First Flight to St. Barths, I was the Co-Pilot

When my husband, Doug, and I visited St Martin, our friend Gene invited us to stay with him on St. Barths which is a quick flight or boat ride away. Two cultures split St Martin, French and Dutch. We flew from the French side of St. Martin, because St. Barths is French, and we wanted to avoid the customs’ hassle.

Gustaf III Airport Runway in St. Barths

We hired a pilot who owned a small plane to fly us to St. Barths.

The night before our flight, strong winds blew through our villa and knocked over a lamp. I awoke, worried about our dangerous flight into an airport with one of  the shortest runways in the world. The runway is 2,133 feet long.

St. Barths’ airport nestles between two mountains and the Carribean Sea. If you land too soon or to late, you crash into the sea or the mountain.

The next morning, we met our long -blond- haired-laid-back pilot Christian at the St. Martin’s airport. I was surprised when we climbed aboard a plane that had only three seats. My husband wedged himself into the back seat, and I climbed into the co-pilot seat. My first thought was — if Christian had a heart attack, we were doomed.

When we took off, I watched Christian put on head phones. I hoped that he was listening to instructions from the airport control tower, but I feared that he was listening to Jimi Hendrix.

The flight was quick, about 15 minutes, and the Caribbean Sea sparkled. I started to relax, but that changed abruptly. The nerve-racking part about landing in St. Barths is after the plane clears the first mountain. (We were elated when it missed the mountain.) The plane stalls than dives to approach the runway. Butterflies invade your stomach.

Gustaf III Runway and St. Jean Beach

It is a frightening but exhilarating feeling. The pilot must break quickly after landing to avoid the Caribbean at St. Jean Beach.

After we landed, we saw a small plane wing jutting out of the sea at the end of the runway. Christian said that the plane didn’t make it. He said that it was not uncommon. This is a clip of a plane that missed the runway. Usually passengers only receive minor injuries, thank goodness!

Since that first flight into St. Barths, when I fly on a commercial flight, I watch and listen for the passengers’ reaction during the approach to St. Barths. When we make the approach, someone always gasps.
Sent from my iPad

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Weekly Photo Challenge: From Above

Azalea (photo by dorothyadele)

Forget Me Knot, Tulips and Daffodils (photo by dorothyadele)

Crocus (photo by dorothyadele)

Tulips, Pansies and Hyacinth Flowers (photo by dorothyadele)

I may have sat in President Kennedy’s chair

Our Friends shopping on Worth Avenue (photo by dorothyadele)

 

A recent trip to Worth Avenue in Palm Beach triggered memories from a previous trip when we naïvely entered an expensive, renowned restaurant when we were in our 20s. What could have been an embarrassing mistake became a memorable experience.

The trip began when I vacationed with my friends in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and we drove to Palm Beach to spend the day. We arrived in the morning and strolled down Worth Avenue. Worth Avenue is often compared to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Calif., and Avenue Montaigne in Paris.

Exclusive fashion boutiques, jewelry stores, antique shops, fine furniture stores, restaurants, gift shops and spas composed — and still compose — Worth Avenue. Ferraris, Bentleys,  Mercedes-Benz and Rolls-Royce automobiles  were parked on the palm-tree-lined street. Brightly colored flowers cascaded over arches and poured out of tubs and baskets outside the shops and in the courtyards.

Friends are strolling on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach,Fla. (Photo by dorothyadele)

We window shopped, and watched diamond-adorned shoppers saunter in and out of Gucci, Van Cleef and Arpels, Hermes, Neiman Marcus and Cartier stores. Many shoppers wore hats and sported designer clothes, shoes and bags.

By mid afternoon, we were hungry and we looked for a restaurant for lunch. I suggested that we drop into Ta-boo for a quick bite. I did not realize that it was famous,  and President John F. Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, Donald Trump, Jimmy Buffett, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Rod Stewart and many other celebrities had dined there.

I was first to enter the restaurant , and I stopped like I had hit a wall. I spotted shiny silverware and crisp starched white tablecloths, and I knew that it wasn’t in the average price range for us 20 somethings.

I considered bolting out the door and sprinting down Worth Avenue in search of McDonalds‘  golden arches. Instead I casually glanced back at my friends with an uh-oh look and smiled. We quickly decided to stay.

My friends liked new experiences and were unlikely to get upset over a lunch. Also, it would have been awkward if we darted past the maitre d and out the door clutching our wallets. I bet that would have raised some eyebrows.

