SpeakEasy
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•February 18, 2015
Springing Into Action
You’ve got to be kidding me! Six more weeks of winter? I can’t take this cold weather one more day, so the countdown has begun. I’ll be darned if I’m going to let that old groundhog tell me when…
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•February 11, 2015
Are You Laughing With the Sinners or Crying With the Saints This Valentine’s Day?
Billy Joel likes laughing with the sinners. Me? I’m still deciding whether to join him.
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•February 4, 2015
Trash Talking on LBI in the Summer
The following is a typical conversation between two neighbors, summer people, on Long Beach Island.
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•January 28, 2015
New Home Brings Moving Pains and Pleasures
Have you changed houses, moved a lot? My husband and I have moved so many times that one of our friends nicknamed us in the style of the movie “Dances with Wolves.” I’m “Mary Moves A Lot” and my…
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•January 21, 2015
No Better Gift Than the Gift of Life: A Caregiver’s Story
I’m 71 years old and now a caregiver for my mother-in-law and my wife. I have heart disease and prostate cancer. But this is not about me. It’s about Jesus Christ and how he really affects us in the…
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•January 14, 2015
The Winter Blues
As I sit on our street’s beach bench, bundled up in my winter coat, capturing some winter rays of the sun to try to warm my face, I can’t help but think about old man winter, who is knocking on our…
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•January 7, 2015
Glory-less Hallelujah
Last month my husband and I hopped on a bus to Atlantic City for a day of gambling and a free Christmas show at Tropicana. For me it meant stretching my 20 bucks and the $15 voucher until showtime.…
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•December 10, 2014
December’s Treasures Beckon at the Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore shimmers in December under a clear, cold sky. The angle of the sun causes its rays to kiss the water and sand and send the shine over all the landscape. As the waves rise to their…
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•November 26, 2014
Is Uncle Bob the Real Turkey on Thanksgiving?
For many, family gatherings at Thanksgiving aren’t as pleasant as they could be. While most of us enjoy getting together to gobble down (pardon the pun) some turkey and dressing, sometimes feelings…
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•November 19, 2014
The Future Is Getting Smarter and Smarter
In August I wrote a story about looking back at the past. Recently, I started thinking about looking a little bit into the future.
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•November 11, 2014
The Forgotten Veteran
As we observe another Veterans Day, I think back to the injustice done to a group of heroes that no one honors. All of the services are honored except the service that lost more men percentage-wise…
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•November 5, 2014
Remembering My Doo-wop Days in South Philly
No, not the 18½ minutes Rosemary Woods and old Tricky Dick lost. I’m talking something really important here.
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•October 30, 2014
A Tale of Cats and Spells That Work Too Well
The two cats started opening the old lady’s mail when they realized she was starting to fail. They had watched enough programs on TV on dementia to realize what was going on.
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•October 22, 2014
The ‘Old’ Ball Game
As the World Series begins, I think about my own personal series. Of course it is not a World Series, nor a country series, nor even a state or town series. And it is softball, not baseball, but what…
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•October 15, 2014
The Lure of Mother’s Trunk
A trip to the attic can become an adventure in time travel. I am a saver. Yes, I admit it; I am guilty, I save “things.” When I leave this world my children will take my “things” and ask “why in the…
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•October 8, 2014
All Creatures Great and Small
Fall is here with gentle breezes and an opportunity to be outside. We have many birdhouses in our backyard, and the other day we were checking to see what ones had been used. The birds leave their…
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•October 1, 2014
A Soundtrack for Days Spent on LBI
Memories are made of the five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste and even the smells of the past. But for me, preeminent among these senses is sound. When I think of my lifetime of memories of the…
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September 18, 2014
Today’s ‘Brilliant’ VW Is a Far Cry From ’60s Bug
I had to drive my daughter’s carnot toolong ago- don’t ask. I had to make a trip to Atlantic City early Sunday morning in weather that wasn’t exactly the best. You know, those summer downpours that…
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•September 10, 2014
Neighborhood Celebrates LBI With Tomato Pie
With more sandy feet and sandy paws, my son, dog and I made our way to the beach for one last glimpse of the ocean while the setting sun’s rays glistened off the water. It was another wonderful beach…
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•September 3, 2014
No Ordinary Grandfather
Sept. 7is National Grandparents Day so I wanted to tell you a little about my grandpop. Some folks had quiet grandfathers, the kind who read, played checkers and napped. Not me; mine could have…
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•August 27, 2014
Week on LBI Is Like Spending Week Lost in Time
Z and I were back on LBI a few weeks ago for our annual pilgrimage to renew our … tans.
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•August 20, 2014
Sump Pump Saga
Did you hear that storm last week? On Aug. 13, a deluge of rain and intense wind relentlessly bashed Long Beach Island. When it first started, I thought enthusiastically, “Oh!A summer storm!…
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•August 13, 2014
Off to College – a Time of Terror and Triumph
It’s August, and your child is leaving for college. Yes, I know it brings up many feelings and they are often mixed. One minute you’re laughing with them at a Kmart blue light special, the next…
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•July 30, 2014
Unexpected Guests Show Up in My Beach Haven Garage
At our home on LBI, extra space is as rare as a blue moon in February. On family weekends, there is so little elbow room, every empty spot is covered with either a suitcase, sleeping bag or body. As…
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•July 23, 2014
Unhappy Feet
I have shoe envy. Yes, I am ashamed, but I have never been able to understand why men can buy sensible shoes and women cannot.
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•July 16, 2014
My LBI Memory Box Is Filled to the Brim
Our extended pleasant history of vacations on Long Beach Island was altered dramatically on Christmas Day of 2013 when my wife of 55 years died. My children lost a mom, my grandchildren lost a…
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•July 9, 2014
What’s in Your Wallet? More Savings Cards Than Ever Before
I’m a notorious sale shopper. As a matter of fact, my kids think I’m cheap. When they were younger they often remarked that the only time we went out to eat was if we had coupons. I have to admit, I…
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•July 2, 2014
Power of Healing Seen in This Year’s Return to LBI
For the past 26 years my family and I have vacationed for a week on LBI at the same time every year, which for us is the end of June. We stay at the same place, Haven Beach Motel, managed by Bill and…
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•June 25, 2014
Getting to Dutchman’s – the Hard Way
When we were young and dating, the Dutchman’s Brauhaus, off the Route 72 Long Beach Island Causeway, was our favorite spot. A few summers ago, on a gorgeous day with big, billowy clouds flying above…
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•June 18, 2014
Rescuing Richard: For One Veteran, Once Is Not Enough
This story takes place in the autumn of 1946 in Brooklyn. It tells of the struggle of two recently discharged young veterans of World War II, living in the big city. Each was trying to acclimate and…
