#WisdomWednesday – You can’t buy happiness . . .

You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy ice cream and books and that’s the same thing! LOL! Today’s thought was inspired by this amazing photo my daughter took at the Museum of Ice Cream and my fav dessert: ice cream! There’s even a scene in WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER where Connie and Jonathan go get some ice cream at their fav place and then go for a walk along the boardwalk. My fav ice cream place is Day’s in Ocean Grove. I’m so bummed I missed the season opening on Mother’s Day, but you can bet I’ll be there over Memorial Day weekend to get some ice cream. Plus I’ll have a load of books for my summer reads on the beach. Have a great Wednesday!
ice cream and books, perfect together

#ThrowbackThursday Levittown & Mr. Softee

I grew up in Levittown, Long Island, the first planned suburb in America. Some will bad mouth it by saying it was bland, homogenous and sanitized, but to me it was heaven and the American Dream.

My family was able to buy a home and we had good public schools that prepared us for the future. We had friendly neighbors after some initial issues with being Cuban and all in all, things were wonderful.

The community had little village greens with community pools and we were just minutes away from Jones Beach. Summers were spent playing outdoors and going to the pool or beach. Summers were also spent waiting for the visit of Mr. Softee, today’s Throwback Thursday memory. Of course, that just made me remember that the Good Humor man would also visit on another day, but that’s for a future post. LOL!

My family wasn’t well off, after all, we were political refugees who’d been in America for less than nine years when my parents moved us to Levittown. How’d they do that? The old fashioned way: hard work.

But money was tight and it wasn’t unusual that dinner was fried eggs and rice and we ate cream cheese and jelly sandwiches for lunch. If we even ate lunch. I don’t really remember eating breakfast or lunch in the summer. We were too busy playing outside.

Anyway, having enough money for Mr. Softee was a big deal. A BIG DEAL. Back then, you could get an ice cream cone for about 15 cents, but I loved their sundaes, so I’d save up the 15 cents my grandfather would give us and wait until I had the 35 cents for a sundae!

My sister would always get the Brown Cow, an ice cream cone dipped into some kind of magic liquid that produced a hard shell on the cold ice cream. I sometimes opted for the Cherry Cow if I was really impatient.

After we bought our ice creams, we’d sit on the curb and talk as we ate our treats before heading off to play with our friends again.

Those were the good times and it’s nice to remember them on this Throwback Thursday.

Mister Softee Truck 1.JPG
“Mister Softee Truck 1” by Rjsswf8Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Thursday 13 – Favorite Jersey Shore Things

I love the summer and being to drive down to the Jersey Shore and enjoy being outdoors.

So this morning’s Thursday 13 is a list of my favorite Jersey Shore Things! Feel free to add your some of your favorite things about the Jersey Shore or about the summer!

1. Strolling along the boardwalk and checking out the sights.
2. Checking out street fairs, flea markets and art festivals.
3. 4th of July parades and fireworks.
4. Memorial Day parades and services to honor our military.
5. Sitting on the beach and reading.
6. Fishing! I have got to break out that fishing pole.
7. Exploring the various towns and seeing their unique styles.
8. Long bike rides along Ocean Avenue.
9. Surfer dudes. They are so sexy.
10. Eating ice cream at Day’s in Ocean Grove or Kohr’s frozen custard along the boardwalk.
11. $10.00 lobster specials! Yum, love lobster.
12. Shopping at the outlets.
13. Lucy the Elephant!

Hope you’re having a good summer so far! Feel free to share your favorite things with us today!

You can visit more Thursday 13 participants by clicking here.

Thursday 13 – Favorite Foods

I had a chance to have a wonderful business-related dinner last night at an upscale New York City eatery – the Gotham Bar and Grill – which got me going on the theme for today’s Thursday 13, namely, my favorite foods. So here goes!

1. Foie gras. Yes, I know it’s outlawed in California and Oregon, but it’s tasty.

2. Lobster.

3. Hot Dogs.

4. Hot apple pie with vanilla ice cream.

5. Ice cream. Most any flavor except mint. Yech. I hate mint.

6. Ropa vieja. A tasty Cuban dish of shredded beef in tomato sauce.

7. Cuban roast pork. Love it! I gave out the recipe the other day if you want to try it for yourself. Just click here.

8. Tacos.

9. Cheese and bread.

10. Spaghetti and meatballs (my husband makes the best meatballs!)

11. My sister’s Thanksgiving Meal. (Corn casserole, turkey, pecan pie so many amazing foods!)

12. Eggs. Any way shape or form.

13. Tomato soup with either a tuna or peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the side.

Hope you enjoyed today’s Thursday Thirteen. I welcome you to add any of your foods and even give us some recipes if you can.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!

Friday Five – Things to Do Down the Jersey Shore

I think you all know by now based on the locations for SINS OF THE FLESH and STRONGER THAN SIN that I love being down the Jersey Shore. There is something about being close to the water that just does my Piscean soul a world of wonder, plus there’s the laid back pace. So different from my everyday hustle and bustle when I go to work in Manhattan.

That’s why I’m looking forward to a long weekend at the shore and I thought I would share five things to do down the shore on this Friday Five!

1. Ride a wave, whether with a surf board, boogie board or a teeth-rattling body surf (conditions permitting of course).

2. Spread your blanket beneath the stars and just lay back and enjoy the peace and quiet. Do it on the 4th of July and experience the excitement and wonder of some amazing fireworks.

3. Stroll along the boardwalk and catch the sights. My favorite strip is from the Paramount Theater in Asbury Park down to the Shark River in Belmar, just a few miles of a nice mix of different towns.

4. Satisfy your hunger with a Windmill hot dog loaded with the works.

5. Work off that hot dog with a walk through Ocean Grove and stop for an ice cream at either Days or Nagles, or head to Bradley Beach for ice cream at Beach Plum or an amazing freshly-filled cannoli at Del Ponte’s Bakery.

Hope you all have a marvelous and blessed Labor Day Weekend.