Monthly Archive: July 2026

This time of year has me thinking of summers gone by, and the wonder of how on earth we all made it out in one piece.

Long Island beaches are unique in that they run east and west facing the open Atlantic Ocean, which means they generally have stronger surf, powerful undertows, and shifting rip currents. A rite of passage growing up on Long Island was getting caught in the undertow. This would have you scooped up and tossed around, much like I imagine it would feel being in a washing machine on the heavy duty cycle. Then the mighty Atlantic would spit you out depositing you on shore dazed and confused. I remember it well. Sand in every crevice of your body and a walk that was slightly loopy as you tried to make your way back to your towel.

One of my brothers experienced the washing machine effect when he was about seven years old. He swears he saw me standing on the shore and he wondered why I wasn’t rescuing him. I actually think he was seeing his life pass before his eyes.

We would then lie on a towel applying baby oil so we could get the best burn possible. The real fun was when the sunburn – which may even have been considered second degree – began to peel. We would entertain ourselves by seeing who could tear the biggest sheet of skin from each other’s back without it breaking.

That same brother fell into the pool of a family we were visiting one summer and sunk like a rock. Luckily another sibling saw what happened and jumped in, fully clothed, and saved him. While this was going on I was sitting up at the picnic table trying to find out how hot a napkin might get if I waved it over the candle. (I think I’ve been up front with the fact that Miss Scribbles wasn’t the brightest bulb back then.) I’m sure that family couldn’t get rid of us fast enough.

Good times.

We just returned from a summer road trip that had us reminiscing about one we took twenty-five years ago to Georgia, North Carolina, Long Island, Connecticut and into New York City to spend a few days with a good friend.

We strolled across the Brooklyn Bridge, went to Ellis Island, took in a Met game at good ole Shea Stadium, and walked in awe around Time Square where a little old man wacked hubby in the calf with his cane saying, “Move it, Sonny. We’re not all on vacation!” This made us step aside so we could laugh hysterically at the stereotypical New York experience. Actually, most New Yorkers were super nice even offering help as they saw us struggling with the subway maps.

We casually strolled past the World Trade Center (WTC) barely giving the iconic buildings a second glance. We did, however, buy this street art that highlights the twin towers perfectly. Little did we know that in just two short months those towers would disappear from the New York skyline forever.