Meet Jake, the Newest Member of Our Family

I'll admit it--I thought my sister was crazy when she said that they were going to get a puppy. She had just sent her oldest child off to college, leaving her with "only" a 16-year old and a 9-year old at home. So far as I can tell, taking care of the kids and the household is a full time job. I can't figure out when she has any time for herself, much less time to tend to a puppy, which is essentially a baby without the diapers. Plus the last time we had a dog in the family was long ago and far away.

Yes, that is me affecting a blase attitude while my father tried to get me into the Christmas spirit. I was about four at the time. Beau-Beau, our dog, is in the background taking it all in. (For the record, I only recently learned that we didn't spell our dog's name "Bo-Bo." My mother informed me that this was because--drum roll--he was a French poodle!) Apres Beau-Beau, we've been a cat family. Cats, as you probably know, are much lower maintenance than dogs. Cats are independent. Cats can be left alone for days on end. Dogs, on the other hand, have to be walked and played with and you have to keep their needs and schedule in mind as you go about your daily life.

Suzanne ignored my advice, though, and Jake arrived in Florida on a plane from Iowa in mid-October (yes, like us, he is a mid-Westerner). He is a Cavachon, which is a mix of King Charles Spaniel and Bichon. Like Dougie, the dog in the movie "Up," Jake's approach to people is "I just met you but I love you!!!" And it's impossible not to love him back with his sparkling eyes, wagging tail and mischievous personality.

There of course have been some adventures since Jake joined the family. The biggest excitement was when he got into something he shouldn't have and became violently ill. Suzanne took him to the emergency room where he was given fluids via an IV. Suzanne and my mother had a quite hilarious "who's on first" conversation about this as Sue told Mom all about taking her "baby" to the hospital. They apparently had quite an animated discussion about whether or not the IV had been inserted into a vein. It wasn't until Suzanne said she wasn't sure that they would been able to find one under the fur that Mom realized they were talking about the puppy rather than Drew!

Like the doting aunt that I am, I could tell you all the truly adorable things about Jake, like how cute he is when he runs across the yard with his little legs scrambling or how excited he gets when he sees you after a long night's sleep, but that would be as bad as someone showing you home movies of their family vacation. What I will tell you, though, is that I'm glad Suzanne trusted her instincts that Jake would be a good addition to the family. Now the only question is what to get him for Christmas!

Being Thankful

Economic conditions have resulted in retailers rushing headlong into the holiday season. Everyone seems to be getting in on the act. Stores are sporting their holiday decorations and playing Christmas songs to get shoppers in the spirit. The streets of downtown Punta Gorda are decked out with snowflakes and garland. Even the Salvation Army is joining in, with representatives ringing bells and manning the familiar red kettles seeking donations. Happily, the Yoga Sanctuary and Worden Farm gave me the opportunity to take a step back and reflect on the things in my life to be thankful for at their fourth annual Being Thankful event to benefit the Good Samaritans of Charlotte County.

Stephanie and I arrived at Worden Farm on Sunday afternoon not knowing exactly what to expect. We were greeted by Bonnie and Anna, made our contribution for the Good Samaritans and rolled out our yoga mats in the field. There was a wide assortment of people there, some of whom I recognized from classes at the Yoga Sanctuary but many of whom--like the mother with an infant in her lap--were just there for the event. Dianne Munson, Executive Director of the Good Samaritans, told us a bit about the mission of the Good Samaritans, which is to provide emergency assistance for Charlotte County residents through financial aid and contributions from their food pantry. With the plight of those less fortunate in our minds, Bonnie asked us to set an intention for our practice, thinking about the things in our lives that we are grateful for, and led us through an hour of gentle yoga.

It was an incredible and truly special experience to practice yoga in a field. Sun salutations and the tree pose took on a whole new meaning as the breeze flowed over our bodies and the sun shone down on us. Bonnie's instructions throughout the practice incorporated our beautiful setting as she asked us to "feel the warmth of gratitude in our hearts" and to "shift our gaze up to the ceiling--oops--the sky!" At one point I was startled to see that a grasshopper had jumped onto my mat. As I said, it was a practice unlike any other I've experienced!

