DOWN THE SHORE AT LBI

THIS PAST MONDAY THE KIDS HAD THE DAY OFF FROM SCHOOL, SO JACKIE AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD DAY TO GO DOWN THE SHORE. I LOVE THE OCEAN, THERE WERE A FEW PEOPLE ON THE BEACH, THE GULLS WERE FLYING OVERHEAD. THE WEATHER WAS BEAUTIFUL, AND THERE WAS A GREAT BREEZE. WHEN WE GOT THERE THE KIDS RAN TO THE WATER, IT WASN'T THAT COLD, THEY GOT THEIR FEET WET. THEY LOVE COLLECTING SHELLS, WE HAVE SO MANY WE CAN START OUR OWN SHELL SHOP.
THE SEASON IS OVER, BUT IT'S THE BEST TIME TO VISIT. COME OCTOBER LBI, (LONG BEACH ISLAND) HAS THEIR CHOWDER FESTIVAL, THEY MUST HAVE AT LEAST 8 CHOWDERS TO SAMPLE, OR BUY A BOWL FULL OF THE MOST DELICIOUS CHOWDER. ALL THE CHOWDER IS EXCELLENT. THIS TIME OF YEAR THE SHORE IS PERFECT, THE SMELL OF THE OCEAN, THE SAND BETWEEN YOUR TOES, AND THE COOL BREEZE. OH...AND A NICE CUP OF HOT TEA. NOW THAT IS WHAT I CALL A GREAT DAY.

BARNEGAT LIGHTHOUSE, NJ

MY TRIP TO AMISH COUNTRY

WELL, WE WENT TO AMISH COUNTRY YESTERDAY, [SAT.] WITH MY DAUGHTER JACKIE, AND HER FAMILY. WE HAD GOOD WEATHER, UNTIL THE EVENING. IT STARTED RAINING, BUT ALL AND ALL IT WAS A GREAT DAY. I BOUGHT AN AMISH WOOD SHELF WITH AN AMISH PAINTING ON IT, WE WENT FROM SHOP TO SHOP, BUT I WAS A GOOD LITTLE GIRL I ONLY BOUGHT A FEW MORE THINGS. WE DECIDED TO HAVE LUNCH AT BIRD AND HAND RESTAURANT, THE FOOD WAS VERY GOOD. THEY HAVE A SMORGASBORD, THERE WAS SO MUCH TO EAT. ONE OF THEIR DESSERT'S THEY ARE FAMOUS FOR IS THE APPLE DUMPLING. THOUGHT YOU WOULD LIKE THE RECIPE.

GRANDMA SMUCKER'S OLD-FASHION APPLE DUMPLING

6 MEDIUM APPLES............2 CUPS FLOUR..............2 1/2 TSP BAKING POWDER...........1/2 TSP SALT..................2/3 CUP SHORTENING................ 1/2 CUP MILK

SAUCE: 2 CUPS BROWN SUGAR .............2 CUPS WATER ............................
1/4 TSP CINNAMON............. 1/4 CUP BUTTER

PEEL AND CORE APPLES. LEAVE WHOLE. MIX FLOUR, BAKING POWDER, AND SALT. CUT IN SHORTENING UNTIL PARTICLES ARE THE SIZE OF SMALL PEAS. SPRINKLE MILK OVER MIXTURE AND PRESS TOGETHER LIGHTLY, WORKING DOUGH ONLY ENOUGH TO HOLD TOGETHER. ROLL OUT DOUGH, AND CUT INTO 6 SQUARES. PLACE AN APPLE ON EACH SQUARE. FILL CAVITY IN APPLE WITH SUGAR AND CINNAMON. PAT DOUGH AROUND APPLE TO COVER IT COMPLETELY. FASTEN EDGES SECURELY ON TOP OF APPLE. PLACE DUMPLINGS I INCH APART IN A GREASED BAKING PAN. COMBINE BROWN SUGAR , WATER, AND CINNAMON IN SAUCE PAN. COOK FOR 5 MINUTES, REMOVE FROM HEAT, AND ADD BUTTER. POUR SAUCE OVER DUMPLINGS. BAKE AT 375 FOR 35 TO 40 MINUTES. BASTE OCCASIONALLY DURING BAKING. SERVE HOT.

