Welcome To Endless Gatherings

Brian 0:20

All right. Well, welcome back to the Vero Beach podcast. I'm Brian.

Shawna 0:23

And I'm Shauna.

Brian 0:23

And today we are sitting here at the Endless Gathering. They actually have snacks here.

SPEAKER_03 0:28

I don't know if those are endless or not, but snacks on the Well, whatever's on the plate is endless.

Brian 0:35

No. Yeah, no more. Uh no, we're we're sitting here with Joe and Michelle, and we're excited to have you guys on the podcast.

SPEAKER_03 0:41

Thank you for having us. Thank you for being here. Super excited to be here. Yeah. We're happy to have you guys. Yeah, or we'll be in the house again. It's been a while.

Shawna 0:48

It has been.

SPEAKER_03 0:49

How did you find out about the podcast, ladies? Melissa Aliseya.

Brian 0:53

There you go.

SPEAKER_03 0:54

Yes. Treasure Coast Culinary Tours. That's right.

Shawna 0:58

And you both actually got to sit here and listen when we were interviewing her. And that night you guys stayed for our sushi.

SPEAKER_03 1:06

It was sushi dinner. Sushi making.

SPEAKER_02 1:09

That's the first time that you had an event. You and we're here for an event. Yes. Yeah, it was so much fun too. Yes. It was so much fun.

Brian 1:15

We got a reel out there too about it. So we'll have to share that again so everybody can check it out. But yeah, we we had a blast. The sushi was not endless, but the joy and the fun was right. It was just it was an awesome time. So well, we're excited to get to have you guys actually on the podcast, learn more about each one of you and your business too. So I'm gonna let one of you decide who wants to go first and share a little bit about who you are and maybe something we might not

Grief, Shallow Water Blackout Awareness

Brian 1:40

know about you growing up. Like let's get to know you a little bit.

SPEAKER_03 1:43

Ooh, I don't know about that. But um I will say that what led me to Vero Beach was grief. And my daughter passed away almost eight years ago now, and she died from shallow water blackout. So if you don't know what that is, you really should look into it. Um, she was an experienced swimmer, she was playing I Can Swim Farther Than You underwater, and she never made it to the other side. So um, as you can imagine, that was a pretty low point in my life, and I needed to get away from everything that was Madison, who's my daughter. So I raised her in Colorado, and but ironically, we came here, she had cancer as a little girl. So we came here to Florida for her off treatment, uh cancer-free, chemo-free celebration. Okay, and that was in 2007. Yeah, 2007. So we had come back every year after that until she died. So anyway, um, we I knew that I could withstand Florida heat in the summer, and it just makes me feel alive. And so I ended up here, and I I'm just so grateful that I did because I've done so much healing here with you know the community, the people that I've met. I didn't know anyone when I moved here, not one soul. I just had to go. I just was my soul was anxious, you know. So yeah. How long after you moved here did you meet Joe? Well, let's see, it's like two and a half years or something like that, or ish. Um so we've known each other a little over two years, and I'm uh just about five years here. So yeah, we met in 2024.

SPEAKER_02 3:35

Yeah.

Food, Hospitality, And Finding Purpose

SPEAKER_02 3:35

So I'll give you a little background about myself. Uh, I come from an Italian background, and I've been flipping pizza since I'm seven. Um, I love to cook, I love to entertain. That's one of the main reasons Michelle and I bought the house. We both had visions. She had a vision with her daughter. Unfortunately, Madison's no longer here. I had a vision with my sister. We wanted to open a BB. And so I met Michelle. We said, why don't we buy a house? We both had the same uh thought, the same yearning to do for community, for ourselves, give us a purpose and do something we genuinely loved. Yeah, and we bought the house last January, and we've been going forward ever since. We've been busy and blessed. Very, very, very blessed. We're so grateful.

Brian 4:27

That's awesome. Definitely.

SPEAKER_02 4:29

That's beautiful, especially for all those people that have supported us over the year, year and a half almost.

Shawna 4:33

Yeah, yeah, definitely. That's beautiful.

