by Meredith Linley
I love flea markets. Now, take that with a grain of salt though because you won’t find me out the door at 6:00am on a Saturday morning ready to be the first one there to peruse that days wares. However if it fits into my Saturday morning schedule a flea market trip is always good for my soul.
Citrus County has several good flea markets, however given my work schedule Howard’s Flea Market in Homosassa is my main spot. I love that place; the cinnamon rolls, the footlong corndogs, the fresh produce. (I really don’t have a problem with food addiction I swear.) Any place that sells plants, books of all kinds, kitchen gadgets, and cowboy hats under one roof is my kind of joint.
Howard’s Flea Market to me is the quintessential flea market. The have a variety of homemade goods, vintage finds, and new products. There is everyone from people who are there every week to people who are there once a year. The produce and plants are beyond compare and the local crafts and arts are hard to beat. Trust me on this one, I’ve seen my fair shares of flea markets. There’s one in Jacksonville that only sells poor quality knock-off handbags, day old bread, and pictures of Michael Corleone accented with plastic AK-47s in a frame.
One thing I particularly love about Howard’s are the “fixtures” there. When I came back to the community I had no doubt that Ms. Avon Marge would still be there, and she was with her usual smile and great line of Skin So Soft products. I also held confidence that the corndog guy and cinnamon roll shop would still be there – and they were.
Perhaps my love of flea markets stems from my deep down desire to be a “yard-sale-er”, but I’ve just never been able to. Yard sales feel like an intrusion on someone’s personal space plus I’m just not a haggler. I try to be non confrontation with strangers at all times, unless the stranger is a Gator fan then its all fair game. Since flea markets are in public places I feel more comfortable.
I will admit, I’m a professional people watcher. I could sit and watch people for hours. If you sit at Howard’s for any period of time (I recommend getting a batch of hot fresh mini donuts and an ice cold root beer while you do) you will see a lot of wonderful people. People from Citrus County bumping into each other, people whose kids played tee ball together in the 80’s or people who used to fish together as kids in Old Homosassa before Yulee Drive was paved.
Highways across the nation are dotted with flea markets every few exits. You can stop off and find oddities and treasure at any one, but at a place like Howard’s you’ll find a community gathering spot. It’s a place that offers more than trinkets and treasures to its customers and it’s just one more reason I love Citrus County.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Reasons Why #7 - it's the best place to grow up!
by Meredith Linley
A massive event occurred this summer. It wasn’t the lunar eclipse, or the release of Harry Potter 6. It wasn’t even the passing of the King of Pop. It was the ten year reunion of the Crystal River High School Class of 1999.
I can personally attest to the massiveness of this event because I was the gullible nitwit – err, blessed person, who planned the whole event (although I did have the assistance of a great reunion committee). Sometime in high school I apparently was absent at a Student Government meeting and this responsibility was laid upon me and for the past ten years all my friends from high school didn’t let me forget it.
However, when I started planning this event well over a year ago I had no idea that I would be newly relocated back to this wonderful county of ours. As the weekend approached (and my stress limit sky rocketed) I began to wonder how people were going to react to my moving back home. I assumed most people would think that I was crazy for wanting to come back to my beloved hometown and I prepared responses in my head for the naysayers.
But do you know what happened? My friends approached me all weekend and approved of the move. Guys would come up to me quietly and say things like “I’m jealous, I wish I could move back.” One of my football player friends said “I love Crystal River, I miss it here.” I was shocked and pleased.
Over the weekend, conversations of moving back home were a main topic. I realized most of my friends would be back here in a heartbeat if they could. And others have plans to move back in the coming years. The reason for this is that it was such a wonderful place to grow up; it’s the place we all want to raise our kids.
That being said I figured it would be best to use their words to explain why this community ranks so high with us. So with no further adieu, here are our Reasons Why We Loved Growing Up in Citrus County presented by the CRHS Class of 1999.
“I loved growing up in Citrus County because where else can you have that much fun on the water and in the woods. Also, I knew that everyone's parents watched out for me as if they were mine because people actually care in Crystal River.” said Lisa Hotchkiss, who lives in Fort Lauderdale and recently completely her Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy.
