.  It takes ten seconds to upload, versus  3-4 minutes.

The first photo on this blog is non-compressed.  The next eight are compressed.  The last one is not compressed.

I asked Kiah and my mom.  “What do you think?”

They both voted unanimously for me to quit being lazy–although that’s not what they said–and post the non-compressed version.

Ibis pecking in the Bird Sanctuary near the Gulf

Most of these photos come to you from yesterday’s walk.  We walked the same path today.  It takes about an hour to walk from the condo to the beach and back.  Today we had three generations of walkers.  My mom, daughter, brother and me!

It’s amazing, how the landscape changes.  We’re walking an entirely different walk from previous years.  Storms and hurricanes change the landscape.  Where water blocked our path last year, this year it’s clear.

Driftwood, sandy shore

It’s also interesting how the tide changes everything.  Do you see the driftwood above?  Today, at high tide, it lay almost invisible in the rolling waves.

What is this man doing?

Yesterday we stopped, amazed, at the above sight.  A man–perhaps a scientist–looked through his fancy equipment at the–perhaps–tiny insects in the backwater pond.  His dog lay patiently at his side.  A piece of plastic protected him from the mud and wet.  (My mother just insisted he was photographing little birds.)

What a patient dog.

Perhaps he is a famous scientist.  Perhaps he simply pursues this as a hobby.  I wonder what he saw as he peered through his special equipment.  Will we ever know?

Little boy skipping in the surf

It’s fun to watch children play in the Gulf.  They splash with such abandon.  They give themselves utterly to sand and water.

Seashell and seaweed

My mom and I usually walk this alone.  Today was special with my bro and daughter.  We showed them the “jungle” through which you must walk at times to reach the shore.  I asked my brother how his winter had been. It’s hard to think of winter when you’re walking on Florida beaches.

One leaf in white white sand

After our walk on the beach, we tried to stop at the Holiday Inn and buy an orange juice or coffee.  The outdoor tiki bar did not open until 11 a.m.  We wanted to get back to the pool to sun.

We’ve been eating at restaurants like you wouldn’t believe.  Today we visited the Fish House just behind the condominium.  Tonight we’re driving to Naples to eat dinner with my mom’s cousin and her husband.  They are lovely people; it will be good to see them again.

Looks like this driftwood has legs

I am about done with my book.  Anyone have any suggestions for a good book?  A really really good book?  Not a mystery or detective novel or anything.  Some good fiction or historical fiction.  Of course, it has to be available at the island bookstore.  Unless we head to the interior for shopping.

Three leaves in sunlight & sand

I finally talked with #1 son (who celebrated his 28th birthday yesterday skiing in the mountains in Southern California:  HI CHRIS!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!) and #1 husband (HI BARRY!  Great to talk with you!  Glad you had a good gig last night.)

After today, only three full days here in southern Florida.  But we’re not going to think about that yet.  Not even thinking about Lake Superior.  Except some woman at the pool said we MUST talk to her husband. He loves the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  They’re going to visit next summer.

OK, that’s the scoop.  Hope you all had a nice weekend!

How many shrimp can you eat?

Start your engines! Start peeling those shrimp…

Oh my goodness. What a day.  It’s almost 10 p.m. and I’m brewing a cup of tea, pleasantly tired after a long day of fun.

Would you like me to re-wind the reel to share the day?

Fort Myers Beach annual Shrimp Festival

It started at 6:45 a.m.  Mom and I watched the news while Dad visited the coffee shop and Kiah slept.  About 9 a.m. Mom and I took off for a walk to the Gulf Coast.  We’ve walked a similar stroll through the “Bird Sanctuary” for several years now.  Amazingly, the landscape has shifted in the last year.  You can walk toward the Gulf in places once covered with water.

We traveled to new places.  We’re going back tomorrow, so you will have to wait until then for more beach photos.

No kidding. Someone is selling PUSSY WILLOWS in Florida!

Instead, let’s fast-forward.  After our beach-walk, Kiah and I lounged by the pool.  Then, a little after noon the family drove north on Fort Myers Beach to the annual Shrimp Festival.  We made our way through the crowd, attempting to find the Lion’s Club booth.  They sold peel ‘em and eat ‘em steamed shrimp.

We found a table to eat and ate…and ate…and ate.  We peeled those shrimp and ate ‘em until we couldn’t imagine eating another shrimp.  Then we ate some coleslaw.

