House Talk with Silvia Dukes

Tropic Shores Realty Sponsors Toys for Tots.

If you walk into our office at Spring Hill Drive, you cannot miss the big box in the visitor's area just waiting to be filled with toys destined for needy children. 

The official mission statement of the Marine Toys for Tots program states "The mission of Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is to assist the U. S. Marine Corps in providing a tangible sign of hope to economically disadvantaged children at Christmas."

In these times when many families are experiencing tough times economically, it is even more important to do whatever we can to help brighten a child's eyes at Christmas morning.

So, let's all help to fill up that box quickly and let the holiday spirit shine brightly!

Happy Holidays!

Thanksgiving Foods - Then and Now

What makes up a Thanksgiving meal as we know it?  As we all appreciate sitting down to a Thanksgiving feast with turkey, ham, stuffing, corn, and sweet potatoes..  we really know little about the foods that were available to the early settlers as they celebrated the first Thanksgiving or the foods they had available to them during this time of the year for that matter.

In my quest for knowledge I came across some very interesting facts at www.history.com about the first Thanksgiving celebration, its roots in native American traditions, and a list of foods that could have most likely been found on the settler's dinner plate and those that were not.

Considering that there was no refrigeration at the time, this assortment also reflects the foods that were in "season" during Thanksgiving time and those that could easily be preserved and stored.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Foods That May Have Been on the Menu

Seafood: Cod, Eel, Clams, Lobster
Wild Fowl: Wild Turkey, Goose, Duck, Crane, Swan, Partridge, Eagles
Meat: Venison, Seal
Grain: Wheat Flour, Indian Corn
Vegetables: Pumpkin, Peas, Beans, Onions, Lettuce, Radishes, Carrots
Fruit: Plums, Grapes
Nuts: Walnuts, Chestnuts, Acorns
Herbs and Seasonings: Olive Oil, Liverwort, Leeks, Dried Currants, Parsnips

Foods that Were not on the Menu

Seems that everything we consider a Thanksgiving food nowadays was not available to the pilgrims:

Chicken/Eggs: The colonists brought hens with them from England, but it's unknown how many they had left at this point or whether the hens were still laying.
Milk: No cows had been aboard the Mayflower, though it's possible that the colonists used goat milk to make cheese.

Ham: There is no evidence that the colonists had butchered a pig by this time, though they had brought pigs with them from England.
Sweet Potatoes/Potatoes: These were not common.
Corn on the Cob: Corn was kept dried out at this time of year.
Cranberry Sauce: The colonists had cranberries but no sugar at this time.  Incidentally, cranberries are one of the few native fruit/berries of the Americas.
Pumpkin Pie: It's not a recipe that exists at this point, though the pilgrims had recipes for stewed pumpkin. 

Source: Kathleen Curtin, Food Historian at Plimoth Plantation.  From:  History of Thanksgiving, History.com, 2009, http://www.history.com/content/thanksgiving/the-first-thanksgiving/the-pilgrims-menu  [accessed November 1, 2009]

Here are some easy to follow tips on how to stage your home for sale.  Thank you to Melinda Peterson from Oregon who first shared this information with her customers.  Enjoy!

For Sale: 3197 Gardenia Drive Hernando Beach - Florida Waterfront Living

Fantastic Views across several Waterways from the Wrap-around Balconeys!

Paradise is calling!  This is a beautiful 3-story stilt home on a wide spring-fed canal in the waterfront community of Hernando Beach, Florida. 

Hghlights:

• Boating access to the Gulf of Mexico via nearby boatlift. 
• 100 feet of waterfront with seawall, kneewall, and floating dock
• Large bedrooms with Master Bedroom on the third level with sitting area, huge walk-in closet and private balconey to enjoy the view.
• Spacious Master bath features jetted tub, separate shower, and double vanities
• Upgraded kitchen cabinets and views across the canals from the kitchen sink!
• Large enclosed ground level serves as garage and large workshop - a dream for any mechanic, woodworker, or other hobbyist.

Built: 1999                          Bedrooms:  3 - Baths: 2

Living SF (under air):  1932            Total SF (under roof):  3669

List Price:   $300,000

Hernando Beach, Florida, is a residential boating and fishing community with waterfront homes for sale in a variety of styles, sizes, and price ranges.  Hernando Beach is located west of Orlando and just north of Tampa and within easy reach of two international airports at Orlando and Tampa as well as the central Florida attractions.

Call or email for more information!

