Swim On Over To Off The Hook

Now that I have had a chance to hit Off The Hook in New Smyrna Beach let me tell you about it.

The first time I went on a Friday night with a friend, we enjoyed a couple of appetizers at the bar, great service, great food. I went again last night with my 10 year old, my brother and a couple of friends. Service was again very good, it was Happy Hour so they had a couple of appetizer specials, one of which is $6.00 a dozen oysters. You can get them raw or steamed and they are fantastic. No grit, big and tasty...we also had calamari and grouper bites. Both were excellent. My daughter the picky eater ordered a kids meal of grilled chicken breast, french fries and coleslaw, it came with a drink. It came fast and was a very large portion for a kids meal. She wolfed it down so I am guessing it was good. I took a good look at the menu and their prices are very good, they have a very big selection and variety of seafood choices. The atmosphere is clean and bright. They are a very nice addition to the beach side restaurant scene, with great food and excellent service. Check them out!

Support your local business!

It's That Time Again

It is here, that dreaded last six weeks of school. Kids are bored, don't want to get up in the morning, hate their clothes, hate their teachers, hate their mother......

Worse than that....it is (insert music from Jaws) FIELD TRIP TIME!!! CLASS PARTY TIME!!!! I love my children, I like to watch my son play baseball, my daughter ride her horse, I like to take them to the beach, the library, go bike riding...and I really like most of their friends and most of my friends kids....but.....put me in a room with more than five kids in a class party or god forbid ON A SCHOOL BUS...and I would rather pull out my fingernails with needle nose pliers. Seriously. I was a "class mom" when my daughter was in first grade....by the end of the year I wanted to insert a letter opener thru my eye socket. I now know my limits.

So..it is this time of year that I am not visible over the steering wheel of my vehicle...I slink down hoping not to be seen when dropping off or picking up my child at elementary school...I am kind of like my cat...

I cover my eyes and pray if I can't see you...you can't see me and you won't ask me to "HELP" in any type of "CLASS thing". I will help...by giving candy, money, store bought baked goods, construction paper, pencils, gift cards, processed and purchased items.... If you are one of those parents that can make things,  draw, help while thirty 4th graders make crafts, frost cupcakes, lead 20 kids in song....I applaud you! Go forth and prosper....and please do it without me!!!

Around Town~Things To Do

Meals On Wheels Walkathon

The Council on Aging will be celebrating and fundraising for the Meals On Wheels Program on Friday, April 30th, at the Brannon Center in NSB, at 10 a.m. This event includes a short walk, followed by a picnic with hot dogs and hamburgers provided by the Knights of Columbus. There will be music and a round of door prizes. Mayor Barringer will be the Grand Marshall and their will be a dance performance by Ya Habibi Belly Dancers. You are encouraged to bring the entire family, including pets! Event t-shirts will be available for a $20 donation. For more information, please contact Carol Thomas at (386) 253-4700 ext 206.

Derby Day Scholarship Fund-raiser
 
The Republican Club of Southeast Volusia County will host their annual Kentucky Derby Scholarship Fund-raiser to support Southeast Volusia County students. The event will be held at Bouchelle Island Clubhouse, New Smyrna Beach, on Saturday, May 1. Post Time is 3:30 p.m. The event includes hearty appetizers, a horse race game, and a live TV showing of the Kentucky Derby Race. For further information in regard to entry fee or to make a reservation, call (386) 427-6399. Guests are welcome!


High School Art Show
 
The Artists’ Workshop, Inc. is hosting the 11th Annual NSB High School Art Show. The awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, May 2, from 2-4 p.m. Presentations begin at 2:15 p.m., and Mayor Barringer will be participating the presenting the awards. The exhibition will run from May 1-14, at The Artists’ Workshop, located at 115 Canal St., NSB. The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday.

Luau to Benefit Marine Discovery

From 6-9pm tonight there will be a Luau and Silent Auction at Flip Flops in New Smyrna Beach, proceeds will benefit the children's programs at The Marine Discovery Center.

Tickets are still available and there will be a entertainment, food and refreshments. The programs at Marine Discovery are excellent, this is an easy fun way to support them!

