Starting September

 

The funny thing about living in Florida, especially being from the midwest is that September does not mean anything changes weather wise.  In fact it can be even hotter and hurricanes are more likely.  So for us, seeing the fall season through the experiences of those up north are as close as we get.  I did buy some cider at Publix though - and will drink it poolside.

September is the start of football season and it is always a good fall Saturday when Michigan State wins. Also, anyone who is a Detroit Lions fan is extremely excited for this season, which starts Sunday.  This is their year for a super bowl win and we will be cheering them on from Florida.  And then, to everyone’s surprise the Detroit Tigers are in contention for a wild card playoff spot.  I will be watching and hoping all of September.

I found a delicious recipe for peach cobbler and will share here.  There is something with the start of fall that makes me want to bake something.

Finally, we have received the official wedding photographs from the photographer and all I can say is wow.  I will write a final wedding post soon, but wanted to share a few of my favorites.  I can’t get over the church, the venue and the beautiful couple.

March So Far

 

March is going by very fast with visits from my daughters as highlights, but also a lot of day to day busyness. This weeks given me a bit of down time and I even snuck in a walk on the beach.  It is so wonderful to have Red Tide gone for now and the weather is picture perfect. The beach was very busy with spring breakers enjoying the sunshine, blue skies and turquoise water. Venice Beach is usually not a tourist hot spot, like Siesta Key, but the parking lot was full and I needed to park a block away.  The locals like me prefer things a bit quieter, but in a few weeks, it will be back to normal and quick in and out visits to the beach will be available again.  

The spring holidays are always fun and we went out to dinner for St. Patricks Day with some friends.  It was one of our favorite seafood restaurants, but to get in the holiday spirit, Shepard’s Pie and Corned Beef and Cabbage were on the menu.  I think I spotted green beer being served too, but I enjoyed a cucumber and mint martini that was also green.  Easter is so close as well, and we have plans to drive to my mother in law’s home just north of us and go out rather than cook.  I’m happy to keep it simple since it is just the three of us.

And, speaking of green, we are so excited for our Michigan State Spartans and their trip to the March Madness Sweet Sixteen.  They play Kansas State tonight in NYC and we will be gathering with about 25 other MSU friends to cheer them on.  It worked on Sunday and I think the good luck charm was the delicious chocolate Sparty cake my friend made.  We will be in the same location at a friend’s clubhouse and I plan to sit in the exact same seat, so I don’t disturb the mojo lol.  

Happy Thursday and Go Green!

Life Lately

 

It’s been a quiet few weeks, which is typical for us this time of year.  No out of town visitors, not a whole lot of things on the calendar and mostly surviving the heat and humidity, while keeping one eye out as hurricanes form and develop or not.  Luckily, so far, all is well.

Football season has started and if you have followed this blog, you know I love my Michigan State Spartans. The first game always brings a longing to be on campus; tailgating and sitting in our great season ticket seats. So many wonderful memories on perfect fall football Saturdays.  

Before the game last week, we had dinner with our Florida Spartan friends at a delicious Mexican restaurant. It was a tradition to go to our favorite Mexican restaurant in East Lansing after the football games for a victory margarita, so this time, we celebrated the win in advance.

I finally watched the new Downton Abbey movie and thought it was good.  There were some interesting plot twists and I was entertained.  The movies will never be as good as the original series, especially the early years, but they are like getting back in touch with old friend at this point.  No real surprises, but a reminder of something good.

Otherwise, it’s been the usual sunsets, pool time and lots of golf.  Also, looking forward to our upcoming trip to northern Michigan that will include, my nephew’s wedding, visiting friends and family, a Mackinac Island visit and of course, more golfing.

Happy Friday!

Spartans in Miami

 

We had a fabulous weekend that began on Friday with a visit from my sister and brother-in-law. We tried to go on a tiki bar hop with our favorite boat captain, but because of stormy weather the boat ride was cut short. That didn’t stop us and we just finished the day by driving to the other bars, ending in Sarasota as planned.

Saturday was all about Spartan football and we could not have had more fun.  We drove over to Miami for the noon game against the University of Miami and came away with a big win.  There were so many other Spartans who made the trip and sitting in the stands at an away game surrounded by all that joy, was something I won’t soon forget.  Our tradition in East Lansing has always been to enjoy a dinner and margaritas at our favorite Mexican restaurant post game (El Azteco) and we kept the tradition alive with a stop in Naples at the Mercato (Rocco’s Tacos and Tequila Bar).

When we moved to Florida from Michigan, giving up our football season tickets was hard, but we always thought for sure there would be a bowl game or two in Florida.  Many circumstances have not brought that about in the past four years, but the future of MSU football is looking bright and we will keep our green and white gear ready.

Happy Monday!

Life Lately

 

It’s the time of year in Florida where the season of visitors and snowbirds is coming to a close and we will be saying goodbye to friends until late fall.  It’s also the time of year where the heat begins to crank up and everything slows down a bit with less crowds and definitely a different pace for those of us who live here year around.  I have to admit, I enjoy the summer for that reason.  

Here is what I have been doing to finish out April.

