Somehow, four months have gone by since the big engagement day and I still haven't figured out the most important, basic factor of all this wedding business. THE DATE! The beau and I have it down to a preferred month (March), and that's as far as we've gotten.
We don't even have our colors picked out. Annnd, we've driven all over Volusia County, searching from the north to the south for the perfect wedding venue that speaks to us and our lifestyle and we are close, but no cigar. (Although, if you read my blog, you'll see I'm actually trying cigars these days... and on another tangent, click here to learn what that cigar phrase is all about).
If you're anything like me, you've been researching how to find the best deals with the most reputable wedding vendors and are pretty much freaking out about the ever-expanding guest list. So now's your big chance to meet a bajillion other gals on Sunday who are probably going through the same thing.
I talked to Felicia Fink, who is involved in organizing the show at the Daytona Beach Resort & Conference Center. She said grooms are welcome and do attend, though it is "very bride-related."
"It is like a trade show for brides," she said. "They have everything from cakes to photography to limousines to decor, linens. It is everything a bride could possibly want."
Considering I'm not doing anything in the traditional order--date, venue, colors, decor, etc.--this may be my big chance to figure it out all at once.
Brides are asked to register and carry a book to all the different booths, and get it signed by every vendor so they can be entered in a contest for a prize. Of course, being a broke-ass bride, I got excited. Eyes wide and smiling, I asked Felicia what the big prize is-- secretly hoping it would be a free wedding.
Alas, it is only the "honeymoon of your dreams," which still sounds pretty good to me...
Felicia also said you can expect to see some bridal fashions. Girls will be walking around modeling dresses.
Good luck ladies--and you better bet I'm gonna be in the running for that honeymoon.
The options in the humidor can abound and confuse when you don't know a thing about cigars.
Chrissy and I didn't let that stop us, though. There's probably a lot of people out there like us, who wanna get into cigars, but don't really know where to start, so we ventured in to Fletcher's Cigar Bar & Social in Ormond Beach.
We didn't give owner Bill Fletcher a helluva a lot of time to prepare for our visit, but we decided on short notice that we'd become cigar connoisseurs on a jazzy Tuesday night, when Kaleigh Baker and Nathan Anderson would play some sultry sounds.
Suprisingly there were quite a few women in there-- maybe just as many as the men that night. (Which reminds me, Bill boasts up to 30 percent of the clientele are indeed the ladies).
Anyway, I've smoked a cigar a couple of times, but it didn't dawn on me just how little I knew about them until we got to talking to Bill that night.
Being a bit lazy, I had gotten my boyfriend to light me a honey-flavored stogie once and the
only other time I can recall smoking one was at the James Bond theme party for the London Symphony Orchetstra a few months ago. And thinking back to that night on the deck of the yacht club, we got it so wrong. Hell, we didn't even think to cut them-- or bite the head off, for that matter, (which is a huge no-no in cigar world, kinda gross and bad etiquette, so I'm told).
That night, we somehow lit the little, oil-infused flavored cigars (small-sized cigars are called petite coronas) and smoked for a while, looking at the International Speedway Boulevard Bridge as the lights twinkled from condominiums across the Halifax River.
We had the atmosphere and relaxation down pact with the cigars. But truthfully, we didn't know much about how to properly enjoy them.
Bill, 31, tried his first cigar about 15 years ago. Jazz played in the background as he quizzed us about our likes and dislikes and we stepped into the humidor with him to take a look at the selection and figure out what would fit our palettes.
Chrissy, a former cigarette smoker, went for a traditional, light cigar. Bill helped her pick a mild one by Rocky Patel. It was made with Honduran tobacco and a light Connecticut wrapper.
I went to the other side of the spectrum with a dark chocolate-flavored Drew Estate Java. It was a tough choice when offered a white chocolate truffle flavor.
Besides the flavor difference, this cigar had a box-pressed shape, while Chrissy's had a more rounded shape.
