Author Archives: Charlie Hudson

About Charlie Hudson

Off with my combat boots and onto writing best describes Charlie my two careers. Born in Pine Bluff, Ark., and raised in Louisiana, I count myself as a military veteran, wife, mother, freelance writer, and author. What was intended to be a quick two years in the Army became a 22-year career instead, and somehow in the process, I discovered that I was an inadvertent pioneer by serving in several positions that had previously been held only by men. By the time I was in Desert Storm and later Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti, women in leadership assignments was more widely accepted. My love of writing never left me though whether it is a short article that highlights an animal rescue group, penning the stories of a female police detective in the Florida Keys, or presenting issues about aging that Baby Boomers need to address, or working on a corporate proposal. When my husband, Hugh, also retired from the Army, we relocated to South Florida where we can both enjoy the underwater world in dive sites all around Key Largo. We do break away though to still travel, and especially visit the Washington, D.C. area where son Dustin is a professional dancer and lives with his wife, Samantha.

An Easy Menu…..

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Mother’s Day was pleasant with only a little work involved. Hubby had the weekend off for a change which doesn’t happen often and as I mentioned, we don’t go out for the classic brunch or lunch on those holidays. We do a nice dinner at home. For reasons I’m not clear about, I was wanting lobster even though it isn’t our season yet. The Canadian lobster tails the Publix carries are okay for some things, but not for what I had in mind. Hubby suggested I go by Sprouts and they did have a frozen brand I wasn’t familiar with. It’s Luke’s of Saco, Maine and the tails are already split with a chunk of season butter included. My plan was to have shrimp Everglades napoleons as the first course, then lobster with tomatoes Provencale and whatever other side Hubby wanted. Salad of course and dessert that I would buy, not make.

The only thing I couldn’t find was the phyllo dough in small squares; all they had were the big sheets and I wasn’t going to battle with that. I did find an Italian crisp bread that looked very much like sheets of phyllo that I thought would work. The Everglades sauce is the one I’ve posted before with shallots and capers done with infused olive oil, key lime juice, rum, and butter. Cooking the shallots slowly in olive oil is key, then add everything else. Let that cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the shrimp with a little more liquid if needed for 3-5 minutes. Place one piece of crisp on a plate, half the shrimp, another crisp, rest of the shrimp and pour the sauce on top. (Okay, this is my version; there are others).

Anyway, from a cooking perspective, the lobster was in a 400 degree oven for 7 minutes which also worked for the tomatoes and Hubby was having leftover broccoli-cheese rice. In other words, right after I plated the first course, everything went into the oven and the re-heating the rice was quick in the microwave. Oh, champagne to drink naturally.

I had picked up a small chocolate cake, small lemon cake and two chocolate covered strawberries at Publix for dessert. It was all lovely and Hubby has dessert for the rest of the week.

About Keeping the Yard in Control…..

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This is “travel” related only in the sense of understanding the environment of South Florida where, as I have mentioned before, plants can quickly grow out of control. We of course do not have seasons in the same way that mostly only evergreens and specific bushes and so forth thrive in winter. We do have seasonal blooming cycles for certain things, but our day-to-day profusion of blossoms and more variety of palms than you can keep track of, means constant attention must be paid to keep things under control. A couple of years ago, we had the woman who previously re-landscaped the back yard come out because several items we originally planted didn’t turn as we planned and we wanted to increase the butterfly/hummingbird attracting ones. I thought we might be able to keep up with everything this time, but once again, despite Hubby having to continuously remove palm fronds and cut back some of the blooming bushes, the back yard is tangled looking. We don’t need anything else planted per se; it’s more we have a few things in nice containers that seem to be root bound. One of them may simply be a matter of not watering enough. In another case, one I thought had given up seems to be recovered. There is also an out of control aloe vera in the front yard that Hubby and I disagree about. I think it looks like the “Little Shop of Horrors” situation and he likes it. I’m not even sure it can be safely removed if I get Hubby to agree we swap back to having it in a container instead of the soil. (I hadn’t realized that when you plant in the ground, they can get really big)

The woman we use has been in the landscape business for a long time and doesn’t hesitate to explain when she thinks we have made errors.

Guarded Optimism…..

