Summer Memories

Vintage Drive-In

Does anyone remember the drive-in movie theaters? This used to be one of my favorite things to do on a summer night. When we were kids, my parents would often take us as there were several in our area. We often went in our "jammies" so we would be ready for bed when we arrived home.

As I got older, I often went with my friends. It was pretty cheap-only a few dollars for the whole carload. And believe me, we would squeeze in as many as possible. You could even bring your dog if you wanted (my friend sometimes did). My vehicle at the time was a real boat of a Chevy, a perfect drive-in car.

It was the perfect summer date, that is unless your friends discovered you there and decided to surprise you by banging on your car's window while you were (ahem) watching the movie. This was particularly fun to do if a horror movie was playing.

I really don't remember when they started to disappear, maybe in the late 70's or early 80's? Many here in New Jersey were replaced with shopping malls and large condominium complexes. Real estate taxes rose so high here and since it was mostly a warm weather operation, it just wasn't profitable anymore.

Of course some HAD to go because they were a bit of a nuisance. Like the one that was located under the bridge that gets a lot of shore traffic in the summer. This particular drive-in played mostly naughty movies and since the screen was clearly visible from the bridge, it caused quite a few fender benders. And I'm sure not too many parents were thrilled about the free show their kids were getting as they drove over the bridge.

So I checked and I see there are still some active drive-ins in the US and Canada. You can find out more info by clicking here. I would really like to take Carlos to one someday, as he did not grow up in this country and has never been to one. And maybe we'll bring Raven, I think she would like to see "Underdog". Betcha no one will be banging on our windows!

Cat-Napping

Yes, that's what I was doing this afternoon. I had come home from work early and turned on the TV to watch the Yankee game. Took some pain reliever for my shoulder and sinus headache and next thing I knew I was out out out (just like the Yankees!)Meanwhile my hubby had come home, went into the backyard and accidently locked himself outside. He tried banging on the door and windows but neither Raven or I heard him (good watch dog, eh?)

So it was Jeter to the rescue (my cat that is, not the Yankee). This cat is programmed to come out of hiding everyday at 5pm to indulge in his favorite hobby-eating. And nothing wakes you up like a large hungry kitty jumping on you. I awoke and stumbled into the kitchen and noticed hubby's keys on the table, I had no idea he was home, as there was no sign of him inside the house. I went outside into the stifling heat and there he was, a little mad and very sweaty. Maybe tomorrow I'll show him my secret way of breaking into the house!

And the Yankees also lost.

By the way, if you want to find the coolest spot in your home, take notice where your cat likes to sleep. Mine seems to like the corner behind the sofa-I think I'll pass on that!

Hot Hot Hot!

Evening Dresses for August 1808, from Le Beau Monde or, Literary and Fashionable Magazine

What dreadful hot weather we have!
It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance.
- Jane Austen

Nobody ever drowned in his own sweat.
- Ann Landers

If you saw a heat wave, would you wave back?
- Steven Wright

Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.
- Sam Keen

Can you believe it's August already? We're about to embark on a week long heat wave in NJ, seven days of hazy, hot and humid weather. Yes, that sure sounds like August to me.

So, what do you think of those summer fashions from 200 years ago in the above picture? Kind of cute, but I would prefer shorter sleeves for the warm weather. I wonder what they wore to the beach?

Well, I'm going to enjoy a LAZY summer evening on the porch-a little too hot for "walkies" tonight. Stay cool wherever you are!

A Dark And Stormy Day

Big boomers here today. They've let up for a while, but my cat, Jeter has yet to emerge from his hiding place. Not to worry, for he has a way of magically appearing like clockwork every day at 5 pm. Hey, what do you know; guess who just walked into the room? Scram kitty cat! You're 25 minutes early for din-din!

There's a few power outages around here. Luckily it hasn't affected us, not yet anyway. Many of the traffic lights are out. Should be a most interesting evening.

The humidity has broken a bit, but the rest of this week we can expect pretty much of the same kind of weather. Looks like it's going to be another hot, sticky, and buggy August in the state of NJ.

My veggie garden has gotten so dense I can barely get in there to search for hidden squash and cucumbers. Looks like I overdid it with the Miracle Grow again! One of these years maybe I'll get it right.

Well, I'm getting "feed me" faces from the furry ones so I'll stop my rambling here. They can get pretty persuasive when they're hungry. Maybe I should send them into the garden to hunt for cucumbers.

A Summer Afternoon On The Porch

One of my favorite places to spend a summer afternoon is on our front porch. I like to read there or just watch whatever comes to visit the garden that day. Here's a photo of some of the flowers on one side of the porch:



I was attempting to take some pictures of butterflies, but it was pretty windy outside and most of the photos were blurry. However, Mr. Bee was kind enough to pose for a shot atop this purple coneflower:



And this black-eyed Susan:



Apparently Mr. Bee was on some kind of top-secret mission, for he chased me after I snapped his photo!

Who can this be, hiding behind the flowers?



I also recommend that if you are trying to take pictures of butterflies, for best results leave your chubby kitty cat with the tiny head indoors.



That's Jeter, enjoying the show at the butterfly bush.
I took this picture while lying down on my stomach to get the best angle to show off my cat's unique physique. And wouldn't you know it, at the same time my postman was coming up the front steps. He did look at me rather strangely as he handed me the mail.

Thank you for looking at my pictures. Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer.

Heat Wave

It has been very hot and humid here the past few days. The simple act of breathing is enough to cause one to break out in a sweat! So not much has been happening here, as I have been in a heat-induced trance since Monday.

Took the Jeep for an oil change and since it was nearby, thought we would take our chances at NJ Motor Vehicles to get it inspected. No sane person would want to sit in a hot car on a 100 degree day to wait on an inspection line, so naturally, that is what we opted to do.

