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March 7, 2010
Posted March 7th, 2010 at 6:06 pm by Michele Harrison
Like many, I have always felt as though Princess Diana represented something different in the world of royalty. Her compassion, extensive charity work, high-style, and marriage to Prince Charles made her the “world’s most photographed woman.” I had a great deal of respect for her. As a strong-minded woman, she broke through the many barriers of those who had come before her. Her devotion to her children, William and Harry took center stage in her life. Many people don’t realize it, but Diana actually chose the children’s names, selected her own nanny for the boys instead of using the royal nanny, took responsibility for planning their daily activities, personally walked them to school whenever she could, and tried to plan her own activities around their schedules. It was clear that Diana was committed to making sure she was a large part of her children’s lives and wanted to have a hand in raising her boys instead of leaving it up to the royal staff.
Diana was very well known for her choice of clothing which became newsworthy starting with her wedding dress when she married Prince Charles on July 29, 1981. Since that day, she was photographed all over the world at different times: in royal settings, during public speeches, while giving aid to the less fortunate, etc. She always evidenced class, refinement and a soft, approachable stature. For the next two decades, Diana’s life and style would change and create a story like no one else could have ever imagined.
We here in Naples, happen to be lucky enough to have an exhibit that has been created solely for The von Liebig Art Center featuring an original collection of the late Princess Diana’s gowns, shoes, and handbags plus some of her memorabilia. A few of the dresses and items being featured have never before been exhibited in the United States. Some memorabilia items include pieces from Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen Mother, and Prince Charles. Diana’s personal chef, Darren Grady, will also be giving lectures on March 13th and 14th about Diana and his book Eating Royally; Recipes and Remembrances from a Palace Kitchen.
I think it is hard to find anyone who didn’t connect with Diana in one form or another, especially with her humanitarian heart which so many around the world experienced and observed. The above exhibits, lectures, and even a black-tie event on March 10th, will maintain Diana’s legacy of social and charitable acts. A portion of all ticket sales will be contributed to the Pink Ribbon Crusade, “a charitable organization formed by several of the dress owners who support women with breast cancer, for distribution to local women with breast cancer affiliated with Bosom Buddies and the NCH Hospital Foundation.”
Event details can be found at the von Liebig Art Center website at – http://www.naplesart.org/Diana/
I hope you can get out and enjoy some or all of these events…remember it is for a good cause!
Categories: 55+ Living, Human Interest, Naples News
Tags: Bosom Buddies, Darren Grady, Naples, NCH Hospital Foundation, Pink Ribbon Crusade, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Prince William, Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth II, royalty, the Queen Mother, The von Liebig Art Center, United States —
March 2, 2010
Posted March 2nd, 2010 at 3:53 pm by Michele Harrison
Have you ever had a chance to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) in New York City? Did you know it is one of the finest and largest art museums in the world with over two million works of art that cover five thousand years of history and culture? It happens to be one of my favorite places to go in New York, and I am apparently not alone. The Met has more than five million visitors through her doors each year!
We, here in Naples, were fortunate enough to have Philippe de Montebello, Director Emeritus of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as the lecturer at the most recent Naples Town Hall Distinguished Speaker Series event this past weekend. I had the pleasure of enjoying the dinner event with a few friends, and it was truly one of the most fascinating and captivating talks I have ever heard. The life that Mr. Montebello has had is nothing short of amazing, and you found yourself not only excited about art in general, but also informed and appreciative of all the forethought that goes into setting up the major collections the we all get to enjoy. The details he spoke about from acquiring certain pieces of art to setting up the displays for the collections were absolutely intriguing!
According to Philippe’s bio, The Met, “nearly doubled in size under his leadership, vastly increasing its exhibition space, acquired significant collections and individual masterpieces, mounted acclaimed international loan exhibitions, developed wide-reaching educational programs, and reinstalled much of its permanent collections in new and refurbished galleries. In 2008, Philippe became the first scholar in residence at the Prado Museum in Madrid, and he joined the Board of Trustees of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. In the fall of 2009, Mr. de Montebello launched a new academic career as the first Fiske Kimball Professor in the History and Culture of Museums at the Institute of Fine Arts of New York University and as a special advisor for NYU’s Abu Dhabi campus.”
For those of you that weren’t able to attend this lecture, you can see Philippe on the weekly WNET/PBS culture series called SundayArts that he co-hosts with Paula Zahn. It will definitely be worth your time. You can also see his full biography from the Naples Town Hall Distinguished Speaker Series here –
http://www.naplesdistinguishedspeakers.org/pages/philippe_de_montebello.html
I must say that I am so eager for our next trip to New York in April! I will have a completely different perspective and excitement this time as we move through the Met…and I can’t wait!