After our yoga, Alissa gave us some background on Worden Farm before leading us to a freshly tilled area where we planted ace red beet seeds that, when harvested, will be donated to the Good Samaritans. Stephanie ended up planting next to Dianne Munson, who told her a bit more about the Good Samaritans program and how no food donations go to waste.

Once vegetables get too soft to give to clients, they are fed to animals. (I think I heard her say they're fed to hogs, but I was eavesdropping so I'm not quite sure where these hogs live!) Again, it was a very special experience.

I left the Farm feeling calm, rejuvenated and thankful for the many good things in my life. Hopefully I will be able to retain these feelings as we move past Thanksgiving into the chaos of the Christmas season. Happy holidays!

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Gratitude is not only the greatest of all virtues, but the parent of all others.
--Cicero

Alliance for the Arts Presents Taste of the Arts

Southwest Florida is full of cultural surprises. There are so many offerings in Fort Myers' Lee County that the Alliance for the Arts hosts an annual "Taste of the Arts" where culture vultures can experience a sampling of music, theater and dance performances put on by local arts groups. The event coincided with a visit from my law school friends Althea and Danita, so I took the opportunity to give them a sense of what the area offers (with the bonus of having the chance to hang out with my Punta Gorda gal pals Dorrit and Stephanie).

It took us a bit of time to get our bearings since there was so much to absorb when you first entered the gate. In addition to the performances, several local dining establishments and catering companies provided sustenance for participants, with Norman Love's exquisite chocolates being the hands down favorite.

Once we'd sampled the food and beveraged up, we set about figuring out our plan of attack. There were three venues to choose from--an outdoor tent, the indoor stage at Fould's Theater and the indoor classroom--with different performances more or less on the half hour at each location. While not all of the performances were to my taste, I came away with a greater appreciation of the scope of options available to arts lovers in Southwest Florida.

On the music front we saw the Symphonic Chorale of Southwest Florida and the Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers, both of which had participated in Mozart's Requiem put on a couple of weeks ago by the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. In fact, the conductor of the Symphonic Mastersingers commented on how much fun it had been to perform with the CSO, saying, "Those people love their orchestra!"

On the theater front, we took in the Theatre Conspiracy's performance of Samuel Beckett's "Act Without Words I." I saw Baryshnikov perform this short play with its dangling water and scissors and boxes at Classic Stage Company in New York in 2007 and hated it then. Not surprisingly, I didn't enjoy Theatre Conspiracy's performance either, and left wondering why the company chose this as its selection. (As an aside, I saw Theatre Conspiracy's performance of See How They Run last spring and it was thoroughly enjoyable.) Later in the afternoon, we saw a reading from Florida Repertory Theatre's upcoming production of Tru, and it was terrific.

On the dance front, we enjoyed the performance put on by the Dance Alliance, a "dance collaborative" that makes its home at the Alliance for the Arts. The Dance Alliance is different from many dance companies because its members have different dance backgrounds--some are classically trained while others have a more contemporary bent. I loved their modern piece entitled, "Inspired," which was performed in bright skirts to a song I might hear on the radio if I listened more frequently. (In fact, the piece inspired me to want to dance until I flashed back on the dance classes my friend Louise and I ridiculously decided to take when we were in high school, which is a story for another day.)

All in all, it was a fun afternoon, and my 2012 calendar is rapidly filling up with offerings from the groups who piqued our "taste buds" with previews from their upcoming seasons. And with the 2-for-1 coupons that we got in our goodie bags, we can introduce more of our Punta Gorda friends to dance, theater and music performances in nearby Lee County. I can't wait!

Hallelujah! It's Symphony Season Again!

Last year I was introduced to the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. I have to admit that my expectations were not particularly high despite the raves that I had heard from my new friends. After all, this is Southwest Florida, not exactly a metropolitan area with lots of talent to draw from, right? Wrong!!! I was blown away by last season's Carmina Burana and thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the concerts as well, so I was eagerly awaiting the start of this year's season.

The evening started with a proclamation from the Board of County Commissioners declaring November 5th-12th "Charlotte Symphony Week" in recognition of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and Chorus as an important segment of the arts community in Charlotte County. With the tone having been set, Maestro Wada took the stage, introducing Stewart Kitts as the new concert master before starting the evening's performance.

