There are only so many New Year's Eve songs available for this week's Music Monday post... last year I had Guy Lombardo here on the Bay Head Blog and Dan Fogelberg on Roxiticus Desperate Housewives. The following video from Barry Manilow combines a Christmas Classic in honor of our troops ("I'll Be Home for Christmas") and "Another New Year's Eve." Add your own party hats, noisemakers and New Year's resolutions and we'll be all set!
Don't look so sad, it's not so bad you know. It's just another night, that's all it is, It's not the first, it's not the worst you know, We've come through all the rest, we'll get through this.
We've made mistakes, but we've made good friends too. Remember all the nights we spent with them? And all our plans, who says they can't come true? Tonight's another chance to start again.
REFRAIN It's just another New Year's Eve, Another night like all the rest. It's just another New Year's Eve, Let's make it the best. It's just another New Year's Eve, It's just another Auld Lang Syne, But when we're through this New Year You'll see, we'll be just fine.
We're not alone, we've got the world you know. And it won't let us down, just wait and see. And we'll grow old, but think how wise we'll grow. There's more you know, it's only New Year's Eve.
Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.
PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!
We're more likely to have a White Christmas up north (and west) in the Roxiticus Valley, but every time Elvis' rendition of Blue Christmas comes up on our iPod's holiday play list, I'm reminded of just how good it is. Enjoy!
I’ll have a blue Christmas without you I’ll be so blue just thinking about you Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree Won’t be the same dear, if you’re not here with me
And when the blue snowflakes start falling That’s when those blue memories start calling You’ll be doing alright with your Christmas of white But I’ll have a blue Christmas
You’ll be doing alright with your Christmas of white But I’ll have a blue, blue Christmas
Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.
PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!
Crazy Christmas craft coincidence (say that three times fast): London came home from the Mendham Township Elementary School library the other day with a book called "Crafts for Christmas" by Katherine N. Cutler and Kate Cutler Bogle. We didn't have a chance to open it before the girls headed out to school in the morning, but I was just getting ready to put it away in the library book basket in London's room when I read "About the Authors" on the book jacket...turns out to be our Bay Head artist neighbor and her mom...maybe 40 years ago! The girls will be delighted to learn that our very own Katie Cutler is the famous author... and I'll be sure to have them email her their questions when we get stuck on any of the crafts... as my loyal readers know, Roxy is not so crafty.
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Wheat Food Council. All opinions are 100% mine.
Hey, have you heard about How Wheat Works? Click the link to see...it's an interactive, online multimedia program that delivers a farm-to-fork education on how a whole or enriched grain food comes to be, enabling a better understanding of wheat's nutritional value and resulting in informed food choices. Rex, London, Maddie and I, and participants of all ages can visit the site to virtually grow, harvest and mill our own kernels to create our desired wheat food. It takes just a few minutes to complete each of the program’s four phases – growth, harvest, milling/baking and the grocer’s aisle - while the program spans the course of four days.
Interactive opportunities include choosing the type of wheat to be grown and wheat flour to be milled. At the end of each phase, activity suggestions encourage participants to extend the wheat learning experience by preparing wheat-based recipes, exploring wheat grown in your own local area through state wheat commission member sites, and viewing harvest videos from “America’s Heartland.” You can also virtually experience the Urban Wheat Field, an event that brought wheat’s journey from field to table to life in New York City during October via a live wheat field, full-size combine, a functioning mill, a baking station and nutrition lab -- all in the name of wheat education.
For each participant in the online experience, the Wheat Foods Council will donate two pounds of flour, up to 90,000 pounds, to Operation Homefront, a non-profit organization that provides assistance to needy United States troops and their families. This donation is made possible by Wheat Foods Council members at ADM and ConAgra, two of the world’s largest millers.
Oh the weather outside is frightful... or at least Maddie our very own weathergirl says it's going to get that way by tomorrow morning.
We're up north in the Roxiticus Valley, trying to stay warm by the fire, while our poor little beach house in Bay Head, New Jersey is bracing for another winter storm. Anywhere between one and twelve inches of snow. Our neighbors who live at the beach year round have told us the last storm hit hard... stay warm and safe, friends!
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Eye-Fi. All opinions are 100% mine.
I just made Rex some flight reservations for an upcoming Washington, DC trip, and the most amazing thing happened... he clicked the "check in now" button on his Blackberry and it asked him if he wanted to receive a wireless boarding pass! So when he gets to the airport, all he needs to do is flash his Blackberry instead of printing out a paper ticket and boarding pass.
There are lots of things in life that would work better if they were mobile or wireless.... like my camera. I'm sure I'm not the only person who can never seem to find the card reader to transfer my photos from my camera to my computer. Last month, I finally printed out 2,000 photos of London and Maddie... many of which had been waiting patiently on my camera for almost a year.
I take lots and lots of photos of the girls and their friends at school events (like the MTES Holiday Singalong), friends' birthday parties, and their various dance recitals and sports activities. Our friends are always asking me, “What happened to those photos you took at [fill in the blank]?"
It's pretty clear to me that Eye-Fi can help...it's a wireless SD memory card with up to 4GB of memory plus built-in Wi-Fi. Just turn on the camera to effortlessly transfer photos and videos from camera to computer and favorite online photo sharing site (like Flickr & Facebook). With Eye-Fi, I can also share photos and videos on any of my favorite sharing sites without even turning my computer on (which is a good thing, since my laptop is still in the hands of the EasyTech at Staples). All I'll need is an SDHC capable camera and a wireless router.