Traditional cigar smokers stay away from flavors like mine, Bill said. They go for straight tobacco, which by the way, reminds me of an interesting fact Bill mentioned. All hand-rolled cigars are considered organic.
"Traditional cigars are set up with just tobacco," Bill said. "Wrapper, binder filler-- no additives. No oil-infused flavors."
After making our selections, we headed to the bar, where everyone was puffing away and the smoke was being lifted up into the ventilation system. Fletcher's features a smoke ventilation air purification system that changes out the air 10 to 15 times an hour.
"There's no haze; there's no smoke clouds," Bill said. "When you blow the smoke it gets up and it gets out."
The next step at the bar--as you might assume--involved pairing the cigars with proper spirits. I went for a mild-flavored Stella beer to help me appreciate the nutty, chocolate flavor of my smoke. Chrissy broke connoisseur rules a bit, when she just went straight for a merlot-- no consulting involved on how that would affect flavor--but sometimes you just need your merlot, no?
The point behind proper pairing, which can be suggested by bartenders, is to avoid overpowering the cigar. So don't go drinking a limey Corona with chocolate. It's safe to go with something light bodied, Bill said.
As far as cutting it goes, he first introduced us to the guillotine cut, where you slice the cigar with a special cutter right at the seam.
Before smoking a hand-rolled cigar, you must cut the cap off. The cap is there to prevent it from unraveling and drying out and you should only cut it when you're about to smoke it.
We also saw Bill use a cigar cutting machine--one where you just put the tip in and swing a lever for a wedge cut.
And when it was time to light up it was an eye-opener.
According to Bill, you're supposed to use a butane lighter or wooden matches. Anything else, like you're average disposable gasoline lighter, is going to affect the flavor.
Unlike cigarettes, you don't need to inhale while lighting it. Just sear the end, without letting it touch the flame, until you get the famous red cherry.
Savor the flavor on your lips, roll the smoke in your mouth, and blow it out. And don't inhale! Beginners could get sick...
All in all, I think most of the cigar lure really comes from the social aspect. It's nice to bring something new to your palette and talk about the flavors you're experiencing. For me, it also has a lot to do with enhancing an already relaxing atmosphere, like sitting by the river at night or listening to live jazz at a snazzy place like Fletcher's.
The Atlantic Center for the Arts had an open house of sorts on July 17th during INsideOUT, a program that allows the public to meet and learn more about the artists in residency.
Residency #134 was performance based, featuring:
- Mark Applebaum, music/composition/performance
- Carole Kim, live video performance/installation
- Heather Woodbury, playwriting/performance
About 24 associate artists collaborated with the masters over their three week stay in New Smyrna Beach.
Here's a glimpse of INsideOUT and some of the work performed.
It's tough to imagine escaping "the fascism of gravity" for 24 hours, let alone what it will be like on Brian Feldman's feet.
The performance artist begins his take off and take on the original "Jumpista" video concept on Thursday night at the Atlantic Center for the Arts. He is going to jump in place for a full day--yes, literally--for an interpretation of a 1999 "mockumentary" created at the center during an Italy/U.S. Cultural Exchange, Darden Celebration of Cultures.
The physical feat, padded by a sole pillow, is a prelude to the center's "INsideOUT" program, an evening for the public to meet performance artists in residency and see their work in a live theater setting. The center's 134th Artists-in-Residence program unites 27 artists and associates from throughout the country and as far away as Ireland and Taiwan.
Feldman, an associate artist from Orlando, joins the crew of performance masters; Mark Applebaum, music composition; Carole Kim, live video/installation; and Heather Woodbury, playwriting. (For more info on the artists and the Atlantic Center click here)
INsideOUT happens several times a year, but this program promises to be a very exciting night with a mix of musicians, composers, live video performance, video installation and playwriting.
"Because the residency is so performance based, it should be a very lively INsideOUT," said Kelle Groom, communications manager for the Atlantic Center for the Arts. "We'll start in the studios and we'll move into the theater for the performances. It should probably be more collaborative than usual."