The first piece was Beethoven's Leonore Overture No. 3, Op. 72b. Overture No. 3 is one of four versions of overtures that Beethoven wrote for what is now known as his Fidelio opera. I was sitting back enjoying the music when I noticed a trumpet player exiting stage right. I was bit curious and thought perhaps he felt faint and needed to get offstage to go sit down. A few moments later, we heard the trumpet heralding from offstage. Mystery solved! Katherine Caldwell's program notes, which I hadn't had a chance to read before the show, tells of the successive trumpet calls signaling the upcoming salvation of Florestan, who has been unjustly imprisoned. (Note to self: Go to Katherine's pre-concert lecture so that you know what to expect.) The evening was off to a good start.

The Symphony and Chorus then turned to the featured music of the evening, Mozart's Requiem. The Requiem is famous for a couple of reasons. First, it is the piece of music most often sung at masses for the dead, ranging from the memorial services for Chopin and Beethoven to the funeral of Napoleon to the performance honoring the victims of the 9/11 attacks. Second, Mozart actually didn't write the entire piece! Mozart died in the midst of composing the Requiem, and his student Franz Xavier Sussmayer finished the piece at the request of Mozart's widow. Who knew???

The Chorus for the Requiem included the Fort Myers Symphonic Matersingers, the Charlotte Chorale, the Port Charlotte High School Enharmonics, the Suncoast Chorale and the Charlotte Symphony Chorus. Soloists Johanna Fincher (soprano), Rachel Nelson Assi (messo-soprano), Brandon Evans (tenor), and Joseph Ryan (baritone) also shared the stage with the Symphony. Although the music was somber, I was struck by the joy in the faces of the singers as they sang the Requiem and the obvious pleasure of the musicians as they once again had the opportunity to showcase their talents.

Maestro Wada always has a trick or two up his sleeve and, once the Requiem had ended to thundering applause, he asked the audience if they were interested in an encore. Of course, but what? The Requiem didn't have any particular chorus to come back to that audience members would be humming on their way out the door. In a stroke of genius, Maestro Wada led the musicians and singers in performing Handel's Hallelujah Chorus. It was joyous and uplifting and was the perfect counterbalance to the solemnity of the Requiem.

I would be remiss not to mention that Maestro Wada is retiring at the end of this season due to health issues. It is a huge loss to both the Symphony and the community. Knowing this made the evening one of mixed emotions, much like the tone of the music itself. All the more reason to look forward to the rest of the concert season, especially the Best of Montavani performance in February that Francis is so looking forward to performing. Next up, though, is the holiday pops concert featuring Steve March Torme. I can't wait!

Hurricane Party Punta Gorda Style

After the devastation of Hurricane Charley, you'd think that Punta Goda residents would never want to hear the word "hurricane" again. In typical Punta Gorda style, though, the PG Chamber of Commerce turned the negative into a positive and organized a hurricane party last Thursday night. The concept was simple: enlist local restaurants to show off their stuff by sharing their version of the rum-based hurricane drink and a tropical appetizer to bearers of the official Hurricane Party wristband. Twelve restaurants and over 160 party-goers signed up for the event. I thought it sounded like a fun way to introduce my friend Andrea (just off the plane from New York) to Punta Gorda, so off we went, meeting up with Dorrit, Bruce and Murray along the way.

Overall, the event itself was a bit hit or miss. Some of the restaurants went to some lengths to make a positive impression on the hungry and thirsty participants.

We particularly enjoyed the shrimp and pineapple skewers at Trabue, the shrimp poppers from Jack's and the less tropical but extremely tasty blue cheese and buffalo chicken wing quesadillas at Dean's South of the Border. Other restaurants were a bit less into it, with one place giving out teeny tiny little pieces of cheese with some pepper jam. (Really, why did they bother to sign up?)

River City Grill definitely won the prize for most generous drink, and their mussel shooters were a hit with our crowd.The nicest view award went hands down to the rooftop bar at the Wyvern Hotel (although there was some debate about whether the climate on Punta Gorda's local skyscraper--all five stories of it--was comfortable or chilly. I was accused of having lost all perspective on what constitutes cool weather, and I have to admit that's probably the case since I now want a wrap when it's 70 degrees!)

