So Long, Summer 2021

Where I live, here at the NJ shore, it's currently summer frenzy time. 

 

What that means is that the tourists (we affectionately call them Bennys) have checked the calendar and have become aware that the summer shore season is dwindling down.  
And while summer does not officially end until 9/22, around here it unofficially ends on Labor Day 9/6 - a mere week away. 

This incites full on panic on their part as they frantically eke out whatever is left of summer.
Traffic will be go from hellish to nightmare-ish and the crowds will somehow get bigger which doesn't seem possible but is.

Also, as summer winds down the tourists will not care one iota what the weather forecast says; they will get in the last of their summer fun, weather be damned. The other day I saw a family of many schlepping their way to the beach despite the dark clouds and light rain happening that day. You definitely do not want to be on the beach when the weather is acting up and you should still check the weather on what seems like a nice day before even stepping foot onto the sand. There are way too many stories with bad endings.

What this means for (some of) us locals is that we are well-advised to shelter in place until after Labor Day when the place we live becomes (mostly) ours again. September is known as Local's Summer around here for good reason - the weather is divine, the water is still warm, and the tourists have mostly left. I don't feel bad for being glad at their departure because, afterall, they had it all for the past 3+ months.

That being said, I am very much looking forward to the next phase of our life when we...

well, I'll wait to explain that in a future post.

Cherry Time Of Year

Currently there are probably 1.5 pounds of perfect dark, firm, perfect cherries in an old metal colander in my fridge.
Every day for some days now, I go to the fridge and I grab a handful which I set out on the countertop to warm up awhile because I do not like cold fruit.
My intention is to eat that single handful at some point and then get on with my day.

Except I keep repeating the process - go to fridge, handful on countertop, return to kitchen a little bit later, consume - approximately twelve a few more times throughout the day.  

I cannot stop. 
I will not stop.

I am a cherry addict.

One time JP and I were driving around aimlessly one summer day in our old pickup truck and we stopped at a roadside stand and bought a whole lot of cherries...then we continued driving around on backroads, radio playing, eating cherries and spitting the pits out the window, making each other laugh and, more importantly, making a sweet memory that we still enjoy remembering together.
This would fall under the category "Simple Joys" and if you have not done this, I can't suggest strongly enough that you make haste and get to it. Just do it, trust me.

©My Health Only

Blueberry Jalapeno BBQ Sauce

We were out on one of our meandering road trips to nowhere recently and happened to find ourselves by Emery's Farm in New Egypt, NJ. Of course, we had to stop because one does not just drive past Emergy's without stopping.  Lucky me, they had lots of their organic blueberries for sale so I loaded up and I've been making batches of my blueberry jalapeno bbq sauce and putting it on top of everything.  

Blueberries are NJ's official state fruit and were the #1 crop in NJ last year which is just fine by me because I can't get enough of them. I used to pick buckets of them in the woods behind our old house and make blueberry pies for my father which is the quintessential summer dessert, if you ask me, as long as you've got vanilla ice cream  to scoop on top of your slice(s). And not only are these little blue marvels delicious, but they are wildly good for you! Blueberries are the #1 antioxidant fruit and consumption of these little dynamos has been linked to reduced risk of cancer, increased insulin response, a reversal in age-related memory loss, lowering blood pressure, and will benefit your love life because no one could resist you if you tempt them with a homemade blueberry pie or this bbq sauce (I made the last part up but still...).

Anyway, this sauce goes particularly well on pork, roasted potatoes (I swear), and burgers. Heck, I might even pour some over vanilla ice cream.

I got creative recently and put together this watercolor recipe and I've made it available for you to download, if you are so inclined.

Click HERE to download.

Enjoy!

New Event! October 2021

I am very pleased to announce that I have been asked to display my artwork

at the Barnegat branch

of the

Ocean County Library

I have a special affection for the Ocean County Library -not only because it is an invaluable resource to our community and one of the best library systems, but also because I used to work there. 😊

So, yes, I jumped at the chance to show my photo art in my own community and within an organization that I still hold near and dear to my heart.

I'll probably have at least twenty pieces on display.

The exhibit will run throughout the entire month of October 2021.

Ocean County Library

Barnegat Branch

112 Burr Street

Barnegat, NJ 08005

Updated Online Photo Art Shop

I have finally updated my photo art shop - a task I've been putting off for far too long.

The newest pieces are loaded and available, including this one:

 

It's an easy and very secure process to make a purchase.

You can choose to have your order sent directly to you from the art printer

or you can elect to have it sent to me first, so I can sign it.

Art makes a wonderful gift for yourself and others

and your purchase helps to support an artist/small business! 

CLICK HERE TO SHOP NOW

Fun & Uplifting Simple Little Giveaway

This is a picture of the decal I currently have on the back of my car.

I got tired of seeing profane, sarcastic, nasty stickers on vehicles every time I left the house and wanted to send the opposite message out into the world...something that uplifted instead of insulted.

Lord knows we've got more than enough stuff to feel bad about in this current world of ours, am I right?

I got the idea that there should be more of this kind of thing - wishing complete strangers well - that I ordered two more and decided to make them this month's giveaway.

Nobody likes giving stuff away more than me!

For the month of August, I will be keeping track of every person who comments ('likes' don't count - I'm wanting real interaction) on my Facebook pages, signs up for my newsletter, and/or hits the share button under my artwork posts.  

Then I will randomly select two of those people to receive this decal, absolutely free of charge, no strings attached.

Let's uplift together ♥