“I loved growing up in Citrus County because there is nothing like having roots from a small town! Being from a small town usually means that you stay with the same group of people throughout your school years and develop strong, lasting relationships. Look at our reunion for example, I can't put in to words how much a lot of those people mean to me and there is no way that you could have that same experience growing up in a "big city".” said Meghan (Bailey) Pitzer who is an elementary school teacher and lives in Apopka.
Rebecca Austin, who lives in Tampa and is an accountant for the Moffit Cancer Center said she loved growing up here because, “The fact the Crystal River only had ONE "Crystal River High School". We were the town; it's why we have such a wide and great group of friends, even after 10 years we easily come back together.”
“I loved growing up in Citrus County because it was a place you know they (high school friends) had your back and you had their back. People could only wish they had what we had in Citrus County. I loved growing up here I would never want to change any of it.”, said Bryan Hinote, who currently is living in St. Petersburg but seriously contemplating a move back to Crystal River.
Maggie Gunther who works at Florida Atlantic University and lives in Fort Lauderdale said, “Knowing any time you leave the house you'd run in to a familiar face and the fact that our teachers cared about the type of education we were getting.” were a few of the reasons why she enjoyed growing up here.
Jonathan Sullivan, who now works for Marriott International in Memphis, TN, (and whose mother makes the best sweet tea in the world) echoed Gunther’s comments; “Something you will always find in a small town is a warm smile and a familiar face. Aside from the people, who wouldn’t enjoy what the coastal waterways here have to offer.”
Even though I try, I really couldn’t have said it better myself. Having a wonderful childhood is definitely one of the reasons I love this community, but having a group of amazing friends who are still there for me all these years later is a reason why I have a wonderful life.
A massive event occurred this summer. It wasn’t the lunar eclipse, or the release of Harry Potter 6. It wasn’t even the passing of the King of Pop. It was the ten year reunion of the Crystal River High School Class of 1999.
I can personally attest to the massiveness of this event because I was the gullible nitwit – err, blessed person, who planned the whole event (although I did have the assistance of a great reunion committee). Sometime in high school I apparently was absent at a Student Government meeting and this responsibility was laid upon me and for the past ten years all my friends from high school didn’t let me forget it.
However, when I started planning this event well over a year ago I had no idea that I would be newly relocated back to this wonderful county of ours. As the weekend approached (and my stress limit sky rocketed) I began to wonder how people were going to react to my moving back home. I assumed most people would think that I was crazy for wanting to come back to my beloved hometown and I prepared responses in my head for the naysayers.
But do you know what happened? My friends approached me all weekend and approved of the move. Guys would come up to me quietly and say things like “I’m jealous, I wish I could move back.” One of my football player friends said “I love Crystal River, I miss it here.” I was shocked and pleased.
Over the weekend, conversations of moving back home were a main topic. I realized most of my friends would be back here in a heartbeat if they could. And others have plans to move back in the coming years. The reason for this is that it was such a wonderful place to grow up; it’s the place we all want to raise our kids.
That being said I figured it would be best to use their words to explain why this community ranks so high with us. So with no further adieu, here are our Reasons Why We Loved Growing Up in Citrus County presented by the CRHS Class of 1999.
“I loved growing up in Citrus County because where else can you have that much fun on the water and in the woods. Also, I knew that everyone's parents watched out for me as if they were mine because people actually care in Crystal River.” said Lisa Hotchkiss, who lives in Fort Lauderdale and recently completely her Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy.
“I loved growing up in Citrus County because there is nothing like having roots from a small town! Being from a small town usually means that you stay with the same group of people throughout your school years and develop strong, lasting relationships. Look at our reunion for example, I can't put in to words how much a lot of those people mean to me and there is no way that you could have that same experience growing up in a "big city".” said Meghan (Bailey) Pitzer who is an elementary school teacher and lives in Apopka.
Rebecca Austin, who lives in Tampa and is an accountant for the Moffit Cancer Center said she loved growing up here because, “The fact the Crystal River only had ONE "Crystal River High School". We were the town; it's why we have such a wide and great group of friends, even after 10 years we easily come back together.”
