Can you imagine a world without paper? In my small home office, I am surrounded by jotted notes, framed certificates, calendars, business cards, posters, stamps, greeting cards, and books … all indications of how closely paper is interwoven into the fabric of daily life. The Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg’s touring exhibit, Above the Fold: New Expressions in Origami takes the familiar medium of paper and transforms it in ways that help the viewer see a realm of new possibilities. “This is one of the MFA’s most ambitious installations, and our guests will be able to experience origami as never before,” says the museum’s executive director, Kristen A.… Read More

Like the fictional Albus Dumbledore of Hogwarts School of Wizardry, Mike Murphy – headmaster of Shorecrest Preparatory School – also has a bit of magic up his sleeve.

His work shines throughout the school’s campus and in the pages of his new children’s book.

Recently, while recovering from knee surgery, Mike’s interests in travel, space (he had just been to Cape Canaveral), and his penchant for storytelling provided the perfect blend of ingredients for the creation of a children’s adventure series. The ideas came together so quickly that he was able to write not one, but three books, in rapid succession.… Read More

We sat on the porch, my neighbors and I – The stories grew wings, the time seemed to fly.

Shakespeare was a well-known bard, a storyteller intent on passing down traditions through the spoken word. My Northeast Park neighbors, Jimmy and Michelle Moore – a.k.a. Lady and the Bard – also use spoken words, along with their unique blend of folk, blues, and jazz to remind listeners of an oft-forgotten America. Oh, the stories I heard as we took a step back in time and spent a Sunday afternoon on the back porch…

Michelle’s Story

Michelle began singing in her church choir at the age of nine.… Read More

Photos by Julie Branaman

Judging from his forlorn expression on Sunday mornings, Henry, our little mixed-breed Chihuaua dog isn’t excited about church. It means we leave him behind while he sadly watches out the window for our return.

Animals are mentioned throughout the Bible, but rarely appear in worship services. Then at the end of September, it happened. Animals of all shapes and sizes were invited to church!

At St. Petersburg’s First Presbyterian Church on Beach Drive, the first annual Blessing of the Animals was held on Saturday, September 29th. Led by Reverend Dr. Dawn Conti, the service was attended by a variety of dogs, two goats, and a pet squirrel.… Read More

Symphony orchestras don’t grow by chance. Their presence in a community is indicative of thoughtful management, patron and donor support, as well as the ability to attract and maintain quality musicians. How did we get so lucky to have The Florida Orchestra right on our doorstep? It all starts with the musicians, each dedicated to mastering and passing on the gift of music. I recently met with Florida Orchestra violist, Barbara Rizzo, at her Snell Isle home, to gain a better understanding of what it takes to be a symphony musician.

Fertile Soil

Barbara was born into music in Brooklyn, New York.… Read More

“Keeping time, time, time,
In a sort of Runic rhyme,
To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells
From the bells, bells, bells…”
Edgar Allan Poe

It’s early evening and the lights are on inside. I exit my car, walk up a few steps, and open the door. I know that I’m in the right place because the music seems to draw me inside. The piano plays as angelic voices chime through the hands of members of the Vesper Bells hand ringers. Here at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Shore Acres, the outside world seems far away as the sanctuary fills with the bells’ wordless message.… Read More