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5/11/2020 0 Comments

#74) Rita’s vs. Whit’s ~ Bean’s Battle For Best @ The Beaches ~ Ice Cream Edition 2020

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Always and forever in the search of the best dessert on the planet - today, I’m bringing you two more ice cream adventures:

Rita’s vs. Whit’s

In a battle of wits… for Bean’s Best @ The Beaches 2020 ~ Ice Cream Edition ~
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As of May, 2020 - you can now dine outside in Florida at restaurants.
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For the purposes of today’s competition, I went to both Rita’s and Whit’s, almost back-to-back. Two ice cream outings in less than one week’s time. I might at well become a formal dessert critic - because my tummy knows a good dessert when it meets one, that’s for sure.

We started out at Rita’s. And by we, I mean hubby and I. We planned our visit for directly after he picked me up at work back on Monday, April 18.

Keeping in mind, this challenge took place during the worst of the worst of the economic shut down. So as you may be able to tell, we were in desperate search of a food outing. With a whole ton of businesses and restaurants completely shut at that time, I was determined to patronize as many local businesses as possible that were still open. And I’m happy to report that both Rita’s and Whit’s made it through, intact. And both are still open today. The only offering not available to us at that time back in April, was not being able to dine inside - but - Florida - we don’t really need dining inside here in The Sunshine State. Plus, Rita’s is strictly outdoor grab-and-go counter service anyway - no dine-in option available - with a drive-thru around the side of the building.

Also, note that if you are interested in drive-thu at Rita’s, you’ll want to make note that the transaction window is on the passenger side of the car.
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Rita’s: Drive-thru on the left, view from the back of the parking lot.
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Rita’s: Drive-thru view from the front of the building.
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We opted to skip the drive-thru, parked and walked up for the counter service option, for purposes of my review. I ordered one large soft-serve chocolate/vanilla swirl with extra sprinkles for myself, and one large cherry Italian ice for the hubby. He is a huge fan of Italian ice, in any flavor, and I am a big fan of chocolate - anything.
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Both of our treats were delicious. Our total came to $11.64, plus tip. My large was not “large” - to me - I would say more like a size medium at the biggest. But for the Italian ice, Bryan received a huge, generous cup of cherry flavored ice. Either way though, I was simply happy to have something cold, because is there anything better than something cold after a long and sweaty shift?

We love Rita’s and go there semi-frequently. Sometimes we are fortunate enough to find the $2.00 off coupons in the monthly coupon mailer, but we haven’t had any lately.

Always extra creamy, and always delicious. Rita’s remains a fabulous and inexpensive dessert outing, and the location can’t be beat. Three blocks from the beach, and directly on A1A, Rita’s location is directly in the heart of Jax Beach. You can easily grab a cone, and head straight out onto the sandy shores a few minutes later.

Moving onward to Whit’s, we ventured over there, on Beach Boulevard, on the evening of April 20th. Once again, after hubby picked me up from work. Our second ice cream location of the week. And after another long, hot shift at work.

Whit’s also usually has $2.00 off coupons in the Jax monthly mailers, but, of course I am always without my coupon clippings and am forever ill-prepared to save a buck. Yet, always prepared to spend... Why is that, by the way?
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Back entrance of Whit’s.
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And while Whit’s does not have a drive-thru, or window service, their dining room remained open for to-go service. So, there we were at Whit’s, for our second ice cream adventure of the week. We ordered a large chocolate Whitsper (their version of a Blizzard) for $7.00, and a medium Butterfinger Whitsper for $6.00, for a total of $13.91, plus tip.
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While both of these outings took place smack in the middle of the Presidential Guidelines of 30 Days To Stop The Spread of the Coronavirus, in my opinion, it was fabulous that so many dining establishments remained open and available for take-out. Especially for everybody still working… long, hard hours outside the home. Restaurants and coffee shops and treats have been imperative and a literal lifeline to making it through an extra-long, extra-stressful shift.

I love Rita’s and always have. We continue to go there on a regular basis. But, in my dessert foodie opinion, Whit’s win’s the award here. Their portions remain solidly larger than Rita’s. Large - to - Large comparison, you get way, way more ice cream at Whit’s than at Rita’s. Even if you ask for more at Rita’s, their largest does not compare to Whit’s. And when I go out for ice cream, give me the largest size please.

Whit’s is also very pet-friendly, and even has a doggie menu. My furry baby has had their ice cream/dog bone sundae, and she very much approves.

And now that the 30 Days to slow the spread are complete, and businesses are resuming operations, here in Florida we are at 25% dine-in occupancy. And outdoor dining feels fairly normal. Meaning, if you grab ice cream at either of these locations, right now, you can once again grab a bench, grab a chair, pull open the umbrella, and eat under the sun. Or inside - if you need the air conditioning. Ahh the little things in life… 25% occupancy.

Overall, Whit’s definitely wins the day for me, simply on their sizing. I love ice cream, maybe as much as donuts… and coffee, oh jeaz. I think I just love a lot of things. But when I pay for a large, and then get a really generous helping, they win. Hands down. Plus - doggie menu. Any place that keeps some dog bones on hand, is a winner in my book.

So, congratulations to Whit’s Jax Beach for being the very Official Winner of Bean’s Battle For Best @ The Beaches - Ice Cream Edition ~ 2020.

And an amazing and huge and heartfelt thank you to both locations, for being open during the worst of days, and feeding us good and conforming treats to brighten our saddest of very sad days. ~
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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.

*Have you been to Rita’s or Whit’s? Which do you like better? Are you more of an Italian ice person, or an ice cream swirl sorta person? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below:

Also, for more dueling dessert/debates around Jacksonville, check out some more of my flavorful Floridian adventures, below:
70] Peterbrooke Chocolatier ~ Bean’s Battle for Best @ The Beaches
*Bean’s Best Award Winner! ~ Chocolate ~ 2020
39] The Very Official & Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020

And, if you’re searching for a fabulous diner while in town, you can check out a variety of my local Jacksonville area diner reviews, right here:
57] First Watch on the First Coast
54] Um, Open @ Angie’s Subs
50] Sundays Are For Diners ~ Super Diners
40] Visiting The Florida Cracker Kitchen ~ Jacksonville
19] Another Broken Egg Cafe ~ A Taste Of NOLA @ The Beach
16] Beach Diner ~ If You Feed Them They Will Come

0 Comments

5/8/2020 2 Comments

#73) What I’m Missing Right Now

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‘Sea Green’
Remember when it was somebody’s birthday? Ohhhh, so very, very long ago…

Candles would be lit. A song would be sung. And the birthday boy, or birthday girl, would take in a big breath - with their lungs - and blow out all the candles.

And then everybody would clap.

The cake would be sliced. Every piece passed around - a plate of deliciousness for all at the party. Everybody sharing, in an act of celebration. Another person a year older - another piece of cake to commemorate the occasion.

A fork in one hand. A plate of frosted, sugary goodness in the other.

And without giving it a second thought, everyone would bite into their slice of dessert, even though somebody had just previously breathed upon said cake?

Sacrilege!

Those moments are now gone.

But a girl can dream - right?

No one will look at a birthday cake the same way again now.

Because, while we all still may eat the cake, the sentiment just isn’t the same. And while we all still may sing a song… and candles can still be blown out… the world has once again changed.

And I miss that corresponding sentiment.

I miss a whole lot more than just that though.

I miss it all...

I miss coffee shops.

I miss restaurants.

I miss saying, “Table for two.” - Instead of “Two dinners to go, please.”

I miss smiles on unhidden faces.

I miss laughter.

I miss jokes.

I miss friends.

I miss family.

I miss parties.

I miss the library.

I miss fairs, carnivals, rides, cotton candy, and sno cones.

I miss Art Shows, Art Walks, Art Festivals, craft shows, and concerts.

And I still don’t miss nfl football.

I miss my once a year and very boring visit to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle Department. Otherwise known as the FLHSMV. In fact, I miss that a whole heck of a lot more than football.

And I missed out on the opportunity to see Hamilton - right here in Jacksonville, back in March. My tickets - sadly, refunded to my credit card.

I miss the smell of a book, just picked up from the library, as I crack open the spine.

I miss handshakes.

I miss milk shakes.

I miss hugs.

I miss kisses on the cheek.

I miss the darn dentist.

I miss joy and good cheer.

I miss good will to all people.

I miss Christmas.

I miss Walt Disney World.

I miss All-You-Can-Eat Buffets.

I miss unlimited scoops of ice cream, from large tubs, on the dessert line of the above-mentioned buffet. Where I can pick up my own cup, take the cold steel scoop, push it with my own hands into the milky cream, releasing chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry into my own cup. My very own ice cream mountain - as high as I want to make it.

I miss simple get togethers - large and small. I miss people’s faces when I communicate with them. I miss the act of meeting up with those fellow humans - in person. In real life.

I miss being able to hear that fellow human being, clearly, when they speak to me - their unmuffled voice carrying into my ears, and the sound of it not being blocked by a cloth mask.

I miss people treating one another as fellow human beings - and not treating others as the walking plague.

I miss closeness.

I miss happiness all around us.

I miss people leaving their house like it was just another day.

I miss life… I miss seeing other people living their lives.

I miss faith over fear.

But just because I miss all these very simple things, doesn’t mean I haven’t been doing them, and living them, myself.

In fact, I’ve been the busiest in my entire life - during the long and drawn out and quite dramatic duration of this entire, never-ending plague.

Regardless of life outside my own front door. I am breathing. I am communicating. I am celebrating. I am being responsible for myself. I am making my own life decisions. I am sucking it up. I am dealing. I am not only surviving. I am proud and happy to be fully alive. I am living.

I am reading. I am planning. I am dreaming. I am pursuing. I am working hard. I am exercising. I am writing. I am painting. I am utilizing this time to become stronger. To learn. To grow. To try new things.

And most importantly, I am persevering.

And I am coming home from work - and I’m stepping right in the shower, washing the invisible and mysterious and confusing plague off me each night.

And, I’ve learned a lot. And I’ve learned what I already always knew - how imperative each breath we take really is.

So let’s all inhale.

Breathe in - In the face of fear.

Exhale - and keep going, my friends. Exhale and continue onward. Exhale and push forward. Exhale and persevere.

And if it happens to be your birthday, go ahead and exhale a big breath straight onto your very own birthday cake candles...

Yes, I know that’s exactly what we will be doing this weekend.

As we celebrate my hubby’s birthday, we will dine out, along the water’s edge, for our First Supper since the plague began. We will sit at tables, amongst other human beings. All partaking in the common and essential act of breathing, and eating.

And I will pick up the special cupcake creations I ordered from Cinotti’s Bakery. And I will slap some candles on top of the frosted red velvety goodness. I will light the flame.

And I will sing “Happy Birthday!”

And my furry baby will probably sing a lot louder than me.

And most importantly, my hubby will then inhale with his own set of two lungs, and exhale hard on top of all the frosting, extinguishing that flame. And then we will eat all the darn sugar. ~
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‘All-You-Can-Eat’

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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.

*How have you been living through this plague? Are you persevering? Are you experimenting with new ideas? Are you at home brewing up new talents? Are you getting fresh air? I’d so love to know. Drop me a comment down below:

Also, if you’re enjoying my Floridian daydreams, then check out some of my others, right here:
71] My 69 Week Break From Social Media ~ Why I Left & Why I Came Back
68] A Sunday Stroll
65] The Sea Life ~ Happy Easter
64] Stay-At-Home Sunday ~ Palm Sunday
63] Mercy & Comfort
62] PERSPECTIVE @ Seaside Sculpture Park
61] Bean’s Idea List ~ 15 Daily Activities For Well Beyond 15 Days
59] REACTION ~ To World War 19
55] The Shamrock
51] Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe
49] A Picture Worth A Thousand Words ~ Happy Valentine’s Day, World
44] Nothing Finer Than Coffee In The Keys ~ The Coffee Plantation Cafe
42] Where Does The Chicken Cross The Road?
39] The Very Official & Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020
18] Sea & Sky Jax Weekend ~ Fun In The Florida Sun, Sea, Sky & Sand


2 Comments

5/4/2020 0 Comments

#72) Breezing Through Life @ Breezy’s Coffee Shop

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*Part of - Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge - series

If you’ve been patiently waiting for Starbucks to reopen their doors, you may want to consider checking out Breezy’s while you’re in Jax Beach.

As the coffee giant closed their doors at the beach a few weeks back, those long days might have well been eternity. But a lot of the local shops, the small businesses trying to survive, having been doing their best to remain open - for to-go service. So as Starbucks remained closed, and in my infinite search to find every coffee shop around, I was reminded of Breezy’s.

Located directly on A1A and 237 8th Avenue South, and less than three blocks from the sandy and breezy beach, Breezy’s Coffee Shop is the ideal cafe if you’re looking for a quick, yet relaxing, outing.

It’s small, alright. And it’s quaint, and charming.

And while Starbucks is my usual go-to coffee shop, I was extremely glad to find myself at Breezy’s doorstep on a sunny and cheerful day along the coast.
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Situated in a bright yellow old beach cottage, the cafe is on the first floor of the home. There is plenty of outdoor seating around back on the outside patio. Although, for purposes of this visit, there was no on-site dining allowed due to the coronavirus - which was just fine for hubby and I. We were on a morning walk with our furry baby when we stopped in.
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I had been to Breezy’s only once before. It was about a year ago. And it was right around two o’clock in the afternoon. We walked in and were informed they were closing for the day. We made a quick purchase, and hadn’t been back since. I figured, no time like the present to head on back for a second outing.

So if you are headed to Breezy’s you’ll want to make note of the somewhat limited business hours. They close at 2pm five days a week, and are open until 9pm for wine on Friday and Saturday evenings.

So while it is definitely a local cafe, and an alternative to Starbucks, there’s nothing like the dependency of Starbucks’ hours of operation if you are a busy person like I am.

Also due to the coronavirus, there was one copy of their menu outside the building. It was sitting on a bench. It was suggested that we look at the menu outside, then come on inside once we were ready to place our order - all to-go, obviously.

So I went inside to order. And I was reminded of how much I cannot wait until dine-in is once again allowed. Such a cute little shop, with cozy seating, and newspapers ready and waiting to be read, all set out. Even if just chilling out for a few minutes to soak in some air conditioning, coffee shops remain a wonderful place, in my book, to cool off.
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We both ordered two frozen lattes. To go along nicely with the hot weather on our early morning walk. And hubby ordered the sausage breakfast sandwich, which comes on sliced pita bread - he was given the ham sandwich instead - but enjoyed it just fine. I ordered a slice of the homemade banana bread - the infamous bread of the moment - during the pandemic. I highly recommend the banana bread.

Our total was $19.80 for the two cold drinks and the two breakfast items.
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And if you are a fan of seeking out and photographing all the local wall murals in town, Breezy’s is the place to be for that as well. The surrounding area buildings and alleyways are painted, so if you’re sitting outside at the cafe, you’ll have a fun time gazing at all the art while you’re soaking in the sun.

Yes, it was definitely a gorgeous spring morning at the beach. And I was so grateful to be outside, walking, and with my doggy. We walked home the rest of the way with our cold and refreshing drinks. Passing Starbucks up, enroute home and merely two blocks away from Breezy’s… I immediately noted their first day of operation since the coronavirus had them closing their doors!

Exclamation point well deserved. The drive-thru line might have well been a mile long according to my eyes. I was not the only one happy to see them open and alive once again.

Arriving home, and grateful for my breezy and beachy outing… feeling all the calming coastal winds while out exploring... I made note of plans for the following day - I will most definitely be at Starbucks tomorrow. ~
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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.

*Have you been to Breezy’s? Have you missed Starbucks as much as I have during this crazy pandemic? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below:

Also, for the rest of Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge - check out the links below:
69] Chaunie’s Coffee Truck
67] Delicious & Delightful Days @ The Delicomb
60] Welcome To Muffin Land ~ The Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry
48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia
44] Nothing Finer Than Coffee In The Keys ~ The Coffee Plantation Cafe
39] The Very Official & Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020
9] Sago Coffee: A Cup Of Friendly & Flavorful Florida

Plus, if there’s a diner in town - I’ve been there! And if there’s one you think I need to visit - PLEASE - let me know! You can check out my visits to many local area diners, right here:
57] First Watch on the First Coast
50] Sundays Are For Diners ~ Super Diners
40] Visiting The Florida Cracker Kitchen ~ Jacksonville
19] Another Broken Egg Cafe ~ A Taste Of NOLA @ The Beach
16] Beach Diner ~ If You Feed Them They Will Come


0 Comments

4/30/2020 0 Comments

#71) My 69 Week Break From Social Media ~ Why I Left & Why I Came Back

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I grew up without social media.

I consider myself blessed for being able to say that.

While every generation has their “thing” - I firmly believe my generation's thing is the fact that we grew up entirely without social media, but we are now living our adult lives with social media present in the world. And because of those circumstances, we have a great ability to easily and fluidly shift between old-world applications, and the more new-age digital apps - making us uniquely qualified for certain tasks in this world. We shift seamlessly and adapt easily. I call us the Floating Generation.

And regardless if we partake in this modern day medium, or not, it’s there. It has an extremely large presence in the world. For better and for worse. An all almost too-powerful of a presence.

And, sadly, in my opinion, many people revolve nearly their entire lives around this medium.

I graduated college in 2003. I survived four years of college entirely without social media. The only “Facebook” we had was the literal and actual paper face-book that was distributed each year on campus. All incoming students were given a light and thin paperback book with the names, faces, and phone numbers of each of their classmates.

That was our official Facebook at the time. And we used it - religiously. That book was part of our daily life. We would scroll through it to find somebody’s name, browsed to see what everyone looked like, searched to find out where a person was from, and scan to find their four digit campus extension to call them on the phone… a phone with a cord - that was plugged into the wall.

But in 2004, and after I was done with school, Mark Zuckerburg went ahead and invented Facebook. And the world has never been the same since.

It was my first full year after school. I was living in the real world. I didn’t need Facebook, and nor did I want it. Besides, at the time, Zuckerberg’s Facebook was geared more toward being a digital supplement to that old-fashioned face book I described above. Still utilized, on college campuses, to connect with one another.

But over the years, Facebook grew. It grew fast. And it grew big. It grew to be something that is now an integral part of most people's lives.

I personally think Facebook is too big. And too powerful. I think it is hovering on the verge of being a monopoly and in dire need of being broken up. And I’ve never, ever, had a desire to be a part of it. Even still.

But then, after many, many years of living and going through life, without Facebook, and still not wanting any part of it, I was on the verge of making a big change in my personal life.

It was 2016, and I was planning my big move from the state of Illinois, on down to Florida. That move would eventually occur in early 2017.

Every single person I knew, and loved, lived in Illinois - or a variety of other states throughout the country. But I knew ZERO people in The Sunshine State at the time.

I wanted a way to stay connected to all those I knew I would be missing… a thousand miles away from everything I knew.

I deliberated long and hard with myself about potentially signing up for a Facebook account. And eventually, at the end of 2016, I went ahead and registered - for the first time in my life. Knowing that I would be easily connected in a free and easy and modern manner.

I immediately discovered that “the whole world” is on Facebook. I found all my old classmates, neighbors, relatives who live near and far, friends from grade school, people I haven't seen in 20 years, and all my current friends. And I even made new friends. All through Facebook.

But, I did all this right before the 2016 Presidential Election.

And unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past many years, and haven’t paid attention to the news, you know very well that the political side of Facebook, and all social media, is NASTY.

No other way to put it.

It was through Facebook that I discovered people I know and love say things online that I never heard them say in person.

When people are behind a digital screen, they have a lot to say, and they say it loud and proud. Fine. Whatever. Everyone in America deserves their free speech.

I can very easily block out mentally and physically that which I do not want to hear.

But it does get a little old.

I came for social connectivity. I didn’t come for the constant electioneering, and to learn who voted for who - all day long.

So I tried to ignore the politics, and zone in on the photos.

And it turns out my absolute favorite part of Facebook was, and is still, those photos.

I also realized that social media is the single best way to find out all the latest social news, gossip, and any and all information about life changes involving people you know. The stuff I was looking for all along.

I found myself completely up to date on the latest pregnancy announcements, gender reveals, baby showers, births, deaths, obituaries, accidents, injuries, illnesses, new home purchases, engagements, Say-Yes-To-The-Dress days, wedding showers, marriages, anniversaries, birthdays, pet adoption days, Gotcha Days, National Cheesecake Day, International MisMatching Sock Day, Taco Tuesday, Touch-A-Truck Days, Nurses Day, Teacher Appreciation Day, Star Wars Day, Bird Day, Hoagie Day, National Roast Leg Of Lamb Day - May 7th, in case you were wondering.

The list is endless.

May 8th - National Coconut Cream Pie Day.

June 26th - National Take Your Dog To Work Day.

And, just so they can give themselves yet another plug, while you’re already on their applications all day long... We have June 30th - National Social Media Day.

Every day is something.

And guess what else?

EVERY PERSON IS OFFENDED BY SOMETHING ELSE.

That’s one of the most valuable things l learned by joining social media.

Why don’t we have:
International-World-Renowned-I-Take-Offense-To-That-Statement Day?

I learned that everyone cares what everyone else thinks. I learned that people are very sensitive. I learned that when people write something online - they think it is pure gold. And I learned that if any single person disagrees with another, in any way - it’s the actual end of the world for that relationship.

DISAGREEMENT = NUCLEAR BOMBS GOING OFF EVERYWHERE.

Hence all the hate, the back-and-forth, the petty comments, the blocking, the unblocking, the following, the unfollowing. That all - also - never ends.

And since I really don’t care what other people think, I am, once again, able to function with or without social media in my life, just fine.

I joined to see photos of my friends and family and their babies and their wedding showers. But instead, it’s more about why this person hates whoever the current president happens to be.

So, after about a year and a half of being digitally social, and being sick of it all, I gave it all up.

When I left Facebook, I also gave up my Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. I had initially joined the mothership, but I had then joined the other big three soon after.

And while I nearly despise and almost hate Facebook, I absolutely LOVE Instagram. I am a very visual person though, and as I said before, I enjoy the photos. Instagram is all imagery. A great place to post all my travel photos and latest artwork, and to see those actual photos that I was seeking out when I joined Facebook initially.

I had used Pinterest just for fun.

And I found that the best benefit of Twitter was for hurricanes.

Yes, you read me right - hurricanes.

No sooner than I moved down to Florida, Hurricane Irma blew through later that year. She was a big one. And caused the whole state to be in an uproar. We were evacuated. Twitter was VITAL to me during the hurricane.

And while lots of apps and websites didn’t work under bad internet service at the time, Twitter stayed on strong. So did Facebook. You’ve heard about how if you have bad cell service during an emergency - when all the lines are tied up - that it may be easier to send a text for help instead of trying to get through on the phone, right? Think that for Twitter in this modern day... I found that utilizing social media during the worst of the hurricane, to get my news, was the very best way, to get the actual news.

We live on an island, with not even a handful of bridges to cross over during a hurricane evacuation. The bridges do close down when the winds reach a certain mile per hour - sustained.

I quickly started “following” the local news channels plus the three local beach towns, their mayors, the City of Jacksonville, and the Jax mayor, all on Twitter. They all provided a wealth of factual information to me all throughout the duration of the storm. It brought some level of certainty - communication - to me, during a time of great uncertainty.

I also followed the American Red Cross, the National Weather Service, Publix, Winn Dixie, our governor and two senators, Beaches Energy Services, Jacksonville Electric Authority - JEA, all the local area fire and police departments, JSO - Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns River Ferry, the National Hurricane Center, JaxReady, the Jacksonville Public Library, oh yeah, and Dunkin Donuts… Because you can’t survive a hurricane without donuts, right?

But after I went ahead and quit social media, I then went through the following storm seasons entirely without social media. Which led to a much more “manual” and old-fashioned form of finding out the news, when the internet was overloaded and the next storms were nearing us.

When the next hurricanes blew through and around us, and I was on my zero social media experiment of 69 weeks, I literally dug through the closet and pulled out an old-fashioned radio. I was ready, just in case the power went out, to listen to the news that way. But nothing I did was in any way a comparison to Twitter. And social media would have been almost priceless to me during those next storms.

But willing to stick it out, I made it through alive and well. No social media. No damage.

Ultimately, I quit all social media after about a year and a half of being on. I did NOT miss it. I was focused solely on my own personal well being and sanity. I left for my own mental health. A completely selfish decision. But very grateful that I did.

When I signed back up after 69 weeks of being away from The Zuck, I had to start my accounts from scratch. I had completely deleted all of them. So it was an official starting over process. Sort of like being a toddler and learning to walk again. I had to re-find all of my friends and family there. It took a while, but I found most of them.

During those 69 weeks without social media, I focused strictly and selfishly on my own well being and daily productivity. And now that I have social media back in my life, after that extended absence, I am able to have a fabulous life balance of living with social media applications in complete confidence. And today, having Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, back in my life, I am even more productive than I ever have been.

I run my life. I don’t let social media run my life. I never did. But some people do.

I think if people can find that balance, they will feel a lot better and at peace with the existence of social media in their worlds.

No, I don’t think social media is going anywhere. I think and see it remaining a huge part of people’s lives into the future.

And that’s also one of the reasons I came back.

