Letters from Santa

A few weeks ago, Bob the Mailman came to the door. The girls opened it and said, 'Oh hey, Bob.......MOM!!!!!!' He directed the girls back into the house. 'Ladies, I've got some important business to talk about with your mom.' I knew what it was, but I love the topic so much I was happy to listen again.

Every year, a volunteer at the Key West post office answers letters addressed to Santa. If you get it to your carrier during a short window of time, in an envelope addressed to Santa Claus at the North Pole, with the child's name and address in the upper left hand corner, your efforts will be rewarded with a sweet note from the big man. Along with the Key West Holiday Parade and caroling on the Conch Train, these letters are one of my favorite Key West Christmas traditions.

The girls wrote their letters and I got them to Bob, meeting him at his truck when I heard its distinctive rumble out front. And the night before we left for points north, a letter for each appeared in our mailbox. I packed them away and surprised the girls with them here at my parents' house in Pennsylvania. I bet the neighbors down the street heard their squeals of delight....it was awesome. Santa was thoughtful to include details from their letters in his replies, advising Mari to be sweet to Josie, and vice versa, to stay on the 'nice list' throughout the upcoming year. Advice I hope they take to heart.

So as I sit at my parents' dining room table this morning, with my coffee in a Christmas mug and a plate of their killer cookies nearby, I am happy to be here physically but with the spirit of the holidays in Key West in my heart. It certainly doesn't snow on our little island, but there is a special Christmas spirit to make up for it.

Merry Christmas to everyone reading this! With a special holiday shout out to our favorite mailman, and to the super awesome person who makes the time to answer Santa letters during the postal service's busiest time of year.

Countdown to Christmas

I just logged into the US Postal Service website to put my mail on hold for two weeks. That makes it officially official....we are leaving town and heading north! The girls are completely excited, and I may be even more completely excited. I am really looking forward to getting away after an especially busy fall. And it's Christmas!! We haven't made the journey over the holidays since our first year here. That trip scared us, to be honest. In the few days before we were set to leave, each of us got a simply horrendous stomach bug. First Mari, then Josie, then me, then John. Fortunately, it was brief for each of us, so we headed north a few days later than scheduled. And by the time we arrived, the adults were really feeling the strain of being sick and driving 24 hours. That holiday break went by in a feverish blur. The girls are older, and those germs brought home from school are pretty rare. We are ready to give it another go! And after living in Key West for five Christmases, we have all missed the nip in the air and the seasonal delights of being up north.

We are all hoping for snow. Just a little, to arrive during the week we will be at my parents' home in Pennsylvania, so that we can watch it through the windows. Other than some flurries, John and I are certainly hoping we don't see much snow through the car windows until we reach our destinations. First up, a few nights in Maryland to say hello to friends and take up a big table at La Paz. Then to my family in Pennsylvania and hopefully the girls first ski lesson and some ice skating. On the way back to KW, we are going to Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. I can't wait to show the girls one of my favorite places from my youth. And our stay at the Williamsburg Lodge came with passes to something called 'Christmas Town' at nearby Busch Gardens, which I'm sure they will love, whatever it is.

Key West has some of the longest school breaks around. It seems like we were just on Thanksgiving break. We've actually had three weeks of school since then, but it has gone by quickly. After this full week, the girls won't return to school until January 6th. So even after our travels and holiday celebrations, we will have the best part of the week here at home to get centered and rest up before 'real life' starts again. That may be the best present of all this year. Time away, and time at home. I am looking forward to relishing both.

I love a parade :)

I do! And so do my kids, my husband, and just about everyone else I know. What's not to love? It's like the whole town comes together to pat each other on the back and celebrate the common good we all work toward every day. This past Saturday brought the Key West Christmas Parade. Every year it starts with the roar of the KWPD motorcycle patrol, with the officers decked out in lighted necklaces. Next comes the mayor, city commissioners, local dignitaries...all waving and tossing candy to the kids lining the streets. Let's cheer for the Boy Scouts and the Key West High School Marching Band! As a parent, I'm clapping for all the time I know those kids' parents spend getting them to and from meetings, practices, and special events. Since we moved here, we've had several people say things like 'how can you raise kids on a party island?' Those people should come to this annual event to watch the display of life beyond Duval Street. Just about every church on the island had a lovely float filled with kids and families. The Boys & Girls Club, a group that assists many local children after school and during the summer, had a float just bursting with holiday cheer. Farmer Jeanne walked with the MCSO Animal Farm's two miniature ponies dressed as wise men, and the local ASPCA brought big cheers just because who doesn't like to see a bunch of dogs wearing antlers? I know I do. Bob the Mailman jumped down from the USPS float to directly hand the girls some candy, and one of their teacher's (marching with the Butterfly Conservancy float) crossed the street for hugs. The Old Town Trolley and Conch Train carry many groups, with lights strung around all the windows and waves and more candy coming from the people inside. And, of course, being a small town, we've got some fire trucks. And boats! Lots of boats. There just really isn't anything more festive that a lighted boat in this town. This year featured lots of 'Frozen' themed floats....aren't we about done with that? Not by the look on the faces of the young ladies in the crowd. They just really aren't ready to 'Let it Go.' And bubbles! A few floats had huge bubble wands, sending glistening orbs into the air. We were lucky enough to watch the parade from nice chairs in front of my hair salon on Truman Avenue. The girls filled two bags with candy, and John and I enjoyed stuffed mushrooms, shrimp, antipasto skewers, and other yummies passed by servers in pink Santa hats. We rode our bikes the short distance from our house to the salon....it still feels like a luxury to do that in December. On the way over, I passed groups of neighbors on Catherine Street mingling on front porches with Red Solo cups of cheer, probably an annual tradition before parade viewing. On the way back, the side streets were abuzz with families walking back to their cars, kids running around with excitement over all that candy. As my daughter Mari said, it was awesome.

