Bob the Mailman

Bob has delivered the mail in our neighborhood in Midtown Key West for twenty years. He knows everybody and everybody knows him. The distinctive rumbly sound of his mail truck is part of our daily routine. When we met for the first time, just after we closed on our house, Bob told us that when he goes on vacation we will get other people's mail, and sure enough, he was right. After four years in KW, if we find mail for someone else in the mailbox, we say 'Uh oh! Bob must be on vacation.' He is quick to give you his personal cell phone number and during our brief daily chats I have listened to him field calls from people who clearly rely on Bob to check on things at their homes as well as deliver the mail. He takes special care of the older folks on his route. And kids just love him. But my favorite thing about Bob the Mailman is that he is one of the funniest people I've ever met. He's got a dry, sarcastic wit and perfect punchline delivery that could earn him a spot on the comedy circuit when he retires from the USPS. It started with our first meeting, when he leaned out of the mail truck as he drove away and shouted 'Don't forget! It's Bob! And spell it backwards, whaddya get? Bob!' When he brings my packages to the door he always says something like 'And what did princess order online this time?' If he arrives at the house on an evening that my husband and I are sitting outside on the lanai, having a drink and chatting about the day, we usually get 'No, no, don't get up. Can I get you anything?' But my favorite is when we pass his mail truck on our bikes, kid free and heading out for a nice dinner. 'Oh no, don't worry about Bob!! You two go ahead.....seriously, don't worry about me!' It always cracks us up, somehow making the event of having a sitter and getting a night out even better.

Writes of Spring @ TSKW

I did something totally out of my comfort zone recently. I entered a writing contest at The Studios of Key West. Twenty five of us gathered there last Monday evening to hear a delightful panel of published authors talk about the writing process. And at the end, we all received our writing 'cue'.....a sentence to use as our starting point. We are free to twist it and turn it as we choose. To interpret it as we see it. We have a few weeks to turn in our piece, which will be submitted and judged with identifying numbers instead of names to prevent any bias. Cool, huh? I have been thinking about our writing cue but I haven't had an epiphany yet. I am hoping one is coming! This will be a great exercise in trying new things, in stepping out of my usual writing style since I have never written fiction. I can sit down at the lap top and write 500 words very easily, but I have to say 2,500 - 10,000 is a bit intimidating. I will let you know how it goes.

This writing contest is just one of the many things that go on at The Studios of Key West. The gallery, which is open to the public daily, is always lined with art by local artists. There is a sculpture garden set in the tropical foliage outside. Writers, artists, musicians, and poets live and work in a lovely cottage on the grounds as part of a fellowship program. These talented folks, from all over the country and abroad, then teach or perform for us locals. It's a win-win for all - the fellows live in a lovely cottage on one of Old Town Key West's most charming streets, and residents don't have to travel to NYC or Washington, DC or Los Angeles to get face to face with quality artistic creativity.

TSKW, as we all generally refer to it, is currently housed in a historic armory building on White Street, but it will be moving to a much larger space on the corner Eaton and Simonton streets in coming years, as construction is completed. If you are local, check the website for upcoming events and classes. If you are visiting, make a point of stopping by to check it out.

It's My Blog-iversary!

Yes, it's been just over one year ago that I started this blog. I did it on a whim, finding the Blogger software on my Google tool bar, and just playing around with it. I didn't realize how much I missed writing, and I am happy to say that writing is definitely one skill that has gotten better with age. I used to spend more time choosing words, basically over-thinking things. Now, at this point in life, I really enjoy picking a topic and typing away. Of course, I go back and edit, but in this past year I've learned that I'm pretty good at getting my thoughts into words. When the house is a wreck and my kids are bickering, I love knowing that I can come into the home office and write something and publish it.....one task accomplished! One creative outlet fulfilled! It gives me that boost to go out and pull the girls apart and make them pick up the Legos. Again. This past year also brought my words to the Key West Weekly newspaper. It's fun to go out into the community and meet the hard working people who feed us. We have so many great restaurants and I love celebrating them. In February, I added a public Facebook page, also called Key West Kendi. I have enjoyed it immensely because it's given me a chance to explore the island and the lower Keys with my camera. I'm definitely not a pro, but I spent years working for magazines and working with photographers, so I have a good eye. One of these days I will take some classes and learn the technical side of it, but for now I love processing my shots of tropical flowers, local beaches and excursions to KW eateries. People from all over the country view my photos and blog posts each day....kind of amazing, really. I can't take all of the credit, it's Key West that people love. I'm just lucky to be here every day to share it with them. I recently looked into ayurvedic medicine. If you haven't heard of it, Google it, take the dosha test, and see how close it hits home. I am a 'kapha' through and through. Prone to getting 'stuck' and quick to say 'I'm not dealing with this.' From my research I learned that one of the things I can do to keep myself energized and productive is to constantly look for beauty and inspiration, which is basically what I've been doing through my writing and photography. It's kind of funny how things are all connected, isn't it?

'Conchin' Out'

Lately I've been spending a lot of time with my chiropractor. A few weeks ago, when my family was visiting from Pennsylvania, I pulled something in my back, but decided to wait until they left before dealing with it. I didn't want to take away from the fun and their limited time here. Well, of course, postponing treatment only made sure that when I eventually limped into the chiropractor's office I was a complete mess. And my pelvic tilt triggered my sciatic nerve....not fun. So after many adjustments and ice/stimulation sessions, I was getting better. But then last weekend was terrible! I could only stand for short periods without major pain. Not fun or realistic when you have two girls and a home to run. So bright and early Monday morning of this week, I'm back with the doc. He says 'I've never seen you in any shoes other than flip flops. What do you wear when you are out walking? What do you wear when you are standing in your kitchen or working in your house?' I was honest and told him that since we moved to Key West four years ago I have two modes of foot wear - flip flops or bare feet. Oh, the lecture I received. But my favorite part was 'OK, so you're conchin' out, living the island way. Well, I'm a Conch, and I wear shoes every day. Real shoes. How can I fix your back if you won't support your feet properly???' Since then I haven't gone bare foot and SHOCKER!, I feel much better. Xrays showed no disc damage.....thank goodness for that. We are moving to once a week visits to make sure I stay in alignment and I am ramping up my exercise, adding more stretching. So as a public service announcement - if you are a certain age, planning on quitting your job and moving to Key West, bring some shoes with arch support. :)