Though Ta-boo was upscale, we enjoyed our lunch and had a great time. My friends teased me that they would not allow me to suggest dropping into a restaurant for a quick bite ever again.

I fondly remember our lunch at Ta-boo. Who knows, I may even have sat in President John F. Kennedy’s chair that day.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Up

Fountain at Furman University (photo by dorothyadele)

Boca Raton Resort & Club Tower (photo by dorothyadele)

Foyer Light (photo by dorothyadele)

Weekly Photo Challenge: Future

Knockout Roses (photo by dorothyadele)

Bonding With My Son

Billiard Balls Racked for Eight Ball (photo by dorothyadele)

If you enter my home on a dreary day, you may hear the crack of a billiard break or see the brightly colored red, yellow, orange, purple, blue, green and black billiard balls scatter on the purple pool table. You may also hear a Ping-Pong-table-tennis ball smack the table, the wall or me. You may also hear loud ha has, woo hoos, oh nos and very long uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhs– like fans chant at football games preventing the players from hearing their signals.

I have always been “one of the guys.” Consequently, I have a unique and special relationship with my son. We play chess, Ping Pong and billiards during inclement weather. We play to win and we laugh often.

Chess is one of my favorite games and I was unbeaten for years. When I was in fourth grade, I played on the high school chess team. When I play chess with my son we split the wins. Of course it is not about winning but about fun and bonding. Okay, we like  winning  too!

To play billiards, a player uses a cue stick and hits a white cue ball into at least one of 15 balls directing them into one of the six pockets on a pool table. Eight of the balls are solid and seven are striped.

When we play Eight Ball billiards, one player shoots the solid balls–not the eight ball– and one player has the striped balls. The players take turns and the object of the game is to shoot all of their seven balls into the pockets and then pocket the eight ball last. If the eight ball rolls into a pocket before the player pockets all of his balls, that player loses the game. The player also loses if he hits the cue ball into a pocket while shooting the eight ball.

When it is my turn to shoot, if I am winning–which isn’t often– my son plays the pool table like bongo drums, yells the uhhhhhh chant, and jumps up and down trying to make me miss my shot. Of course I laugh, miss the shot and he wins. I also attempt to distract him to make him miss too.  When I occasionally win, I tease him that I will tell his friends that his pool-

Ping Pong Table Tennis Table (photo by dorothyadele)

shark mother beat him in billiards. I also threaten that I will have his school announce that he lost to his mother over the public address system.

When we play Ping Pong, my son slices the ball with his paddle and the ball bounces on my side of the net and then bounces back into the net out of my reach. My only hope to return the ball  is to belly flop on the table and hope that it doesn’t collapse from my weight. I barely flick it over the net and he slams it back sometimes hitting me!

Our games are humorous, lively and loud, and you can hear us throughout our home. Playing these competitive  games has strengthened our relationship, and I cherish every moment.

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Bouillabaisse Recipe From Maryland Seafood Cookbook III

Friday evening while I prepared bouillabaisse, my husband glanced into the kitchen and heard me singing “Like a Rolling Stone” with Bob Dylan. I wonder who sang better Dylan or me. Do you think that he could tell us apart?

I scrubbed clams and mussels while I danced. My husband shook his head, smiled and ambled into his office. He often shakes his head when I perform, I can’t imagine why. He was probably questioning when I was going to grow up, calm down and act my age. Good luck with that!

I don’t prepare bouillabaisse often, but this is my favorite recipe from Maryland Seafood Cookbook III. There are three Maryland Seafood Cookbooks that are available at Amazon.

I spent about two hours preparing the stew, so I chose to entertain myself during the process.

Bouillabaisse

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

2 bay leaves

1/2 tablespoon oregano

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon salt

24 ounces canned tomatoes, chopped

4 ounces clam juice

2 cups water

1/2 cup sherry

1/2 pound shrimp, cleaned, medium

1 pint Maryland standard oysters shucked

1/2 pound white fish fillets, cut into chunks

1/2 pound Maryland regular crabmeat, cartilage removed

6 Littleneck clams, scrubbed

6 mussels, scrubbed

1/2 pound of squid cleaned, cut in 1 inch squares

In a large 4 quart pot, saute garlic, celery, onion and green pepper in oil until tender. Add spices and tomatoes. Simmer for 1 hour. Add clam juice, water and sherry and simmer for 10 minutes. Add shrimp, oysters and fish and simmer about 3 minutes. Add crabmeat, mussels and squid. Simmer until clams and mussels open. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings. Calories: 300 per serving

I doubled the recipe and tripled the seafood (you can’t have too many clams or mussels with my family). I also added extra clam juice. In the future, I would add the clams when I add the shrimp, because they took about 10 minutes to open. I would add the crabmeat at the last minute because it was already cooked.

