The Olivas

I'm very glad I got solar panels on my house.  My bill dropped to the then minimum monthly bill of $10.05 per month, every month, all year, until the Florida legislature allowed the Public "Service" Commission (PSC) to allow FPL to triple the minimum monthly bill to $30.17 per month.  That's what I pay every month, all year.  From time to time, I get calls from some company that wants to help me lower my electric bill (by getting solar panels, which I already have), and they start out asking if I pay at least $150 per month to FPL.  Boy, are bills like that in the rearview mirror.

I don't remember why I was talking to Mike and Melanie Oliva about my thought to get solar panels, but they already have them.  They live on the corner of 6th Avenue and 119th St, and Mike suggested the contractor who had installed their panels.  Apparently, that contractor did a good job.  So I reached out to Goldin Solar, and that's how I got my panels.  It was in 2019.  They did a great job, and have been very responsive when I have had questions, or once when I had a problem.  Which they fixed under warranty.  I highly recommend them.  And the minimum monthly bill is still low enough that I'm going to pay myself back for the panels sooner than I thought I would.  Also, the presence of those panels increases the value of my house much more than the cost of the panels.  Goldin Solar sells battery walls, too, to store the excess electricity I create every day, but those batteries are Tesla.  I won't do business with them again, and they're a certain kind of battery that you can't use every day.  Doing that deteriorates them.  I'm still going to get the minimum monthly bill from FPL/the PSC/the Florida legislature (which is paid off by FPL to allow a minimum monthly bill, which then triples) anyway, but it would be nice if I didn't get a minimum bill, and if I could store the excess electricity my solar panels make every day, so I could use it every night.  After I got solar panels, my daughter and son-in-law, who live in Massachusetts, got them, too.  Massachusetts doesn't allow a minimum monthly bill, and my daughter and son-in-law often get a monthly bill of $0, and sometimes a small check by Eversource, the electric company up there.

So I very much appreciate the referral Mike Oliva gave me.  I'm friendly with the Olivas, and I had dinner there one night.  In addition to anything else, Mike is an excellent cook.  Mike and Melanie restrict to a vegan diet, as I do, so there was an added pleasure of joining them for dinner.

Melanie paints.  She does gorgeous oil paintings.  My daughter liked the one I had bought from Melanie -- it was a mostly red painting, and it featured a bee -- so I gave that one to my daughter, and I bought a different one from Melanie.  I don't know where Melanie sells her art, other than occasionally to people like me, but she has a wonderful talent, and I wouldn't be surprised if she made a living as a painter/artist.

The Olivas are relatively quiet and unassuming neighbors.  It's possible you don't know them.  But they're wonderful neighbors to have, and they're a sort of classic asset to the Village.

Ah, It's Give Miami Day

You have loads of choices.  I encourage you to support as many as appeal to you.

Just now, I got a text message I was asked to communicate.  Here it is:

"I want to share something close to my heart (True):  'Musimelange,' an immersive, multi-sensory concert series featuring world class musicians. (True) These events beautifully blend live classical (almost always) music or jazz (It was flamenco once) with gastronomy in a stage-less environment, creating a true sense of belonging. (True)

"They are also preparing concerts designed especially for 'kids' to spark their love for music. (News to me)

"This week, we're part of 'Give Miami Day' to bring our 2025 season to life.  Your support will help us continue creating these magical (True) evenings and inspiring the next generation.  (If you have kids, this might be a great way to get them redirected from lesser forms of music)

"Donate here: https://www.givemiamiday.org/team/Musimelange (If you just go to www.givemiamiday, you'll find all of the choices, including this one.  Although if you go to this link, and you donate, you'll be offered a route to other organizations.  So you'll get to the same place either way.)

"Even a $25 donation will help us reach our goal -- The Miami Foundation will give us an additional $25 for each donation, up to $1000!  We need 40 donations to unlock the full $1000.  Every contribution makes a difference!

"Thank you! (And then, there are some musical notes and a heart icon)"

I don't donate to musimelange on Give Miami Day, because I give them a larger donation separately.  Although I don't want them to miss out on the extra $1000, so I'll contact them, and ask if they'd rather get my donation today.  I most certainly hope they get more than 40 donations.  Ideally, it would be closer to 100 or more.  It's a very unique experience, and they don't have a lot of patrons.  I have written about them several or more times, and they shouldn't be missed.  It's all the top shelf wine you can drink, all the gourmet food you can eat, a spectacular concert (I have never been to one that was not spectacular), all the dessert you want, experienced in an intimate setting, and in the company of delightful and interesting people.  They should charge more, but they don't.  It's been $95 per evening, or $300 for the four-evening series.  They start in January, and the last evening is in about April.

I encourage you to donate to musimelange, and any of the other organizations that appeal to you, and really, please, do yourselves a huge favor, and attend musimelange's evenings.  They are the most unique cultural experiences you'll ever have.

You Busy? No, Not Today. I'm Talking About Saturday, November 23. You Know, Somewhere Around, Let's Say, 8:00 PM.

 Orchestra Miami presents Puccini's Legacy - Saturday, Nov. 23rd at Scottish Rite (youtube.com)

This will be the second Puccini presentation Orchestra Miami has put on this month.  The first was at someone's house on NE 72nd St and 7th Avenue.  You can preview a short snippet of the upcoming show by using the link above.  It's possible that the arrow in the middle of the picture below will take you to the same place on youtube.

The fact is that it doesn't much matter what Orchestra Miami does.  Every bit of it is first class.  The Artistic Director, and conductress/Maestra is Elaine Rinaldi, who founded Orchestra Miami about 18 years ago.  She chooses the programs.  And the musicians and singers.  And conducts.  And sometimes, if she doesn't have to conduct, plays piano.  And for what it's worth is a delightful person.

This is an example of the e-mails Elaine sends out for these kinds of shows:

Hello, friends! I hope you all had a beautiful Veteran's Day and took a moment to remember and honor those ho have served, and continue to serve in the armed forces. It was so wonderful to see many of you at our Unknown Puccini concert last night, which featured the Studio Artists of the Florida Grand Opera. We had a great time learning more about Maestro Puccini and playing a round of "Name That Tune- Puccini Version"! See below for some pictures. We're less than 2 weeks away from our main event- Puccini's Legacy! Now is the perfect time to avoid the rush at the door and get your tickets. I'm so excited to introduce to you our spectacular guest artists for the Puccini's Legacy concert. Scroll down to meet our guests! I can't wait to see you all on the 23rd. Until then, stay well!! Warmly, Elaine Rinaldi Founder & Artistic Director Orchestra Miami

Elaine usually undercharges for these shows, but I must be making contact, because tickets for this one are more of a fair price.  Still on the low side for this kind of event, but more fair.

It's most likely you're not familiar with the Scottish Rite venue, but when I started going to Orchestra Miami shows, most of them were there.  It's an interesting historic building, very close to downtown Miami, and parking is free in the grassy lot, or you can pay on the street.

Frankly, I hope you show up.  You'll love it.  For all I know, you might come to love Orchestra Miami, too.  Elaine and the crew perform at various places from as far down as Pinecrest Gardens to as far up as the Miami Beach Bandshell.