With Easter around the corner, small smooth objects in shades of pastel colors are popping up everywhere. When I stumbled upon the natural lace stones of Monica J, I was completely taken, and knew I’d found the objet d’art I’d want to fill my Easter basket.
Monica is from Altus, Ok and finds her smooth oval rocks wherever her travels take her. Each stone has a personality all its own, and has the distinction of being a one of a kind treasure. This one, a favortie of mine, has small white calcite beads that remind me of caviar.
This grouping clustered together would add such a unique touch to a wedding reception table, or as gifts to your bridesmaids. The artist’s mastery of technique is certainly on display here!
I think the stone above with beige ecru thread and flourite bead chips in shades of pale green, lavender pink and blue would inspire me to keep my desktop clean, so that it might command center attention.
Using traditional crocheting techniques, Monica has added a modern touch to a vintage lace pattern.
This geometric design would be at home in any decor.
Many of the patterns remind me of sea urchins, and I don’t have to tell any of you how much I love the ocean. Which one would you choose?
My history in Florida is long and storied. When I first started visiting, our family would get to the beach through a machete cut foot path in what I would definitely call my version of a jungle, that would often be dotted with cougar footprints in the sand.
The scent from the orange trees was intoxicating, and we’d have a contest in the car to see who could be the first one to get a heady whiff through the open windows. While much has changed, one of the things I love about Vero Beach is the active preservation of open space and historical buildings.
During one of the recent hurricanes, part of the river area mangroves were destroyed, which opened up a spot that I had not seen exposed before on my Jungle Trail bicycle rides
Citrus pioneer Richard Milton Jones had one of the oldest homes on Jungle Trail. The county has purchased the 121 year old riverfront home and has plans to turn then16.5 acre homestead into a museum and public historic site.
Even though the citrus grove had an active scene with the locals to buy their fresh orange juice, the county’s oldest pier was the better known part of the property. The spot was abustle with local fishermen and market boats carrying produce from the barrier islands to the mainland before the first bridges in the area were built in 1919. In more recent years, boaters would come from 1000’s of miles away and tie up at Jone’s Pier for an overnight stay, including some of the rich and famous, from as far away as South Africa.
County officials said they plan to replant the grove with native plants, so it will resemble the original native hammock. Walking trails, a public boat ramp, fishing pier and picnic pavilion are all part of the future access for the public.
My father was a long time customer and often rode his bike to have a chat with Mr. Jones. “He loved the pier for the social interaction and the people he was able to meet who otherwise would have never crossed his path.” I’m glad the county has recognized the value of the spot, and chosen to take steps to preserve it to give the passer by a taste of a by of a bygone era.
Landing on Great Harbour Cay is a bit like stepping into a movie set 40 years ago. The palm trees are rustling, there’s a small runway strip and a customs house the size of a postage stamp. Everyone greets you with a smile and the warmth of the Bahamians found throughout the island is immediately felt in the air. There’s also that musty smell of warm weather climates that quickly transports me to an earlier day visiting grandparents in the south.
The Bahamas is made up of 700 islands and cays spread over 70,000 square miles of the Atlantic Ocean. A tiny section of this huge area is called the Berry Islands. This stirrup shaped group of about 30 cays and smaller islands runs for 30 or so miles. I didn’t know that a cay is a small, low island composed largely of sand or coral.
Of all the islands in the Berrys, Great Harbour Cay is the largest and has the most beautiful beaches. More importantly, it has an ample supply of fresh water. The aquifer below Great Harbor is a true luxury, and the island population must take care to insure this delicate resource remains sustainable. There is a deep natural harbor which makes it an ideal stop for fisherman and divers island hopping the area
The real draw to this particular island are the ghosts of the flats. The bonefish is one of the most sought after game fish in the world, and pound for pound, probably the strongest and fastest of the salt water fish. The elusive silver creatures are hunted in the shimmering flats and call upon all the skill a rod handler can muster. These phantoms of the cay are really quite beautiful, and along with the abundant starfish, sand dollars and and sea biscuits, add another layer to the complex eco system here.
History of the island is filled with colorful stories. Drug runners, movie stars and wealthy tycoons all contributed to the rich lore of Great Harbour. Development in the 60’s brought movie stars, including Cary Grant and Brigitte Bardot to the white sand beaches. If I close my eyes, I can conjure up an image of a whole lotta shimmying going on in the Tamboo Club after dark. Throughout all of the ups and downs, the island has kept it’s original charm and beauty which first attracted visitors to this most magnificent of primitive island jewels.
