Articles written by Mel Gaetano

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Travel > United States Guide to seasonal weather in Naples, Florida: 2 of 8
According to the local weatherman, the likelihood of it snowing in Naples is close to 0%. Crackers swear they have seen it flurry as far south as Fort Myers back in 1990. Shoveling the snow talk aside, the best time to visit Naples? Each season has it's incentives. A favorite time for many residents to enjoy life in Naples is... More..
Health & Fitness > Fitness Basics Ten simple and easy ways to be in good shape: 5 of 13
Okay, let's do some simple math first. 7 days in a week, that's 168 hours or 10,080 minutes total. We find too many excuses or too little time to even give our bodies 10% (or 100 minutes -that's a weeks' worth of TV commercials) a week to improve itself. It is astonishing that most of our days are too jammed packed to dedicat... More..
Pets & Animals > Animal Rescue & Adoption Breeders or dog owners: Who is more responsible for the excess of abandoned or sheltered dogs?: 15 of 36
After volunteering at a high kill animal shelter in Florida for several years, this is one issue that is near and dear to my heart. I have first hand knowledge that a majority of animals who landed in our shelter were the direct result of an unaltered animal being allowed to roam loose and breeding with another unaltered anim... More..
Home & Garden > Cleaning Kitchens Keeping your kitchen clean: 15 of 32
I am far from the queen of kitchen clean, but if I had to pick a few ideal ways I try to to maintain a clean clean, here's what I'd suggest:DailyWipe up those spills! Overflow the boiling water onto my ceramic cook top? Wipe it right away, especially if it was pasta or a tomato based sauce! Same goes for juice spills, refrige... More..
Travel > Vacations Best destinations for a family-friendly Spring Break: 15 of 32
When most people imagine spring break in Florida, it's a rowdy college crowd, bikini contests and beer. What many don't realize is way at the bottom of the Gulf Coast, they'll find a tropical playground known as Naples. It has quickly risen in the ranks as a premier destination for families looking to enjoy a peaceful, G-rate... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Small-town living: 15 of 32
It is with quite a bit of apprehension that I am even writing about small town living. I feel like I have discovered one of America's best kept secrets. My husband and I made a commitment, after some financial planning, that when our boys became of age to attend school, we would relocate to a small town. Our cards fell into p... More..
Travel > United States Travel destinations: Marco Island, Florida: 4 of 8
Crossing over the Judge Jolly bridge that connects Marco Island to the real world can be compared to that anticipated rush on a roller coaster, you just don't know what to expect once you get there. You may even need to cross over the bridge a second time to truly enjoy the sprawling vistas of turquoise waters slapping up aga... More..
Home & Garden > Home & Garden (Other) Tips for removing a backyard pool: 1 of 2
How to successfully remove an in-ground pool? How about what NOT to do when removing an in-ground pool. Here's my story.I grew up in a 1930's built brick colonial in the Mid Atlantic where having a backyard pool was a big deal. Every year, Memorial Day to Labor Day, our house was the hot place to be. Aside from proverbial, pl... More..
Creative Writing > Memoirs Testimonies: How I coped with my parent's cancer: 9 of 17
In June 2006, we (my husband and I) received a call no child wants to receive.your mother has cancer. To give a brief history, my husband was raised as an only child by his single mother in Cleveland, Ohio. Needless to say, theirs was a strong relationship not to be reckoned with and I had big shoes to fill as a wife. She rem... More..
Creative Writing > Memoirs Testimonies: The unconditional love between dogs and humans: 30 of 55
10 years ago, while my husband and I were in our early stages of dating each other, we strengthened our commitment by deciding to get a dog together. Knowing the awful conditions of the local animal shelter and reading that it euthanized most of the animals it impounded, we undoubtedly made animal control our first stop in th... More..