In that time away, I set up my own website, a lifestyle blog, an Etsy shop, a place to showcase all my art and writing. But if I want to actually reach people with the things I write and show my paintings to the world, social media remains one of the best ways to do it.

I might write a blog twice a week, but my utilization of social media to help it get out there and maybe reach that one, singular person who may benefit from a specific article in some way, is the point of me sharing it all, on social media.

So while I do despise Facebook, and did have a near love/hate relationship with it in the past… I have now turned that relationship into merely a like/dislike relationship. I can live peacefully with Zuckerberg in my life now, and I know the exact purposes of my visits to each of the other mediums as well.

I still go back to Pinterest simply as a brain teaser, for creative solutions to new ideas.

I go to Twitter for hurricane and rough surf and coastal storm news. Or in today’s new world, pandemic and apocalyptic plague news… charts and graphs and statistics that change by the day. Announcements, once again, by our leaders and representatives on important matters.

I go to Instagram to share all my favorite photos. And see everyone else’s.

And I go back to the now old and trusty and reliable Facebook for those wedding announcements. Babies being born. And yes, in my 69 weeks away, I had friends who had babies, that I never even knew about because I was away from Facebook. When I joined back up I discovered that an old friend endured an entire pregnancy, birth, and had a new baby in her life. Her second child, I never even knew about, in this world. So yeah - Facebook is THE way to communicate with friends and family in this digital era.

And, since I’ve been back, I haven’t missed out on one birth announcement, I know who is pregnant, who is getting married, who died, and I read all the obituaries shared that way. I see in real time who made a roast in their crock pot for dinner, plus which sides they cooked with it. Then, I get the recipe.

I get to see friends travel to Hawaii, and Iceland, and Costa Rica. I see family travel to Disney. I see Dollywood and weekends at a cabin in Michigan. I see special Friday night date nights and fancy dinners out. I see birthday parties and special cakes. I see first haircuts, first baby steps, and first days of school.

I see my nephews' latest milestones as they age from infants, to toddlers, to little boys. School age children who make their first communions and have their grade school graduations. Those pictures, to me, a thousand miles away from all my relatives, are priceless. And all free to share back and forth with these social mediums.

And - I see politics. Yes, politics is still there. And as you may guess, it’s worse than ever. I see Civil War. I call it Civil War 2.0. I see and know who hates President Trump, and I know who loves President Trump. I know who is conservative and who is liberal. And I mostly try to ignore it all - and just laugh at it.

I am glad I left social media for 69 weeks. I am extremely happy with and 100% confident in my decision to ultimately come back to social media. Especially considering how very far away I live from all my family and most of my friends. And I am still, and forever grateful, that I grew up in a world without social media in it.
​#BLESSED ~

P.S. - No, I am NOT on TikTok. ~~
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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.

*Did you ever go on a social media break? Do you have a Facebook account? Do you live on social media or do you live entirely without social media? I’d so love to know. Drop me a comment down below:

Also, check out these other adventures in The Sunshine State, right here:
68] A Sunday Stroll
65] The Sea Life ~ Happy Easter
61] Bean’s Idea List ~ 15 Daily Activities For Well Beyond 15 Days
59] REACTION ~ To World War 19
56] Shell World ~ Key Largo
51] Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe
49] A Picture Worth A Thousand Words ~ Happy Valentine’s Day, World
48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia
44] Nothing Finer Than Coffee In The Keys ~ The Coffee Plantation Cafe


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4/27/2020 0 Comments

70) Peterbrooke Chocolatier ~ Bean’s Battle For Best @ The Beaches

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**Bean’s Battle For Best @ The Beaches ~ Award Winner 2020!**

It’s a hard job - but somebody’s gotta eat all the chocolate. And for the sake of the written word - that’s exactly what I’ve done.
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Besides, with hard work, comes great reward… And chocolate may be the ultimate reward, my dear friends.

I’ve been popping into Peterbrooke Chocolatier since I discovered it a few years back.

Located at 363 Atlantic Boulevard in Atlantic Beach, Florida, Peterbrooke is situated directly in the heart of Beaches Town Center. As soon as I discovered Peterbrooke, I absolutely had to go inside.

So I did, and I ate the best chocolate - ever.
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Fast forward to today, in 2020, and Peterbrooke STILL has the best chocolate I ever ate. I’m just grateful I live so close to their shop so that I can visit whenever I want.

And recently, with all this stay-at-home madness upending civil society… and with World War 19 causing Civil War 2.0 - chocolate was subtly calling my name. It may have been just a whisper, but it was calling, nonetheless.

Then, with all restaurants still being closed - and take-out, curbside, and delivery being the only way to dine “out” - a chocolatier, to-go sort of shop was out loud screaming my name.

So after work the other day, I decided it was time to take action on the chocolate front of this global war… I’ll call it - Bean’s Battle For Best @ The Beaches.

Either that, or… The Battle Of The Bulge.

Stepping back into this heavenly chocolate shop after a long parting of at least a year or so, I was simply excited that the OPEN sign flashing in the upper right corner window, actually meant that they were really open. Because as more businesses close by the day, that sign doesn’t usually mean much any more.

Walking in, we were met with another sign - the power was out. But, yes, they were open. Come on in.

We were then met with another sign, and a basket of gloves for us to use, per their request. We both put on the gloves.
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I knew just what I wanted. Eyes right on my target.

The Jag Paws - the Jax version of Turtles.
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And like I said, for the sake of the written word, I simply had to buy a few more things. I couldn’t buy just a bag of Jag Paws, that’s simply not enough chocolate for a girl! So, I figured since I always purchase a darker chocolate, that my other purchases would be in the white chocolate family. I then grabbed a bag of white chocolate covered pretzels, and a white chocolate lollipop.
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I spoke with the cashier as we paid. I had just missed Peterbrooke’s biggest holiday of the year: Easter. Because chocolate and bunnies go together perfectly, of course.

I mentioned how glad I was that they were open. She mentioned that they were not even certain how much longer they would be.

I hoped to see them again.

‘Tis the way of today. I suppose.

I would not be telling you the truth if I said there was a better chocolate shop in Jax. They absolutely are the winner. Peterbrooke is more than deserving of Bean’s Battle For Best @ The Beaches - Chocolate - 2020.

The cost is high. And I’m not gonna lie about that either. But there’s a reason. You just can’t buy the best chocolate of your life and not pay the most you’ve ever spent on chocolate.

So, while $27.02 looks high, sounds high, and is - very - high, it was all worth it, my dear friends. And if you go, you’ll probably agree. You’ll take one bite of the best of the best, and the next thought out of your brain will be - When are we coming back for more?
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As we said goodbye, we sat in the little blue chairs and table set up outside the front door, for a mere moment. Our last stop and duty before heading home for the night.

It was Saturday night at the beach. The traditional “Opening Of The Beaches” Weekend in Jacksonville. A yearly celebration, a weekend parade - a tradition in town going back 73 years.

Even though normally, the beaches are open year round here in Jax, the town comes together each spring to officiate a ceremonial opening of the beaches. Think - Gilmore Girls - town square style event - only a bit more wild. And more ceremonial in nature than anything else, the Beaches opening parade is as much of a party here in Jax as Pete’s Bar is on Thanksgiving morning. Just another reason to party. To celebrate life. Life at the beach. On an island. Living next to the sea.

And 2020 would have been year 74 of the parade - before it was canceled due to the coronavirus.

Yes, we were sitting outside, and it was Saturday night at the beach. 2020.

Hubby picking me up from work. Off early on a Saturday. The sun still out. A normal Saturday night in town would have meant the entire area would be hopping. Endless parties. Endless fun. Bike riders everywhere. Music. Talking. Laughter.

But instead, we sat down in front of the chocolatier, and stared at a visibly and noticeably vacant parking lot. A lot that is usually never empty. Diners from Poe’s. From other restaurants. Shops. And on a Saturday, the lot would be even more packed. Cars waiting for spots to open up.

But not on this Saturday night. Empty. Looking around. Soaking in the quiet surroundings.

It was just sooo sad.

When will Poe’s open back up? When will the other restaurants open for dine in? Shops? When will people not be scared to leave their houses? When will life return to this little corner of Beaches Town Center?

I don’t know. And I do care.

In the interim, however, there is always chocolate.

And the world still keeps on turning. And awards still must be handed out.

So, plague or no plague… civil war or no civil war, life as we know it, or life as we know it not, the chocolate must be eaten.

And Peterbrooke Chocolatier is hereby officially awarded Bean’s Battle For Best @ The Beaches 2020.

Congratulations, my dear and chocolatey friends. You’ve won The Battle Of The Bulge.

Thank you for the sunshine you add to the sky.
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In a vast sea - of open parking spots… Thank you for being open.

Thank you for still fighting to survive, and sticking it out this long.

And mostly, thank you for the best chocolate I ever feasted upon. ~
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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.

*Have you been to Peterbrooke Chocolatier? Where did you eat the best chocolate you ever had? I’d so love to know. Drop me a comment down below:

Also, for Bean’s Best Award Winner of 2019, be sure to check out V Pizza, below:
15] V Pizza ~ The Very Best Pizza In Jax Beach!

Plus - for some further fun in the Florida sun, and lots of sweet treats in Jax and beyond, check out the links below:
52] Keeping Cool - And Creamy - In Key West
45] Dessert First, My Friends ~ Cantina Louie
40] Visiting The Florida Cracker Kitchen ~ Jacksonville
39] The Very Official & Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020
31] Tuesday’s On First Street ~ The Jax Beach Art Walk ~
21] Cinotti’s ~ And Why Life Is Too Short To Not Eat Donuts
14] Finding Trinkets & Treasures @ The Jax Beach Vintage Flea Market
11] Eleven South Bistro & Bar ~~ Supper Club Of The South
3] The Dog Days Of Endless Summer
2] 3 Wows Plus 1 Piece Of Magic I Experienced At Jacksonville, Florida’s Cummer Museum Of Art & Gardens
1] Happy Birthday America ~ 4 Simple Steps To Help You Have An Easy Americana 4th:


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4/24/2020 0 Comments

#69) Chaunie’s Coffee Truck

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Part of - Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge - series

Well I never thought I’d live to see the day that Starbucks is closed. I mean - like - really closed. Not closed early; not closed for a holiday; not closed for training. Just - closed. With no predetermined opening date either. In the Jax Beaches area, at least.

Sigh.

The CoVid19 crisis is certainly upending all types of area businesses at this point. Large and small, local and chain. There is nothing remaining that is unaffected in some way by the coronavirus at this point.

And Starbucks has been closed for many days now - a few weeks actually. The place that I have relied upon for outings of all kinds, remains shuttered. I’ve been there on vacation, I’ve been there on the funnest days of my life. On Thanksgiving Day... On Christmas Day... I’ve been there in New Orleans, sitting inside the window, watching the electric street car go past on the outside. I’ve been there on the hardest days of my life. I’ve been there in Rochester, Minnesota, on days with the coldest sub-zero temperatures I’ve ever felt in my life. I’ve shared iced frappuccinos with my dearest friends, while standing on Main Street USA. I’ve been there for meetings. For friendship. For chatting. For reading. And, oh yeah, for some coffee, too.
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So, with Starbucks literally being closed, and me still leaving the house every single day for work and life, I’ve been seeking out all the small coffee shops in town. Anyplace - and anywhere - that still has their doors open. Just like my recent outings to the Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry, and The Delicomb. If it’s open, I’ll be trying it.

I’ve always been a fan of all the chain shops and equally all the small shops. Which is why I started Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge to begin with. Basically, if it’s coffee - I tend to be a fan. In fact, I may like coffee just as much as I like donuts.

Yeah, I guess those bold beans are basically up there at the top of the list for me. So today I’m extremely happy to showcase another exciting and very unique coffee adventure in the greater Jax area: Chaunie’s Coffee Truck!

And all it took was a virus, a global plague, and complete and total economic destruction, to finally lead me there! And to the absolute cutest truck in town, by the way.

I have actually been searching out Chaunie and her truck for a couple of years. A few years back I had my first iced latte from Chaunie’s while they were parked at an Art Walk in Jax Beach. But considering the entire business concept of a food truck is on wheels, and moving around, my schedule has simply never matched that of her truck, since my initial introduction to it back in the day at that fest.

But then, just recently, I happened to find her Instagram page. So I followed, and started watching where she was going to be each day. Noticing a day scheduled in Ponte Vedra Beach, on my day off, and it was finally a date.

We drove around the town of Ponte Vedra Beach - the small coastal town just south of Jax Beach, and found Chaunie’s black and minimalist and very cool truck, parked in the Ponte Vedra Lakes neighborhood, next to a small pond at the very end of a cul de sac.
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As we parked and walked up, we noticed people from the neighborhood, walking away with hot cups of coffee, and some walking up to make their purchases. Word was definitely out that there was a coffee truck sitting in the neighborhood. There were friends and neighbors, standing around the curled street, chatting and sipping.

Chaunie said that she has been taking her truck all over Jax through the pandemic. Knowing how entire neighborhoods of people were simply - at home - she wanted to bring coffee - to them.

A superb idea!

She had just recently traveled out to Julington Creek. And was then in Ponte Vedra Beach. And the next day - onward to another residential area in the Jacksonville greater community. And continuing.

I mentioned that I had my last cup of coffee from her truck at a local fest in Jax Beach. And I was super excited to finally get another cup.

I ordered a hot latte, and hubby ordered an iced latte. All one size - no option for a small or large.
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Chaunie then mentioned that she was serving breakfast that particular day. That even though she didn’t have her menu out, she was serving hot breakfast sandwiches and cinnamon rolls with iced frosting.

We basically said - what the heck...

We were already there, how’s about breakfast with our coffees?

So I ordered one of her homemade cinnamon rolls, and hubby tried the breakfast sandwich - which came with bacon, eggs, and cheese. Both were delicious, and we could definitely taste that everything we ate was very much homemade.
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Our total for two breakfasts and two hand-crafted espresso drinks - to go - was $21.70, plus tip. Chaunie’s Truck does take credit card, so you do not need to have cash on you at the time of your visit.

I thanked Chaunie for being out there. And mentioned we would definitely be seeing her again.

We walked back to our car and drove on toward home.

I wondered when Starbucks would open its doors, once again?

When will I be able to sit inside a coffee shop, listening to relaxing and calming cafe music, while reading a book and sipping a steamy latte?

I pondered how certain businesses may be thriving right now, and how many, many others, are on the absolute verge of dying.

And while I don’t ever have my sights on planning to visit any cafe in Rochester, Minnesota, ever again, even if someone paid me a million dollars, I also thought to myself - when will I once again stand on any ol’ Main Street in the USA? Sharing a laugh, and clinking our cups in cheer, with friends? As we stand closer than six feet from one another - to cheers, of course.

Ohh, sigh.

A simple outing, during another “stay-at-home” sort of day. We had been on a lovely walk. We had soaked in the fresh Floridian air. We supported a local area small business - during the absolute worst time of my life on this Earth I have ever witnessed, for any small business. And maybe, most importantly, we drank some bold and delicious coffee. ~
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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.

*Have you visited Chaunie’s Coffee Truck? Do you have a favorite coffee truck driving around your town? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below.

Also - here’s more coffee, and more beans!
Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge:
67] Delicious & Delightful Days @ The Delicomb
60] Welcome To Muffin Land ~ The Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry
48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia
44] Nothing Finer Than Coffee In The Keys ~ The Coffee Plantation Cafe
39] The Very Official & Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020
9] Sago Coffee: A Cup Of Friendly & Flavorful Florida

Plus, you can check out some more dining reviews of many local area diners all around Jax, right here:
57] First Watch on the First Coast
54] Um, Open @ Angie’s Subs
50] Sundays Are For Diners ~ Super Diners
40] Visiting The Florida Cracker Kitchen ~ Jacksonville
19] Another Broken Egg Cafe ~ A Taste Of NOLA @ The Beach
16] Beach Diner ~ If You Feed Them They Will Come


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4/19/2020 0 Comments

#68) A Sunday Stroll

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Sunday morning in Jax Beach.
So we went for a walk this Sunday - as we normally do.

But there was one minor change to our morning routine.

And… yeahhhh… I’ve officially become - that person. You know, the one who pushes a doggy stroller around town...

Not ashamed. Not embarrassed. Not sad. Not mocking. And not making fun.

Quite the opposite in fact.

I’m soooooo happy. Very happy. Overjoyed.
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I actually know quite a few people who have a doggie stroller in their life, and all who do are sincerely happy with their purchase. They are the ones who gave me the idea in the first place, long ago.

This amazing contraption and piece of complete and utter materialism was one of the best purchases I have ever made for the life and health and welfare of my precious little angel pooch...

My dog is - sadly - getting older.

Whether I like to admit it or not.

This purchase has been a long time coming. A very long time.

My little sugar plum fairy has had arthritis for many years. She limps, and tries, to keep going. Continually moving. Little things hurt her and if she jumps up a chair or down the stairs wrong she’s in a lot of pain for days. And then she limps more. Thus, her walks are increasingly shorter and shorter. But she loves her daily adventures and loves being outside. As is the life of a dog.
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Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Resort - under construction.
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Going to check out the Hampton Inn.
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‘A Sunday Stroll’ 8x10x0.75 acrylic on canvas
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And really, this whole pandemic “thing” going on in the world is what made me decide to go ahead and just buy the darn thing already.

Cause there’s nothing like a pandemic surrounding a respiratory virus to prove how important fresh air really is.

And our walks must go on. So the first day of this whole crisis that our little creature started limping, once again... was the very day I went ahead and placed the order.

I refuse to have her “stuck” at home just because she couldn’t walk very far. Especially with her humans still out there exercising and walking and getting their fresh air - and the world in crisis… It just didn’t seem right to have to cut the walk short for her, or leave her at home altogether, just so we could go on a very long walk without her.

So I made the executive decision to visit Chewy.com. And I quickly bought what I’m calling her buggy - her new ride.
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Folds, locks, and fits perfectly in the back of a Ford Explorer.
Now Miss Madeline can ride around town in style. And not miss out. On FRESH AIR. That we all need in this life. Plague - or no plague. Because fresh air can do wonders. For doggies too!

So I purchased the Paws & Pals Deluxe Folding Dog & Cat Stroller, in black. The cost was $129.99, plus $9.10 in tax, for a total of $139.09. And yes, you can zip a cat in the netting, allowing them to sit, safely, so they can’t escape! How cool!

Free shipping goes along with any purchase through Chewy costing $49.00 or more. And I set up a free Chewy account while I was at it - so now we can order dog food and medicine and other supplies if needed as well.

I don’t anticipate needing to buy much from the site, as most all of her purchases are made at Petsmart, in person, and not online. But then again, I’m always happy to try out new or different pet suppliers.

And mostly I’m just happy we finally made this purchase for our little angel.

Then the day came when our stroller “finally” arrived to us - with impressively fast shipping actually. And we went on a lovely Sunday morning stroll. And I’m so happy that Madeline absolutely loved her buggy! She walked shorter than her usual route - and slower - and I could tell she was done, tired, in pain. This was when we normally would have gone immediately home. But noooo - not today! Prepared for everything - we finally were!

We plopped our little ball of fluff into her new and comfy seat. We gave her some ice water. And then we continued onward. We walked for a much longer time period. Like - a lot longer. We walked a length that Madeline never would have been able to do and something I usually do all by myself. But this Sunday we were able to do it as a family of three! For the very first time.

So it was a very good Sunday indeed.

And we even made it to The Delicomb - once again. Enroute home on our walk, we just so happened to walk past the coffee shop, and quickly ordered two large lattes to go. You know I didn’t happen to plan things that way, right?

And then, as our lovely Sunday morning stroll was reaching its conclusion, we were headed toward home and sipping our coffee, I saw something blue on the ground. I can’t see for anything, and from a distance I thought it was a piece of trash. But we got closer and I let out a gasp.
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If there is any reason to love Jax Beach that does not include the ocean - it is for all the little things. Yes, these little things. Like rocks! I found another scavenger hunt rock!

People all over town paint rocks in their spare time and hide them - some hidden very, very well - camouflaged and tucked away - and some hidden more so in plain site, sitting out front-and-center - so people like me can actually find them.

And I have never met a painted rock I didn’t like.

And today’s rock was no exception.
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On the front is usually the artistic and painted design. And on the back is usually written who made the rock and/or how to tag it online to acknowledge the find. #jaxbeachrocks on Facebook is the usual group that I tend to find from. But I’ve found some from much farther away too. After you tag online you can then rehide it - so someone else who may just need a rock in their life at this very moment - can also get in on the fun.

And some rocks do not come with a tag and you can keep them for your rock collection if you like. I have a small rock collection going right now sitting in my art studio. They bring me joy every time I look at them. And that is exactly the whole gosh darn point.

Joy.

There is joy in all the little things in life. And whether we like it or not, life is still going on. And we have to keep going. And we have to keep walking too.

I learned a long time ago a very simple equation:

MOVEMENT = LIFE

So even though my little doggie is getting older. I have found a way for her to keep moving. I’ve found a way for her to still get her fresh air. For her to see the world around her. As I breathed in the delicious and heavenly scent of all the flowers blooming around me. I have found a way for Madeline to do the very same. For her to still keep moving and breathing and living. And soaking up all that surrounds her.

And while this societal and economic crisis is affecting the pocketbook to the extreme right now, there isn’t a penny I wouldn’t spend on my little baby to help allow her to have her very best life possible while she is on this Earth. And if buying a doggie stroller allows her to have some more time with us during our day, seeing new things, and going farther on a walk than her four little paws could ever take her, then $139.09 is sincerely worth it to me right now… Plague or no plague.

Since this entire crisis began it has been food and rent. Food and rent. Nothing extra. Nothing extravagant.

But that doesn’t count for Madeline. I would happily even go into deep and severe credit card debt if it meant even the chance of saving her life somehow. So this cost was so worth it to me, and really not even a significant investment in comparison to the absolute joy it brought her - instantly.

If you have a dog. And your dog is older or hurting and in some sort of pain, or injured or disabled. And if you have been on the fence about buying a dog stroller. Or if you have a cat - and always dreamed of bringing them along on a walk. I am here to tell you to go ahead and make that silly and ridiculous and oh-so-funny of a purchase. Yes - it might just be the most comical purchase of your life.

And - It may make a lot of people laugh at you along your walking route while you’re on your Sunday morning stroll.

But guess what - they’re not actually laughing at you - they’re really just laughing with you.

Because it also may just bring your whole family together.

And it may even bring you rocks.

And mostly, it may just bring you some very needed JOY. ~
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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.

*Do you have a doggy stroller? Have you ever considered purchasing one but are on the fence? I’d so love to know your thoughts. Drop me a comment down below:

Also, if you’re enjoying my stories - straight and freshly squeezed from The Sunshine State, check out some more of my other adventures right here:
67] Delicious & Delightful Days @ The Delicomb
65] The Sea Life ~ Happy Easter
64] Stay-At-Home Sunday ~ Palm Sunday
63] Mercy & Comfort
62] PERSPECTIVE @ Seaside Sculpture Park
61] Bean’s Idea List ~ 15 Daily Activities For Well Beyond 15 Days
60] Welcome To Muffin Land ~ The Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry
55] The Shamrock
52] Keeping Cool - And Creamy ~ In Key West
51] Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe
50] Sundays Are For Diners ~ Super Diners
49] A Picture Worth A Thousand Words ~ Happy Valentine’s Day, World
48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia
46] Key Largo, Montego, Baby Why Don’t We Go?
44] Nothing Finer Than Coffee In The Keys ~ The Coffee Plantation Cafe
42] Where Does The Chicken Cross The Road?
41] Minnie The Daschund Mouse & Her Birthday Wish
39] The Very Official & Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020
38] The Year Of The Sweater ~ Bean’s Minestrone Soup Recipe
32] Jolly Holiday In Jarboe Park ~ The Beaches Green Market
31] Tuesday’s On First Street ~ The Jax Beach Art Walk ~
22] Saturday On San Pablo Island
3] The Dog Days Of Endless Summer


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4/17/2020 2 Comments

#67) Delicious & Delightful Days @ The Delicomb

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*Part of - Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge - series

How does one “do” coffee shop outings during a pandemic? In-and-out is the basic and simple answer - in this, our new and current reality.
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After my visit to the Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry a couple weeks ago, plus many recent visits to other local area restaurants for take-out, I knew exactly what to expect when I decided to visit the Delicomb this week. And I wasn’t surprised at all but the sight of my surroundings.
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I’ve been visiting the Delicomb for a few years now. It’s one of my favorite coffee shops in Jax to go inside and soak in all the air conditioning, while sitting in a big comfy, leather chair. As well as to sip a delicious and foamy cappuccino, while reveling in the delightful and coffee-filled atmosphere. And further, to always be surrounded by a bunch of unique and local art on the walls.
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But this time, walking in the shop was very, very different.

There’s something quite sad about walking into an establishment - that is open for business - and seeing all their chairs - hanging, in a frown face and upside down - from the tops of every tabletop. It can definitely bring about the feeling of defeat. The sight of depression. And the imagery of uncertainty - and loss.

And while all I wanted to do was sit down and chat for a while, I knew that wasn’t possible under our surreal and very pandemic of circumstances. By this point of the coronavirus crisis, I’m simply grateful a coffee shop in town still has their doors open. Especially considering that even my beloved Starbucks is currently closed here at the beach.