Check out the video below to see how it works and how an Eye-Fi card for my camera could change my life... or at least the way Rex and I upload and store our photos.
It sure looks like the easiest way to get what's in my camera out of my camera, and will save a lot of time and hassles. With automatic backup of my most precious memories and automatic organization (by date) on my computer, I will feel a lot safer... since sometimes it feels like I have my own personal evil magnetic force field crashing computers and making electronic memories disappear. I'll soon have effortless sharing while the memories are fresh.
Here's Garth Brooks singing the gospel classic, "Go Tell It On the Mountain." I'll warn you in advance that the video is lame, but the music rocks.
Go tell it on the mountain Over the hills and far away Go tell it on the mountain That Jesus Christ is born
The shepherds all were watching Over their sheep at night When a guiding star shone from heaven And the followed that holy light
Got tell it on the mountain Over the hills and everywhere Go tell it on the mountain That Jesus Christ is born They found a lovely manger Where the humble Christ was born And God sent out salvation On that blessed Christmas morn
Go tell it on the mountain Over the hills and everywhere Go tell it on the mountain That Jesus Christ is born
He brought with Him forgiveness He live to show us the way He came to redeem all creation And to wash all our sins away
Go tell it on the mountain Over the hills and everywhere Go tell it on the mountain That Jesus Christ is born
When I'm feeling nostalgic, I usually take my loyal Bay Head Blog readers back to the 80s, but this week's post -- "Undercover Angel" by Alan O'Day -- goes all the way back to 1977... and the video uses clips from Charlie's Angels, a popular TV show I wasn't allowed to watch when I was growing up.
Cryin' on my pillow, lonely in my bed then a heard a voice beside me, and she softly said wonder is your night light, magic is your dream and as i held her, she said, see what i mean
i said what? She said oo-oo-oo-wee i said alright! She said, love me love me love me
undercover angel, midnight fantasy i've never had a dream that made sweet love to me undercover angel, answer to my prayer you made me know that there's a love for me out there, somewhere
heavenly surrender, sweet afterglow given up my heart to you, now angel don't go she said, go find the right one, love her and then when you look into her eyes, you'll see me again
i said what? She said oo-oo-oo-wee i said alright! She said, love me love me love me
(repeat chorus)
now you know my story, and girl if it's right i'm gonna take you in my arms and love you tonight underneath the covers, the answer lies i'm lookin' for my angel in your sweet lovin' eyes
she said what? I said oo-oo-oo-wee she said alright! I said, love me love me love me
Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.
PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Charter. All opinions are 100% mine.
PhatBand!! Sounds like a lead in to one of my weekly Music Monday posts or a new name for London and Maddie's all girl basement band, doesn't it? But Charter is rolling out its PhatBand Ultra60 Mbps Internet service, one of the fastest in the United States. Currently available for a lucky group of Charter subscribers in St. Louis and Southern California, Ultra60 is rolling out to the Northeast (that's meeeee!) right now and planning to cover the majority of the Charter footprint by year-end 2010. Charter ultra fast 60 service is part of Charter's strategy to provide customers with the fastest Internet speed available at a time when it is critical for all of us to have a high-speed connection to multimedia sites.
I sure hope it gets here soon -- both to Roxy's beach house in Bay Head, New Jersey and to our year-round residence up north in the Roxiticus Valley. PhatBand would make telecommuting with mega-files a breeze with super high speeds, which means I can spend more time working from home (and at the beach) with London and Maddie and less time on the train to New York City. Not to mention watching those other Desperate Housewives and our favorite movies, the girls' playing online games, and Roxy blogging and tweeting up a storm! At 60 Mbps, the Internet is a completely different experience – I'll be able to do it all, multitasking in ways I've only imagined.
Hurry, PhatBand, hurry, please....maybe Charter can hitch a ride with Santa this Christmas!
There are a few songs, both current and oldies but goodies, that whenever they come on the radio in the car, we turn it up and the whole family sings along. "White Flag" by Dido is one of them.
I know you think that I shouldn't still love you, Or tell you that. But if I didn't say it, well I'd still have felt it where's the sense in that?
I promise I'm not trying to make your life harder Or return to where we were
I will go down with this ship And I won't put my hands up and surrender There will be no white flag above my door I'm in love and always will be
I know I left too much mess and destruction to come back again And I caused nothing but trouble I understand if you can't talk to me again And if you live by the rules of "it's over" then I'm sure that that makes sense
I will go down with this ship And I won't put my hands up and surrender There will be no white flag above my door I'm in love and always will be
And when we meet Which I'm sure we will All that was there Will be there still I'll let it pass And hold my tongue And you will think That I've moved on....
I will go down with this ship And I won't put my hands up and surrender There will be no white flag above my door I'm in love and always will be
I will go down with this ship And I won't put my hands up and surrender There will be no white flag above my door I'm in love and always will be
I will go down with this ship And I won't put my hands up and surrender There will be no white flag above my door I'm in love and always will be
Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.
PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!