Brian 4:36

So, okay, so what would you say has been what is your favorite thing to cook?

SPEAKER_02 4:40

Oh, good cook.

Brian 4:41

Because we have some of your food in your face.

SPEAKER_02 4:43

Yeah, so I love making Sunday gravy. We call it gravy. My people come from Naples. Okay. And I was growing up, it's on a Sunday, it's gravy. When you put meat in the red sauce on a Sunday, it's gravy. Oh during the week, if you're making a pot roast, it's brown, you know, brown gravy. But uh when you make a marinara sauce, okay, or as we pronounce it, marinata sauce, that's a sauce. It has no meat in it. So that's a sauce as opposed to a Sunday gravy with meat.

Shawna 5:13

I never knew the difference because I thought when I heard people say that, Italian people say that, I thought they just meant any tomato sauce made on a Sunday, they call it Sunday gravy. I never heard anybody explain that.

SPEAKER_02 5:25

Yeah, well, you know, growing up in the restaurant business, you know, you learned a lot. And uh yeah, I used to stand on Coca Coca-Ba Coca-Cola boxes to reach the counter to flip pieces. You don't have to.

Brian 5:38

I was like, is that changed?

SPEAKER_02 5:39

Oh, love y'all, love y'all. That's not nice. But you know, my favorite thing, I like I said, I love making a gravy. I just like to entertain and a lot, you know, my mom, her door was always open, my parents. And at Christmas time, we had no less than 60 people. Well Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Yeah, and it's um that's something that's a cherished memory, and that's something that I live by. And the loveliest thing about it is that I met my best friend who actually feels like I feel. So that's why that door is only locked when you go to sleep, but the door's open. Oh she loves to entertain and she's a great cook. So together we make a good pair, you know. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 6:23

I go the Cajun side. Yeah, she's all Italian. I like spice and Cajun. Oh, what a great mix! Yeah. So I've made and actually I made a great paella that I didn't even know. And first time I made it, I don't even eat it. Really? Yeah, and everyone said it was like one of the best they ever had.

Shawna 6:42

So what is it that you don't like? Why won't you eat paella?

SPEAKER_03 6:45

Well, there's too much fish in it. Oh you don't like rice either. No, I don't really know too many things of paella.

Shawna 6:53

Too many things of paella shoes.

SPEAKER_03 6:54

Pretty much all of it I'm uh pretty much resistant to.

Shawna 6:59

Yeah, that's wild. Because I had uh, was it last week or two weeks ago? Was it the gumbo? Jambalaya. We kept getting that mixed up all night, didn't we? Okay, the jambalaya was so delicious.

SPEAKER_03 7:10

So you don't like that either? No, I I love jambalaya, yeah. But see, there's I don't I like sausage and shrimp is a little different than all that. Okay, ice.

Shawna 7:20

I can understand that. Muscles and clammy. Yeah, that makes sense. Okay.

Brian 7:24

All right, so you both cook so Cajun and Italian, and and you called it it's not marinara sauce.

SPEAKER_02 7:32

In Italian, we pronounce it marinata sauce.

Brian 7:34

Marinato sauce. Marinata. How do how do you say it in Cajun style? How do you spice that up? I don't know. You guys do any kind of like infusion like between Cajun and Italian? Like we haven't yet.

SPEAKER_03 7:52

We should have a fusion class of something. Actually, no, uh my Italian is probably a little more Cajun than Italian, to be honest.

SPEAKER_02 8:01

And I have to tell you, for as we say, in a Medigan, which means just an American as opposed to an Italian, that's when it's nice. Michelle is really a good cook, and you know, it's all about when you're in the kitchen, either you love it or you hate it. Yeah. So you may not even know what you're really doing, but if you put your heart and soul into it, you can make a fabulous meal.

SPEAKER_03 8:21

I used to have kids at my when Maddie was around, you know, she she was we were the neighborhood house, so all the kids came to eat. And so I was always cooking for, you know, 10 to 20 people, always. And they would always say, Mom, what'd you put in this? And I would just say, love. That was the only ingredient I ever gave up is love.