Groom also said it's safe to say the Atlantic Center has never had a marathon exhibit like Feldman's, which officially begins Thursday night, but won't be open to the public until Friday at 10 a.m.
To understand his idea, check out "Jumpista" on YouTube, where Enrico Corte, a widely respected painter from Italy, acts as a performance artist
whose "ultimate intent is to not return, to escape the fascism of gravity" through "the art of Jumpista." It takes place at the Atlantic Center, where Corte was enrolled in a residency program.
"The character in the movie, he's using it as a way to escape the boundaries of gravity, reach and touch the sky and keep floating up," Feldman said. "I agree with what (Corte) said in the video, but at the same time it's just about what we're capable of."
Of course, you're free (and encouraged) to make your own interpretation. (It's satire, people. Don't take it too seriously!)
Unlike Corte, Feldman will be jumping once about every minute, or multiple times depending on the crowd. No napping or eating--with the exception of a possible energy bar, to prevent, er um... a projectile performance.
"The reptition is a concern and staying awake," Feldman said.
He's been preparing for the "24 Hour Jump" by biking, running and climbing stairs, but is also no stranger to such antics. He organizes giant pillow fights in public parks (see PillowLANDO) and in February 2008 he performed a "Leap Year Day" piece, where he leapt off a 12-foot ladder once every 4 minutes for a total of 366 times--once for every day of Leap Year.
"When I compare it to that project, I'm thinking this is a little more manageable," he said.
Anthony Torres, an Orlando screenwriter and director of "Jumpista," said the video is meant to be a series of art jokes.
Feldman seems to be deconstructing the idea and bringing it back to the origin for performance art.
"I'm sure you can draw other conclusions from it, but I think it's just the joy of the physical act, rather than a subtextual comment," he said. "It's not decorative, it's not frivolous and I think there's something really pure about that."
To see Feldman at work, visit the Atlantic Center for the Arts at 1414 Art Center Avenue. The "24 Hour Jump" is free to watch on Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
"INsideOUT" starts at 7 p.m. on Friday with a gallery walk and a series of presentations at the Harris Theater begins at 8:15 p.m. The event is free for members and $10 for the public. Call 386-427-6975 to make a reservation.
The receding tide reveals a spit of land in the Intracoastal Waterway where beer is plentiful and dogs frolic in the soft white sand.
It's no exotic destination, but to local boaters Disappearing Island is their own kingdom -- a retreat accessible only by watercraft, with an ice cream boat and the improvisational culture required for short-term island living.
On an atypically quiet Sunday, women in bathing suits celebrate Mother's Day with the red Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse in view. Their boys play catch in the water and a random big black dog joins them while the moms sunbathe and chat with beers in hand. They say it's all they ever wanted.
"We may not be able to go to the Bahamas or Cancun, so this is our paradise," said Melissa Layson, 38, as she watched her son, Coby, splash in the water.
Of course, a place like Disappearing Island is just a fleeting beach haven. As you might imagine, it disappears at some point.
The sandbar, also known as Rockhouse Creek Shoals, can measure about three-quarters of a mile at low tide. Most, if not all of it, can vanish at high tide.
No one takes a census, but on a summer weekend or big holiday, regulars say they see hundreds of boaters and families.
"You could walk from boat to boat to boat and never touch the sand," said Max Binz, a detective with the Ponce Inlet Police Department.
Those boats could be filled with partying 20-somethings or grandparents ready for a day of sun and scenery.
Do you have interesting island photos? Submit them to info@three8six.com for our photo gallery. As soon as we've got a collection, we'll post them here.
We checked out the island life on a quiet Sunday. Here's a video of what we saw.
Jennifer Jones, 34, has been anchoring here since she was a little girl and said it's become a family tradition for her three sons and husband.