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We have been waiting for some months now for the Redland Hotel and City Hall Bistro to reopen in Homestead. It is a historic building and repeated attempts at restaurants have failed for a variety of reasons. Because of the different hats I wear, I’ve been talking with the new owner and his son who will be the on-site restaurant oversight. The hotel part – 13 rooms – has a high occupancy because it is the only hotel of its type and that appeals to a certain type of traveler. The refurbished rooms are done well. Although not spacious, they have all the basics and the redecorating is stylish.

The bar and restaurant have finally been done correctly in an appealing, sophisticated way and everyone is impressed. The new owner is getting to know people within the community and at this point, I am guardedly optimistic. The ambience is first rate, the food quite good, the presentation lovely, and so far the service is good. Prices are definitely high end and while people understand the level of renovation comes at a price, there are a few issues that could tilt sustainability. I won’t go into them because a) they may yet be resolved, and b) with the growth in the area, there may be enough new people who don’t view these factors as issues. Going into the historically slow season of summer though generally means the year-round residents will allow a place to sustain. This is true with any seasonal community and while we don’t have quite the swing in population of say places that close down in off-season, there is a definite drop in population.

We have not met the chef who is leasing the bar and restaurant, but I have heard he (might be a she) is highly experienced. The cuisine is a mix of American and Latin with a few other items thrown in. For example, among the appetizers are bang-bang shrimp (spicy or plain), tostones topped with shrimp, loaded nachos, sliders, tuna tartar; smoke fish dip and a few more. There is a similar combination for entrees.

As I say, we shall see.

So Much for Catching Up….

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We did have the Homestead Center for the Arts Art and Artisan Show Saturday an rain was not an issue. Heat and humidity were other matters as even for South Florida, it was higher than normal for this time of year. We had a great mix of vendors and while we would have liked more attendees, it was in a good range. We had some wonderful volunteers, too which made a big difference.

This week was supposed to allow me to catch up a bit as I had to focus a great deal on last week for prep and of course Saturday was consumed with the show. I did some work yesterday as well although not as much as I needed to. Then a few extra things have been thrown into the mix and there you have it. At this stage I’m keeping my fingers crossed for no more curve balls. In all fairness, the extra tasks are better than having some kind of medical emergency, so there is that to be grateful for. Hubby has had a couple of days and was able to get the grocery store taken care of which is always a help. He’s back at work tomorrow through the end of the week and we are going to try and keep the weekend clear. I’m not sure we’ll manage, but there is a good chance. May is Military Appreciation Month which comes with several annual events we’ll have to cover for the paper and Hubby is involved in one on the 20th. I may get pulled into it, too; that remains to be seen.

Anyway, here’s hoping someone out there has an uncomplicated, relatively calm week ahead.

 

 

 

Reliable Wreck Site…….

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The extensive reef network off Key Largo – the third largest barrier reef in the world – has many dive sites with mooring balls as the “official” sites shown on maps where the charter boats go. Private boats can go as well. There are lots of “unmarked” sites as well; those people discover and don’t publicize the location. The primary reason for charter boats to use mooring ball sites is to protect the reef system. Otherwise you have to anchor and depending on where you are, there could be coral heads or sea grass that can be damaged with careless anchoring. Anyway, having missed Feb and Mar for diving, I had to cancel one possible event to get out yesterday and it was almost perfect.

The weather was great, little wind, no current, good visibility, and this was a day Hubby went for fun and was able to bring the camera. (As an instructor, he’s not allowed to carry a camera unless teaching the underwater imaging course. He can attach his GoPro on regular dives because that runs hands-free). Yesterday we went first to the wreck of the Benwood. Wrecks – whether artificial as in deliberately deployed – or genuine as is the Benwood from WW II – start to immediately become a reef system. With more than seventy years of being down, there’s a lot of marine growth and pieces of the large ship are scattered around the hull that is recognizable as once being a ship. This provides plenty of space for fish and other creatures to tuck into. The anchor sets off to one side and makes for nice viewing. The maturity of it as an artificial reef means it’s reliable as a site even on those occasions where there is “nothing big”. I did almost give up on seeing the turtle that is often present and didn’t find it until the end of my dive. There had been extra schools of fish though and lots of regulars; parrots in all colors, all three kinds of angels, trumpet, trunk fish, and others.

