Eight Years in Coming. . . . Shelf Liner, that is

Members of my family are busy at work on house projects. The New Englanders have very bold aqua wooden chairs in their gray dining room. The French contingent has used fuschia accents against the backdrop of a white and black living room. When I moved to my current location nearly eight years ago, I was not so bold or courageous and instead painted the interior of my house in a “realtor off white,” a color that does not offend prospective buyers. Most of the furnishings are bronze or brown. Not at all bold.

The one place I could go bold is in shelf liner, which I planned to replace eight years ago when I moved in. At the time, I told myself the shelf liner could wait, given that I’d redo my kitchen. So the circa 1968 shelf liner remained. It has remained while I had tenants living in the house. Now, that I am back in my house, I am motivated. But Home Depot, Lowes, Target and other local stores offer only affordable monotone or conservative patterns. Maybe if I checked online. . . . but another few months, maybe years might go by before I replace my circa 1968 shelf paper. Maybe I should wait until I redo my kitchen. . . . And for now just go with colorful pillows and lamps.

Un pause café - a coffee break intermission!

Join me for a coffee a bit later on the Rue Bijou.

West of Calle Ocho and into the Glades

I’m embarrassed to admit it. After all these years, I finally visited the Everglades. The trip was prompted by my daughter’s boyfriend, who wanted to see some alligators, and my sister, an artist, who has explored and sketched in many of the state’s natural parks.

Boardwalk at Oasis Visitor Center - We began our travels at La Carreta, a Cuban restaurant on Calle Ocho--café con leche, Cuban toast and omelets—then headed for Loop Road in the Big Cypress National Preserve. It’s a straight shoot along Southwest Eighth Street (US 41), 50 miles west of the Miami business district. Past forests of dead melaluca trees, planted years ago to soak up swampy waters and now eradicated. Past the Miccosukee casino and tourist attractions, advertising airboat tours or fried gator meat.

Alligators at Oasis Visitor Center - The boardwalk at the Oasis Visitor Center extends above a canal where large alligators sun and water birds seek food. Nearby is Loop Road, a narrow, 24-mile limerock road with culverts, which allow water to flow. Alligators lay on the banks. Herons, ibis and wood stork moved silently through these cypress swamps. Anhinga, perched on branches, spread their wings. Cypress have lost their leaves. Tufts of air plants, some with a bromeliad flower, cover tree trunks.

Cypress and air plants on Loop Road, Big Cypress National Preserve - We were cautious—gators move quickly and silently. But at one point my sister decided to go down the bank to put her hand in the clear waters. A loud thrashing! She had not slipped but an alligator emerged from the culvert, churning waters with his tail. Defending territory or seeking prey?

Juvenile ibis with brown markings on Loop Road - On our return to Miami, we sampled gator nuggets—chewy and only slightly reminiscent of chicken but not particularly appetizing. The scenery was spectacular, but we had had enough gators for one day.

Drainage Ditch Jewels

Snowy Egret If you walk or bike, you have time to appreciate those “jewels” of drainage ditches. Just along a short segment of Eber Road in Melbourne (Fla.), herons, egrets, ducks, sandhill cranes and a wood stork flock here.

Great Blue Heron I won’t say that water birds thrive in our “created” environment. Runoff from roads and residential and commercial lawns pollute waterways with oils, grease, metals, nitrogen and phosphorus (from fertilizers) and sediment.

Lance-Leafed arrowhead with spiderwebs Communities are taking more action. An increasing number of retention ponds in Melbourne have vegetative buffers that filter many toxic products and improve water quality. Still, numerous opportunities exist. Along NASA Boulevard, high-tech corporations could work toward environmental protection by creating shoreline buffers that reduce the amount of pollutants that enter waterways. Clean waters will attract more wildlife and make the workspace sustainable.

Crane Creek

An opportunity for more sustainable practices . . . . Note: If I have inaccurately identified flora or fauna, please let me know.

Musings on New Year's Eve

Here are (some of) my resolutions for the coming year. . . . Take time or make time to connect with family and friends and pets Time to travel & expand perspectives Time to meet new people, explore & help or encourage others

--Dr. Seuss--Horton the elephant tried to protect everyone. "A person's a person, no matter how small." Time to read & learn Time to dream

--Cinderella's Coach (from the Disney movie) Have a Happy New Year! Bonne Année!

Forget the Educational Holiday gifts. Go for Action Toys!

Take it from me, someone who bought her kids educational toys for too many years. When my kids were about 10 or 12, I wanted to get them an educational Christmas present. You know, the mini-science lab that leads to a hobby. I had been reading about incredible observational feats of 17th-century astronomers (like viewing the moons of Jupiter) with a very rudimentary telescope. Hummm, a telescope might be fun. I called an astronomy professor, who spoke to me at great length. He asked what we wanted to view, but then the conversation quickly went beyond my basic understanding. He advised a reflector. --I hope this won’t be another telescope that sits in a closet! --Oh no! I assured him. Of course, we encountered problems with the telescope. Too much magnification meant we could see surface features (not the entire celestial body). We also had a problem with calibration. Very quickly, that telescope went in the closet but all the kids’ friends had action toys that still worked. Just this fall, my daughter and I were clearing out a closet in France. --Do you know what this is? She pointed to long, narrow box. --No. . . . --The telescope! Not only had I bought the kids an educational present, but I had moved it to France, where we had the perfect conditions for night time viewing (e.g., no light pollution) but no one to help with calibration. So before you consider purchasing that perfect educational gift, check with me. I’ve still got a telescope in my closet. . . .

The Mail Gets Through but Sometimes Via a Circuitous Route

Years ago when I was at Anthony Seeger Campus School, a missionary came to our class to talk about her experience in Africa. One of the things she showed us was an envelope addressed with just the words, Miss Kathryn Eye, Africa. The letter, which was from a small child, eventually arrived.

Recently too, I sent a box of childhood toys to my son in New England at a time when he was moving. Three post offices kept me updated of efforts to locate the package, insisting that each client and each piece of mail is important to them (along with the 554 million pieces of mail handled daily). That box, even without a tracking number, was located.

This past Jul 19, I sent a baby present to my nephew and wife. I later learned the French post office only holds packages for two weeks before they are returned to the sender. The package, which contained a Clifford the dog and very small clothes for a newborn, just found its way back to my house (Dec. 14). Needless to say, the clothes no longer fit. But Clifford may travel again.