"It's my favorite thing to do and it gets my whole family together," she said. "Where else in the world could you have a day with your family and see such beauty so close to home?"
Besides the usual coolers and snacks, homesteaders use the everything-but-the-kitchen sink methodology. They lug canopy tents, camping stoves to grill chicken, blenders for tropical drinks, bicycle ramps, a generator and have been known to bring sound equipment for the band stage.
ISLAND ANTICS
Authorities from several agencies police the waters near the island, looking for boaters abusing alcohol or pushing the speed limit. But they don't have the time or resources to regularly set foot on the sandbar, even though there are laws against open containers and loose dogs. The boat shared by neighboring cities is funded by a grant to protect manatees, which requires police to focus on water violations.
"The biggest problems that we've had out there had to do with underage drinking," Binz said. "The people out there are very good about policing themselves."
Last year, Binz said there was a fistfight involving 50 to 60 people on Memorial Day that was likely fueled by alcohol. Some charges were made, but were not pursued due to lack of evidence.
"The biggest problems that we've had out there had to do with underage drinking," Binz said.
But regulars say its not unusual to see occasional fights break out or get flashed by drunk young people. (A couple of youtube.com videos show a pretty intense fight between two girls at the island).
Officers walk the island a few times a month and patrol it when it's busy. This Memorial weekend was relatively quiet because of the bad weather, Binz said.
Yet there is some form of Disappearing Island etiquette. Mellow people and big boats tend to stick to the south side, where the water is deeper; party people usually gather on the north end.
And the partying gets creative.
With the help of a generator, the Burnin Smyrnans band from New Smyrna Beach assembled on a makeshift stage, complete with bass guitars, saxophone, and a full drum kit, to jam out on Memorial Day last year.
Girls in bikinis boogied on the sand. See the YouTube video for yourself.
People have also been known to set up techno dance tents and bike ramps near the water so people riding old bicycles can get some air time before dropping into a channel that runs on the backside of the sandbar.
Richard Steinhardt, 25, of South Daytona has seen crowds and antics grow over the eight years he's been hanging out at the shoal. It's not unusual to see visitors take a crack at drunken softball games and even try soaped up slip-and-slides that spill into the water.
"People just get drunk, gather around and just start hitting it," he said about the homemade slides.
THE LOCALS
When ice and heat become an issue, popsicle pushers like Michael Nelson have found a niche market in the ice cream boat business.
He captains a red, white and blue pontoon with a flapping pirate flag and blares high-pitched chimey music to lure in customers for $2 and $3 treats.
Wearing his green pirate hat and a Disappearing Island tank top on a recent day, Nelson admits he's got it good.
"If there was a contest for the best job in the world, I think I'd win," said Nelson, 56. "I have a blast."
For the most part Bob Wood, the unofficial mayor of the island, said it's a "family place" where everyone generally gets along. The 69-year-old earned his title about five years ago when another regular said he came to the island so often he might as well be its head honcho.
"I go to different parts of the county and people see me in a store and go 'Hi mayor,' " said Wood, a sunburned man with white hair and a beard. "I say 'Hi' back. I don't mind."
Look out for him on July 4th, when he wears American flag attire and pitches a flagpole in the sand. Piloting the "Woody Who," the mayor heads to the island every weekend to set up in the middle of the shoals for a day of horseshoes. Everyone knows where to find him.
"You can play me, but you won't win," Wood typically warns people.
One of his competitors is Tom Hall, 68, who wears a straw "Cozumel" hat and has been around here so long that friends call him an "island icon."
Thirty years ago, Hall said there were less than a handful of boats. Now there are close to 500, he said, and a gang of about 30 friends that look for his houseboat every weekend as a meeting spot.
He drives the one-room outfit, which he built himself, from Oak Hill on Fridays and stays till Sunday.
Folks crowd the boat and listen to classic rock while a graying poodle and black mini pinscher explore the deck. Sitting on the deck with a beer in hand, he said he likes "watching the bikinis" while his younger female friend watches for hunks.
