Blog No. 15 of 2025
This is the end to a very busy week for me.
Gonna miss you Brook Dorsch.
I mean, the weekend was packed, first on Friday night when we attended the last exhibition at the Emerson Dorsch Gallery. Sad to say farewell to Brook Dorsch, our close friend and pioneer of the Wynwood art movement. It’s the end of an era in Miami and I’m so sad to see him go. Kevin and Michelle joined us at the show and then the four of us went to an amazing dinner at Osteria, an Italian restaurant on Biscayne Blvd. Absolutely DELICIOUS! Click on the link above to check out the menu. The burrata appetizer and mushroom pasta are stellar.
There’s Nick in his wig, dancing with the Best Buddies Friendship Walk’s DJ.
The next two days were all about Best Buddies and Special Olympics starting with Saturday’s Best Buddies Friendship Walk. My sisters, niece and her family, our friends Kevin and Michelle, we all came out to support Best Buddies and walk through the park in support of all they do. It’s an annual ritual with lots of smiles, dancing, live music and most of all, supporting inclusion. I got to chat with a wonderful family I met at the Marlins game last week whose three-year-old daughter has Down Syndrome. It was lovely to see them again and get to know them.
Nick and his Special Olympics basketball teammates proudly showing off their gold medals. Next stop, Orlando for the Games in May. Congrats guys!
Sunday was Nick’s Special Olympics three-on-three basketball competition at Nova Southeastern University and he and his team were victorious and are headed to the big Games in Orlando in May! So proud of them.
Host for the Miami Film Festival screening of “Malecon” Alejandro Rios on the far right. Speaking is the film’s director Carlos Larrazabal and next to him are a few of the film’s cast members.
Tuesday I went to a very late Miami Film Festival screening at Regal South Beach of “Malecon” a heartbreaking and sometimes funny story of life in Cuba and the desperate acts of individuals on the island that result in sometimes dire consequences. I stayed afterwards for a bit when some of the cast addressed the crowd and participated in a Q&A. Although the Film Festival ends today, they do year-round programming. I especially want to see more of the films in their Cuban Cinema Series at the Koubek Center.
I loved this sign at the Aperol booth at F&B@Sea Conference.
For the remainder of the week I was busy doing on-site reporting from the annual F&B@Sea food and beverage convention at Mana Wynwood Convention Center. I spent Wednesday and Thursday walking the floor, speaking to vendors, furiously taking notes and attending panels. It all resulted in me writing three stories for the SeaTrade Cruise News website. Here are links to those two articles. I’ll be writing another comprehensive overview of the two-day event next week.
Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge Cypress Swamp Trail Boardwalk.
Yesterday, after getting some last minute work done, I drove up to Merritt Island to our townhouse and on the way stopped at the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. Although I went out of my way to make the visit it was totally worth it and you can see in the pictures above. Spotting a few gators in the water and lots of butterflies and birds was a relaxing and soothing way to break up the trip.
Once I got to Merritt Island Vance and I headed out to dinner with our friends Phil and Margaret and Kevin and Michelle. We wanted them to experience The Fat Snook restaurant in Cocoa Beach and they were thrilled. What a great night. Vance and I are going back there again next Tuesday with Elizabeth and her boyfriend David and Nick is gonna come with us too that night. He hung out at the townhouse on Friday watching wrestling and having pizza.
Lastly, I want to share my Zip Ode that was published by the O, Miami Poetry Festival folks during their monthlong event that coincides with National Poetry Month.
Pretty Spring tulips.
And a final photo of some Spring tulips I bought for the townhouse in a cute thrifted vintage vase.
More to come next week!