These can’t really be alligator heads…can they?

My mom suggested we tour the shops and meet under the “Times Square” clock at 3:30 p.m.  Kiah and I wandered off on our own.  We couldn’t believe a fellow was selling pussy willows.  Pussy willows?  I asked him about them.  He said that a lot of northerners miss their pussy willows and want to buy them.  He talked enthusiastically about the pussy willows for at least five minutes.

We opted not to buy them. We wandered among the shops, viewing shells and heads of alligators…or are those crocodiles?

Pirate of the Caribbean!

I was utterly fascinated by the above pirate.  He stood stock-still, like a statue.  People would think he was a statue.  One lady came up and put her arm around him.  He moved.  She screamed!!  Everyone laughed and she got her photo with the pirate.  Then they tossed money in the treasure chest by his feet.  I thought he looked amazing.

Beneath the pier

Kiah and I wandered back underneath the pier.  Up on the pier the wind blew fiercely and you needed a jacket.  Below the pier, sheltered, the temperature lingered about 73 degrees.  The sun felt lovely.  It was good being together.

After our adventures at the Shrimp Festival, we rested at the condo before driving to my brother and sister-in-law’s place for drinks and dinner.

Beach daisy

I have a half-dozen other beach photos to show you, but we’ll have to wait until tomorrow.  We ooohed and ahhhhed so much about our beach walk that Kiah has agreed to go tomorrow.  My brother, Tim, says he’ll go, as well.  But let’s wait until tomorrow to see who decides to walk.

After all, it’s the Daylight Savings time change.  We’re meeting at 10 a.m., but that means it’s really 9 a.m.  Who will be ready to go at that hour of the morning?

My mom and I will be…we’ll see if the others join us. 

When you fly to Florida…and it’s raining, raining, raining.

Mom looks out the window...wondering if it will rain all day...

Guess what it did most of the day?  

Of course, you’ve already guessed from the title. 

It rained.  It poured.  It splattered.  It drizzled.  It thundered.  It flooded the streets. 

Yep, it rained. 

Looking out the lanai window over the Back Bay

It started slowly this morning.  Black clouds formed.  Thunder roared!  We opened our bleary eyes and wondered.  Then the downpour began. 

Our first trip outside--we had to turn back and go home

We tried to go to lunch.  We really tried.  We backed the car out of the car port beneath the condominium.  We headed for the main drag on Fort Myers Beach.  

We lasted maybe a half-minute before turning around in the CVS pharmacy parking lot and returning to the condominium. 

It was raining–as they say–Cats and Dogs. 

Flooded indoors under the condominium

Floods everywhere!  Florida streets do not understand rain.  They do not know how to handle it gracefully.  The rain puddles up.  The cars hydroplane.  Accidents happen.  

We did not want to hydroplane.  We returned to the condominium to read our books, play on our computers and watch TV.  My mother is creating a recipe book for the condominium association.  She typed in recipes.  We napped.  We ate leftovers for lunch.  

The lanai. Can you see ANYTHING out the window?

My daughter arrives about 9:30 tonight, if the sky gods agree.  My dad and I are driving to the airport soon to collect her.  We can’t wait to see her! 

My brother and sister-in-law arrived last night after a day of treacherous rain-driving through the state of Florida. We haven’t seen them yet.  

We hope it’s more hospitable (weather-wise) tomorrow. 

Flooded side of road

In certain places around the Fort Myers area they received five to six inches of rain in 24 hours.  (I’m actually secretly glad that the dry earth is being soaked.  Yes.  The Earth is happy.  Don’t you think?) 

Art & reflections

Oh my goodness!  The phone just rang.  It was my brother and sister-in-law.  They’re stopping by before we leave for the airport.  Thank goodness the blog is almost done.  Otherwise I’d have to apologize and say, “Excuse me.  Must finish my blog.”  

So.  Do you think we’ll have warm weather tomorrow?  Sun?  

It is Florida, after all. 

(But, truly, just spending time with family is warmth in itself, don’t you agree?)

Dolphins leaping!

Relaxing by the pool

Hello readers!  I am so excited to tell you what happened this morning.  Really early.  My mom and I were sipping coffee flavored with hazelnut creamer when the Most Amazing Thing happened.  I wandered out on the lanai and saw…are you ready for this??…Leaping dolphins!

