A piece of Key Lime pie is essential on a visit to the Florida Keys. Actually many pieces of pie are required because you need to make sure you taste the very best.
Continue reading Revisiting Key Lime Pie and the Keys
Obesity is a major problem in the United States and Americans are larger than they’ve even been before. Yet, Southwest Airlines (whose routes are all domestic) began a $60 million overhaul of airline interiors. This includes a new seat that reduces total weight on each plane by 635 pounds thus saving the airlines millions of dollars on fuel costs. The newer seats have less cushioning and will sport mesh seat-back pockets.
Each 737 jet gains six seats, raising the capacity from 137 to 143 by squeezing in one more seat row. The seat recline is reduced to two inches from three. This might be okay since the person in front can barely intrude on your precious space, but bring a neck pillow for napping.
Seat pitch – the space allotted to each row, including the seat and legroom — will drop to 31 inches from 32. Southwest claims the lighter seats are more comfortable and have more room underneath for luggage.
Guess we will find out soon.
I am not an artist; the closest I come is through photography. However, I recently found myself in Key Largo and was offered a painting class with Pasta. Hmm. My thoughts ran to my grandkids and those colorful necklaces and bracelets they make with painted pasta shapes.
No noodles here. I entered a fabulous artist’s studio and gallery where I met Roberto Pantaleo, a.k.a. Pasta, my instructor. Pasta is an artist who paints vibrant scenes of the Keys, mostly fish and marine life. I adored his lines and design in the above fish and was drawn to the peacefulness of this mangrove tree with criss-crossed roots.
I was to paint a Leatherback turtle–okay! First, I sketched oval egg shapes on a piece of paper and Pasta showed me how to blend those into the turtle’s head, body and limbs. Next, I drew a similar animal on canvas. So far so good.
Now it was time to pick up the brush- a daunting task. “Just mix blue and green together and drab them onto the canvas like Monet,” said Pasta. Sure, I thought.
“Lovely colors,” he said. “Do the same thing with beige and browns to create the beach.”
Amazingly, my little turtle was coming to life better than I expected and the thing was — I was having a blast. I forgot about time and felt like I was floating in the water with my tortoise. I was literally living in the moment.
When I tried painting my turtle’s shell, my efforts didn’t achieve much depth. But, a few strokes from the master greatly helped the cause. I ended up with a painting I’m rather proud of. Sure, I know it’s a primitive work but I had fun. Wish I could take another class.
Pasta Pantaleo is the ideal teacher; he’s encouraging and helpful, never demeaning and an all-around happy person. Might be the island’s aura, but the Keys seem to bring out art in everyone.
Pasta Signature Gallery
Mile Marker 81.5
Islamorada, Florida 33036
305 849-3968
954 290-4262