I remember when, I was a kid my folks would tell me; “When you get older time will fly by much faster”. Now it does seem to fly by but even faster than I had imagined it would. Take 2010 for example; it seems like just a few months ago we were attending the Black and White Ball to usher in 2010. In just a few weeks we will be going to another New Year’s Eve Party to welcome in 2011.

At the end of this year the terms of six of our board members will end. The good news is four are running again.

Chuck Stoner is leaving the board after two years of faithful service. His leadership is going to be missed, but his support for the community I am certain will continue. He is the kind of resident who is willing to help out any time he’s asked. Chuck cares about his neighbors and works diligently[y to see to it their feelings and/or position is heard.

Yvonne McCaw decided not to run again and, I for one, will tell you, her inquisitive personality is going to be missed. Her commitment to the residents of Coquina is unparalleled along with her desire to see that people’s opinions were represented on the board.

Bill Napper has decided to run for the board again for 2011, and 2012. I for one could not be happier. Bill‘s counsel over my two years on the board has been invaluable. I can think of no one in this community who knows more about our HOA procedures, bylaws and Chapter23, the state statue than covers manufactured homes than Bill. I would like to solicit your vote for Bill to be on our new board because our HOA is better with Bill.

Don Sabatini is going to run again and that, my friends, is great news. Why, well, there are number of reasons but since, I do not have a lot of space, I will talk about two good reasons. First is the fact he’s been the HOA’s secretary and has done a great job. Secondly he is a real advocate for our residents. Here again, I am going to take the liberty of asking you to vote Don back on to the board for 2011 and 2012.

Gary Levine last year was elected to the board for one year. Gary has done a good job as a board member and I am happy he has agreed to run again. His commitment to the community is unbeatable. Again, I am asking you to return Gary to the board.

As for me, my two years are up, but after careful consideration, I have decided to run again. I have enjoyed my time on the board and have enjoyed working with a lot of very good people.

I have enjoyed working with all our committee chairpersons and their teams. Through the efforts of our last two boards and negotiation committees we have a great relationship with ELS. I personally feel this was the biggest win for us as residents. We now have an open door relationship with not just the community manager but with the district manager and regional vice president.

As 2010 draws to a close, I want to wish all of you the Happiest of Holidays and a great New Year.

 RESTAURANT REVIEW

by Lonnie Blaine

Now I know you've all had breakfasts at IHOP, Village Inn, Cracker Barrel, etc.  They don't need recommendations from me.  But I wanted to do a breakfast column, and I'm Early AM resistant, so. . . .

When you're sick, you call the doctor.  When your car breaks down, you call the mechanic.  So for a column about breakfasts, I called on Coquina's own John Collins for his recommendations. He's a regular at many of the area's finer epicurean emporiums. Since he'll be judging the finals of the Annual Biscuits and Gravy Cook-off in Daphne, Alabama next Spring, he is eminently qualified.  The finalists will be competing for the esteemed Rolaids Cup of Contentment.  Kind of the Super Bowl of Cholesterol.

John said I need to pass on two or three of his local favorites.  Leroy’s Hole in the Wall Cafe for breakfast is a winner. Good food, better prices.  Full breakfasts or his AAA rated biscuits and gravy.  Located on US1 just south of the Lewis Point road junction.  Plenty of parking.  Breakfast and lunch, 7 days.  Open for dinner Fri & Sat.  Eat inside or out.

He had a great experience at the 3rd Street Diner at the junction of 1-95 and Hwy 16.  The biscuit gravy was being made fresh when he got there and the biscuits still in the oven.  Was outstanding.  Full (actually huge) menu.  Complete breakfasts, lunch, dinner and Greek specialties.  Great sandwiches, too. Service is always prompt.