In all the years I’ve visited Florida, I have never seen such a show.  We can’t decide if it was one dolphin leaping over and over and over again, or many dolphins.  It arched maybe six feet in the air. Maybe nine feet in the air.  It leapt with grace and spirit and beauty.  Up it arched and down it dove.  Again and again and again.  At least a dozen times.  Maybe two dozen! No time to look for the camera.

The dolphin leaped and we gasped in awe and amazement.  I said, “Look at the dolphin!  It wants to be on the blog.”  (My mother, I’m sure, rolled her eyes.)  But you never know.  The dolphin maybe did want to say hello to all you blog readers.

These photos are all backwards.  I like to usually start at the Beginning of the Day and then progress toward the end.  Tonight I’m starting in mid-afternoon (with a lounge by the pool) in about 78 degree temperatures.  Sunlight appeared after a day of wind and gray and threatening rain.  It was lovely.  I brought my new book down to the pool.

It’s the story of a woman deciding whether to become a Buddhist nun or finding true love with a man.  Which would you choose?  I’m thinking she’ll choose the guy.  But you never know. 

Woman and dog run along the Gulf

Now let’s back up. After a lunch of leftover seafood salad, my parents had to attend a condominium annual meeting.  So they dropped me off about 2-3 miles from “home”.  “Find your way back,” they instructed.  (Just kidding!  They didn’t really say that.  There’s really no way you can get lost on the island.)

Man on bike

I walked on the white white sand and thanked the Universe for the ocean, the sand, the sun, the warmth, the seaweed, the people, and sixteen other things.  Tried to walk very very slowly appreciating everything. 

Kids with pails

The beach featured some seaweed–not enough to challenge swimmers–but enough to notice.   I kept looking closer and closer, until their beautiful patterns and colors revealed themselves.  After about five minutes of peering at seaweed, I was in love with its patterns.  You could do an entire blog photographing seaweed. 

Red seaweed

The wind blew fiercely. So fiercely that I looked like Einstein’s niece upon arriving back at the condo.  You needed a hat to hold your curls in place.  The seagulls sat motionless, almost asleep, the wind attempting to blow them airborne.  They allowed me to approach rather closely and did not fly up.  The wind was too much for even them.

Gulls snoozing in the wind

Very few sun-bathers lingered along the shore on the rented cabanas.  The sun-bathers were waiting for the sun.  Almost all the green cabanas below were empty.

Long line of green cabanas. Anyone want to rent one?

I like to look in places most people ignore.  The storm sewers looked fascinating.  The leaves, the reflections.  This one looked like a work of art.  Do you agree?  Or do you think it looks only like a storm sewer?

Down through the sewer grate

Almost back to the condo, I had to sneak oh-so-carefully up to a rented condominium to photograph the flower photo below.  I shot a series of about ten photos of the flowers framed in white, but for some reason really like the simplicity of this one.

Oleander? Bougainvillea? Looks like art!

Tonight we ate dinner at South Beach in the Santini Plaza.  It was the best meal ever!  I ate glazed salmon (with some horseradish sauce) and my mom ate parmesan-encrusted tilapia and Dad opted for crab cakes.  All the meals were absolutely gourmet.

Actually, it was a gourmet day.  From dolphins leaping to swimming in the pool to glazed salmon…ahhh…  Bring on Day #2.

“Another bird arrives in Paradise”

Up, up and away (up in the sky over the Upper Peninsula)

Yawn…  Oh, excuse me, folks.  You know how you feel when you’ve been traveling most of the day.

I’m here.  Fort Myers Beach, Florida! 

The plane touched down about 4:30 p.m.  I swear it was one of the easiest traveling days in my recent memory.  The first plane (out of Marquette) left just after 11 a.m.  An hour layover in Detroit…and then…wa la!…less than three hours to the warmth of Florida.  

Would you like to see some photos from today?  The first, of course, is out the propeller plane window on our plane to Detroit.  We have modern planes these days.  When we first started flying out of the Upper Peninsula back in the early 80′s I swear I have a memory of flying on an twelve-seater plane.  You had to walk out on the runway to board.  No kidding. 

These days you stroll out the retractable gate and board maybe a 30-seater.  Sometimes you even get a mini-jet.  This is the life. 

Deltas in DTW (that would be Detroit)

It take about an hour and twenty minutes to fly from Marquette to Detroit.  I did a Sudoku puzzle, after locating the missing pen.  Napped.  Felt incredibly happy. 

