Beach Notes

Grateful for a short getaway with Dan, which he planned. Timeless messages in a bottle I was able to discern through the sometimes cloudy, sometimes clear, weathered lens of my life view:

• Hurricanes cut a fearless, take-no-prisoners path. Erin closed the beaches yesterday (no sandy part to sit on, and the tides were menacing) and flooded the main roads pretty bad. Dan's cap was about to blow off. And today at Island Beach State Park, we were told we could only wade up to our ankles. But the weather was beautiful.
• Lifeguards are golden. Saviors in red trunks or one-pieces ran along the surf, toting weights. Then two went in and rode the giant swells, one on a yellow board that said RESCUE and one in a little boat. The waves were so big, it looked like the vessels would capsize. But they did not, with skillful guards in charge.
• Beach sleep is the best sleep. I fell into a deep one in a chair down by the water but then Erin waves washed up over my bag, my books etc. Dan appeared at that instant and I woke up with a jolt. 
• New Jersey's barrier island is (kind of) like Cape Cod. Some of the same flora, from beach roses to marsh grass. Dunes, though not as towering. But little flies bit big here in the swaying grass. The old visitor center has Cape-like treasures, including finds from shipwrecks, such as heavy canvas diver's shoes and haunting deadeyes, stuffed gulls and a spry fox. I will return.
• Surfside menus are predictable and unhealthy. You'll find sushi (good), subs, seafood, some nice iced coffee if you search, ice cream, sweet cocktails with colorful sunset names, chicken fingers, burgers, deep-fried appetizers. I had a fresh Garden State house salad with crisp cucumbers and peppers by the sea. But fries abound. I didn't finish the salad but did swipe some of Dan's French fries.
• Ocean air smells good.
• Saltwater taffy is still a seaside thing.
• Sunset over the bay is a painting. Pinks, purples, oranges. You feel fortunate to see it.
• Some beach house signs have great messages. IF YOU'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE AT THE BEACH, YOU'RE LUCKY ENOUGH, one said. Another had a silhouette of a mermaid and said MERMAID X-ING, which made me think of our daughters.

Good night.

Gidget Goes New Jersey

The 1961 pineapple/surfboard classic, "Gidget Goes Hawaiian."*

Who knew I would see a surf lesson on the beach today? 

Co-star James Darren (Moondoggie to 

Deborah Walley's Gidget) just died this week.

 Image from HERE. 

My iPhone camera lens is cloudy/fuzzy so I couldn't take photos of the beautiful Spring Lake beach today. I went to meditate, ponder, pray, rest, recharge and fill my soul. Dan had an article deadline. I arrived at 4, stayed two hours and was home by 7:30 to make salad with a Jersey tomato from a farmstand down that way and homemade croutons, plus quick pork chops with rosy applesauce from a jar. (Finicky Spice actually ate the whole dinner, yay. I got the jar of Red Jacket Orchards applesauce, from the Finger Lakes, at Dry Goods Refillery, a plastic-free grocery shop in town.) 

The waves were calm. I counted 13 Sunday surfers in all, though they weren't getting much action. Then I saw a petite woman giving a lesson to another woman in the sand, the student on her stomach on the board, practicing the paddling motion. Soon, they were in the water. A happy sight. Empowering.

I studied the sea and went in up to my shins. The water was mild and I probably should have worn my swimsuit, but the air was cold up here. I folded up my wool sweater into a nice cozy pillow and rested, first on my right side, then on my left. I took in the lapping white foam, the rhythm. I prayed a little. How lucky I am to live on the East Coast, not far from the Atlantic Ocean. (It took 1 hour and 7 minutes to get there.) But as I looked at the endless glassy blue surface, considered its depth, I thought, It looks so pretty but underneath, it holds some unknown, unpleasant or scary things. Nothing is perfect. The sea is a wonder but I wouldn't want to explore on my own down there. I would sink quickly, spiral down, and possibly face sharks or jutting rocks that could make me bleed.

I'm trying to say, beauty can bring pain hidden under its surface. Life, like the sea, is a gift but with tricky parts. It comforted me to realize that, to put things in perspective.

I'm going to doze. Good night.

*I rewatched this movie on Tubi TV Friday night, while Dan was out working at a party. I love the cast, including Carl Reiner as Gidget's Dad. But as we fell asleep, I said, "Please remind me never to watch a 'Gidget' movie again. Everything always works out so well, all tied up with a ribbon and a bow." Parenting teens in 1961 looks much different than it is 63 years later. Some basics are the same, since teens then and now pushed parental boundaries. But sugar-coated endings are not real in many cases.

Drinking in Cape Cod Beauty & Joy

We left at 9 a.m. for the Sharks & Seals walk and talk at Coast Guard Beach, led by park ranger Valerie. It was everything we hoped it would be, and free of charge, of course, part of the Cape Cod National Seashore event schedule.

It started raining, we saw seals bobbing in the waves, Valerie passed around a shark's tooth and showed us a seal's skull (its sharp teeth can hurt when it bites). 

We met a lovely couple from England in the group, Patience and Simon, and discussed the merits of good English teatime. (Piping hot boiling water to brew the tea.) They live near the coast, the place you see in "Wicked Little Letters," that great English dark mystery comedy film Figgy and I took in last month at the Clairidge. It stars Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Anjana Vasan and others, a stellar cast.

Greg, Sis, me and Meggy on Coast Guard Beach after the Sharks & Seals walk.

We went out to breakfast and lattes at The Whisk in Orleans, a first for us, and good. Then stopped by Nauset (as opposed to Nauset Light) Beach, to look for more seals but didn't find them in the misty rain. Back home to rest and read, play Wordle. 