Talkin' Turkey Day

OK, by now just about everyone has heard my spiel about brining the turkey. My lectures are working! I have been getting requests for my brine recipe for several days now, enough so that I posted it on Facebook. (see below in case you have missed seeing it previously).

So for this year's pre-Thanksgiving blog post, I am going to talk about two other important parts of the traditional meal - gravy and mashed potatoes. I make both ahead and reheat while the turkey is resting after coming out of the oven. The time it takes for the turkey juices to redistribute (about an hour) is the same amount of time it will take for the mashed potatoes to be heated through until bubbling and for the gravy to simmer and thicken.

To start the gravy, I make a stock a few days in advance. I picked up a package of turkey necks at the grocery store this week, but turkey wings will also work. I roasted the necks and an onion (peel on, for extra flavor) at 400 degrees until brown and slightly caramelized (see photo). This will give the stock deeper color and flavor. These went into a stock pot along with a rough-chopped stalk of celery. I added about 2 cups of water and 2 cups of stock from the grocery store. I generally use chicken stock, but when I went to make it last evening we had only beef stock, so in it went. The stock simmered for about 2 hours. I discarded the necks and onion and placed the pot in the refrigerator. The fat will rise to the top and solidify....you can just pop it off before heating. You can use the fat to start your gravy, or use butter or oil, whichever you prefer. Add flour to the melted fat, whisking and cooking for several minutes, then add the turkey stock. Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened. Taste....does it need more salt and pepper? When the turkey is resting on the carving board I pour the pan drippings into one of those fat separating cups, discarding the fat. The good stuff left on the bottom is added to the gravy base for even more turkey flavor. If for some reason it just isn't tasting the way you want (which can happen, despite your best efforts), a tablespoon or two of chicken or turkey base (in the soup aisle at the grocery store) will round things out.

The mashed potatoes recipe was given to me by one of my students, back when I ran a little cooking school in Maryland. The extra ingredients allow the potatoes to be reheated several times without drying out. Before making them this way I remember heating up mashed potatoes with milk in a sauce pan, and the texture was never right after that first time. Yes, these have a some extra fat and calories for sure, but it's Thanksgiving. We can worry about that later. When we wake up from our food coma, after the football game. And after some pumpkin pie and a brisk walk around the block. Enjoy your dinner and your day....Happy Thanksgiving!

The Recipes

Turkey Brine

1 cup salt
1 cup brown sugar
2 oranges, quartered
2 lemons, quartered
6 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs rosemary

Dissolve the salt and brown sugar in two gallons cold water. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring to combine. Add the turkey and chill overnight. (If you have an extra-large turkey and need more brine, use 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar for every gallon of water.)

Day Before Mashed Potatoes

5 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 stick butter
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add potatoes and cook until fork tender. Drain and return to pot. Add remaining ingredients and using a masher or hand mixer, combine until smooth. Add milk or cream to thin if needed. Transfer to a baking dish, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before baking for approximately 45 minutes at 350, until heated through and bubbling.

It's in the Air

This is my favorite time of year in Key West. The major tourism events are over, the humidity has finally gone, and the holidays are just around the corner. We've actually had a brief hot spell, but today's forecast promises a return to coolness with falling temps this afternoon. My windows will be open and the curtains will be blowing in the breeze. And that breeze is what late fall/winter in Key West is ALL about. It's just heavenly....cool air with the scent of the sea and tropical flowers somewhere in the background.

This is the time of year that I truly appreciate living here. The light changes to make the shadows deeper. Flowers and plants that were on break from last fall and winter and just bursting with blooms. After struggling to wake up in darkness each morning (is it 2:30 in the morning or 6:30? Both looked the same before daylight savings arrived a few weekends ago) my whole family starts stirring as the sun starts to rise. And after a full day of doing whatever it is we do, it's refreshing to see the sun start to set earlier. Especially when you may need to grab a light sweater or wrap to sit outside and enjoy it. People have told me that they could never live here year-round because they would miss the seasons. Ours are certainly different than those of the mid Atlantic region, but each season is distinct and brings its own pleasures. Maybe we just have to look for them a little harder.

It has been busy, busy, busy here on Duncan Street. I haven't had the time to sit down and write a blog post since October 30! In the last few weeks we have covered everything from getting braces to redoing the girls' room to organizing a large-scale school event. And don't forget that pesky kitchen renovation, lurking in the background of all the other activities and events. I am thrilled to report that the new counter tops arrive tomorrow. Those plywood counter tops WILL NOT be missed! We still have some painting to do throughout the house and one wall of accent wallpaper to hang, but after the construction and mess and long wait for completion, I am looking forward to tackling some easy DIY stuff.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and I am so happy that my obligations are met and our home is falling into place just now, the week before the big day. I am extremely thankful this year for many, many things. I am looking forward to cooking my favorite meal of the year in the new kitchen space, and to serving it to family and friends on the long dining table we had moved from Maryland. The table was the board table at one of John's father's banks (he was president of five banks in his career). His parents had it refinished and used it for a dining table for many years, and they passed it on to us when we finished the major reconstruction on our 1897 row house in Frederick. That table held hors d'oeuvres at our wedding reception, rows of silver julep cups at our annual Kentucky Derby bashes, and Mari 'cruised' between the chairs while she was learning to walk. I look forward to making many more memories gathered together around it here in Key West.

Scary Stuff

So Key West has survived another Fantasy Fest. The revelers have taken their body paint and tutus and gone home. It is noticeably quiet this week here on the island, which isn't surprising because the population grew by more than 50,000 during all the festivities. I am not an expert on Fantasy Fest, by any means, but for those of you reading this who may not know what it is, let me give you a brief overview. Originally, the week-long party was started to get tourists to Key West during the slow season and to raise funds for local organization AIDS Help. Over the years that week in October has become the busiest of the entire year and the various fundraising events have raised millions, so the plan certainly worked. There are some events, like the Headdress Ball, that are original and have a huge following. The photos I see each year, of fantastical costumes and huge, intricate, animated head wear, are beyond amazing! Unfortunately, there are some newer events, like hiring porn stars to 'host' parties at bars, that are popular with a certain crowd but not so popular with long-time Fantasy Fest supporters, or even local business owners. It's gross, and frankly, kind of skanky. I'm sure Ron Jeremy is a nice guy and all, but I cringe every year when I read where and when he is hosting some type of 'dungeon of desire' event. This past Monday, just a day after this year's Fantasy Fest ended, the front page of the local newspaper announced a new group forming to look at the event and rethink where it is headed. I think that is a great idea.