Shawna 8:43

That's a great answer, too. A lot less talking than you have to explain a whole recipe.

SPEAKER_03 8:47

Do you really want to know?

SPEAKER_02 8:48

No, but it's it's so true. Because my grandmother would say this in Italian, and she'd say, Love, stay in refrigerator, and she's going, That she meant the vegetables and everything. I cook for you, and it's all love. And that's what it's all about. Say it again. That's pretty. What? Love, sta no refrigerate. Yeah, that's what she used to tell us.

Brian 9:07

You're cute.

SPEAKER_02 9:08

It is, that's beautiful. It is pretty, huh?

Brian 9:10

You guys love you guys love cooking, which I absolutely love that. So I'm gonna try to see how many times I can say love before we continue. But I I would say like you love it. When we came here and was part we came here and was part of the endless gatherings event, uh, you could I could really see that that same love is being put into what you guys are doing here. With all the things that you love doing, is there anything specific that separate you two and what you're doing here?

Inside Outside Strengths And Open Door

SPEAKER_03 9:39

Like different strengths or weaknesses, sure. Absolutely. Usually I she's inside and I'm outside. Um, and I don't know why it's happened that way, but it just has. Um and I don't. Oh, I've got a green thumb. Um, but all of the landscaping and um planting, and we move plants around all the time, you know. Um, and then we add plants and we gift plants and we share, you know, with like I gave Amy um a couple of babies from my vermeliads. So it's something that I absolutely enjoy beyond the stars and moon. And it just, I think it's it it kind of comes back to like when Maddie had cancer, I had the greenest yard in the whole neighborhood because it was something I could control and I could make it live. And I didn't have that control with her, and so and obviously I never had that control, period. But um, but I think that's kind of where it started. And and so the fact that I can create things that are beautiful here and and beautify our property even more so and make it just feel more like a resort and a an oasis where you can chill and feel it's just a happy vibe and a live, an alive vibe, you know. I need that, yeah, yeah for my soul.

Brian 11:05

That's good. So, Joe, you love the inside. So I guess like, is that like the the decor and cleaning and all that stuff?

SPEAKER_02 11:11

Or well, I came from a mother that was wonderful, and she taught us that everything had a place and everything should be in its place. Okay. Michelle is a clean freak like I am, but she's good outside, I'm good inside. So make sure everything is done, make sure her dogs are fed when she can feed them, make sure everything I like to clean. I like things to smell good, to shine. It's just how I was dressed. And I can't stop moving. No, I my grandmother would say I have, I'll tell you in Italian, famiglia and gula, which means you have ants in your pants and you gotta dance.

Brian 11:49

Ants in your pants, you gotta dance.

SPEAKER_02 11:52

Yeah, I like I like a house when it just looks pristine, and it's nothing to do with being showy. It's how I was it's how I was raised. And just like Michelle said, you know, when people come in your house, you want to make sure it it's presentable. Yeah, it's not one of these comfortable in the closet, yeah.

Brian 12:09

Okay, so so tell me a little bit more about the open door policy. Break that down. Like, what does that look like?

SPEAKER_03 12:14

Do you bring wine? We open the door. That's it. That's it. Basically, what it looks like. That's it. No, seriously. Um, you know, we just we love everybody, and and we like to lift up and share. I mean, we're both still grieving, okay? This is there's no way around that. She lost she's lost her whole family. And but most recently, her sister was her best friend, and day to day, they were always together, you know. I lost Maddie, and there's uh nothing that replaces your child ever, you know, not not a person, not a human being, not a dog, not a another soul. There's nothing that replaces those type of tight, really bond relationships, you know? And so, and there's so much of our community, honestly, that are grieving or have whatever going on. It doesn't have to be a loss, it can be anything. Um, but have stuff's going on that just come and sit and talk. It you talk it out and you figure stuff out, you know? And you know what I'm saying? Yeah, absolutely. We don't have to keep in our closets anymore. That's so true. Closets are off limits anymore. Let's talk. That's so good. Let's share, you know.