Horse Show & Yard Sale

Tomorrow is the Spring Horse Show and Yard Sale at Marcody Ranch. There will be a huge yard sale, bake sale and riding, riding, riding all day long. All proceeds will benefit Hope Reins Therapeutic Riding Program and Sophie's Circle Pet Food Pantry. The Ranch is located at 3804 Pioneer Trail. The fun starts at 9am.

Earth Day

It is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. It does not seem to get the big press it did when I was in school (back when the earth was still cooling). It is still important to take a minute to celebrate the planet we live on and remember we need to keep it alive. Here are several ideas on easy ways you can help our earth.

Volusia County Moms

Other things you can do...use Freecycle, there is a group in just about every community in the US. When you are at the beach, pick up trash, I carry a bag with me when I walk on the beach and pick up trash as I go. Easy and effective....don't litter. I am happy to say my children get irate when they see a driver littering, throwing cigarettes out the window and they pick up trash on the ground when they see it.

Enjoy your day!

Wine Walk~Saturday

The next Wine Walk on Flagler is this Saturday, April 24th from 1-6pm. Come on out and sample some of the best wines around. Purchase a passport and pick and choose which wines you want to sample.

Art Walk on Flagler

It is the fourth Saturday of April (hard to believe) so that means we have an Art Walk on Flagler Ave. Local artists, vendors, food, entertainment and fun for all ages. Festivities begin at 10am and run through 5pm.

Hit the Farmers Market on Canal Street prior to the Art Walk and get some fresh local vegetables, local fresh juice, seafood from the Oak Hill Seafood Co-op and great artwork, baskets, jewelry and woodworking. The Farmers Market begins at 730am and runs til 1230pm.

Support your local business!

Food Festival on Flagler

This Thursday on Flagler Avenue you can enjoy entertainment, drinks and of course food at the Food Festival in New Smyrna Beach. From 5-9pm, Flagler Ave will be closed to traffic and the best Volusia County restaurants will be offering all sorts of tasty treats for you to try. There is plenty of parking available next to Coronado United Methodist Church and in the Flagler Beach Ramp parking lot. Come on out and enjoy this fabulous weather and some great food and entertainment.

Support your local business!

Big Planet Pizza Pub

We finally made it by the Big Planet Pizza Pub tonight. Stopped by really just to check it out. Very nice atmosphere, the ice machine dumps from the ceiling through a clear tube, provided me endless entertainment. Loved it...we sat at the bar and ordered a pizza to go for the kids. We ordered a large pizza/half pepperoni and 1/4 mushrooms. This strange order did not phase our server at all and she made it happen. The large pizza seems pricey on the menu but the thing is HUGE. Very fresh ingredients, excellent pizza, the kids devoured it in no time, I did get a taste and it was excellent. The service was great, the manager stopped by and chatted with us for quite awhile. They have a fantastic selection of draft beers including Woodchuck and Magic Hat, Murphy's Stout and Blue Point. They offer carry out and curbside pick-up. You can take a look at their menu here.

This is a nice fresh addition to the restaurants in the Edgewater/NSB area. It is absolutely worth a visit!

Support your local business!

National Park Week

Today kicks of National Park Week. Today through April 25th you and your family can enjoy all 392 National Parks for FREE. You can visit Canaveral National Seashore, the Fort in St Augustine or one of the other National Parks in Florida.

Enjoy!

Relay For Life

Relay For Life is tomorrow night at Riverside Park. So far 45 teams in SE Volusia have raised almost $40,000 for the American Cancer Society. The walk begins at 6pm at Riverside Park in downtown New Smyrna Beach. One of my very good friends will be walking this year, she was diagnosed with breast cancer in her early 40's. She is a survivor and will be walking to help others in their fight to survive. If you cannot attend the event please consider donating.

Weirdity

Not sure if weirdity is a word...but check out my day....I get home from picking up my daughter at school and there is a car in my driveway with the trunk open...there is a man in my yard picking pears off my Asian Pear Tree...WHY?