“I loved growing up in Citrus County because it was a place you know they (high school friends) had your back and you had their back. People could only wish they had what we had in Citrus County. I loved growing up here I would never want to change any of it.”, said Bryan Hinote, who currently is living in St. Petersburg but seriously contemplating a move back to Crystal River.
Maggie Gunther who works at Florida Atlantic University and lives in Fort Lauderdale said, “Knowing any time you leave the house you'd run in to a familiar face and the fact that our teachers cared about the type of education we were getting.” were a few of the reasons why she enjoyed growing up here.
Jonathan Sullivan, who now works for Marriott International in Memphis, TN, (and whose mother makes the best sweet tea in the world) echoed Gunther’s comments; “Something you will always find in a small town is a warm smile and a familiar face. Aside from the people, who wouldn’t enjoy what the coastal waterways here have to offer.”
Even though I try, I really couldn’t have said it better myself. Having a wonderful childhood is definitely one of the reasons I love this community, but having a group of amazing friends who are still there for me all these years later is a reason why I have a wonderful life.
Monday, August 24, 2009
In the blink of an eye four years go by
Here are a few photos from Kendall's recent 4th birthday. 4 years old, how the heck did that happen? I mean last week I was changing diapers and fishing obscure objects out of her mouth on a daily basis. Now she writes the grocery list for me and will probably be reading by Christmas. She's smarter than half the people I work with and will probably be smarter than me by kindergarten. She's definitely a handful but its worth it.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Reason's Why #6 - FOOD, FOOD, FOOD!!
by Meredith Linley
Have you ever noticed how people remember cities from the restaurants they have? Whenever conversation of a visit to a city comes up, usually food is involved. “I was in New Orleans for a conference last weekend.”, is usually answered with, “Did you go to (insert any restaurant)? The have the best (insert any type of food) ever!”.
This can be said of our community. Everybody knows where to go to get the best garlic crabs, deli sandwich, and Chinese food around these parts. And when you are gone for an extended period of time, you crave those things. Now I love food, so for me I’ve craved all the specialties from Citrus County for the better part of the past decade.
Part of the reason I accepted my job was because of the proximity of my office to several of my favorite eateries. The best desserts in town at Cafe on the Avenue are literally around the corner, the best french fries and salads can be found five blocks north at Crackers Bar & Grill, and a Philly to rival those found on the street corners in Pennsylvania are about a five minute walk south at Taste of Philly. My all-time favorite though are the subs from Brooklyn Deli.
My first day of work, it was a no brainer what to get for lunch. I’d even dreamed about how wonderful the sub would be (and trust me – it so was!). While I was in this local deli waiting for my favorite sandwich to be made (Brooklyn Bomber hold the onions), I made a quick update to my Facebook account. “Meredith is having a Brooklyn Deli Brookln Bomber."
This quick update sparked an afternoon of jealousy that spanned the whole nation. Seriously, my Facebook friends who are from Citrus County but aren’t currently living here immediately started responding. “I’m jealous.” “I hate you.” “Those sandwiches are worth a visit back to Citrus County.” were just a few of the dozen or so comments I received.
Working for the Chamber I come in contact with hundreds of tourists and passerby’s each month. One of the first questions they ask is “Where is a good restaurant?”. This is my cue to go on ad naseum over the large variety of fantastic local eateries.
Lack of chain restaurants seems to be a commonplace complaint about our community. Who needs them, that’s what I say. You can get the best Greek salad served with American pride at a MargaritaGrill in Homosassa on the river, the best duck fingers you ever tasted at Coach's pub in downtown Inverness, and there are more than a few places around here that serve wings to rival any Hooters or WingHouse (Sportsters, Tug's, the Cove - need I go on?).
The icing on the cake with the restaurants around here is that they are almost all local. Locally owned and operated, employing locals, and paying local taxes. You can keep your big chain restaurants; I’ve got more than a few reasons why I’ll choose our homegrown specialties over nationwide standards any day.
Have you ever noticed how people remember cities from the restaurants they have? Whenever conversation of a visit to a city comes up, usually food is involved. “I was in New Orleans for a conference last weekend.”, is usually answered with, “Did you go to (insert any restaurant)? The have the best (insert any type of food) ever!”.