SPEAKER_02 13:35

That's the only way people learn and help each other. Yeah, that's the way it is. And we do a good job. People call us during the week. Hey, what are you doing next Tuesday? Gonna come over for lunch, or do you want to go out? I'll bring coffee, I'll make we have like a couple of people next week. And just, you know, everybody. We have a couple of people everywhere. Every week. I know, to be honest. We try to get take off on Mondays, but sometimes that really does not work out. Yeah. But we we try, everybody needs a day off. But you know what? It's just it gets like we started a new

Karaoke Visits With Assisted Living

SPEAKER_02 14:02

thing now. We go down to Stewart once a month, and we play karaoke for an assisted living. Michelle sold this woman's house almost two years ago, Michelle.

SPEAKER_03 14:12

Almost almost three years ago.

SPEAKER_02 14:15

They became friends. Olivant now is 93, and we go visit Olivan once a month to take her for lunch. Oh, and we take her for nails. And then the following, we make two weeks pass and we start a karaoke. Well, I have to tell you, I put videos on Facebook. These people warm your heart. They wait for us, they go, Oh, are the girls coming today? Oh, because they call today and they go, Oh, can you come next month on this date? Blah, blah, blah. I said, I'll check with my business partner, we'll check our schedule, we'll get back to you. Of course, we're gonna do it. We we adore it. But they like remembered us and they were. I can't tell you. I love the elderly. You gotta see her. I love the elderly.

SPEAKER_03 14:56

I want to tell you guys, this one has her her arm around everyone in the room. She's got the microphone up, you know, so they can sing, they don't have to move a muscle. She's with every single do you want to sing? You know, all the way around the room.

SPEAKER_02 15:11

They're just wonderful.

SPEAKER_03 15:12

It's so much fun.

SPEAKER_02 15:13

But you know, I was in the music industry for 40 plus years. Oh, you know, and I've done a lot, know a lot, met a lot of people. Yeah, but the elderly, the one thing that I genuinely love about the elderly is 99.9%, they're not mean. Yeah, they're not mean, they'll never be mean to you.

SPEAKER_03 15:32

And if they are, you can break them pretty easily. Yeah, exactly. What you did to Olive. I broke all of them. But it's true.

SPEAKER_02 15:38

I mean, think about just your own life and people that have been mean, they're either our age or younger. The elderly, they're just happy to have company. Yeah, and that to me and to Michelle is so important. Yeah, I think. You know, just to see the smiles on their faces. It's great. So we volunteer and we do that. It's we're gonna try to do a couple in Vero. Oh, so we're seeking that. That's cool.

SPEAKER_05 16:01

Yeah, that's cool.

SPEAKER_02 16:02

You know, you have to give back. You know, we've been blessed. We've been blessed with Endless Gatherings House, and we've been blessed with our second business, Clutabus FL. So, you know, when you get, you give. And great

What Endless Gatherings Actually Is

SPEAKER_02 16:16

givers.

Brian 16:17

How long has Endless Gatherings been in play now? Like you guys have been running it, and what are some of the things that you guys look forward to on your side of the business?

SPEAKER_02 16:25

We had our opening May 3rd of 2025.

Brian 16:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 16:29

So it's what a little over a year. And um, what do we look forward to? We look forward to bringing smiles to everyone's face that enters our home. Everyone that has booked with us over the last year or so said one thing they said especially that sticks out in my mind, and when I say it, Michelle's gonna say, yeah. They all walk in that front door and they say, Boy, this is a homey place. Uh-huh.

unknown 16:55

It is.

SPEAKER_02 16:55

And they feel so comfortable. So, you know, for that alone, that I know it brings joy to both of us because we talk about it all the time.

Brian 17:05

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 17:05

You know, and no other place in Vero, to our knowledge, does what we do.

SPEAKER_03 17:10

Not exactly.