Located at 102 6th Avenue North, the Delicomb is a charming little cafe, sitting right in the heart of Jacksonville Beach, Florida. They’re open 7am-4pm, Tuesday through Sunday, and always closed every Monday. Situated kiddy-corner from the new Margaritaville Resort - currently under construction - and across the street from the Casa Marina Hotel.
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The Delicomb offers the typical assortment of hot and cold coffees and espresso drinks, all of which are fantastic. I almost always get the large hot latte - as I did on this occasion. And hubby chose the iced latte. We’ve also had the granitas many times in the past - and if you haven’t had one before, I’d highly recommend trying one. They remind me of coffee flavored Frappuccinos, and are perfectly refreshing on a very hot day, and to bring along to the beach.

It was mid-morning when we ventured inside the cafe this visit. We had just finished a long morning walk - a daily act I consider very important and high priority, just as important as the fresh air itself.

So with it being morning, and having not had our breakfast just yet - we each decided to grab a bagel, to go, along with our drinks. Hubby chose the everything bagel and I decided on the whole wheat bagel, both toasted with cream cheese, and both fabulous.
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The Delicomb also has a large selection of sandwiches, açaí bowls, salads, wraps and paninis. I’ve had the scrambled two-egg breakfast sandwich many times in the past as well, and it’s a fantastic grab-and-go hot meal.

And because of the circumstances, we literally did just that.

We grabbed... and we went.
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We grabbed hold of our steaming lattes, and quickly left the shop after thanking the baristas. We could not sit underneath the shaded outdoor patio either, as all the tables and chairs have been removed to follow the current social distancing guidelines. We then sat on the curb and ate our bagels for a few minutes, and then headed home.

Oh, sighhhh.

By this point of the CoVid19 plague we are surrounded by, I’m thinking … Does one go on without coffee? Is life - life - without a coffee bean? Is coffee essential? Are those magical beans a necessary purchase? As I sipped my creamy and steamy hot latte, my answer to all of the above was, and is, yes. And thus, is the reason I’ve been trying to support as many local shops as humanly possible during this critical time period.

It is my sincere hope that you also leave the house… and grab a coffee… To-Go. Get out there and support your local area cafes, coffee shops, and diners. Many are still open and very ready to serve - just in a different capacity than most are used to. Offering take-away, curbside, online pickup, and grab-and-go.

They’re all a big part of what makes any town special. And besides - It’s absolutely imperative that we all get out there and get some fresh air. Pandemic or no pandemic. So don’t y’all forget to go for a walk now and then - or every day, as I do.
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Let’s all breath IN the fresh air of our Mother Nature - and let’s breathe OUT the stress of the news.
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We all can INHALE the aroma of espresso - and EXHALE the worries and thoughts of doom and gloom.
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We can all listen for the sounds of a milk frother - and not for the sounds of sirens in the distance.
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Let’s all say HELLO to those working outside the home all around you - As we all say GOODBYE to sticky, and yucky, and very clingy and needy viruses… Or at least attempt to say goodbye…

And Good riddance…. And… Oh yeah, one more thing - Don’t let the door hit ya’ on the way out, either.

Whenever a hurricane comes to town, all the Floridians always say we’re gonna BLOW it away. No matter what hurricane is headed our way, I tend to think that big and forceful “goodbye” comes with all the strength of all our lungs.

It’s the strength of togetherness that makes one think they can blow a hurricane away, or even the mere wish for it to be gone. As one little blow can snuff out a candle. But it takes a much larger gust indeed, to change the course of a storm.

So we all need to keep fighting.

We all need to keep living.

Even while at home.

Even - Amidst a plague.

Because… life is still going on all around the world.

And because pretty soon those chairs will be right side up once again.

And because - Pretty soon that frown will turn itself around - right here - and in your community too. And pretty soon those seats will really be filled, once again. Because - We all need to keep going. We all need to keep living while we’re alive. And we all still need our very delicious, and indeed delightful, morning coffee. ~
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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.

*Have you been to The Delicomb? What coffee shop are you desperately missing right now? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below:

And to check out the rest of Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge, as well as reviews of various Floridian diners - check out the links below:
9] Sago Coffee: A Cup Of Friendly & Flavorful Florida
16] Beach Diner ~ If You Feed Them They Will Come
19] Another Broken Egg Cafe ~ A Taste Of NOLA @ The Beach
40] Visiting The Florida Cracker Kitchen ~ Jacksonville
44] Nothing Finer Than Coffee In The Keys ~ The Coffee Plantation Cafe
48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia
50] Sundays Are For Diners ~ Super Diners
57] First Watch on the First Coast
60] Welcome To Muffin Land ~ The Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry

2 Comments

4/13/2020 0 Comments

#66) Bean’s Peanut Butter Bubbles ~ A Quick & Easy No-Bake Dessert

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*Part of - Bean’s Baking - series

Attention Bakers: You will get TWO completely different desserts out of this recipe!
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I absolutely LOVE making my very own peanut butter balls. They are such a quick and easy no-bake dessert - perfect to go along with a large family gathering. Or a fabulous dish to bring along to a party, a holiday cookie exchange, as well as simply a little treat at home, that may, or may not, last all week long.
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​And as y’all know what kind of crazy time period we have been living throughout the global pandemic. Plus the 24 hour news cycle endlessly discussing all things coronavirus… being in the kitchen, and making a homemade dessert, can be a thoroughly needed and recommended distraction with the current state of affairs throughout the globe. Honestly, I can’t remember enjoying the entire process of making homemade food as much I did with this dish. These peanut butter bubbles were a sincere and absolute joy to make.
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But, there’s one more thing that I enjoyed even more than making them. And that was giving them all away. For the past few years of baking, I’ve tended to follow an informal rule that I imposed upon myself when making homemade desserts. And that is if I am going to bake, I am also going to share. So every time I now create a doughy and delicious treat, I make a point of passing along to neighbors, friends, co-workers, and lots of others who I am connected with in some way. For this batch of delicious treats, I brought them to work with me.
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I made the treats at home on Holy Thursday, and they came to work with me on Good Friday. They were my Easter Goodies to share with everyone. And I think they went over well… At the end of my shift I went to grab my Tupperware to take home with me and every last Bubble was gone. Sooo happy indeed.
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The highest compliment any baker can receive is a completely empty serving platter.
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I also brought along to work the painting I’ve attached below, as a gift to a coworker. A few days prior she had brought in little Easter goodie bags for every employee, complete with the traditional green grass, candy, and plastic egg. It immediately inspired me to paint this for her in return.
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'A Perfect Pair'
I hope you enjoy making your very own batch of peanut butter bubbles. If you have little ones around the house, get them involved in the process. They can easily become dough rollers, chocolate dippers, or sprinkle spreaders. And in return, they’ll learn to love and appreciate the process of making homemade goodies.

As for me, I don’t have little ones in the house, but my little baker’s assistant diligently managed the entire process for me from the sidelines. 

So next time you are looking to turn off the news, and turn up the sweet fun, go ahead and position yourself in the kitchen. Open your pantry and pull out your jar of peanut butter, turn off the news - and turn on a podcast, and get baking. And don’t forget to share! ~
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Ingredients:
2 sticks of butter - your choice - salted or unsalted.
6 cups of confectioners sugar - powdered sugar.
I full jar of peanut butter - we mostly use Peter Pan Creamy.
1 large bag of Nestle Tollhouse semi-sweet chocolate chips. For me, the chips melt quicker, easier and more thoroughly than full bars of chocolate.
1 tsp canola oil - or a bit more if needed, to help melt the chocolate.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
1/4 tsp salt.
Sprinkles - the miniature dot sprinkles work well here since the finished product is pretty small.
1 bag of pretzels - any shape - we used stick pretzels.

Directions:
-Dough-
Mix the peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt in a large mixing bowl. I mix by hand. The dough will take a while to get the stickier consistency. Add ingredients in slowly.
Add butter - melt in the microwave if needed for roughly 20 seconds.
Place a large sheet of parchment paper onto a large baking tray.
Rolls into balls by hand.
Place peanut butter balls on the covered baking tray.
Keep balls separated.
After all balls are rolled, go ahead and slide the tray into the refrigerator. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper. Cool for roughly an hour or so.
Once dough is cooled, proceed with the final chocolate dipping stage of the process.

-Dipping In Chocolate-
Put 2 cups of chocolate chips in the microwave - for 20 seconds.
Remove and stir.
Add canola oil to the chocolate.
Microwave again for 20 seconds.
Remove and stir.
Potentially microwave again for another 20 seconds - a third time repeating the process. Stir again. Until you get a liquidy, chocolate consistency.
Wait a few minutes for the chocolate to cool ever so slightly.
Start dipping each peanut butter ball into chocolate. Use a fork if necessary. Use a toothpick to slide the chocolate covered ball off the fork and back onto the parchment paper lined tray.
Sprinkle each ball immediately after coating in chocolate so that the sprinkles glue themselves on.
Place the completed Peanut Butter Bubbles back in the refrigerator for about an hour to cool off and solidify.
Share and enjoy!

Dessert #2
Chocolate Covered Pretzels:
You will most likely have leftover melted chocolate after you are finished with the above process. While all the ingredients are still out, and all the dishes are already dirty, now’s the time to pull out that bag of pretzels sitting in your pantry. Dip each pretzel into the chocolate - sprinkle if you want - and line up each dipped pretzel on a piece of parchment paper, same process as above.
Cool and enjoy this easy sweet and savory treat!
Share with the world - and enjoy. ~
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Author: 

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.

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*Do you have a favorite go-to, quick dessert recipe that you use to bring along and share at parties? I’d love to know. Also, let me know if you make this recipe? Drop me a comment down below:

Plus - Here’s a few of my other dessert recipes to go ahead and check out:
30] Bean’s Sugar Cookie Recipe ~
25] Don’t Google It, Just Do It ~ Christine’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

And if you’re a big fan of spending time at home, and cooking homemade meals from scratch in the kitchen - I’ve got some fabulously delicious recipes for at-home dinners, right here:
58] Bean’s Corona Kickin’ Chicken
51] Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe
47] Bean’s Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnut Recipe ~ A Super Food For A Super Sunday
43] Bean’s Bold Beef Stew Recipe ~
38] The Year Of The Sweater ~ Bean’s Minestrone Soup Recipe
10] Bean’s Soulful Southern Chili

0 Comments

4/10/2020 0 Comments

#65) The Sea Life ~ Happy Easter

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Easter Morning: 2020.

It will be very, very different this year.

Most years past, after our move down south to Florida, Easter Morning has become a wonderful and tropical tradition… and always, at the beach.
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We’d wake early - as usual.

Make a fresh pot of coffee - as usual.

But then, not, as usual…

I’d pop a tube of highly processed, cinnamony, and sugary goodness into the oven. As the rolls of spiced dough rise in the heat we’d get ourselves ready for a day in the sand. Surf and turf. And pure fun.

As the heavenly scent of cinnamon wafts throughout the apartment in windy swirls, combined with the fresh, salty, ocean breeze floating through the patio door. And coffee beans - doing their thing. We then ready our beach bag and grab our umbrella. When all is packed up and ready to go, and the buzzer finally decides to ding, I then proceed to slide the Easter Morning breakfast treat out of the oven. Something that costs a mere couple of dollars, but brings forth great and priceless joy.

In the final step of preparation, I then glide the spatula over the cinnamon rolls and spread the most delicious frosting atop. Standing in the kitchen, I watch as the ice cold frosting melts over the slope of a doughy mountain. And then, finally, the frosting completely melted, meeting in its final descent, gently hitting the baking tray. And with that act, it is our que to leave.

It’s then off to the beach for our Easter Morning. To sit and gaze at the ocean. To take in all the beauty of the sea directly in front of us. Stretching all the way out to the horizon. No end in sight. What’s past that line nobody really knows.

Going to the beach is something we do all the time. But on a holiday - it’s just all the more special. And all the more peaceful.

Hubby plants the umbrella into the sandy floor. We lay out our beach towels. And our doggie sitting between us nestled in the shade. And we swim. And read. And listen to podcasts and music. And mostly, we just drink coffee.
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But Easter in Florida will definitely be very, very different this year.

The beaches here are closed to the public. Wrapped up with police tape. Barricaded. Coned off. Caution and warning signs abound. Parking not allowed. To help stop the Coronavirus spread, of course.
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So, while there may be coffee, and while there may be cinnamon rolls, and while there may be frosting. There will be no surf and turf.
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But knowing all that, one thing is still very, very certain. While they can most certainly close the beach, and can do so fairly easily I might add. There is no front door to the ocean. There is no window they can shutter and latch to prevent us from taking a look. And they certainly can’t throw away the key.

So while it may be in everyone’s best interest that the beaches remain closed this spring, the sea is still sitting out there - doing it’s own thing - very much alive and breathing - and it will be there still, on Easter Morning.

In fact, I tend to think the Sea and all the life within it, are kinda, sorta, wondering, at this point, where all the humans went? I think, maybe, the ocean is getting a little lonely? The dolphins that swim alongside us… what are they up to right about now? Either that - or the sea is laughing at us and saying, “Good riddance! They’re finally letting me take a nap!”

And it is with that thought in mind that we have been regularly going for our morning walks, still, throughout global chaos. As usual, throughout this pandemic, we take a peak, and glance out toward the ocean - from afar. As we get our cardio in, doggy included, we take a look outward toward the gorgeous and colorful and ever-changing skyline. And the forever distant horizon. While never, ever, crossing over the strategically placed yellow and black police tape. Of course.

And that is what life at the beach is all about, Charlie Brown.

The Sea.

Life. And The Sea.

Life surrounding the sea. On the sea. In the sea. And… looking at the sea. Gazing at the sea. And dreaming of The Sea.

Yes - I’ve lived The Sea Life for a few years now. It’s been over three years since I moved to Florida from the Midwest. Dreaming of the sea, ultimately, brought me to the beach. To San Pablo Island.

And with that milestone, there’s another kind of Sea Life that I’ve been living since my move to Florida. It has also been nearly three years since I was discharged from the Mayo Clinic Pain Rehabilitation Clinic - located in Jacksonville.

There is a cognitive behavioral therapy tool that all of us patients learned as we went through the long and detailed and rigorous rehabilitation program.

It divides our life - the life of an individual living with chronic pain - into three very distinct phases…

The A Life.
The B Life.
&...
The C Life.

And while my C Life is ultimately why you are reading this right now, I wanted to provide you a brief explanation as to how the A and B life have to be lived - in order for a participant in the program to EVER even obtain the opportunity to have a C Life. Their own C Life.

First up is The A Life. And The A Life is just that. It’s LIFE.

The A Life is everything and anything and anybody that came before chronic pain took over the body. The A Life, for me, and for hundreds of other patients, was growing up… it was going to school… it was sports, it was college, it was marriage, it was graduate school… it was first jobs, or many jobs. Full careers. Family. Friends. Parties. Travel. Success. The A Life - was life, itself.

And then, all of a sudden, that darn, no good, very bad day of a B Life came along - and that was a very, very Bad Life indeed.

The B Life enters into a person’s life as chronic pain takes them over. A patient's body succumbs in almost every single way to unrelenting pain. Marriages are lost. Jobs are most definitely lost. Whole careers upended. Some patients even get fired from their life-long career on the very day they choose to take back their own life. To be admitted to hospital.

Money = gone. Even responsible and diligent financial penny pinchers and savers - their financial statuses, quickly changed.

Debts add up. Lots and lots of bills. Bills that can’t be paid. Bills on payment plan. Bills leaving one drowning in paperwork and dollar signs. A feeling that they will never be able catch up. Financial ruin….

All as the patient, and sometimes their family as well, spends every single penny at their disposal on doctors appointments, tests, experimental treatment, lots of travel to specialists, surgeries, injections, miracle creams, potions, lotions, powders, herbs, capsules and tablets. In search of a cure.

Daily life is abruptly changed. All the little things that make up a life. Hobbies are gone. Forgotten in nearly every way. Sports are not even an option. Cooking - gone. Reading - gone. Books sit closed and their bindings collect dust.

Parties - gone. Friends - lost forever. Mental strength. Physical abilities. Exercise. Self care. As chronic pain sets in, as chronic pain takes over… everything else is lost.

And The B Life can be a very long life. The B Life can leave a young 39 year old with a whole lot of gray hair on top of her head.

After the patient has done nearly everything, and lost nearly everything, that tends to be when they find out about Mayo Clinic’s Pain Rehabilitation Clinic. Some kind soul usually refers them. A friend, family member, doctor, or maybe even a quick Google search - a quiet whisper in their ear - informs them of Pain Rehab at Mayo.

And yeah - lots of people really do not even find out about the program I am discussing with you today until they’ve lived The B Life for a very, very long time. And a lot of pain has already been experienced. To the point that it’s all sheer madness of a life to live.

But then… That’s when PRC comes along. The C Life comes along. And The C Life - is a brand new life.

The C Life - is being reborn.

Think of it kinda like a cat…. Just as a cat has nine lives… graduates of the PRC Program at Mayo Clinic have three lives.

Like - no joke. I WAS reborn - at Mayo Clinic. My life WAS saved - at Mayo Clinic. I WAS transformed - at Mayo Clinic.

But it wasn’t a light bulb moment. No one flipped the switch. I wasn’t injected with a shot, vaccinating me into a different realm.

No, nope, nope, nope. That’s not how any of this works.

I had to earn my C Life. Through a lot of hard work on my part.

The C LIfe is a lifestyle choice.

But The C LIfe is, once again, Life itself.

The C Life is about acceptance. The C life is about making peace. The C Life is about discipline. Diligence. Routine. Adaptation. Moderation. Forgiveness. Patience.

The C Life is about faith.

The C Life IS hope.

And, maybe most importantly, the C Life helps a patient to say goodbye… To say goodbye to their nightmare, of a B Life.

And then, to take it even one step further - To say goodbye - for good - even to their A Life.

Yes, that’s correct. The A Life is tossed out the window too.

It is then and really only then that the C Life can become a real and new Life.

We do not look backward in The C Life. We don’t try to meet up with our old selves. We do not try to re-obtain our A Life. We accept that it is gone forever. And we simply accept the new selves we have become. Accepting of our past, and working toward a better future. And work - each day - to build a life around that knowledge.

If a patient fully believes and practices the program… all knowing the C Life Is a lifestyle - and not a magical lotion, potion, prescription, or pill - the C Life can really become a brand new life. A real rebirth. An Easter Resurrection.

The C Life, for me, has been truly life-changing. Just as it was meant to be. Just as I allowed it to be. And. Just as I continue to allow it to be every single day.

I’ve been practicing The C Life for nearly three years… It’s lifestyle - not a cure. It’s hard work - and not the waving of a magic wand.

And, The C Life is not perfect. In fact, there may be newer, stranger, or more horrible nightmares of problems that crop up in The C Life. Maybe even more so than in either The A Life, or The B Life. And I say that to be honest. But with great confidence. Because even with pandemics, massive contagions, and disruption of the entire world order, The C Life - can still be a fabulous life.

And anything, anything at all, can be accomplished living The C Life.

Despite all obstacle.

Despite any challenge.

Despite a roadblock, clearly sitting directly in front of a person.
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The world is at the fingertips of the discharged patient - from the very first day they exit the Program and walk out the hospital doors for the final time. Life - is waiting for them as they enter their third life. Their new life.

The C Life has brought me more joy and happiness than I ever thought possible.

The C Life has stopped me from waiting… Waiting….. To LIVE.

I now am fully alive. Even today. In the midst of the world’s largest global crisis of our lifetimes. Yes, amidst the apocalypse of this plague. This global pandemic. Every day is still special to me. Every day I am grateful. And every day I am truly alive.

As we all continue in this, our strange and new kind of life. As everyone on Earth, right now, is also going through a transition of life. And, as Easter Sunday arrives on our doorstep.

Churches, for the most part, remain closed. Family and friends will not be meeting up, from afar, to celebrate the special Sunday. Most of us, throughout the entire world, will be having our Easter dinners with only the members who reside in our immediate households.

And while we cannot have the beach, and we cannot look out at the beautiful sea - as we sit in the warm sand - we can all still have each other. While we are all far apart.

Yes, there will be no beach on Easter Sunday this year... That is - Unless Dr. Fauci goes on television sometime between when Christ dies and when Christ has risen - and then proceeds to tell us that it is all now safe, let’s open up the world again! But something tells me he won’t be saying that any time soon.
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Yes, Easter Sunday will be very different this year.

And with some supply chain disruption, there may not even be those highly coveted cinnamon rolls.

But there will be people sacrificing. For the good of humanity. And for the continuation of life itself.

I saw in the local Jacksonville news the other day that an administrator at Mayo Clinic Jax is now accepting letters, words of encouragement, drawings, images, etc. They will be sent onward - to all the doctors, nurses, and hundreds of other staff members who make up the Clinic. To thank them. We, the general public, have been asked to pass along our best wishes and support. As Mayo plays a prime role on the front lines of this global war on disease.

Mayo will no doubt be on the front lines of research, studies, testing, and treatment of patients - all in the CoVid19 fight.

It’s basically like this - As one of the most amazing humans on Earth always says, “We’re number one!”

All kidding aside though - They really are number one.

And yes - they saved my life. They brought me back into the world. And they lifted me up when I needed it the most.

My experience at Mayo Clinic has given me my C Life...

As I started my first job outside the home in a decade. As I’ve now completed road races, a half marathon, traveled, met countless amazing people, and various other opportunities I never thought humanly possible. Countless milestones and achievements I never thought would be available to me, merely a few short years ago.

But the most important part of what Mayo gave me really is my overall brand new life. The different life. The one that is in no way at all part of my A Life or my B Life. All the countless new doors that have opened. All the boats I’ve hopped on board - to float on out toward that distant horizon line in the vast and open sea.

As I volunteered.

As I fell completely and madly in love with Art.

As I started my own Etsy Shop, Website, Lifestyle Blog, and Art Studio. As I fell in love with writing.

As nothing is impossible to me now. As there is no limit to where all my dreams may take me next.

As Christine’s Floridian Dreams was dreamed up - because of them - because of Mayo.

Doing all things new. With confidence. Doing what was never completed in the A or B Life. Yes, I am truly living The C Life. Even amidst a global pandemic.

In fact, I actually tend to think that it is because of Mayo Clinic that I am simply plugging along, no big deal, throughout this sci-fi, apocalyptic life we all now find ourselves within.

When I graduated from the Program. I had a whole lifeline of tools at my disposal. Tools I have diligently utilized each day of my C Life. Tools I am continuing to use - right now - through crisis.

Life is good. Yes, life is still good. And while there may be crisis. And while there may be death, and horror, and evil, and destruction. There will always be hope.

So, to answer the call from the local news stations. These words of thanks are now my words of encouragement to all the doctors, nurses, and staff - as they fight on the front lines. As they battle the evil virus. As they fight for humanity. As they give hope to countless others. As they change lives each and every day. And as they continue to - right in the middle of a plague.

As they give countless patients a new life. With each deed, word, and action:

THANK YOU.

You’ve got this. And we are all here with you.

Yes, this may be a very different Easter.

All throughout the world. And even right here in Jacksonville, Florida.

And, rightfully so - There may not be the beach. There may not be surf to ride upon. There may not be men with metal detectors walking up and down the shoreline - looking for shiny coastal treasures. There may not be little children collecting shells, and building sand castles next to the tide pools. There may not be a grown woman with graying hair sitting out on the beach with cinnamon rolls, hot coffee, and a doggie sitting beside her in the sand.

But there will always be life. There will always be hope. There will always be faith. And, there will always be good people doing God’s work - each and every day. And maybe, and most importantly, floating out there on the horizon line… with a door that never closes and most certainly never locks, just waiting for that next someone to step out and push themselves off the sandy floor, onward and outward toward their next high and mighty adventure… forever unknowing of what truly lies ahead… The Sea Life. ~
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*Happy Easter to Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Florida.
Thank you - for everything.*

*This painting, titled - “The Sea Life” - is being donated to the Pain Rehabilitation Center at Mayo Clinic Jax - and will be hand delivered, in person… Whenever we can all see each other, once again - In real life.*

[Editorial Note]: I am not a doctor. And I don’t pretend to play one on TV either. This article and personal story is not medical advice or a prescription in any way. But - if this post reaches you because you are living in chronic pain. If you found this article because someone thought it may be screaming YOU. If you were referred here by others who thought you might benefit from this story. Let this reading be that whisper in your ear - informing you of possibility. Know there is always hope. There are people everywhere - on all corners of this globe - who know how to help you. Never give up. The people and place that helped me are referenced within this publication. The main phone number to Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida is 904.953.2000. Go ahead and pick up that phone of yours. Punch in the numbers. And help yourself - by getting help from others.

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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.