With two girls aged 8 and 10, Fantasy Fest week can be tricky. When you still have conversations about why we need to wear underwear at all times or bathing suits if it's just us, you certainly don't want them seeing a grown-up walking around in nothing but a g-string and body paint. 'But SHE isn't wearing clothes!' This is an argument that I don't want to have. We got lucky this year and missed running into any celebrants who strayed from the Fantasy Fest Zone. Yep, there's always some dude who needs to go to Publix in a tutu sans undies, or something like that, and local parents have stories that will crack you up, for sure.

Some quick thinking on my part prevented not only my kids from seeing some crazy stuff, but also Mari's third grade classmates whose parents may have been brave enough to bring them to Tropic Cinema this past Saturday. When I realized that her 10th birthday party was scheduled for the same day as Parade Day, I immediately called the cinema office. They agreed that changing the date would be best, since the festivities could affect attendance, and that they would prefer to be closed if I didn't mind moving the party date, so that those heading downtown for the biggest day of Fantasy Fest wouldn't be asking to use the bathroom. That could have gone wrong is so many ways. Like, just so many ways. Mari is excited for her party coming up this weekend. The kids get popcorn, a drink, and a candy bar plus one of the theaters to themselves to watch 'Mr. Peabody & Sherman.' And I will certainly enjoy it more without worrying about covering eyes or explaining what the heck that lady wasn't wearing.

Best Laid Plans

I love the following quote by John Lennon, so much so that I Googled it and read the Wikipedia entry before writing this to get the exact wording and original usage, since it's one of those often used expressions that people tend to mess up. 

'Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.'

It's from the song 'Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)' which was on Lennon's final album, Double Fantasy. His line is one of the guiding principles in my life. When I start projecting more than a short time in the future, or relying on several things to fall into place before something else can move forward, I always tell myself 'Whoa....this won't end the way I want it to.' I'd rather enjoy the process than try to direct it, and trying to realign the universe is both exhausting and futile. I'm more of a seat-of-your-pants kinda girl. Do the parts you have to turn in to others on time, and let the rest fall into place. Which is why I can live in Key West. Everybody down here is on some similar plane. The 'Type A' people of the real world would go nuts.

All of my zen and good intentions have certainly been put to the test with our kitchen renovation. I am proud of myself for getting through it without completely losing it, although I will admit there have been a few times I've been close. Because in my life of daughter raising/Brownie leading/school event planning/2nd grade homework photocopying/t-shirt selling/Box Tops counting, I can leave the details of each activity behind by walking into my sanctuary....my little island home. Until my sanctuary looks like it blew up. And is quite dusty. And we have to use paper plates and plastic cups for eating around the coffee table. Then, well, I may get A LITTLE TESTY about those plans that were made and those dates we were hoping for. My husband may have replacement words for 'a little testy' but those words might not be appropriate for this format. 

Yesterday the countertop people came down from Miami to make a template for my new quartz work spaces. They won't be back for 10 to 15 business days, but it was still a day for celebrating because we got through all the heavy construction to get to that point. The next two weeks will be focused on the fun stuff, the smaller, detail projects, the ones I've been waiting for. Painting, wall paper, putting stuff in its new home....that kind of thing. And after the quartz is installed, the tile back splash....ta da! For fans of HGTV's Fixer Upper, I am approaching the part of the project where Chip and the crew leave, and Joanna and the kids walk around the house putting lovely things in all the right spots. Finally. The week without water in the kitchen, the food pantry in the living room, the take out meals, the dusty foot prints all over are all part of the process.

I took a hard look at my calendar yesterday and had to laugh at some of the things I had planned/offered/promised to do in the upcoming weeks. I regrouped. Because even though I had hoped I would be ready to host a jewelry trunk show in two weeks, I won't be. Thank goodness I booked Mari's 10th birthday party at another site (even if I did have to move it ahead a week due to Fantasy Fest nudity.....more on that next blog post). We've got school off on Friday, two birthday parties this weekend, Brownies next week, multiple Halloween events, Mari's birthday party, Veteran's Day, and Brownies again, ending with the school's Fall Festival on the 14th....did I mention I was chairing that? But things will quiet down after that. I swear.

Food Exchanges

In the past few weeks, I've had strangers exchange food items for me in the grocery store. Unsolicited. Two local ladies just being nice.

The first time it happened at Fausto's on Fleming Street. I had gone there for some of the house made Italian sausage, and a quick stop across the street at UVA for some of their outstanding locally-made ricotta to make stuffed shells. While I was at Fausto's I picked up a few other things, including a random jar of spaghetti sauce in case I didn't have enough of the 'good stuff' at home. (My favorite jarred spaghetti sauce is made by a family near where I grew up. The Del Grosso's. I love that I can buy it at Publix all the way down here in Key West! The 'Sunday Marinara' is the best.) While I was in line to pay, I realized I had forgotten to get a baguette....and how can you have an Italian feast without a little bread? I asked the woman behind me if she minded if I ran to the bakery in the back of the store for bread. She said 'Oh, of course not! As long as you don't mind if I replace your spaghetti sauce for you. You've got to try this other one....meet ya back here!' I got my bread, and met my new friend back in line. She showed me the label of her favorite spaghetti sauce, called Brooklyn Made or something like that, prepared with no additives, no sugars, just tomatoes, basil, garlic, etc. She said, 'Now granted, it's like $10 a jar, but totally worth it!' Apparently I didn't look like someone who would balk at spending $10 on a jar of spaghetti sauce. She got me spot on. And when I got home and made dinner, she was right! It was a great meal.

