23 About Me: Setting Sail with Georgina

In our latest installment of 23 About Me, we get to know the lady behind our locations on Longboat Key. From the shores of North Carolina, to the islands of Sarasota, Georgina Clamage has always felt a close connection to the water. She spent her childhood days swimming or boating – even finding her way onto the front page of the New York Times after one such voyage. Now, as Manager of our Longboat Key South and Mid Longboat Key offices, Georgina is never more than a stone’s throw from the sand. See what this managing mermaid has to say about her aquatic upbringing, why she feels such a kinship with England, and how - with her children and grandchild nearby - life has really come full circle. Choose one: country estate, city penthouse or beachfront living? Absolutely beachfront!  I grew up on the beach in North Carolina and never get enough of it! What is your favorite ice cream? Talenti’s Sea Salt Caramel with Hot Fudge Sauce Favorite cuisine? Seafood – I think our fish is amazing and I eat it every chance I get. What book are you reading now? I love to read and am currently reading Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix.  My 11 year old granddaughter recommended it to me a couple of years ago.  It took me a while to get to it, but I’m so glad I did. I just finished Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline and it was amazing. How did you first find your way to this area? Before moving here, we often vacationed on Longboat Key. We’d stay on the beach or our boat at the Longboat Key Moorings.  My Godfather moved here in the late 1970’s.  We visited him many times for dinner at the Sarasota Yacht Club and the Sarasota Opera.  Then, I was sailing in Venice Inlet one day and decided we needed to move to this area.  My husband agreed and we are thrilled to now truly understand what a wonderful community this is.  In fact, two of our four children have also moved and lovingly raise their children here. Do you have a special talent? I think I’m a jack of all trades… I love to cook, decorate and garden.  I am a great boater and there is no place better for boating than the west coast of Florida! How did you spend your childhood summers? In the water!  In North Carolina, I grew up on the coast in a smaller and equally idyllic version of Sarasota.  We lived across from one of the “Outer Banks” islands so we would jump in the water and swim to the island and hang out all day.  Sometimes we would even swim downtown.  Other times we would spend the day waterskiing, rowing or sailing.  That’s the kind of life my grandchildren are experiencing in Sarasota. If you could have lunch with someone from history, who would it be? Winston Churchill If you could vacation anywhere in the world where would it be? In a small village in England.  My mother is from England. I used to spend a lot of time there as a child.  In fact, after celebrating my 5^th birthday there, my mother and I came back on the Queen Elizabeth and I was photographed on the front page of the New York Times saying “Welcome home, Georgina”. What living person do you most admire? My mother is still alive in my heart and I truly admire the strength she had throughout her life.  She was a WREN during World War II, met and married my father in England, and moved to a small town in North Carolina.  She embraced a lifestyle that was completely foreign to her, accomplishing so much in that community while she and my father owned their own businesses and raised three daughters. She did it all with an amazing grace. What is your greatest extravagance? Shopping for clothes.  My mother had a high-end dress shop when I was growing up so I developed this passion for good clothes! What do you love about working with Michael Saunders & Company? Michael and Drayton Saunders are the best leaders I have ever worked for.  Their passion for this community and real estate industry is inspirational to all of us.  They truly make Sarasota a better community. What restaurant do you go to more than any other? Knick's Grill is one of our favorites for a casual, local and friendly dining experience.  We also love living very close to Libby’s and eat there often.  Both of these are truly neighborhood restaurants. What is your favorite Broadway musical? I love so many of them, but I would probably say South Pacific first with Les Miserable as a close second. What is the prettiest place you have been locally? Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, of course.  The grounds are magnificent and we love visiting the Children’s Garden there. What is your favorite way to spend a Saturday? My favorite way to spend Saturday is hanging out with my family.  There is so much to do here, it’s always different.  We might go to the Farmer’s Market, Siesta Key beach or the Sarasota Yacht Club to watch the kids swim, but we also love to stay at home doing some gardening, swimming and cooking out. What do you like to cook? I love to cook Julia Child’s roast chicken, grilled shrimp, bouillabaisse and beef bourguignon. What is your favorite TV show? Downton Abbey What did you want to be when you were little? I wanted to be an author. What is your most treasured possession? A Y-necklace that my husband made me with opal, emerald and rose quartz stones that he cut, polished, and fabricated settings for.