Hey - you - over there. If you’re looking for more stories of hope, inspiration, faith and optimism, check out the links below:
64] Stay-At-Home Sunday ~ Palm Sunday
63] Mercy & Comfort
62] PERSPECTIVE @ Seaside Sculpture Park
61] Bean’s Idea List ~ 15 Daily Activities For Well Beyond 15 Days
59] REACTION ~ To World War 19
55] The Shamrock
51] Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe
49] A Picture Worth A Thousand Words ~ Happy Valentine’s Day, World
48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia
42] Where Does The Chicken Cross The Road?
41] Minnie The Daschund Mouse & Her Birthday Wish
39] The Very Official &. Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020
38] The Year Of The Sweater ~ Bean’s Minestrone Soup Recipe
36] The End Of A Decade & My New Year’s Wish To You ~
34] Merry Christmas ~ And How To Buy For That Person On Your List Who Saved Your Life ~
27] Thanksgiving & Pete’s Bar ~ Not All Resolutions Need Be Fulfilled On January First
26] Deck The Chairs ~ BE THAT CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THIS OUR VERY OWN AND SHAREABLE WORLD
24] In Real Life ~ My First Visit To A Southern Living Idea House
23] Faith ~ And Life Lessons Learned Living With Wild & Untamable Hair
21] Cinotti’s ~ And Why Life Is Too Short To Not Eat Donuts


0 Comments

4/5/2020 0 Comments

64) Stay-At-Home Sunday ~ Palm Sunday

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‘Palm Mirage’
Palm Sunday...

2020.

A day of hope.

A day surrounded in happiness.

A day to rejoice.

A day full of celebration.
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‘St. Madeline making palm frond crosses on Palm Sunday 2020.’
And…

A day of sacrifice.

A day of sorrow.

A day clouded in sadness...
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While the palm is representative of royalty and welcoming and celebratory achievements and victories…

At the same time of all the rejoicing…

Jesus already knew what was coming for Him.

He foresaw it all.

On Palm Sunday.
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He rode into the Holy City, victorious, but entirely in peace.

And this act was paralleled by His own somber thoughts at the very same time.

Jesus knew the events taking place on Palm Sunday would ultimately lead to His upcoming death. His Crucifixion.

He knew His arrest was imminent. He foresaw it all.

He knew He would die. He foresaw it all.

But…

He got on the donkey, and He rode into Jerusalem anyway.
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‘Minty Fresh Palm Frond’
The courage.

The confidence.

The sacrifice. And knowing that sacrifice was for all of us. Even though we did not know it.

The fiercely strong and bold and thick palm leaves all touching the donkey’s paws on the walk throughout town.

People waving the branches toward Him. And He - feeling the winds of the palms.

All while knowing.

Of the upcoming sacrifice.
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Palm Sunday is definitively representative of this Palm Sunday 2020, in many, many ways.

And Holy Week itself.

We have been told these weeks may be some of the toughest of our lives. We have been told of uncertainty. We have been told there will be death. We have been told to hang in there. And maybe most importantly… we have been told to put our foot on the gas pedal during the hardest time...

And to Keep Going.

Jesus sacrificed for us. For the people at the time, yes. But for all of us. And for an infinite number of people - still - into the unknown future.

When people wonder…

Where is God today?

Amidst all the death and destruction?

He lives among us. All of us.

As we all sacrifice something, in some way - today.

Work, finance, careers, family, friends, hobbies, school, health - Life as we know it, itself.

We are all sacrificing today to help rid the world of an invisible evil.

All, in our own ways.

But - All - doing our part.

We don’t know what the future holds - as Jesus did. So we have to have faith. And keep going.

Because Jesus did know what was coming for Him - and He still kept going.

Because we don’t know what is coming for us - but we need to keep going.

Because the more we keep going - the stronger we become.

Because as Jesus knew what was coming forward into the future for Him - He still moved forward.

And just because of that, and in spite of not knowing what lies ahead, we must also live, and move forward, all while UN-knowing what is to come for us in the future.

So let’s all keep going.

Keep celebrating.

And - Keep living.

Surrounded by fear. Surrounded by mystery. Surrounded by death. Surrounded by questions and zero answers. Surrounded by unknowing. We have to keep living.

It will only make us all stronger.

So when you question WHY?

Why did this happen? Why did it happen to us? What is going to happen? What will become of us?

The non-answer is the answer.

No one knows.

But we just keep going.

And in turn, fear goes away. Even if you try to guess what your future holds. You will not be afraid. You will go forward. You will continue in celebration.

And you will then celebrate today.

And you will continue to rejoice today.

And you will be surrounded in happiness.

And you will have hope. And you will have faith.

This Sunday… This Stay-At-Home Sunday. Holy Week.

2020. ~
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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.

For more stories, thoughts, poetry, and then some, check out these other entries, right here:
63] Mercy & Comfort
62] PERSPECTIVE @ Seaside Sculpture Park
59] REACTION ~ To World War 19
55] The Shamrock
51] Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe
49] A Picture Worth A Thousand Words ~ Happy Valentine’s Day, World
48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia
42] Where Does The Chicken Cross The Road?
41] Minnie The Daschund Mouse & Her Birthday Wish
39] The Very Official & Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020
38] The Year Of The Sweater ~ Bean’s Minestrone Soup Recipe
36] The End Of A Decade & My New Year’s Wish To You
34] Merry Christmas ~ And How To Buy For That Person On Your List Who Saved Your Life ~
28] The Scent Of Christmas in the Air
27] Thanksgiving & Pete’s Bar ~ Not All Resolutions Need Be Fulfilled On January First
26] Deck The Chairs ~ BE THAT CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THIS OUR VERY OWN AND SHAREABLE WORLD
24] In Real Life ~ My First Visit To A Southern Living Idea House
23] Faith ~ And Life Lessons Learned Living With Wild & Untamable Hair
21] Cinotti’s ~ And Why Life Is Too Short To Not Eat Donuts
18] Sea & Sky Jax Weekend ~ Fun In The Florida Sun, Sea, Sky & Sand
6] Nine Eleven: Before & After
2] 3 Wows Plus 1 Piece Of Magic I Experienced At Jacksonville, Florida’s Cummer Museum Of Art & Gardens


0 Comments

4/3/2020 2 Comments

#63) Mercy & Comfort

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“Comfort”
It was a September Eleventh kind of day,
But in a very different kind of way...

Eighteen years ago - the sky so perfectly blue,
Now all those years later, we face a brand new truth.

And while it was now much more cold, cloudy, and gray,
And there were whirling tornadoes all throughout the day.

It was also the very same kind of day,
In many ironic and fateful ways.

It was New York City once again as Ground Zero;
And it was all of us - once again - who have to be the real heroes.

As many on Manhattan Island once again died,
The Comfort came into port and once again tied.

It was a day we watched the death toll continue to rise.
It was a day soldiers all over heard the battle cries.

Another day no planes flying through that Heavenly sky,
We all shook our heads and wondered... Why?

As we all looked up out the window from our sheltered homes,
Way up toward that big and Celestial Dome.

It was a day where the country once again pulled together,
And our first responders once again ventured

All of humanity, thought, and prayer - toward the Empire State,
As we work together - a team - to change a horrific fate.

It was a day American flags were alive - once again.
It was a day people thought of others - before they thought of themselves - once again.

And once again gone were sports, award shows, tv, and movies,
As we are all called on - once again - to much higher duties.

It was a day our leaders once again guided the country through a horrific battle scene,
As we all continue working together - a United team.

It was a day tears were shed watching the news - once again.
It was a day we were all very afraid - once again.

It was a day no one could stop from coming at us - once again.
It was a day we were hit directly in the gut - once again.

It was my generation's second life-altering and defining event,
Spreading everywhere - the ripple effect.

And it is now a whole new generations first,
As they now look for answers and continue onward in their strange and new search.

And a new generation of humans now know that not everything can be solved,
But that working together as one is as imperative as being involved.

This new generation has now seen that REACTION can be the most important virtue of them all,
As they all hear maybe their very first battle call.

And it was a day once again completely blind to race, gender or age,
And it was a day no amount of money could in any way change.

Yes, we’ve all once again been affected the entire world over,
As this once again changes the entire world order.

It was a day we had to have faith in humanity - again.
It was a day I cried for New York City - once again.

Yes - It was a day very reminiscent and I flashed back
Toward the nightmare of a day - of those horrific attacks.

Eighteen years ago I walked into St. Peter & Paul,
As I heard that Heavenly God’s call.

In a church - doors wide open
and heavy head bent down low

I then prayed - all alone in a pew;
Thinking then of a life forward, and all anew.

I discussed with Him all the horrific death, destruction, and fear...
But Now - church doors all shuttered and tightly closed

I have to resort to talking with God
Head up - while looking in the mirror.

Eighteen years later - He is still right here with me.
Eighteen years later - He is once again in New York City.

And Lady Liberty - still and forever - guiding the prevailing winds
As she, and maybe she alone, knows what is needed to truly win.

Yes - Eighteen years later - It was a day we had to save ourselves - once again.
While Eighteen years later - It is Him I still see - forever, and again.

As He watches over New York City,
And as He watches over us all,

He watches over these United States of America
And he catches every one of us - as we continue to fall.

Yes, it was now a very gray sky sort of day,
And sadly no longer in a perfect blue sky kind of way.

Yes, it was a New York is Ground Zero kind of day
{But Mercy, God and Comfort - still - all around}
As we face a very different - but still invisible - battleground.

Yes - In a very different kind of way...
It was a September Eleventh kind of day. ~
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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.

Check out these other poems and stories for further inspiration, hope, love, faith, humanity, and optimism:
62] PERSPECTIVE @ Seaside Sculpture Park
61] Bean’s Idea List ~ 15 Daily Activities For Well Beyond 15 Days
60] Welcome To Muffin Land ~ The Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry
59] REACTION ~ To World War 19
55] The Shamrock
51] Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe
49] A Picture Worth A Thousand Words ~ Happy Valentine’s Day, World
48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia
42] Where Does The Chicken Cross The Road?
41] Minnie The Daschund Mouse & Her Birthday Wish
39] The Very Official & Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020
38] The Year Of The Sweater ~ Bean’s Minestrone Soup Recipe
36] The End Of A Decade & My New Year’s Wish To You ~
34] Merry Christmas ~ And How To Buy For That Person On Your List Who Saved Your Life ~
28] The Scent of Christmas in the Air
27] Thanksgiving & Pete’s Bar ~ Not All Resolutions Need be Fulfilled On January First
26] Deck The Chairs ~ BE THAT CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THIS OUR VERY OWN AND SHAREABLE WORLD
24] In Real Life ~ My First Visit To A Southern Living Idea House
23] Faith ~ And Life Lessons Learned Living WIth Wild & Untamable Hair
21] Cinotti’s ~ And Why Life Is Too Short To Not Eat Donuts
6] Nine Eleven: Before & After


2 Comments

3/30/2020 0 Comments

#62) PERSPECTIVE @ Seaside Sculpture Park

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Perspective: Of all the vantage points one can view the world from, of all the view points one can believe in - perspective - may be one of the most valuable sights of them all.

CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE ~ CHANGE YOUR LIFE
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It’s vitally important, and maybe now more than ever before for many, to consider your perspective.

Because it shouldn’t be:
What CAN’T you do while sheltering in place? Or, in quarantine, or while practicing social distancing?
It’s definitely much more like this:
What CAN you do?

If you’re stuck at home right now - maybe you’re doing your part to either not catch or spread the Coronavirus...

The question should be:
How can I make the most of the situation I find myself in?
Instead of: What the heck am I supposed to do now?!

And instead of:
Constantly complaining over all the little things?
It should definitely be much more like this:
What little thing can I be grateful for today?

And when we stress over all the INCONSISTENCIES in our life….
All the UNPREDICTABLY...
All the UNCERTAINTIES over the future…

We should instead be focused on TODAY…

To live in the moment. To appreciate our life. To be present in the here and now.

What can we LEARN from today?
What can we APPRECIATE today?
What can we CREATE today?
What kind of ADVENTURE can we go on today?

What SMALL thing, right in front of our eyes - can we turn into our EVERY THING?
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A Sheltie’s Adventure.
When, in your current reality, it may be more like this:
What can I focus on today… to simply make it through the day alive?

You see, in order to make it through a situation successfully, historically, people who survive intact and come out living and breathing on the other end, have focused on the little things. Whether it’s second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, week by week, month by month, and year by year. Focus entirely needs to be on the present moment. And the simple routine of daily life. And then, those simple and small moments, add up to perseverance, add up to survival, and add up to the journey, and to life itself.

And right now, amidst all the uncertainty of the CoVid19 pandemic, many people are stuck at home. Many people are confined and sheltering-in-place. Many people are alone. Many people are bored. Many people are working their behinds off. Many - countless people - on the front lines of this world war, are stressed to the max, while literally putting their lives on the line for others. And many people - whatever they are doing, or not doing - are trying to make it through another day on this, our Earth.

So, as I write about the little things in life - today, I wanted to finally take the time to highlight a very small, and a very special park, on a lovely little street corner in my little beach town.

Yes - There’s a great little park in Jax Beach that you should definitely check out in the future.

And unless you and your area is currently under a shelter-in-place order or official quarantine, etc., my guess is that you’ll still be trying to get some fresh air at some point each day. While making every effort to stay home as well.

We are still going to the grocery store, and picking up take out, and going to pharmacies, and getting fuel in the car. And lots of people are still in need of walking their dogs. And many who are able are going for walks themselves.

So the really great thing about this seaside park is the fact that it has absolutely nothing that you should or need to be actually physically touching in any way. It’s all sculpture. It’s all art. On display. It’s all to look at. It’s all to gaze upon. It’s a great place to safely get some fresh air while you may be practicing social distancing. It’s located directly next door to the Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry. And most importantly, of course, it’s right on the oceanfront.

So, no need to worry about spreading or catching germs while gazing at beautiful art in the fresh coastal air.

Seaside Sculpture Park, located @ 480 1st Street South, in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, really is one of the little hidden gems in this small coastal town I call home.
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I’ve been frequenting this park since moving to Florida. And I have watched the art get changed out many times. Sometimes, the piece of art proudly on display becomes so commonplace and usual and ordinary to life on 1st Street - and blended seamlessly into the surrounding scenery, that when a sculpture gets changed out for something new, there's a fictitious and dramatic or literal uproar in town.

In fact, right now there are Nemo fish on display. And a sea turtle. There used to be a copper looking shrimp, and there used to be a skeleton - that everyone misses. Right now there's a metal looking pipe that looks, to me, just like the Pixar logo lamp. And currently, I’ve become so used to the Nemo fish, that when they leave, I will be the one in an uproar.

Well, not really. But all kidding aside, when the Nemo fish came, I started to call the park the Nemo Fish Park - instead of its rightful and real name. And that’s now what it always will be to me.

Seaside Sculpture Park is run by the University of North Florida. More specifically, the UNF Department of Art & Design. The actual UNF campus is a little bit over the bridge and inland to the west, located very close to the St. John Town Center. UNF has a beautiful and sprawling, vast piece of land that the entire campus sits upon. With swamps and trails and lots of wildlife, all surrounding the campus buildings, offices, and dorms.

And about as many times as I’ve driven past the campus, I’ve visited my Nemo Fish Park about a thousand times more than that.
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My dog also loves the park. And if you’ve got a dog right now in the current apocalypse spreading before us, they definitely still need to get their daily walk in.

So if you’re local, I’d highly recommend checking out this adorable and free park.

And if you’re much farther away, my recommendation is to find the small park in your own town. To think outside the box. And then go ahead and get outside of your own box. And breathe some fresh air into your lungs. In a safe and common sense kind of way. Yes, there are lots of areas on complete lockdown, quarantine, and shelter-in-place, etc. And always heed the warnings of your locality. But if you’re not under direction right now, you should consider stepping outside. Keep your distance. And get in a lovely walk. Maybe to a lovely park.

Because, as you may be cooped up at home, it doesn't mean you still shouldn’t live. And breathe. And feel the sun on your skin.

So, go ahead and get out there. Go ahead and change your vantage point. Go ahead and change your point of view. Go ahead and change your perspective. And go ahead and change your life.

You can keep social distance, you can follow all the guidelines, you can gaze upon without touching, you can breathe in the fresh air, and you can look at all the beauty around you.

Because, maybe instead of:
I’m stuck in the house with nothing to do and nowhere to go.
It can actually be:
Today, I’m going for a walk to Seaside Sculpture Park. And I’ll look at the Nemo Fish, while I look up at the sky. And watch the birds fly overhead. And I’ll see all the other dogs being walked.

Because maybe while Mother Nature certainly can be a beast and an evil villain, she can also most certainly be the true heroine of your own amazing story. ~
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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.

What hidden gem in your town have you discovered since the Coronavirus took precedent over all our lives? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below:

Hey you! Over there! Yes, you - the one with the different perspective… go ahead and check out some more inspirational stories right here:
3] The Dog Days Of Endless Summer
5] The Reef On SR A1A: Worth Pulling Over For
8] It’s Fall ~ In Florida ~ Y’all!
11] Eleven South Bistro & Bar ~~ Supper Club Of The South
18] Sea & Sky Jax Weekend ~ Fun In The Florida Sun, Sea, Sky & Sand
21] Cinotti’s ~ And Why Life Is Too Short To Not Eat Donuts
23] Faith ~ And Life Lessons Learned Living With Wild & Untamable Hair
26] Deck The Chairs ~ BE THAT CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THIS OUR VERY OWN AND SHAREABLE WORLD
27] Thanksgiving & Pete’s Bar ~ Not All Resolutions Need Be Fulfilled On January First
28] The Scent of Christmas in the Air
34] Merry Christmas ~ And How To Buy For That Person On Your List Who Saved Your Life ~
36] The End Of A Decade & My New Year’s Wish To You ~
37] New Year/New 007 ~ Here’s 20 Tips That Will Have You Seeing 20/20 In 2020 ~
39] The Very Official & Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020
41] Minnie The Daschund Mouse & Her Birthday Wish
49] A Picture Worth A Thousand Words ~ Happy Valentine’s Day, World
51] Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe
55] The Shamrock

Plus - if you’re looking for further ways to help you through this Corona Crisis that we find ourselves in right now - check out the below posts for a few more ideas:
58] Bean’s Corona Kickin’ Chicken
59] REACTION ~ To World War 19
60] Welcome To Muffin Land ~ The Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry
61] Bean’s Idea List ~ 15 Daily Activities For Well Beyond 15 Days

And for some more artistic adventures - check out the links below:
2] 3 Wows Plus 1 Piece Of Magic I Experienced At Jacksonville, Florida’s Cummer Museum Of Art & Gardens
14] Finding Trinkets & Treasures @ The Jax Beach Vintage Flea Market
22] Saturday On San Pablo Island
24] In Real Life ~ My First Visit To A Southern Living Idea House
31] Tuesday’s On First Street ~ The Jax Beach Art Walk ~
32] Jolly Holiday In Jarboe Park ~ The Beaches Green Market
48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia


0 Comments

3/27/2020 0 Comments

#61) Bean’s Idea List ~ 15 Daily Activities For Well Beyond 15 Days

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Lately, I have been asked the following question, many times:

“How come you are not worried?”

And my answer is very, very simple:

My foundation.

And what I mean by that is this - my routine. My daily practices. My daily activities. Structure - how I plan, build, and then act out my days.

By building a daily and weekly routine, life can become very simplified. Even the toughest of tasks can be accomplished through small steps, repetitive practice, and routine... And routine maintenance - so to speak.

Building a routine lays a foundation. And continual practice builds an increasingly stronger foundation. And as you will see in bullet number 14 below, a strong foundation can help you through a tough time.

I have been practicing calmness, patience, discipline, determination, and perseverance for so long now, that even these challenging days are far easier to get through than they would have been in the past for me.

Now, when something hits - out of the blue - I can REACT appropriately. I can react reasonably. I can react with health in mind. And that goes for any and all situations. Foreseen, planned for, or very unforeseen.

You see, if you practice not getting angry when someone cuts in line in front of you enough, you won’t overreact when something even bigger happens in life.

If you practice not getting stressed out in traffic, when a two hour traffic jam comes along and surprises you, you’ll treat it like a mini-vacation in your car - instead of a ball of stress and tension and anger.

When you are on the phone and the automated operator tells you to press zero to speak with someone, and you press zero, and they hang up on you instead, after being on hold for 45 minutes, you can simply blow it all off. Dust yourself off. And call again. No big deal.

And I am not in any way trying to compare a global pandemic to the dilemma of sitting in traffic or other minor and petty issues within our communities and society. I’m simply stating if you practice healthy habits, healthy reactions, and practice more patience than you ever thought a human being could possibly have - then you will have a stronger base to fall back on when something even larger attacks you.

And as we are now suddenly living in the midst of a very official 15 Day Challenge set forth by our government. I have once again chosen how to react. I acknowledge that we are at war - with a virus. We are now living changed lives. Every single one of us. I educate myself. I plan. I act. I react. And I act again.

Example: REACTION ~ To World War 19

So, while, as of today, America is on the back end of these initial 15 days, each day is still vitally important that we all follow the guidelines. And, to do all that has been asked of us - with a lot of uncertainty added into our days. And whether we are doing our very best to stay home, or still working outside the home in what the government is considering an essential business. We’ve all changed some aspect of our daily activities at this point.

In order to slow the spread of Coronavirus, every person on this planet has an important role to play. And ultimately the question is this: How will you change your life to do your part? Chances are you are going to follow the guidelines to the best of your ability. This leads to spending time at home, or at least to become very socially distant from one another. For a whole lot of time. Which leads to the need for human activity in the home, plus, the act of being around less people. Instead of - outside and away from home, and thus, interaction with more people.

I’d like to present you with a number of activities that I have long ago since adopted into my lifestyle. Each of these bullet points below has helped immensely in the current situation as I also have adjusted my lifestyle now to help lower the curve. To bend that curve in the right direction. So, whether you're at home, or you’re not - we can’t just SIT there. We need to LIVE - wherever we’re at during these trying times.

Check out any or all of Bean’s List below when you are seeking a way to fill a gap in your down time. When you are seeking a distraction. When you want to react to a situation in a more calm and rational manner. Not everything on this list is for purposes of staying home, sheltering-in-place, or for quarantine, but they are all merely examples of little things.

Little things that can help you in some way of getting through a day.
Small ways of keeping your mind, and your body, occupied.
To keep your brain stimulated.
And to get creativity flowing.
And lastly - to help inspire.
To provide hope.
To light the flame on the fire of your faith.
To keep going.
To march before you feel like it.
To get out of your own way.
To live.
Any day.
And every day.

So, today I present to you - Bean’s Idea List.
​Included are 15 daily activities you can partake in - anytime - anywhere:
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1-Adult Coloring Books
Adult coloring books. If you have not yet tried an adult coloring book, but have had your eyes set upon them - today is the day to finally take action. While bookstores are mostly closed for the pandemic, you can still order books online. Yes, goods are still being shipped. Or, don’t forget to check out the magazine aisle next time you are at a grocery store or pharmacy. Or even the dollar store. They usually have a small section of coloring books and crossword puzzles. It’s finally time to take your colored pencils out of hiding. Dust them off. And give them a job to do.

2-Bullet Journal
Buy one!
They are soooo fun.
Now is the time to try a fun and exciting way to stay organized. I’ve been bullet-journaling for a few years now, and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made for organizing my life. Plus, besides increased organization and efficiency in daily life - I no longer have ten thousand different random notepads, journals, and post-its, sitting everywhere around the house and lying in different bags and purses and atop different counters and desks. Now, everything I write is in one, singular, book. And that book can go everywhere with me if I’d like.

3-Hope
Sometimes, hope - is just about continuing. It is just about continual movement. You may feel like your actions are small. But they are all important. Your actions ripple and inspire many others. Keep living. Keep moving forward. Keep going. By continuing onward, you are being hopeful. Optimistic. While some of life has to pause, you can still continue in many, many ways. You can still, always, have hope.

4-Gratitude Journal
With hope - comes gratitude. Write daily in your Gratitude Journal. Even if you don’t know what you are doing when you start out on your gratitude journey. Even if you think you have nothing to be grateful for. Even if you think that the thing you are grateful for is silly or a waste of time. Write down that gratefulness.

Here is an example of my gratefulness just from this morning:
Today, I am grateful for the ability to support local workers who still have a job.
Today, I am grateful that my husband and I gave a tip to the Barista. Whether I can afford it or not right now, I am grateful to pay it forward.
Today, I am grateful that I went for a walk.
Today, I am grateful for the coastal winds flowing through the sky.
Today, I am grateful for the ability to work, and to work with a large, hot, very delicious coffee filling my tummy.
Today, I am grateful for the beautiful blue sky.
Today, I am grateful for the palm trees growing outside my window.
Today, I am grateful for the beef stir-fry meal I am preparing to make for dinner at home tonight.
Today, I am grateful to get my uniform ready for a very long shift at work tomorrow.
Today, I am grateful for the job I have to go to tomorrow.
Today, I am grateful for hard work and the opportunity to work hard.
Today, I am grateful for my determination.
Today, I am grateful for patience.
Today, I am grateful for American’s all over the country - who are working together as a team. All doing their part. All doing anything and everything they can, to help.

5-Smartphone Apps and YouTube Videos
Videos are a fabulous distraction. Use them sparingly. But, use them indeed. YouTube is free. For all those who still do not pay or those who cannot afford cable or streaming services just like me, use YouTube to your advantage. Sure, I cannot see all the latest shows. I’ve never seen Game of Thrones, not even once. I’ve never seen The Handmaid’s Tale - even though I’m dying to binge watch the whole series to date. I’ve never seen Baby Yoda in action. I’ve never watched The Crown. And I’ve never seen The Walking Dead either. But, I’m ok with that.