Thankful not to be a turkey this time of the year!  Spotted at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park - a popular destination worth a visit at any time of the year.  Not sure where this peacock got the hat but he's trying hard to blend in with the rest of the pilgrims.  Happy Thanksgiving! 

36th Annual Fall Harvest of Art and Weeki Wachee Springs State Park

If you didn't have the time today to visit the 36th Annual Fall Harvest of Art that is presented by the Spring Hill Art League you will have another chance tomorrow, Sunday, November 21, 2009 from 10 AM to 4 PM.

The parking lot was almost full when I arrived today around noon. Admission is only $4 a person, a huge discount over the regular admission. 

It's been a great day for the exhibiting artists, food vendors, and visitors alike who were able to enjoy all the attractions of the Weeki Wachee Springs State Park ihas to offer n addition to the juried art show.

Several mermaid shows were scheduled throughout the day.  I was there just in time to attend "Fish Tales" and the 500-seat underwater theater with view of the crystal clear water of the spring was filled to capacity. 

There were already quite a number of people in line for the boat ride down the scenic Weeki Wachee river so I passed and had a slice of heaven in form of Raspberry Cheesecake instead while being watched by one of the park's peacocks. 

Other entertainment includes live music, animal shows, and even a belly dance troupe scheduled to perform on Sunday.

As in previous years, the available art and craft items are again of outstanding quality.  From paintings in oil, acrylics, watercolor, and mixed media to fine craft in the categories of glass, sculpture, wood carvings, and metal, there is something to please every taste and budget.  I couldn't resist and purchased an exquisite oil miniature of a hummingbird.

So, go ahead and spend a great Sunday at Weeki Wachee Springs Park and enjoy the show!

Real Estate Professionals from around the Globe attend NAR Convention 2009

One of the prime objectives for going to conventions is the opportunity to network with other professionals in your chosen field. 

The NAR convention offered numerous great opportunities to network not only with REALTOR(S) from around the US but from many different countries.

There were the formal sessions of the International Operations Committee and ICREA, the International Consortium of Real Estate Associations, both of which were very informative but also somewhat formal. 

And then there were the various networking sessions at the International Pavillion on the Expo floor. 

If you've never witnessed people from every corner of the world speaking a multitude of languages converge on one spot eager to share information, exchange contacts, and discuss possible business opportunities, you would have seen it here.  It was also interesting to observe the behavior of the different nationalities.  Real estate has become global and with the right relationships and contacts it is possible to reach out to the world.

Oh yes, the French brought food - wine and cheese!  Guess who got the most attention?

Plan on attending and having a great time networking in 2010!

"Midway" - Sunset Impressions

If you've been to the NAR Convention, you may recognize this sight!  It's the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier docked along the San Diego Bay just a short walk from the convention center. 

The ship is open to the public and I was told that an entire day would not be enough to see it all.  With everything that was going on at the convention, there was no time to visit and I was content to capture some photos in the evening light.  I love the way the sun reflects in the hull.

Rotary Club of Spring Hill, Florida Delivers Dictionaries to 3rd Graders

"The limits of your language are the limits of your world." - Ludwig Wittgenstein

This is the message printed on this year's edition of the student dictionaries that members of the Rotary Club of Spring Hill, Florida presented to the third graders of the Elementary Schools in Hernando County, Florida.

The dictionary project is an annual effort by Rotary International to promote language skills and awareness among young students as they are becoming proficient in reading and comprehension. 

Met with curious looks from the students as we entered each classroom, the exitement of receiving a book "to keep forever" soon took over. 

From looking up a special word to discovering graphs of the solar system, the multiplication table, or flipping to the last page of the book to discover the longest word in the English language with 1909 letters - it is a pleasure and a reward in itself to watch young children be so enthusiastic about reading and finding out about the world. 

With this kind of curiosity, enthusiasm, and desire to learn and know, the world for these kids will be limitless.

Below:  Participating Spring Hill Rotary Members

What to do and Where to go in Brooksville, Florida:  Treasure Sale and Turkey Shoot

While I'm not sure what the "Turkey Shoot" is all about, I do know a good Fleamarket and Treasure Sale when I see one!

This Saturday, November 21, 2009 from 8 AM to 2 PM stop by Killingsworth Plaza on Cortez Boulevard in Brooksville for the Annual Treasure Sale conducted by the Junior Service League of Brooksville. 

Booth rental is available so besides the Junior Service League, other community organizations such as the Rotary Club of Spring Hill are participating with "crafts, produce, plants, trash, and treasures" to raise funds for a variety of worthy causes.   

There will be a raffle with a chance to win a free turkey - just in time for Thanksgiving! 

Enjoy!