I had spent the day hard at work on a Confidential Information Memorandum for one of our investment banking clients (Project "Rocket Science"), and had just about run out of brain cells. Not to mention feeling a bit under the weather with the first cold of the season. Then Maddie asked me for help on her second grade math and logic puzzle homework tonight. She had finished most of the assignment, leaving only the toughest problems for mom to help on. There were words in circles and other words not in circles, and somehow you were supposed to guess what the non-circle words had in common with each other and did not have in common with the circle words. Here's a sample problem that Maddie said was easy...the circle words are teddy bear, doll, and blanket; outside the circle words are pants, scissors, and pliers. Well, not only am I NOT smart enough to be a fourth grader, I am too tired to be a second grader! Turns out the answer is the words outside the circle come in pairs. I think I'll put on a pair of pajamas, grab my teddy bear, and get into bed early so I can wake up smart enough to be a second grader, third grader, and an investment banker.
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of British Airways. All opinions are 100% mine.
It's mid-November and a chill is in the air... we closed our beach house in Bay Head after the annual Halloween Parade, and we've been spending our weekends up north (and west) in the Roxiticus Valley. We miss the beach from November through mid-April, but it always seems too dark and desolate during the cold winter months without Daylight Savings Time. Since British Airways is running a November Seat "world sale" on their truly upgraded experience (including over 200 On Demand entertainment options), it seems like an ideal time to get away from the United States and Canada and visit someplace we've never been before.
I think several of my current dream destinations are available:
A whirlwind European tour starting in London and including France (Paris and the French Riviera), Spain (Marbella, Madrid), and the Italian Riviera;
An African safari -- lions and tigers and bears, oh my!
British Airways sure is a great way to get away -- with World Class service not only to traditional favorites like London and Europe, but also more exotic locales including the Middle East, India and Africa. There's no skimping on the basics, with complimentary food and cocktails on all flights... an incredibly comfortable in-flight experience featuring ergonomically designed seats, complete with lumbar support, adjustable headrest and recline... plenty of blankies, cushions, eyeshades and flight socks to maximize comfort for the entire journey.
Last weekend, on the way home from the Miley Cyrus concert at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, with our little girls falling asleep in the back seat of my Acadia, my friend Susan and I were discussing our mis-spent youth and our first concerts. Mine was Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes at Somerset County College; hers was Jethro Tull. We were both feeling a bit older, more like parents than the rockers we once were, but this song came to mind and put me back in the "never too old" frame of mind:
The old Rocker wore his hair too long, wore his trouser cuffs too tight. Unfashionable to the end --- drank his ale too light. Death's head belt buckle --- yesterday's dreams --- the transport caf' prophet of doom. Ringing no change in his double-sewn seams in his post-war-babe gloom.
Now he's too old to Rock'n'Roll but he's too young to die.
He once owned a Harley Davidson and a Triumph Bonneville. Counted his friends in burned-out spark plugs and prays that he always will. But he's the last of the blue blood greaser boys all of his mates are doing time: married with three kids up by the ring road sold their souls straight down the line. And some of them own little sports cars and meet at the tennis club do's. For drinks on a Sunday --- work on Monday. They've thrown away their blue suede shoes.
Now they're too old to Rock'n'Roll and they're too young to die.
So the old Rocker gets out his bike to make a ton before he takes his leave. Up on the A1 by Scotch Corner just like it used to be. And as he flies --- tears in his eyes --- his wind-whipped words echo the final take and he hits the trunk road doing around 120 with no room left to brake.
And he was too old to Rock'n'Roll but he was too young to die. No, you're never too old to Rock'n'Roll if you're too young to die.
Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.
PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!
We're up in the Roxiticus Valley recovering from Saturday night's Miley Cyrus concert at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. I've posted a sort of review of the Miley Cyrus concert and Music Monday video over at Roxiticus Desperate Housewives, and wanted to keep the theme going here with Miley's Big Brother, Trace, and his band, Metro Station, who opened the show. Here's the official video for his song, "Shake It," but it seems like they updated the video for Miley's Wonder World tour, with baby sister herself shakin' it on the jumbotron behind the Metro Station live performance.
Let's drop! Yeah, come on
I'll take you home If you don't leave me at the front door (Leave me at the front door) Your body's cold But girl, we're gettin' so warm And I was thinking of ways That I could get inside (Get inside)
Tonight you're falling in love Let me go now This feeling's tearing me up Here we go now
Now if she does it like this Will you do it like that? Now if she touches like this Will you touch her like that? Now if she moves like this Will you move her like that? Come on, shake, shake Shake, shake, shake it
Shake, shake Shake, shake, shake it (x4)
Your lips tremble But your eyes are in the straight stare (In the straight stare) We're on the bed But your clothes are laying right there And I was thinking of places That I could hide (I could hide)
Tonight you're falling in love Let me go now This feeling's tearing me up Here we go now
Now if she does it like this Will you do it like that? Now if she touches like this Will you touch her like that? Now if she moves like this Will you move her like that? Come on, shake, shake Shake, shake, shake it
Shake, shake Shake, shake, shake it (x4)
I saw you dancing And I couldn't get you off my mind I could tell that you could tell That I was taking my time But I was thinking of ways To get you to stay tonight Body's shaking Tell me off so I can turn off the lights
Now if she does it like this Will you do it like that? Now if she touches like this Will you touch her like that? Now if she moves like this Will you move her like that? Come on, shake, shake Shake, shake, shake it
Shake, shake Shake, shake, shake it (x4)
Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.
PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!