But what does he love most about Disappearing Island?
"Being outside, feeling the breeze," he said. "If heaven is half as nice as this, we got it made."
It's been a while since I've given you guys some new kayaking info. Here's the low down on the Chassahowitzka River, located about three hours west of the Daytona Beach area.The variety of wildlife makes it worth every mile.
HOMOSASSA-- As soon as I walked up to the Chassahowitkza River I caught sight of an otter swimming in spring-clear water .
I've seen them at the zoo plenty of times, but this was a wild animal I'd been chasing after ever since I started kayaking two years ago. Often times, people I went boating with would spot one and point in a direction, only for it never to reappear again (they can hold their breath for up to eight minutes).
So when I saw it's little head poking out of the water the moment I walked up to the boat dock, I knew this was going to be a special trip.
Many people who've kayaked the Chas note it's abundant wildlife. I got to see a lot of it first hand when I ventured into this nearly pristine and scenic river on April 23 through April 26th.
The Chassahowitzka--don't be afraid, it's pronounced Chassa-wits-kuh-- is located in Citrus County, near Crystal River. (If that doesn't help, its about an hour north of Tampa).
At first glimpse, it seems like an average river, until you realize the clarity and potential that comes with taking an unknown turn. Some times it can feel a little too busy with boaters, but pretending to be a pioneering explorer earns you the view of clandestine springs and some quiet time.
Kayakers and canoeists should be prepared for the usual alligator or three and wading birds, such as the Great Blue Heron. The coolest fauna, in my opinion, are the friendly West Indian manatees that swim right up to your boat and river dolphins. It's a surprising mix to see them in the same river, which is spring fed and winds for 9 miles into the Gulf of Mexico.
Linzy Brown, a friend who has kayaked the Chas several times, had a wild manatee encounter during her first time on a yak. A manatee swam under her, wrapped its flippers around her boat and essentially started "humping it" for a few minutes--nearly knocking Linzy out of the boat. Beware of curious (or seemingly sexual) manatees!
For folks who've got some time to spare, you can take a couple of day trips on the Chas. Spring-wise, I visited at least four mostly clear swimming holes within about a five mile radius.
Several of my friends scattered throughout the state reunited at the Chassahowitzka River Campground, a 40-acre property that's within walking distance of the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge that hugs the river. It's nestled real close to development (there's a Publix conveniently located less than a mile from here),
but as soon as you get on that river, you're in nowhere land. And it's awesome. Hardwood cypress trees and nothing but the sounds of birds.
The Citrus County owned campground is relatively inexpensive ($20 a night for two people with electric and water), but it's got a very tight layout that doesn't give you a lot of breathing room when all the spots are occupied on the weekend. Another down side is you can make reservations, but you can't reserve a particular spot. Luckily for us, we camped next to a quiet woman who blogs and lives in her blue Koo Koo Karavan, an ancient Volkswagen hippie van decorated with monkeys.
On the upside, there's an air-conditioned bathroom (WOW!) and its a pretty quiet campground. Hell, we were probably the loudest people there. Most folks go to bed around 11 p.m.
Now, back to the exploring part. If you're bringing your own boat, be sure to get there early. The ramp (which has an honor box for a $2 launch fee) gets busy early on the weekend and parking fills up fast. We made the mistake of launching around 11 and never found a parking spot.
Unlike the private spring parks near High Springs in Alachua County, you don't have to pay big fees to pay to get in the park that leads up to them. The catch is, you're going to need some kind of boat-- be it canoe, kayak or skiff or motorboat.
The first spring you'll encounter is literally in the dock area. You can't swim here because of the boat traffic, but if you head east for a few hundred yards, past the rebel flag and the dudes drinking from beer cans, you'll come across a few spring vents in a beautiful shallow cove. Some of the holes connect, so if you have goggles or snorkeling gear, you can attempt to swim through them.