John got a little wasted one night drinking tequila martinis garnished with Jalapeño peppers and as the result is muy nutso over Mexican food.  He says the huevos rancheros at the South Beach Grill are Mucho Gusto (or something like that as he had a few Dos Equiis under his belt at the time).  If you've not tried huevos (eggs) rancheros (mild salsa and tortillas), they will start off your day with a bang.  South Beach Grill is really a fine stop.

Just down the way in Crescent Beach there's another facility touted by some of your neighbors.  Casa Benedettos is open three meals a day and the individual preparation is done by members of this fine Italian family.  Everything prepped from scratch and authentic quality ingredients are used.  I'll try to get there myself and write it up next

Contributed by Joan Skoczek

Dab a little frosting on inside of 2 cookies. Stick mint pattie on top of one of the frosted cookies. Place tinted

coconut on top of that and then place another cookie on top. Brush top with dab of egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds on top and let dry. Repeat until cookies/mints are gone. Should make 30 cookies.

Note: these cookies were popular at the Garage Sale Bake Sale! Call Joan if you have any questions.

COQUINA TRAVEL CLUB

TRAVELS WITH BERNIE

The first Coquina Crossing adventure with “Travels with Bernie” commenced on October 8, 2010 with a trip to”Greece and it’s Islands”. The tour began in Athens, where we experienced the culture, history, and foods of the city. We traveled north to Thermopylae; saw the makings of Byzantine icons, then on to Kalambaka to view the rock towers standing nearly 900 feet tall.

We visited the Sanctuary of Apollo, traveling along the Gulf of Corinth before crossing into the Peloponnese to the historic city of Olympia, the sanctuary of Zeus and Olympic Stadium where the first Olympic Games were held. In Epidauros we toured the spectacular 2300 year old open air theatre and lodged at the seaside village of Tolo. The Islands of Mykonos and Santorini offered us a stunning view of their whitewashed chapels and volcanic cliffs. Our taste buds came alive with an olive oil and wine tasting.

We have more upcoming Collette fun trips; Springtime Tulip River Cruise, April 1-9, 2011, Cruising the Best of Scandinavia, August 25, 2011, Canadian Rockies by Train, October 10-18, 2011,

New York City, November 28, 2011, California New Year’s Gateway, December 30, 2011,

Israel, pilgrimage of the Holy Land, January 25, 2012, Journey through Jordan & Egypt, February 9, 2012, Wines and Wonders of South America March 14, 2012, Japan Hidden Treasures, April 19, 2012

We are in the planning stages for trips to Charleston & Savannah, Oktoberfest, Myrtle Beach & Biltmore Estates, which are to be announced at the next travel club meeting to be held in January 2011.

 THE PET EXPERT

by Carol Rothfeld

As many of you know, for 25 years prior to our retirement to Coquina Crossing in September 2000 Michael and I bred and showed American Shorthair cats. We sometimes sold kittens to people who were interested in pedigreed cats as a pet and were willing to sign an extensive sales contract of do’s and don’t’s. That was how the Nikki Hilton and her sister Paris came to own one of our kittens. Also an Offensive Guard on the Chicago Bears heard about our beautiful cats and came all the way to Staten Island to buy a kitten for his girlfriend.

Anyway, a woman and her adult daughter from Long Island visited us to see our kittens and fell in love with a Brown Tabby female. This brings us to Heidi. Heidi was a Brown Tabby female kitten way back in 1995. We interviewed this woman extensively and she seemed to meet our standards. If she hadn’t answered our questions positively, we would have refused to sell her a kitten. She agreed to the stipulations of the contract which included clauses requiring spaying and prohibiting declawing and that the cat must be returned to us should the owner be unable to keep it. All seemed to be in order. We contacted her that evening and for several days in a row. We asked her if she had taken the kitten to her veterinarian for the mandatory examination and she said yes and we did a follow-up call when the kitten was to be spayed.

