Tag: Exploring My Own Backyard

Mother’ Day Weekend! How you celebrated?

Mother’ Day Weekend! How you celebrated?

Xamara L Maisonet

For me to have a happy Mother’s Day Weekend equals to have a great family time. Before Jorge came to our lives I used to take make a reservation in Coronado Spring Hotel in Disney World for the weekend for me and my kids. Seen my kids happy, all weekend long at the pool going down the water slide millions of time used to make the best gift I could ever had. They were little and they used to enjoy that very much, we also went to dinner together, walk the resort, and at night when they were so tired we watch a movie at the room until we all fall to sleep.

Now I have two teenager and our family is bigger with Jorge in our lives. It’s been 3 years since the last time we were at Coronado Spring, so I decided to do a reservation again now with Jorge with us too. It is funny to me how things were so different this time.

My kids have different interest now… To make the story short, it was nothing like the past years, on Saturday Jorge had to take some time to do his homework for his last class of his MBA. My son Jay, was more in to the Gym and running around the resort on the jogging trail. That left my daughter and me by ourselves, and even though I enjoy her company very very much, the feeling of being all together, wasn’t there.

 

 

Thank’s God for Sunday! We all stop our personal interests and obligations and decided to do everything together… I would not say more, I will show you our great time together. 🙂

 

Just for fun here a slow motion ping-pong video!! 🙂

 

After we got home, Jorge and me went for a bike ride, we have dinner in a close by restaurant and relax for a while. We bike back home with dinner for the kids. We ended our weekend playing a monopoly card game were Jay and Jadzia were the winners… we were tired 😉

Family time, no matter where, close to home or far, is the best gift I could ever have.

I hope you had a great Mother’s Day weekend too!

So, how you celebrated? What you did for this past Mother’s Day Weekend? You do the same thing every year? For me, this will be the last Coronado Spring Resort. Next year we will explore the west coast of Florida. Ana Maria Island!! I will love to hear from you! I will like to know what fun tradition you do during this family oriented weekend.

Until then…

xamlinnette 🙂

 

Oktoberfest 2013 in Orlando, Florida

Xamara L Maisonet

20131002-224056.jpg Sitting on a picnic table while drinking a special beer that I never tasted before I was watching a group of people carrying tradition across time and distance.They dance happily, making a human chain and moving around the place.

The location was filled with happiness, smiles and joy. Even though I wasn’t dancing, I enjoyed watching humans embracing distance and time to celebrate and keep a tradition that started back in 1810 in Munich, Bavaria,Germany. I was happy that we decided to stay and learn more about folklore and culture from another country here in my own backyard.You see, when we got there, what we saw it was not what we were expecting. I find out about this activity on my search of things to do here in my home town beside I heard before about Oktoberfest been the biggest beer festival ever. I also knew that other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations, modeled after the original Munich event, so I though it was going to be a huge festival. When we walk in to the area, Jorge and me looked at each other, while also looking around and trying to find the awesomeness of the festival. But we judged to quick and got disappointed immediately. It wasn’t big, it didn’t look awesome. We decided to stay, try the beer and leave. But I was glad things change in me, when I got infected with the cheerful environment, then I was able to see that the fun is within you, the attitude you have toward things.

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There were a group of people who were dressed with their traditional costumes, giving the vibes of their home land. Sipping to the unknown cold beer I started to record some of the interesting things that happened that saturday night. Beside the dancing and the music with lyrics that I didn’t understand, they also did some competitions. First the women, all line up one beside the other, with a huge beer cup filled to the top, they supposed to hold the cup up with one extended arm. The person that could hold the cup up longer was the winner.

Then the guys turn….