Then head west back into the main channel. In my unprofessional opinion, the brave and the
curious should pretty much turn off the main river and explore any narrow channel you come across. The manatees seem to congregate in coves and in the deeper springs (such as the one at the boat dock). Look for otters along the banks (and the boat dock) and if you see some thrusting water action, don't be surprised to see dolphins.
When my boyfriend, Tim Pratt, went to the Chas last year, the dolphins swam right up to his yak to check him out. We didn't see any this time around, but I suspect that they were there when I spotted some thrashing in the water.
My favorite place to visit was "The Crack." When launching from the Citrus County dock, go left, past a cove, and make a left at the next channel. You'll go through a narrow waterway (where you'll see a little palm tree island) surrounded by tall grasses for a half mile or so.
The water will become clearer and shallower, so once you can no longer paddle, take a walk up the creek to discover The Crack, a spring that gurgles up through a what appears to be a crack, that some say has considerably filled in by sediment over the years.
Sit on a log to enjoy the scenery.
Or better yet, take a chance on the rope swing (see video below).
Happy paddling!
And for more information on good paddling trails, see this handy Web site, http://www.clubkayak.com/cfkt/trips/chassahowitzka_river.html .
A night of live music and fine art displays doesn't have to cost you a dime in downtown.
Not at the Downtown First Friday Festival anyway. On the first Friday of every month, the community can count on touring informal art galleries and listening to music.
The Art Promenade and Concert in the Park series is a downtown revival that transforms the Beach Street shopping strip into a series of galleries for local artists to exhibit work. Folks can talk shop, wander and watch artist demonstrations, and listen to local and area bands play at Riverfront Park.
Besides providing free, public entertainment, the festival works also accomplishes a few other things, said Naomi Weiss, organizer and executive director for the Daytona Beach Partnership Association.
First Fridays showcase existing businesses and available retail locations that lend out display space. It also makes art more accessible to everyday people by providing space for artists to show their work.
"It's an opportunity to connect artists to the community," Weiss said.
If You Go
WHAT: Downtown First Friday Festival Art Promenade and Concert in the Park
WHEN: Friday, May 1, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
WHERE: Downtown Daytona, Beach Street area from International Speedway Boulevard to Orange Avenue
INFO: Free! Meander through galleries and check out live music. Some food and drink offered at select locations.
Music wise, visitors can check out the Halifax Contraband, a folksy swamp music band that weaves tales of Florida history into song.
Roughly 300 people attend the fests, which feature about eight gallery stops.
Amelie Rogers, director of the Art League of Daytona Beach, said the group will display more than 30 paintings and at least six sculptures. Since participating in two other fests, the League, the oldest arts organization in the area, gained new members and art students.
"It's a great chance to meet some artists and to see their work, have a glass of wine and talk about the Art League," said Rogers, who will be showing eight of her own landscape oil paintings on May 1.
It's also a good venue to expose young adults to the local arts scene.
The event is attracting a younger crowd in their 20s and 30s to the area, said Axel Smith, owner of Beach Street Blooms.
His storefront was one of the busiest at the last event, where visitors were treated to a glass of wine as they toured about 30 paintings and three sculptures.
The artists got to talk about their work, while he got to distribute information his own company, which specializes in designing floral creations.
"I would say, for the most part it's brought quite a bit of business," said Smith, who regularly features local artwork at the store to not only beautify his store, but help the artists get exposure.
Don Renner sees it as an opportunity to foster conversation and ease the intimidation factor people may have with certain types of art. That's why he'll be demonstrating portrait painting throughout the evening.
"Anytime you bring art in front of the public I think it's worthwhile--especially now, in the condition the country is in," said Renner, who teaches at the Art League.
(Photos from April 3rd Downtown First Friday Festival by Lukas Harden)
Whether she's looking for a purple one with beading, a baby blue hue, pink or red, The Butterfly Project has a free prom dress for every girl.