CHILDREN FROM THE VINTAGE YEARS

I LOVE THE VINTAGE YEARS. I HAPPEN TO SEE THESE PICTURES SEARCHING THE WEB, AND I JUST LOVED THEM. THEIR CUTE LITTLE SMILES, AND THE WAY THEY DRESS IS ADORABLE. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THEM.

FALLING LEAVES

THE GREEN LEAVES ARE TURNING TO YELLOW, RED, AND BROWN, AND WHEN THE WIND COMES WHISTLING BY, THEY'LL ALL COME SAILING DOWN.

FALL INTO READI NG

I DECIDED TO JOIN THE READING BOOK CHALLENGE. IT'S MY FIRST TIME. IT STARTS SEPTEMBER, AND ENDS IN DECEMBER. I WAS INTRODUCED TO IT BY MY NIECE KAREN, SHE GOT IT FROM CALLAPIDDER DAYS. ALL YOU DO IS MAKE A LIST OF BOOKS YOU ARE GOING TO READ. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S A LONG LIST OR A SHORT ONE. THERE ARE NO RULES ON THAT. IT SOUNDS QUITE INTERESTING, AND IT WILL GET ME BACK INTO READING AGAIN. GO TO CALLAPIDDER DAYS AND REGISTER . http://callapidderdays.com/

MY LIST OF BOOKS

1...FISHERMAN'S WIFE BY..JOSEPHINE LEHMAN THOMAS

2...THE EMPTY NEST BY..ROSAMUNDE PILCHER

3...DR. FRAU BY..GRACE H KAISER

4...THE PERSIAN PICKLE CLUB BY..SANDRA DALLAS

HAPPY READING!

HAPPY READING!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

"A WASTED DAY IS A DAY WITHOUT LAUGHTER"

ATTIC TREASURES

I LOVE ATTIC TREASURES, AND HERE ARE SOME FOR YOU...........

VINTAGE HANKIES.............>

THEY BRING BACK SO MANY MEMORIES. MY MOM WOULD CROCHET LACE AROUND THE EDGE OF THE HANKIES, AND IRON EVERYONE. THEY WERE SO SOFT, AND SMELLED SO GOOD.

I HAVE A COLLECTION OF PICTURES ON MY BEDROOM WALL OF THE GODEY GIRL'S.

THIS IS CALLED A PURSE TRUNK, THE WOMEN WOULD PUT THEIR PURSES IN THERE FOR SAFE KEEPING. IT WOULD BE GREAT TO PUT KEEPSAKES IN.

I HAVE A FAVORITE WEB SITE IT'S CALLED VICTORIAN TRADING CO., AND THEY HAVE EXQUISITE GIFTS. EVERYTHING IS SO VINTAGE, YOU WANT TO BUY EVERYTHING.

THEY HAVE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ANTIQUE JEWLERY, DISHES, GLASSWARE, AND SO MANY TREAURES OF THE PAST THAT BRINGS BACK SO MANY WONDERFUL MEMORIES. I REMEMBER MY MOTHER, SHE WORE AN APRON EVERYDAY, THEY HAVE VINTAGE APRONS.

I GAVE THE ""MARGARET TEA SET" TO MY DAUGHTER JACKIE FOR HER BIRTHDAY, I TOLD HER THIS ONE IS FOR EVERYDAY USE. SHE LOVES IT. JACKIE LOVES TO HAVE AFTERNOON TEA, SO NOW WE CAN HAVE IT IN A CHINA CUP INSTEAD OF A COFFEE MUG. SHE HAS OTHER TEA SETS, SHE USES THEM AT HER TEA PARTIES. TEA PARTIES CAN BE SO MUCH FUN.

MARGARET TEA SET

I WAS GIVEN THE NELL DOLL AND THE LOUELLA DOLL BY MY DAUGHTER JACKIE, AND THEY ARE JUST PRECIOUS, THEY SIT ON MY BED LOOKING SO ELEGANT, THEY HAVE PORCELAIN HEADS, PAINTED HAIR, AND CLOTH BODIES. I AM STARTING TO FEEL LIKE TASHA TUDOR

NELL DOLL

ISN'T THIS FLOOR SCREEN JUST PERFECT, IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE BEST WAY FOR A FATHER TO LOVE HIS CHILDREN,

IS TO LOVE THEIR MOTHER.

HALLOWEEN IS COMING!

