In an effort to improve their health and fitness and to fight the debilitating effect of an autoimmune disease, a couple from the Northeast created an elaborate water spa and sauna at the house they renovated here in Vero Beach.
Along with 41 docents, there are 287 other volunteers who fulfill various roles at the museum, both out front and behind closed doors.
Hidden in the midst of Windsor’s many cultural riches is a rare gem. Her name is Marilyn Baillie, and she is the renowned author of 16 natural science books for young children. For her endeavors, she has received dozens of honors not only from her native Canada, but also from Great Britain, the United States and a number of international groups.
The manifesto that the real estate agents handling the tract of land published in a local newspaper on June 18, 1925 read: “ROYAL PARK the largest developed residential property in Vero Beach and Indian River County. Four hundred acres—restricted to Spanish, Moorish or Italian type of architecture, paved boulevards, all city improvements. Beautiful golf course surrounded by natural palms and tropical plantings. All within the City Limits of Vero Beach, Dixie Highway to Indian River.” Lots were priced from $786 to $12,400.
When Consider The Cook opened in Vero Beach in October 2014, it was the final link in the trio of stores that owner Dina Clausen had dreamed of years earlier. The original store was founded in Cross River, New York in 1978 by Betsy Barnett and a group of her friends. Twenty years later, Dina became manager of that store and soon after, the sole owner. In 2000, she relocated the store to the Village Green in nearby Bedford, New York.
Former entrepreneur and now committed social activist and philanthropist, Margot Franssen has a motto that she lives and works by: “Be bold, be daring, be different, be caring.” Margot, the founder and President of The Body Shop Canada, has skillfully blended business success with activism. From the beginning, her company has given a voice to urgent causes from rainforest deforestation to Canada’s endangered wilderness and marine mammals, and abused women.
Every year, thousands of pilgrims gather for a journey on a venerable path to a sacred and spiritual city, Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain. They will be hiking, biking or riding on the ancient Camino de Santiago – The Way of St. James. Pilgrims first trod this route in the 9th century in search of the bones of the apostle James in the city’s cathedral. James, later the patron saint of Spain, had been chosen by Jesus to spread the gospel there.
Linda Arnold, a member of the Windsor community for 13 years, has been painting luminous landscapes and shimmering seascapes for some 40 years.
If you like the feel of a private historic residence, gracious sitting rooms, four-poster beds, a six-course gourmet dinner, and rocking chairs on an airy, columned porch, there’s an inn for you. Abingdon Manor in Latta, S.C., six miles from Interstate 95 near the border of North Carolina, is the place.
Patti Connor says with a smile, “At heart, I’m a beach girl. I knew any house we bought or built in Vero Beach had to be close to the sea.”
Tucked behind a venerable live oak tree rumored to be 300 years old, a 1929 “Cleveland Cottage” sits on a quiet lane in Riomar.
This December, a lucky group of Windsor residents will have home-baked Christmas cookies nestled in shiny red tin boxes delivered to their doorsteps.
Of all the interesting and talented people within its white fences, Windsor now boasts the holder of the Ms. Senior Florida title, Elizabeth Ross Horn.
Margaret Bragg, a landscape and floral artist known for her vibrant and dazzling palette, celebrates nature’s bounty in her paintings. She says, “From early on I wanted to portray the wonders and spiritual side of nature.”
“We restored the beach house not just because we wanted to live next to the ocean, but also out of a sense of legacy,” says the owner of a 1940s beach cottage. He continues, “A large Mediterranean house had been approved for the site and it would be a shame to have lost a simple beach house and a small piece of Vero Beach history to a 21st-century monstrosity.”
“For me a strong work of art is the result of a powerful experience. I am attracted to everyday sensations and find myself responsive towards the subtle beauty of things, the hours when there is tranquility of light, the rhythms of nature,” says painter Luke Steadman.
Since most Early American houses were small and snug, the kitchen was an integral part of the living and dining areas. The kitchen fireplace was the center of the house and provided heat for warmth as well as cooking. Then, as the population gained wealth and acquired help, homes grew in size and kitchens were relegated to the back of the house where the owner rarely ventured.
When Linda Arnold and her husband Bob first visited Vero Beach to stay with close friends at Windsor some eight years ago, they were struck by the city’s serenity and quiet charm.
For countless centuries, water has been revered as a symbol of tranquility and renewal.
Musical theater people are a funny, caring and supportive bunch unlike any other theater people I’ve encountered,” says actress Stacey Logan who resides in Vero Beach.
Kathleen Lochen Staiger, one of the most popular and respected teachers at the Vero Beach Museum of Art, landed in our city almost by accident.
Fountains have been alluded to in literature for thousands of years, both metaphorically and realistically.
After happily commuting between Toronto and Vero Beach for nearly 20 years, Canadian broadcaster Valerie Pringle looks back with a smile on her initial journey south.
Year-round residents Jocelyn (“Joss”) and Norman Bierman speak with unabashed enthusiasm about their 10 years at Windsor.