The second time a stranger 'hooked me up' was at the 'new' Publix, in the produce section. I was looking at the red bell peppers for a shrimp stir fry. The peppers didn't look so great, but I found the best one and put it on the top of the other items in the front of my cart. After milling around, gathering the other items on my list, I looked down and noticed that my anemic pepper had been replaced by a huge, bright red pepper that looked like it fell out of a gardening magazine. What the??? I looked around, and I woman caught my eye. She walked over and said 'The produce guy just opened a brand new box of bell peppers.....you couldn't take that other one home!' I thanked her profusely. What a nice thing to do! Seriously. Maybe this happens other places, I don't know. I am going to haul out my oft-used line.....only in Key West. People looking out for each other in the smallest of ways. I love it.

Dog Days

So after talking about our beloved dog Murphy for the last six months, the girls have switched to obsessively talking about their NEW dog....the one that I'm not so sure we are getting. I definitely miss Murphy, and there are times I miss having a dog around the house. But I'm thinking I may not be a 'dog person.' Maybe I was just a 'Murphy person.' I'm not sure anymore. Regardless, NO ONE in this house is getting a dog of any kind until after holiday break because we will be traveling for several weeks. I keep telling the girls that we will discuss it then. One of the major issues in this process of deciding if we want to add another dog to the family is the type of dog each girl wants. Mari wants a Chocolate Lab, just like her teacher and favorite human on the planet owns. She talks about Chocolate Labs, uses Google images to find adorable photos of them, and thinks that Coco would be the perfect name, since, well, I'm sure you get it. Josie on the other hand wants the dog in the picture here. She's watched Beverly Hills Chihuahua (parts 1, 2, AND 3, of course) way too many times. She also wants to name her dog Coco, but this time it's short for Coconut, like the dog you can get from American Girl. My husband and I have explained that if and when we do choose another pet for our family, we will choose it from a shelter or from a rescue agency. I don't think the girls get that a pure bred Chocolate Labrador or a whatever-the-heck-breed princess dog is probably won't be available at such places. Although I could be wrong, and I will certainly do all the research when this process starts up again after the holidays. In a perfect world, I would choose a dog on the smallish size who will fit through the existing dog door on the back of the house. This dog will never shed or have any accidents in the house. It will not chew the fringe off the expensive rugs on their way down here from a house in Maryland. And when we decide on an impromptu weekend getaway, or want to add another week or two to our time up north in the summer, this dog will somehow take care of all arrangements to allow that to happen. So, yeah, I'm obviously not there yet. I am still enjoying the freedom of not having a dog after having one for 15 years. And as I look at the pictures that the girls are constantly showing me, a part of me looks away because I don't want to get too attached....probably the true reason I'm not dog ready. Yet.

Key West Kitchen Re-Do

I thought the galley-style kitchen was cute when we bought our house in midtown Key West. It just needed a coat of paint to bring out the green and orange accents in the tile, a nice print for the wall, and a cute rug by the sink. It was compact, something that the kitchens in my last two homes were definitely not. Now that I have lived here for more than four years, 'compact' has become 'cramped.' The cabinets are inadequate for our dish ware and pantry items, so the limited counter space becomes even more limited with cereal boxes and drying dishes. And don't EVEN get me started on the two bins on top of the refrigerator! Pull one down to grab the plastic wrap or aluminum foil (and no matter how hard I try to remember, I always pull the WRONG bin down) and get bonked on the head by a plastic container or a box of storage baggies. So my husband and I decided to upgrade and expand. We started by purchasing new cabinets at Ikea. They go with our style and the other Danish Modern furniture in this house. Those are here and ready for placement. All of our food and dishware is on open shelving in the living room, which is actually pretty convenient, I have to say. Kind of like living in a store. The top cabinets are down and waiting for pick up, and the base cabinets will be gone over the weekend. That tile on the walls certainly hasn't cooperated with our removal plans. Even though I've watched countless people on HGTV tap a pry bar to have the tile just pop right off, ours has taken chunks of wall off along with it. Oh well....we will definitely need more drywall replacement than we originally thought. A bonus to this project was discovering an unknown skylight in the attic and that there is absolutely no insulation up there. So as we run our air conditioning most of the year, the top level of the house is just cooking away.....creating extra condensation, which can lead to black mold. That will be fixed. And of course we are dealing with 'island time.' Things aren't speedy here in Key West, that is for sure. People call you back when they call you back, and come by when they come by. Next week the electricians will run the new wiring, and we will face the roughest part of the project - not having a kitchen at all. The kids will love having to dine out every night for a short time, and I'm sure I can use the microwave on some flat surface. Some place. If I can find a clear spot among the piles. When the going gets tough inside the house, here in KW we can just head outdoors. Our trusty grill is under the palm trees, and if we dine on hot dogs, burgers, and s'mores for a few nights, so be it.  :)

Post-Labor Day Key West

Local kids have been back in school for three weeks, I haven't noticed too many tourists in my travels, and it generally rains several times a day. Welcome to September on the island. It is the quietest month, so slow that many restaurants and businesses close their doors for the entire month to do repairs and regroup before Fantasy Fest (easily the busiest week of the year) at the end of October. These rains come on strong! I will notice a dark cloud, see those first few large drops on the windshield, then BOOM! It will rain 'cats and dogs' but only for 20 minutes, if that. The sun comes back out until the next cloud passes. This time of year it may be pouring rain across the street or across town, but not where you are right now. The other morning I left my house to take the girls to school in sunshine, but by the time we passed the VFW on Roosevelt Boulevard it looked like we were driving into another world....gray, almost foggy, and lots of water. The rain comes down so fast that the streets will flood a little, and the parking lot at Publix is ankle-deep. The water doesn't hang around for long....it is quickly evaporated by our strong sunshine. You definitely get used to it and dress accordingly. I have those OluKai water-proof flip flops in every shade of the rainbow. (Unfortunately, after they get wet, they 'squeak' loudly when you walk, but it too is short lived. The other day I was walking around the halls at the girls' school and I seriously considered taking my shoes off so I didn't disturb the classes!) The rain clouds make for some truly amazing sunrises and sunsets. It's always beautiful here in the Florida Keys, and the rainy season just brings a different kind of beauty. The ocean can look almost black under the dark clouds, with bright spots of sunshine giving any vegetation an almost neon glow. It's a photographer's dream! I like this time of year here in Key West. It's the island dweller's version of early autumn.