HALLOWEEN....OCTOBER 31,2009

I LOVE HALLOWEEN, AND SO DO MY GRANDCHILDREN. THEY ARE ALREADY PLANNING WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO WEAR, OF COURSE THE COSTUME CHANGES EVERYDAY.
I LOVE WHEN ALL THE KIDS COME TO MY DOOR.
ALL OF THEM WEAR COSTUMES, FUNNY, SCARY,

AND SOME ARE SO PRETTY. A LOT OF THE KIDS
TODAY BUY THEIR COSTUMES, BUT WHEN I LOOK BACK WHEN I WAS A KID WE MADE OUR OWN. WE WERE GYPSIES, CLOWNS, AND SCARY BEASTS. SOME CHILDREN COULDN'T AFFORD EVEN TO DO THAT, SO THEY JUST BLACKENED THEIR FACE, OR PUT A SHEET OVER THEM, AND WAS A GHOST. WE HAD A LOT OF FUN BACK THEN, PLUS IT WAS SAFE TO GO TRICK OR TREATING. TIMES HAVE CHANGED SO MUCH. WE ALWAYS HAVE A HALLOWEEN PARTY FOR THE KIDS. THEY HAVE SO MUCH FUN.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!

GOING TO AMISH COUNTRY

WELL IT'S FRIDAY, 9/18/09. I AM SITTING IN MY KITCHEN HAVING MY AFTERNOON TEA. MY DAUGHTER SAID TO ME "MOM, HOW ABOUT GOING TO LANCASTER, PA. [AMISH COUNTRY] NEXT SATURDAY FOR THE DAY? I WAS DELIGHTED, I LOVE THE AMISH COUNTRY, I LOVE GOING TO ALL THEIR SHOPS, AND SOME OF THE AMISH/MENNONITE WOMEN SELL THEIR CRAFTS, BAKED GOODS, AND QUILTS FROM THEIR HOME. THEY HANG THE QUILTS ON THE FRONT PORCH, THEY LOOK SO BEAUTIFUL, AND THEY ARE ALL HAND MADE. THE AMISH ARE VERY PLAIN PEOPLE, WHERE AS THE MENNONITE WORK IN THE STORES, DRIVE CARS, AND THEY MINGLE MORE WITH THE PUBLIC. THE WOMEN WORK IN THE GARDENS, AND TAKE CARE OF THEIR HOMES, WHILE THE MEN WORK IN THE FIELDS, AND SOME BUILD FURNITURE.

I HOPE WE HAVE GOOD WEATHER WHEN WE GO TO AMISH COUNTRY. MAYBE WE WILL EVEN TAKE THE TRAIN RIDE IN STRASBERG, IT GOES TO PARADISE, AND THE KIDS JUST LOVE IT. [SO DO I.] THE AMISH PEOPLE DRIVE THE HORSE AND BUGGY FOR TRANSPORTATION. SO IF YOU ARE ON RT. 30, WATCH OUT FOR THOSE BUGGIES.

THE HERMIT CRAB

HERMIT CRABS USE OR "WEAR" EMPTY MARINE GASTROPOD SHELLS THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFESPAN, IN ORDER TOO PROTECT THEIR SOFT ABDOMENS, AND IN ORDER TO HAVE A STRONG SHELL TO WITHDRAW INTO IF ATTACKED BY A PREDATOR. EACH INDIVIDUAL HERMIT CRAB IS FORCED TO FIND ANOTHER GASTROPOD SHELL ON A REGULAR BASIS, WHENEVER IT GROWS TOO LARGE FOR THE ONE IT IS CURRENTLY USING.

WHO IS TASHA TUDOR?

TASHA TUDOR WAS BORN AUGUST 28, 1915, AND DIED JUNE 18, 2008. SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN 93 YEARS OLD. SHE WAS A WRITER,ILLUSTRATOR AND A GREAT LADY.

I WAS INTRODUCED TO TASHA TUDOR WHEN MY SISTER CAROLINE GAVE ME ONE OF HER BOOKS FOR MY BIRTHDAY. I FELL IN LOVE WITH HER RIGHT AWAY. SHE LIVED IN A VERY WOODED AREA IN VERMONT. HER FIRST BOOK WAS PUBLISHED IN 1938, AND THAT WAS PUMPKIN MOONSHINE, HER LAST BOOK WAS PUBLISHED IN 2003, THAT WAS THE CORGIVILLE CHRISTMAS. SHE ILLUSTRATED OVER 100 BOOKS. SHE RECEIVED MANY HONORS, AND AWARDS FOR ALL HER CHERISHED WORKS. SHE LOVED THE CORGI DOG, THAT'S HOW THE CORGI DOG WAS INTRODUCED TO EVERYONE.

