When I was about 15 years old in 1970, my Aunt Sylvia let me ransack her attic and take with me anything I wanted. She was a professional singer and her collection of street and stage outfits consisted of dozens of boxes of items dating from the 1940s through to the 60s. I was set. … More Gloria Swanson’s Dress
Postcard from Flores: on food Flores is one of my favorite places on earth – a small tropical island in Eastern Indonesia with cool weather, amazing mountains and scenery, fabulous beaches, abundant greenery with things to pick and eat everywhere! One never goes hungry in Flores – or so I thought. In Flores, my favorite … More Postcard from Flores – Signed, a concerned project evaluator
The following is the script I wrote for my first reenactment with the West Volusia Historical Society. It is based on my research on Skydiving in DeLand, my own experiences as a young female skydiver in the 1970s, and on the amazing good luck of locating an alive and well JoAnn. We spent many wonderful … More Jo Ann Lekawitch – Beatty: A True DeLand Pioneer!
I stumbled out of bed this morning, much like many other 70-year-olds, greeted by a sharp pain in my lower back—back pain and sciatica making yet another unwelcome appearance. Unlike some, I chose not to reach for pain medication or retreat to bed. Instead, I started my day with a hot cup of tea and … More The Cycling Cure: A Personal Reflection
It is obvious why I stand out, even when covered from head to toe in my burqa. Anyone would know I was different. I walk differently. I take long, confident strides; I stand tall. Afghan women slouch and take tiny steps because they can’t see the cracked, rocky, shattered, rubbish strewn foot paths through the … More Postcard from Kabul
For the past month, I have been working two days a week in a little shop here in downtown Deland called Nancy’s Vintage and Retro. It’s not for the money that I took on this job. It’s for the love: the opportunity to finally wear my vast collection of true vintage clothing, something I rarely … More The Gateway Hat
Going Native The greatest hurdle to my learning to garden – or to just live – in Florida is learning to recognize and appreciate the unique Florida ecosystem. The native soil/sand (not to mention culture, politics, attitudes) sucks – when compared to everywhere else I have lived. Clearly the hint to successful gardening in Florida … More Gardening for Life – part 7
A Path Through the Jungle “Walkways allow people to easily move throughout the landscape without trampling your plants. They provide direction through the garden, keep your feet dry, and reduce soil compaction in lawns and landscape beds.” The quote above is from our University of Florida IFAS Gardening Solutions website, my bible in all things … More Gardening for Life – part 6
What do I do with all this food? Farm to fork? Ha! My harvests don’t get that far. Every morning first thing I do while waiting for my tea to brew is walk through the garden and pick string beans, peas, tomatoes, leaves, berries, herbs, whatever I find and eat them., then and there, who … More Gardening for Life part 8
Mulch Madness Following that workshop by Lonny Reid on soil amendments, I was obsessed with mulch. It seemed to be the most sensible, doable, natural, inexpensive, and just plan simple means of making my Florida sand useable. I needed mulch. I wanted mulch. I craved mulch. I dreamed about mulch! And I got it in … More Gardening for Life – Part 5
Summertime Gardening On May 17 2023 I had shoulder reconstruction surgery to repair a skydiving injury sustained way back in 1977. My left shoulder would slip out of the socket and not go back. This did not hurt at all, but it was awkward and took a bit of maneuvering to replace so I can … More Gardening for Life – part 4
A First Florida Winter The Garden Club ladies mainly grew their gardens for pollinators, especially monarch butterflies, creating gorgeous, manicured flower beds often with a focus on native plants. My goal was different. I wanted to grow food with the crazy idea of creating a food forest. I could do this. I had one in … More Gardening for Life – part 3
Laine Berman 