This can be said of our community. Everybody knows where to go to get the best garlic crabs, deli sandwich, and Chinese food around these parts. And when you are gone for an extended period of time, you crave those things. Now I love food, so for me I’ve craved all the specialties from Citrus County for the better part of the past decade.
Part of the reason I accepted my job was because of the proximity of my office to several of my favorite eateries. The best desserts in town at Cafe on the Avenue are literally around the corner, the best french fries and salads can be found five blocks north at Crackers Bar & Grill, and a Philly to rival those found on the street corners in Pennsylvania are about a five minute walk south at Taste of Philly. My all-time favorite though are the subs from Brooklyn Deli.
My first day of work, it was a no brainer what to get for lunch. I’d even dreamed about how wonderful the sub would be (and trust me – it so was!). While I was in this local deli waiting for my favorite sandwich to be made (Brooklyn Bomber hold the onions), I made a quick update to my Facebook account. “Meredith is having a Brooklyn Deli Brookln Bomber."
This quick update sparked an afternoon of jealousy that spanned the whole nation. Seriously, my Facebook friends who are from Citrus County but aren’t currently living here immediately started responding. “I’m jealous.” “I hate you.” “Those sandwiches are worth a visit back to Citrus County.” were just a few of the dozen or so comments I received.
Working for the Chamber I come in contact with hundreds of tourists and passerby’s each month. One of the first questions they ask is “Where is a good restaurant?”. This is my cue to go on ad naseum over the large variety of fantastic local eateries.
Lack of chain restaurants seems to be a commonplace complaint about our community. Who needs them, that’s what I say. You can get the best Greek salad served with American pride at a MargaritaGrill in Homosassa on the river, the best duck fingers you ever tasted at Coach's pub in downtown Inverness, and there are more than a few places around here that serve wings to rival any Hooters or WingHouse (Sportsters, Tug's, the Cove - need I go on?).
The icing on the cake with the restaurants around here is that they are almost all local. Locally owned and operated, employing locals, and paying local taxes. You can keep your big chain restaurants; I’ve got more than a few reasons why I’ll choose our homegrown specialties over nationwide standards any day.
Reasons Why #5 - Finding comfort in coming home
by Meredith Linley
This week would have marked the 30th birthday of an extremely close friend of mine. This week would have been one of celebration, maybe a girl’s trip to Vegas or a cruise with a huge group of family and friends. Unfortunately a tragic accident occurred over six years ago and she was taken from us far before her time.
Many people in this community were affected by the death of this bright young lady. She was a great role model in this community. An involved businesswoman, a great mother, and a wonderful friend to many.
I recently faced the fact that I never dealt with her death. Since shortly after she died I moved away, I closeted my grief and continued on with life. Sure I kept the pictures in frames and thought about her frequently. I even got a tattoo to remind me of her on a daily basis. In all honesty though, I never truly dealt with the fact that she was gone forever.
Now I’m home, back in the place where we met, became close friends, and made a million memories. For the first week I was back found myself crying a lot. When I passed a restaurant we used to frequent, drove past her office, and the first time I saw a picture of her daughter (who has now grown into a beautiful young lady in the spitting image of her momma) – tears welled up.
Then I realized something. The reason it was so hard to handle was because the reasons I loved her are all over the place around here. She’s here, whether in body or spirit. And that’s when the comfort came.
Even though our friendship was over the span of a few short years, she managed to teach me so many things. Seeing the pride she had in being a part of this close knit community made me want to be a part of it. Watching her raise her daughter taught me things about motherhood that I hold with me daily. The way she unconditionally loved her family and friends was something I was always envious of, a skill I will never perfect to the extent she did.
It’s difficult at best to drive past her old job and not think about the hundreds of afternoons we would spend there or to go to Applebee’s and not think about all the times we would grab a beer before heading home for the day. I’m quite confident the first time I make an evening out to Midnight Rodeo in Ocala, I’ll probably have tears. Until I make the mandatory stop at Steak and Shake on the way home, then I’ll burst into uncontrollable laughter.