Taken yesterday near Sugarloaf Key, between rain storms.

Local Politics

I haven't gotten involved with local politics in Key West since we moved here four years ago, but John and I have voted in every election since relocating. We read the Citizen every morning with coffee.  We know who the local politicians are and what businesses they own. We go to church with several, and my husband attends Rotary with a few more. KW is a small town, so it certainly isn't hard to keep track of things. Sometimes political news is a bit sensational, like when City Commissioners get into verbal altercations at public meetings (sometimes with an undertone of 'meet me outside'). But most of the time it's just regular business....voting on things like trash removal, etc. Of course, Key West has its fair share of nutty candidates. Let's face it, we've got our fair share of 'nutty' in just about every facet of island life. One of the perennial candidates for Mayor of Key West lists his profession as 'Janitor for God' on LinkedIn, for goodness sake. Maybe it's just me, but I think tomorrow's election could also be described as a little nutty, or just really confusing.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, August 26th, is the First Primary Election. If you are registered as a member of a political party, you can vote for your party's candidates for state wide offices (including Governor and Attorney General), but if you are independent, you can't. The rest of the candidates are non-partisan, including Judges for Circuit Court, Mosquito Control Board, and School Board for each district in Monroe County. According to the Hometown! PAC website (it's a local organization providing information to voters) 'Candidates for these offices do not run as representatives of any political party. If there are three or more candidates for a particular office and none of the three receives a majority vote (50%+1) the top two vote getters go to the General Election for a run-off.'

Tomorrow also brings the Key West Mayoral election, held just one year since the last election to bring it on schedule with the others. This is the second time in 12 months that the candidates have printed signs, held fundraisers, and presented their views at rallies and forums. It seems to have diminished the political fervor, in my opinion, giving things an air of 'didn't we just do this?'  Sadly, I read somewhere that they are hoping for a 28% voter turn out tomorrow. It is EASY, actually BEYOND EASY to vote in Key West. For a town with around 25,000 residents, there are several polling sites, all open morning through evening. There have been several days of early voting, including this past Saturday, in case you couldn't get there on Tuesday. Also, most Conchs I know do Absentee Voting. Whaaat?? No, they won't be out of town or out of the country on election day. I guess it's so they don't have to actually GO to the polls....which aren't crowded anyway. (Or maybe that is why they aren't crowded? I don't know....)

Because I have been stewing about this for several weeks, I decided to get involved tomorrow, if only on a very small level. My mayoral candidate of choice is a friend's father. I am his grand daughter's Girl Scouts' leader, and both my girls have been in classes with her at school. (I told you it is a really small town!) I called my friend, who gave me her dad's cell phone number. I was kind of nervous to call him....um, hello, Mayor? But I did it anyway. And he called me back within minutes and gave me times and places to wave a sign at one of the polling stations. I am looking forward to it! Because you generally can't change anything from the safety of your sofa, and you really can't complain about the process if you don't take part in it. Hit the polls tomorrow, people! Get out and vote.

White Street Grill at the 4th of July Cafe

When new owners Steve Kibbe and Hannia Rivera took over Mattheessen's on White Street earlier this year, they kept much of what made the 4th of July Cafe a local favorite. As long time Key Westers, they both knew the homemade ice cream and big-as-your-head cookies would always be a hit. Adding more items to the menu and offering an interesting list of daily specials? Well, that is what comes from many years in the restaurant business....both Kibbe and Rivera (who also own Shots & Giggles on Caroline Street) obviously know what the people want.

      You might not notice many changes when you walk in the front door of what is now called White Street Grill at 4th of July Cafe. Those big cookies, weighing in at a half-pound each, are still in the case. And so is the colorful array of ice creams. Both are still made by the Mattheessen family at their other shops closer to Duval Street.

      Every day brings a list of lunch specials, with two soups (everything from Turkey Corn Chowder to Beef Barley to Chicken Brussels Sprout), an entree salad (like Greek Salad with housemade tzatziki sauce or Summer Salad with strawberries, grapes, nuts, and blue cheese), and maybe a special sandwich. You'll still find the famous chicken salad, in a wrap or on a croissant. The Famous White Street Grill Burger is bound to become just that, with a half-pound burger topped with sliced prime rib, sautéed mushrooms, AND melted Brie.

      Starting at 5 pm, there are usually new specials for dinner along with the new dinner menu (you can still order from the regular menu). The BBQ Spare Ribs are very popular here, available as a 'Teaser' or a half- rack with sides. Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Meatloaf, Pasta Alfredo, and a hand-cut 16-ounce ribeye are other options. Recent dinner specials have included Shepherd's Pie, Three Cheese Ziti Marinara, and Surf & Turf, here made with the ribeye and a skewer of teriyaki shrimp and red peppers.

      Every Tuesday is Taco Mania, with taco (beef or chicken) platters, taco salads, and a burrito or other Mexican entree available at both lunch and dinner. We live nearby, so it is a popular choice at my house. And if we are too lazy to ride our bikes up the street, they will even deliver in Key West, free of charge.

With two girls under ten, I am a big fan of the restaurant's children's menu, available every day from 11 am until 10 pm (9pm on Sundays). It covers all the kid favorites (hot dog, grilled cheese, chicken tenders, even buttered noodles), adding a side (fries or fruit), a drink, and a small dish of ice cream for just $7.95. Last week the girls were hot and sweaty from day camp, so we headed there for an early dinner, ending with one chocolate ice cream sprinkled with M&M's and one Papa Smurf (it's bright blue, and tastes like blueberries....or something).

