Where I grew up, on the west side of Rochester, NY, was a suburban mecca of new homes built during the 1960s and 1970s on expanses of former farm land. All the homes are split levels, colonials, and raised ranches. The new homeowners of that era (my parents’ generation) wanted “new” houses – not the …
Summer Classics
People, Places, Sights, Sounds of Summer!
Summer Classics: Roller coasters and Skeeball
It’s been a couple of years since I’ve been to the amusement park, and I’ve never been with The Husband. Amusement park rides and crowds are on his list of things to avoid whenever possible, so I’ve always gone with a friend or tagged along with my sister and the nephews. Since there are fewer …
Summer Classics: Follow the Crowd
Street festivals, carnivals, outdoor free concerts, parades, beaches, races… summer draws a crowd. Big crowds. We put on our sunglasses then head over to the nearest weekend attraction. We circle the parking area, then wait for the shuttle bus. Then we wait in line for food/drinks/games. Then we are generally jostled in a crowd, and …
Summer Classics: Road Trip
It’s Saturday morning and the air is a perfect 75 degrees with a light breeze and puffy clouds. No social commitments on the calendar, no pressing chores…what to do? The day is a blank slate, and I feel a tug to get out of the house. The feeling is wanderlust, so we gas up the …
Summer Classics: Trash vs. Treasure
Another street sale is in the books. Yard sales, garage sales and street sales are a true summer classic. We have all set up first apartments with garage sale finds, or found some treasure we’re sure will be a hit on the Antiques Road Show. This year, we learned from a customer, whose mother was …
Summer: Commence!
Cut-off jeans! How I’ve missed you! Sock-less feet in Crocs… (…don’t hate, wearing your flip-flops.) Sweaty bottle at my elbow: Summer! Cut grass, boxwood & peonies — Bicycle tires — Sealer on a hot driveway — Charcoal burning under your burgers: These are fragrances of… Summer! Blockbuster superhero movie in a chilly theater. Waiting in …
Summer Classics: Outdoor Adventure
Do you know how easy it is to kayak? I didn’t either until I tried it about 5 years ago. Upper body strength is not typically part of my self-description. However, reclined in the cock-pit or on top of an open kayak with a long two-bladed paddle, I found, much to my surprise, that I …
Summer Classics: Barbecue
I know vegetarians and respect their choice to dine meatless. I also appreciate that they typically do not mind sitting across from me at a barbecue while I gnaw on a beef short rib. Because, you know, that’s the whole point of a summer barbecue – to grill and smoke meat! As a typical human, …