About a year and a half later, as I was showing a cat at a show in Long Island, this very same woman appeared. She seemed quite upset and said that she wanted me to take the cat back as she had clawed her daughter badly. I, of course, agreed and told her to come back to the show the next day with the cat. She returned with the cat in a cardboard box taped with duct tape and handed it to me. I was able to put the cat into the space with the cat I was showing though she was terrified. My friend and fellow breeder said she’s gorgeous, show her. As soon as I got home that evening I wanted to cut her claws as I had been told that she was a scratcher. To my horror I found that the cat had been declawed. I called the woman who said “Oh I always declaw my cats”, so much for signed contracts. To sue or not to sue. The heck with her; I had the cat back but according to show rules I couldn’t show her because of the declawing. We decided to keep her in our bedroom because she was so frightened and that was where I was keeping the Brown Tabby male we were showing. That way we could keep an eye on them both.

Well about six weeks later there she was presenting with a breech birth with four more dead kittens. Our male knew even if we didn’t that the woman also lied about having her spayed. Of course when our Vet did the C-section he spayed her. It took her a long time to recover from this trauma. This woman had named her Jacqueline, which is my sister’s name so I didn’t want to call the cat that. Our granddaughter, Carmen, who was about four years old at the time, suggested that since the cat liked to hide we should call her Heidi and Heidi it was until November 29, 2010.

We had to make that awful decision that many pet owners have to eventually make. Heidi was having difficulty breathing and no matter what tidbits I offered she didn’t want to eat. I tried to hand feed her and I cried as she cried. Michael took her to our Vet to be euthanized. Dr. Strickland suspected lung cancer. Though it is never easy to make the decision it was the right one. She had good years with us in spite of a difficult start and she was able to spend her retirement years in Florida at Coquina Crossing. Cross over The Rainbow Bridge, Heidi.

 Juvenile Delinquent

by Lew McCaw

Some kids today have little imagination, it seems to me. They sit around playing electronic games, thumbing incomplete sentences for Facebook on their smart-phones or hanging out at malls harassing those of us trying to boost the economy.

When I was a kid, we couldn’t even spell electronics, and black and white TV was a rumor in the Sci-Fi books. We had to be original when it came to entertaining ourselves or else get stuck weeding the garden or picking up rocks for the stone pile.

The subject of this true story was an acquaintance of mine and will be referred to simply as “the kid”. Every delinquent needs inspiration and “Old Man Horton” was the neighborhood inspirator. Other than the kid and his older brother, there was only one other youngster nearby who could be held responsible for pranks, so Joey and the kid usually took the blame. Kid’s brother was inclined toward academic pursuits as opposed to mischief making, so he was off the hook.

Old Man Horton may have had a wife...... ‘cause the kid thought he saw a short lady in the front passenger seat of the car once. Anyway, something in Old Man Horton’s life made him angry most of the time, so Joey and the kid were drawn to cultivating that anger.

On occasion, they’d do something like throwing rotten vegetables at his pristine white house, then duck back into the pine trees just out of sight as Horton came out to investigate the commotion. Joey and the kid knew about wire tapping before the FBI even thought up the term. The entire neighborhood was on a party line and one day Old Man Horton called Joey’s mom, Althea, warning her he’d call the state police if they did whatever he’d overheard they were going to do. Guess what the topic at dinner was that night in both homes? After that, all planning meetings took place in the pine grove just south of the old man’s house.

It was evident that the kid lacked even rudimentary common sense. Let me explain. He’d seen Old Man Horton driving east on the main road in front of the house.....probably going to the Park Hardware or Post Office 1 ½ miles up the road. Figuring Horton would be back shortly, the kid ran to the garden behind their house and plucked two really ripe tomatoes (that was two less he’d have to eat.....not being into veggies much). Running back to the front yard, the kid paused under the big maple tree to peer down the road, and seeing no traffic, he dropped into the low lying ditch close to the highway. Raising his head slightly, he saw the old gray Kaiser coming at an easy 35 mph. Just as the target had gone slightly past the kid’s position in the ditch, in hand-grenade style, he heaved both tomatoes with one launch. They struck the rear door window just behind the old man’s head, dripping red streaks and seeds down the side of the car. Just as foolish pride began to swell in the kid’s chest, the Kaiser brake lights came on and the first U-turn he’d ever witnessed caused him to feel that bathroom urge.