I Bought the Lunchables

Years ago, I bought a book at Borders called 'I Was a Much Better Mom Before I Had Kids.' And frankly, I think that is probably true. Before we decided to adopt two little girls from Guatemala (one who arrived as a 7-month-old baby, and one who arrived as a 16-month-old, Spanish-speaking toddler after a grueling adoption process that could have gone either way) I had lots of ideas of how parenting would go. I would hand-make my daughters' baby food, clothe them in organically-grown cloth diapers, and they would never see the inside of a McDonald's or Burger King. But once I BECAME a parent, I learned, so, so much. Obviously!! It's easy to plan a life for kids when you don't have them, but once they actually arrive (regardless of how they got to your family) reality sets in. I am constantly reminded of the title of that book, on a daily basis. Yes, I wish my two daughters would eat organic free-range eggs or high-protein Greek yogurt from Australia for breakfast, or Udon noodles with edamame and Thai peanut sauce (served in cute little Bento box from the Container Store with recyclable chop sticks) for lunch, but frankly, they won't. And Lord knows I have tried. Both girls are picky eaters. They eat a good dinner at home each night, most often home cooked. And our snacks are generally pretty healthy. But with school starting the day after tomorrow, I am looking at another year where I am faced with packing them a lunch that they won't eat, or purchasing school lunches that they won't eat (and I have NOTHING bad to say about the lunch program at their school because I helped set it up.) So....I can make some point that frankly no one here is listening to or I can face reality. My kids need to eat lunch.  They need to have the fuel to get through their days and to focus on the class work. Their lunches will never appear on the cover of Martha Stewart Living, but they will have something in their bellies for a full day of learning and activity. The girls want Lunchables. And after several years of packed lunches that they bring home untouched, I am joining the cult. Do I want my growing girls to eat fake food? No way. But do I want them to eat SOMETHING so that they can focus on the task at hand? Why, yes I do. The lunch struggle made me think about all the things modern parents do, or don't do, because they think other parents are watching them. I am an old mom. We got Mari when I was was 40 and Josie when I was 42. There are tons of benefits to being an older parent (patience, financial stability, etc). There are also many downsides.....I seriously hope that I live long enough to see them through adulthood, and that I can keep up with their activities as they age and I do too. I realize that my many, many years as a childless adult really affected how I have treated parenting. In the old days, people fell in love, got married, had sex, and had a family. In my world, people put off parenting to have careers, see the world, experience life, blah blah blah. But once you become a parent, no matter how you got there, reality sets in. Kids might have a blow-out poop at the finest restaurant, or have a complete melt down regardless of your best laid plans. Adopting the girls is still the best thing we ever did. I decided that I didn't want to end up surrounded by my toys, investments, and high-end purses and shoes when all was said and done, and neither did my husband (OK, actually, I talked him into it but he is full-on in love with his girls). We have never looked back and we love our two girls with every bone in our bodies. But that doesn't mean it is always easy. And regardless of your age, your social or economic status, or life situation, having children is a full-time, harrowing job. And when you add in the fact that you have to navigate the world of child rearing along with other parents whose children your children will attend preschool, camp, Brownies, elementary school, and soccer with, well, that is where I feel that we sometimes beat ourselves up the most. I write this blog post in support of any mom, dad, grandparent, or other guardian who is feeling the stress and pressure of school starting in a few days. And I pose a challenge to all of us. If you are blessed with a child who wants to eat a sandwich made with organic peanut butter and hand-grown boysenberry jelly on sprouted whole grain bread for lunch, good for your. No, seriously, good for you! But if your kids are picky eaters, and they want fake, cold pizza or fake, cold chicken nuggets, I got your back. At some point we all have to look at our realities. No one is judging you, and if they are, well,  frankly, they need to get a new hobby. Because regardless of where you live or how much money you make, your kid has to get through a long day at school. Eating something is better than not eating anything. The day will go better for them, and for those totally and completely amazing people who serve as their teachers. And I truly think teachers are the most amazing people on the planet., because they are the ones who spend the day with our kids and teach them to read, do math, dissect frogs, and so much more. I have learned over the last few years that my husband and I are really, really good at some of the things that make great parents, and there are some things that we totally suck at. And I can live with that. If you want to be completely honest with yourself, you can probably say the same thing. As we start a new school year, let's give each other a break!!! Parenting isn't easy, but it is a wonderful, delightful journey. I don't care what you pack in your kid's lunch, how many field trips you go on, or whether you make popcorn for school fundraisers. If your kid is kind and respectful and doesn't beat the crap out of my kid, we are good. Seriously. Take this one thing off your list of things to worry about. The time you spend doing the right things with your children so outweighs those small things we all do 'wrong.' We are all in this boat together. And happy, secure parents make happy, secure kids.

Just Chill, Mom

Wow.....you want to see two little faces drop? Bounce into their bedroom and announce (perhaps a bit too loudly) that next week at this time, they will be at school. Bummer, mom! We have had a GREAT summer. Seriously. Lots of travel early on, and lots of Key West time after....pool, legos, art camp, crafts, blanket forts, tutoring, etc. The girls have played together well and gotten along famously. Of course, there is always some nonsense, but much, much less of it. I feel like my husband and I are coming out of 'the weeds' of parenting. The girls are almost 8 and almost 10, entering second and third grades this school year. They will have both repeated a grade after this year....a choice that is difficult to make but one that can make a huge difference. As John reminds me, no one every asked him if he repeated first or second grade when he was sitting in a meeting in Manhattan, talking financial record keeping. A good point. Wednesday they both get back-to-school haircuts and a very special treat - my stylist found someone who can French braid hair. Like Elsa from 'Frozen.' (Wondering if she knows every word to 'Let it Go' as well? She just might after this session.) On Friday morning, they will meet their new teachers, and on Saturday afternoon, we will celebrate Josie's 8th at Two Scoops with cupcake decorating and My Little Pony decor. As I sit at the laptop in my new home office (my favorite summer project), my mind is racing with the bazillion things we should do between those few activities. But as I listen to the girls getting breakfast (Yep, breakfast at 10 am. Won't be any transition there, right?) and chatting quietly I am going to take a cue from them....and just chill out. We can enjoy this last week without focusing on the 'last week' part because other than being at school from 8 to 3, and at CCD and Brownies two early evenings, life really won't change that much. Sure, we will have homework and will need to go to bed a bit earlier. But we can still jump in the pool any day we get the urge, or hit Ft. Zach on the way home from school, just to say 'hey' to the ocean and run around. The weather isn't going to change until it starts to get cooler in November, and by cooler I mean we will lose some humidity and maybe 10 degrees or so. Mari and Josie are right. I'm going to get another cup of coffee and enjoy this time at home with them. Let's just see what the day brings us. Hakuna matata.

