Autumn's Headdress On Indian Head Rock ~ Delaware Water Gap

With the rebirth of Autumn come the changing colors of the deciduous trees.  One of the most spectacular places to see this is Delaware Water Gap that divides New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  As a child we often were taken on family rides through the Gap and the Indian Head Rock on the New Jersey side with its very colorful headdress was always pointed out to us by our parents or our dear family friend Sam Jones. 

Today I saw a photo of this on the New Jersey website for Millbrook Village.  The photo brought back a flood of happy childhood memories.  

I then wondered if erosion has worn down the Indian's facial features, in particular the once prominent nose.  So I surfed the images of this natural phenomena and came up with a postcard from yesteryear, however there was no date on it.  

I honestly do not see much of a difference, although my memory tells me that there is a difference.  Perhaps it is just the more vivid imagination of a child who saw a more prominent proboscis back in the early sixties!

Apple Pie Is Fun To Make

Butter Crust:            Bake 350 degrees approx 1/2 hour check with sharp knife through slits on top.


2 1/2 C.Flour
1/2 teasp. salt
1 C Butter chilled diced
1/2 C Ice Cold Water

1. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
2. Roll dough out to fit a 9 inch pie plate.I always use parchment paper. Place crust in pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

 Mix Together the following in a bowl and turn into the crust, add top crust, pinch around sides,  make" tic-tac- toe" slits on top to let out steam.  With leftover dough make some leaves to add some pizzazz to the pie. See photos below.

• 3/4 - 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablepoon cinnamon
•  6 large Macintosh apples--peeled, cored, and sliced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 c flour

The Warm Glow Of Autumn ~ In My Home ~ Holiday Decor

I love to decorate my mantle. Wood carved swan decoy.

When we make the effort to cozy up our home and fill it with an atmosphere that glows with the celebration of the season, it is a gift to our family and those who come to visit. It’s those extra little things we do, to create a feeling of warmth and whimsy, joy and goodness, that communicates a message to our family that says: you are loved and it is my pleasure to make you feel nurtured and cared for.

My warm cozy Autumn living room.

It’s a message that hugs the hearts of those we love and it gives them a delicious affection for home. We must never underestimate the importance of providing a loving environment for our family, it sets the stage for happy memories that will last a lifetime.Aunt Ruthie "Sugar Pie Farmhouse"

A Lovely Family Wedding On The Beach

"I am the beach, and here you shall find peace.
I am the beach, here you shall find love. "

The lovely wedding of our niece Alison to Jeffrey on September 21, 2012 at half past four in the afternoon on the beach of the Surf Rider Beach Club in Sea Bright, New Jersey. The reception followed in the lovely ballroom of the club's Windows On The Water.  

My favorite part of this wedding was having my husband's entire family together again! Then naturally I would absolutely love the idea that the ceremony was on the beach.   As the breaking of the surface of water, by waves, falls it releases negative ions in the atmosphere. By their ability to stick to different free radicals, they are very beneficial for our health and our emotional well being. 

How do you describe a wedding ceremony on the beach.  The fresh salty air, the warmth of the sun, the rhapsody of the waves crashing against the shoreline, and the melodious romantic music hovering around us.  

The stage was set and then the principal players arrived, so beautiful, so loving, so at peace.  The vows were light and loving.  At the end of the ceremony when the officiant announced the bride and groom as husband and wife beach balls began floating throughout the guests as if they appeared out of nowhere.  The bride and groom reached for the sky in joyful glee! 

We all ascended the stairs to the first floor deck which was set up for the cocktail/hors d'oeuvre hour.  There were stations set up for the hors d'oeuvres, veggie crudites', antipasto, fresh fruits,  a variety of cheeses, and there were waiters in complete uniform including white gloves carrying trays of hors d'oeuvres, filet Mignon on toast with horseradish, lobster tail tempura, mini crab cakes, spinach artichoke phyllo dough cups, shrimp kabobs, and much more.  

After the cocktail/hors d'oeuvre hour we were escorted to the second floor ballroom.  The ballroom of the Windows On The Water Beach Club was a very large, room with one entire wall of windows over looking another deck, the beach, and the Atlantic Ocean.   There were several elegant chandeliers, the tables and bamboo decor chairs were light in color and gave the room a bright and airy ambiance! 

