Internal Arguments

snapchat-6172632817716655632It’s 10:26 p.m. when I hear the whimpering sounds coming from the monitor.

“No, not again,” I say to myself. I reluctantly turn toward the screen, and sure enough, he’s awake. I had just spent nearly two hours trying to put my son to sleep, clearly to no avail. It had consisted of a series of light patting, singing and rhythmic shushing. And when that didn’t work, it was followed by 40 minutes of nestling him back to sleep in my arms.

At nearly 9 months old, my son is a shitty sleeper. Continue reading “Internal Arguments” →

Mike Schmidt

Jupiter Resident And Former Baseball Star Mike Schmidt Hits A Different Type of Home Run After Beating Stage 3 Melanoma

Photography by Jason Nuttle

by Sandra Benavides Weichel Published by Gulfstream Media Group, Featured in Jupiter Magazine, Jul 2016

It was all fun and games for Hall of Fame baseball player Mike Schmidt until he was diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma at age 63.

Hall of Fame baseball player Mike Schmidt misses the locker room camaraderie. He misses the post-game review, the repartee exchanged around the batting cages, and the occasional beers shared among his teammates. Even more, he misses the challenges he faced every day on the field.

But what he doesn’t miss, at least not anymore, are the countless hours of baking in the sun.

“I spent my whole life just ignoring the idea of sunscreen,” Schmidt, 66, says. “I would have put on Coppertone oil or something to help me get a tan … but never anything that would have kept me from getting one.”

Continue reading “Mike Schmidt” →

Elena Johnson: The Charmer

Meet The Woman Who Founded Joint Mission, A Nonprofit That Provides Formerly Homeless Vets With Furniture For Their Homes

Photography by Jason Nuttle
 by Sandra Benavides Weichel, Published by Gulfstream Media Group, Featured in Jupiter Magazine, February 2017

True Treasures consignment stores icon Elena Johnson has moved on to a new venture, providing formerly homeless veterans and their families with furniture for their homes.

Elena Johnson’s West Highland white terrier, Molly, is barking in excitement at the front door. It’s the same Molly who, along with Johnson, graced the many TV commercials advertising True Treasures, the well-known furniture and antique consignment stores Johnson owned for 25 years. Within moments, Johnson approaches the door. But before she turns the knob, I remember the words her publicist shared: “Fair warning, she’s a charmer.”

After spending only a few minutes with Johnson, this becomes apparent.

Just like in her commercials, Johnson wears her signature tinted glasses, which conceal her hazel eyes. Her platinum white hair frames her smooth skin, and her crimson red lips match her manicured nails. At 86 years old, Johnson is bold, brave and beautiful.
Continue reading “Elena Johnson: The Charmer” →

At Home in the Water

4036_051_PB_JP-1
Photo by Jason Nuttle

by Sandra Benavides Weichel, Published by Gulfstream Media Group, Featured in Jupiter Magazine, February 2016

Floating in the open sea, surrounded by the unpredictable ocean, Chris Leidy is at home. The serenity of the rippling water calms him. As a mere blip on the sea’s expansive radar, it’s there where he connects with nature, God and himself. It’s there where he has made a name for himself as an illustrious underwater photographer.

“When I swim in the ocean, I’m 99.9 percent alone, and I feel comforted by God that whatever happens, it happens for a reason,” Leidy says. “I’m not bound by fear or hesitation.”

Continue reading “At Home in the Water” →

Mark Sotak

Artist Mark Sotak Turns Life Around With Painting After Being Severely Injured In Car Accident

by Sandra Benavides Weichel,  Published by Gulfstream Media Group, Featured in Jupiter Magazine, November 2015

Photography by Jason Nuttle

In life there are some people who, after meeting them, can rock your world. Palm Beach Gardens resident Mark Sotak is one of those people. His tale is one of woe, divine intervention and perseverance. He has cheated death by surviving two catastrophic car accidents, pursued a rigorous academic path resulting in his juris doctorate from Ohio State University and has since traded a career as a lawyer for one as a professional artist.

But while all of his accomplishments are admirable, there is one crucial detail about his talent that will leave you in awe. Sotak paints all of his canvases using only his mouth.

Continue reading “Mark Sotak” →