At a time when many people are feeling the effects of the economic downturn, spending hundreds of dollars on a dress may not be feasible for parents. But when the perfect gown seems priceless to a young woman, a newly formed nonprofit organization is here to help.
The Butterfly is emerging slowly in Volusia County, with two dress giveaways this prom season. But Sadie Anthony, president and founder, is hoping to get the word out that there are plenty of free gowns available in all sizes for homecomings and other formal school and college events.
All you have to do is ask.
So far the local organization has gathered almost 100 dresses, new and gently used, which were donated by moms and young women throughout the area.
Without a set venue yet Anthony, a Lake Helen resident, has a traveling boutique. Girls may call her to set up a meeting location or come to her house to find a dress.
Even in The Butterfly's developmental stage, Anthony watched one girl find the dress she was destined for.
A few weeks ago a Pine Ridge High School student went through the collection and find the same dress she had fallen in love with at a department store.
The young woman and her mother couldn't afford the $115 dress--the last one in her size, which was also missing some beadwork.
"The mother wasn't working and she's still unemployed, so $115 is a lot of money for someone who has to feed three kids," said Anthony.
Watching the girl find the dress she originally wanted gave Anthony an indescribable feeling.
"We never expected that," said Anthony, who got hugs from the mother and girl.
Get Your FREE Dress!
The Butterfly Project also provides dresses to college students who need to attend a formal school event.
To donate a dress or to set an appointment for a free dress, contact Sadie Anthony at thebutterflyproject.volusia@yahoo.com or call 386-218-5479.
Anthony also continues to dream big, hoping that she'll one day amass tuxedos and suits for young men and even college scholarships.
Anthony said it's the only organization of its kind in this area that distributes dresses free of charge, with no questions asked.
A similar national organization called Becca's Closet has dresses throughout Florida, but not in the Volusia area.
As corny as it may sound, Anthony said her idea started with a dream one night. At the time, she was teaching a life skills class to a group of children under foster care and had gotten to know a young woman, who needed a prom dress.
She arranged to get her a free dress, but the girl refused it. But the thought stayed with Anthony and one morning recalled a dream. In it, she watched a group of young women sitting on her sofa, giggling and sorting through a bunch of gowns in the living room.
"I told my husband about it and I said, 'You know, I'm going to do something like that," said Anthony, a welfare transition career specialist at One Stop Employment in Daytona Beach.
She said it half-jokingly, but her husband, Larnell Anthony, encouraged her to make it a reality.
Through The Butterly, girls like Taylor Cooper save their family some needed money.
With finances tight this year, Cooper, 17, recently took advantage of the offer. Crossing her fingers before trying it on, the 11th grader found a floor-length "Greek goddess" style gown.
"Oh honey that's so dreamy," said Butterfly board member Velma Lowe, who assisted her in the shopping session.
As her two aunts swooned about her in the gown, the Spruce Creek High School student used words like "hopeful, amazing, and spectacular" to describe the opportunity.
"I had talked to my parents and they didn't give me a spending limit because they didn't know how much money they could come up with," said Cooper. "So this is really great to get it for free."
The three8six bonfire and drum circle gathering was another great success on Friday in New Smyrna Beach. The community came out in droves with party "equipment," rhythm and dance. There were djembe drums, hula hoops, glow sticks and glowing poi balls in full swing.
Karl Miranda, owner of Drum4wellness, and Chuck Theroux, who hand carves Earth Flutes in NSB, played artfully.
The ocean waves and pink sky provided the backdrop for the collective voice, which rose at sunset. About 400 people were there experiencing this rare, local drum release, as bodies swung wildly around the fire in a tribal dance of sorts.
Things got started around 7 p.m., and heated up at nightfall. I'm sure many people feel the same when I say "my only wish is that we could have played longer." (Unfortunately our bonfire permit expired at 11 p.m. and we had to clean up in order to remain good standing with the Volusia County Beach Patrol).