In broad daylight, with the front door to his house 75 feet away, the kid was a sitting duck. Squealing brakes were heard, followed by a slamming car door as he fumbled with the brass thumb latch. The best chance for survival would be if the old man had a heart attack as he crossed the front lawn. Gaining entrance and locking the front door behind him, the kid raced through the living room, tore through the hallway and kitchen and out the back entrance. Joey’s house was only 3/10s of a mile away if he took the shortcut through some fields. At 8 years of age, the reality of an adult’s word against a kid’s didn’t mean much.......he just needed an alibi...... bad!

Family discussion at dinner that night didn’t go well. It resulted in house arrest for one week. With only 5 recent issues of The Weekly Reader and an expanded set of Lincoln Logs with which to be entertained, it would be a long week. That left plenty of time for writing an apology, addressing an envelope, licking a 3 cent stamp and contemplating better ways to spend the balance of summer vacation.

Just wait till Halloween!

Pat Sitton began dancing at age 7 in Lakewood, NY, south of Buffalo on Lake Chautauqua. She studied ballet and tap all through grade school and high school, dancing in high school productions such as Oklahoma and Brigadoon and in many dance recitals. In high school she was also teaching the younger children at the ballet school. Of course she was studying classical ballet all through the years, with many appearances in The Nutcracker, but her real love was tap dancing.

After graduating from high school she attended college at Butler University in Indianapolis, IN, chosen because they offered a dance major. She met her husband John there, where he was majoring in music with a concentration on piano. While she was at Butler U., Pat performed in football half time shows. Pat and John got married and Pat left college to be with John at a high school in IN where he was a high school band director. During that time, Pat choreographed football half time shows for John’s band.

Pat then began her career as an elementary school librarian, mainly in Jupiter, FL. She was busy raising their 3 children, 2 boys and a girl, and dancing was no longer part of her life. Many years later, when they moved to Coquina Crossing, she went to the dancing class that Sally Hagen had started and happily went out to buy new tap shoes. When Sally moved, Pat was asked to take over the dance class and she has been dancing and choreographing ever since. Sally and Ginny Draper both have dance backgrounds and Pat loves dancing and working with this wonderful group of 10 women.

They have performed for several years in the Coquina spring musical productions, but the recent Coquina Dancers’ Extravaganza was their most ambitious performance to date. They started planning and rehearsing 7 months ago. It was a marvelous production including 12 different dance numbers. Not only is the dancing impressive, but think of all the complicated coordination with sound, music, and costumes. The production was very professional and delightful.

by Rita Nickel

 When our four children were in grade school, “The Walton's” was one of the most popular shows on television. We loved John Boy and the gang. One Christmas I decided we would have a true Walton Holiday.  As I watched Grandpa telling his stories, a determination grew within me to create for our family memories and traditions that would make even John Boy wistful.  Christmas would be such a wonder that one day, just like Grandma Walton, our grandchildren would gather around, clamoring for stories of those Christmases long ago. Life on "Nickel’s Mountain" was about to begin.

What better memory than one of a trek into the woods to cut our own tree? Never mind that the woods were an hour away and the snow that had been falling was rapidly turning to slush. Off we went and home we came, several cold, wet hours later. The ax was dull; the tree, when finally gnawed through, kept sliding off the roof of the car; and the kids were tired, soaked and crabby. Where was Grandma Walton when I needed her?

Undaunted, I moved on to the next memory- stringing strands of popcorn and cranberries while drinking hot cocoa and listening to carols. The cocoa spilled all over the popcorn and the children fussed because the cranberries were too hard to string and besides, they were missing the “Dukes of Hazard.”