On the escalator going down

Gosh, its heavy carrying a laptop.  Miss Ellie, you are heavy!  But, Miss Ellie, you are worth it.  It’s so nice to have you here. 

Detroit's Magic Tunnel of Colored Lights

Several years ago, the Detroit airport snazzied up their tunnel between the commuter planes and the main airport.  The commuter planes come from many little places like Houghton and Appleton and Green Bay and Duluth and Bismark, South Dakota.  We country-folk have to traipse underground to reach the main terminal.  So they filled this underground space with wild crazy pulsing music and lights.  It’s way cool! 

And now for a little pink!

You wake up just moving through that tunnel.  It’s definitely a traveler’s pick-me-up. 

Up the escalator

After you linger in the tunnel of colored lights you ride the escalator up…and you’re on the main floor.  You check to determine your outgoing gate.  You buy a cup of coffee, only frowning slightly because they do not sell decaff frappucino.  You try to decide whether to take the fast train down to your gate, or walk.  You get confused because you think you see a sign that says, “Train out-of-order.”  Of course, you’re wrong.  The train is working fine.  But you end up walking down the moving sidewalks to Gate 12. 

It’s a good thing.  You get some exercise and arrive just before it’s time for the boarding process to begin.  You are in Zone 4.  They call Zone 3 to board first.  You wonder why.  No matter.  You bring your carry-on and try to stuff it above your plane seat.  It barely fits.  The flight attendants start complaining about people who bring too large carry-on luggage.  You know they must be talking about you.  You wonder if you should measure your suitcase some day.  But, if it’s too big, wouldn’t they refuse it in Marquette?  You sigh, and wait to take off. 

Wonder where the Isle of Eva might be...

The above rock sat among a hundred other stones at the Detroit airport.  The stones sit in huge pots where trees are planted.  I don’t remember if they were fake or real trees. I was staring in amazement that so many people had written words upon the rocks.  Like “Tommy and Cindy, San Diego” and “Alex was here.”  I wondered where the Isle of Eva might be. 

No problems on the trip down to Fort Myers.  Smooth flight.  I slept a lot.  Which doesn’t explain why I’m yawning now.  Mom fixed us a delicious seafood salad with the best shrimp on the planet.  She heated a roll in the oven.  We shared a celebratory glass of wine. Chatted, chatted, chatted. 

Now everybody is reading and my computer is hooked up and it’s 72 degrees outside.  

“Another bird arrives in Paradise,” as my dad says, when he sees the jets overhead.

Can’t wait until tomorrow’s adventures!  See you then.

Ladies & Gentlemen, time to place your bets

How much snow?

Let’s have a little wager, shall we?

Of course no money will exchange hands.  This shall simply be a guessing game.

Look how much has melted on the south side of the road

Whoever guesses the correct answer…wins the highest praise!  Or, maybe six of us will guess the exact number.  Then we’ll have a virtual group hug.

Here is our assignment.   Take a long look at the first photo.  The plowed snow bank is 57 inches high.  That’s nearly five feet of snow.

Look how much has melted from the roof

(Don’t start thinking we have that much snow everywhere.  Many places measure about a foot.  Deep in the woods 3-4 feet many still exist.  In other places you can count in inches.)

See what it looks like in the woods?

Back to the bet.  How much snow do you think will exist in that snow bank when I return from Florida next week?  Specifically, on March 18th.  Six inches?  Two feet?  One inch?  Zero?

Some more hints:  the snow bank lies on the west side of the house.  As you all probably know, snow on the south side melts more quickly due to that lively spring sun.  Snow on the north side melts oh-so-slowly.  There is sometimes snow by our porch on the north side in May.

Another woods view

I’m not telling you my guess.  That wouldn’t be fair.  Don’t think I have too much of an advantage, though.  It could be all gone in a week, or a huge mass might still exist.

Another clue:  it’s been in the 40′s and 50′s recently.  There are some scattered rain showers in the forecast.  Does that help?

OK, I think I’ve bombarded you with enough clues to last for a while.  The next time you open your eyes on this blog you’re gonna see Green.  Bursts of colors.  Sunshine.

See you later. Alligator.

Goodbye, Snow.  See you later, Alligator.

I mean maybe we’ll see you soon, Alligators!