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Sunrise Services at Bok Tower Gardens are an annual Central Florida tradition since 1926. Everyone is invited to enjoy the majesty of the sun rise from atop Iron Mountain at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales. Parking is accessible, a choir will perform, an inspirational Easter message will be delivered by local clergy and the day will be off to a wonderful start. Admission to Bok Tower is complimentary for the sunrise service and after the service you are welcome to enjoy the gardens. See you in the gardens.

Green beer or *vinho verde (green wine) is a perfect pairing to enjoy with this naturally green and easy to make spread.

1 – 10 oz package of frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed dry
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped. Discard stems.
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 small clove of garlic minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
½ cup mayonnaise

Thaw spinach and drain thoroughly, squeeze out extra liquid. Wash parsley, pat dry on paper toweling. In food processor, chop parsley. Add spinach and remaining ingredients; pulse till combined. Serve with crackers or raw vegetables.

*Surprise, vinho verde is not actually green in color, but a wine from Portugal that is light and crisp and one of my favorite spring choices.

Solivita had an amazing assortment of creative and fun activities and events in February. No need to leave the community when you can hop in your golf cart, enjoy dinner, a concert, the resident edition of Solivita Master Chef, a car show, an art class, an exercise class, or any one of the educational classes being offered. If a class is not for you, sign up for an event sponsored by one of our over 200 clubs, make some new friends, and join a club or two. Be busy or not, the choice is yours when you are a Solivita resident. Don’t miss out on the fun. Living life in Solivita is a great way to live an inspired life. Less stress and more fun, will add years to your life and life to your years…. Come and grow young with us.

Growing up in Madison Square Garden territory, I must admit to seeing a lot of concerts, but I had never had the opportunity to see Cher live in concert. Her tour is billed as a farewell concert. Cher is the first to admit this is not her first farewell tour, but Lee and I wanted to catch her live before it really is her last farewell tour. And I have to say wow! Cher looks great and can still strut her stuff with the best of them, even in those crazy high heels and her body-hugging costumes. Her voice is strong, and her stage show was spectacular. Cher was personable and did an opening act with footage of her early career, when she was Sonny and Cher or Cher and Sonny, as I fondly recall from a routine performed on the 1970’s Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. The opening act was poignant and left me with a real sense of how the loss of Sonny has affected her. Cher spoke briefly of her children when they were young and how they celebrated her 40th birthday. She ended her monologue with an announcement to her fans that she is 72 years young and asked all of us what our “grannies are doing tonight.” I don’t know about your granny, but I know mine stopped strutting her stuff a long time ago. The Amway in Orlando is a nice venue, the acoustics are good, and Church Street rocks when a concert is in town. The only other thing that could have made the night better is a public transportation option. Fingers crossed, as we hope the train continues to gain in popularity and the operating hours are extended affording us the option of traveling to and from Orlando without the I-4 drive.

We celebrated our evening out with a pre-show dinner in downtown Orlando at Kres Chophouse on Church St. A perfect start to the evening as the restaurant is warm and inviting and not your typical noisy steakhouse, but rather subdued with a casual, quiet elegance. Nice white linen on the tables, inviting space and great service. Kres is within walking distance to the Amway and turned out to be a great pick. Our table was comfortable, the wine selection was good, and each glass was served at the right temperature in nice stemware. We were a group of four and together we each shared our entrees. Every dish on our table was plated beautifully and delicious, the soup was spicy and served hot, the salads cool and crisp, the steak was cooked to the perfect temperature, but the pork chop was the undisputed winner at the chop house. It was perfectly tender, slightly pink in the middle, juicy and flavorful. A dish we all agreed we would order again on our next evening at Kres. You can visit Kres on the web at: www.kresrestaurant.com.

Are you wearing green for St. Patrick’s Day? Bella Verde is always in green. It is our official color. Our name (beautiful green), our logo, our front lawn, and this time of the year, even our beer is green. Bella Verde Realty is always happy to market and sell your home and bring some green to your pocket too.

We hope to see you downtown this year at the St. Patrick’s Day parade. It is always a fun event and a good excuse to party with friends and family. Our niece Michele, is usually here for the party, but this year she is planning a big bash in New York (without us) but she promises to visit later in the year. We will miss her, but her late visit will give us a great excuse to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day twice this year, once now and again when she arrives.

Lee and I hope you enjoy a slice of soda bread, Irish stew, a wee dram of Irish whisky, a good corned beef sandwich or just a few laughs with friends and family. Whatever you do, we hope the luck of the Irish is with you now and all year through.