Fausto's Food Palace

     For a small island, we certainly have enough grocery stores. I've mentioned our two Publix stores, less than a mile away from each other on Roosevelt Boulevard. We also have a full-sized Winn-Dixie in the shopping center between the two Publix. The oldest grocery store, and certainly the most colorful in the Key West sense of the word, is Fausto's Food Palace. Just the name is very KW - it's a food palace! There are two locations - a smaller one on White Street and the larger outlet on Fleming Street. We use the White Street location most since it is a short bike ride from our house. But lately I've started visiting the Fleming Street location to rediscover some of the neat things I've been missing on my many trips to Publix. (Before we moved here, we would shop at Fausto's for supplies for our rental houses in Old Town but it's been a few years.)

     First, a bit of history. Faustino 'Fausto' Castillo came to Key West from Havana in 1910. He opened his first small grocery shop in 1926. Ten years later Fausto moved to larger quarters on Fleming Street, eventually building the current store after a fire at the first. I'm not sure when the White Street location was opened but I know it's been there for a long time. The Castillo family has always been deeply involved in many organizations in Key West, a tradition that continues to this day. The third generation of the family, Fausto's grandson, Jimmy Weekley, has worked at the stores since he was a kid. Along with running the family business, Weekley has served as Mayor of Key West. My husband knows him from Rotary, and I know his list of community service affiliations is long and impressive. We even watched him marry our friends at their wedding at Ft. Zach several years ago...justice of the peace, maybe?
     OK, now back to shopping. Fausto's has the best wine selection on the island, in my humble opinion. The department manager can be seen holding wine tastings at both locations, and she is helpful and knowledgeable. Next time I see her I will ask her name, so I can thank her again for helping me find my favorite summer wine. The Fleming Street location has a full bakery plus breads from Cole's Peace. There is a hot food station with daily specials cooked in house, including the very popular roast turkey and meatloaf. Great cheeses, antipasti items, and fancy condiments for entertaining. And they even carry Bell & Evans chicken, hormone free tenders for the kids. Your purchases will be packed up in the iconic Fausto's paper sack with handles, which is the perfect size to gather the newspapers for recycling after the groceries are put away. They will even deliver your groceries....how cool is that?

Mari's friend Peaches

While we were up north earlier this summer, we spent time at one of our former homes to do a bit of organizing. We went through bins, took a lot of stuff to the Salvation Army store, and put the rest in our new 'owner storage' area. My youngest daughter, Josie, was busy running around the yard and enjoying her time at 'the block house' (that's what she's always called it....not sure if it's because she remembers playing blocks there or if she really means 'brick' house). Mari, my 9 year old daughter, was never too far from the sorting action. I think she was making sure we didn't give anything GOOD away, like mittens and other cold weather gear. She wanted to keep it everything! I let her keep the Dalmation hat and scarf set, just in case we get a frigid winter in Key West in the future, even though the 'coldest' we have experienced has been maybe 49 degrees. I thought I was safe until Mari spotted the ancient mink stole that belonged to John's mother. She picked it up, put it around her neck, and named it Peaches. Love at first site, for sure. Despite our best efforts, Mari wore Peaches everywhere during our week in Maryland. I drew the line at restaurants, mostly because I didn't want to eat near the thing....one of those stoles made with several minks linked together, lots of feet and claws....ewww. And a face. Double ewww. (I'm getting the skeeves just reliving this portion of my summer here.) I let Mari wear Peaches to La Paz for our last night dinner with friends because my Facebook postings had made our little stole into a bit of a celebrity. We even re-took the annual photos at the outdoor painting near the restaurant to include her. (See how this stuff happens? I'm calling it 'her'!) By the time we hit our overnight stay near Savannah on our way back to Key West, Peaches was down to one eye, although I'm not sure exactly where she lost the other one. And then her tail fell off. Oh well, Mari didn't mind. I can always tell when Mari has been carrying her around from the little trail of fur behind them. I am truly hoping that dear Peaches disintegrates completely. And soon. I am not above poking a little fun at this situation on Facebook, and my friends and I have come up with some good hash tags (everything from #goawayPeaches to #teampeaches). John and I have both seen the disappointment on people's faces when they see us sans stole. And we've both been greeted with 'Where's Peaches?" Briefly, I considered serving as her agent....maybe booking some appearances around Key West? Hoping to get Mari's furry friend in a box in her closet for 'safe keeping.' Um, yeah, safe keeping.

Key West in Paint Chips

So now I have names for all those shades of blue, green, and gray that make up Key West's sparkling clear waters. According to the Let's Chip It! software offered by Sherwin-Williams, the sea is a mix of Sapphire, Powder Blue, Upward, Cascade, and Extra White. A pile of coconuts contains Stamped Concrete, Gray Screen, Verdant, and Different Gold. I find this fascinating, and as I get ready to choose new shades for both the interior and exterior of my home, I find it empowering as well. Instead of standing with my jaw hanging in front of the paint chip display at Key West's Home Depot or Strunk Hardware, I am going to load my own photos of sea, sand, palms, and flowers into the program at letschipit.com to find the shades that keep repeating and the colors that really appeal to me. Even if you don't have any home improvement projects on the horizon, log on just for fun. It's kind of like wasting an hour on Pinterest....find some inspiration, get a new idea.