After the annual Bay Head Halloween parade, we always close down our beach house and stay warm and cozy in the Roxiticus Valley until the snow melts in April. And, here in the United States, this weekend we ended Daylight Savings time by turning our clocks back an hour. So I wanted to find a fitting Music Monday, and came up with "Closing Time" by Semisonic. Rex and I saw them live at the Garden State Arts Center about fifteen years ago when they opened for Matchbox 20.
Closing time - time for you to go out, go out into the world. Closing time - turn the lights up over every boy and every girl. Closing time - one last call for alcohol, so finish your whiskey or beer. Closing time - you don't have to go home but you can't stay here.
I know who I want to take me home. I know who I want to take me home. I know who I want to take me home. Take me home...
Closing time - time for you to go back to the places you will be from. Closing time - this room won't be open 'til your brothers or you sisters come. So gather up your jackets, and move it to the exits - I hope you have found a friend. Closing time - every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.
Yeah, I know who I want to take me home. I know who I want to take me home. I know who I want to take me home. Take me home...
Closing time - time for you to go back to the places you will be from...
I know who I want to take me home. I know who I want to take me home. I know who I want to take me home. Take me home...
Closing time - every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end...
We'll see you all in April 2010!
Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.
PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!
I'll be posting some photos from the Bay Head Halloween Parade soon, but first it's time for Roxy's Music Monday theme: Halloween! In honor of all the scary monsters, sweet bumblebees and flamingos, and creative costumes that turned out at for the annual Bay Head Halloween Parade, here's Bobby "Boris" Pickett with a spooky video of the Monster Mash:
I was working in the lab late one night When my eyes beheld an eerie sight For my monster from his slab began to rise And suddenly to my surprise
He did the mash He did the monster mash The monster mash It was a graveyard smash He did the mash It caught on in a flash He did the mash He did the monster mash
From my laboratory in the castle east To the master bedroom where the vampires feast The ghouls all came from their humble abodes To get a jolt from my electrodes
They did the mash They did the monster mash The monster mash It was a graveyard smash They did the mash It caught on in a flash They did the mash They did the monster mash
The zombies were having fun The party had just begun The guests included Wolf Man Dracula and his son
The scene was rockin', all were digging the sounds Igor on chains, backed by his baying hounds The coffin-bangers were about to arrive With their vocal group, "The Crypt-Kicker Five"
They played the mash They played the monster mash The monster mash It was a graveyard smash They played the mash It caught on in a flash They played the mash They played the monster mash
Out from his coffin, Drac's voice did ring Seems he was troubled by just one thing He opened the lid and shook his fist And said, "Whatever happened to my Transylvania twist?"
It's now the mash It's now the monster mash The monster mash And it's a graveyard smash It's now the mash It's caught on in a flash It's now the mash It's now the monster mash
Now everything's cool, Drac's a part of the band And my monster mash is the hit of the land For you, the living, this mash was meant too When you get to my door, tell them Boris sent you
Then you can mash Then you can monster mash The monster mash And do my graveyard smash Then you can mash You'll catch on in a flash Then you can mash Then you can monster mash
Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.
PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!
For the past few years, it feels like the annual Bay Head Halloween Parade has involved a grim weather forecast of hell and high water. Yesterday we drove down to our beach house in the pouring rain, which flooded Lake Avenue and didn't let up as we made our way to the Crab Shack to pick up 100 clams for dinner.
All week long, our little Weather Girl, Maddie, has been watching Weather.com, where just like last year, they forecast rain, rain, rain on Saturday, but sunny and 60 degrees on Sunday for the Bay Head Halloween Parade. Witches, goblins, ghosts and Disney princesses will start gathering on Mount Street in Bay Head, New Jersey, shortly after 11am for the 11:45am parade start.
Roxy's loyal Bay Head Blog readers know that our family takes Halloween very seriously, particularly our participation in the annual Bay Head Halloween Parade. Last year, London, Maddie, Rex and I won the "Good Sport" award for grown-ups who dress up in the best costumes and march in the parade with their kids. The photo on the right shows us in costume, from left to right: Maddie (as Sharpay "Golf" from High School Musical) Rex (as Ken), Bay Head Mayor Bill Curtis, Roxy (as Barbie), and London (as Sharpay "End of Year" from High School Musical).
This year, I don't want to give too much away to the competition in advance of the event, but London and Maddie are dressing up and performing along the parade route as their girl band, the Butter Bites, and we've prepared a special "float" to march in the parade. And Rex and I will be in costume as you've never seen us before... pictures on Monday!
Over the long Columbus Day/Roxy's Birthday Celebration weekend, one of London's teachers gave me some homework... to provide my insights into London's reading style and abilities and any influences on her reading and writing. The "homework assignment" got me thinking back to my own childhood and the teachers who influenced my own reading and writing and made a difference in my life. Over the twenty five years since high school, I've lost contact with all of my teachers, most of whom must have retired by now... including the Freshman English teacher I'll call "Mrs. Bill." While I can't say that the assigned reading for her class really inspired me, I give Mrs. Bill credit for getting me started on a lifetime of keeping a journal... and eventually a blog, though the Internet hadn't been invented yet when I was in college... never mind high school.
In an attempt to track down Mrs. Bill, I've Googled her and tried the usual social networking sites, but I don't think many people over the age of 60 has a Facebook page! So I'm going to visit MyLife, America's #1 people search, and test out the service to see if you can find Mrs. Bill...If I find her, I'll let all of my loyal readers know what she's up to these days, and I'll be sure to thank her for influencing the writer (and mother of two readers/writers) I am today.