Check out the video!
Miranda, who facilitated the recreational music making, said in addition to the good energy a circle like ours emitted, there are healing attributes from such community gatherings.
"There is no medicine more therapeutic than self expression," said Miranda, who does lots of community work throughout the county and caters to private events. "It's our first defense."
And there is research to support that. According to the therapy division of Remo drum company, HealthRHYTHYMS, group drumming reduces stress-related hormones and increases natural killer cell activity -- white blood cells that seek out and destroy cancer and virally infected cells.
In a 2001 study at a wellness center in Pennsylvania, Remo cited that researchers concluded drumming has the potential to change classic stress response characteristics.
Another study, published in 2005, details that recreational music making reversed 19 genetic switches that turn on the stress response believed to be responsible for development of common diseases.
Short summary: drumming can be good for your health.
Plus, you get to meet new people! (Hi Ron, Mari, Valerie and Robert!)
Now that you know it goes beyond a night of fun, it's time to start talking about what's next.
I know many of you hope we'll be doing this again soon, but we need your ideas for new locations and dates. Sea turtles are laying eggs and hatching May 1 through Oct. 31st, so the beach is off limits.
But as Robert said, while the beach provides great atmosphere, it's the drums and the people behind them that provide the energy.
So where to fellow Three8six people? Campground, a park or private property? Let's talk about it on this forum.
Also, if you're looking to drum this weekend, meet up with the Drum4wellness group in St. Augustine in front of Ripley's Believe it or Not! Museum. Drumming begins shortly after Miranda's 11:30 a.m. radio interview in front of the museum on Saturday and will continue every hour on the hour for 15 to 20 minutes for the duration of the day.
Okay, so maybe the headline is a bit misleading. It's
If You Go
WHAT: Kaleidoscope Gathering
WHEN: 7-10:30 p.m. Friday, April 3
WHERE: North Beach Community Park, New Smyrna Beach. Take Peninsula Avenue north to Sapphire Road. Turn right. The beachfront park is at the end of the road. The party is on the beach.
INFO: Free bonfire and drum circle. Adults only. Try to carpool; parking is limited. Bring your snacks, water, instruments, friends, a chair and a blanket. No dogs or alcoholic drinks allowed on the beach.
technically our last beach bonfire event until November. But it got your attention didn't it?
Since we can't have any light sources on the beach from May through Oct. 31, we thought we'd have one more hurrah before sea turtle nesting season.
Three8six.com and Drum4wellness are hosting the beach gathering on April 3rd. Join us beside the bonfire for a night of recreational music making.
So what does that mean?
Everyone is invited to create their own free entertainment at the Kaleidoscope Gathering.
We'll provide the wood for the fire and you play the music.
Karl Miranda, who runs Drum4wellness, will be facilitating the drum circle, which, by the way, is not limited to just drums. So bring your flute, harmonica, or guitar. We'll make it work.
And don't feel bad if you don't know what you're doing. No experience is necessary!
Miranda will also have about 35 extra drums on hand and some other instruments to lend out. Look for people wearing Three8six T-shirts or Drum4wellness caps to find them or just grab one from the blue tarp.
These loaner drums have a "D4W" on the drum head. Return them to the tarp so other people can use them.
And not to be a downer, but be careful about using other people's instruments. Some people take it very personally.
Other than that, bring something to sit on, and some snacks and water and have fun.
For more info or to volunteer, e-mail the Daytona Beach News-Journal's entertainment Web site, Three8six.com, at info@three8six.com.
Oh, and check out some video from our last beach event, Fire Up the Beat, which was on Feb. 28th. We estimate at least 300 people stopped by for the party-- bringing everything from hula hoops to glowing poi balls.
Special thanks to Terry Nandlal, with HomeGrownRoots and The Transfers, for catching the vibe of the night on video. Visit http://www.myspace.com/homegrownrootsorg to learn about the local music scene.
What's up Daytona brides?
