I promise

I will be back to blogging about the Romania part of our trip ASAP... meanwhile since my last post about ten days ago - we have moved south for the winter (twenty hours of drive time) and then got the Florida condo opened and cleaned up (pest guy, pressure washing guy, cleaning lady...etc.)

We also managed to hit a couple of our favorite places for meals- Blue Marlin and Waterfront... and then by Friday had plans for a couple of nights for concerts- one near and one far...

so off we go on the catch up post and I PROMISE - I will get back to Romania next week...

on Sunday morning the cats wouldn't let us sleep at all so we left the hotel around 5AM (having checked in around 12:30- LOL- a VERY short night) so we found ourselves needing lunch really only about two hours north of "home"- we stopped at this BBQ in a gas station and thought it would be good- we were totally wrong... it was the worst BBQ brisket I have ever had- so don't go here- despite the authentic look- it was awful!

we got here so early we needed dinner close and easy the first night so we headed over to AMOB for some grouper- and the world's best lobster bisque!

the cats settled in right away- you can see "watch-cat" Penny keeping an eye on things from her top of the couch perch...

the next night we headed over to Blue Marlin for some fabulous fresh fish (right off the dock - this night- Black Grouper) and our bottle of white was terrific even though it was an older vintage-

the following night we ate at home - and Phil ran over to the dock/fish market at Star Fish Company for stone crabs- which we devoured as if famine victims (which we were since we hadn't had any since the spring!) and then some tuna as Hawaiian Ahi Poke salad---the fish company has a huge trading program where they send their fresh caught grouper and stone crab claws to other places around the nation and exchange for their fresh local catch- that way we get Alaskan and pacific NW Salmon and Tuna and other things really fresh on direct exchange flights...

by Friday night we were well into our winter schedule and headed to Fogartyville for a SOLD OUT! concert of The Slambovian Circus of Dreams which was completely funky and fun... since we were last there they have gotten AC (which was needed this week!) and a new art installation-

these folks play folk festivals up along the Hudson (Falcon Ridge and Clearwater both) and yet are really more of a fantasy rock band... they played things reminiscent of Floyd, Allman Brothers, Donovan, the Beatles and yet everything had their own twist - and mythology from the Slambovian history... a rousing evening- we would definitely go see them again. And I think John and Barb enjoyed the show as well (although they can weigh in on their own...LOL)

I even got a small clip from their Flapjacks in the Sky...

then the following night- last night- Saturday night- the four of us (John, Barb, Phil and I) headed north an hour to a house concert in Seminole- Ben Bedford was the featured artist.  A wonderful writer of words and melodies, he doesn't have the strongest voice or a particularly good range but he makes up for it with extreme charm and good nature. A very nice evening of shared food, drink and music at hosts Alexa & Craig Huegel's home...

 
so that brings me back to current and this upcoming week is filled with more "chores" but should give me some free time to continue on the Romania trip blog posting...so come on back....

the amazing facts

so this morning I started my second of three classes this term.  this one is called

INSIDER’S VIEW OF THE ARTS IN SARASOTA

Sarasota is truly the capital of the arts scene of the “Culture Coast” of Florida. In this course, we’ll explore Sarasota’s rich artistic heritage through class discussion and field trips.  We’ll learn about the birth of the Ringling Museum and John Ringling’s vision for Sarasota; visit the Ringling College of Art and Design and enjoy the creative energy of its students; discover the Towles Court artists’ colony; take a backstage tour of the Sarasota Ballet; visit the Palm Avenue galleries and talk to the owners; and tour backstage at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and view their extensive art collection. Some of our explorations may involve entrance fees not covered by the course fee, and our meeting time may be adjusted for our visits to the Van Wezel, the Sarasota Ballet, and the Palm Avenue galleries.

along the way some folks have wondered how we ended up here- in the Sarasota Bradenton area. most know that my family has had roots here for all or part of their lives since the 30s and honestly it is possible that even before that my great grandfather had been coming here because this is where my grandmother met her future husband and where her brother settled when he married a local gal...

and while that may have been enough to get me to head in this direction when I tired of Chicago winters, it would not have been enough for my hubby--- however, he WAS impressed by the arts scene and the culture available in the area.  

painting - Kathleen Carrillo

as you know we have been regular theater goers at the Asolo and the FSU Rep and have participated at local wine events including the 1500 person extravaganza they call "Forks and Corks" (tickets sold out in three minutes this year.) and the Wine Walk to Ca d'Zan at the Ringling Museum.  the restaurant scene here (while no Chicago) is no slouch for a small city of less than a tenth the size of Chicago.  

So  I shouldn't have been too surprised by some of the numbers I learned this morning but still they are pretty mind boggling for a town this size...

last year when we did Forks and Corks I picked up a copy of Sarasota Magazine and they featured an article on attracting newcomers to the area-  and here is the scoop - right on the cover- 

No, that is not our two bedroom condo on the cover of the magazine- LOL- we live a bit more modestly but enjoy the same opportunities in the arts and culture scene here as the owner of that home does... that's the beauty of living here half the year - oh yeah - that and the fact that we completely missed "Chiberia" last winter and that today is sunny and 79*....  the blessings are abundant!

tomorrow class three (this time with Phil) on: how ethnic minorities influence the majority of American music 1900-1950... so stay tuned for more on that - and reports on our activities this coming weekend in Miami with daughter Angela, the famous lingerie designer!

that girl can sing

tonight we went to the Straz Center to hear a concert by the Carolina Chocolate Drops.  Phil lured me there with an assertion that they were old time music performers... he failed to mention the fiddle would play a prominent role.   This is a shame because while the young lady Rhiannon Giddens who leads the group is a true powerhouse of a talent - there was waaaay too much fiddling going on for my taste... the thing about music - like wine drinking- you learn what you like and I DO NOT like the fiddle.

last week or the week before we were at the Haifa Symphony at Van Wezel and I LOVED the strings - I turned to Phil and said "These violins are always what I want fiddles to sound like and they never do"  I find them like fingernails on a chalk board - all screechy and ear splitting- and to tell you the truth I had a headache by intermission.

but here's the thing - this woman is a singular talent - her rendition of Ethel Waters "No Man's Mama" and an Odetta song "Water Boy" were just knock your socks off... when she is singing (or dancing) you could be carried away - but that damned fiddle just drove me over the edge- so I called the evening a neutral- not a waste but not a must see--- Phil called it a must see and when it comes to this gal's singing- I can agree she is a must hear/see.  Charismatic personality and the powerhouse voice make a pretty unbeatable combination.

so look out for their tour dates  and enjoy them but be forewarned- there is a lot of fiddling included....

here is a blurb about Rhiannon Giddens that I would whole-heartedly agree with-

Rhiannon is a show-stopper -- not only for her glorious voice but also for her incredible versatility. She ranges across many styles and genres, and is equally at ease singing opera, blues, gospel and Gaelic or whatever the moment takes. A rare talent!" -- Margaret Bennett, folklorist and singer.

we come home and go out

to a concert - of The Once - a cute as they could be folkish group from Newfoundland Canada... but first we met friends for dinner at Sarajevo and then heard the music-

they have been getting a lot of well deserved excellent media attention-

Awards

• 2011 East Coast Music Award (nominated for Group Recording of the Year for The Once)^[1]
• 2010 Canadian Folk Music Awards (won Traditional Album of the Year for The Once and New/Emerging Artist of the Year)^[1]
• 2009 Atlantis Music Prize (nominated for The Once)

highly recommended- these are real people having real fun just singing and playing... they completely WOWWWED the audience at WFMT that night of the radio concert....