Because, instead, I’m best friends with Adam Hattan, Tim Tracker, Fresh Baked, The Dis Unplugged, and a whole lot more free fun.

If you need something to watch. There’s something out there for everyone. Click on the free app, and find your favorite channel.

6-Cook
Cook - If you don’t like to cook.
Or, if you tell yourself you can’t cook.
Now’s the time to push away all those excuses.
And learn to love to cook.
Be creative with food.
Whip up something delicious.
Be patient with yourself.
Try a new recipe.
Serve a meal to your family that was made inside your home.

For some healthy and hearty and filling meals, check out these recipes below straight from my kitchen to yours:
10] Bean’s Soulful Southern Chili
38] The Year Of The Sweater ~ Bean’s Minestrone Soup Recipe
43] Bean’s Bold Beef Stew Recipe ~
47] Bean’s Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnut Recipe ~ A Super Food For A Super Sunday
51] Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe
58] Bean’s Corona Kickin’ Chicken

7-Contemplate
Sit on your Porch or your balcony.
Rest in your backyard.
Be outside with nature.
Practice breathing exercises utilizing the built-in App on your Apple Watch.
Look around you and be present in the moment.

8-Listen - Mindfully
Turn Off The News - And Turn On A Podcast
Better yet - a new-to-you podcast.
Get outside of your comfort zone and select a subject matter unfamiliar to you. Or an area you’ve always wanted to learn more about, but just never pressed play on. Either way, from crafting, Etsy, politics, sport, fitness, and weight loss, all the way to comedy, the royal family, celebrity gossip, motivational speaking, and conspiracy theories, if there’s a topic in this world, there’s a podcast with the same name. Delve into the app, grow your library, and start challenging your brain in new ways.

9-Media Awareness
Be aware of the media around you. And I don’t just mean the news media. I mean social media.
Spend the effort to get your news straight from the source.
And limit your time on all the social media platforms.
They are all time-suckers folks. They all want to rule your day.
You - rule your day instead.
Live your life offline, instead of online.
There is, of course, a time and place for social media, but most people need to spend far less time on all the social sites than they currently are. I would like to challenge everyone to put the phone down. Live your life. Even if you are at home right now.

Pick up a book - instead of the phone.
Pick up your child - instead of your phone.
Pick up dinner - instead of your phone.
Pick up a vacuum - instead of your phone.
Pick up the laundry - instead of your phone.
Pick up a paint brush - instead of your phone.

Put the phones down - and lift up your life.

9-Give
Give your time.
Give your money.
Give your resources.
Give your talents.
Give your expertise.
Give your EXTRA.
And, give, when you have nothing left to give.
This last suggestion is probably the most important part of giving, in my mind. Whenever you think you have nothing left to offer, that’s when it’s the most important to give more than you think you even have left. When you share with the world, that’s when you receive the greatest blessings in return. So call it selfish if you want, but by giving it all away, you are receiving much, much more.

10-Exercise
Just because you may be stuck at home, does NOT give you an excuse to not participate in physical activity. We all, as human beings, are much better off physically, mentally, and emotionally when we move our bodies. Of course rest has a place. But there is also an imperative space in your day for physical activity. And it doesn’t have to be hard. It doesn’t have to make you sweat too much. You don’t have to be out of breath. It just means to move.

So, toss those excuses aside, and make moving just as an essential part of your day as brushing your teeth currently should be.

EXAMPLE: My experience running the Key West Half Marathon in January 2020.

11-Get fresh air.
If it’s much too cold outside, open the garage door, and soak up some fresh air that way. If it’s a Florida afternoon downpour, go in the outdoor parking garage and soak up some fresh air that way. If it’s a beautiful day, get out there and workout, stretch, sit and read. Any way you slice it though, you should be building fresh air into your day. Even if you have to get creative with the way to obtain that fresh air, make it a daily goal, and start.

12-Read
The benefits of reading are so numerous that I’m not even going to get into it here and now. Read a book. And keep reading.

13-Arts & Crafts
Work on a detailed puzzle. Draw or sketch. Paint a canvas. Sew. Crochet. Knit. The list can go on forever.

Paint rocks and share joy and happiness around town. You can even tag your rocks with your local rock painting Facebook group - and you’ll be part of an ongoing virtual and digital scavenger hunt.

I found this rock just the other night - and I was so darn excited! Thank you to the person who spread this joy to me.

Here are some examples of how I incorporate art, of all kinds, into my life:
2] 3 Wows Plus 1 Piece Of Magic I Experienced At Jacksonville, Florida’s Cummer Museum Of Art & Gardens
12] Paint N’ Pints @ Intuition Ale Works ~ Downtown Jacksonville, FL
14] Finding Trinkets & Treasures @ The Jax Beach Vintage Flea Market
24] In Real Life ~ My First Visit To A Southern Living Idea House
31] Tuesday’s On First Street ~ The Jax Beach Art Walk ~
32] Jolly Holiday In Jarboe Park ~ The Beaches Green Market

14-Routine
Keep your routine. Besides number 15 below, this may be the most important bullet point in terms of its relation to these scary times during the pandemic. Whenever there is abrupt change - of any kind - your equilibrium may become off balance. If you already have a well-established routine - your foundation will be strong. It will become so solid and so firm, that when an earthquake comes, it may only rattle the building a bit, break a few picture frames, and then continue standing for the rest of its life. Without the right foundation, the structure is a lot less stable. And you risk collapse.

So, start today. Build a routine. Start small. Take one step a day. One step a week. However fast or slow you need to build that routine is up to you. But build it. And stabilize it. And provide that routine - with routine maintenance. Use those bullet journals and write it all down.

Routine has done a lot for me. By establishing a dedicated, solid, thick barrier wall of routine in my life, I have accomplished more than I ever thought possible. And all of those accomplishments started with routine, and dedication to that routine. And having the patience to continue moving forward, even when times are tough, are all because of the routine, even when I desperately want to break it.

For examples, check out:
1] Happy Birthday America! ~ 4 Simple Steps To Help You Have An Easy Americana 4th:
7] My ‘Before & After’ ~~ How A Single Act Of Kindness, Lime Bubly, And MyFitnessPal Helped Me Lose 77 Pounds In One Year
17] Fall Flavors ~ Six Simple Steps I’m Taking This Fall To Maintain My Massive Weight Loss
37] New Year/New 007 ~ Here’s 20 Tips That Will Have You Seeing 20/20 In 2020 ~

15-Love
Have faith.
Have hope.
Believe. In yourself. In others. In your team. In your community. In your leaders. In your state. In your country. In the world.
And last but certainly not least, LOVE.

Love yourself.
Love your family.
Love your friends.
Love the creatures you share this planet with.
Love your life.
And - Love your enemy. And what in the heck do I mean by that one? I mean love even your very worst enemy. That simple. Love who you hate. Love the one who you can barely stand. Love the one you disagree with the most. And show that love to them. Every single day. You will become a much happier person if you can put this tactic into practice in real life.

For some good, old-fashioned faith, hope and love - check out the links below:
23] Faith ~ And Life Lessons Learned Living With Wild & Untamable Hair
26] Deck The Chairs ~ BE THAT CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THIS OUR VERY OWN AND SHAREABLE WORLD
34] Merry Christmas ~ And How To Buy For That Person On Your List Who Saved Your Life ~
36] The End Of A Decade & My New Year’s Wish To You ~
41] Minnie The Daschund Mouse & Her Birthday Wish
48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia
49] A Picture Worth A Thousand Words ~ Happy Valentine’s Day, World
55] The Shamrock
59] REACTION ~ To World War 19

So, this sums up Bean’s Idea List for today. I hope you will take some of these ideas to heart, and put them into action in your daily life. Let’s all work together to get through the pandemic that is changing all our lives. Let’s all share ideas. Let’s all share stories. Let’s all give. Let’s all share ways to get through another day. But mostly, let’s all love one another - right now and forever more. ~
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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.

*What new activity have you added to your life during this global Coronavirus pandemic? I’d love to know - let me know in the comments down below:


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3/23/2020 0 Comments

#60) Welcome To Muffin Land ~ The Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry

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*Part of - Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge - series

​Holy cow folks! Here’s my first dining review since the world went ahead and changed on us all… Today, I’ll be visiting an adorable local cafe in Jax Beach. And the only difference between this visit and any other dining review I present you with… is the fact that this is my first review since life as we all knew it imploded before all our very eyes.

Yep, we’ve all been thrown for a total loop these last many weeks. And things are only getting stranger and stranger each and every day. And hour by hour. I’m thinking to myself… Maybe we’ve finally gone through the other side of that Black Hole I constantly theorize about. Or - a wormhole?

Or maybe we’ve even been teleported to the edge of the universe.

And then jumped right over into our real and true multiverse?

Either that, or it’s just another day on this - our good buddy - Earth. Yes, Mother Nature is challenging us. And we are at war - with a virus. Either way, as I’ve said since the very beginning and even before that. I’m still going to live my life. I’m going to be alive - when I’m alive. I’m not going to be afraid. And I’m not going to cower.

Don’t get me wrong - I’m still going to be safe. I’m still going to follow the guidelines set forth by our leaders. I’m simply not going to panic…. And I will keep living my life.

Thus, what I mean is - I’m still going to go about my day. My job outside the home is still open. I work at what the government is now deeming an essential business during this crazy crisis. So I HAVE to leave the home. But I’m extremely happy to do it, and I would be doing it anyway. So in a way, I’m still technically living my “normal” life - while surrounded by much un-normalness. And I’m extremely grateful for my job. Even as things change now by the week, by the day, by the hour, and by the minute. Literally.

And during my shift, I am also grateful now more than ever for my lunch break. And each day on my break, I’ve been trying to support an area business to grab some quick food.

I have one hour to patronize a local drive-thru. I have one hour to get a drink of coffee or iced tea or some drive-thru food or take out, or drop-in-your-trunk food. And then get myself back to work, and back to sweating my behind off.

But like I said - I’m still living. So Sunday Morning in America… I start my day. And I checked my social media as I usually do. I happened to see today's muffin specials at The Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry, located @ 115 5th Street South in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
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This cafe is the absolute cutest place in town. I’ve been before. But I’ve never been during the Apocalypse...I’ve never been during WW19.

So, I’ll give it a whirl, I thought. And better yet, I’ll go, and then tell you all about it. So that you can also consider giving them a whirl on your next morning looking to support a local business, and when you want a fabulous cappuccino too.

So according to Facebook and Instagram, The Muffinry was currently open and inviting us to come on over and pick up some take-out. While indoor dining is not allowed at any restaurant in the state of Florida right now, lots and lots of restaurants, coffee shops, diners, cafes, etc. are still trying to stay alive. They are trying to keep their operations up and running. But most of all and very importantly, they are trying to keep America both alive and fed during this Conona Crisis, and at the same time, keep our spirits up.

The very least I can do is try to patronize local businesses in return. After all, I gotta eat any way you slice my ugly muffin.

So, on this beautiful day at the beach, we went for a lovely walk. The sea mist was beautiful and refreshing. Lots of people out and about walking and biking on the local strip. Countless dogs being walked.

And as we approached The Muffinry, I saw people picking up their order and walking to their cars. The beautiful and picturesque exterior of the cafe is beyond charming. I was so appreciative of everything I saw. Life was happening - still - all around me.

Yes, any day and every day can be the best day of one’s life.

The Ugly Cupcake & Muffinry is housed in an absolutely charming old house. About a block from the beach. And yes once again, their location is beyond priceless.

Surrounded by other homes, condos, sidewalks, and inviting and open parks, with the ocean on the horizon, The Ugly Cupcake has all the feels that perfectly define the local beach community here in Jax.

They have outdoor seating tables and chairs and umbrellas. Now just sitting there - waiting to be used when life is “normal” again. When we can un-social distance ourselves from one another.

The property entryway is lined with a white picket fence post front gate, which welcomes you into their front yard.
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We were greeted immediately, outside at the front porch. They welcomed us inside and said we could come in if we wanted. We went in to pay and their payment Square is just inside the open front door anyway. But they have it set up to pay that you’re “inside” but not inside the building if you don’t need or want to go any further. While we obviously could not eat inside, I have been here many times, and never have eaten inside. The outside is sooo adorable, and besides, it’s Florida y’all. We are always outside anyway.
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Pet-friendly establishment!
Always, such a friendly establishment every time I’ve been - but this day was even better. I was so glad we could chat with them a bit, before continuing on our walk back home. They informed us they have yet to lay off even one employee - as of my visit on Sunday, March 22. And that they are actively donating during this crisis through their newly implemented program entitled “Muffin But Love” - and I just love that.

They are truly helping pay if forward in this great time of need. 100% of the gratuity added to each check is being used entirely to pay it forward. So, if you go, please tip what you can give. They are putting that money to make food to pass on to those in the local community who have been affected by this new and unforeseen crisis, such as business and restaurant and bar workers who have since found themselves abruptly unemployed.

And While The Ugly Cupcake has recently since been restricting their dining to take-out throughout the Corona Crisis, they have still been publicizing daily on their social media about their daily muffin specials. Fresh and very healthy muffins made fresh daily.
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Muffins used to be on display behind this case - but for food sanitation purposes they are not in the back in the kitchen.
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And on a somewhat sad note, according to their social media, starting this week they are closing their doors to customers almost entirely for the unforeseen future of this crisis. They will still be available, but through online order, with pick-ups once or twice a week. As they are trying to do their part to limit interactions and help stop the spread. But on a positive note - this is adaptation. This is the way forward. This is innovation. To stay alive. To stay functioning. We all must change in some way to persevere in an ever-changing environment.

If you’re local during this crisis, please consider this wonderful and friendly and local community small business establishment. The next time you need a meal to go, a meal at home that you are too tired to cook for, or simply need to get out of your self-quarantine for a bit when going to the grocery store or pharmacy. Go ahead and place an online order. Stop by and pick up during the scheduled times they set.

The Ugly Cupcake has lots of other foods beyond muffins. I’ve had it all before. And I’ll be happy to come back and review their hot menu for y’all once their kitchen is open to the public again.
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But for purposes of this visit, we got their basics. We picked up a bag of muffins and two coffees. Specifically, we ordered two blueberry muffins and two double chocolate muffins. I then ordered a large 16 oz. cappuccino and hubby ordered and the large cold brew iced coffee with some really cool coffee ice cubes inside it - the creative way of not having one’s cold coffee get watered down is genius to coffee fans.
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Doggie muffin!
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Blueberry muffin.
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Double chocolate muffin.
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And, of course, because it would not be a visit to the Muffinry without something special happen, they sent us away with a dog muffin as a treat. What a special place in our local community. And as I write this review with joy and love and happiness, I can’t help but feel the sadness still ahead of us through this pandemic. An economic and societal crisis that is really only truly beginning. The ripple effect of everything that has occurred is sending shock waves throughout the world. To receive the doggy muffin during such times touched my heart.

I’ll be back. When they open up again. I’ll be back for a full and thorough dining review - with a hot breakfast out on the porch. Oh yeah - side note - while we could not go upstairs this day due to the statewide indoor dining ban, The Muffinry does have an upstairs, outdoor porch. Breathtaking views await us all at their reopening.

In the interim, if you’re here in town, go ahead and place a take-out order. Help pay it forward to our wonderful and amazing local community when you add gratuity to your check. Say hello. Say thank you. Stop to have a conversation. Remembering all the humans that are part of our shared and beautiful humanity, while you have yourself a very large - and very ugly - muffin. ~
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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.

*Have you been to The Ugly Cupcake? What small businesses are you supporting during this Corona Apocalypse? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below:

Hey there, my fellow cupcake lovers - here’s some more local bakery, diner, and coffee shop reviews for you, all located right here in the Jax, FL area:
9] Sago Coffee: A Cup Of Friendly & Flavorful Florida
*Part of ~ Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge ~
16] Beach Diner ~ If You Feed Them They Will Come
19] Another Broken Egg Cafe ~ A Taste Of NOLA @ The Beach
21] Cinotti’s ~ And Why Life Is Too Short To Not Eat Donuts
39] The Very Official & Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020
48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia
50] Sundays Are For Diners ~ Super Diners
57] First Watch on the First Coast

Plus - check out these other fun adventures below - all from my Floridian Dreams:
2] 3 Wows Plus 1 Piece Of Magic I Experienced At Jacksonville, Florida’s Cummer Museum Of Art & Gardens
3] The Dog Days Of Endless Summer
8] It’s Fall ~ In Florida ~ Y’all!
11] Eleven South Bistro & Bar ~~ Supper Club Of The South
12] Paint N’ Pints @ Intuition Ale Works ~ Downtown Jacksonville, FL
14] Finding Trinkets & Treasures @ The Jax Beach Vintage Flea Market
15] V Pizza ~ The Very Best Pizza In Jax Beach!
*Part of ~ Bean’s Best ~ Award Winner 2019
18] Sea & Sky Jax Weekend ~ Fun In The Florida Sun, Sea, Sky & Sand
22] Saturday On San Pablo Island
31] Tuesday’s On First Street ~ The Jax Beach Art Walk ~
32] Jolly Holiday In Jarboe Park ~ The Beaches Green Market
36] The End Of A Decade & My New Year’s Wish To You ~
40] Visiting The Florida Cracker Kitchen ~ Jacksonville
44] Nothing Finer Than Coffee In The Keys ~ The Coffee Plantation Cafe
45] Dessert First, My Friends ~ Cantina Louie
52] Keeping Cool - And Creamy ~ In Key West
53] Totally Terrific & Tasty Thai @ Blue Orchid Thai Cuisine
54] Um, Open @ Angie’s Subs


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3/20/2020 0 Comments

#59) REACTION ~ To World War 19

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So I went to Publix the other day. And just like any other day… I parked my car in the parking lot, and went inside. And just like any other day, I grabbed a cart. But not just like any other day, there were things I could not buy.

And when my eyes first met up with the bread aisle, I was extremely grateful that I had the foresight to freeze my previously purchased and older loaf. Living through hurricanes taught me as much.

So, I could not buy the bread that I wanted.

I kept shopping.

I could not buy toilet paper.

And, living through hurricanes - did not teach me or forewarn me on that one.

Nope - no one really saw the toilet paper challenge coming our way. Not even those already prepared for days without power and those who’ve lived through many hurricanes.

In fact, there were a lot of things I could not buy. I won’t name them all here, as that is not my point.

My initial point is this - I made do. I adapted. I pushed on. I stayed positive. I shared my ideas with others on how I am coping. I still joked about it all. I remained silly and sarcastic. And I kept talking - despite how differently we all might perceive our new reality.

Because at the same time, there were many items I could buy… many items in my shopping cart. Many items the cashier scanned through their purchasing system. Many items now settled nicely inside my very cold refrigerator and freezer and pantry and medicine cabinet.

You see, how we react to what is placed in front of our eyes, is sometimes more important than what is actually placed before our very eyes.

I did not cry these past weeks. Although I wanted to. I did not give up. Although the thought did cross my mind. I did not fight over perceived differences. I only joked about it all. With sarcasm and humor yes, but truly just joking around. And many others are now doing the same.

I have been in contact with countless individuals each and every day these last weeks. And what I witnessed - has been the absolute best of humanity.

Each person who I speak and interact with is nice. Kind. Optimistic. And yes, scared.

But all of them keep their composure in public. All of them do not want to spread further fear. And panic.

There was another common theme to every person I recently met. They said that people are talking to each other once again. People are civil. People are reaching out to those they have not spoken to in years. And then, other people are responding in kind.

Specifically, people are putting their differences aside. And communicating like human beings again.

At the end of one conversation, one man thanked me for speaking with him.

We took time to pause for a few minutes. We took the time to genuinely inquire about each other’s well being. Any politics and beliefs and religions and all other differences aside. We are speaking to one another. But most importantly we are caring for one another.

And as the conversation with that one gentleman came to an end, he said that this was the best conversation he had in a long time. I said I completely agreed. He went on his way. I don’t know his name. I probably will never see him again. But each person an individual meets and interacts with has the crucial ability to set our future toward a different path. A more optimistic path. If merely, we react to others in a better way.

When I exited Publix, the very first thing that caught my attention while walking to my car was a beautiful dog. One of God’s special creatures. A creature who bestows special gifts onto the living world.

This precious doggy was sitting at attention. He was watching the exit. Waiting for his owner to leave the store. This angelic pup could not be swayed. This canine could not be distracted. He or she only had eyes for his partner in life. He could not be disturbed in any way.

And yes, I did try.

How could I resist? The little cutie pie! I said, “Oh hello!” And then told him how cute he was. I said, your owner will be out shortly.

But, you know what? His gaze never waivered. His look was of determination. His spirit and love - fully alive in his soul. Waiting. Being diligent. And forever faithful.

I said a few more nice things to this adorable little creature and then went on my way. His gaze never once removed. His eyes locked on the front doors of Publix.

As we were loading up the trunk, I noticed the next people coming out of the store. Individuals, couples, families.

Each of them stopped to talk to the adorable doggy.

Each of them wanted a response from the dog - just like I did.

I watched the humans. And I watched the dog...

Each of them saw pure love in a golden hew.

But that dog’s gaze never strayed.

I will not forget that dog. He made such an impression on me. Enough of an impression, obviously, that I felt compelled to take a photo. To capture the spirit in his eyes. To soak in his determination and faith and unwavering love for another human.

These weeks have been a challenge. Not just for me. Not just for those I have talked with. But for everyone.

Every single living human being on this planet is now touched in some way. Touched by a faceless evil.

An evil we are now at war with.

Yes, we are at war - with a virus.

An evil that knows no discrimination. An evil that has destruction in its wake and in its path. An evil that knows no age, no race, no creed, no ethnicity, no sex, no gender, no hair color, no appearance, and certainly doesn’t care whether we look like a million damn dollars, or if we - uh hmmm - could really use a manicure or a hair cut.

No - CoVid 19 does not care. It only cares about eating us alive. It only cares about its own survival. And growth. And spread. And mutation. And adaptation. And to gain even further power over us. To swallow us whole. To suffocate us.

And in order for us to survive against this evil we will have to suffer. And in order for it to be destroyed - we also have to suffer.

You see - we - every single human being - has now been called to action.

We not only have to act. But we have to REACT.

We have been summoned. We have been tasked. We have been deployed.

In order for our evil to be destroyed - it will require the will and determination and action and reactions of every single human on this planet. Not just a single city. Not just a state. And not just a single nation.

This evil requires countries. Nation states. Global powers. The entire world.

We are all called to battle.

Yes, everybody has to sacrifice.

I tend to talk a lot about the following key words:

ACTION

REPETITION

ROUTINE

MOMENTUM

MASSIVE ACTION

And then...

REACTION

And, in the end - It’s always our reactions that win the day.

Or worse off - it’s our reactions that lose the day too.

And thus - the war.

We’ve REACTED to evil many times in the past.

On one very special Christmas during World War I, troops on both sides of the trenches put aside their different causes for a single night. Far in the distance, the songs of Christmas could be heard. Song. And then, once heard, many reacted to the sound of song, and joined in themselves. Soon, trenches were abandoned, and humanity came together. The two sides were no longer at war with one another. They stood in no-man’s land, as equals, and as humans. Sharing their different worlds they lived in. Even speaking one another’s language with each other. Think about that. Their extremely passionate differences put aside, all to make it through a somber time, together.

We reacted to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. And it was a REACTION felt round the world.

And after that bombing, we were told that the only thing we have to fear - is fear itself.

We reacted to North Korean aggression - as they crossed the 38th Parallel, and attacked South Korean sovereignty.

We REACTED once again, to September 11th, 2001. America - invaded - by a foreign enemy. We did not initiate. We did not ask for war. We did not want violence and evil and death and destruction and very horrific terrors. But all those evils came our way anyway - and, thus, we reacted. With the full military and civilian might built and instilled and festering inside our souls.

By coming together.

Yes - We’ve reacted many a time throughout human history.

And we must now react, once again.

American’s must come together.

In fact, the entire world must come together on this one, folks.

Yes, our evil is a virus. Yes, our evil has no face. There are no planes crossing the Pacific in secret, set out for destruction from the sky above. We are not focused on the 38th Parallel dividing line on a map. I am not talking about an enemy so determined to fly a plane - but not at all determined to land it.

Yes, our evil is completely and utterly invisible.

And sometimes, and making this all the more scarier, is the need for awareness in the fact that it’s those invisible evils which are the strongest ones to battle against. They require all our will and force. All of us to be very brave. All of us to sacrifice in some way. And all of our humility.

All of humanity.

It’s sorta like when you’re playing a video game. And then in the final battle scene of each land within the game, you face the evil villain.

Ahhh, that climactic battle scene. With scary music, and scenery, and sounds in the background. All leading you to the horrific villain.

That villain is ruthless. That villain has eyes as red as the devil himself. Sometimes that villain breathes fire.

And burns his opponent.
One life down.
One less life left in the game.

And sometimes, that evil villain inside the final battle scene… literally POPS out of nowhere. Hidden behind a corner.