My resolve was shaken but not destroyed. Our family would have traditions whether they wanted them or not! I gathered us all around our gnawed off tree and we sang carols. Dogs howled three blocks away.

I was bloodied but unbowed.  Certainly decorating cut out cookies while listening to “Frosty the Snowman” would finally create a memory to bring those future grandchildren running to my side. The cookies, which were supposed to look like Santa’s, Reindeer and Stars, all resembled a 1940 Desoto, and I was still cleaning up sprinkles on Valentine’s Day.

Thankfully the next year “Star Wars” blasted upon the scene.  I bought a Millennium Falcon and purchased cookies from the bakery.

by Carole Ellingsworth

While going through my collection of holiday books, I came across this one that I received from a friend for Christmas a few years ago. I re-read it and enjoyed it so much again that I decided to recommend it to all of you. A Redbird Christmas is a delightful read by the talented author, Fannie Flagg. A true Southerner, Ms. Flagg writes with wit and charm and her works transport you to another place. This book is no exception.

Oswald T. Campbell is a fifty-two year old divorced man who has always lived in Chicago. On Nov. 6th, a cold and blustery day, he goes to see a doctor. He has been feeling “under the weather” for some time, but he thinks it is nothing serious. However the doctor has some sobering news for him. He has always had trouble with his lungs and he drinks and smokes too much. His Dr. informs him that if he doesn’t stop drinking and smoking and most importantly get out of the cold and go south for a few months, he won’t live much past the first of the year.

He gives him a brochure for a place in Alabama called Lost River where there is a hotel where people with his type of health problems can go. He calls and gets the community hall. A local woman answers and tells him that the hotel has been gone for many years, but that there are rooms to rent in private homes. He decides to give it a try.

To reveal more of the plot would spoil it for you. Suffice to say, the story that follows is light, charming and a fun read. I hope you’ll pick it up and enjoy it as much as I have.

Happy Holidays to you all!

by Mary Doyle

This group was started in the late 90’s by former resident, Iva Huffingham. The purpose was to get to know each other and to share their experiences, joys, and concerns. Meetings were held in the homes and opened and closed with prayer..

In November 1999 I attended my first meeting. We had been asked to bring a Thanksgiving memory to share. This was a fun and meaningful time hearing all those different memories.

It really helped to get to know each other.

In time, the group became divided as to the purpose of the group .Part of the group left to form a Bible Study Class. Some ladies attend both. The focus of the Sharing and Caring group changed to include community focused activities and to helping various charities. The Alpha Omega Miracle Home was the first to receive our help. Christmas gifts were delivered to the girls and their babies living at the Alpha Omega Home in Hastings. Filling Baby Bottles with spare change was another project. All Coquina residents were invited to join in this very successful project.

The Coquina Crossing Cookbook, published in 2004, involved the entire community ; many residents can now claim “I’ve been published”. Proceeds benefited Breast Cancer .

The Volunteer Fairs and The Taste of Coquina (OH the food!!) were other community wide projects sponsored by the Sharing and Caring group.

An ongoing project is reading at the Loving Lambs Care Center in Hastings. The center is for pre-school children. This year I joined the “reading ladies”; what a heart warming experience. Our Lambs were all in the 1 to 2 age group. All those smiling faces watching and listening -- and—then we sang with them! They love to sing, moving to the music and doing the pantomime of songs like “The Itsy Bitsy Spider”. Remember that song? It’s still around !

Our February meeting will be a Baby Shower. A Coquina Dessert Fest, open to the entire community, is planned for April. Both events will benefit the Life Services Parenting Classes.

Sharing and Caring is open to all ladies in Coquina Crossing. We meet the second Wednesday of the month. Read “ The Shell” for date and place, then sign the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board. Light refreshments are served by our Hostess and Co Hostess.