For dinner, we drove to Chatham and Sis treated us all to a splurge dinner at The Impudent Oyster, a popular, longstanding restaurant that my brother Will and Kelly love. It's the kind of place with excellent whipped potatoes, good wine, ample helpings of steak au poivre and halibut. I had bouillabaisse (BOO-yə-BESS, -⁠BAYSS), a traditional fish soup, with steamed Wellfleet oysters, mussels, scallops, clams, shrimp and lobster, and a slice of garlic toast on top to dunk in the rich fish broth. The dish came with a lobster bib and metal cracker. I had to open the big claw to coax the meat from the bright orange shell. The bread and butter for the table was not as divine (or warmed?) as I remember from rare visits 20+ years ago, but.....

The restaurant is right near my beloved Lilly Pulitzer store, a shrine to pretty fashion and accessories, where I bought beautiful summer shift dresses for both of our little girls back when. And around the corner from the adorable Candy Manor, a fixture with its signature pink awning and hand-dipped chocolates, but both shops were closed for the night. We stopped by the little white lighthouse, which never closes, its beam spinning in the fog.

Then 30 minutes to drive back home on winding Route 28, past water views, charming houses with white picket fences and hydrangeas, two historic windmills.

It is never boring here. There is always something to see, hear, do, read or eat. Breezes. Birds calling. The Cape Cod Times (now $3 at the Superette in Eastham!). Fudge in square metal pans. Donuts people line up for. Shellfish. Cocktails. Souvenir sweatshirts, some quite soft and pretty. And people who live and work here, workers, teachers, contractors and women who stand behind counters in candy shops and banks. Summer help, college kids serving swirled frozen custard cones, rolling them in chocolate or rainbow sprinkles. The handsome, helpful young man at the bike shop who has been there 10 years.

Well, tomorrow we clean and lock up the house, but before that we rise at 7 a.m. to get ready for the Early Bird Walk at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, 8 to 10 a.m. Seems like things are going okay at home, and that is great progress compared to other years. I am much more relaxed being away with Dan at home. Fingers crossed, prayers in my heart.

I would like to write more but I want to rest.

More photos here. Good night.

Chatham Light, overlooking Chatham Bars Beach.

Sis at Nauset Beach.

Caped Wonders

We did a lot today, but this is dinner at Mac's in Wellfleet with Meg and Greg, 6:17 p.m.

I used to pack up my laptop and sit in my car in the dark, alone, in front of Ben & Jerry's or Dunkin' Donuts in North Eastham, near the Post Office, to get an internet signal and write a blog post every night on the Cape. Now I know how to set up a personal hotspot in the low-tech house using my iPhone and my MacBook. I can stay home and write.  

But I'm older now, and a good night's sleep is not just a requirement, but a treasured luxury. So I won't do long blog posts late at night when I should be dozing and dreaming.

We have kept busy, four of us in the house, all adults. It's really fun. For example, today:

• Beach and lighthouse gazing. Up early, drive to Nauset Light Beach on the National Seashore about 8:30 (before it officially opens in the morning, at least now, and a ranger checks you in at the booth, and you pay or show your pass) so that we can bring in Sis's puppy, Galena. In beach season, dogs can only go before or after closing (to lifeguard-protected areas).
• Back for breakfast. Greg made eggs and whole-grain toast, I had high-protein Bob's Red Mill oatmeal with berries. And lots of good hot coffee was poured. Meggy brought some java from Vermont Artisan Coffee & Tea Co. in Waterbury. We sat around the table and talked and laughed, and planned what we really want to do before we head home Friday morning. Our lists included outdoor showers (Sis and me), birdwatching (all of us nature nerds), Nauset Beach to see seals, bike path, etc.
• Showers. I love how quickly you dry off in that fresh air outside.
• North Eastham Post Office. My mother loved it and so do I. I mailed something to my brother Will and will mail a postcard from there, too, probably to Figgy in her apartment. If those P.O. walls could talk...think of the decades and decades, the homemade fudge and Girl Scout Cookies sent to Vietnam, maybe? IDK. To soldiers in World War II? The care packages in padded envelopes that my friend and I mailed to our girls at Frost Valley YMCA camp. When Punchy was a baby, I sent out invitations to Dan's surprise 50th bday party from the North Eastham P.O. 
• Idle Times Bike Shop. We checked the rental prices ($30 from 9 a.m. one day until 5 p.m. the next day). I hope weather and time cooperate tomorrow.
• Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary! Ah yes, back to my favorite spot on earth. I think we were padding along the soft sand trails from about 1:45 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Green Heron, baby Baltimore Orioles in nest, giant green frogs in pond, birdsong, fiddler crabs, and memories of scrubby orange foxes, a muskrat, Snowy Egrets and tiny Fowler's Toads seen with my family when Dan and I and our girls (especially Figgy in tow), were much younger. The breeze, that beautiful breeze. Also, quick sweep of the gift shop to check the edit. No dogs allowed at the Audubon, because they would disturb the delicate sanctuary balance. So Sis didn't join us today but she will tomorrow (sans Galena) at Coast Guard Beach for Seals & Sharks walk and Friday for Early Bird Walk 8 to 10 a.m. at the Sanctuary.
• Mac's on the Pier in Wellfleet. Known for its fried whole belly clams and Wellfleet oysters and scallops, we beelined there because Greg likes to get fried clams once each Cape Cod trip. (So does Dan, generally, but he is home working and supervising Punchy who has school, God bless him.) Meggy had a lobster roll and I had famous Wellfleet oysters, lightly breaded and fried, not heavily battered. Plump, tender and sweet.
• Check in with Figgy and Punch. The former took the latter and her friend out for sushi in Montclair. That was nice. I asked Fig to check in tonight, because Dan was hired to write 60-Sec Novels at a party near Times Square, NYC. It's 11:27 p.m. and I hope he is back home by now.
• Hot Chocolate Sparrow. I planned my one ice cream/main treat of the trip--an ice cream cone dipped in the hot melted chocolate the Sparrow only offers in the summer months. I haven't gotten coffee there yet, but I def plan to by the car ride home, if Sis doesn't mind stopping. Peeked through the glass window to see a young woman tempering chocolate. Enjoyed seeing chocolate seashells, dogs, mice, cats, cell phones, most everything.
• Sunset at Great Pond with Sis and Galena. So beautiful. The sky looks almost bruised with colors but no, not bruised, just streaked with rainbow sherbet strokes over placid water. So pretty.