As you are running up, up, up, sword in hand, to save the Princess in the Castle. You round that final corner, on your way to certain victory, when you are shocked to near death and awe. That evil, red-eyed, fire breathing dragon was invisible. Waiting in hiding. And absolutely and utterly camouflaged into the dark and desolate and dirty brick and mortar of the castle walls. Hiding there. Biding his time. Just waiting for you to come at him. And then… Attack.

You are shocked.
You are down on the ground.
You fall deep into a hole.
Or down a green pipe.
You have to struggle out.
Climb up.
Fighting for air.

HE - EVIL - has the advantage.

EVIL - has the upper hand.

EVIL - is one up on you.

EVIL - caught you off guard.

EVIL - watches you in shock.

And EVIL… waits for your reaction.

Yes, your REACTION.

When you get knocked down, the always and forever question is - will you get up again?

Will you - live to die another day?

Will you - put up the fight of your life?

Will you - hit back?

And ultimately - will you - do all this, while keeping your humanity?

While keeping civility? While following guidelines? While educating yourself about that fire-breathing dragon? How does he live? How does he survive? And thrive? And what is his weakness? What scares him back into the brick and mortar? What burns him to death? What is required for the destruction of his evilness? Because you can’t fight fire with fire, right?

One fire pitted against another in the same small room only makes that fire more powerful and more quickly devouring the entire area. And then - it spreads. Gaining power. Beyond one room. More powerful, more heat, more burn, until it burns the whole house down. Left unchecked with nothing standing, nothing left alive in its path. Eventually swallowing the house itself.

Or - it can be snuffed out. Somehow...

No - you can’t fight fire with fire…

You fight it with water.

You fight evil with life itself.

Our federal government has called us to action.

All of us - living and breathing humans.

The challenge and ask is for fifteen days.

15 days to help change the world.

15 days to react to the summons.

15 days to follow repeated guidelines.

Every one of us is mentioned in this summons.

Every one of us plays a part.

If even one single person did not partake in The Christmas Truce of 1914, the entire spur-of-the-moment event would have ended in carnage and bloodshed and death all around. As soldiers sang Christmas Carols and played cards and swapped cigarettes and talked with one another as fellow human beings, if merely one single person on either side brought out their weapon of war and started shooting - there would be a completely different outcome to that all-important day in The Great War.

And today, we all must play our part too. No one is sitting on the sidelines on this one. No one gets a free pass. No one is going to the penalty box. We are all in play. Whether we want to play or not.

And some roles are quite different from one another. In fact, some roles could not be more different from one another than if we were all sitting in opposing trenches on a muddy and frigidly cold battlefield on Christmas of 1914.

We may feel like we are fighting different battles. But we are all on the same team.

Yes - In order to win - we must come together. We must play our roles on that same team. We MUST wear the same uniform.

All while, I’d say, for most all of us, this has been one of the most challenging times of our lives.

These days bring much uncertainty.

These days bring destruction and loss.

These days bring the feeling of defeat.

And today may feel very hopeless indeed.

But if we all do our part. The hopelessness doesn’t have to win the day.

And our roles vary greatly:

Some of us should stay home.

All of us should social-distance from one another.

Some of us should shelter in place.

Some of us should be completely and utterly and formally quarantined.

And then, on the complete opposite spectrum - Some of us should report to work as usual.

And absolutely none of us should be having the party of our lives right now.

Yes, put the kegs away my friends.

Spring Break will always be there after we weather the storm.

We have been asked to sacrifice.

We have been asked to give - of ourselves - for the sake of humanity.

This is not the time for selfishness in any way.

This is not the time for bickering. This is not the time for politics. This is not the time to give here, but take there.

This is simply a time for sacrifice. Sacrifice of all kinds.

Some of our sacrifice will be financial.

Whether it’s a loss of money, investments, various business opportunities.

Some of us will lose the very job we love. The job we need. The job we rely upon. And then, knowing what’s reasonably coming ahead of us, this loss will happen to many more people than most alive today can possibly comprehend at the current moment. Our society forever changed by this war.

Some of our loss will be social.

And some of our loss will be our education.

A class.

A graduation.

Some will lose out on a magical life experience that can never be fully replicated or replaced in any way ever again.

Some of it will be medical.

Some will postpone elective surgery.

Some very needed and quite necessary surgeries will be gone without.

Patients in urgent need will be triaged.

A disrupted supply chain leading to lack of medicine and a PPE shortage.

Ventilators used at maximum capacity.

Pharmaceuticals on demand.

And some people, sadly, will lose their very lives.

Because there is no war, without loss of life itself.

But,

And there always is a but. And it’s a big BUT.

But If - we do our part. If we play our roles. If we answer our summons, and sign on for duty with all our hearts and energy and strength and determination and will. If we cross the trenches, and come together. Heed the guidelines. Follow the rules set forth by our governments and world leaders. Listen to the scientists. Support our first responders. Pray for our military. Help those who are on the front lines of this battle, all those still needing to be in contact in some way with people who could be infected. Support them, by doing your own part. Fight our own battle and play our own role in this war. And then, after all that, to continue to have faith in humanity.

We then have 15 days…

15 days to help change the world.

Yes, 15 days to bend the curve.

15 days on a path toward destruction of evil.

Who knows where we will be at the end of 15 days? It may be but a single, small step in a larger and grander plan. In a long and drawn-out road map. We may be asked something else of us at the end of 15 days.

I have no idea. And neither do you.

But it is a start.

And I do know one thing.

Our start - our reaction - is imperative to our success.

The bipartisanship I have seen this week has given me hope. And it has given countless others hope as well.

Yes, I have come in contact with many people this week who have said the same exact thing. People are really talking to one another.

The common foes are trying to come together. They are speaking. They are supporting one another. They are working together. They are even praising one another, and asking each other for help.

But better yet - each of the other is actually answering the call to help from their supposed foe.

Yes, I said that right. They are working together, my friends!

And all THAT - is true leadership. THAT - takes courage.

And I know something else.

If they do NOT work together - we will not win this war.

Let’s all put our differences aside. Again, for the sake of humanity.

Let’s all follow their lead.

Let’s all follow the guidelines.

Let’s all do our own part.

Our own part - in this - Our very own World War 19.

As the fire-breathing dragon tries to burn us down with his fire.

Let’s fight back with water.

Let’s all be human again. Let’s all be civil. Let’s all be humorous, and funny, and sarcastic, and just plain silly. Let’s sing together, and let’s laugh together too. Let’s play cards together and speak each other’s languages.

Because we can’t win the war by using fire.

We have to breathe life - into life itself.

And let’s also all be that golden doggy. The precious creature sitting in the back of a golf cart. Watching humanity walk in and out of a grocery store. And as the dog witnesses shoppers stocking up on what goods they can buy, with disappointment and sadness in what they cannot buy. Let’s all have the unwavering faith of this yellow furball.

Sheer will and absolute determination. Forever faithful and absolutely in love. Not caring what others think of his actions. Doing the right thing. Sitting on guard. Not distracted by any temptation. Hopeful and fully believing that at any moment his owner will come walking out the door. A dog - who would give his own life to protect his loved one. Knowing only love, and forgoing all fear.

Facing the world head on. Faith on his side. World War 19 literally happening all around him. Belief and love in his heart. Waiting - desperately, and passionately waiting - to react… to love, coming out the front doors of Publix. ~
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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.

Hey there you fine folks - feel free to check out these other stories down below - yes, right here:
2] 3 Wows Plus 1 Piece Of Magic I Experienced At Jacksonville, Florida’s Cummer Museum Of Art & Gardens
3] The Dog Days Of Endless Summer
6] Nine Eleven: Before & After
21] Cinotti’s ~ And Why Life Is Too Short To Not Eat Donuts
23] Faith ~ And Life Lessons Learned Living With Wild & Untamable Hair
24] In Real Life ~ My First Visit To A Southern Living Idea House
26] Deck The Chairs ~ BE THAT CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THIS OUR VERY OWN AND SHAREABLE WORLD
28] The Scent of Christmas in the Air
34] Merry Christmas ~ And How To Buy For That Person On Your List Who Saved Your Life ~
36] The End Of A Decade & My New Year’s With To You ~
39] The Very Official & Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020
41] Minnie The Daschund Mouse & Her Birthday Wish
49] A Picture Worth A Thousand Words ~ Happy Valentine’s Day, World
51] Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe
55] The Shamrock
58] Bean’s Corona Kickin’ Chicken


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3/16/2020 0 Comments

#58) Bean’s Corona Kickin’ Chicken

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I don’t know about y'all, but I’ve been busy kicking some Corona butt.

I’m still living my life.
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With some amendments, yes... You know - those simple things in life. Like being able to grocery shop in peace. That’s out the door.

Or, planning beyond one dinner out. The door’s been closed on that one too.

And, maybe it's the simple act of choosing what brand of soap or even toilet paper to buy… Something we may usually take for granted, or show zero appreciation to on a daily basis. Yes, choice is kinda, sorta, maybe severely limited on our selection of toiletries there too.
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But regardless of change - I’m still working.
I’m still exercising.
I’m still staying hydrated.
I’m still washing my hands. Funny thing there - I always did wash my hands.
I still have a daily routine.
I still plan.
I still write.
I still paint.
I still cook.
I still eat.
And I still ramble on and on.
So, yeah… I’m still simply chugging along.

I suppose the only real and big difference here is that I’m gonna take that virus, and give it a swift kick in the you know what, and send it packing. I will NOT be scared at all.

And with all these simple and very basic of changes in life happening right now, I know with a hundred percent certainty that there’s one vitally important thing on the above list that is imperative to human survival. And we all certainly don’t need Google or the news to tell us that it is so. And that is food. Cooking. The act of eating. Amidst all the Corona Chaos - we all still need to eat, my friends.

Yes, Corona Apocalypse or not - we all gotta eat y’all.

So today I’m publishing a fabulous and easy and completely one pan dinner recipe. If you’ll be home busting some Corona behind, do it in style with an easy meal. That is, as long a you have some chicken available at your local grocer. Lord only knows we don’t have access to a lot of toilet paper these days, but your store may, possibly, have chicken. Makes sense, right?

This recipe was inspired by the MyFitnessPal One Pan Chicken recipe, with some modifications to suit our tastes. It’s loaded with flavor. Very healthy. And a simple dinner to whip up after a long day of fighting crime - or viruses.

I hope you enjoy making this dinner as much as I did. And I definitely intend on making it again real soon.

In the interim, I’ll keep living. I’ll keep on keepin’ on. ~
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Ingredients:
One pound of chicken - we used legs for this meal.
One pound of fresh green beans.
One small carton of cherry tomatoes.
One onion, chopped or sliced.
A few garlic cloves, chopped.
​One carton of chicken broth.

One tablespoon or so of your favorite olive oil.
Balsamic Vinegar to taste.
Sea salt to taste.
Freshly ground peppercorn to taste.

Directions:
Pour olive oil in a large pan.
Add chicken and start simmering.
As chicken cooks add chopped or sliced onion. Continue simmering.
Let chicken continue cooking.
Add chicken broth.

Add cherry tomatoes and seasoning.
Add balsamic vinegar.
Simmer for 15 minutes or so. Stirring occasionally.
Serve in a bowl and enjoy.
Optional: To really kick things up a notch, to really be brave, to really show Co-vid 19 that you are not afraid, serve this fabulous meal with a bottle of Corona Beer on the side. ~~
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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.

What’s your favorite one pan dinner recipe? What are you STILL doing during Corona Days? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below:

And for more of Bean’s Recipes - check these other delicious meals right here:
10] Bean’s Soulful Southern Chili
38] The Year Of The Sweater ~ Bean’s Minestrone Soup Recipe
43] Bean’s Bold Beef Stew Recipe ~
47] Bean’s Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnut Recipe ~ A Super Food For A Super Sunday
51] Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe

Also, I’d recommend checking out my experience with MyFitnessPal and how it helped change my life:
7] My ‘Before & After’ ~~ How A Single Act of Kindness, Lime Bubly, And MyFitnessPal Helped Me Lose 77 Pounds In One Year


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3/13/2020 0 Comments

#57) First Watch on the First Coast

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A funny thing happened last Saturday night. The Earth went through a black hole, and came out the other side, roughly an hour into the future.

Either that, or we all jumped at once, head first, into Daylight Savings Time.

Ahhh - the time change.

Spring ahead. Bleh Bleh Bleh.

Fall behind. Blah Blah Blah.

And spring ahead, once again... Is it all God’s way of laughing at us? Is he in charge? Or are we? After all, us humans are the silly ones who invented the logistics of changing the clock.

Sometimes I think the whole time change thing is the universe's way of treating the Earth like a snowglobe. Or God - he picks up the Earth, with both his large hands, and gives it a big shake, jostling everything and everybody around. And just to really mess around with us, he does it not only once, but freaking TWICE a year. Then laughs at us. All while watching the snow fall.

Personally, I think the time change is a whole buncha silly nonsense… an outdated notion - and way past its time - no puns intended - sorta concept. In this era of sheer technological innovation, and where lights can remain on all evening and then late into the morning if one wants, do we really need this twice a year time warp? To save light?

Of course some say yes. But more and more people, and many governments included, are stepping onto the #freezetheclock bandwagon. Also - are bandwagons outdated as well?

So…. yeahhhhhh. The time changed. And with that the whole world was thrown for a little loop. Household pets and animals were confused. Babies and children’s routines were abruptly interrupted. Everything changed - once again.

But I can tell you one, little, minor, insignificant detail that for sure did NOT change because of Daylight Savings Time… and that’s food.

Cause every BODY has to eat.

So, we awoke Sunday morning. To greet the new day.

The sun rose at a different time. We watched the shiny and happy orb situate itself in the sky amongst the clouds at a different angle at a different time. We adjusted the digital clock above the microwave to the new, correct time - cause, if you can’t beat em, join em, right?

And, also with that act of stepping into the kitchen… and just like every other morning on the face of this planet, our tummies got hungry. Nope - the time change did not mess with our stomachs, at least. It was then decided that going out to breakfast was going to be a fabulous way to start our new day.

We made the executive decision to finally try First Watch. A daytime, breakfast cafe, headquartered in the Sunshine State. And with locations in 26 states and still growing, we were excited to finally give it a whirl.

So our tummies lead the way.
To the Cafe.
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Apparently the whole world had the same idea as us, as even the hosts and hostesses commented that they were inundated with guests at a different time than they normally are…

Located @ 13470-1 Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville, Florida, First Watch is known as The Daytime Cafe. And with hours appropriately matching the daytime hours in the Eastern Time Zone of the United States, and then closing their doors well before the sun ever decides to set, the slogan makes a whole lot of sense, even if the time change itself doesn’t.

And for those who live an hour behind me in Central time, like Chicagoans, good news is on the way to you - via way of a wormhole.

Chicagoland is set to open its first First Watch in the fall of 2020. Right in one of my favorite suburbs - Oak Brook!

So with hoards of people all going out to eat on Sunday, we had a wait. But we didn’t mind. They had chairs both inside and out for waiting. And menus to puruze to pass the time. I also took note that First Watch has its own cookbook, published and for sale in the lobby. And, of course, I had to check out the bags of coffee for sale to take home. I must admit I was tempted, but did not purchase. After all, I already have a lifetime supply of Folgers back at home. Or do I?
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Once seated in the crowded and friendly and Edison lit dining room, we were both immediately served hot coffee, priced at $2.89 per mug. With the fresh pot then left at our table for our convenience.

And, by the way, I am absolutely in love with the old-fashioned jug our water was served from. I must buy one of the same shape some day.
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I ordered the traditional breakfast with bacon at a cost of $10.99. And it was worth every reasonable penny.

First, there was whole wheat toast topped with whipped butter. Why is bread ALWAYS better in a restaurant?

The bacon was out of this world, and the best bacon I ever ate, other than at The Ice Plant in St. Augustine - Let me know if you'd like me to reinvestigate that place, by the way? All for the sake of the written word of course - and not at all because of the free samples they so happily pass out.

And the potatoes! Don’t even get me started on the potatoes.

Well, ok, here goes anyway.

Did your grandfather cook you fried potatoes with butter and onions when you were a child? Did he allow you to eat samples fresh and hot off the skillet, while they were frying? Did you then consume the whole pan of potatoes and then could easily still eat more? Did you then grow up, and forever miss those fried potatoes you so freely consumed in your youth?

Well, I found us those grandfather-fried-potatoes, folks. Even though my grandfather is now long since passed. Turns out they were sitting right here in Florida all along. Just waiting for me to come find them. Maybe they thought I went into an alternative universe, and it was going to take me seven million light years to find them. But I found them, gosh darn it!

Yes, that’s right. If you’ve been looking for fried potatoes like Grandpa used to make, First Watch is the place to go to. I’ve been to A LOT of diners. And I’ve never had any fried potatoes that tasted this terrific.

And let’s not forget about the eggs.

‘Eggs are eggs.’

As they say on Seinfeld.

All kidding aside, the eggs were fabulous as well. Seasoned and garnished and perfectly scrambled... yes, they are eggs, but better than I could ever make at home.
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And onward to the hubbies plate - he ordered the same coffee and the classic eggs Benedict at a price of $11.79, plus a side of four slices of bacon at $4.89. A picture perfect platter.

Our total check came to $35.80 with tax, plus a tip.
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I would for sure go back to First Watch in a heartbeat. And am already planning to visit the Jax Beach location at my earliest opportunity - located in the Marsh Landing shopping complex. I’d highly recommend you go ahead and plan a visit as well.

If you’re just passing through Jax, you’ll be able to feast on a fabulous breakfast to start your day. And if you’re local to the area, I’m sure you'll want to be planning your next visit as quickly as I am planning mine. But just as quickly as I’d like to jump aboard the next bandwagon on over to the diner, I’d rather just as quickly leave the time change gathering dust behind me. ~
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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.

Have you been to a First Watch? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below.

Also, here’s some more diner reviews for y’all:
16] Beach Diner ~ If You Feed Them They Will Come
19] Another Broken Egg Cafe ~ A Taste Of NOLA @ The Beach
40] Visiting The Florida Cracker Kitchen ~ Jacksonville
50] Sundays Are For Diners ~ Super Diners

Y’all may also enjoy:
39] The Very Official & Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020
48] Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia
54] Um, Open @ Angie’s Subs
55] The Shamrock


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3/9/2020 0 Comments

#56) Shell World ~ Key Largo

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You can’t pass GO without collecting $200 - and you can’t pass through Key Largo without collecting some shells - at Shell World.

Located @ 97600 Overseas Highway in Key Largo, Florida, Shell World - to me - is the single best souvenir shop in all of the beautiful Keys.

While everyone’s driving to get further and further south, I passionately believe it’s also always a good idea to stop while enroute. And that stop can be a small and very brief break, or it can be a much longer one. It can be a lunch outing, an overnight, or something, somewhere in between. But either way, on our travels we always take a break. Get some lunch. Or I’ll do some stretches, and I always get my steps in. I may get a coffee. Or, better yet, I’ll do some good old fashioned shopping… browsing, souvenir hunting. And when shopping is classified as better than coffee, for me, that’s a good store indeed.

On our first trip to the Keys a few years back, we already knew about Shell World and that we were most definitely going to be making a stop there. My mother-in-law had told us about the place, and she had also brought us back a sea urchin from her visit there, which I now have sitting front and center atop my white, antique dresser in my bedroom.

And since our first visit to the store, Shell World has moved locations. They’re now situated in the center medium on the Overseas Highway. Their former location had them placed in the Southbound lanes of the highway - meaning all northbound drivers had to cross over to get to the store. Now, travelers going both north and south bound can access Shell World with equal and greater ease.
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Don’t let its looks deceive you either. Shell World is huge. Housed in a simple and brightly painted building, once inside, it’s a shopper's paradise. I walked and I walked, and I browsed and I browsed. The store just kept going. I’d say allow at least twenty minutes to a half hour inside Shell World - if you love shopping as much as I do. But I’m pretty confident I might have been inside there even a tad longer than that.

You’ll feast your eyes on every type of sea shell you can possibly imagine. Coral, starfish, shark teeth, sand dollars, shells in their natural state and shells that have been painted or otherwise decorated in some fashion, sea urchins, sea glass… the list can go on.
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And that’s just the shells themselves. Shell World is not just one room - it is many, many rooms, all connected in one large building. You can walk and walk, and not see the same thing twice. After checking out all the shells, there are then the typical touristy souvenirs such as tees, sweatshirts and hoodies, bathing suits, flip flops, beach towels and other gear for days in the sun, baseball caps and sun hats.

And I really loved checking out all the jewelry. I spent way too long browsing through it all, and I think the jewelry sucked up most of my time in the store. I’m actually not very sure how I passed it all up - in order to buy a tank top and some shells from the world - apparently the shells were more important to me.

I also purchased a piece of red coral, which was on both my “definitely” and “must buy” lists. And I was really happy with the very comfy and lightweight tank I picked out as well. I then snagged a few postcards, stickers, and a few other unique shells and other finds. All items added up, I spent a total of $57.18 at Shell World. And honestly, I did not even feel too overcharged, only just a bit overcharged, in a place that could easily sell at even much higher prices to brief encounters with endless tourists.
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And now that Shell World has officially become a Keys tradition for me, I will most definitely be going back on my next adventure to Key Largo. Whether I’m just once again quickly passing through the island, I will, at a minimum, be utilizing Shell World to get out of the car, do some browsing, and to stretch my legs. And if I’m once again spending the night on Key Largo, I’ll still stop and do the same. I’d highly recommend stopping in while you’re traveling the Overseas Highway. If you love shopping, you’ll be in a shoppers paradise, while you’re also, literally, in paradise. ~
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Have you been to Shell World in Key Largo, Florida? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below:

Hey - you, over there - feel free to check out these other stories about my Floridian travels, right here. And don’t forget to sign up to be a Sunshine Subscriber while you’re at it, y’all:
13] 2 Pro’s & 2 Cons About My 2 Night Stay - In Celebration, FL
18] Sea & Sky Jax Weekend ~ Fun In The Florida Sun, Sea, Sky & Sand
24] In Real Life ~ My First Visit To A Southern Living Idea House
29] Dinner & A Show ~ The 26th Annual St. Augustine Nights of Lights
40] Visiting The Florida Cracker Kitchen ~ Jacksonville
42] Where Does The Chicken Cross The Road?
44] Nothing Finer Than Coffee In The Keys ~ The Coffee Plantation Cafe
46] Key Largo, Montego, Baby Why Don’t We Go?
52] Keeping Cool - And Creamy ~ In Key West


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3/6/2020 0 Comments

#55) The Shamrock

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One day - a day that started like any other - I was walking the beach. My beach. My Atlantic Ocean. The eastern seaboard of the United States.

Walking along the Atlantic coastline was always the best way to start a fabulous day ahead of me.

It was morning.

Low tide.

Very. Low tide.

I followed the tide lines.

I walked, and I walked.

I had a bag for collecting shells, as I always do.

My eyes - searching every which way.

Looking for shark teeth.

Looking for the best shell God ever created.

Looking, searching… for treasure.

Treasure - of any kind.

And then, NOT just like any other day, I spotted something out of the corner of my eye.

Was it a shark's tooth?

No way, I thought.

It couldn’t possibly be.

I had only come across two shark teeth in three years of Coastal Living.

The odds were against me, greatly.

Or the luck.

So, as I always do, I walked ahead to check out what caught my eye... what was resting amidst the sand. In the seaweed and brush washed ashore. What was resting among all the tiny and shiny shells?

It was a Shamrock.

A clover?

At the beach?

It must have been a fake.

Yes, some sort of garbage, washed ashore from distant lands? Fake, plastic flowers? Of course, I thought. I’ve seen all kinds of one and anothers garbage wash ashore. But that was mostly only after large storms or hurricanes had just passed through.

Today, and all the previous days beforehand, were perfect.

Florida. Winter. Perfect.

There were no recent storms.

I bent over.

I kneeled in the sand and crumbled shells. The skin on my knees pressing onto the rough sandpaper feel of the sand itself.

I examined the specimen before me.

I blinked. Trying to refocus my eyes on what lay before me. The sunlight was now blinding my vision - light reflecting off the sand and water, making my ability to see the details of the clover challenging. I blinked again.

Yes, it was a Shamrock.

And actual living and breathing Shamrock. Resting on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

I reached over to it and I picked it up.

And I was instantly transported to some new and unfamiliar place - very far away from home.

Where was I?

I was so confused.

What just happened?

I was standing inside a Cafe.

People around me, everywhere.

Friendly conversation, at a most peaceful volume. A calming sound of chatter.

Chit-chat.

Every table was full.

All were talking with one another.

Reading books.

Scanning the local paper.

Chatting with the barista.

The building was old, with a low ceiling, and exposed, wooden beams, seemingly holding the roof in place on top of us all.

The semi-large room had a very aged, yet warm, and inviting, heavenly appearance.

Warped, dark cherry red wooden walls. Photos and paintings and drawings and sketches covering most of the empty space along each wall.

Detailed, and shiny baseboards, enveloping all that wood surrounding us. Very dark wood floorboards.

And looking up, I noticed the most gorgeous crown molding I ever saw. Crown molding fit for a grand, old, theater lobby. With another shiny glaze of paint atop that wood as well. Where was the beach? Where was my Atlantic Ocean?

Built-in bookcases intermixed amongst the walls of the shop.

