The Letting GO is the hardest part--Paul Mordente

Palm Beach Zoo---Best Bargin in SoFlo?

A while back, the family went to The Palm Beach Zoo. It has to be the most affordable, kid friendly place I've been to in South Florida. One, its shaded. Your not going to die from the sun. That's good. But there is a chance, depending on the day, you might die from humidity. Be warned. It offers plenty of shade for little ones and adults alike. A big plus. Two, it's cheap. It cost around $13 something dollars for adults, a steal in my opinion. So you can imagine the relative deal for children. Three, they have a great Interactive water park fountain thing, so you can bring the kiddies swim trunks as well. Four, the animals are close. It doesn't get any better than this! Its the perfect day get-a-way for us Broward/Dade folks...Not that we need to get-a-way or anything..... So parents looking for something to do for the weekend now that school is back, this is your answer...... Go!

Thoughts After Disney

After spending a couple of days in Disney World, some Florida thoughts..

-I've never seen so many overweight people in my life. Europeans are right, we are disgusting.

- Why doesn't Broward or Dade have a gigantic, professional water theme park? Remember Atlantis anyone?

- Our local news blows Orlando's away.

-The Marlins should drop the black out of their uniforms. It's to hot a color in summer to wear.

-If I was a teenager, I'd much rather live in Orlando. The options

in South Florida for teens isn't that great.

-Who is better suited for the future, Orlando or South Florida? Disney is a Global Monster that isn't going anywhere. What do we have beside the beach?

-It was strange to wake up this morning in Orlando and say "Man, it feels cool outside....."

Selling The Sunshine State/ A Celebration of Florida Tourism Advertising/Tim Hollis

When I saw this book at Barnes and Noble, trumpets and horns echoed throughout the entire store. It hit on all the things I been into lately. Florida History, Propaganda/Tourism posters, design, art, lay-out, color, advertising...you get the picture. Simply a great book to have in your library(If you have one..I do...). If you love poster design and old school photos of Florida, when everything seems so pure and endless, then this will be nirvana to you. Paul Rating: A+. Who's been to Pioneer City? Who's been to Storyland?

A Land Remembered/ Patrick D.Smith

Yes, another required Florida book one must read. This would be a perfect book to give a middle or high school student over the summer to read. I wish I read it when I was younger. It's a book about the least known or talked about frontiers in America......Florida. From Tallahassee all the way down to Fort Dallas, I mean, Miami. A very easy read. Remember, your dealing with historical fiction here, so there are a lot of details to chew on. Paul Rating: A.

The Swamp/Michael Grunwald

Most of us have driven through the Everglades a million times. Most of us still don't understand it. This book is really a history lesson for all of us who have lived in South Florida our whole lives and haven't given the Everglades a second thought. The history of "Man" trying to control the Everglades will change your perspective on how you view South Florida and its future. The best part of the book is the description of the early years when the Everglades was in its natural setting, with no dikes and ditches, birds and wildlife all over the place. It makes you yearn for that old time Florida that you now and then get to experience in certain parts of the state. The raw untouched beauty. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in South Florida history and it's future. Paul Rating:A+.

Mango Etiquette

With Mango Season upon us, one should probably review the "Mango Picking Rules" with your neighbors. See, everyone with a mango tree has a different set of rules. My neighbor across the street has a "Take them, Please!" attitude regarding her mango tree. The lady up the street has her mango tree pruned so high that no-one can get them unless you have a 10 foot ladder. There is a house in Ft.Lauderdale that has a FENCE around their mango tree, in the front of their house! If your new to the area, and want to plant a mango tree, try your best to plant it in the backyard. And even then you'll probably have a Mango Burglar trying to steal them. Good luck, the mad mango season is upon us! Dig in!

SouthFlorida.com/Must see TV

Your kidding me, right? This is probably the greatest thing that has crossed the morning airwaves for me in quite a while. I need a good laugh at 6 in the morning, and SouthFlorida.Com provides just that. I got accustomed to terrifically "bad" news during my college days in Tallahassee. You could only imagine the knuckleheads they rolled out, and watching the news was always a must see for me. SouthFlorida.Com is just as good and even better because these people know better. Who decided to place the midget in between two beautiful Glamazons? Who picks out the weatherman's clothes? I don't even watch Channel 10 anymore with this type of entertainment going on. I highly recommend this show to anyone who needs a pick-me up before heading off to work. Your day can't be as bad as these people!

Don't Look Back In Anger/Oasis/Paul Mordente

This is the first collage I've done in quite a while. It felt good to get back to doing things you really like to do. With a new baby aboard and back surgery, life has been very busy, with no time to do my art. I have just been surviving.........Its good to get your head above the water...........I finally can see land.