The family loved it. Enjoy!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Forward

Beach Path

Dr. Ben Carson’s Speech at the National Prayer Breakfast

World-renowned Dr. Benjamin Carson, the director of  Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore recently spoke at the Fellowship Foundation National Prayer Breakfast.  He highlighted some of the following points.  

Dr. Carson grew up in extreme poverty in a single-family home with his mother and brother.  As a child, he was a “horrible” student with low self-esteem and a bad temper.   His mother who married at 13-years old had  a third-grade education.  

 

Dr. Carson said that his environment could “preclude success,” but, he credits his mother and her strong  support for his advancement.

 

“I had a mother who believed in me, and I had a mother who would never allow herself to be a victim no matter what happened, never made excuses and she never accepted  an excuse from us,” said Dr. Carson.

 

In addition to accountability, Dr. Carson’s mother strongly encouraged her sons to read. Reading offered an escape and opened a new world for Dr. Carson. 

 

Dr. Carson received inspiration from characters in his books who controlled their lives and accomplished great feats.  Reading helped him realize that he could also direct his future and that poverty would not imprison him forever.  This perspective changed his life.  

 

Dr. Carson spoke about our country today. He said he dislikes “political correctness” because it undermines freedom of speech and it is “dangerous” because it “muffles” people and prohibits them from voicing their opinions at a time when our society is drastically changing.      

 

He said that we need to be informed, educated, speak up for our beliefs, but show respect for others. He  also said when we stop making excuses we begin to solve problems.

 

He compared the U.S. to ancient Rome that was destroyed by moral degradation and economic instability. He warned that this could happen to the U.S.

 

“If you don’t think that can happen in America, you get out your books and start reading,” Dr. Carson said.

 

He also discussed the importance of health care. He suggested giving a person  a birth certificate, an electronic medical record and a Health-Savings Account at birth.  Pretax funds could be contributed into the individual’s HSA during their lifetime, and after death the account could be passed on to family members.

 

An impoverished person would receive donations into their HSA and maintain control over their own health care. He said that his plan would eliminate the need for “death panels.”

 

He related taxes to tithes, suggesting a uniform tax percentage (not necessarily 10 percent) for everyone.  For example he said that if you make $10 billion you would pay $1 billion, if you make $10 you would pay $1. He said that thinking that you must hurt the wealthy has “resulted in 602 banks in the Cayman Islands, that money needs to be back here building our infrastructure and creating jobs.”

 

Dr. Carson ended  is speech with a vivid account of  our flag surviving the British bombardment at Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.  Expert’s say that this was a turning point in the war that steered us toward becoming  a free nation.  Dr. Carson said  that if you were at  Fort McHenry that day “you would  have seen at the base of that flag the bodies of soldiers who took turns propping up that flag”  that symbolized “one nation under God indivisible with Liberty and Justice for all.”  

 

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Humorous Thoughts About My Missing Socks

Lost Socks (photo by dorothyadele)

Laundry Basket With Single Socks (photo by dorothyadele)

I have about 25 socks without their match. I wonder if someone stole the matches to the socks because they are brightly colored and extremely attractive, especially my Marilyn Monroe socks.

I stash the lone socks in a small basket in my closet hoping the mate appears. One day, my sister caught me sorting through the laundry basket of single socks and laughed hysterically.

“I have never seen anything quite like this,” she said.

So, where do the single socks go?

1. –Some cling desperately to sweaters and pillowcases as they tumble through the dryer
2. –Some tag along with my daughter when she leaves for school and are never seen again
3. –Some arrive with house guests and never leave (and sometimes the house guests don’t leave either)
4. –Some black-gold-toe socks hide in the towels and run through the bleach cycle turning them an interesting hot-pink shade with a pale yellow toe
5. –Occasionally, a single sock sneaks into the bleach cycle transforming the pair into a black and pink set
6. –Some disguise themselves as little balls and bury themselves in the bottom of smelly athletic bags
7. –Some conceal themselves behind backpacks and books in the corner of the school locker and deteriorate from dry rot when they are found in June
8. –Some stow away in hotel rooms like they don’t want to go home
9. –Some hide in the trunk or under the seats of the car and you don’t know that they are missing until you detect an odor
10. –Some take cover under the sofa and beds and you find them when you hear the vibration as the vacuum sucks them up and then clogs
11. –Some transform themselves into elephant-ankle socks which occurs when my husband wears mine by mistake and pulls my dainty socks over his fat ankles
12. –Some camouflage themselves as grey-soled shoes with white tops which happens when the kids wear them outside instead of wearing shoes (Why do they do that?)
13. –Some hole up in boot toes and you wonder if your feet grew because your boots don’t fit
14. –Some lay in the sock drawer longing for their perfect mate.

As a result of my missing-sock dilemma, my sister bought the “Lost Sock” rack for me shown above. My only problem is that I need about 18 more clips! Do you think that I am letting my socks run my life?

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Superdome During Superbowl — Lights Out and No Drink Cups

When the lights went out in the Superdome during Super Bowl XLVII, my first thought was that it may be a terrorist attack. My second thought was that we would never get out alive if a fire ignited. I was especially nervous because my children were there.

After we regained electricity, my husband went to the concession stand to get a drink. When he returned he said that they ran out of cups and he brought a bottled beer. The beer was fine, but I was surprised that they did not order enough cups for the Super Bowl crowd. Can you imagine that not only did the Superdome lose power, but they ran out of cups too?

Weekly Photo Challenge — Unique

Super Bowl Halftime Show at Mercedes-Benz Superdome with Beyonce (photo by dorothyadele)

Ravens’ Super Bowl Tailgate in New Orleans

When The Saints Go Marching In

New Orleans Super Bowl Weekend Photos

Deanie’s Seafood Restauant New Orleans

Our cab driver recommended Deanie’s Seafood in the French Quarter for lunch yesterday. I knew that it was a good choice when I noticed policemen and several other local folks dining in the restaurant.

The waitress brought us boiled-red-skinned potatoes with butter before taking our order. They were slightly spicy and filling. When the waitress delivered our drinks she told us about the specials. I was distracted by the huge size of the drinks and I had to ask her to repeat the specials.

My bloody mary was rich and spicy with a hint of worcestershire sauce. Shrimp, green beans and olives garnished the drink. It was a great bloody mary. I know this will surprise many of you, but some how I managed to finish it.

We split barbecued shrimp which were actually shrimp sauteed in a buttery-barbecued-like sauce. We loved them. Next we split grilled oysters. The oysters were topped with seasonings and parmesan cheese. I thought that the parmesan gave the oysters a different twist. They were great too. Bread accompanied both dishes for dipping, and we also used the potatoes. The sauces were delicious and I suspect very fattening. Who cares, we are in New Orleans! My entree was seafood gumbo which had small shrimp and rice.

It was a great first meal in New Orleans. I would definitely return.

San Francisco 49ers Fan Reacts to Super Bowl Loss

49ers Fan Reacts to Super Bowl Loss

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http://dorothyadele.wordpress.com/2013/02/05/super-bowl-opening-and-overly-confident-san-rancisco-49ers-fan/

http://dorothyadele.wordpress.com/2013/02/05/super-bowl-xlvii-photos/

Super Bowl XLVII and Overly Confident San Francisco 49ers’ Fan

Super Bowl and Overly Confident San Francisco 49ers Fan

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Super Bowl XLVII opening and overly confident (but nice) San Francisco 49ers fan. Post game video of the 49ers fan to follow!

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Lost

Clemson Football Stadium during a game (photo by dorothyadele)

Weekly Photo Challenge: Forward

Pre-Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street in New Orleans

This gallery contains 15 photos.

Super Bowl XLVII Photos

This gallery contains 16 photos.

Official portrait of United States House Speaker (R-Ohio). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lambro: Sequestration was Obama’s idea in the first place

According to a Washington Times article, President Obama  ”‘was determined not to face another debt-limit increase before his re-election campaign, ‘Mr Boehner explained in his op ed column.’  Having just blown up one deal, the president scuttled this bipartisan,bicameral agreement. His solution? A sequester.”‘

Washington Post To Obama:  Sequester Was Your Idea, Fix It

Bob Woodward Gives Republicans Some Major Ammunition On The Sequester

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