The wedding favors were a cute tin pail filled with Jersey Shore salt water taffy. There were photo magnets to be used in collaboration with the photo booth set up in the back of the room.  There was a bottle of Tuscany wine for each adult that came from a Bridgewater, NJ winery.  The label commemorated the happy event.  My husbands family are from Bridgewater, NJ.

The reception was so much fun and everyone was dancing.  The bride danced the entire time! She was so graceful and was having so much fun with all of her friends.  It was wonderful that my father-in-law was able to attend, and we took that opportunity to take many pictures with him and his family.  Because the Groom was Jewish and Italian and the Bride Italian, English, Irish, and German there were several folk dances, as seen in the YouTube video below. 

The meal at the reception included a waiter served salad and rolls, and then in buffet style they had four stations of several different cuisine.  There was a seafood station that consisted of  Mussels Marinara, Fried Calamari, and Risotto Fra Diablo. The next station was Italian food that consisted of "delicious" Lasagna, Sausage and Peppers, and (something else I didn't try).  My favorite station was the Filet Mignon station with Filet, sauteed onions, mushrooms, beef gravy, roasted red potatoes, and grilled summer veggies.  I never made it to the fourth station, as I couldn't eat another thing.  After they cut the cake, they brought a tray of Italian cookies(including chocolate dipped cannolis) and coffee to each table. The cake was so moist, it was as if it were Trifel, and my piece included a white chocolate sea shell.  All of the food was delicious! 

At ten o'clock PM everyone went out to the beach for a bonfire, roasting marshmallows, and making Smores.  The next morning the parents of the Groom held a family brunch in their lovely seaside home.  On Sunday the couple left for a Hawaiian Honeymoon.  Congratulations Alison and Jeff!

This blog post is dedicated to memory of my late brother-in-law Richard Hoffman the father of the Bride who passed away from a sudden heart attack at the age of forty-nine in April 1996.   

From the John Denver song On The Wings Of A Dream

There are those who will lead us Protect us each step of the way From beginning to end For each moment forever each day Such a gift has been given It can never be taken away
 
Though the body in passing must leave us There is one who remains to receive us There are those in this life Who are friends from our heavenly home
 
So I listen to the voices inside me For I know they are there just to guide me And my faith will proclaim it is so We are never alone
From the life to the light From the dark of the night to the dawn He is so in my heart He is here he could never be gone.

Read more: JOHN DENVER - ON THE WINGS OF A DREAM LYRICS

Please Think Twice Before Using Your Child's Image As An Adult Profile Pic

Since the minor, who by legal definition lacks the ability to give informed consent, a parent who uses a photo of their child publicly has given consent for it to be viewed publicly.

As an article written by Brian Gongol states when you share a status update, tweet, or comment that is of adult content and your profile photo is of your child, you have just tied that child's image with adult comment and it is just wrong!

Perhaps you have not written status updates, tweets, or comments with adult content yourself, but if you have "liked" or made a comment on the page of another that has adult content, you just linked your child with that content!

The innocence of the pure of heart should not be compromised by thoughtless coupling of their image with adult hatred or defamation! Do your children a favor and remove their face from your profile picture! It is the right thing to do for their sake.

Remember September 11, 2001 and Moving Forward in Peace

We mustn't just remember the horrible details of that tragic day, but the lesson that we must learn from all tragic events and loss. We must attain Peace and move forward in harmony if the lives that were lost are to have a lasting meaning instead of just a tragic end.

  

Though common vernacular would dictate that I should say that I have always been a fan of John Denver I would rather use the words kindred spirit who has been amazed by his ability to move the human soul with his lyrics and music. I remember once that Jeni Stepanek had commented on one of my John Denver post. Jeni is the mother of Mattie Stepanek the young boy who inspires the world with his words and especially this phrase "Peace Is Possible". Like John, Mattie continues to inspire even though he has passed on. It is my opinion that this John Denver song that appears on his debut album from 1969 was prophetic. There are several lines that impress me and make feel that it is prophetic regarding the terrorist acts that changed our world on September 11, 2001. John wrote:

Though the cities start to crumble
And the towers fall around us
The sun is slowly fading
And it's colder than the sea

It gives me the chills to hear him sing these words and coupling them with the description many who were there in lower Manhattan that horrible day his lyrics in 1969 truly hit home!