SPEAKER_02 17:11

Not exactly the way, you know, we put You can try people, but yeah, we we like to put finishing touches. Yeah. Like we just had some guests last month, and they were four young girls. Uh, finished the first year of college, and they came out for a week. And we went out, and I went out to the 99 cent store and got a little, we had the basket, and Michelle said to me, Get this, this, this, this, and this. I said, Okay, not a problem. So we come home, we made a basket of like hair clips and what else?

SPEAKER_03 17:40

Loopas and um face masks and pampering, yeah, just little girly stuff.

SPEAKER_02 17:46

You would have thought we gave them the six winning lottery numbers.

SPEAKER_03 17:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:49

Seriously. Yeah, but it's those little things that you know, and that's what it's all about. And um, when you see the smile on their face, that's worth everything. It really is.

SPEAKER_03 18:02

I want to say what I really love um and look forward to with each new event is when Kismet happens. And when, like Wilma, for example, our marketing gal, she met this gal, Alicia, who was an employee of hers back, I don't know, 20 some years ago or 30 years ago or something like that in Puerto Rico or Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico. And um, there's they end up sitting right next to each other at our table. Are you kidding me? I have goosebumps like all the way over my body right now. It it's bizarre, but that happens all the time here. I I can't even tell you almost every event, something happens that's just like, ooh, okay, thank you, God. You know, that's awesome. It's so cool. It's so cool that when people, yeah, or for whatever reason they're supposed to meet, you know. Um, we've had look about Jonathan and Misty.

SPEAKER_02 19:06

We oh yeah, tell that story. That's a great story. Go ahead. Well, Misty had contacted us and she wanted to rent for a couple of hours. She wanted to bring her immediate family here with her new boyfriend. She wanted her family to meet them. He was from Georgia. He was from some he was from Georgia, yeah, someplace down south, and he was in for the weekend. So they came and Jonathan played the guitar. The family loved him. They got married, what, six months later? Yeah. Well, no, they got married. Didn't they just get married? Maybe May. They just got married, yes, Memorial Day. May 23rd or something. Yes. They constantly in contact with us and they tell their story on Endless Gatherings. They met, she brought him here, and they fell in love.

SPEAKER_05 19:46

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_03 19:47

So they fell in love over line online. Online then when he came here to visit, then wow, that's cool.

Brian 19:54

That is so awesome. All right, so as we're talking about endless gatherings, there's probably people listening right now going, Well, wait a minute, what is Endless Gatherings? Is it is it an Airbnb? Is it an event center? What is this? So why don't you guys explain to the audience now that they've been staying tuned in for so long and they're waiting, anticipating anticipation. Is that the right word? Yes. Drum roll, please.

SPEAKER_03 20:16

Well, right after this commercial. Just kidding. Um, so Endless Gatherings is a beautiful home, three-bedroom, two-bath with uh heated saltwater pool. We have uh a yard with turf, you know, and we have yard games and stuff like that. We have uh fire pit patio, and we have three inflatable queen-size beds with headboards. So you can sleep quite a few people, you know, just throw it anywhere. And you know, we've got an enclosure too, so you can even sleep poolside if you want. But what we uh like to say to people is wave your magic wand, ask us what you want, tell us what you want to do, give us your idea. We can make pretty much anything happen, you know? So if you want to rent it for we have a three-hour minimum um for a party or a shower or a gender reveal or uh who cares, whatever. Um, that's fine. And tell us what you need. We've got tables and games and we can do poolside TV. If you want to watch movies in the pool, we can do that. Um, yeah, I mean we can do so many things. We have a karaoke machine, but we don't let too many people play with it. If we're here, we'll let you play a little. But you know, um well that's a good thing.

SPEAKER_02 21:46

But we do have karaoke on Sundays once a month.

Events, RSVPs, And Dream Retreats

Brian 21:51

Okay, cool.

SPEAKER_03 21:51

On a Sunday. We do it on the afternoon or in the afternoon, two to five, because nobody else does it in the afternoon and it drives me nuts. I want my feet up by six, you know. So I don't like to start karaoke at seven. It's irritating to me. And everywhere you go, it's I think the earliest is six o'clock. So we said no, we're gonna do it here and do it early.

Brian 22:15

And you say open door policy, does that mean people just show up for this the karaoke, or is that something you guys put? To be honest, we do put it out there, yes.

SPEAKER_03 22:22

And we we really like RSVPs. Yeah, yeah, that makes it really nice. You can kind of plan to be honest, it is, and we need to know how much food and munchies and all of that because we feed our people and we do sangria with every event. We have sangria, and um, you know, so we gotta know how much to have or whatever. RSVPs also they just help in the preps, so totally, and but like it's a lot of our events and the uh cooking classes and art classes and stuff. We usually only do 12, 11 or 12, d depending. Sometimes we'll go up to 15. But gotcha. Those are smaller classes. So on those, yeah, if you want to come, you need to RSVP and send us some ching.

SPEAKER_05 23:04

Yep, because it's yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:07

It's gonna fill up fast. And as soon as you see that it's going to be, you should jump on it because we, you know, people then we have to do another list, which is not a bad thing. Sure. But they're like, Oh, you sold out, yeah. You know, and we'll do more. We can do more classes. We have squad day. Oh, yeah. We do it like once every two months and whatnot, and people love it, you know. Where can you be pampered for six hours?

SPEAKER_03 23:31

So we have massage therapists, we have a uh gal that does facials, we do the foot scrubs and uh paraffin dips and um sangria and sangria, yes, don't you know?

Shawna 23:43

Really, and to your point as well, you know, you said there's nothing in Vero that's quite like this. I've never seen anything anywhere that's quite like this.

SPEAKER_03 23:52

Well, yeah, and the nice thing is, is you can like this has been kind of our a thing that's been happening this year. We have people that want to do parties, so they rent it for the night because it's basically the same. If you rent it for four hours or overnight, the difference is the cleaning fee. So it really makes sense to rent it overnight, have your party in the evening, you know, you check in at three, you have total time to clean up and give it back to us the way we, you know, so you get your security deposit back, and it's it's nice. Yeah, check out is at 11 on uh Sunday. Yeah, and then you get to enjoy the whole, you know, after your party, you get in the pool, you have relax for a while. Exactly.

Brian 24:33

Yeah, but yeah, it's that's a really unique uh business understanding it now. Do you you guys have a website that people can go to and learn more about it? So you want to share that?

SPEAKER_03 24:43

It's endlessgatherings.com and we're we're on Google and yeah, so far and on Instagram, yeah.

Brian 24:50

Instagram, okay, cool, awesome.

Shawna 24:52

Yes, Facebook, nice, yeah. So is there any type of gathering or event that you've dreamt of doing, but you haven't been able to do yet?

SPEAKER_03 25:00

Kind of a healing retreat. I'd like to get um like for a weekend, but that's a rough one to get people to come for a weekend, you know, especially when they live in town. I don't know why it's been so weird, but it has. But that would be lovely to do. Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_02 25:15

I mean, we've had chili cook-offs, which we're gonna have our second one in October. Oh, yes, we came to the chili cook-offs. Yeah, we were here for the chili cook-offs. That's so funny, you know, and it's we love doing cooking classes.

SPEAKER_03 25:27

And I'm just gonna say right now, uh-uh, I dare y'all to bring your chili and match it up against mine. Yes, because Michelle dare you.

Brian 25:35

She did win last year.

SPEAKER_03 25:36

First place right over there. First place, she got it okay. Yes, I'm gonna get another one next year. But we had a lot of fun.

Brian 25:43

Well, we love having you guys in the in the Vero area too. So, what would you say has been your biggest challenge or your biggest lesson learned?

SPEAKER_02 25:51

Yeah, or lesson. Trusting our gut.

Brian 25:53

That's good.

SPEAKER_03 25:55

Trusting your gut and saying no. Yeah. Saying no. We don't have to say yes to everyone.

SPEAKER_05 26:00

That's right.

SPEAKER_03 26:01

Um, and they go hand in hand. They do, right? Trusting your gut and yeah, and saying no. So we've just learned that we have to really be very clear and concise, and we have it all written out, and we have go over it with people, and then we sign it together, and you know, so yeah, we've and there's notes on the slider, no smoking. For the most part, we've had wonderful guests.

Brian 26:24

Yeah, we really have good advice, so trust your gut. Trust your gut. It's okay to say no.

Shawna 26:31

Spidey sense, that's what I go. I call it the Holy Spirit, but everybody calls it something.

Brian 26:37

Oh, she really called me out.

Shawna 26:40

She calls you out under the bulls. I listened to the Holy Spirit too. I know you know. It just came out.

SPEAKER_02 26:47

Spidey was at top of the media. I heard my no, I heard my Nana going, it's the Holy Spirit.

Clutterbusters FL And Loving Vero

Brian 26:54

Okay, so you guys said you have another business as well. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

SPEAKER_03 26:58

Yeah, it's clutterbusters, fl. We were going with clutterbusters because you know, we ain't afraid of no mess. But uh, then we had to throw in the FL because you know, somebody else. Oh, whatever. But still, we help people organize, we help people declutter, we help people unpack, we help people pack, we help, you know, any uh either side of the moving is whatever. Uh one of our most favorite jobs that we got to do. Um, she had just moved in and into a a house that was 1,500 square feet smaller than her last house. And so, yes, challenge accepted. Oh my gosh, it was so much fun. We have we have a lot of we need the after pictures. We're not quite done over there. So we have a little garage stuff to do, and you know, a garage in August in Florida is never a good idea. And it's not the air conditioner. So when we're done, we'll be posting our before and afters. But I want to tell you, I there's something that's so exciting and exhilarating in my body when I see a closet that's all organized. And I'm not even kidding you. And when I've done it, and then I see that look on her face, and it's like, oh my god, thank you, and the relief that comes over people. I can't, there's something that's so gratifying about it. It just I love it. I love it. I absolutely love it. So for me, um, it's about that connection again and what I do for a people's soul. Yeah, you know, it's so freeing to get to be able to breathe in your space and just be free in your space. Absolutely. So, anyway, we we spent what 28 hours over there. She gave us full creative rain, and we decorated her house, we put up artwork, we were up and down on the lap, curtains, curtain rods, oh my gosh, cleaned out a closet, gave her so many bags, God bless her. So many. They need it, and you know, but the thing is is that we don't we don't judge, we don't shame people, you know. Life is life, and we get it, you know, it's life, it just like you said, it snap of a fingers, and poof, you've got all this stuff everywhere, and you're like, where did it come from? You know, life's colorful, so you have to it does, it happens quickly though, and it happens slowly all in once, yeah. All at once.

Brian 29:28

Well, that's cool. So, how can people learn out about this this business?

SPEAKER_03 29:31

Yeah, we're on Facebook and we also have a website, clutterbustersfl. Got out dot com. All right, cool, awesome.

Brian 29:38

Yeah, well, okay, I want to go ahead and just touch a little bit on Vero and the Vero Beach area. You guys are connected to the community, you guys have people coming and doing events and stuff. So uh with that, what do you guys love most about the area?

SPEAKER_03 29:52

Oh my gosh. I mean, I don't there's a list a mile long, Brian. Seriously. Uh there's I I haven't found anything I don't love about Vero Beach yet. I really haven't. The people have been so welcoming, uh welcoming and accommodating. And like, I I don't know, people get me. I've had I've struggled with PTSD, and so I've not I don't always have this really sweet and charming personality. I know it's hard to believe, but um, sometimes I'm you know tripping a little and and I don't know. I've just uh people love me through it, and I love that that I can just be me in all of my life's experiences and who I am all the way down to the core of Michelle, and people just love me, you know. Um it's really been like the first time in my life that I've found that. I uh I love that it's slower, I love that it's just calmer, you know. I've I was a real estate agent in Denver for 20 years, you know. So zoom is zoom zoom, and I'm so don't want to zoom anymore.