Categories: 55+ Living, Human Interest, Naples News
Tags: art collections, art museums, Director Emeritus of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, educational programs, Fiske Kimball Professor, Institute of Fine Arts of New York University, international loan exhibitions, Madrid, masterpieces, Musée d'Orsay, Naples, Naples Town Hall Distinguished Speaker Series, New York, New York City, NYU’s Abu Dhabi campus, Paris, Paula Zahn, permanent collections, Philippe de Montebello, Prado Museum, refurbished galleries, SundayArts, the Met, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, WNET/PBS —
February 26, 2010
Posted February 26th, 2010 at 11:13 am by Michele Harrison
For those of you that missed the recently released report by NABOR (Naples Area Board of REALTORS®) it stated that overall home sales increased 51% compared to a year ago! While many people are still finding it tough out there, we are truly beginning to see positive signs from a real estate market perspective…thank gosh!
The report notes comments from many key players within the real estate community that consistently agree that sales across the board are up. They are seeing increases in all price levels and in all geographic locations. They have even seen forward movement in the condo market, which has not been the case in years.
A few noteworthy points made in the report include:
- “Overall pending sales for properties under $300,000 increased 81 percent with 718 contracts in January 2010 compared to 396 contracts in January 2009.”
- “Single-family pending sales increased 61 percent with 511 contracts in January 2010 compared to 317 contracts in January 2009.”
- “Overall condo sales increased 91 percent with 288 sales in January 2010 compared to 151 sales in January 2009.”
While things aren’t going to return to the price levels we saw a few years back anytime soon, at least we have made it to the recovery! Now, we must help our community to regain momentum and move forward.
If you would like to view the entire report, go to http://www.NaplesArea.com.
Categories: Naples Home Market, National Real Estate Market
Tags: 2010, condo market, condo sales, home sales, NABOR, Naples Area Board of REALTORS, NaplesArea.com, pending sales, real estate market, single-family pending sales —
February 24, 2010
Posted February 24th, 2010 at 9:15 am by Michele Harrison
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to ride on a camel? Did you know that camels can carry as much as 1,000 pounds on them during a safari causing them to be known as “ships of the desert?” Even if you haven’t ever thought about this before, doesn’t it sound kind fun and intriguing? Well, the Naples Zoo has just started offering camel rides to patrons visiting the zoo this season.
With the Zoo always looking to promote conservation and education, they have decided to offer camel rides for the first time in the Zoo’s 41 years of being open. The Zoo is trying to get people to learn about “strange” animals, and boy does this speak to that. These animals weigh 2,000 pounds and stand 8 feet, 6 inches tall. The two at the zoo right now actually came to Naples in a semi-truck.
According to National Geographic, camels have been domesticated for approximately 3,500 years. The camels at the zoo are Arabian camels (also known as dromedaries) and have one hump. It is reported that camels can travel up to 100 miles in the desert without water because of the fat stored in their humps that they break down into water and energy for survival in such harsh conditions. These animals also don’t sweat, so when they actually consume water they can conserve it for very long periods of time. I have read that if they are really thirsty they can consume 30 gallons of water at one sitting…yikes!
If you are up for a little fun and adventure, you should head over to check this out at the Zoo off Goodlette-Frank Road. The rides cost $5 on top of zoo admission, and are available from 11am to 4:45pm daily. The two camels’ names are Joshua, 12, and Josephine, 11. The owners of the animals, the Sears, say the camels are bathed every day and don’t spit. Apparently, they have raised these two animals since they were born as “preemies” at their farm called the Hole in the Wall Farms, a nonprofit animal sanctuary in Ohio. Hopefully, you can find some time to go check it out.
Enjoy and send pictures!
Categories: 55+ Living, Environment, Human Interest, Naples News
Tags: animal sanctuary, Arabian camels, Camels Camel rides, conservation, education, Florida, Goodlette-Frank Road, Hole in the Wall Farms, Naples, Naples Zoo, National Geographic, safari, ships of the desert, water —
February 22, 2010
Posted February 22nd, 2010 at 9:45 pm by Michele Harrison
As I was reading the paper this morning, I was thinking about how much our community offers its residents and visitors. Even though we are a tropical paradise location, we still enjoy many cultural aspects that most people only associate with large urban cities. This weekend, for example, we covered different ends of the spectrum with the Southwest Florida community being home to a National Art Festival in Naples and the opening day for spring training for the Boston Red Sox in Fort Myers. How many other places in the country consistently offer such diverse cultural experiences in such a sought after location?
The 31st Naples National Art Festival took place at Cambier Park Saturday and Sunday bringing in large crowds of art enthusiasts. Artists from around the country were featured covering 300 booths in total. The event got people of all ages and backgrounds out for the weekend to peruse the displays and possibly purchase pieces that touched them personally. The artists featured in the Festival were hosted by the von Liebig Art Center.