We pulled up to the inspection station, and lo and behold, for the first time in all my years of driving, NO ONE ELSE WAS THERE! Except of course for the employees and they all looked like they had passed out from the heat.

In New Jersey, one must leave their vehicle with a technician and wait near the exit in a booth. You watch as various tests are performed to ensure your vehicle is roadworthy enough to travel on the treacherous highways and byways of the Garden State. When they are finished, they drive it to the exit where you are waiting and then the big moment arrives.

You watch with anticipation as the technician scrapes away the old inspection sticker and slowly peels the backing from the new one. Will it be the dreaded red REJECTION sticker or will you pass?

Yay-it's a green sticker with a big number "7" in the middle! "Jeep-Jeep" has passed and is good to go for the next two years! We applaud our victorious vehicle as it crosses the "finish line". The technician eyes us warily, then laughs, as he knows the intense heat does do strange things to people.

We stop by a little flea market on the way home but buy nothing. It's just too stifling to be outside. I do admire the brave souls who are out there hawking their wares in this weather.

So, just where do the citizens of New Jersey go in this heat? Are they at the beach? Perhaps many are, but we found out there is another popular destination-they are at Wal-Mart!

Yes, that was our big road trip for today, a visit to our local Wal-Mart. Just picked up a few needed items, no fabulous bargains to report. We then headed home and had a little cookout before the rain arrived.

So hopefully this heat wave will end soon. I would really like to take a long drive somewhere. Maybe visit a Wal-Mart in another county or perhaps one near the shore? I'll keep you posted on our exciting adventures in the Garden State. Who knows, we may even cross the state border!

A Gazebo and Squished By a Squash

It's getting really hot and humid here. We have not yet hit the triple digits like some other parts of the US, but it just may happen tomorrow. Anyway, if we do experience power failures and no air conditioning, we have a place to sleep outside because we are now the proud owners of this groovy gazebo:



Carlos and his buddy put it up this weekend. They sent me away while they did their guy thing in the backyard. Meanwhile, I went to our city's annual waterfront festival and watched the sailboat races and listened to a few bands that were performing there. And unfortunately, I did not bring my camera so I have no photos to post.

So instead here is a photo of my monster zucchini plant:



I would not be surprised if I find that it has invaded the kitchen when I wake up tomorrow morning. See how that leaf in the bottom of the picture has escaped the fencing. It is headed towards my back door and I know it is out to get me for I have violated this plant several times. I peek under its leaves almost daily looking for some fruit to harvest. And I do believe I have mentioned the words "zucchini bread" in its presence. So if you do not see any posts from me, it will be most likely because this plant is holding me hostage.
Is it just a coincidence that these plants are known as "squash"?

Summer Breeze

See the curtains hangin' in the window, in the evenin' on a Friday night.
A little light a-shinin' through the window, lets me know everything is alright.
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind.
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind.

See the paper layin' in the sidewalk, a little music from the house next door.
So I walked on up to the doorstep, through the screen and across the floor.
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind.
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind.

Sweet days of summer, the jasmine's in bloom. July is dressed up and playing her tune.
And I come home from a hard day's work, and you're waiting there, not a care in the world.
See the smile a-waitin' in the kitchen, food cookin' and the plates for two.
See the arms that reach out to hold me, in the evening when the day is through.
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind.
Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine in my mind

By Seals and Crofts

This song brings back some fond summer memories. Do you have a favorite summer song?

Happy Birthday America!

4th JULY QUOTES

"We hold these truths to be self evident,
that all men are created equal."
~Thomas Jefferson~

"I know not what course others may take,
but as for me,
give me liberty or give me death."
~Patrick Henry~

"Our flag is red, white and blue,
but our nation is a rainbow -
red, yellow, brown, black and white -
and we're all precious in God's sight."
~Jesse Jackson~

"Our flag is our national ensign,
pure and simple,
behold it! Listen to it!
Every star has a tongue,
every stripe is articulate."
~Robert C. Winthrop (1809-1894),
Senator from Massachusetts~

"You can't appreciate home
till you've left it,
money till it's spent,
your wife until she's joined a woman's club,
nor Old Glory till you see it hanging
on a broomstick on a shanty
of a consul in a foreign town."
~O. Henry (1862-1919)~

Wishing everyone a safe and happy 4th.

Theme From A Summer Place

One of my favorite summer songs from one of the greatest summer romance movies ever made starring the eternally cute Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue.

Note to self: buy dvd before summer is over.

What Flavor Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Are You?

Happy summer everybody! Anyone for ice cream?

You Are Chunky Monkey Ice Cream

Truthfully, you're too spazzy to be chunky - you cheeky monkey!

What Flavor Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Are You?

Somehow, I knew I would be this flavor-I am a little chunky and I was born the year of the monkey!

BBQ Rules

A friend emailed me this the other day-can anyone relate to this? :o)


We are about to enter the summer and BBQ season. Therefore it is important to refresh your memory on the etiquette of this sublime outdoor cooking activity, as it's the only type of cooking a 'real' man will do, probably because there is an element of danger involved.


When a man volunteers to do the BBQ the following chain of events are put into motion:


Routine...


(1) The woman buys the food.


(2) The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, and makes dessert.


(3) The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill - beer in hand.



Here comes the important part:



(4) THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL.


More routine...


(5) The woman goes inside to organize the plates and cutlery.


(6) The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is burning. He thanks her and asks if she will bring another beer while he deals with the situation.


Important again:


(7) THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN.


More routine...


(8) The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces, and brings them to the table.


(9) After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.


And most important of all:


(10) Everyone PRAISES the MAN and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts.


(11) The man asks the woman how she enjoyed "her night off." And, upon seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there's just no pleasing some women..