So I do the next logical thing...I say, "can I help you?" He gestures at me indicating he does not understand English...(yea right)....OK...I have an Asian man in my driveway picking my Asian Pears and he does not speak English...I am now looking around for the cameras....has to be a joke....I ask him to not take them all (trying to be kind) and go in the house...meanwhile my friend Donna shows up in the driveway...he pulls the same I don't understand you stuff and she says in her most charming voice.."I am sure you understand go...so go...." he went. WHY?

OK, I am thinking to myself...."self, that was weird."

That is not the end....next thing you know my neighbor is at my door....she tells me the fire department and EVAC was just at my house, they got a call to my address (could the pear picker have needed assistance?).....she told them I was gone, they looked in the windows, even came in the house to be sure I was ok.....guess what..they were at the wrong house....WHY?

I am not sure if the planets are aligned in some strange way over my house....but I am thinking that the weirdity must be over now.....I hope.....

Community Events

There are a couple interesting things happening this weekend....


The New Smyrna Beach Lions Club will have its annual indoor-outdoor rummage sale Friday, April 16th, and Saturday, April 17th, it starts at 8am at the group’s clubhouse which is located at 2340 Sunset Drive.

I am sure you have seen the Antiques Roadshow on PBS....well bring your treasures on over to the New Smyrna Antique Mall, they are at 419 Canal Street, NSB. The American Association of University Women is sponsoring an Antique Evaluation Fair, it is this Saturday from 11am-4pm. The cost is $5 per item for an Opinion of Value.

Healthy Kids Day 2010

On Saturday, April 17th, the Southeast Volusia Family YMCA located at 148 West Turgot Ave in Edgewater invites the community to participate in YMCA Healthy Kids Day. This is a nationwide health day for kids and families.

YMCA Healthy Kids Day is filled with fun, creative activities that foster healthy living, and is a part of the YMCA’s larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active.

All activities are free and open to the public. The event will be held from 10:00am to 1:00pm, Activities will include pool opening, pancake breakfast, bicycle raffle, fingerprinting, obstacle course and much more. For more information, call (386) 409-9622 or visit their website.

Summer Camps

Hard to believe there are only nine more weeks of school left. In preparation for summer vacation we are putting together our Summer Camp list for 2010. Click on the Summer Camp 2010 link at the top of the page. We will add camps as we find them or they are sent to us to publish!

Thanks for reading!

Around Town~This & That

Where did the week go? How could it be Thursday already?

This weekend....Farmer's Market on Canal Street - Saturday morning starting at 7:30am on Canal Street.

Three Tenors Plus One, Central Florida Lyric Opera’s most popular show, will close the 2009-2010 series on Saturday, April 10, at 2 p.m. The performance is to be held at the Seabreeze High School Fine Arts Auditorium, on Oleander Ave in Daytona Beach. Individual Adult tickets to each show are $28, Senior tickets $25, and Student tickets (K-college) are $10 each. Special rates are available for groups of 15 or more.To order tickets, call 1-800-624-8038 Extension 1. Box Office Hours are noon to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. I just happen to be friends with one of the performers in this show and she is incredible!!


SE Volusia Relay for Life is next weekend, stay tuned for more on that next week.

The Big Planet Pizza Pub has opened in Edgewater, we have not tried it yet, curious if anyone else has? How is it?

Danny Veltri - Hell's Kitchen winner from last year is back at Flip Flops, this is very good news for the area and the restaurant!

Dustin's Barbecue has a special on Saturday's, kids eat for 99 cents.

Chases on the Beach is hiring kitchen staff, Bagel World is still hiring part-time staff.

More to come! Support your local business!

Looking For A Pet?

The Edgewater Animal Shelter is a no-kill shelter located at 605 Mango Tree Drive in Edgewater. They currently have several dogs available for adoption and a gazillion cats. Kitty's of every size, shape and color are housed at the shelter. Some of these cats have made the shelter their home for over a year. I have been helping out a couple days a week in the morning at the shelter and find the staff to be kind and loving to the animals, it is sparkling clean and the shelter manager truly has the residents well being as his first priority.



So if you need a kitty, please consider adopting one from the shelter. They need homes desperately....you will not only be giving an animal a loving home but you will also be saving me from myself as I will soon become the crazy cat lady, living in a house with 20 cats.......