I love books.

I was standing directly in the queue for coffee.

I love coffee.

I looked down.

My left hand held my bag of shells.

Sea shells of the Atlantic coast.

Where was my Atlantic Ocean?

Where in the world was I?

My other hand also held onto something.

Something much lighter.

Still looking down, I looked directly to my right hand.

I slowly raised my hand up.

I uncurled my fingers to see what I felt inside my hand.

I tried to open my fingers - they were in a tight grip.

After much concentration, my fingers finally opened to show me what I was carrying.

I was holding on tightly to The Shamrock.

Slightly shocked and confused at the sight of The Shamrock… I gasped. My body shook with this audible gasp. My hand moved abruptly; and during that shake, it was then that I dropped The Shamrock.

Not even a millisecond had gone by, when,

“You dropped something, Mam,” said a man in line behind me, very politely.

At the same time of his words, he bent down and picked up The Shamrock, for me.

After picking it up, he paused, still bending over.

He was looking at The Shamrock.

The Shamrock cupped inside his right hand.

Still paused.

I thought I heard him gasp? As if in shock?

After a short while, the man finally stood up. I disregarded the gasp I thought I heard him make.

“You better hold onto this very tightly, Mam.”

Huh? I thought. Looking at him, thoroughly confused and unaware.

“You have something very special here... Try not to lose it.”

Still confused, I thanked him for picking it up and giving it back to me.

He handed me back The Shamrock and I accepted it. I once again cupped it in the palm of my right hand.

He smiled. And then I turned forward in line again, my eyes glancing at the menu; but my thoughts on the brief conversation that I just had with a stranger.

Those thoughts were interrupted, when,

“Next.” Said the barista, with a large smile on her face. Looking at me. “What can I get for you today? Would you like to try our Irish Coffee?”

“Yes,” I instantly said.

And then I was very confused, once again, as to how quickly I agreed to a drink I never drink.

“That will be $3.00, please,” said the barista.

I looked down at my hands again.

Where was my purse? My wallet?

I moved my shell bag and hung it onto my right arm; the arm of the hand that held The Shamrock. My right hand gripped tightly on the small and delicate clover. I used my left arm to reach into my pocket. And I pulled out some cash. I felt the cash in my hand and stared at it as I brought the cash up toward the counter. I was as confused about the cash as I was over the sight of The Shamrock in my other hand. I never have cash on me. Ever. Where did this money come from?

So, very confused once again, I dropped the crumpled bills onto the counter.

“Thank you,” said the barista, with a smile.

“Have a seat anywhere you like, and we’ll bring your drink out to you in just a few minutes.”

I turned.

Wondering where I was going to sit because all the tables were full.

In the far corner of the Cafe, surrounded by books, I saw an empty table.

I made my way through the crowded tables and chairs, over to the empty table, and sat down. With a sigh.

There were three chairs at the table. I sat in the corner, middle chair. My back to all the books behind me.

I love books.

I placed my bag of shells onto the wooden chair to my left, next to the crowd of people sitting around me at the other tables. My other hand - my right hand - still held The Shamrock.

For the first time since I dropped the clover while I was standing in line, I let it out of my hand. I delicately placed The Shamrock on the cherry red, round, wooden table. To my right. Next to and facing the window. I looked at it. I stared at it. I looked up. I looked around me.

Everyone around me still chatting. Smiling. Reading books. Flipping the pages of the local paper.

A couple sitting next to me got up to leave. They left a newspaper on the table.

I followed their walk to the front door with my eyes. I was watching them as they were going to leave the shop; but then, they did something very strange...

They didn’t leave the shop.

They simply got back in line.

To order again? Another coffee?

Another Irish Coffee?

Yes, they were waiting in line. Starting all over again.

Why would they leave their newspaper and table for someone else to claim it, if they were staying for another round?

I heard the barista say to them, “Hello. What can I get for you today?” Assuming they were new customers.

“Scones…. coffee….? A newspaper?”

But they had already read the paper. The paper they left on the table.

The paper.

Instinctively, I leaned over and grabbed the paper, but very gently. I laid it atop my table, to the left of The Shamrock. I was, for some unknown reason, treating the newspaper as delicately as I treated The Shamrock.

The date at the very top of the paper read:

March 17

[no year]

St. Patrick’s Day.

Then, under the date, in large black print, the paper read:

Doolin, Ireland.

The Doolin Daily.

Ireland?

What is going on? How did I get here?

I stopped my gaze on the newspaper. I didn’t read even one story.

I stared at The Shamrock. I quickly glanced out the window. Little shops and businesses surrounded me outside.

And beyond the shops, and heading out toward the horizon, there rested, in all its heavenly glory, the Atlantic Ocean. I only saw a bit of salty water, peeking through the buildings and landscape, and the initial appearance of it was very different than it was back at home, but somehow I knew it was my Atlantic Ocean, instinctively.
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I looked around the interior of the Cafe.

I looked at The Shamrock.

I drank my coffee. It was the best coffee I ever had.

I gulped it down until it was gone.

I wanted more.

The barista instantly came over and refilled my cup of Irish Coffee.

I looked up at her, confused.

“Free refills during your length of stay,” she smiled at me, sincerely. Just come on up to the counter if you’d like to try something different.

Free refills?

Luck of the Irish? I pondered in my head.

I watched as the couple who were in queue again placed another order. I was too far away and it was just a tad too loud in the Cafe for me to hear what they ordered. Obviously they were trying something new? They didn’t order Irish Coffee with free refills?

I reached into my pocket for my IPhone. I had to call my husband.

Was I dreaming?

My phone wasn’t there.

In its place was a pocket full of shells.

My phone was not with me here. Inside this Cafe.

I looked at everyone around me, and in front of me. I was going to ask someone if I could borrow their phone. Yet, not one person had theirs out.

They were all either deep in thought, chatting, or reading.

And smiling.

I did not want to bother any of the customers. They were all deeply involved in what they were doing at their own tables.

Never mind about the phone, I thought. I’ll wait a bit. And then, when someone pulls out their phone, I’ll go up to them and inquire to borrow it.

I waited.

And waited.

And I waited.

I sat there for hours.

In the Cafe.

Not one person pulled out a phone.

People came and went throughout this time. But they never really left.

They merely ordered again, and switched tables.

An entire day passed.

But I didn’t seem to mind?

Smiling - saying hello. Saying goodbye. Thanking the barista on the way out of queue.

The Barista - smiling at every patron, on both their way in and on their way out, of queue.

The world around me was at peace, I thought. Inside this quaint little Cafe. A Cafe I didn’t even know the name of.

Only after the entire day had passed did I realize that not once did I ever really physically attempt to actually LEAVE the Cafe myself. I was really and truly enjoying my time in this lovely little coffee shop. I had not tried to leave.

We were now approaching the Golden Hour.

Still soooo, very confused. Hours later.

I couldn’t leave. Yet I also knew I couldn’t stay. I had to get home. My dog and husband would be wondering where I was by this point in the day. Having never come home from my walk along the coast since early that morning.

What time was it?

Certainly, my husband was trying to get in touch with me? Of course. But I didn’t have my phone. I looked around the Cafe again.

No one argued. No one yelled. No one cut in line. Everyone waited their turn - with patience. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their drink, and no one complained. No one crabbed about the taste of their drinks, or about the very friendly, yet somewhat slow, service.

And the Barista just kept smiling.

And yet, still, during all these hours, I hadn’t read anything in the newspaper resting in front of me, except the top header.

Finally, I flipped the paper over and I read the headline on the bottom front half.

It was an editorial story.

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

In large, bold, black, and Times New Roman font, the paper read:

“The Shamrock & The Holy Trinity ~ how the small three leaf clover became a symbol of God himself.”

I put the paper down, once again.

I didn’t read the story.

I didn’t need to...

In the past, I had heard about what The Shamrock symbolizes.

I knew offhand that each of the three leaves represents the following:

The Father.

The Son.

&

The Holy Spirit.

So, I thought about The Shamrock.

And I thought...

I thought about the Cafe. I looked at the Barista, who was still smiling.

I thought about how I could not seem to get up and leave the Cafe.

I was still sitting in this same chair, after hours and hours had gone by.

I looked out the window. The sun was starting to set.

I still could not find a cell phone, I still did not call my husband. But I also just now fully realized that I did not make much of an effort during these past hours to get out of my seat, to walk around the Cafe, or even ask one person if I could borrow their phone. I never actually tried to leave the Cafe. Not once, in all these hours. I was at peace in the Cafe. I enjoyed my time here. A simple and relaxing time. A time and place where everyone was happy. And everyone was at peace with themselves and the world around them. Focused on the present moment. Focused on the here and now.

Not rushing onto their next errand or appointment or other destination, but happy and content to be where they were, presently.

I looked to my left, on the chair next to me. My drawstring bag of shells. I’d like to get them home and put them in the kitchen sink to soak for a while. To wipe off all the excess dirt and sand.

Home.

It was the first time I actually truly wanted and desired to leave the Cafe - to really get back home.

And in that next instant,

I looked up, to my right, and out the window.

The Golden Hour was now upon us.

Shoppers were carrying packages. Paper shopping bags with large handles. Green and gold and shiny bags, with tissue sticking out the top. Themed for the holiday.

Amongst the carefree crowd, I saw a man, and a dog. Walking together. I watched them with the sun back-lit surrounding their shapes. They appeared to me as black silhouettes. Floating in the coastal winds.

They walked closer.

As they inched toward the Cafe and came into light, closer to me and toward my window. I noticed the two silhouettes were my husband and my dog. They had found me! Without a cell phone. Without a text. Without an email. How had they found me, across the world from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean? In a Cafe. In Ireland.

I stood up. I went to gather my things and run out the door. To make my first real and physical attempt to leave the Cafe that day.

I refolded the newspaper and placed it nicely aside on the table, leaving it for the next customer, just as the table next to me had done when they got up hours ago. I picked up my shells. I stared at The Shamrock.

I bent over one last time to pick up the small and delicate clover.

When The Shamrock was in my hand, I looked at it, resting in my palm.

Ready to leave.

And then, I looked up.

My husband and my dog were standing directly in front of me. Inside the Cafe. In front of my table.

Both smiling at me.

“How did you find me?” I gasped.

Smiling back at them.

Breathless.

Shocked.

And thoroughly confused.

“Easy,” laughed my husband.

“They have the best coffee this side of the Atlantic,” he paused.

“And free refills,” he declared. So matter-of-factly.

“Where else could you possibly be?”

He reached for my right hand with his hand. Dog leash in his other hand. The Shamrock was tucked neatly inside my right palm.

He grabbed my hand gently.

The Shamrock now gripped inside both our palms. Both our fingers weaved together, holding The Shamrock securely in place in both our hands.

I wondered if my husband even knew or felt its presence, I thought.

And then I thought - I have a lot to tell him. Even though I had nothing to say really, about my very simple day.

We started walking, headed for the front door. Finally.

Our furry creature barked with happiness. In agreement with our action.

She then easily led the way toward the front door of the Cafe. Guiding our way to an unknown future.

We laughed.

We pushed in unison to open the front door.

It was stuck.

All three of us stopped.

We pushed again.

No movement.

Was it jammed?

All the customers in the shop stopped their conversation, and had their eyes on us.

My dog barked.

The door wouldn’t budge. Was it locked from the inside?

I turned around to face The Barista.

At the very same moment, she said to me, “You have to give it a little kick, and then it’ll open just fine,” she smiled.

So simply. So calm. So matter-of-fact.

All the patrons looked at her as she spoke, and then looked quickly back at us. I thought I saw a hint of confusion in their eyes.

Then, they all turned away. And began chatting with one another again.

My dog barked again.

I said, “O. K.”

And I gave the door a little kick.

It didn’t budge.

But the force of impact hurt my knee.

We both pushed on the door, it wiggled just a bit, and we saw it had some momentum, but was still clearly stuck in the shut position.

My dog barked. Impatient, and ready to walk outside.

So, I stood back just a tad, to gain what little momentum I could, and then pushed forward and kicked my right leg into the door with all my strength.

The door slammed open.

A wave of fresh and salty air rushed into the warm Cafe.

I inhaled. And smiled.

My dog barked again, and this time she kept barking. She was very excited.

All three of us walked out.

Walking forward. Me, having no clue where I really was. But I didn’t care.

Yes, I really could care less. All the confusion stopped as I walked out the door and into the coastal air. I inhaled the salty breeze. I was at peace. I was calm. I was patient. I was so very happy. I knew not what was around the next corner. I knew there were cliffs at the edge of this small town. Cliffs that overlooked the other, unfamiliar, and far away side of my Atlantic... Cliffs that shared the same water as my Atlantic, thousands of miles away.

I saw a sign in a corner window of a small restaurant across the way. Free refills with drink purchase.

The window of the restaurant was warm and inviting and enticing.

Yet…

How would we get home? Where were we going?

And most importantly, where was my IPhone?...

Ahh, hush, I told my brain. I really didn’t care.

I kept walking the pebbled street. My feet heading in the direction of the neighboring restaurant.

I held on tight.

To my family.

And to The Shamrock.~
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‘The Shamrock’

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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.

What do you love most about St. Patrick’s Day? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below:

And, for more stories straight from all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, check out the links below. Plus, you can sign up to be a SunShine Subscriber while you’re at it, ya know:
2] 3 Wow Plus 1 Piece Of Magic I Experienced At Jacksonville, Florida’s Cummer Museum Of Art & Gardens
18] Sea & Sky Jax Weekend ~ Fun In The Florida Sun, Sea, Sky & Sand
21] Cinotti’s ~ And Why Life Is Too Short To Not Eat Donuts
23] Faith ~ And Life Lessons Learned Living With Wild & Untamable Hair
24] In Real Life ~ My First Visit To A Southern Living Idea House
26] Deck The Chairs ~ BE THAT CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THIS OUR VERY OWN AND SHAREABLE WORLD
34] Merry Christmas ~ And How To Buy For That Person On Your List Who Saved Your Life ~
36] The End Of A Decade & My New Year’s Wish To You ~
41] Minnie The Daschund Mouse & Her Birthday Wish
49] A Picture Worth A Thousand Words ~ Happy Valentine’s Day, World
51] Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe


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3/2/2020 0 Comments

#54) Um, Open @ Angie’s Subs

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If you live in Jax Beach, then you’ve most definitely heard of Angie’s Grom… But have you heard of Angie’s Subs??
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Angie, short for Angelo, opened up his first sandwich shop up by the Mayport Naval Station back in the 1970’s. He also owned Angelo’s Pizza & Subs and a few other shops around town over the years, before selling The Grom and Angie’s Subs to the current owner.

And Edward Malin, the current owner of both the infamous Angie’s Grom as well as Angie’s Subs in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, also happens to be currently running for Congress in Florida’s 4th District, on a platform of federal tax reform.

Beyond the potential amendment of the federal income tax being his very passionate and number one campaign platform issue - which would directly affect the paychecks of every working American - Ed also has a vision aimed more locally. Starting right here at Angie’s. And right here at The Beaches.

His aim is to renovate Angie’s Subs into a fairly large and elaborate tourist destination. The plan consists of knocking down the current Sub shop, and rebuilding the property into a three story distillery and barbecue restaurant in its place. And let’s not forget a new parking lot. But Malin promises the original subs will still all be sold, just as they have been for the past thirty years.

And with sub sandwiches on the menu printed with names such as “My Wife Kicked Me Out” and the “Dirty Gringo” I wonder what the menu will look like in the future, residing in a brand new three story building a few years from now... Will the Father Dan still be on the menu? Will out-of-town tourists flock to purchase a Scrippy or El Guapo?

Only time will tell. I do know tourists need to eat while they’re here though. However, all these future changes still have to make their way through the highly bureaucratic city government approval process, and any renovations are not likely to commence for approximately two years.
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In the interim, I’m absolutely in love with the rough and casual, aged exterior of Angie’s Subs. I love pulling into an aged and pebbly parking lot, faded striped lines, and no formality. Beautiful moss covered trees overhanging the old cemetery and little park situated next door. Glancing at the building itself, I could finally take in, up close and personal, the large murals I see every day when driving down Beach Boulevard. And walking up to the old strip mall style building that houses Angie’s Subs, I noted an outdoor seating patio situated under the perfect Florida blue sky, and, by the front doors, one is greeted with old, wooden rocking chairs and benches.
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Once inside, there are paper copies of the menu to take with you on the go, but the menu is also up at the front counter.

And there are two front counters inside. The counter on the furthest left is where customers place their orders, and once taken, patrons are guided to the next counter, to the right, to pay their check.
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After we ordered and paid, we were then free to pick any seat, and our order was brought out to us after it was freshly made. Hot.

And hot they were.
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Ceiling above our booth.
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Hubby.
I ordered one of the subs listed as an Old Standby on the menu: the classic roast beef sub on whole wheat bread, for $6.99.
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Each sub comes standard with mayo, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion and an oil/vinegar mix. I chose to leave off the mayo and the oil/vinegar sauce - alleviating a lot of calories in the process.

And hubby ordered one of Angie’s newest subs - the Angie’s Philly. The Philly is a cheesesteak sandwich that includes steak, italian sausage, mayo, cheese, sweet peppers, onions, and mushrooms, priced at $7.49.
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We also both ordered a bag of their chips, priced at $1.65 per bag, and a drink, priced at $2.50. Our total check was $24.53, plus a tip.

All drink sizes are the same price, so we both ordered a large, since we were paying for it regardless. And because of this single choice, I was then met face-to-face with a literal JUG of free-flowing pink lemonade throughout my meal.

Ummm, I happen to love pink lemonade. So, this is the place for me. Pink lemonade, in a styrofoam jug. A supersized pink lemonade. Enough pink lemonade to feed an army. And free refills. Need I say more? I was in Heaven.

A Sugar-Coated Heaven.

Glad I left that mayo off.
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We both loved our subs. I loved my hot, and custom-made, toasty sub so much that I can easily go back to Angie’s Subs any day. And they’re fast too. So I can do this on my lunch break, and with it not very costly eithe. And not having to worry about time.

And you know what else?

The food I bit into reminded me of Chicago!

And that sentence situated above this one is very, very deserving of the exclamation point I placed at the end of it. As well as deserving of its own paragraph.

Bringing high praise for Angie’s Subs from me. For the mere fact that the declaration and the act of comparing the word “food” and “Chicago” is a complete and utter rarity for me in Florida. What I mean more simply is, the Tastes of Chicago are very, very difficult to find here in the South. Very difficult, indeed.

But I was able to taste Chicago in that sub. Within one to two bites into my meal. I said right away to my hubby that I was reminded of Chicago. I could just taste it in the way the sub was carefully created, and made just for me, and just the way I want. With the quality food and detail placed in each sandwich. It tasted like my sub was thoroughly cared for while it was being produced and before it was served to me. It tasted of passion. A passion for food. And that is something, after living thirty-something years in the foodie capital of the world, is very, very challenging for me to find, outside of Illinois. And apparently something practically impossible to replicate outside the casual and relaxed borders of Chicagoland.

From a Chicago-foodie, this is a large compliment to the Chef.

So, while I may never try the Ten Dollar sub - priced appropriately at $7.65 - or the Minorcan, or the Peruvian, I do know I’ll be back for another repeat order of an extra, extra large pink lemonade, plus an Old Standby.

Yes, I thank you, Angie’s Subs in Jax Beach, for the best sub I’ve had in years. For the best sub I’ve had since living in The Sunshine State. And I will be back. Very, very soon.~
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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.

Ummmmmm, hey, you, over there - check out some of my other local dining reviews, right here - you know, down below:
9] Sago Coffee: A Cup Of Friendly & Flavorful Florida
*Part of ~ Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge ~
15] V Pizza ~ The Very Best Pizza In Jax Beach!
*Part of ~ Bean’s Best ~ Award Winner 2019
16] Beach Diner ~ If You Feed them They Will Come
19] Another Broken Egg Cafe ~ A Taste Of NOLA @ The Beach
21] Cinotti’s ~ And Why Life Is Too Short To Not Eat Donuts
35] Happiest Of Holidays @ Hawkers Asian Street Fare
40] Visiting The Florida Cracker Kitchen ~ Jacksonville
45] Dessert First, My Friends ~ Cantina Louie
50] Sundays Are For Diners ~ Super Diners
53] Totally Terrific & Tasty Thai @ Blue Orchid Thai Cuisine

Have you been to Angie’s Subs in Jax Beach? What’s your favorite sub sandwich? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below:


0 Comments

2/28/2020 4 Comments

#53) Totally Terrific & Tasty Thai @ Blue Orchid Thai Cuisine

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Blue Orchid Thai Cuisine in Jacksonville, Florida, is as lovely and as beautiful as a blue orchid itself. And since our move to The Sunshine State, this restaurant happens to be the very best Thai we’ve found since being Floridians. I highly recommend a visit there; and once you go, you’ll pretty much want to start planning your return visit, right then and there, before your meal is complete.
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Located @ 13475 Atlantic Boulevard, Blue Orchid is the winner of numerous local dining awards, including the 50 Best Restaurants Jacksonville Magazine 2018 Award and the OpenTable Diners Choice 2019 Award.

In fact, being an OpenTable member is the reason I discovered this place originally. I reserve nearly each visit on OpenTable, whether for lunch or dinner - and I earn 100 points in the process. If you’re not yet on OpenTable and you love to dine out and enjoy new culinary experiences, it’s something that I would definitely consider.

OpenTable is a free dining membership program based through an app on your smartphone. Instead of calling the restaurant itself for a reservation, I always reserve digitally through OpenTable. The only requirement being that the restaurant needs to be a member of the dining program. And since my membership began, the list of participating restaurants has only been climbing. Each reservation earns 100 points or more, with some exceptions to that. But the average seems to be 100 points. And once you reach roughly 1000 points (meaning roughly 10 reservations) you can redeem those points for rewards such as an Amazon gift card. But there are many options for reward redemption.

And with the reservation in the OpenTable system, my favorite part is the calendar reminder. Chances are if I call a restaurant, I forgot to write down my time, and thus, forget when my reservation actually is. OpenTable syncs with my iPhone calendar, and sends me reminder texts. It’s nearly impossible to forget that I have a dinner outing upcoming. And I always know the time I need to be there.

So, basically, I always reserve through OpenTable whenever I can. When we arrived for our first lunch outing at Blue Orchid, we were given our requested table - a booth. And that’s another nice feature of OpenTable’s app. If you have a special request… whether it’s a birthday celebration and you would like them to sing to your table, a dietary requirement or allergy, whether you are vegan or vegetarian, whether you would like a table or a booth… all of that can be inserted into your OpenTable profile, and restaurants are extremely good at honoring and taking note of these special requests and modifications for OpenTable members.
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After we were seated in a booth, and enjoyed an amazing lunch on that first visit a few years back, another lovely experience at Blue Orchid was that we met the husband of the husband-wife team restaurant owners of Blue Orchid. Their passion really shows in the authenticity of the surroundings and the dishes on the menu itself. And it was a lovely experience to hear more about their history and how they are so passionate about serving Thai food to the local community in Jacksonville.

We shared with the owner that no matter what town we are visiting, traveling through, or have lived in, we are always searching for the best Thai restaurants to try. And Blue Orchid is at the top of the list. I was blown away enough by that first meal, that we have gone back consistently throughout these last few years of living in Jax.

So on our most recent visit, I really felt compelled to finally share with y’all my love of Thai food, as well as the beautiful presentation, and taste of Thailand, right here at home.

We both chose the lunch special, which is offered regularly Monday thru Friday from 11am-3pm. The special comes with a cup of soup, an entree with choice of protein, and a side of white or brown rice.

On this visit I ordered a delicious cup of their Thai chicken noodle soup to start, and hubby ordered a cup of the tom yum soup. I noted a generous portion of both soups. Sometimes, I tend to get a tiny little saucer cup of soup which consists mostly of broth when served a lunch special at a restaurant. But at Blue Orchid, the soup portion was much larger, and there was a lot more than just broth in the soup. The carrots in my soup were still so fresh I tasted the crunchy texture, but they were not overcooked and not overcooked, but I could tell the veggies were new and recently chopped.
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For our entrees, I ordered the mixed vegetables, priced at $12.00, with beef as the protein option. I selected the side of brown rice - which is a healthier alternative over white rice - and at a $1.00 up-charge, a very common fee that I am used to paying for. Also, I loved the cute little heart-shaped carrot resting atop my rice.

And hubby ordered the garlic and pepper stir fry as his entree. Also priced at $12.00, with a side of the white rice, at no extra charge. The presentation of both dishes was perfection. And we both absolutely loved our entrees. Loaded with savory flavorings from the top of the bowl through to all the delicious juices at the bottom.
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And yeah, I did go home with a box in hand. My leftovers made a fabulous dinner another night. But, it’s a darn good thing indeed that Blue Orchid is close by, and we can come back whenever we’re looking for a Taste of Thailand.

For some of the best Thai food within the very large and vast Duval County, I’d highly recommend a visit, whether you happen to be in the area, or, go ahead and take a drive on over and enjoy a relaxing outing, with all the wonderful flavors of tasty Thailand surrounding you. ~
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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.