I’m so grateful now to be able to be back home; relive the memories and remember her life every day. It’s no longer tears of sadness that well up, it’s more the tears of joy that I was lucky enough to be a small part of her life. She loved this community and she was a reason why I do too. MLW, you are surely missed but not nearly forgotten.
This week would have marked the 30th birthday of an extremely close friend of mine. This week would have been one of celebration, maybe a girl’s trip to Vegas or a cruise with a huge group of family and friends. Unfortunately a tragic accident occurred over six years ago and she was taken from us far before her time.
Many people in this community were affected by the death of this bright young lady. She was a great role model in this community. An involved businesswoman, a great mother, and a wonderful friend to many.
I recently faced the fact that I never dealt with her death. Since shortly after she died I moved away, I closeted my grief and continued on with life. Sure I kept the pictures in frames and thought about her frequently. I even got a tattoo to remind me of her on a daily basis. In all honesty though, I never truly dealt with the fact that she was gone forever.
Now I’m home, back in the place where we met, became close friends, and made a million memories. For the first week I was back found myself crying a lot. When I passed a restaurant we used to frequent, drove past her office, and the first time I saw a picture of her daughter (who has now grown into a beautiful young lady in the spitting image of her momma) – tears welled up.
Then I realized something. The reason it was so hard to handle was because the reasons I loved her are all over the place around here. She’s here, whether in body or spirit. And that’s when the comfort came.
Even though our friendship was over the span of a few short years, she managed to teach me so many things. Seeing the pride she had in being a part of this close knit community made me want to be a part of it. Watching her raise her daughter taught me things about motherhood that I hold with me daily. The way she unconditionally loved her family and friends was something I was always envious of, a skill I will never perfect to the extent she did.
It’s difficult at best to drive past her old job and not think about the hundreds of afternoons we would spend there or to go to Applebee’s and not think about all the times we would grab a beer before heading home for the day. I’m quite confident the first time I make an evening out to Midnight Rodeo in Ocala, I’ll probably have tears. Until I make the mandatory stop at Steak and Shake on the way home, then I’ll burst into uncontrollable laughter.
I’m so grateful now to be able to be back home; relive the memories and remember her life every day. It’s no longer tears of sadness that well up, it’s more the tears of joy that I was lucky enough to be a small part of her life. She loved this community and she was a reason why I do too. MLW, you are surely missed but not nearly forgotten.
Monday, August 10, 2009
30 second recap
On the odd chance that there are people out there who don't know what's going on with my life (and actually read this silly little thing) - heres the recap of the last 90 days in about 30 seconds.
Back in February I got a call about the CEO position of the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce. The interview process was long, fun, and hard at the same time. I made the final three applicants and then came in runner up. I resigned to not moving back home and started looking for more campaign clients in Jacksonville. 2 weeks after I didn't get the job I got a call from the guy who did get the job. He was offering me a management position with the Chamber. It was a lot to think about, but in the end I decided it was absolutely worth it and I was ready to relocate back to my hometown. Kendall and I moved down on Memorial Day weekend and are loving it. Work is stressful on some days but it was a great career decision and I'm excited to bring about positive change in Citrus County. We have our own place now (after living at a good friends ranch for the first month or so) and are finding our niche. We've rekindled lots of old friendships but have also made some new ones. Adjusting to life without Target and Starbucks is a lot easier than I imagined and life is good!
Back in February I got a call about the CEO position of the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce. The interview process was long, fun, and hard at the same time. I made the final three applicants and then came in runner up. I resigned to not moving back home and started looking for more campaign clients in Jacksonville. 2 weeks after I didn't get the job I got a call from the guy who did get the job. He was offering me a management position with the Chamber. It was a lot to think about, but in the end I decided it was absolutely worth it and I was ready to relocate back to my hometown. Kendall and I moved down on Memorial Day weekend and are loving it. Work is stressful on some days but it was a great career decision and I'm excited to bring about positive change in Citrus County. We have our own place now (after living at a good friends ranch for the first month or so) and are finding our niche. We've rekindled lots of old friendships but have also made some new ones. Adjusting to life without Target and Starbucks is a lot easier than I imagined and life is good!
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