On Saturday, the opening day of the Red Sox spring training took place in Fort Myers at the Player Development Complex. It was open to the public bringing together all sorts of sports fans. Whether you are a fan of the Red Sox or not, this type of sporting event gets the adrenaline flowing again and reminds kids who love baseball to hold on to their dreams of one day standing in the players footsteps.
Of course, there were many other activities going on this past weekend, but I thought the contrast of the two large ones above was a perfect display of what our community offers its residents and visitors. I have personally worked with so many groups and organizations focused on making sure that our beautiful area truly allows for the best “lifestyle” experience for our residents and visitors. Clearly, we have done just that!
Categories: 55+ Living, Human Interest, Naples News
Tags: Cambier Park, diverse cultural experiences, Fort Myers, Naples, National Art Festival, Player Development Complex, Red Sox, Southwest Florida, sports fans, Spring training, tropical paradise, von Liebig Art Center —
February 12, 2010
Posted February 12th, 2010 at 3:42 am by Michele Harrison
Do you know the history behind Valentine’s Day? Did you know that the holiday is celebrated not only in the US, but also in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia?
There are actually a number of versions out there speaking to the holiday’s history, but they all stem from a priest named Valentine who practiced in Rome during the third century. One version states that Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage during his reign because he felt that single men made better soldiers for his army, which Valentine saw as a major injustice and decided to continue performing marriages in secret. As soon as his actions were discovered, Claudius had him put to death. Another version of the story says that Valentine may have been put to death for helping Christians escape ruthless Roman prisons where they were tortured and beaten. Once jailed by Claudius, legend has it that Valentine fell in love with a girl who visited him while he was incarcerated and allegedly wrote her a letter that he signed “From your Valentine.”
Centuries later, popularity for Valentine’s Day took hold in the United States in the 1840’s when Esther A. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, began to sell the first mass-produced valentines with lace, ribbons and colorful pictures. It is estimated that one billion valentine cards are now sent each year making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas where roughly 2.6 billion cards are sent.
Regardless of whether you believe one of the legends above or a different one, they all center around the point that the priest, Valentine was expressing sympathy, caring, and love for others. I know that each and every one of us has people or someone who has touched our lives in a positive way. Take a second this holiday to acknowledge those special people and let them how much they mean to you, and don’t forget those that are no longer with us, as they still have a hold on our hearts.
Happy Valentine’s Day!!!
Categories: Holiday Wishes, Human Interest
Tags: Australia, Canada, Christmas, Emperor Claudius II, Esther A. Howland, France, Mexico, Rome, third century, United Kingdom, US, valentine cards, Valentine's Day —
February 11, 2010
Posted February 11th, 2010 at 3:23 am by Michele Harrison
 Giving my presentation...
I had a great week last week! I started the week with a presentation to about 125 people at the beautiful Bear’s Paw Country Club, got to spend some quality time with some friends in the middle of the week, and finished out the weekend relaxing with my husband on the water! It doesn’t get much better than that!
For those of you that didn’t know I made a sales presentation to the members of the Bear’s Paw Country Club last week as they are looking to position and price themselves correctly in today’s market. After running analyses and checking out the competition, I presented the members with an idea of how to not only price their homes appropriately, but also how important it was for the group to work together to market the community at large along with their individual homes to drive the right amount of foot traffic. You can never underestimate the importance of effective marketing when it comes to sales. The other key point that I made was to go over the importance of staging the homes the right way in order to allow potential buyers to see themselves actually living in the space. This is one of those items that many people either overlook or don’t want to deal with since it may mean spending a little money, but I can’t stress enough how much easier and faster it usually makes for the sale.
If you happen to be in the market for a home, I would recommend giving me a call to hear more about the Bear’s Paw Country Club community. They are taking the right steps to reposition themselves to let everyone know about their great private location, beautiful natural preserve, signature golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus, and their ongoing member activities. I truly enjoyed taking part in this presentation and seeing how proud the members are of this exclusive and beautiful community!
January 27, 2010
Posted January 27th, 2010 at 4:30 pm by Michele Harrison
Like everyone else, this tragedy is inconceivable to me. After living through a number of hurricanes in Southwest Florida and Cape Cod, I can’t imagine what it is like for the Haitians right now in Port-au-Prince.
A few days ago, I saw a story covering the arrival of a plane carrying a number of orphans from Haiti to the US to meet their new American parents. This story really pulled at my heart strings when I saw the faces of the children light up as they were held by their new parents for the first time. Then there was a story tonight about a couple who had been in the process of trying to adopt a little girl before the earthquake hit. After the disaster happened, the father flew to Haiti to find the little girl, adopt her, and bring her back to the states. Having gone through such a traumatic experience, the little girl was happy to be with her new family, but she did cry out frequently for her friend whom they had to leave in Haiti. The family later decided to return to Haiti, find the friend, and bring her home as part of the family, as well.