As in all tragedy and loss we look for the lesson or the message that helps us to make sense of the event. I believe these next lines of John's song Rhymes and Reasons is our message and as Jeni Stepanek entitled her latest book Messenger I believe it is Mattie and his message of Peace that leads us to a better way.

It is written from the desert
To the mountains they shall lead us
By the hand and by the heart
They will comfort you and me
In their innocence and trusting
They will teach us to be free

For the children and the flowers
Are my sisters and my brothers
Their laughter and their loveliness
Would clear a cloudy day

And the song that I am singing
Is a prayer to non believers
Come and stand beside us
We can find a better way.

Now it is up to us to listen, and follow their lead. Let us make their lives, their message a integral part of each and every day, of each and every word we write and say!

• •  To learn more about this truly remarkable young man who I believed received his message through Providential Divine Inspiration.: http://www.mattieonline.com/
    

    
    

    Mattie J.T. Stepanek Foundation - "Peace is possible!" — Mattie

    www.mattieonline.com
    
    
    

    

    
    Isaiah 11:6
    
    The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
    
    

Barry Manilow Concert ~ Reading, Pennsylvania September 6,2012

On September 6, 2012 my daughter Jamiann and  I attended a Barry Manilow Concert at the Sovereign Center in Reading, PA.  Last night we got to experience the show with both of Jamiann's daughters. The eldest is the same age Jami was when she first saw Barry in concert.  

Jamiann has been a fan since she was 9 years old when she first saw him in concert at the Stabler Arena with my sister Irene who won the tickets, a limo ride to the concert, and each received a long stem rose. 

 Together Jami and I have seen him numerous times including live on the Rosie O'Donnell Show, The View, Good Morning America, The Today Show, and two tapings of live concerts for television while in Nashville, TN. 

We had a great time! Barry' s voice was never better! At the end of the concert we ran into several of our longtime friends from the Manilow fan clubs.  The last time I had seen Faye and Lynn was at Jamiann's wedding over ten years ago.  It was so good to see them!


 The Grand Finale of two songs, Copacabana, and I Write The Songs.

Barry thanked the many fans who attended last night that brought a donated musical instrument for the Manilow Music Project  Last year, in response to the needs of public schools and their severely depleted music programs, Barry gathered some friends and formed The Manilow Music Project as part of his non-profit, Manilow Fund for Health and Hope. The mission statement of the Project highlights the importance of music programs in U.S. schools and donates instruments and materials to school music programs.
http://www.manilowmusicproject.org/latestnews10_1_09.html

Labor Day 2012

We stayed home today and my daughter Jamiann and her family came over for dinner.  For the first time ever I smoked a standing pork rib roast using apple wood in my electric grill. It was delicious. I served it with Piazza's Jersey Sweet Corn, Boiled Red Potatoes, a Romaine salad with tomatoes from my garden, and we had Smores for dessert.

On Friday I rode along with my husband to New Jersey to pick up the Simmons mattress and box spring set, that I won on Facebook from the Ashley Furniture Store in Phillipsburg/Greenwich Mall. We stopped by Piazza's Farm Market for their delicious sweet corn and Jersey Peaches.   

Saturday we attended our grand-children's birthday party at the home of our daughter Jennifer. Sunday we went out to dinner with my daughter Jamiann's family.  We put our tent up in the yard for the grand-kids to have a sleep over and campfire for one last end of summer Hoorah! I even bought giant marshmallows and Hebrew National Beef Franks to roast over the campfire.   Well, the rain from Hurricane Isaac put a kibosh to that!

My husband was thrilled to have seven days off celebrating "No Labor"! Well except for picking up the new bedding set and putting it on the frame.  But at least now he is getting a very restful sleep! 

I hate to see summer end!

The Joint Birthday Party Of Two Of My Grandchildren:

My daughter Jen's Two Youngest, Lilyanna and Gabriel, they are 11months apart in age.

A big thanks to my nine year old granddaughter Abigayle for her excellent work as the photographer and videographer!