Karen's Beach Blog

We've lived on this street on Fort Myers Beach for almost 10 years.  I first met Kathy six years ago or so, when Kathy was six years of age.  Her mom was having some problems and so she came to live with her Grandma.  Her Grandma was a woman in her 40's, my neighbor directly across the street.   ...

I didn't run until I moved to Florida.  I didn't run for awhile after we came to Florida.  Then, I reached that age, 30 something, and to my great surprise, this thin body was gaining some unwanted weight.  I joined a gym and was told by many fitness experts that there was nothing like running to...

Not that it's important.  In fact, It's not important at all, who wins the Miss Universe Contest, but like in any small or large office, there's politics involved.  Why is Miss USA always one of the finalists?  Maybe because our country sponsors the event and pays for it.  Why are the ladies of s...

My nneighbor, Bonnie, a naturalist, has an amazing way with plants and flowers.  She literally left on my Fort Myers Beach doorstep a type of cow post fertilizer with instructions to place it in a covered white bucket for two weeks.  The two weeks are almost up and it's nearly ready to be spread ...

A garden is more than decoration or staging or investment.  There is a saying:  A bottle of wine will bring you happiness for an hour.  Marriage will bring you happiness for a year.  And, a garden will bring you happiness for a lifetime.  I don't particuarly agree with the first two statements.  ...

Technology has increased the quality of life for many people, although, unfortunately, there are still places in the world where people suffer because of the lack of technology. There are five inventions set forth below, listed in random order.  Which of these was the most important to humankind,...

Fourth of July represents freedom, of course, and the day is always filled with symbols of freedom.  In much of the world, people are not free and if nothing else, Iraq has taught us that there are no easy answers to solving the problems that exist in this world.   None who have always been free ...

It's an old custom, naming one's home, not often practiced these days. Of course, these homes were most often grand houses with sprawling grounds, such as "Tara" from Gone with the Wind. Here on Fort Myers Beach, the practice continues.  From "Bobby's Place," a funky cottage on the Beach to "Isla...

In the eyes of a rental or property management person, the above scenario, obtaining a rental propety that has just been taken off the market, is an ideal situation.  The positives include: Usually, a house that has been recently on the market for sale is in good condition and the owner, when try...

My father died a few months before 9/11/2001.  I was glad that he didn't live to see it.  After September 11, 2001, in the eyes of the eldery, I saw their painful memories of Pearl Harbor and Nazi Germany.  I was glad that I didn't have to see in his eyes what I saw in those strangers' eyes. My f...