Stories like this remind us all about what kindness and the human spirit are all about. These people are true heroes. I hope everyone takes a second to think about the people of Haiti, and consider a way to make a difference for them and others.
Here is a link to a CNN World story from yesterday covering the current numbers from this tragedy – http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/26/haiti.by.the.numbers/index.html
Categories: Human Interest
Tags: Cape Cod, CNN, earthquake, family, Haiti, heroes, human spirit, hurricanes, kindness, orphans, Port-au-Prince, Southwest Florida —
January 8, 2010
Posted January 8th, 2010 at 5:42 pm by Michele Harrison
My husband and I went out last night, and I was so excited to get a chance to wear some of my warmer clothes. Let’s face it, we don’t get many chances to pull out the heavy outfits in Naples, Florida. I know many of us moved here to live in the warmer weather, but a few days of the cold every once in a while is invigorating.
Of course, I would hope everyone has taken the necessary steps to protect themselves, their animals and their plants, but the change in temperature can be refreshing for all of us. While I know the cold weather can be rather traumatic for our Florida growers whom I hope don’t see major crop losses, what about the upside to the season? We tend to always focus on the negative when we think about the winter weather, but we should also remember the positive aspects that this time of year brings, as well.
While we typically don’t get snow or ice down here, the cooler temps allow us to wear layers and winter fashions, cozy up by a fire, cook and enjoy comfort foods, and feel the warmth of the sun coming down on us on clear winter days. The nights are crystal clear and the frequent red sunsets are breathtakingly beautiful. Some of us even venture out in our boats this time of year. Don’t get me wrong, it can definitely get cold on the water, but there is a crispness to the air that is energizing and reminds me of sailing in Cape Cod.
Who knows, they say our chances of snow this weekend are higher than zero! Just make sure to put on your layers and enjoy!
Categories: Boating, Naples News
Tags: boats, Cape Cod, clear winter days, cold weather, comfort foods, fire, Florida, Florida growers, Naples, red sunsets, sailing, snow, sunsets, winter fashions, winter weather —
January 6, 2010
Posted January 6th, 2010 at 9:15 pm by Michele Harrison
Like many others in Southwest Florida, I have a great respect and appreciation for nature and the wildlife that inhabits our area. I know how lucky we are in SWFL that we get to experience the raw beauty of so many species living in paradise. Unfortunately, many people today living and working in highly populated cities may never take the chance to experience nature at its best like we get to every day.
While it is somewhat common for us to see dolphins, fish, birds and manatees in our waterways, we had a unique situation occur a few days ago when a leatherback sea turtle came ashore. For those of you who have been following the news, you know that she was first spotted on Monday morning on the beach at Delnor-Wiggins State Park in Collier County where they figured her weight to be between 500 to 600 pounds. She looks absolutely beautiful from the images! According to the Collier County Parks & Recreation organization, it is the first time in history that one of these types of turtles has come on our local shores. Apparently, she had made her way to us all the way from Costa Rica.
At first they thought she may have been nesting due to patterns she had made in the sand, but now they think she may have been affected by the cold weather. She was helped back into the water where she eventually swam out of sight. Then she popped up in Bonita Springs yesterday morning and officials decided to go ahead and get her transported to the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida. Upon evaluating the turtle they found her to be in critical condition, but they have since stabilized her and are monitoring her around the clock.
I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about this because it makes me proud to live in an area that has so much respect and compassion for nature. People here take situations like this very seriously and do whatever they can to help. Personally, I try to get involved as much as possible and am actually a member of both the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the Humane Society of Naples. IFAW was actually started by some friends of mine back in Cape Cod and is the organization that single handedly stopped the Canadian seal industry from clubbing baby white seals for their coats. Thank gosh for groups like this that make a difference for animals each and every day.
There is an unspoken agreement here that if we are lucky enough to live, work and play around such beauty, we have to be responsible enough to make sure we do what it takes to keep our area the natural wonder that it is. I am sure everyone agrees with me in saying that we hope for the best for the turtle, and thankfully she is in the best hands now to be rehabilitated and set back into the wild.
Categories: Environment, Naples News
Tags: baby white seals, Bonita Springs, Cape Cod, Collier County, Collier County Parks & Recreation, Costa Rica, Delnor-Wiggins State Park, Florida, Humane Society of Naples, IFAW, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Leatherhead Sea Turtle, Mote Marine Laboratory, nature, Sarasota, Southwest Florida, SWFL, turtle, wildlife —
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