We are redoing our house here in Key West. My husband and I have been talking about it for a while, but after being up north and spending time in one of our homes there, we are inspired to dig in. He has been glued to home design software for a week and yesterday he ordered the new appliances for the expanded kitchen. After four years here we know what we want and more importantly, we know what we need to live well in this small space (At 1,700 square feet our house isn't the smallest for the island, but in Maryland we had over 3,000. Way over, actually.) More storage. More counter space. Smarter office space. A faux mudroom area right inside the front door for the kids backpacks, shoes, etc. It's exciting! It's been a while since we've done a re-do of any kind. In a few weeks a friend is driving a truck of furniture from our other houses to be used here. (And he gets to stay as long as he can and we will fly him home...never hard to find someone to do this for us!) When we were packing to move to Key West we brought second- and third-string items, thinking that we would be back and forth between here and Maryland. Nope. We love being here on the island. It isn't a beach house or a vacation home, it's where our life is. Time for the first-string items, the furniture, rugs and cooking equipment that we miss. This is our home now. The other houses are now rented. Investments with memories attached.

An Ode to Wegman's

We have been home in Key West for a week now. Our three weeks away definitely took its toll....we were really pretty lazy this whole past week, just doing what needed to be done and spending time with our books and pool otherwise. Oh, and we went to the grocery store about a million times. I didn't realize how many staples we were out of, so every meal idea had the 'basics trip' plus the 'how can we not have ANY mustard/extra virgin olive oil/etc in this house? trip.' There isn't much I miss about the 'real world' but there is one thing: Wegman's. I looove Wegman's. Is it weird to love a grocery store? I don't care. Every time I walked into Publix this week I sighed a little. Now, of course, we can get most everything we need, and probably most everything we want at the local grocery stores. But what about those food-related items you don't KNOW you need? Those are the things that always get my attention. Some of it is completely decadent (WARM chocolate chip cookies for sale by the coffee bar, anyone?), but some of it would really make me a better cook.

In the completely decadent category are their amazing mini cheese boards, available every day in ever-changing themes. The cheeses are accompanied by nuts, dried fruit, etc, and the display is surrounded with crackers and fresh baguettes for you to choose from. I wish I knew enough people to have a wine and cheese party every quarter, let alone every day! Some are available on a pretty little board, or even on a small piece of log, for taking directly to a party, just in case you don't happen to have your own collection of give-away cheese displays at the ready.

And before we leave the cheese department, look at this: SLICES of blue cheese for your burger. I mean, think of all the stress alleviated by not having to chase blue cheese crumbles around the plate during your next barbecue. They never stay on!

The bakery area is just jaw-dropping. Who purchases the bazillion loaves of every kind of bread you can think of, mini croissants filled with everything sweet and savory, whole cakes, cake slices, cookies, donuts, bagels, and cupcakes that look like Martha Stewart herself stopped in and decorated a batch for that themed party you didn't know you wanted to have? Really....can they possibly go through everything by the end of the business day? When we were in Maryland two weeks ago I took these photos. The cupcakes were Pre 4th of July....not stars and stripes just yet, but hamburgers, crabs, and watermelon slices.

The area of Wegman's that would make me a better cook is the produce section. I, like most moms with elementary school-aged kids, am constantly trying to get my girls to eat more fruits and vegetables. It is frustrating! At Wegman's they have so much already prepped for you that it would be easier to expose the family to different things without the major time commitment on the cook's part. My favorite example from this trip: Brussels sprouts. First of all, I don't know if I could find them in Key West right now, but if I could find them I know they wouldn't be available already cleaned and halved, let alone already cleaned and shredded. Toss them in a stir fry, saute with onions, bacon, and dried cranberries.....endless possibilities! I'm sure the girls would like THESE sprouts.

I won't see a Wegman's until our Christmas vacation (they are in MD, VA, PA, NY) and I can live with that. But I'm already wondering what kind of holiday goodies they will have for my photos. Until then, I'll see you at Publix!

There's No Place like Home

I can't imagine how many miles we put on my Jeep, and I don't even want to know how many hours I spent sitting on my butt in the passenger seat (note to self....schedule chiropractor appointment ASAP!). We rolled in on Sunday, late afternoon, winding through the Keys along with what seemed like a million other people who were probably headed here for the 4th of July week (note to self....don't travel by car during the week of the 4th!). We had a GREAT trip. Family, friends, sights, shopping....we covered everything. We even got some important work done, spending several days taking care of matters at one of our rental properties in Maryland. I really didn't think much about life in K Dub while we were gone, which is quite nice to be TRULY away from your home in both mind and body....I think that is what a vacation is, or should be, if you can swing it. I didn't worry about the house or pool maintenance, because my awesome buddy was living here while we were away. And I really didn't miss the beach or the pool or my flowers or the geckos because I knew it would all be here when we got back. But boy did I miss my bed. My OWN bed. And my kitchen. I swear I'm going to live on water with lemon and kale for the next month....it is going to be a long time before any of us want to dine in a restaurant after three weeks away from home. On the drive back John and I decided to make this first week back a vacation from our vacation. Josie said 'Oh good! I don't want to leave the house once!' We laughed, but I think she said what we were all thinking. We have left the house for the grocery store, several times in just two days (note to self....make a list next time!). We've got all the supplies for a week of 4th of July festivities....sparklers, watermelon, hamburgers, hot dogs, bomb pops, and more. I've located the big star-shaped cookie cutter that the girls love, to cut sandwiches and brownies and whatever else they feel like cutting. I bought the yearly tub of Pillsbury icing with the red, white and blue sprinkles, so I know there will be some patriotic cupcakes made in the next few days. We are set! So I'm going to head back to the sofa now. There is a giant stack of magazines and catalogs that arrived while we were away....and a big glass of ice water with slices of organic lemon slices.