Andrea got a chance to check out Charlotte Harbor by going with Bruce and Murray by boat from downtown Punta Gorda to Harpoon Harry's at Fisherman's Village. Sure, it was only a ten minute trip, but at least she got the sensation of being on the water. All in all, another fun night out, and a good way to show Andrea some of Punta Gorda before getting down to the hard work of shopping for comforters, dishes and other decorating accessories to "Nanette-ize" my new digs. Luckily, Andrea is an HGTV addict, so I'm in good hands!

Whirlwind Week-end in New York, Part 2

Here are some crazy NYC statistics.  In 2010, 48.8 million people visited New York, spending  $31.5 billion.  Each NYC household benefits approximately $1200 in tax savings as a result of the City's travel and tourism income.  There are 40,000 location shoots for TV shows, movies, commercials, etc. in the City every year.  And there are over 23,000 active restaurants in the City, offering any type of cuisine that you can possibly think of.    My criteria for dinner with longtime friends Suzanne and Chris was simple--a place where we would be able to hear each other so that we could actually catch up rather than just enjoy the food and the scene.  Despite the mindboggling number of restaurants to choose from, this is a harder task than you might expect, and Suzanne called me at 6:15 (just as I was getting up from my power nap) to say we had a reservation at JoJo for 7:00.  Forty-five minutes to pull myself together for dinner at a chic French restaurant and get uptown--no problem! 

Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the premiere chefs/restaraunteurs in New York, and JoJo was his first restaurant.  Don't think, though, that he's let his attention wander away from this gem.  Suzanne, Chris and I had a fabulous meal that featured butternut squash soup, peeky toe crab, rack of lamb, and an incredible Passionfruit Pavlova.  When you cracked open the meringue, you discovered passionfruit sorbet--it was kind of like a ship in a bottle thing!  As wonderful as the food was, the company of these longtime friends was even better.   Physically and emotionally sated, I headed back to Wendi and Lee's to rest up for Sunday's activities.  (As an aside, Wendi and Lee were off at a truffle dinner at the James Beard House that sounded incredibly decadent.  They even came away with a truffle-themed goodie bag that included truffle oil and a truffle lotion--watch out for those pigs when you wear that!) 

Subway Entertainment

Sunday's schedule was just as busy as Saturday's had been.  I met TJ around 11:00 after having the RA roust him from bed as I waited in the lobby of his dorm being a psycho aunt worrying that he was dead on the street somewhere instead of just sleeping through my multitude of wake up calls.  Our goal was to outfit him for the shock to his sytem that winter will be.  Three hours and two subway rides later (one of which featured music by this accordionist) we found ourselves back in the dining hall with packages containing winter boots, a winter coat, sweaters and jeans.  Having accomplished my pseudo-parental responsibilities for the week-end, I headed to the Lucille Lortel Theater to meet Wendi.

Our theater selection was The Submission.   The premise was quite interesting:  a gay white man had written a play about a single alcoholic African-American mother struggling to raise her kids and had submitted it under a nom de plume that suggested that the author was someone who might have had some firsthand experience with the subject.  When his play is selected to be put on at a theater festival, he hires an actress to play the role of the playwright.  Not surprisingly, things become complicated as the actual playwright struggles to stay involved behind the scenes and the actress begins to feel a deep connection to the play and to enjoy the spotlight as the "author" of the work.

The play made us consider how the identity of the creator of a creative work (be it literature, music or art) informs the viewer's reaction to that work.  Wendi pointed out that adopting a pen name is a well-established tradition--take, for instance, the English author Mary Ann Evans who published her 19th century works under the name of George Eliot in order to ensure that they would be taken seriously.  In The Submission, layering on the issue of race makes this subterfuge politically charged.   The playwright argues that, as a gay man, he has experienced discimination similar to that of the female character in his play and is thus able to understand this aspect of her plight.  The actress who has assumed the identity of playwright begs to differ with this assertion in very strong terms.  Obviously, there's no answer--easy or otherwise--to this dispute but it did make for an interesting afternoon of theater. 

Wendi with new friend on
the streets of NY

Dinner that evening was at a local Indian restaurant and it was yummy.  I always love the papadam with chutney, and the chicken tikka masala and vegetable korma satisfied my craving for some authentic ethnic food that I can't get in Punta Gorda. 