Up north and west in the Roxiticus Valley for this rainy rainy weekend, Rex and I attended a memorial service for a dear neighbor who passed away after a long struggle with cancer. The lyrics below for Love Lies Bleeding (since Funeral for a Friend is the instrumental lead-in) really reflect the end of a love affair rather than the end of a life, but the song was stuck in my head, so here's my Music Monday pick.
The roses in the window box Have tilted to one side Everything about this house Was born to grow and die
Oh it doesn't seem a year ago To this very day You said I'm sorry honey If I don't change the pace I can't face another day
And love lies bleeding in my hand Oh it kills me to think of you with another man I was playing rock and roll and you were just a fan But my guitar couldn't hold you So I split the band Love lies bleeding in my hands
I wonder if those changes Have left a scar on you Like all the burning hoops of fire That you and I passed through
You're a bluebird on a telegraph line I hope you're happy now Well if the wind of change comes down your way
Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.
PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!
It is no secret that my younger daughter, Maddie, wants a dog. For the past couple of years, she's done every school project, big or small, about dogs. At the Mendham Township Elementary School book fair last spring, Rex and I found her a huge encyclopedia of dogs and, despite its five pound coffee table book weight, Maddie carries it with her everywhere, reading out chapter and verse on different breeds and how to take care of your new puppy. When she has a chance to go online, Maddie visits all sorts of dog and pet web sites, such as Petango.com - Adopt a cat! a site which lists thousands of dogs and cats, currently cared for at reputable animal shelters across North America, who are all looking and waiting for loving homes.
Due to her older sister London's pet allergies, Rex and I have been reluctant to adopt a pet for Maddie, but after three years of "research and testing," including a doggy slumber party, with the Cock-a-poo across the street from our beach house in Bay Head, New Jersey, we believe that London no longer has allergic reactions to certain dog breeds. Maddie has used our zip code to look for a dog on Petango, which provides a real-time searchable database of happy, well-loved pets waiting in reputable shelters around the country for new loving homes. The pets Maddie finds on Petango are right in our own backyard. Now we just have to find one... or two... who won't make London sneeze and break out in hives...wish us luck!
As I mentoned over on my Roxiticus Desperate Housewives blog, we're down at our beach house in Bay Head, New Jersey, celebrating my birthday with a long Columbus Day holiday weekend... London and Maddie have off from school, so it takes me back to my elementary school days, when I often had a long weekend celebration for my birthday.
I'm feeling a bit introspective this weekend, with life and death weighing on my mind after our dear neighbor in the Roxiticus Valley passed away last week. For my birthday Music Monday pick, I wanted something that would convey the depth of these emotions, but at the same time give us all an uplifting message. Back in 1959, Pete Seeger set the words of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 to music in "Turn, Turn, Turn," made popular by the Byrds in 1965.
To everything (turn, turn, turn) There is a season (turn, turn, turn) And a time for every purpose, under heaven
A time to be born, a time to die A time to plant, a time to reap A time to kill, a time to heal A time to laugh, a time to weep
To everything (turn, turn, turn) There is a season (turn, turn, turn) And a time for every purpose, under heaven
A time to build up,a time to break down A time to dance, a time to mourn A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together
To everything (turn, turn, turn) There is a season (turn, turn, turn) And a time for every purpose, under heaven
A time of love, a time of hate A time of war, a time of peace A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing
To everything (turn, turn, turn) There is a season (turn, turn, turn) And a time for every purpose, under heaven
A time to gain, a time to lose A time to rend, a time to sew A time to love, a time to hate A time for peace, I swear its not too late
Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.
PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!
In a few minutes, London and Maddie's babysitter will arrive, and Rex and I will head out to Kitchens by the Sea, an amazing day of peeking into our neighbors' kitchens and enjoying delicious food samples provided by local Jersey Shore restaurants and caterers. This year's participating restaurants include:
Rock'n'Joe's
Scone Shoppe
Miletto's
Bay Head Chocolate Shoppe
Labrador Lounge
Martell's
Theresa's South
Shore Fresh Seafood
Brandl; and
Joe Leone
Each of the homes, spread out through Bay Head and Mantoloking, will feature an excellent local restauranteur or caterer serving samples of their cuisine. In addition, the dining areas of the homes will showcase table settings and floral arrangements provided by local designers.
All proceeds benefit the Bay Head School Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Please call 732-714-1902 for more information.
Tickets are $50 (with limited availability, as this is a very popular event) "at the door" today, the day of the kitchen tour, at Bay Head School, 145 Grove Street in Bay Head, where your information packet and tour map will be distributed.
As you head out on the tour, be sure to stop in to visit the local Bay Head merchants...many of the shops, including the Anchor & Palette Gallery on Mount Street, are offering special discounts to kitchen tour participants.
Saturday night, we were relaxing on the porch with our iPod five star playlist rolling on the last night of our vacation at our beach house in Bay Head, New Jersey. Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones came on with the seductive "Tops" and I decided to make it my Music Monday pick.