Shawna 31:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:02

So I I love the pace about Vero, I love the beauty of Vero. Yeah, I love I I love the river, I love the ocean, I love the beaches. The beaches are so beautiful here, and there's never anyone on them. Like a handful of people, you know, which don't get any ideas. We don't need them full.

Brian 31:20

There's so many alligators of sharks. You do not want to come here.

SPEAKER_02 31:23

Yeah, I know where what where you know what they say, got water, got gators.

SPEAKER_03 31:27

Yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_02 31:28

So what do you love, Joe? Uh restaurants, yeah. Yes, yes. What are some of your restaurants? Vero's great on restaurants. What are your favorites? Uh, Green Marlin is one of them. Citrus Grove is another house.

SPEAKER_03 31:39

Yeah. Sean Ryan's that is now changing to a different name. Oh, is it really? I didn't hear about that. Vero Beach Bar and Grill, I think. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 31:47

One of the big things I love about Vero is the fact that okay, we have endless gatherings, but the people have been welcoming us here. They come here and they make friends and they just like what we do. Yeah. And we're genuine. Michelle and I are genuine. And we just met by uh by the grace of God. Okay. Uh Michelle wrote uh four books, but I had written I had read one of her books that she wrote, and it said, please don't say that uh SH asterisks T.

unknown 32:20

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_02 32:20

And it was about what you shouldn't say to people when they've lost someone. And at the time I had just lost my sister, the less in my immediate family. And I'm reading the book on the back page, and I see a picture of Michelle with her email address, and I'm like, now I'm looking at my sister's stone. I'm talking to her. Okay, don't make fun of me, people. Okay. Anyway, and I said, Patty, I said, she has an email address. I said, but you know when you just get, you know, you get pulled. Yes. My heart. I and I had goosebumps, and I'm like, I need to reach out. So I emailed Michelle and we went back and forth, you know, and gave my condolences and you know, told a little bit of my story. She told a little bit, and finally she goes to me, do you want to meet for lunch? So I'm like, Yeah. She goes, Well, where do you like to eat? I go, the Green Marlin. She goes, Well, that's my favorite restaurant too. So, see, things are meant to be.

SPEAKER_03 33:08

Well, and then we met and then for lunch. Yeah. And I'm like, So when's your birthday? Oh, August 22nd. I said, What? That's my birthday. I've never met anyone in my life with my birthday. Nope. Either here we are. Yeah.

Brian 33:22

Well, for anybody that's listening, uh, we're gonna get ready to wrap up. I've enjoyed having you both on the podcast. This has been great. Thank you. Yes, we're and we're excited to come to the next event for sure. Like, we're definitely gonna be here, especially for the chili, the chili cook-off. Yeah, we'll definitely be here. And the white elephant. Yes, the white elephant. Oh, yeah. Uh, but as we get ready to wrap up, I would love to know for anybody that's listening that hasn't been to the uh endless gatherings yet, what would you want to say to them?

SPEAKER_03 33:48

Come and check us out. Oh, we were gonna say the same thing because we're bookends, too. Yeah, we are. We're we're bookends from the same birthday.

SPEAKER_02 33:56

Just go on the website, check our events, come on a Sunday afternoon for karaoke, introduce yourself, come and have some fun, meet some new people. You know, usually karaoke is like a big 20 bucks. If you go to a bar, you're gonna spend a heck of a lot more than that. Oh, yeah. So come and enjoy.

Brian 34:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:12

So we're we you know, like I we said, that door's open. The old time is when go to sleep. Awesome. Yeah, don't be wandering in here in the middle of the night. No, not at all.

Shawna 34:22

My dogs will attack you.

SPEAKER_02 34:24

Yeah, you'll get attacked by two dogs.

SPEAKER_00 34:26

Uh, we want to thank you guys all. Again, you guys, thank you for joining us on the podcast. Thank you for having me.

Brian 34:31

We're looking forward to hanging off with you guys again more, obviously, in the future. And for everybody that's tuned in and listening, if you've enjoyed this episode, make sure you leave us a review and be sure to check out Endless Gatherings online.

Shawna 34:42

And with that, catch you next time, neighbor.