SHE DID MANY PAINTINGS, AND MADE BEAUTIFUL GREETING CARDS. EVERY AFTERNOON SHE GOT OUT HER BEST CHINA TEA SET AND HAD A TEA PARTY. HER ONLY GUEST WERE HER CORGI'S, HER CAT AGATHA, AND HER NIECE, AND HER VINTAGE DOLL COLLECTION. SHE LOVED WALKING IN HER GARDENS IN HER BARE FEET. SHE HAD A GREAT IMAGINATION, MORE PEOPLE SHOULD BE LIKE HER. THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO KNOW ABOUT TASHA TUDOR, SHE HAS A WEBSITE http://www.tashatudor.com/.

BACK TO SCHOOL....DAY 1

WELL, THE TWINS MATTIE, AND MAKAYLA WENT BACK TO SCHOOL TODAY. POOR MAKAYLA, CRIED WHEN THE BUS CAME, SHE DIDN'T WANT TO GO, NOW MATTIE WAS SO EXCITED SHE COULDN'T WAIT TO GET THERE. THEY ARE IN THE SAME CLASS ROOM, WHICH IS VERY GOOD FOR MAKAYLA. MATTIE SAID SHE WAS A LITTLE TEARY EYED THROUGH OUT THE DAY, BUT THEY HAD A GOOD DAY.

LOOKS LIKE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A RAIN STORM TONIGHT, IT'S BEEN DREARY ALL DAY. MY DAUGHTER AND I WENT OUT FOR BREAKFAST THIS MORNING, IT WAS NICE AND PEACEFUL, AND NO CLEAN UP. MUST GET STARTED ON MY CRAFTS, I BOUGHT A NEW QUILTING BOOK, IT IS JUST BEAUTIFUL. THE QUILTS IN THE BOOK ARE LOVELY. I STARTED A FAMILY QUILT WITH ALL MY SISTERS, AND NIECES, ALL I HAVE TO DO IS PUT IT TOGETHER, ARE YOU READY, THAT WAS BACK IN 1976. I KNOW, I'LL GET STARTED.

DAISIES IN DECEMBER

THE OTHER NIGHT I WATCHED A MOVIE CALLED "DAISIES IN DECEMBER". I LOVE THIS MOVIE, AND WATCHED IT MANY TIMES. JEAN SIMMONS PLAYS IN IT , SHE IS A WIDOW [KATHERINE] WHO HAS CANCER, AND IS TAKING CHEMO PILLS. SHE GOES TO THIS HOME FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE JUST TO GET AWAY, THIS HOME IS ALMOST LIKE A RESORT. WELL, SHE MEETS THIS GENTLEMAN [GERALD] WHO ALSO IS THERE BECAUSE HIS SON AND HIS FAMILY ARE GOING ON A SKIING TRIP. THEY CAN'T LEAVE HIM HOME ALONE, PLUS HE LOST HIS WIFE A FEW YEARS AGO. HE IS NOT VERY HAPPY BEING THERE, BUT MEETING [KATHERINE] CHANGES EVERYTHING. I FIND THIS STORY VERY TOUCHING, AND IT REALLY MAKES YOU THINK ABOUT LIFE.
MY BIRTHDAY IS SAT. SEPTEMBER 12, I'LL BE 70 YEAR OLD. I DON'T FEEL 70, AND HAS BEEN TOLD I DON'T LOOK 70, BUT MY KNEES FEEL 170 YEARS OLD.
TODAY IS GRANDPARENTS DAY, AND MY 3 GRANDDAUGHTERS, JENNA, MATTIE, AND MAKAYLA GAVE ME A BEAUTIFUL BOUQUET OF FLOWERS, THEY MADE ME SO VERY HAPPY.
JENNA, MATTIE, AND MAKAYLA START SCHOOL TOMORROW AFTER A WONDERFUL SUMMER AT THE BEACH, AND CAMPING IN AMISH COUNTRY, LANCASTER, PA. WE WILL PUT THE FLAG OUT TOMORROW MORNING, AND WISH THEM LUCK ON THEIR FIRST DAY BACK. [NOT THAT THEY ARE READY TO GO BACK.]