Hey baby Every man is the same come on I'll make you a star I'll take you a million miles from all this Put you on a pedestal Come on, come on
Have you ever heard those opening lines You should leave this small town way behind I'll be your partner Show you the steps With me behind your tasting of the sweet wine of success Cause I'll take you to the top, baby Hey baby I'll take you to the top
Step on the ladder Toe in the pool You're such a natural you don't need no acting school Don't need no casting couch Or be a star in bed Never, never, never let success go to your pretty head Cause I'll take you to the top, baby I swear we're never going to stop, baby I'll take you to the top
Don't let the world pass you by You better take your chance now baby Or be sorry for the rest of your sweet loving life, baby Oh, sugar Hey sugar, I'll take you to the top I'll take you to the top I'll take you to the top, sugar
Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.
PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!
Tomorrow, Maddie and London embark on a wonderful adventure. Our neighbors, Jango and Dorothy Parker, are traveling to a wedding in Chicago, and have entrusted us with their sweet dog, Cashew. When we next get together with the neighbors over a long weekend in September, I'm going to help the good doctor Dot to set up her own hormone replacement therapy blog.
The girls have spent plenty of time playing with Cashew, and taking him for walks on the weekend. However, due to London's pet allergies, this is the first time we've had a doggy visitor spend the night. Since Cashew is a cockapoo, an allegedly hypoallergenic dog, we're testing to see if London's allergies act up, or whether we might be able to get a cockapoo as a pet next summer instead of a lizard.
Here's the second post in my theme for this week's Music Monday: Lookin' Back, this time with Taylor Swift, to age "Fifteen." As my sweet 7-year-old Maddie and 8-year-old London sing out the lyrics, I think about who they might be at 15 and hope they'll remember the words of Taylor Swift, who at only 19, doesn't have that far to look back to her 15-year-old self:
You take a deep breath and you walk through the doors It's the morning of your very first day You say "Hi" to your friends you ain't seen in a while Try and stay out of everybody's way It's your freshman year and you're gonna be here For the next four years in this town Hoping one of those senior boys will wink at you and say "You know I haven't seen you around, before"
'cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you You're gonna believe them And when you're fifteen Feeling like there nothing to figure out Well count to ten, take it in This is life before who you're gonna be Fifteen
You sit in class next to a redhead named Abigail And soon enough you're best friends Laughing at the other girls who think they're so cool Well be out of here as soon as we can And then you're on your very first date and he's got a car And you're feeling like flying And your momma's waiting up and you think he's the one And you're dancing round your room when the night end When the night ends
'cause when you're fifteen and somebody tell you they love you You're gonna believe them When you're fifteen and your first kiss Makes your head spin round but In your life you'll do things greater than dating the boy of the football team But I didn't know it at fifteen
And Abigail gave everything she had to a boy Who changed his mind and we both cried
'cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you You're gonna believe them And when you're fifteen, don't forget to look before you fall Ive found that time can heal most anything And you just might find who you're supposed to be I didn't know who I was supposed to be at fifteen
La la la la la .. la la la la la .. La la la la la
Your very first day Take a deep breath girl Take a deep breath as you walk through those doors
Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.
PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!
While I was raised on the Jersey bar band sounds of "We're Havin' A Party," "Talk to Me," and "I Don't Want To Go Home," I've never really known whether Southside Johnny has a following beyond New Jersey and the Tri-State area, or whether Bruce Springsteen is the only Jersey boy who's become a household name for the rest of the world. For most of the past twelve summers, Rex and I have made an annual tradition of seeing Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes at Martell's Tiki Bar in Pt. Pleasant Beach, New Jersey.
We had some portion of the Jukes and La Bamba's Big Band at our wedding on the beach in September 1998 and at Rex's 60th birthday party at our house in Mendham a few years ago.
While London and Maddie had the good fortune to see their first concert (Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus Best of Both Worlds Tour at the Prudential Center in Newark NJ in December 2007) before they turned seven, my first concert was Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes at Somerset County College (now Raritan Valley Community College) in 1978, when I was twelve years old. Having learned proper groupie decorum from late night network TV (who remembers Midnight Special and Don Kirschner's Rock Concert??), I jumped the stage and grabbed onto bass player Gene Boccia's leg. 20 years later... Continue reading
It's a rainy Saturday here at our beach house in Bay Head, the perfect time for a rundown on Roxy's recent beach reads, all of which I've picked up for 50 cents at the Anchor & Palette Gallery in Bay Head, New Jersey. All proceeds go to the good work of St. Paul's United Methodist Church, on the corner of Bridge Avenue and West Lake Avenue in Bay Head, NJ.
The best, by far, is the one I'm reading right now: False Memory, a thriller by Dean Koontz: a tale of madness, suspense, love, and terror from a startlin and true-life psychological condition so close to home it will stun even his most seasoned readers... autophobia -- fear of oneself. As a huge fan of haiku, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the evil psychiatrist who manipulates his patients with hypnotic haiku.
I also breezed through "April & Oliver," Tess Callahan's debut as a novelist, as well as Lisa Scottoline's "Look Again." I'm headed back to my comfy chair on the porch to finish False Memory... I'll try to post more details later without giving away the gripping conclusion.
No one in our family actually surfs with a long board (though I have a cool pink boogie board and London and Maddie are getting to be quite the body surfers like their dad), but I wanted to let you know that Rex, London, Maddie and I will be spending the next couple of weeks here at our beach house in Bay Head, New Jersey. I'll still be posting here, as well as over on Roxiticus Desperate Housewives, and may even have more time to devote to the blogosphere, but hope that my posts will be filled with the relaxation of the ocean waves crashing against the sand.