Winston Churchill said

“ We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give”. This is a very apt portrayal of Coquina’s Sharing and Caring ladies.

by Gerry Linton

Recently I volunteered at the Anastasia Island Library at a Toddler Early Reading Fun Fest. Over 100 moms, dads and children from under 6 months to 5 years participated in this first Early Learning Coalition event. Children were busy and thrilled to play “Fish for a Book”, Bean Bag Toss, make crafts (my station). I came home to find a star and sparkling gems attached to various fingers and clothes. There were a clown and several other activities including a reading aloud session which began this exciting event. The next event will be at the Main Library Dec. 2 from 10-11:30AM. All of these activities were to introduce parents to the idea of the tremendous importance of reading to very young children from birth onward. It is important to note that a child’s brain develops to 90% of its capacity by age five.

It was at this event that I became reacquainted with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Dolly Parton stated that, “Growing up in the Smoky Mountains was a real blessing there were some tough times but most of our life was full of the kind of riches money can never buy. One of my most precious memories is sitting in my mother’s lap and listening to her read to me stories from the Bible. It felt so warm and cozy. My imagination soared to places far beyond our cabin. These wonderful moments with my mother inspired me to create my Imagination Library”. As a result of applying to this foundation the Early Learning Coalition of Putnam and St. Johns Counties, St. Johns Education Foundation and St. John’s Public Library, all of the preschoolers in our community can now have their own Imagination Library. Just think, a book mailed to your grandchildren (or other young children) that you are aware of each month until their 5th birthday. So if you are lucky enough to have very young grandchildren living nearby, check to see if they are enrolled. If you have young grandchildren in other areas of the state or country you can go to www.dollyslibrary.com to see if this amazing program is available where they live.

This is a wonderful way to greatly improve the quality of life for those close to you throughout the year.

by Carol Napper

by Harry Manford

Last October, 16 Coquina Veterans toured a military jet aircraft rework shop at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville. Currently, the F-18 fighter jet is going through this program. After 6,000 hours of flight time, the aircraft is totally torn down, overhauled, and put back into service for a sum of $5 million. That dollar amount compares to about $40 million for a new one. The vets saw how the craft is totally torn apart, how their state of the art machine shop makes new parts, and how it is reassembled. All had a great time, and the Navy could not have been more accommodating.

The Coquina Veterans formally observed Veterans Day in our clubhouse last November 11th. There were over 100 veterans, residents, and guests present. The event highlighted all veterans, those who served during peacetime as well as combat, and a retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel gave the keynote address. Lt. Col. Jim Vanairsdale delivered a non-political, well prepared, factual, and articulate message about a ‘Veteran’ that you will probably not find on any of the major media outlets. One Coquina resident later commented this message should be sent to a national news organization so all America can hear it. How is that for an endorsement! The Colonel was accompanied by his lovely wife, and at the end of the day, she told this writer our Coquina community made her “…feel at home.”

Twice a year, once at Memorial Day and then again at Veterans Day, the Coquina Veterans select one of their own who has made significant contribution, given outstanding service, and has offered unswerving loyalty to the organization. For Veterans Day just past, Jack Ernissee has earned this distinction. It could not have been given to a more deserving Coquina Veteran!

Lowe’s Military Discount is now year-round. It is believed Home Depot has a similar discount. The 10% discount is available all day, every day on in-stock and special order purchases up to $5,000. These savings are available for active duty, National Guard and reserve, retirees, disabled service members, and their families. This is no way an advertisement for either of these companies, but rather, a way to save money.

If you have anyone in your family that ever wore a military uniform, and received an honorable discharge, the final planning for that individual should include burial by the National Cemetery Administration. This is an option that many times is overlooked, and it is done in a manner and intent that gives the veteran full honors and respect they deserve. Burial benefits include a gravesite in any national cemetery (with available space), the opening and closing of the grave, a government headstone, perpetual care of the gravesite, a burial flag, and Presidential certificates at no cost to the family. If you want to learn more, visit the NCA website at www.cem.va.gov or telephone 800-827-1000.