Every now and then, you get to meet a friend of a friend that turns out to be an awesome experience. Someone whose life and talents are so energizing; you find yourself giddy that you were so fortunate to make their acquaintance. Diana Rell Dean is one of those people.

MJ Ferraro and her husband, Chef Dominic, moved to the Scenic 98 Coastal area from Rhode Island about six months ago. I had the pleasure of attending their new business venture “Pasta and Paint” which was held at the fabulous Jubilee Suites on Mobile Bay. Pasta and Paint seem to be an unlikely pair, but the couple's intention is to create a feast for the eyes and the palate.

Frances McGowin, a regular contributor to Scenic 98 Coastal (Adventures in Retirement), is also an artist. Hard to imagine she has time for painting since she is out exploring all her post-retirement options. However, “creating art is a daily necessity for living in my post-retirement world.” she says.

After hearing of a local performing arts studio celebrating its 10th Anniversary, I called to learn more. When I arrived at our scheduled sit-down, I was immediately impressed. Brandon Marcus is an energetic, multi-talented performer that exudes enthusiasm for what he does and the educational performing arts studio he opened ten years ago, The Studio.‍

Just in time for Mardi Gras, Candice Marley Conner and Julie Allen have teamed up to write and illustrate Mobile’s first Mardi Gras ABCs children’s book, M is for Moon Pie. This is Candice’s third children’s picture book, and the third book for Julie, a professional illustrator.

Pickleball is for all ages, all levels of athleticism, and every socioeconomic group. It has been described as a combination of ping pong and tennis. Scenic 98 communities have more than 50 pickleball courts that we know of plus more in process, all built within the last five years. In fact, it is difficult to even find pickleball players that have actually played the sport for more than five years.

Last weekend, The 10th annual Fairhope Film Festival was held in Fairhope. I worked as a volunteer for the event for the first 4 or 5 years and still feel connected to it. Walking to venues throughout the town with stops for drinks and meals in between showings is my version of a perfect weekend! 4 Days, 40 films, is the tagline of the festival, so it's often hard to choose what to screen. I opted for six movies, four that I loved and two not so much…. I also attended the Red Carpet Party Saturday night which is always fun.

One of my favorite things to do is go off the beaten path and discover new food delicacies, like buried treasure. That’s how I felt when Linda and I attended an event at Corner Copia Gardens a few weeks ago and found Divine Empanadas, a food truck owned and operated by Aaron and Margaret Penton of Daphne, Alabama.