As I rode in my Dial Car back to La Guardia the next morning, it reminded me of my lawyer days when a car service took me home after a late night at work.  The friends I saw over the week-end are from that era of my life, and it's always wonderful to spend time in the City with them.  I'm looking forward to introducing them to my life in Punta Gorda (which keeps me almost as busy as I was during my week-end in New York!)   Changes in latitudes and attitudes--yes, but changes in my friendships--never.   

Whirlwind Week-end in New York, Part 1

LaGuardia Airport at 5:30 on a Friday afternoon is a microcosm of New York City.    The people!  The noise!  The energy!   A bit shell-shocked after months of being away from the City, I wove my way through the crowd to the taxi stand where, amazingly, there was not a single person in front of me waiting for a cab.   A good omen for the week-end if there were ever to be one! 

The pace of my week-end in New York was very similar to the pace at LaGuardia.   I hit the ground running.  After dropping off my luggage at Wendi and Lee's apartment (Lee greeted me with "Welcome back" and a big hug, making me feel like a favored guest at an upscale hotel) and a quick catch up, I was off to meet my nephew for dinner. 

TJ at John's on 12th Street

TJ is a freshman at NYU and it was incredibly strange to see him walking towards me on the streets of New York.   We had dinner at a neighborhood Italian place that Lee has been patronizing since he was a teenager--he thought the sophistication and romance of the massive burning candles would impress his dates--and TJ told me about his impressions of college and the City.  His biggest issue--the distractions.  "Like what?" I gamely asked, not sure what to expect.  "Like Occupy Wall Street.  I'm fascinated by it and have been trying to formulate my position."   Rest assured that this was NOT the type of issue I was grappling with when I was a freshman at Mount Holyoke College in southwestern Massachusetts. 


Mickalene Thomas' "Le dejeuner sur
l'herbe:  Les Trois Femmes Noires" 

Saturday was jam packed.  Wendi takes a fabulous class at the New School called "The Art of Viewing Art."   Each week, her "homework" is to view the art that will be the subject of that week's class.   This week the focus was Lower East Side Galleries and she had a lot of ground to cover.    I only made it a few of the 25+ galleries on the list but saw some interesting stuff.   I particularly enjoyed Mickaelene Thomas' More Than Everything show at Lehmann Maupin.  The exhibit included a variety of styles and mediums, and her collages with updated images of classic art works were my favorite.   Her take on Manet's "Luncheon on the Grass" was a smaller version of a mural that she did for a window at the Museum of Modern Art in 2009 and I can only imagine how striking it would have been in a large format.    "Luncheon on the Grass" is such an iconic painting that I didn't give myself much credit for immediately figuring out the reference.  I did, however, give myself a pat on the back for recognizing the reference to Ingres' "Grand Odalisque" in one of Thomas' other works.  It's good to know that some of the info from all those art history classes lives somewhere in my brain! 

Eliza Grisanti (center) with friends
and family at Bowlmor Lanes

Next stop on my itinerary was Eliza Grisanti's 11th birthday party at Bowlmor Lanes.  (Of course they want you to bowl more since one game is a whopping $13 plus $6 for the ever so lovely shoes! )  Eliza is the daughter of my friends Suzanne and Chris, who were summer associates with me in 1985 (yikes--we must be old!)   When I arrived the girls had been dvided into two teams and there was a close match underway.  It was pretty funny to watch the kids' technique (which relied heavily on the bumpers that protected against gutter balls).  The birthday girl's style was a bit more reminiscent of shot putting than bowling, but it worked.

From there it was back to NYU to meet TJ for a snack at one of the dining halls.  Again, nothing like when I was in college.  This venue has Quiznos, Chick-Fil-A, pizza, ice cream and a variety of other nutritious dining options available until 3 a.m. for a swipe of your meal card.

I arrived back at Wendi and Lee's place around 5:00 just as Wendi was getting back from her gallery tour.  She was ridiculously energetic given the amount of walking that she had been doing.  I was thoroughly exhausted and don't think there's any shame in admitting that I had to take a nap to gear up for the rest of the week-end's activities, which will be the subject of Part 2 of this post.