We went onto French Reef for the second dive and there are nineteen mooring balls on that section of reef. This particular spot is “Sand Bottom Cave”. (It’s a small cave and there are several “swim-thrus” in the area. Sure enough, a baby Goliath Grouper was tucked into the cave, taking up most of the space. Even as a “baby”, it was about three-plus feet long and thick. There were lots of other fish to enjoy as well and we saw a honeycomb cowfish which we hadn’t seen in ages. Even though this picture was taken in Belize, we see Queen Angels all the time on our reefs.

Queen Angel on Reef in Belize

That Conversation About “The Trades”…..

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It has been a while since I posted about this topic. Last evening, I attended a Scholarship Awards dinner and sat with a young lady and her mother. The student will be attending Florida State to major in Computer Science and is the first to leave home. The mom has some concern of course although that’s not the point of this post. The mom is proud of her and mentioned she only did one year of college as she became pregnant and was then able to get a good job while she raised son and daughter. That led to commenting her son isn’t looking to go to college, and prefers to work with his hands. I explained I was a big proponent of the trades rather than, “everyone should go to college”. This has been my position for years, strengthened by the inexcusable cost of college and the proliferation of degrees that aren’t remotely marketable. Now again, college graduates (especially anyone in liberal arts) often don’t go to work in their field of study, but apply the skills learned in other areas. The idea that someone who majors in something like Women’s Studies should also be able to find a high-paying job in that field is where things generally go awry.

Getting back to the point of the trades though. There is a shortage throughout the country of electricians, etc.,., and while Vocational Tech (VoTech) fell out of favor in many high schools, that seems to be changing. Major IT companies have long partnered with schools to provide the option to take courses in high school that can result in graduating with a technical certification of some type in addition to their diploma. That can lead to an entry level job that pays well and allows for upward mobility. In other cases, more training is required, but technical colleges usually have certifications that require only one or two years to a career. Costs are significantly less and again, job placement assistance is often included. Starting in a trade doesn’t mean being “stuck”; it can also mean that in the process of working as an electrician or whatever, the individual may well decide they do want to go on to college, or into business for themselves one day. No, not everyone is suited for a trade, but it should be encouraged for those who are.

And The Week Is Gone….

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Well, not the whole week exactly; more like one week ago today, this was our last day at Disney. It’s been a whirl and the weekend is not as busy as some although I do have an 8:15 meeting in the morning. I am still in catch-up mode and am making progress. Monday and Tuesday will be tough; no way to know about the rest of the week yet.

Daughter-in-law did get an album done of Disney activities and those are the memories that will pop up periodically when Facebook does reminders. In fact, one showed on my feed today about nine years ago was when we did the remodel of the front rooms to include gutting the kitchen. That was quite the time for those who weren’t following the blog back then. Living through a remodel does take planning and accepting things as they come. The primary contractor and his team were great; the subs were good, and not too many things went wrong. The usual two-week delay occurred and I only “lost it” maybe once and that was in private. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart as the saying goes.

On an entirely different subject, I genuinely hope I can find a day to dive as I missed Feb and March. It is going to be difficult as we are in the closing two weeks before a major event we’re putting together; our third Art and Artisan Show for Homestead Center for the Arts. It is in a new location this year which comes with more complexity, but also greater visibility which should mean higher attendance. There’s only one way to find out as we continue to seek to make this a signature annual event. While we still need some more volunteers, the people who are stepping forward are doing great.

Getting Caught Up….

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The drive back from Disney went as well as possible and for once the kids’ flight was not delayed. I have only been through the Orlando airport briefly and not paid much attention as I have never flown out of it. Apparently, in light of all the family travel, Disney also provided significant funds to help make the airport an interesting place. Daughter-in-law made this comment as I expressed mild concern they would have to be at the airport for a few hours because my option to fly them home meant mid-afternoon or early morning. Anyway, son sent a short video and some pictures of a large wall with what appeared to be an interactive activity with music and marine creatures where you can be “underwater” with them. Not sure what else was there, but granddaughter was definitely having a good time.