Landshark Pro 2010

LandShark Lager is once again sponsoring the very first event of the Western Atlantic Pro Surf Series. The LandShark Pro 2010 will take place April 14^th through April 18^th at the world-famous New Smyrna Inlet surf break. This is located on the south side of Florida's Ponce De Leon Inlet, Volusia County, Florida.

This tournament is the second LandShark Pro contest in New Smyrna Beach, which was named in the July 2009 issue of Surfer Magazine as one of the top ten surf towns in North America. The Inaugural LandShark Pro was featured in the January 2010 Eastern Surf Magazine and noted as the Best New Contest and Epic Event for surfing.

Many talented pro surfers call New Smyrna Beach home including brothers Eric and Evan Geiselman, and brothers Nils and Noah Schweizer, Jeremy Johnston, even last year's LandShark Pro Champ Aaron Cormican. They as well as superb surfers from all over the country are expected to compete in this year's event.

The five day event will include live entertainment with an actual concert stage in the sand! Autograph sessions with the competitors, beachwear and bikini fashion shows and a beachfront beer garden. Businesses all along historic Flagler Avenue are gearing up for the expected crowds.

Make your plans now to enjoy the sun, the surf and gorgeous New Smyrna Beach at the LandShark Pro 2010.

Support your local business!

Essentials for Life~Book Review

I read the book Essentials for Life by Marcia Ford. This is a collection of 50 chapters that can easily be read in one or two sittings. I recommend making it a daily read at the beginning or end of the day. Each chapter centers around a topic or a life question, I found it to be very challenging, it asks you to ask yourself questions about what you believe and how you think about life.

This book allows you to pick a topic that may be relevant to that particular day or event in your life and read it, you certainly do not have to read it in order. I would also recommend this book to anyone that is questioning things in their own life or just beginning to discover their faith. It has a section in each chapter called "What's Essential", this is a blueprint of what to Do and what not to Do as you move forward in finding what is essential for your own happiness.

I enjoyed the book and have been carrying it around in my purse since I got it referring back to certain sections as I go through my day. I am very comfortable recommending this book as an excellent addition to your collection.

I received this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Book Description

True enjoyment in life is found by focusing on the essentials.

A growing number of people recognize their need for a reliable guide for their life's journey. Essentials for Life fills that need by helping readers get back to the basics of what matters most with a fresh perspective on four core essentials of the Christian life:

* What do I believe?
* How do I grow closer to God?
* What should my character and life reflect?
* How do I live my life every day?

Essentials for Life offers fifty daily or weekly readings that each include a key life-guide principle, scripture and quotes, meditation, an interesting fact, and a unique application suggestion. Each discussion offers hope and a sense of peace and well-being by focusing on life with an eternal perspective.

The content offers spiritual truth while the interior graphic design, which includes sidebars and visuals, enhances the readability and the impact of each core essential.

Back To Reality

Spring Break is over....only one or two times this week I prayed for school to start. That is an accomplishment.....If your child attends Volusia County Public Schools, report cards go home this week. You can access them now on the Parent Portal. Happily my 5th grader again has straight A's. We shall see how her brother does, his report card will come home from his school tomorrow...

Things to do this week around town:

The New Smyrna Beach Garden Club will have their monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 7th at 10 a.m. at their clubhouse located at 2000 Turnbull Bay Road. The program will be presented by Dot Backus, a Florida Master Naturalist. The meeting is open to the public. If you would like to make a luncheon reservation or obtain information about membership, please call Janet Brooker at (386) 424-6711.

The “Rally for the Cure” Golf Tournament — sponsored by the Women’s Golf League at New Smyrna Golf Club — will be held April 6 at the NSB Municipal Golf Course. It is open to the public as well as to the league members. All contenders are encouraged to dress in pink as a sign of support to those with breast cancer or survivors of the disease. To play and help defeat cancer, please call Harriet Winokur at (386) 427-8553.

The Horsin' Around Auction is Sunday, April 11th to benefit The Atlantic Center for the Arts.

Landshark Pro 2010 is coming up next week, more on that later.....enjoy the week!!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to all!