We had a great time, celebrating with strangers some traditions that we never seen before. We sheer some of the people who were doing the competition, we clap at their music, we drank some unknown beer for us. But the most cool thing that we learned that night was to know that this was the second year that they celebrated Oktoberfest in Orlando and everything monetary collection from the activity was going to be donated to Shriners Hospital for Children. That is a great thing! No matter our backgrounds, culture, or believes we can work together for a good cause. I hope next year more people join the activity. Maybe, just maybe I will dance and Jorge participate on the competition… Maybe 🙂

Historic Moments at “Casa Feliz” in a Sunday Afternoon

Historic Moments at “Casa Feliz” in a Sunday Afternoon

Xamara L Maisonet

imageWalking through the bricked streets of Winter Park, we were getting closer to our destination. In a steady pace we kept moving forward, even though we were looking for a relief of the afternoon heat that was melting us away. Finally we got to the happy place, which has a sign by the entrance that read “Casa Feliz” that means “Happy House”.Once we enter the Andalusian style farmhouse, we were welcomed by the sound of a familiar American song, mix with rumba; Hotel California was being played by Luis Alfredo Garcia, the guest musician for that Sunday, with his classic guitar he gave this famous song a Spanish feeling. As soon as we opened the door we breathed a more refreshing environment. The classic guitar sound filled the 1933 historic house as the nice cool air did, giving us a very welcoming moment. We got there around 12:30pm, Luis Alfredo, the guest musician, had already started at noon, but it is normal to come and go as you please during the music performance at the Music at the Casa event every Sunday from 12 to 3pm.

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Once we spot some chairs on the back, we sat and continued enjoying the rest of the song. We were at the very back of the salon, which was once the living room of the antique museum home; they had around 40 chairs arranged like a theater.

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The smell of old wood and the next bolero that Luis Alfredo was playing, definitely can take you back in time. People kept coming, the room got almost completely full. I stared out through the glass door looking at a fountain in the interior courtyard with the flowing of the water, my thoughts transported me back in time just like in a movie. I wondered how Mr. Robert Bruce Barbour was so pleased with his beautiful house and exquisite architecture. I don’t think that Mr. Barbour was strict or tight at all about the style of his house, at the contrary he was very open, when he ask Mr. James Gamble Roger II to design the house anyway he wanted to, Mr. Barbour even said to Mr. Roger that if for any chance he didn’t like the style of the house after completed, he would sell it. But I guess he knew exactly what he was doing asking this young architect at that time, to build his house. Mr. Roger’s style flowed effortlessly from French Provincial to Spanish Colonial, and I think that was exactly what Mr. Barbour was looking for and indeed he loved his historical home.

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A few songs later, after my mind stopped the wonders, Luis Alfredo was playing another rumba. The rhythm of the song was so intense that it caused me wanting to move to the sound of the music. My whole body wanted to dance, but I simplified my moves by just taping my foot on the floor following the pace. I kept looking around and while we were enjoying the music, other people were exploring the house with the official tour guide from Casa Feliz. A few more songs until Luis Alfredo played Piel Canela from Bobby Capó (a puertorrican singer and song writer) while he played the song all the Latinos or maybe puertorricans guests (I am not sure) sang along. You could know when he finished the song, because of all the happy applause and excitement that was in the crowd. Our musician for that day interact nicely with the guests between songs, with his heavy Hispanic accent he introduced his music and songs. His repertoire was extensive with some songs from Puerto Rico, others from Venezuela and others from around the World. Every time people recognized a song, they sang along. After the musician took a break, Jorge and I decided to explore the house; every room has a piece of history, we took some pictures, imagining how life was back then.

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imageimageimageimageCasa Feliz once was a home for the Barbour’s, now is a Historic Home Museum that represents history and culture. Casa Feliz promotes historic buildings and sites in Winter Park and culture events like “Art at the Casa” and “Music at the Casa” featuring the work of local artists and musicians. The Happy House can also be rented for events and weddings. If you are interested in knowing more information about everything they offer, you may visit their website, www.casafeliz.squarespace.com.

Bonus: video of Piel Canela By Bobby Capo