The first day of our beach vacation started out as an 8-hour day of work in the home office, but as I said to Maddie and London when we headed out to the edge of the ocean around 4 o'clock, "A short day at the beach sure beats a day at the office." At a minimum, I'm hoping that a daily dose of sunshine and the sound of the ocean waves will calm my nerves, soothe my soul/psyche, and remind me to focus on what's really important: my family and my health. So far, so good... for me, the sound of the ocean is more relaxing than all the yoga and belly-breathing a more "holistic" person might enjoy.
I'm writing in a new pink journal whose proceeds, through the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, benefit the fight against breast cancer, which is another element of putting priorities in perspective. I thank God every day for all the ways I have been blessed.
You know how spammers and other e-mail marketers give you a click through to "unsubscribe" from their frequent, unwanted e-mails? Have you ever received an e-mail (or multiple e-mails) from a friend and wished you could just e-mail back a single word response..."unsubscribe."
I have a high enough degree of stress in my career that I don't need to add to it, so I avoid unpleasant news and discussions. I don't find it helpful to commiserate about the economy, the unemployment rate, or the housing market, unless there's something productive to do about it. There's enough bad news in the world that can't be avoided, so I'd prefer that my friends not pass along their grim reaper newsletters to me.
Down at our beach house in Bay Head, New Jersey, particularly on the hottest days of summer, Rex likes to prepare light, refreshing dinnners for our family and guests... from his famous grilled chicken taco salad to a flank steak salad. In addition to using all natural NAKANO Seasoned Rice Vinegar in one of his summer recipes, Rex might splash it onto a simple green salad, baby spinach, chicken fresh and hot from our backyard grill, pasta, baked potatoes, or even hot vegetables like yellow squash or zucchini. Made from whole grain rice and naturally brewed in a traditional manufacturing process that begin more than 200 years ago in Japan, NAKANO Seasoned Rice Vinegar is a fat and gluten free, low calorie (one tablespoon = 20 calories vs. 1 tablespoon of mayo = 90 calories and 10 grams of fat), delicious and healthy alternative to salad dressing, sour cream or butter. If you're watching your salt intake, it also has 50% less sodium than other rice vinegar brands and is available in several tasty flavors such as Roasted Garlic, Basil & Oregano, Balsamic Blend, Red Pepper, and Italian Herb.
Check out NAKANO's web site for recipes, fun-to-try splash tips, and a $1.00 off coupon so you can try "the new condiment" for yourself. Join the NAKANO Splash Recipe Club to receive cool newsletters featuring great cooking themes such as cooking with Caribbean flavors.
Every other year, the Bay Head School Foundation puts on Kitchens by the Sea, an amazing day of peeking into our neighbors' kitchens and enjoying delicious food samples provided by local Jersey Shore restaurants and caterers. This year, the event falls when Rex and I will be spending a three day weekend with our girls in Bay Head, celebrating our eleventh wedding anniversary. As my loyal readers know, Rex and I were married on the beach in Bay Head in September 1998.... and yes, Roxy did wear a white bikini. Each of the homes, spread out through Bay Head and Mantoloking, will feature an excellent local restauranteur or caterer serving samples of their cuisine. In addition, the dining areas of the homes will showcase table settings and floral arrangements provided by local designers.
(a) Keeps the doctor away? (b) Keeps the demons at bay? (c) Charter is giving away (d) All of the above (e) None of the above
Don't you hate taking a test in the middle of the summer? While maybe (a) and (b) are correct, and they make a nice rhyme, if you guessed (c), you are well on your way to a high grade on today's multiple choice exam. Charter is following up on the success of their HDTV-a-Day Sweepstakes with a new Back 2 School Laptop-a-Day Sweepstakes promotion, giving away a shiny new laptop computer every day – and they are extending it for 2 months! The contest runs from July 15th through September 15th, 2009. This sweepstakes is just right for a high school or college student headed back to school in September or a business person who's always on the go like Roxy -- we all need a laptop for easy mobility. Each daily winner will get a 15-inch HP 550 Notebook featuring Windows Vista and a NeoTec Compu Backpack.
In addition, with Charter's special online deals, you can get a free gift card, ranging in value from $25 to $100, from major retailers in clothing, home and accessories, restaurants and more. Just in time for back to school shopping, won't those gift cards come in handy? Check out Charter on Facebook or follow Charter on Twitter to stay on top of the excitement.
Sitting out on the porch on Saturday night listening to 94.3 The Point, I heard the Jersey power pop band Fountains of Wayne singing "Stacy's Mom" and decided I had to track down the naughty naughty video to share with all of you for this week's Music Monday... Enjoy!