Thinking of Dad a lot up here, and Figgy, Dan and Punch, and our close friends and their three kids. Memories of coyotes, night fires on the beach, stars, ranger-led walks, my mother and the three weeks we spent here that first summer in 1980. (She died in May 1981.) I see my parents and their hopes and dreams all through the house. Their generosity, their gift. Will and Kelly say they are selling the house pronto. I can't yet fully face that and mourn. The Cape is in me, and I will be back, either off-season in hotels, when rates dip, or Airbnbs, etc. 

Good night. 

Hello from Cape Cod

Provincetown exploring today. 

I’m lying in bed, 9:30 p.m., ready to sleep, windows up, fresh air. TTY tomorrow. Wrote post on this mini iPhone screen and lost it. Xo Pls excuse typos.

I Might Have Written

It is Tuesday, July 18. I might have written of nice summer nights or plunges in the ocean. I took two plunges in the last two weeks—a Wednesday evening one week and a Thursday afternoon the next—playing in the waves at Spring Lake beach on the Jersey Shore, feeling like a girl again. Saltwater, frothy ride, watch what's coming. Swimsuit, the scent of pretty suntan lotion. Wet hair. When you're in the ocean, good bet you are there for fun.

But one, I'm trying to save essays for spaces where I can earn money for them. I have feelers out. 

And two, many of our summer nights are not so nice but rather challenging and stressful, laced with worry and fear.

Fear does nothing for anyone--not for the worrier, nor the object of the worrying--but still, our old foe jumps eagerly to our side, her head coiffed with jagged alarm wires, not soft, springy curls.  

I/we used to think that the adrenaline jolt prompted by fear of missing an article assignment deadline (and displeasing our editor, not being successful) was just a fact, part of the creative process, that we did our best work then. But that is not true. That kind of fear can feed unhealthy habits and erratic behavior, short tempers with family, money wasted on takeout because we are working through dinner times. Instead, we can be organized and trustworthy, do our best work and hand it in on time but not in a state of exhaustion and frenzy. 

We can count on ourselves to count on ourselves.

Still, if only everyone would do what we want in life. We have to meet the goals and character perimeters we set for ourselves, and that is enough to manage. 

Acceptance.

I might have written about the coneflowers (aka echinacea, a native wildflower that draws butterflies, bees, and songbirds), now that Figgy is here and helped us fill the garden. Or about the angel hair pasta with zucchini "cream" (SmittenKitchen.com) that I made at 9:30 tonight, after my support group. (The most involved things about the recipe were mincing garlic and shredding zucchini. I couldn't use my mini food processor, so I used a box grater, and the zucchini was browned, not fresh green like in the photo. Oh well. Acceptance.)

I might have remembered refreshing showers or blueberries from a farm share. On the flip side, I may have written about a call from a Montclair Police detective received on the drive to Spring Lake (this time, not about our child). Or about dashed hopes, dashed in the moment, for now. Stay present. 

I might have written a lot more but that will take pushing Alarm Curls to the side. 

I might have written. 

I plan to write.

Good night.

Cape Cod CliffsNotes

Sis on my bridge behind Coast Guard Beach.

Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary--I have been the proud holder of a family membership for years.

The four of us--Sis, Meg, Greg and I--have covered a lot of ground since arriving Monday afternoon. Vermonters Meg and Greg don't know the Cape like we do. It's been fun showing them around, and revisiting these soothing sites ourselves.

• Coast Guard Beach (always and forever, though the entry path is new).
• The bridge over the marsh on the path behind Coast Guard--my favorite spot (scents of honeysuckle and beach roses along the way).
• Marconi Beach (tail end of sunset and then night sky).
• Nauset Light Beach (seals dipping in blue sea).
• Race Point Beach, Provincetown (edge of earth).
• Highland Lighthouse, Truro (Dad and I drove there with young Figgy when the light was carefully moved back to prevent eventual toppling into the sea).
• Provincetown proper (Black Dog shop, T-shirts, French bakery, street artist).
• Stop & Shop (the toaster vanished in our brother Will's last household sweep, so we bought a new one).
• Hot Chocolate Sparrow (just a quick look).
• Uncle Tim's Bridge, Wellfleet.
• Mac's on the Pier, Wellfleet (Greg's fried clam plate looked and smelled so good, but my grilled local sea scallops with rice and steamed vegs was also delicious).
• Cable Road, long walk to Nauset Light and back (stop at The Three Sisters Lighthouses along the way).
• Audubon, Audubon, Audubon, tying for favorite spot with bridge over marsh, above (Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary--whale bones, sandy paths, sea lavender, bird blind, fiddler crabs and their sandy hideaways).
• Village Green General Store, Brackett Road, North Eastham (milk, water, Ritz Fresh Stacks, Cabot cheese cuts).
• Shell gas station on Route 6 West.

I know that's a listicle, but...I am very grateful to be away on break, to breathe deep, laugh, get perspective. To distance myself from some drama and fear. To hear and see the ocean waves, to take off my shoes and walk on the uneven sand, uneven as life's path can be...to chat and laugh over breakfast and dinner, catch up, remember. To put on sandals and sunscreen. To realize, with a nod and a prayer, that Sis, my older sister, has some different memories than mine, even of family lighthouse and beach visits, stores and restaurants from girlhood. 

Everywhere we go up here, I remember being there with Dan, Figgy, Skippy, Sis, Don, Sugar, Buttercup, and our dear friends from Montclair. I hear their voices, I see their smiles. I remember our kids as babies, middle schoolers, older teens. I remember Dad and Mom and Aunt Edith, Rite and Bob and former neighbors Dot, Peggy and Joe.

I see graces on this sandy peninsula. Dan is managing home base with Skippy and didn't mind me going away for five days/four nights. 

I'm eager to do a little work now and then crack a book and read. Reading is mandatory to round out a Cape vacation.

Then, Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream.

41 Minutes by the Blue

Life can be scary. Nature is healing.

Today I drove Sis’s car, with Sirius XM radio and good A.C., to Sherwood Island State Park, exit 18 off Route 95 North. It’s a little beyond Westport, Connecticut (the town where Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward raised their family).

I had to get the car back in time so Sis could go to spin class. Traffic was bad. I had 41 minutes at the beach, 4:19 p.m. until 5. 

It was enough. Nature in my heart, my soul, my pocket. I took off my Peds and Nikes, minced my steps over a dense carpet of whole and jagged seashells, and walked into the Long Island Sound--ankle-deep. 

Many gifts if eyes open to see them:

• A sailboat, crisp white wing against June sky.
• Seaweed. 
• Shells in hand, an oyster shell for Sis.
• The promise of summer in my heart. Joy, sand, sunscreen, water, waves. Always and forever.
• Walking the path, which climaxes by the quiet "living" 911 Memorial, designed to change naturally with the seasons. It’s a beautiful pocket by a rocky coast. 
• A few Wednesday sun umbrellas and small beach tents.
• Beach roses, pink and promising white. Just like Cape Cod! (Dan even planted a hot candy-pink one in our backyard.) We can’t pick flowers in public places, so I plucked a single pink petal and held it to my nose.
• White clover in green grass. I remember that in the lawns and parks of my girlhood. Wildflowers. How pretty. Flowers that grow wild, whether we want them or not. Determined blooms. Rugged.
• Quick prayer.
• Lungs filled.

I asked the nice guy at the snack bar if they had iced coffee. Not today, but they will, come summer.

I was back in time for Sis to get to spin class. #grateful

Good night.

Back Home, After Bird-Watching & Shell Collecting

On Tuesday, we drove over Cape May Two Mile Bridge (which splits and rises, so boats can pass through) and arrived at a wildlife refuge by the sea. We found many heavy horseshoe crab shells, like iron armor in the sand, and some pretty shells, both perfect and perfectly broken, that Dan put in the pocket of his fuzzy brown fleece jacket. Figgy lent us her bird guide (a gift from Sis)--we saw an American oystercatcher and sandpipers. 

Oystercatcher with babies photo from here. We loved walking the desolate (off-season) trails, especially the Dune Trail and the Marsh Trail at 

Cape May National Wildlife Refuge - Two Mile Beach Unit

1

The car ride was so much lighter on the legs and the spirit than those long treks to/from Maine, Vermont, Cape Cod, for all of their staggering beauty.

Cape May is just about 2.5 hours away. Nice and easy. But still at the edge of the earth.

We had a peaceful, restful time. Dan did have to work for a full day out of our four-day/three-night trip, writing an article for Neurology Today, a publication for neurologists. He does interviews and reports on complicated science/health news...it’s been our bread and butter for a while, certainly during the pandemic, when his 60-Second Novelist event/party gigs vanished, along with the now limping high-end entertaining circuit. He has accepted more Neurology assignments and it’s been good. So yesterday, when it poured rain all day, he worked in our hotel room and I did a little shopping (small gifts) and a little fashion wishing in the Congress Hall style boutique. I drove to the lighthouse in the night rain at 7 p.m. (it was evocative--I stayed in the car) before picking up our dinner from The Mad Batter.

When Dan and I were dating, we drove down to Cape May for a few days in the late 1980s and happened upon that restaurant. We were bowled over by an appetizer of baked Brie with raspberries--we had never tasted anything so divine, that rich, melty cheese baked in pastry with a layer of berries/berry jam under the crust. It’s not on the menu anymore; too bad, but better for our waistlines. The memory lives on.

Last night we got takeout....they have a signature Bloody Mary, and Dan loves those, so I got one to go with Tito’s Vodka. He had the crab cakes, which came with macaroni and cheese and plump green beans. I got the seafood risotto, and it was soooooo delicious, the rice a tender, buttery bed for a handful of freshly wilted spinach leaves, peas, huge fresh scallops plus lobster meat, crabmeat, shrimp. I enjoyed every morsel. Such a treat.

Here are some photos:

Fireplace from 1816 in Congress Hall, an elegant old hotel. We sat by it on Monday evening, where we met a new friend named Anne (sp), and Tuesday evening. Yesterday, I settled into a wicker chair with floral cushions, right by the fire, and felt the warmth as the rain fell outside. It is a beautiful place to sit. 

I love the name and the logo--Magic Brain Cafe. I bought a bag of coffee beans at the Perry Street coffeehouse.

Mini moss kingdom on the Cedar Swamp Trail today. Our scientist/artist/plant lover/biologist Figgy is moss-obsessed and now I’m catching on. We took a hike after checking out of our small hotel, grabbing a sandwich and stopping at the Stephen Smith House, an important summer home built (in 1846) and owned by a wealthy Black man from Philadelphia. (I didn’t take a photo, just breathed in the history.) Follow the link to read about it. The house was part of the Underground Railroad and was destined for the wrecking ball until the owner sent a telegram to President LBJ.

The swamp. It was mystical and beautiful but we couldn’t find a way around some swampy paths. Our socks and shoes were soaked. Thank goodness we had other shoes in the car. We got lost on the trail and were out there from about 2 to 3:40 p.m. But we both loved the adventure.

Dan clowning around on Cedar Swamp Trail--before we were up to our ankles in water.

Found this portrait of Stephen Smith from here.

Picture of Stephen Smith House from here. The house is on the road at the end of the town, far away from the Grand Dames--the finely painted ladies, the oceanfront mansions, the inns and restaurants with intricate white Victorian gingerbread architectural trim and fancy shutters. Smith did a lot for Black people. If we traveled back in time, we could see what it was like for a Black family like his to build and own a summer house in what is still very White-bread Cape May. (I love it there, but that seems like the truth, at least off-season in March.)

Good night. May the sound of ocean waves lull as all to sleep.

Dress Dream

I slept soundly here in the small Cape May hotel, where masks are required in the one common area (front desk, with Plexiglass drop-down, morning coffeepot in small lobby), and I dreamt of a pink dress.

A woman with buttery cocoa-colored skin was wearing it. She was friendly and smiling when I inquired about the dress.

I loved it in pink--it was a style I already owned (in the dream), from wash-and-wear Karina Dresses. I told her that.

Wow I didn’t know it came in pink!

She smiled. She was with other people, and holding a beverage glass. Her dark, curly hair was shoulder-length.

It wasn’t taffy-pink, bubblegum pink, strawberry ice cream pink, baby pink or a burst of Lilly Pulitzer pink. It was a modern pink, so great. Kind of mauve-y, new, hip.

I went on the site now, and there are sales, but I could don’t find the dress from the dream--nor is it in my budget at the moment, in any case. It had flattering 3/4 sleeves, a V-neck and a mauve background with large floral print. The woman looked so pretty and at ease. Confident, stylish.

Here is the closest I could find this morning on the Karina site:

Above: The Megan Dress in color Bliss. Link here.

I think the dream might be a subconscious reminder that I have a Lilly Pulitzer dress with a V-neck, pink background, large flowers and 3/4 sleeves that I can wear on Easter Sunday. I just need a smooth new pair of tan/suntan pantyhose.

Meanwhile, back at the hotel, I’ve enjoyed simple things we’ve all forgotten about hotel life, such as:

• The heating/AC unit in the room--choose your temp.
• The ice machine. Haha. I love ice.
• The Keurig coffee maker. We don’t have one at home; convenient and fun.
• The bedside lamps--navy base, white shade--with outlets built into the base--that smart hotel invention for cell phone plug-ins.
• The streamlined white kitchenette, with fridge, utensils, microwave, sleek storage.
• Sleek white wardrobe/closet--so neat, with cubbies for shoes, etc.
• The fresh green liquid Eau d’Italie soap that Sis gave me for Christmas. I brought it with us and it smells so good. I saved it for travels. I see it is very expensive--Sis is generous. We learned about it in a Sniffapalooza fragrance lovers’  Zoom event before the holidays.
• The balcony, to see the sea.

Positano, Italy soap link.

My friend Kim in a beautiful dress. I’m wearing my pink and blue Lilly dress--we had a lot of fun on that evening Strategic Communications cruise around New York City several years back.

Time to move on. I procrastinate a lot about taking a shower. :) And about eating breakfast sometimes. I sliced half a pear and half an apple and put almond butter on a piece of wheat bread almost two hours ago and haven’t eaten it yet. It’s noon! Heading out to little balcony, wearing sweatshirt (cool out).

Spring Lake Today, Cape Cod Tomorrow

My mom is not here (not now, of course, when I am 59 and she would be almost 96) packing that one big gray suitcase with the thin zipper that went around and around, enclosing our Cape Cod essentials. Bathing suits, culottes. clam diggers (pants) and shirts. Just like magic, zip, zip, vacation to go. 

I think she packed for our family of six in that one big valise in the 1960s, but I can't be sure. She liked us to leave for our weekly cottage rental before 6 on Saturday morning, before the sun rose, our white Ford Falcon nosing along Bedford Road, leaving #187 farther and farther behind.. We would motor over the Bourne Bridge, crossing the Cape Cod Canal, before the traffic was too thick.

So, Mom, I miss you. You and Daddy definitely gave me this gift of Cape Cod, this legacy of beauty and strength and nature in its purest form. 

Our Figgy is staying behind--she has two jobs, one at the store and one at the biology lab on campus--and doesn't want to take off both this week and our week later in August to see our family in Maine. She will join us for Maine. My mother-in-law, Mary, who is 90-plus, just moved out of the house she lived in for 50+ years and into an apartment in a house in Belfast, where four of her sons live. We haven't seen her since Thanksgiving. Covid has been rough and isolating for her.

Sis and Buttercup will join us on the Cape from Wednesday to Saturday. Yay. I see nature walks in my near future. Also masks, and for rest stops along the highways, sanitizers and wipes.

We have wheels! Just in the nick of time, our mechanic, Jason, found us a nice-looking 2009 Toyota for $5,000--and its Official Kelley Blue Book listing is about $7,000. We are good to go.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Moey and I had a lovely trip to Spring Lake; I was back home today in Montclair by 1 pm, since Moey had work appointments. I brought a little jar of homemade rhubarb berry jam to Dan, who said it was really good. It was made, I believe, by the baker at The Ocean House B&B. I'm off sweets now, but her pretty mermaid layer cake, wow!!!!!! Want to get it for someone some day, maybe Punch.

This morning, I did beach yoga class at 7 am with Grace. Such a privilege, truly. She does the class on Thursday and Saturday mornings and I'm hoping to get back for a another stay that includes her class.

The coffee at the inn was excellent. The building's history is rich; dating back to 1878. After yoga, I walked by the kitchen and heard metal against a bowl, probably a whisk in the eggs.

The dining room is retro and cheery but many of us, including Moey and I, ate out on the wraparound porch, at tables placed at a safe distance from each other.

I better go. Dan and I caught up with laundry and most chores, but plan to leave in the morning, and we have not packed. No washer and dryer at the house; I usually do one trip to laundromat on Old Cape Cod.

Still have a little work-work to do for a magazine article, too, before we leave. But I'm tired now and will get up and do it in the early morning--emailing my questions about a very pretty interior design project to the source--in France. I also heard about more upcoming freelance work. Good night to you.

TCOY

1. Yoga.
2. Looking at sea, gulls and flowers--and children up so early with their grownups on the beach. Remembering those days.....
3. Walking around the town; so many cute shops, 
4. Afternoon therapy appt on phone. Helpful, insightful, as always.
5. Walked Sug around the block.
6. Talking to Moey.
7. Ate a homegrown tomato from my friend Elaine. Also, some fresh fruit, oatmeal, 

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET

• Small jar rhubarb jam, $8.
• Flowers by Colleen, this tiny flower shop, a pretty pink flowering houseplant for Moey and one for me, about $16.
• Whimsicality, a dream home furnishings store, pretty hand soap in clear glass bottle to bring to Cape Cod, $16. 
• Breakfast tip in jar, $5.
• Peanuts, $1.

TOTAL DAILY SPEND: $46.

ONGOING MONTHLY SPEND AS OF JULY 30, ADDING IN ALL DAYS NOW: $2,637.07.

AVG DAILY SPEND: $87.90.

This July is much higher than last July, tho I didn't track July 1 to 4 last year.

Oceangoing Vessel

I MISS THE SEA. 

I have been blessed to see the Long Island Sound, and to drive over the Hudson River, on my precious visits to Sis during this pandemic. We went fishing out on the swells, and that was a gift. We've seen boats bobbing in the marina, a fishing pier, sandy beach, swaying marsh grass.

BUT I MISS THE SEA. 

Have not seen it since Dan, Punch and I scooted up to the Cape for a long weekend in March, right before Covid took hold. It was cold in March, and we didn't spend much time at the beach, that's for sure.

I AM SO EXCITED. Moey and I are doing our annual girls' day at the Shore tomorrow. Lorraine usually joins us, but can't this year. Moey suggested we stay over one night since it will be so hot and I SAID GREAT. (First, I checked with Dan, since he will be home base for Punchy.)

We are going to clean, charming Spring Lake for the day. You have to buy your day beach passes ahead online....no money changing hands. The B&B is ordering them for us ($10 each). We are going to a B&B with an excellent rating....Covid rules, etc. 

I CAN'T WAIT. 

They even have a 7 to 8 am beach yoga class on Thursday mornings and I hope I can set my alarm for that.

I FEEL SO LUCKY.

This excitement about heading to the sea? I like to think it comes from my Irish mother, who loved Rockaway Beach, and I think from her father, who hailed from County Galway and had eyes like a light-blue sky over the ocean. My grandmother--Alice--packed up a trunk and her four young children and took a cab to Rockaway for a vacation every summer. I guess my grandfather was there part of the time.

TCOY

1. Cool bath.
2. Talked to a friend and to Sis.
3. Read with a friend/important.
4. Booked the B&B. Moey and I will get to relax and talk by the sea.
5. Healthy foods included red cabbage, asparagus, fish and fresh cherries.

$ SPENT OUT OF POCKET

• My half of B&B, for one night/twin room counting tax, $10 daily beach badge fee, $20 beach yoga reservation, anytime coffee bar and of course, breakfast, $159.10. It's amazing how many taxes are charged for one night's stay in Spring Lake: occupancy tax; town tax; and NJ sales tax. (The three total $32.94.) BTW, I called the place directly and got a better nightly rate than on booking.com....about $34 less.

total daily spend: $159.10.

ongoing monthly spend as of July 28: $2,536.27.

avg daily spend: $90.58.

P.S. That 1974 album cover above? It was the first album I ever bought. I got it used at the record store on Washington Avenue one summer, at the Bergenfield Sidewalk Sale. I listened to it over and over and over again on the portable record player in the bedroom I shared with Sis--when I was alone.

Thank You, God, for Air Conditioning

I can't believe I grew up without AC in our cars or our home. In later years, Dad had one unit near his side of the bed in my parents' bedroom. The funny thing is, Sis and I were saying that we do not remember being broiling hot.

I am soooooo grateful for the units we have in our bedroom and dining room windows.

Good night.

TCOY

1. Delicious oatmeal with blueberries, pecans and a bit of pure-cacao chocolate. Steamed green beans, salmon, baked potato. Fresh cherries.
2. Made quiche Lorraine--with GF crust, for my friend. I do love baking--making pie dough, crimping it in the pan. 
3. Moey and I planning our annual day at the Jersey Shore this week and we might even sleep over one night and return early next morning.
4. Important phone call.
5. Punch and I walked 50 min round trip--to CVS for Rxs.
6. I bought a miniature rose plant with tight, creamy white buds, to plant in a pot out front.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET

• Kings, the rose plant and a bottle of mango iced tea for Punch, $10.32.
• CVS, in addition to Rxs, 2 dry noodle bowls, organic pecan halves, fresh tube of Aveeno sunscreen for Cape, 2 single candy bars and box of cookies for Punch, night light with scented plug-in, notebook, $49.49.

total daily spend: $59.81.

ongoing monthly spend as of July 27: $2,377.17.

Avg daily spend: $88.04.

Trying Not to Be a High Roller $$ in A.C.

We're not even gambling, at least not this time, our unlikely foursome of Mimi, Poppy, Punch and me. But it's fun! And still easy to spend a lot in any resort area.

Mimi took mini Mimi for a mani/pedi and other fun now.....I'm at a Starbucks in the Tropicana shopping/food court to work til they scoop me at 4:30. My editor awaits, on the other end of the internet.

Dashing to record money spent, because as a financial counselor I know once said, if you travel less, you spend less. I see how quickly and easily it is to insert that red debit card.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24

• Gasoline, $15 plus tip for pump attendant who filled our tank, $16.
• Lick store in Tropicana, Jubes cube candy, 2 flavors for P., $6.31.
• Tropicana Bar Olon, appetizers, drinks + tip [this was our dinner], treated Mimi and Poppy, who generously paid the night's rent on their friend's condo for me, $84.64.
• White House Black Market fashion store at the Trop. Mimi [Hope] and I liked the same micro sequin drape-neck sleeveless top in lilac. I had a $30 coupon off $100 purchase. Tops originally $64 each but we paid $49 each with coupon. They didn't have Hope's size, S, so hers will be shipped free to her home. $49.
• Blue Mercury, beautiful Nest candle in Blue Garden scent for my condo, $17.06.
• Boardwalk shop, earrings for P. and Johnson & Johnson Blossoms Baby Powder, $11.41.

TOTAL DAILY SPEND: $184.42.
MONTHLY SPEND AS OF APRIL 24: $2,775.83.
AVERAGE DAILY SPEND SO FAR THIS MONTH: $115.65.

Big-ticket April spends so far [numbers rounded off], 24 days into the month:

Lamp, $79; luxe hand cream, $55; Giotto dinner to go + jar of imported Italian artichokes, $46; dog groomer/beauty salon, $75; vet for hamster, $157; necklace extension/repair/new clasp, $128; blowout, $55; Over the Moon, bday gifts for Punch friend + book for me, $60; Kings groceries, $132; liquor store, $32; bra/underwear/tights, $126; Joyist, $39 one day while working on assignments there; second blowout w service tips, $52; Punchy, Lululemon, $28; Justice, bday gifts and gift bag/pink tissue for Punch friend + shorts for Punch + $2 donation at register, $58; Kings groceries, $63; Joyist, $25 one day while working on deadlines; bike delivery, $35; Whole Foods, $69; CVS & Kings, Easter gifts/basket treats [counting lemon curd for tarts], $97; zoo day and lunch, spring break, $42; A.C. apps + drinks, treat Mimi & Poppy, $85; pretty lilac drape-neck top, $49. Steep subtotal of $1,587.

MONEY THOUGHTS: I see how easy it is to spend on vacation, especially when using a debit card, not cash. Keeping this log is helping a lot, though. I know I will be recording every dime.

What If?

The sweet little yellow cafe is right next door. I love the
yellow cookbook, but have not yet eaten at the cafe, as Dan and I
usually go off-season, when room rates are MUCH lower
and no long minimum stays required.

What if I told you our Comcast bill is late, so our home internet is down, not to mention TV, and I am working on article deadlines at Starbucks until it closes at 10? That I plan to come back early in the morning and do the same?

That at least one of our freelance writing paychecks should be coming this week, but we are living on pocket change at the moment, since we do not use credit cards?

That our mortgage is a bit late, but we will catch up?

Would you judge me, think less of me? I don't know, maybe you would. And maybe you should.

What if I admitted that I should not have let Punchy pick out that expensive chocolate today in Cape May--should have saved the $6.50 to refill the gas tank? [We bought a caramel/sea salt Lake Champlain Chocolates bar at charming little Louisa's Chocolate Bar for Punchy's friend J's birthday, plus spent nearly $14 on 6 bottles of glue at CVS. Glue is the present J requested--she and Punch are big into slime making. Punch sleeping over at J's tonight.] I used the end of the cash that I borrowed from Sis to get tofu and hazelnut milk for Figgy and regular milk at Whole Foods where, by the way, the rumors seem true; now that Amazon bought them, the prices are lower.

What if I shared that the cheapest thing you can get at Starbucks is a banana, $1.25 plus tax, bringing it to $1.33, so that is what I got just now? Along with ice water in my colorful, refillable Starbucks cup.

Well, I feel better telling you all this. Sometimes, this is the hard reality of living in a family with two freelance writers. Feast or famine, as a friend once said.

It's not fun, and it's not funny, but we muddle through. One year was painful; young Figgy needed to get that whole big list of school supplies, maybe for first grade? Our close friends, Anne and Michael, lent us the cash. We of course paid it back. But grateful!

I was able to scoot down to Cape May overnight with Punch because Sis was already renting a suite and a room for herself and Julie and Alex. So I stayed in Sis's room and Punch stayed in the suite.

We swam for a long time and sat in the hot tub for a long time, too. But outside, a storm was brewing. Sis also planned on treating us all to dinner and lunch and I felt very lucky. She is kind.

Good night.

Hi from Fire Island

Well....nice and blustery out here in Ocean Beach today....here’s my "like" list:

1. The joy on the children's faces at  the prospect of spending an overnight together on an island. Even now, O. and Punch are happy.
2. The ducks by the ferry dock.
3. The ferry ride over. Punchy loved every dog on the boat. 
4. The walk to the beach, past houses and bicycles and gardens.
5. No cars.
6. The kids in the sand and surf.. Would you believe they swam in the water and loved it? I didn't even pack a swimsuit for Punchy. We packed sweatshirts and jackets. She swam in her clothes!
7. Nap. I stole back for a nap while the two dads manned the beach.
8. The marshy grass swaying as we all walked into town after Russ made grilled cheese sandwiches for the kids.
9. Dinner for two at The Albatross. Russ took the kids "crabbing" briefly with nets at night and told me and Dan to go to dinner. Since summer is over, they were out of a lot of the fresh fish, I think. And all the desserts were $5 each, which I guess is good. I really liked my sirloin tips, nice and tender, with homey mashed potatoes.
10. The walk back, past a darkened church and beach houses. A large deer crossed the unlit path.
11. Games of Trouble and backgammon. I played the first, don't know how to play the second.
12. Russ's mom. She lives in NYC but she and her husband bought this house in the 1970s.

Good night to you. It was so good to see Figgy before she left for work, too. :)

Sunday Afternoon at Greenwich Point

 Sis's friend Chaiya contemplating.

 Photo by Chaiya Thongpop, also my friend.

 Park bench.

 Sis + me + sweet Buttercup.

Good Night, Sandy Hook, NJ

Sandy Hook, NJ, Monday, October 3

Photo by Punchy

No school today for Rosh Hashanah. H. had 4 article deadlines, Figgy had college classes. Punch, Sug and I were free as birds.

Drove just over an hour to Sandy Hook. No entry fees after Labor Day, and pets allowed on beach after September 15.

We loved the bike path, sailboat on horizon, Cape-Codlike vegetation [berries, beach roses], swooping seagulls, clams Punch found in shells and fed to them, cute little blonde Russian boys, running into my childhood friend Denise [with Jonathan]--and the Jersey clam thin-crust pizza from Tommy's Tavern + Tap in nearby Sea Bright. We got it to go since we knew Sug could not be seated inside.

I returned to the sea to see the horizon clearly.

Good night.

A Beachcomber Massage & a Chat by the Fire

Laura by a fire pit at the Loews Blue Streak poolside bar.

Blogging now from the Business Center at the glamorous Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, right on the ocean. [You swipe your credit card and pay $7.50 per 15 minutes to use these big-screen computers. But it's cool, quiet and sleek, unlike my room at the very ordinary Extended Stay America.]

I got a 7 p.m spa treatment: the Signature Beachcomber Massage. The treatment room was candle-lit, the spa bed very comfy. Van was the massage therapist. He showed me the tiger-striped clam shells infused with kelp and seawater that are used for the hot treatment, designed to "melt away muscle tension" per the menu. They are hot to the touch.

"We store a lot of tension in our bodies," Van said, noting that my back felt tight. "Ideally, people should get a massage twice a month."

I wish.

"This must be a hard job," I said. "I mean you really have to work hard, and be energetic." He was kneading and kneading, no rest for the weary. You'd need vitamins to handle that.

"Yes," he agreed with a laugh. "You have to be in it to win it."

Van and I got to talking; I couldn't help it. He moved here from Chicago over 15 years ago, and since I only have one full day left, tomorrow, I asked him for tips about driving the Pacific Coast Highway. He suggested Zuma Beach as a stop-off in Malibu. Sounds good to me. I also hope to find a Catholic Mass earlier in the day, if I'm awake on time,, and might possibly go to Santa Barbara, too....not sure.

I've come a long way since the first time Moey and I ever went to a spa years back, and the whole idea of a little locker, and key, spa slippers and a thick robe were new to us both. I left feeling relaxed, and with an itinerary for my PCH drive, to boot. Thanks, Van.

*****************************************************************************
After that, I met Moey's daughter, Laura, in the lobby. An aspiring actress and singer, she moved to Burbank almost six months ago, and loves it here. She also liked the Loews Hotel. We headed to the hotel's outdoor Blue Streak poolside bar, and both loved the fire pits [13 of them]; you can sit in cushy chairs and order food and drinks while looking out over the Santa Monica Pier, the ferris wheel lit up in pretty colors. We both stared into the flickering flames, talking and reflecting.

Well, I must get my car from the valet and drive back to my Extended Stay America. It's been nice to be at the ball and all, but now my carriage is about to turn into a pumpkin pulled by mice.

Sweet dreams.

*Full disclosure: My service was complimentary as a media guest. The price of the 50-minute service would be $140; 80 minutes, $200. Therefore, I gave Van a 20 percent [or $28] gratuity. There's an unspoken law in the beauty writing world: You usually give the tip even when the service is on the house.

Just Joni Mitchell and Me, Up in the Dark

Hi! Up before the sun, listening to the Joni CD I have in my laptop. Cup of Keurig Morning Edition Blend from the little coffeemaker. Thankful for both.

I'm grateful I have a blog and loyal readers who care about my comings and goings. I fell asleep by 9 p.m. Pacific time, midnight my time.

But I woke up at 3:45 a.m. and couldn't sleep, because I
a. want to finish an article I promised my editor back home and
b. still don't know where I'm staying tonight, though at least I did rent a car. [Would like to submit that article so I can drive freely.]

Callout to Jessie, at the Hilton Honors program, where the phone is answered 24/7. [I'm at a lovely Hilton Garden Inn as a work guest.] Jessie told me there are a lot of events happening in the L.A. area this weekend and hence, many hotels are sold out. She suggested a Doubletree in Commerce, CA for $179 nightly. Then there's Joe, to whom I was put through for a survey to earn Hilton Honors points. Turns out he used to live 15 minutes from me.

Found a [small] coupon code at fyvor.com that saved me about $6.20 on my Enterprise car rental, but I'll take it. It looks like it will be $158.58 for three days, but since I'm paying w a debit card, they need to hold another $100 and see a copy of one of my utility bills [!!!!!fortunately, my PSE&G power account is online, so I can print out bill in the hotel business center].

I really enjoyed touring Bradshaw International yesterday [Good Cook and other brands], meeting the team, seeing some products and learning about how I will input copy from NJ. Fernando, the tech guy, set up the system on my laptop. Went to dinner with Bert and Tom--nice to sit, talk, brainstorm--and feel valued for my business, creative and marketing insights. Oh, you'll find a place to stay, said Tom. Go to hotels.com. And drive on 10 West until you hit the ocean near Santa Monica. Sounds like a plan.

Money is the issue--as you know, H. and I don't really use credit cards, often are waiting for freelance checks and tend to live in a feast or famine cycle*--but yes, there are some great deals listed at hotels.com. Yet if you search from low to high prices in the Los Angeles area, there are some real dives and I do mean dives, with rates under $100.

Better run.

More to come! I wish I could see my niece, Anna, who lives in San Francisco, and my friend/coworker from Good Housekeeping, Lisa, in Sausalito....but I only have the weekend, fly back Monday morning. This state is so beautiful, it almost overwhelms me. I'm eager to see that sea.

*H. has an assignment for the New York Times Magazine, for which he must drive to Pittsburgh on Sunday because some important report is going to be released. But he didn't know this until after Bradshaw had already chosen the California dates....so now Sis and Don are going to our house to watch Punchy and Sug overnight Sunday....my friend Jean is taking her during the day....and H. is working at a party in the Hamptons on Saturday, writing 60-Second Novels, and will be gone from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. w that long drive, so we had to get Punchy coverage for that, too....oy vey. 

TCOY

1. Lots of ice water from the lobby. It is very good, with mint leaves and raspberries.
2. About to take a bath. Brought bubble bath and Aveda Calming Composition Oil from home.