My neighborhood golf group that I organize, held an end of season scramble on Tuesday and it turned out great.  There was a committee that handled the prizes and other details, so all I had to do was show up and golf.  My team tied for 2nd and had a lot of fun on the course.  The group will still golf all summer, but the numbers will be small and we will switch to mornings because of the heat.

One of our favorite things to do is head to the beach for happy hour.  All we do is grab chairs and a cooler and meet friends in a designated spot.  It’s casual and because we live so close to the beach, it can be spur of the moment.  Always fun and always beautiful.

Lastly, I haven’t shared some of the updates we have made to our Florida home.  It’s crazy that soon we will have the 4th anniversary of our move here.  Can you tell I love it more every year?

The two biggest updates are the custom barn door we added to the master bedroom/master bath and two new chairs to the living room to add more coastal color.  They also fit the space a bit better. We also added some custom tile work to the guest bath shower and had the vanity mirror framed in the master bath. It’s impossible to get good bathroom photos, but both add great finishing touches.

And, I found this arty glass and wood fish to place on top of my kitchen cabinets for another fun coastal focal point.

Happy Thursday!

Visitors from the North

Having visitors from the cold weather states is one of my favorite ways to spend a Florida day.  They are in vacation mode and so happy to soak up the sun, drink some tropical drinks and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.  They notice how pretty everything is and it helps me remember how lucky I am to live in Florida all the time.

First, I met a good friend in Naples for the day and what a beautiful city.  It was my first time there, but she was very familar with the best spots.  We started with lunch at Miramare, then margaritas at The Dock, some pool time and finally, dinner at Coconut Jack's in Bonita Springs.  It was a lovely day and an easy drive south for me.

The next day, my brother in law and sister in law spent the day with us in our area and we had a great time catching up and showing them our new home, new city and taking them to a few of our favorite spots; Sharky's in Venice and St. Armands Circle in Sarasota.

Life is good in Florida!

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that my Alma Mater, Michigan State, is going to the Final Four 

after a thrilling win over Duke on Sunday night.  We had friends over to watch the game and I'm sure my neighbors thought we were crazy with all the screaming at the end.  To say we are excited is an understatement and we are looking forward to the next game against Texas Tech on Saturday. 40 years ago, when we were college students at Michigan State, the Spartans, lead by Magic Johnson, won the national championship and I have a good feeling that it may happen again. 

 Go Green! 

Weekend Snapshots

Apologies to my readers who are not college basketball fans, but our weekend centered around the NCAA Tournament, bracket watching and most importantly MSU's two wins and advancement to the Sweet Sixteen.  The team this year is so much fun to watch and we are looking forward to the next game on Friday against LSU.  Watching the games with our Florida Spartan friends has been the best.

In between basketball games, I snapped some photos of sunsets, blue skies and the beautiful Gulf of Mexico.  We are in the sweet spot of weather here and early Saturday morning I sat on the mostly empty beach with my coffee and just enjoyed the 67 degree temperature, with no humidity and the sound of the surf.  When I do this, I feel all the emotions, but mostly oh so lucky.

Finally, a friend gave me the first two books in the Poldark series to read and I am looking forward to seeing how they differ from the television series (which I love). I like to have an actual book for the pool, as opposed to my IPad, so they will be perfect for that.

  

Happy Monday!

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

We have been having so much fun getting together with other southwest Florida Spartans to watch the basketball games.  There is a core group who rotate houses and lately there have been friends of
friends invited, making the cheering during the games even louder.  Luckily, the fun factor has been
high, since our Spartans have been winning and we are all still celebrating the win Saturday night over Michigan and the raising of the Big Ten Championship banner.  Shots all around that night!

We mix things up as far as food goes and all contribute to make things easier on the hostess.  When appetizers were on the menu, I took these Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps for something on the lighter side.  This is a Skinnytaste recipe, so no worries about flavor - her recipes are always good.  The chicken is cooked in the crockpot, shredded and the hot sauce added.  You serve it with lettuce cups, blue cheese, chopped celery and ranch dressing for do it yourself assembly.  The recipe doesn't say how much lettuce to use, but because you don't know how many cups you will be able to get from a head of lettuce, definately buy two to be on the safe side.  Enjoy!

Happy Tuesday!

{Linking with these friends}

Stonegable

Between Naps on the Porch

21 Rosemary Lane

3 Things

One of the best things about living in Florida if you are a baseball fan, is spring training.  As a lifelong Detroit Tigers fan, when my husband asked if I wanted him to buy tickets to the game last Friday, I enthusiastically said yes. And, spring training games are the best, because you are close to 

the players, the Florida sun is hot and the beer (and margaritas) are cold. 

If you can stand the cuteness, say hello to my daughter and son in law's new puppy.  Yes, the newlyweds have a puppy and I have my first grand dog.  She is a cavapoo, named Markley, after the dorm where they met  at The University of Michigan.  She will be well loved and spoiled.

This is the book I am currently reading for my book club.  I just started it on Monday and am furiously reading to try and finish it by Thursday night.  I know I can do it, but it's going to take some effort.  However, my nickname is Evelyn Wood (the speed reader for those not familar) so I'm not too worried.  It's good so far.

Happy Tuesday!