Hey there! Go ahead and check out these other dining reviews and Floridian adventures below, all are pulled straight from my Floridian Dreams:
4] The Boathouse @ Disney Springs ~ Disney Dining At Its Best
5] The Reef On SR A1A: Worth Pulling Over For
11] Eleven South Bistro & Bar ~~ Supper Club Of The South
15] V Pizza ~ The Very Best Pizza In Jax Beach!
*Part of ~ Bean’s Best ~ Award Winner 2019
16] Beach Diner ~ If You Feed Them They Will Come
19] Another Broken Egg Cafe ~ A Taste Of NOLA @ The Beach
29] Dinner & A Show ~The 26th Annual St. Augustine Nights Of Lights
35] Happiest Of Holidays @ Hawkers Asian Street Fare
40] Visiting The Florida Cracker Kitchen ~ Jacksonville
45] Dessert First, My Friends ~ Cantina Louie
50] Sundays Are For Diners ~ Super Diners

What’s your favorite Thai restaurant? I’d love to know! Drop me a comment down below:


4 Comments

2/24/2020 0 Comments

#52) Keeping Cool - And Creamy ~ In Key West

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Did you know?

It’s hot in The Keys. Very Hot. But maybe the whole world already knows that?

Yet, just in case you’re planning a trip to Key West, Florida - and haven’t been thinking of the heat while planning that trip. Let this be your reminder…

You WILL want to COOL OFF while you’re there.

And while Key West in the winter is simply perfection on an island. Key West in the summer is hot coals - hot off the grill. Grilling hot dogs over those coals. Flatbread pizza in an open oven. Lava flowing from a volcano. The heat of the apocalypse.

The end of days.

Basically, if you’re just standing around in Key West on a random day in, oh, let’s say - mid-July - then you’ll do almost anything, and I mean anything, to cool off. To stop the sweat from pouring down your face. To stop wiping your brow. To stop drying off the moisture accumulating on your sunglasses, over and over, from the humidity. To see. To live. And to stay alive.

Need.
Something Cold.

Right.
‘Something’ Now.

And that’s where the old-fashioned standby comes in quite handy.

Ice cream.

Or, shall I say? The new-old-fashioned way.

Wicked Lick, located at 335 Duval Street in Key West, Florida, serves an altogether different type of ice cream than anything I’ve ever had before. And, residing straight in the heart of downtown Key West, the location doesn’t get any better than this.
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The unique production of each serving of their cold, creamy and quite cool concoctions are custom-made, and churned in a stand mixer. Yeah - a stand mixer.

While each order really is made-to-order, on the spot, be prepared to wait just a bit. But it’s worth the wait.
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Made with pure liquid nitrogen and custom flavoring put in to the mix, no two scoops and no two cones will ever be quite the same.

Quick service meets personalized service.

The liquid nitrogen, at a temperature of -321 degrees Fahrenheit, instantly freezes what it touches. Anything it touches. And while your ice cream is being prepared and spun and blended in the Florida heat, a magical looking steam flows off the mixer, enveloping the surrounding area.
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I ordered the chocolate, size large - with sprinkles - of course.

And hubby ordered the coffee flavor - medium…. My dessert stomach has always been bigger than his.

As we chose two pretty standard flavors of cream, they had many other unique flavors, both sweet and savory. Like bacon. Bacon flavored ice cream, anyone?
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And as this unique type of frozen fun served to us was very new to me, I would say that there was one thing about this place that was sorta strange to me… and that’s the price. Well, maybe the word isn’t strange, it was more shock.

And yes, the menu was right in front of us, and it was entirely our fault for not really adding it all up ahead of ordering. But, it ended up costing us over $20.00 for two servings of their ice cream. And after being told our total, swiped our credit card and paid, we walked away to find a seat. I reviewed our receipt, as we strolled. At this point we were both slightly shocked that a dessert on-the-go was that expensive. And basically it boils down to this:

For each order, there are two, possibly three or more, charges associated with it. There is the basic ice cream fee, which is the largest charge on the order. Then there is a cup size fee. A medium cup adds a $1.00 fee on to the itemized ticket, a large - $2.00. The third fee added onto our order was for sprinkles. They cost $1.50 per each cup. And we were charged this fee for both cups, despite the sprinkles being added to only one of our orders.

I am used to being up-charged for sprinkles onto an order, as we love going out for cold treats, and I love sprinkles just as much. But I'm not used to paying for sprinkles on an order that was not supposed to have them in the first place. And I’ll assume this was a mistake or oversight on behalf of the store, and not a deliberate up-charge.

But either way, the math boils down to this. After paying $6.50 for a large chocolate. And $6.50 for a medium coffee. Plus a $2.00 charge for a size large cup. Then a $1.00 charge for a medium cup. Then the sprinkle fee at $1.50 - per cup. Plus $1.43 in tax. Our order came to $20.43. Plus a tip we added on after that.

Expensive cold treat.

And, I know. Many would say, well... It's Key West. It’s a small island. We’re tourists. Expect to pay more… Especially on vacation?

Well, we did a lot while on the island. And this outing was the only venture in which the price shocked us as it did. And it happened to be one of the least expensive things we paid for on our entire traveling and road trip adventure early in 2020. And it happened to be the only place, out of everything we did, that we did not desire a return visit. So, while we enjoyed our treat, due to the so-called sticker shock of the receipt, we determined that next time we’d probably be trying a different dessert shop.

However, I only mention this not as a complaint, but to thoroughly and completely honestly review this outing for you. And make you aware of the cost and/or up-charges as you consider your own outings in the Keys - as you may also be considering and factoring in pricing to your outings if you are traveling there.

Regardless of price though, the ice cream itself was still very, very good. It just wasn’t out of this world good, or $20+ good, but it was still very good indeed.

Plus, we enjoyed walking around after our purchase. And we found a lovely little place to sit, and just chill out and enjoy our wonderful and unique surroundings, as we quickly ate our cold treat before it melted. As, yes, maybe when we’re talking about Key West, one other thing might go without saying… It’s a fabulous spot to do some good, old-fashioned, people-watching.

And there’s many options on Duval Street alone for a cold treat. So whether it’s Wicked Lick, or another treat shop, grab yourself a cone or a cup, and cool yourself off. Wipe all that sweat away with a cold one. And enjoy a night out, walking the streets of America’s Southernmost Point. You can’t go wrong on Duval Street. All you need - is The Keys. ~
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Have you spent an evening walking Duval Street? Enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of pure Americana at its finest? I’d love to know. Drop me a comment down below.

Howdy Y’all ~
Check out more of my adventures in the Florida Keys, right here:

42] Where Does The Chicken Cross The Road?
44] Nothing Finer Than Coffee In The Keys ~ The Coffee Plantation Cafe
46] Key Largo, Montego, Baby Why Don’t We Go?

And feel free to check out these other accounts and narrations as well… all straight from my Floridian Dreams:
1] Happy Birthday America! ~ 4 Simple Steps To Help You Have An Easy Americana 4th:
2] 3 Wows Plus 1 Piece Of Magic I Experienced At Jacksonville, Florida’s Cummer Museum Of Art & Gardens
3] The Dog Days Of Endless Summer
5] The Reef On SR A1A: Worth Pulling Over For
8] It’s Fall ~ In Florida ~ Y’all!
18] Sea & Sky Jax Weekend ~ Fun In The Florida Sun, Sea, Sky & Sand
22] Saturday On San Pablo Island
24] In Real Life ~ My First Visit To A Southern Living Idea House
29] Dinner & A Show ~ The 26th Annual St. Augustine Nights Of Lights

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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.


0 Comments

2/21/2020 0 Comments

#51) Life Is Full Of Pasta-Bilities ~ Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe

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You know how life is just a bowl of cherries?
Well, how about how life is just a strainer full of heart pasta?
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Sound good?
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I’ve been making pasta with my own red sauce for years and years now. 20 years to be exact... And pasta always sounds good to me.

And while I’ve never made such adorable heart-shaped noodles to go along with my sauce until this month, I’ve always put a lot of heart into the recipe and the act of cooking it.
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Back during my sophomore year in college, I was able to room and board in the newest dormitory housing style available on campus at that time. Now formally named after a donor to the college, back then the building was simply called “The Townhouses” - and it was, and is, in my opinion, the best dorm on campus of the small liberal arts college I attended back years ago.

So, going from a tiny and basic dorm room during my freshman year, into a suite of rooms connected with a kitchenette inside a shared living room, my second year, I was living the very best life for me at the time. And I loved that dorm as much as I loved my studies there.

The other amazing thing about The Townhouses, was the basement sitting deep underneath it.

The building houses a vast and open traditional basement, set up feeling just like a house. Even complete with a full kitchen downstairs. You know, for all the scratch made meals, Thanksgiving dinners, and home-cooked Sunday brunches that college students make on a regular basis while doing their coin laundry next to the computer lab.

And while that kitchen sat empty and collecting dust much of the year. I was determined to make use of it.

Eager to cook.

And very desperate for a home-cooked meal.

So when I realized one of the benefits of living in The Townhouses was that I was allowed free-reign over that basement kitchen, I knew I wanted to get down those stairs to that windowless basement and make myself right at home.

And, standing there looking at this really fun feature of my dorm, I immediately knew I wanted to do something special.

So, instead of just cooking a simple dinner for one, or two, or for even all my suite-mates, I had this grand and elaborate idea of cooking for the entire cross country team.
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Heart-shaped pasta purchased @ World Market.
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If you’re familiar with cross country and track, then you know about the traditional Friday night pasta dinners that go along with it.

Many such events were hosted by our coaches and assistant coaches, or alums, each and every week throughout the long autumn season of NCAA Division III athletics.

Well, I guess I decided I wanted in on this long-standing tradition and fun cooking festivity and celebration. I had a kitchen... I had a kitchen and I was going to use it.

I told everyone... pasta party at The Townhouses.

And word spread fast.

Not via cell phones.
And certainly not even through simple messaging or texting.
Four years before Facebook was invented.

Literally - just word of mouth.

And, knowing that I had just committed myself to host a team pasta party, I had to get supplies…

With little money - no credit card, or even a debit card yet, and a bit of cash, I went shopping.

I remember buying lots of boxes of pasta noodles. And lots of cans and jars of all that tomato-ey goodness.

With no recipe to follow...

I was getting myself ready to make A.LOT. Of sauce.
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Continue browning.
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Adding the freshly ground pepper and sea salt.
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But before I could start cooking, and become Chef Bean in the kitchen of my dreams, in the windowless basement of a large building, I had to do one more thing.

I probably shouldn’t have told everyone that I was going to be cooking pasta and sauce for them without checking that basement kitchen for supplies… Or even merely for some pots???

Yes, there was a kitchen, but it was only after the informal and casual invite went out that I then discovered there were no pots, pans, mitts, serving utensils. Etc. Something… anything…. essential to the meal preparation - essential to any chef. But all things that a college student on a meal plan would not ever need to be thinking about.

If I needed it to pull off Bean’s Basement Bash with success, it was NOT going to happen at this rate.

I needed to buy a whole lot of stuff.

And I mostly needed a pot...

And so, without access to a car, I was limited to walking distance of the college. And I went shopping.

I was in search of a kitchen supply store.

Naperville, Illinois is part of a small and gorgeous downtown - a very nice, upscale, expensive, and fancy, and wonderful downtown. And while I do very much love downtown Naperville, there’s not much shopping a college student could do there any day of the week.

Knowing I couldn't drive anywhere, I looked up kitchen supply stores closest to me, and found a place called: Williams Sonoma...

Ok? I hope that's really a kitchen store? …..

Never heard of it at the time.

I walked there.

I went inside.

And I immediately knew I was in big trouble.

As my jaw dropped... at the prices….

Of the most beautiful copper pots my eyes had ever seen. I asked if they had anything less expensive? Oblivious, and not knowing anything about the store that I was standing inside.

The price tags sent me away in quite a little hurry. Actually, the price tags practically pushed me out the door and slammed it in my face.

But not before I took one last glance at the shiny, beautiful, and DREAMY copper pots. I stood outside the doors of the shop. Clueless. Shocked. And feeling very, very defeated.

Face to face with breathtaking pots, way over my price range, I said goodbye to Williams Sonoma. I said goodbye to a store that is now one of my favorite stores in any shopping mall it resides within. I may not own much of anything from there, still to this day… but I thoroughly enjoy looking at all the products when out and about. Browsing and dreaming.

And I didn’t know much about copper back then either. I just knew I liked the look of it. It brought back memories of Sunday with my father’s side of the family - the Italian side of my family. Sunday’s meant cooking in big old pots. And copper on the backsplash walls of my Papa and Grandma’s old kitchen - sitting inside their old house in the city of Chicago.

And also to this very day, I have a digital list on my phone, sitting in my notes app, entitled: Bean’s List.

I have lots of lists in my life:
I have Rory Gilmore pro-and-con lists.
I have grocery lists.
Target lists.
To-do lists.
Two Week Plan lists.
Countdown lists.
Pinterest lists...

I have lots of lists.

But my favorite list of all is Bean’s List.

Bean’s List is simply my ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING list. It’s my DREAM list.

It’s random. It’s anything I want to buy. And it’s everything I cannot afford.

It’s goals and wants and desires and dreams.

It’s my fun list.
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And on that list - a list that I used to house on physical paper - sits a copper pot from Williams Sonoma.

Yes, I’ve now wanted a real copper pot for 20 years. 20 freaking years… Since the year 2000, during my sophomore year in college. Since Bean’s first Basement Bash held outside the walls of my family home growing up. Since my pasta party for the cross country team. Since that day I was in literal shock, and since the day my jaw sat on the ground as I dragged myself out of Williams Sonoma. Since the day I goodbye to the kitchen store of my dreams.

That’s how long I have wanted my own piece of copper to place inside my very own kitchen.

A beautiful, shiny, new, dreamy, and very large, copper pot. One that was sitting high up on the highest shelf in the expensive and wonderful Williams Sonoma.

Someday I will get that copper pot.

Even if I have absolutely zero space in my small kitchen to store it. I don’t care. I will sit it out on display somewhere. It can be housed on my stove top for all I care. That way I can stare at it. And dream of parties. Dream of cooking. Dream of cooking for other people. Dream of carb-loading for cross country meets. Dream of my grandparents house as a child. A small kitchen, with lots of food, lots of laughs. Italian Papa cooking the red sauce, Irish grandma talking with us kiddos. And copper hanging on the wall of the kitchen backsplash.

So that’s why a Williams Sonoma copper pot has been on Bean’s List for over twenty years now...

And yes, I ended up finding a pot for that party. And, I ended up hosting the Bash, just as planned. And yes, it was a fun night.

It was so fun that I never forgot that night. That Bash. At a place where any night and every night is a good night for a party - college. That night - was a great night.

And today, I don’t remember how well the food turned out? I don’t remember what ingredients I used in my first attempt at red sauce?

I just remember the joy of cooking. But mostly, I remember the joy of cooking for other people. And wanting for as many people as humanly possible to feast from that pot of sauce.

And that’s why red sauce is such an important meal to me, why we make it all the time, why we love it dearly, and why I wanted to share it with you today... Today - during the season of love… and during the month of Valentines… and red… and hearts. A time for simple - and shareable - red sauce.

But regardless of how many people one is cooking for. And regardless of the size of the pot. And regardless of the brand name of the pot that the meal is being cooked within. In the end, maybe cooking doesn’t have to be about any of that.

Maybe it’s about all the heart and soul that is poured, and grounded, and crushed, and chopped, and heated, and sautéed inside of that pot that really matters the very most.

While the meal may not have turned out perfect, the pot may have been old and scratched - a team of people still showed up to dine and to have some fun together. As they all sat inside of The Townhouses. Thinking about the upcoming run, and maybe even discussing the race taking place the following morning. But probably, and mostly, just chatting about that week’s episode of Dawson’s Creek. Or maybe The Princess Bride was being watched yet again.

And maybe while chatting over prime-time television, somebody was thinking of a pot… A pot made of copper, shiny and new; a large beast of a pot - taking up a lot of space inside the small kitchen of a very small apartment. And maybe while contemplating that shiny pot, the chef was dreaming of all the pasta-bilities yet to come. ~

Bean’s Red Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:
  • 1 large 28 oz can crushed tomatoes/or tomato purée (I used Cento)
  • 1 small 4.56 oz can/tub tomato paste (I used Cento tube)
  • Roughly 1 lb. pasta (any shape/noodle of your choice)
  • Roughly 1 lb. lean ground beef
  • 1 large sweet onion
  • 1 tsp oregano leaves
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp basil leaves
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • Sea salt to taste

Directions:
Sauce-
  • Pour olive oil in pot.
  • Put ground beef in pot and start on a slow simmer.
  • Chop onion in small chunks and place in the simmering pot with the beef.
  • After meat is browned almost all the way, add in the large can of crushed tomato, then add the tomato paste.
  • Next add all seasoning on top.
  • Simmer long and slow, at least a half hour.
Pasta-
  • Fill medium sized pot ¾ way up with water and bring to a boil.
  • Add pasta to the pot.
  • Boil 7-8 minutes, until al dente. Then drain.
Serve-
  • Bowl of pasta with ladle of sauce poured on top.
Share and enjoy! ~
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Find the Sous Chef.

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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

To catch all of Christine’s Floridian Dreams, sign up your email below now.

Do you use any copper pots in your kitchen? I would absolutely love to know. Drop me a comment down below:

Also, y’all can check out these other delicious and comforting recipes from Bean’s Kitchen, here:
10) Bean’s Soulful Southern Chili
38) The Year Of The Sweater ~ Bean’s Minestrone Soup Recipe
43) Bean’s Bold Beef Stew Recipe ~
47) Bean’s Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnut Recipe ~ A Super Food For A Super Sunday

And, if you want to find out more about how I lost a whole lotta weight - completely naturally, and while utilizing the above recipes - plus, tips on maintaining weight loss, you can check out some stuff on all that right here:
7) My ‘Before & After’ ~~ How A Single Act Of Kindness, Lime Bubly, And MyFitnessPal Helped Me Lose 77 Pounds In One Year
17) Fall Flavors ~ Six Simple Steps I’m Taking This Fall To Maintain My Massive Weight Loss
21) Cinotti’s ~ And Why Life Is Too Short To Not Eat Donuts
37) New Year/New 007 ~ Here’s 20 Tips That Will Have You Seeing 20/20 In 2020 ~


0 Comments

2/17/2020 0 Comments

#50) Sundays Are For Diners ~ Super Diners

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Hey there yall!

Happiest of Happy Monday’s to you - each and every one. I hope you had the very best weekend of your life...

I hope your Sunday was: Simply. Swell.

Actually, I hope you ate a delicious ice cream Sundae. On. Sunday.

I hope you got your Sun Daze On. On. Sunday.

But, you know what I really hope???... I really hope and wish that your day was a supercalifragilistic one. On. Sunday.

I hope your Sunday was a full blown expialidocious one. On. Sunday.

And, even if you didn’t happen to devour a delicious sundae - on Sunday - and, even if you didn’t have a long and repetitive song stuck in your head - on Sunday - then I hope you did the very next best thing to that. Sang the very next best song to that. And dined on the very next best thing to that.

I hope you enjoyed a delicious meal. On. Sunday...

On my Sunday, I dined at a diner.

The Metro Diner - to be exact.
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Metro Diner has grown significantly in recent years. And on our busy, yet lovely and leisurely Sunday, hubby and I dined at the Ponte Vedra Beach Metro Diner location. However, there are many locations throughout Jacksonville.

And we’ve been to most of them. Metro Diner is a regular part of our “dining out” experience.

The one and only original Metro Diner, located in San Marco, is the perfect and very quintessential diner. And this diner became so popular that others were built around and throughout Jacksonville. And now, very recently, Metro Diner has spread throughout the entire SouthEast and is growing at a fairly rapid pace.

But San Marco is and remains probably my favorite of their locations. Old trees. Historic neighborhood. Directly next to the gateway to Downtown Jax. Yet, this past Sunday, we stayed on the island, not venturing over the bridge, for anything.

So we chose a Beaches location to dine at. Still the same food. Still the same atmosphere, service, and friendliness. Just a different area of town, very and much closer to home.
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The Jacksonville area Metro Diners are so popular, that Guy Fieri found himself making a stop to Jax, FL. He featured Metro Diner on the popular cable series Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. And that stop in by Guy has only made Metro Diner even more famous.

And while it started out and is known as the place “where the locals eat” - Metro Diner has grown to be a must-visit stop on the list of business travelers, tourists, and spring-breakers, and families young and old, while they are visiting the greater Jacksonville area.

I know that I am always recommending Metro Diner to lots of out-of-town visitors. And I’ve had many a wonderful meal there myself, whether it is just with the hubby, or with lots of friends and family too.

So while I had a leisurely Sunday yesterday, it was also filled with busy and errand-filled tasks that needed to get done.

But, you know what? Life, every day, isn’t just about “getting stuff done.” Running around: doing tasks, and chores, and a list of never-ending errands…. Even if you have an errand-filled day, there’s always room for good food.

And Metro Diner was a no-brainer choice for us. We were in the Ponte Vedra Beach area, and planned lunch out at the Diner while doing my long check-list of things I knew I wanted to get done that day.

I simply added Metro Diner onto that to-do list. And it became a must-do.

And there we went.
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While I love the Jax Beach location; and it’s so close to home. The Ponte Vedra Beach location I might love even more.

The Diner in Ponte Vedra is part of the Sawgrass Village shopping complex. A complex filled with a grocer, a variety of restaurants, lots of clothing shops, a surfboard shop, stationary, treats, and most importantly - a Peterbrooke Chocolatiers. There’s also hotels and other restaurants around back. Including the Sawgrass Marriott Resort. So, while from driving down A1A, Sawgrass looks like it’s just a Publix and a few other things, there’s a lot of other treasures mixed in and behind.

Location, location, location.
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Outdoor patio.
And when you pull in the complex, and drive toward the Diner, if that lot is full, just keep rounding the corner, and there’s an entire, larger, hidden parking lot in the back.

The Diner also has a nice, covered, outdoor patio for dining facing the water in Sawgrass.
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Back of diner.
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And at Metro Diner, when you walk inside, they always thank you for coming in, and say goodbye and thank you on the way out.
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We were seated in a booth of a crowded restaurant during the lunch rush. Not an open seat or table to be had. Families on outings, couples, very large parties, and very small ones too. Metro Diner is the place to be for everyone on a Sunday morning at the Beach. Very crowded. Expect a potential wait if the timing is just right.

And while we were seated immediately and didn’t wait at all, I also easily and immediately chose the lemonade to order, no decision making time needed. I love their lemonade and I almost always it. And hubby ordered the iced tea.
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And, in about two seconds, I chose the French Toast with a side of Bacon.

When my meal was served to me, our lovely server put it down in front of me, and before the plate even hit the table, I already smelled cinnamony goodness. My meal had the scent of a bakery. It was heavenly.

The bacon at Metro Diner is perfect, so I always recommend ordering a side if your meal doesn’t come with it.
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All the Diner’s have a large chalkboard inside, clearly listing the daily specials, and maybe special pies, drinks, deals, or holiday-themed goodies. So, while my hubby always seems to order the Eggs Benedict, he chose the Sunday Special this time around - which happened to be spicy fried chicken Benedict. And the meal came with a generous side of hash browns.
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As is typical in Florida, but not so much so in the winter, it rained while we were enjoying our meal inside, and by the time we left, the rain had cleared and the ground was drying.

We said goodbye and carried on with the rest of our day on the coast. The misty air and salty breeze all-consuming and heavenly, indeed. Over and over I told my husband how much I love a Florida winter day.

And my tummy was full of Sunday goodness.

And my heart was full of gratefulness too.

And my head was full of song.

Yes, inside it a little tune…

And I'm really not quite sure what song was in there???
And I’m not sure where it came from?
Or what the words were?
I just think I recognized it as a little hummm, and a little garbled… and I think it went a little something like this:

Um-dittle-ittl-um-dittle-I.
Um-dittle-ittl-um-dittle-I. ~
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Check out these other delicious and diner-filled stories below, why don’t ya?
16) Beach Diner ~ If You Feed Them They Will Come
19) Another Broken Egg Cafe ~ A Taste Of NOLA @ The Beach
22) Saturday On San Pablo Island

Y’all may also enjoy:
9) Sago Coffee: A Cup Of Friendly & Flavorful Florida
*Part of ~ Bean’s Coffee Shop Challenge ~
11) Eleven South Bistro & Bar ~~ Supper Club Of The South
39) The Very Official & Quite Serious Donut Debate Of 2020
40) Visiting The Florida Cracker Kitchen ~ Jacksonville
48) Love & Donuts In The Air @ Beaches For Australia

Have you been to Jacksonville’s Metro Diner? What’s your favorite Metro Diner location? I’d love to know! Let me know with a comment down below.

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Author:

Christine Pieper is an Artist and Lifestyle Blogger, living, writing, and painting in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, with her hubby and eight year old puppy. She made a major life change in 2017 by uprooting and moving from Illinois to the Sunshine State, and has been living her best life in Florida since - detailing all her many and varied adventures living and traveling the Deep South to share with you. Her mission is to help you live YOUR best life - by getting out there, going for it, and making that big change you always dreamed of. Christine will inspire you to get over yourself, show up for yourself, and get out of your own way. The only one stopping you - is YOU.

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