Powerful Message

Save a life, don't text and drive.

Empathy is Innate

Yes, amazingly beautiful.

Be nice, or please leave.

I Don't Like You,

but I adore Bo Diddley!

The Birds of Paradise

Magnificent!  Thank you Barbara.  <3

Be kind, please.

"'Kindness' covers all of my political beliefs. No need to spell them out. I believe that if, at the end, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try."  More

Be nice, please.

"The baser parts of our personalities call out to us all the time. I’m not saying we always want to slug people, or push them down or pull their toupees off, but the rougher parts of our natures, the ones that would probably help us survive if we were dropped into the middle of the Amazon with only a Philips Head screwdriver,"    More 

St Lucia

Happy Birthday to Me!

I celebrated in paradise - St. Lucia.

I stayed at the Hummingbird Beach Resort on the 

southwestern end of the island in Soufrière.  

The resort is on the beach with a lovely view of the Petit Piton. 

 My room.

 A pink powder puff tree near my balcony hosted four to 

seven hummingbirds from sunrise to sunset.

Lucky for me, I met the delightful Jones family.

                                        

A visit to the Diamond Falls.

This is referred to as the Primitive House.

The beach at Soufrière.

A  Hike Through a Rainforest

The drive up the mountain to the rainforest.

My rainforest guides.

Trekking through the rainforest.

Later on, I spent the afternoon strolling through downtown.

Town Square & Church

While exploring downtown, I stopped at Orlando's Restaurant for lunch.  Orlando's is a lovely open-air restaurant.  The wait staff is friendly and welcoming and the food is exceptional.  My meal began with a complimentary concoction made with blood orange juice, other magic, and a piece of sugarcane - cool yumminess.  This was followed by a complimentary shot of gazpacho - more yumminess.  Lunch was a delicious fish entree.  Orlando, the charming chef/owner, stopped by every table to "share the love."  Of course, I enjoyed dessert,  coconut ice cream - more cool yumminess.  

Every afternoon, I sampled a different rum drink.  Mmmm goodness.

When I was planning for my trip to St. Lucia, 

I decided my birthday dinner would be at Boucan. 

The Joneses and I enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Boucan.

They made my birthday especially wonderful.  =)

My birthday dinner with champagne:

Citrus salad with White Chocolate Dressing (v)

Local organic basil and micro-green salad leaves, cashews and tomatoes with the zing of local citrus fruit and the soothing balm of our 

white chocolate dressing.

Aberdeen Angus Prime Beef with Dark Chocolate Port Wine Sauce

Matured and infused with cacao nibs, hand cut fries, port wine chocolate

sauce and cacao nib local spinach.

Refreshing and intense pick-me-ups, no alcohol, served in a shot glass, 

made with Saint Lucian chocolate.

 - Classic - Mocha Espresso - Praline - Chili -

Julie and I each had the Chili pick-me-ups - Y - U - M - M - Y

My birthday dessert:
Cacao Crème Brûlée

The ultimate rich dessert with a twist, cacao infused brûlée with

papaya-mango jelly.

My last morning in paradise was shared with a 

representative from the St Lucia Tourist Board.   

She fancied a little apple jelly.

St Lucia is a perfect place to celebrate special milestones!

Festival of India hosted by the Central Florida Hindu Society

The Hindu Temple of Central Florida

Shoes must be removed before entering the temple.  Our guide for the temple spoke about the building of this temple, Hinduism, and its many deities.  The temple houses gorgeous shrines to several deities.  Sorry, no photos. 

To learn more about Hindusim, click here:

Hindu Temple of Central Florida

After the tour, we enjoyed authentic Indian cuisine.

Masala Dona is "not too spicy."  

Taste is a very subjective sense.

 After lunch, we enjoyed music and folk dance 

of the Indian culture.

Red Fox Lounge & 2EZ

 Fun times at the Red Fox Lounge!  

A couple years ago, I saw Mark and Lorna perform at the Red Fox Lounge.  They were the quintessential lounge duo.  Performing music from Sinatra to Abba, their show was a delight that always drew a standing room only crowd.    

Yummy pineapple cake with coconut frosting.
Happy Birthday Missy Cooter!

We were entertained by 2EZ.   This duo has been around for a long time.  I remember seeing them years ago at Harper's Tavern with my friend, Sheri Berry.

2EZ rapping "Sam I Am."  

The video begins with a tequila perspective, 

and then is righted.