It will be a busy week of course as in addition to all the normal tasks, there were some I put off while we were gone. Then a friend I hadn’t seen for months called. I needed to take him something so we met for lunch yesterday. He did provide me with some interesting information that might be useful in another project he didn’t know I was involved with; we’ll see if it does “bear fruit”. Hubby actually has a few days off from teaching which will allow him to work off his considerable to-do list. Of course, it only takes one phone call/text from the dive shop to change that.  It would also be nice if I could squeeze in one morning/afternoon for diving as I didn’t get to go in February or March. We’ll see about that, too.

Disney Trip, Day 5………

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Not surprisingly our last parks day was the same mostly ups with some discomfort downs due to heat and crowds. The wait times were better as we added in the extra cost for Thursday and Friday to access things more quickly. This required use of the mobile app, scheduling, and things I had to leave to daughter-in-law, son, and Hubby to work out. We did start with the classic “Pirates of the Caribbean” and there was a wonderful “Swiss Family Robinson Tree House” as a walk-through event. A couple of mild rides and preceded a quick lunch, then a visit with two princesses in Princess Hall. Another plan was interrupted as the heat and distance got to granddaughter and we diverted into the air-conditioned Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor. It was cute. The desire for a tiara topped other ideas as the previously unknown desire was of course back where we had started with the puzzle of what granddaughter was talking about, and her not quite remembering where they were. It did get resolved with a lot more walking and looking. Along the way though was part of a show in front of the Castle with more characters to include more princesses and of music and dancing. Then there was the encounter with another princess for an autograph. With tiara kiosk located and chose made, we sent the kids off to have at least a little alone time. In making our way back to the resort, there wasn’t pool time because we had earlier dinner reservations.

This was back at Animal Kingdom to be at Tusker House in the African section and a Character dinner. Unknown to granddaughter, we had tried and been unable to book the one we wanted for her with princesses, and since we weren’t sure how this one would go, we didn’t say anything to her before. We arrived early enough to go through a couple of spots we’d missed Thursday. Dinner was a buffet with a huge selection, plenty of meats, potatoes, and vegetables with appropriate spices and naan plus other breads. There were some dishes available for the unadventurous and the dessert table did not disappoint. I didn’t go near it, but did take one small bite of a terrific brownie. The characters were the Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald and Daisy Duck and Goofy in their safari outfits. They each came to each table for hugs and photos. There was a group autographed card provided to each child rather than the kind of time it would take to do that at each table.

Oh, I forgot to explain. Princess dress had been the attire for the day – you see lots of those worn – and the tiara was added for dinner. This had replaced the previous days wearing of decorative mouse ears. By the way, I had no idea there were so many types of mouse ear headbands/hats that existed. We’re all going to breakfast soon, then it’s pack up and get the kids on the way to the airport as we hope for no issues on the turnpike..

Disney Trip, Day 5…..

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Okay, yesterday was multiple adventures as we went to Animal Kingdom, then to the fancy Chefs de France at Epcot for dinner. We only did one of the major items at the Park – the Safari – as the others had such incredibly long lines. The Safari was excellent though in riding slowly through different sections and except for one, we did see the expected animals. At the very beginning of the park there was a kids booklet with different “badges” to get while in the park and the rangers were great interacting with the kids. There was the Gorillas Mist Trail as a walking piece in addition to the ride. After a quick fast food lunch, there was a great “The Boneyard” set up with different activities. “Discoveries”, stairs within “scaffolding”, cargo net bridges, and slides were all involved. Very hot again, so by 2:00ish, it was time to head back. I thought a nap might be in order, however, the desire for pool time won out.

There are actually two fireworks displays each night. The biggest is the Magic Kingdom, but Epcot has one, too. We didn’t say anything to granddaughter as we weren’t sure how that would work out. Daughter-in-law booked the French restaurant because it was close to the spot. With our timing though it was going to be tricky. She was on the last few bites of her ratatouille with quinoa when they started so she took granddaughter out as Hubby finished his steak au poivre and swapped places outside. Son and I stayed inside finishing my steak au poivre and his beef bourguignon. Everyone was back in for dessert. My indulgence for the trip was chocolate tart with vanilla ice cream. Hubby had creme brulee, son assorted sorbet and a madelain, daughter-in-law a lovely citrus cake with a raspberry ganache. Vanilla ice cream for granddaughter although of course it was special ice cream. The place was lovely and our waitress was utterly French with a charming accent.

On to Magic Kingdom today.