Day at Ocean Grove

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It seemed like a good idea this morning. SJ and I were going to head over to Ocean Grove and spend the day at the beach. The forecast was great, sunny and hot with no chance of storms. The beach at Ocean Grove doesn't open until about 12:30 on Sundays because fo church. We packed a lunch, some ssodaas, towels, magazines, chairs, umbrella - let's go.

The next time I get the bright idea to go to the beach on the weekend I want someone to smack me upside my head. Here in NJ we have lots of...people...who come from the northern part of the state or NY and spend the sumer in NJ. They spend their money here which is good for our economy. But the benefits end right there. We have a special name for these people: Bennies.

Bennies do not have a clue about personal space. Bennies do not have any idea what an "inside" voice is Nor do they understand that certain topics should not be discussed in the middle of a crowded beach. Bennies ignore all local traffic laws. They are loud, rude and mostly arrogant.

Now there are many nice poeple that come to the Shore from northern Nj and NYC. You would never know that these people are from "away". You wouldn't call these people bennies.

You see, being a benny is more than living in a certain geographic region. Being a benny involves a certain state of mind.

Anyway, enough of my rant. We spent only about 2 hours at the beach for several reasons:
1. The bennies
2. The water was disgusting. It looked like milions of scales had been dumped in the water.
3. The bennies

I'll go during the week, later in the afternoon from now on. I am just getting too old to deal with it.

The pictures are of my sweet daughter, SJ. The beach around us. The snack shack behind us and the town of Ocean Grove. And the crazy pasttime of New Jersians- getting hooked up to a parachute and towed by a boat out on the ocean. every time the boat slows to dip the people's feet in to the water, I am reminded of bait being dipped into the water for fishing. I don't know that I necessarily want to be shark bait.

Garden Gossip

Well, more garden gossip. I have been lucky because it has been raining enough to keep my garden happy but not enough to drown it. I just wish I had more tomato blossoms. It seems lke the squash and zucchini are blooming as well as the pumpkin.
I had to clear away the remains of the groundhog eaten peas and beans - so I planted more tomatoes in their place.

The big winner this year seems to be the mint. It s really flourishing!

Next year I am going to plant some nastirtium in with the beans - that should chase away the groundhogs. Possiblt out the poyyed miny around also.

Modeling Cutie Patootie Apparel

This is Abby (you've read about her at Gus and Trudy). She is modeling a skirt that Sara Jane made. Sara decided to open an Etsy shop and she is calling it Cutie Patootie Apparel (after Denise's name for her).

Sara has been very busy, she completed two blankets (so soft), a pair of cute pants and a shirt. Next I am going to ask her to make me sleep shorts and a skirt. She is ordering her business cards tomorrow and we are looking online for sew in printed labels to pt in to the clothing. I am very excited and happy for her!

Garden Exploding With Life!

My garden is really exploding! The raspberries have started coming out in full force. The potatoes are blooming, as are the squash. My tomato plants are getting tall and they should be blooming any moment now. And the mint! Oh for the love of God, I have so much mint - chocolate mint, spearmint, peppermint, candy mint, lemon mint!!!! I especially love mint because it comes back every year. My sunflowers are growing so tall. I can't wait for them to bloom. When they do I think I will park my Adirondack chair in front of them and spend the day just looking at them. Those sunflowers make me so happy!

And of course, the guardian of it all, my sweet baby, Jasmine the cat. She loves to come out on the deck with me. When I go out to the garden she sits up on the deck and watches me putter around. I think it amuses her.

Happy Birthday USA!!!

Metalsmithing Jewelry

A few years back I started to take a jewelry making course at the local community college. I had just come back from a really bad time and I was not working. The doctor suggested taking some kind of a hands on class to get me back into the swing of things.

Two really great things happened as a result. First, I began to gain some confidence back as my jewelry making skills improved and second, I met my dear friend , John.

John and I really enjoyed making jewelry. We would go into the lab and create for hours and hours. he really has a talent. he can look at a piece of metal and just turn it into the most beautiful piece of art. He really has a vision. I, on the other hand, kind of plodded along, still enjoying myself immensely.

I do not take the jewelry class anymore (cost prohibitive) but I still enjoy a great friendship with John and I still enjoy making things!

I posted a few pictures of some of the things I made during that time.

Sara Still Sewing

Sara Jane is still sewing up a storm! I am really impressed with how quickly she has improved and learned so many new things! This is a shirt that she made today - the pictures do not do it justice. Tomorrow she is going to help me make some sleep shorts.