Stacy's mom has got it goin' on Stacy's mom has got it goin' on Stacy's mom has got it goin' on Stacy's mom has got it goin' on
Stacy, can I come over after school? (after school) We can hang around by the pool (hang by the pool) Did your mom get back from her business trip? (business trip) Is she there, or is she trying to give me the slip? (give me the slip)
You know, I'm not the little boy that I used to be I'm all grown up now, baby can't you see
Stacy's mom has got it goin' on She's all I want and I've waited for so long Stacy, can't you see you're just not the girl for me I know it might be wrong but I'm in love with Stacy's mom
Stacy's mom has got it goin' on Stacy's mom has got it goin' on
Stacy, do you remember when I mowed your lawn? (mowed your lawn) Your mom came out with just a towel on (towel on) I could tell she liked me from the way she stared (the way she stared) And the way she said, "You missed a spot over there" (a spot over there)
And I know that you think it's just a fantasy But since your dad walked out, your mom could use a guy like me
Stacy's mom has got it goin' on She's all I want, and I've waited so long Stacy, can't you see you're just not the girl for me I know it might be wrong, but I'm in love with Stacy's mom
Stacy's mom has got it goin' on She's all I want and I've waited for so long, Stacy can't you see your just not the girl for me, I know it might be wrong but oh oh (I know it might be wrong) I'm in love with (Stacy's mom oh oh) (Stacys mom oh oh) I'm in love with Stacy's mom
Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.
PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!
Every other year, the Bay Head School Foundation puts on Kitchens by the Sea, an amazing day of peeking into our neighbors' kitchens and enjoying delicious food samples provided by local Jersey Shore restaurants and caterers. Each of the homes, spread out through Bay Head and Mantoloking, will feature an excellent local restauranteur or caterer serving samples of their cuisine. In addition, the dining areas of the homes will showcase table settings and floral arrangements provided by local designers.
One of my younger daughter Maddie's favorite bedtime activities is to take our family through "Color My Dog Yellow," written and illustrated by Jersey artist Tine Kirkland Graham. Maddie will read a little poem about each dog and tell us where he lives... Bay Head, Cape Cod, or Morristown, to name a few. Tine has been one of our favorite local artists for a long time... Rex and I have one of her paintings in our dining room and she painted our Bay Head beach house (image on the left) years and years ago, maybe even before London and Maddie were born.
This weekend, Maddie and London and all of their beach friends will have the opportunity to paint the day with Tine in a FREE event at the Anchor & Palette Gallery on Mount Street in Bay Head, New Jersey. Trader is spending the week here with Rex's grandkids, so we'll have a house full of creativity at the beach.
"You see us as you want to see us, in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain... and an athlete... and a basket case... a princess..."
I read with great sadness that writer-director-producer John Hughes had died this past week at age 59 of a heart attack while walking in Manhattan. With his 1980s "Brat Pack" movies -- "The Breakfast Club," "Sixteen Candles," "Pretty in Pink," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "She's Having a Baby" as we grew into our twenties -- he captured a piece of my heart, a piece of my childhood, a piece of my teenage years.
Born in Michigan, Hughes used his high school town of suburban Northbrook, Illinois, as a location for many of his films. He got his start as an advertising copywriter in Chicago and started selling jokes to performers such as Rodney Dangerfield and Joan Rivers. Hired by National Lampoon magazine after submitting his short story "Vacation '58," he wrote his first screenplay, "Class Reunion," while on staff at the magazine, and it became his first produced script in 1982. His next, "National Lampoon's Vacation," based on his short story, became his first big hit and spawned several sequels.
Hughes' first film as a director was 1984's "Sixteen Candles," starring Anthony Michael Hall, John Cusack and Molly Ringwald. The teen romance introduced several of the actors who would come to be known as the Brat Pack. In 1985, "The Breakfast Club" became the era's iconic and influential high school film. It starred Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Hall and Judd Nelson as teens who must learn to get along when thrown together during Saturday detention.
Hughes wrote and exec produced "Pretty in Pink" featuring Molly Ringwald and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," starring Matthew Broderick. He also wrote "Some Kind of Wonderful" and "She's Having a Baby," heartfelt adolescent/young adult stories that both bore his stamp.
He branched out with 1987's more grown-up "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," starring Steve Martin and John Candy, then directed just two more films, "Uncle Buck" and "Curly Sue," his eighth and final film as director. Hughes turned primarily to writing and producing, seeing his greatest success with 1990's "Home Alone," which he wrote and produced. It spawned three sequels.
"He understood young people in a way few filmmakers ever have. He tapped into the feelings of teenagers and literally changed the face of the '80s. The film industry has lost a giant -- a gentle, wonderful giant," said "Home Alone" actor Devin Ratray in a statement.
While no longer active in Hollywood, he more recently provided the stories for films including "Maid in Manhattan" and "Drillbit Taylor" using the pseudonym Edmond Dantes.
He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Nancy; two sons, John, a musician, and James, a writer; and four grandchildren.
Won't you come see about me? I'll be alone, dancing you know it baby
Tell me your troubles and doubts Giving me everything inside and out and Love's strange so real in the dark Think of the tender things that we were working on
Slow change may pull us apart When the light gets into your heart, baby
Don't You Forget About Me Don't Don't Don't Don't Don't You Forget About Me
Will you stand above me? Look my way, never love me Rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling Down, down, down
Will you recognise me? Call my name or walk on by Rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling Down, down, down, down
Hey, hey, hey, hey Ohhhh.....
Don't you try to pretend It's my feeling we'll win in the end I won't harm you or touch your defenses Vanity and security
Don't you forget about me I'll be alone, dancing you know it baby Going to take you apart I'll put us back together at heart, baby
Don't You Forget About Me Don't Don't Don't Don't Don't You Forget About Me
As you walk on by Will you call my name? As you walk on by Will you call my name? When you walk away
Or will you walk away? Will you walk on by? Come on - call my name Will you all my name?
Rest in peace, John Hughes.
Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.
PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!
:
