Ramble on down to Fairchild Gardens

The "Queen of Carnivorous Plants" returned to her post last Saturday. It was Fairchild Tropical Gardens' Annual Ramble time, and this was my 6th year hawking all manner of meat-eating (do bugs qualify as meat???) plants to wide-eyed children and equally fascinated adults. The Ramble is an institution in the Miami area, and is the Garden's main fundraiser.

I can tell I've become somewhat of an institution at the carnivorous plant booth because Bob, the man who grows all these varieties we sell once a year, welcomed me back by name. This year I worked the Saturday 9-1 shift, arriving at 8:30 to help set up, and spending the morning explaining about the various plants, how they feed themselves, and how to keep them alive, especially the Venus Fly Traps that the kids tend to kill within a day or two.Teaching is as important as selling at the Ramble, and the kids are fascinated to hear everything we have to say. For a woman who lives in a highrise condominium and can barely keep a potted plant alive on her balcony, it's amazing how much I know about all kinds of exotic plants and trees.

This year I worked alongside a young man named Jamie who is studying theater and dance at the New World High School of The Arts in Downtown Miami, and a very nice senior citizen gentleman named Egon, who also volunteers on a regular basis at the Garden. I think you can tell from the photo just who is who. No, I wasn't standing in a hole when they took the photo, although I do believe the ground was a little uneven. At least I'd like to believe that.

The plants you see hanging all around us are varieties of Nepenthe, a pitcher plant that traps its dinner in hanging cups filled with a sweet liquid that apparently is to flies and bugs what a good martini is to a habitual drinker. Once the bug enters the "pitcher", it gets stuck in the sticky stuff, and as I tell the kids, "that's all she wrote." They understand perfectly. Nepenthe, by the way, is a Greek word meaning "absence of sorrows". I bet a bug stuck in a pitcher might have something to say about that.

At 12:30, Jamie and I snuck out of the booth for a few minutes to witness the release of two turkey vultures that had been rescued from Biscayne Bay by Wild Life Rescue of Dade County. Turkey vultures can't swim, and no one knows why a whole flock of them ended up in the bay. The rescue service, whose slogan is "Keeping Dade County Wild", is run by a Viet Nam vet named Lloyd Brown. They do amazing work. Don't laugh, but I'm thinking of volunteering there. They need help with their website and I love animals, so it sounds like a good match.

The "significant other" spent the morning driving one of the solar-powered shuttles, hauling visitors around the Garden and to the parking areas, so when both of us finished our shifts at 1pm, we made a bee-line for the booths offering food samples. Benard tends to be picky, but I am an equal opportunity sampler,from sticky Thai orange ribs and my all time favorite Arepas, to Key Lime pie and double chocolate cheese cake. It's not a day to count calories.

If you've never experienced The Ramble, you don't know what you are missing. Put it on your calendar for next year. I guarantee it's worth the trip. You'll find me at my usual carnivorous plant stand. . . .good thing I'm not a vegan.
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Photo: Jamie,Me and Egon. . . .can we interest you in a killer plant????

Check off one more item on my electronic "bucket list". I just installed Skype and am ready to have a video chat with any of you, just ring me up!

Why, you ask, have I gone out and bought a web cam for my computer when the bulk of my acquaintances these days hardly can manage e-mail? Because I will become a great grandma in 2011, and by golly, if I can't be in Jacksonville in person, I am definitely planning to be there via video.

Our family is an interesting study in contrasts. I had to literally walk my technically challenged daughter Andrea through the installation of her webcam only to find out that my older sister Fran has had Skype for several years. She installed it herself when her grand-daughter Laura was in Prague for a semester. So much for thinking the new technology is only for the young.

Anyway, I had my first video phone call with grandkids Adam and Amy last night. The two of them were in their usual post-work positions, side by side in bed, each with an open laptop on their lap. I even got a cameo appearance by my grand-dog Layla and a video tour by Adam of their new enclosed sun room. What a hoot!

I suddenly realized there will be no more sitting at my computer in my nighgown, or worse still, my underwear. Vanity insists that I put on a full face of make-up and be sure my hair is looking good before I make or answer a call, so don't be surprised if I don't answer on the first ring. It takes a village these days to get ready for the camera. . .a village named Bobbi Brown, Maybelline, Clinique, etc. etc.

So ring me up please, I need the practice. . .my Skype name is ggjojo11. . .that's greatgrandmajojo11 (Jojo was Adam's name for me when he was very little. . .he long ago shortened it down to just Jo) and the 11 is because Skype added it. . .don't ask why.
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Photo: Add your name to my list, please!

Living large on Lincoln Road. . .

We did Halloween on Lincoln Road again this year. It's a definite experience, but I think we'll take a pass in 2011. It used to be a real hoot to sit "ringside" at a restaurant table and watch the passing parade stroll by. No one does Halloween like Miami Beach's gay community, and that includes their dogs of every size, shape and breed, dressed to the nines.

Daughter Andrea was in town for a family bar mitzvah and joined us for the Sunday nite ritual. I think she's been living in North Carolina too long, because she looked slightly dazed by the crowds that were so dense it bordered on mass chaos.

Still,everyone was having a ball, from infants in their mother's arms to a great dane dressed as a ballerina. This year there were lots of Chilean miners, whole bands of terrorists sporting plastic machine guns, lots of nudity and every conceivable costume. But the real stars of the evening are always the drag queens
in their incredible outfits. (See photos! That's Benard & Andrea, watching with awe, at our "ringside" table. The "feathered goddess" was at least 6'5" in her platforms.)

We weren't in costume at our table, although our friend Doree was sporting a pair of furry ears that added a certain cache to her outfit. I,on the other hand, came equipped with my elegant silver "star" wand, trailing multi-strands of silver tinsel, that was awarded to me as "queen" of last year's big birthday party. I just couldn't throw it away and sure enough it was a winner on Halloween nite as I graciously waved it at the costumed passerbys, tapping those on the head that I felt were worthy of my royal attention. You had to be there to truly appreciate.

We actually don't get over to Miami Beach very often these days, even though it's less than a half hour drive from our home in Coconut Grove. In truth, while people come from all over the world to experience South Beach, we've grown blase about its charms and tend to avoid its crowds. So it's fun every once in a while to do the scene and remind outselves that we live in a truly remarkable place. True, English is spoken less and less, and sometimes you're not sure if you are still in the U.S., especially when the cashier in Publix gives you your total in Spanish and looks annoyed when you ask her to translate,but for sheer interest, color and excitement, it can't be beat.
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Westward ho. . .

I just returned from a week in Sedona, Arizona, visiting my friend Alice and her husband, David. Relaxing? Not exactly. Great fun? Absolutely.

If you think I keep busy, you haven't met Alice. I arrived on Wednesday evening after a five hour flight and a 2 hour drive from Phoenix Airport to Cottonwood, the scenic little town outside of Sedona where they now live. After settling into the guest room and meeting the newest member of the family,an adorable Malti-Poo named Shayna (as in Punim or Maidlich, if you understand Yiddish),I was informed that we were leaving at 9 in the morning for a "training session" at the site of the weekend's big annual art fair. Alice was scheduled to work in the tent for "smart shoppers", the polite designation for big spenders, and had volunteered my services as well.

Apparently I passed muster in training because I was entrusted with serving stuffed French toast out of a pair of commercial size food warmers,fashionably attired in a red Festival tee-shirt, red baseball cap, and an identifying sticker. (See photo. . .that's Alice on the left). Five of us worked the tent like our lives depended on it, serving brunch from 10 to 12, with Alice out front taking tickets, me hawking the french toast, Patty pushing the egg burritos, Joanie on the coffee and juice, and someone named Debbie taking care of the dirty dishes. The art show, by the way, was spectacular, lots of wonderful Southwestern and Indian art. I fell in love with a hand carved hat rack topped by a bug-eyed moose head, but was persueded not to buy on the grounds it wouldn't fit into my luggage.

A few nights later I was back in waitress mode. Alice had volunteered us both for the Film Festival's showing of the original 1929 black & white silent film of "Phantom Of The Opera" starring Lon Chaney. Everyone was urged to come dressed as if they were going to the opera in 1929 and the outfits were wonderful. We looked pretty spectacular ourselves, dressed respectively (in Alice's description of us) as a flapper and a high class Madam. Since I'm not big on short skirts, you can assume I was the Madam. Teetering on 3 1/2" spike heels, the kind I'm not used to wearing these days, I roamed the theater lobby serving platters of plump strawberries to arriving attendees while David poured wine and Alice took tickets. The film was a gas, with a live orchestra playing appropriate music to accompany the over-the-top acting of the silent screen stars.

In between volunteering we visited art galleries and enjoyed the incredible scenery. Sedona is red rock country and the views are unbelievable in every direction. Oh yes, we even attended a meeting of her book club one morning. . fortunately I had read the book, "Sarah's Key". . .I recommend it.

My visit ended with a 3am pick-up by the shuttle to the airport to make a 7:50am plane back to Miami. The plane ride was great. I slept the entire way home. Can't imagine why.

By the way, Tuesday is my birthday. . can you believe it's a year already since my big celebration into the world of the octogenarian??? Don't feel a bit older, thank you.
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Teacher, teacher. . .

NBC has been touting"Education Nation" this past week,broadcasting news about the current state of our nation's schools and talking a great deal about the importance of good teachers. Although my school days, and that of my daughter and even my grandson, are long since over, my granddaughter-inlaw, Amy, is a third grade teacher in Jacksonville,FL, so I found myself paying close attention to what they were saying. Over and over again they talked about the difference a good teacher can make.

I know one thing for sure. The kids in Amy's class are lucky kids. Her school apparently realizes it as well because she was recently a finalist in the Teacher Of The Year awards. I am well aware that Amy often reaches into her own pocket to buy colored markers and various items for the science, math and social studies projects she plans for the kids in her class. Apparently, most caring teachers find themself long on ideas and short on funds these days.

I know what the kids are doing because Amy writes a blog called "31 Thrilling Thinkers" (there are 31 students and two teachers in this class)that goes via the internet to the parents of all her kids. I'm grandmothered in. By the end of the term I feel like I know each of the children in the class via the still photos and videos that she films, captions and posts. Imagine how fabulous this must be for the parents. . some of whom are in the service overseas. . to be able to actually see their sons and daughters working on the incredibly creative projects that Amy finds/thinks up, to illustrate a subject they are studying at the time.

If they study American Indians in Social Studies they make sand paintings and create Navaho-style arrowheads. The kids get really involved in the science projects, currently they are growing stuff and carrying out all sorts of complex experiments. I never cease to be amazed at the creativity that these kids show.

Not all the projects are so serious. Recently the kids were told to draw a picture of their two teachers. . just one catch. . they had to use their non-writing hand. The photo on the left is "Mrs. Anker by Emily". The one on the right is just in case you don't know what Amy really looks like. Bet you never had a teacher that pretty when you were in school.

Flash forward. . .think back

I signed up to attend a workshop on "Writing Flash Fiction" at Books & Books in Coral Gables on Saturday afternoon.For my non-Miami blog readers, Books & Books is a throwback to when book stores weren't called Borders and Barnes & Noble, but were warm, welcoming places where the owners knew your name.

There was a mixed bag of about 30 people in the workshop that was run by a successful young author named Michelle Richmond. Most were fairly mature although a young man who looked like a college student sat directly in front of me. In all truth, I had never heard of "Flash Fiction" which is described as an ultra-short story, under 750 words, containing A,B,C,D & E. . Action, Background, Conflict, Development and End. After reading and discussing several examples, Michelle put us to work writing.

First she told us she was going to call out a "thought" and we were to write our own take on that "thought" in the space of 30 to 60 seconds. First thought: "Think of something beautiful. . .then "Think of a sound". . . "Think of the future". . ."Think of a lie". . ."Think of a body part". . . "Think of a color". . . ."Think of the best food you ever ate". . ."Think of a promise you broke". . . "Think of a kitchen from your childhood". . ."Describe snow in 3 words".

What a fascinating exercise! I'm sitting here reading over my scribbles and it's amazing what jumps into your mind when you only have a minute to write and no idea what's coming next.

Another exercise that yielded really strange results started with instructions that "you have one minute to write down the names of everybody you have ever known!" The results were mystifying. . some people found themselves writing the names of grade school teachers. .others came up with childhood friends. . . I ended with a list of relatives that I haven't thought of in 60 or 70 years although I managed to throw in the names of two ex-husbands and my oldest friend Judy, her present husband and her ex. Don't ask me why. What really struck me as odd was that I started with my Mother and Father and didn't get to my daughter Andrea and my grandson Adam and his wife, Amy, until very near the end of the 60 seconds. Basically, in one minute I had journeyed back to my childhood and my 20's. Weird!

We didn't have time to think about it before we had to start writing, but I challenge each of you to grab pen and paper now and start writing names . . just be sure to stop at 60 seconds. I'd love to hear what each of you comes up with. . .bet you'll be as surprised as I was.
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Reaching for the stars .. .

I just returned from spending the morning trying to make myself useful at the Wednesday morning session for vision impaired children, really babies, from 2 to 4 years old, at the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind. I am humbled by the courage of the Mothers that accompany these children, many with profoundly damaging birth defects, and awed by the loving care provided by the professionals who run the program and also visit the children in their homes.

Each session has a theme and today it was Stars. (Last week we did bubbles.) We begin by sitting on the floor in a circle on a colorful rug and sing "Good Morning" to each of the children and the adults and clap hands. I probably have the worst singing voice in the world, but I sing along and introduce my self when my turn comes. Today we also sang Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, and passed around a velvety soft stuffed star that the kids can hold and smell. Touching, smelling and tasting supply stimulation when there is no vision, and are a big part of our morning program. Some of the children have very low vision so bright colors and moving lights provide visual stimulation, and the room is full of toys and items especially selected for their ability to create a response.

While Isabella and Krizia are the truly inspiring professionals who really run the program, I learned today that Yaneth, whom I thought was also a pro because of the wonderful way she has with the children, is actually a senior at the University of Miami and the president of her sorority, Delta Gamma. She has made the Miami Lighthouse her sorority's personal project and the members raise money and volunteer on a regular basis. I'm impressed, guys.

As for me, I am getting to know the children. . .beautiful little Crystal Marie who was never supposed to survive infancy. . .sweet Allisio. .we all applaud and murmer "Good job" when he responds with a tiny hint of a smile and a widening of his eyes to a moving light. . . .active little Dino with his brand new eye glasses, the ones with the neon yellow rims, firmly affixed to his head. . .first time visitor, Alexa, who loved sprinkling colored sugar on bread stars. Isabella explained that they are working to get her ready to enter regular school even though she is legally blind.

The Miami Lighthouse today, under the direction of my friend and neighbor, Virginia Jacko, is the most amazing place. I am fascinated with the technology that abounds in every room of this bright and airy building. . .braille typewriters, computers that speak back to the user, a professionally equipped recording studio and a marvelous crafts workshop. In the summer, they run a kids camp that this year went kayaking for the first time.

If you can use a little inspiration, I recommend Wednesday morning at the Miami Lighthouse. You can join me in singing "Good morning to you". We could use some good voices, not to mention helping hands. # # #

Caption: Yaneth & Kristin help Alexa decorate her stars with colored sugar.