Summer's End....

I hope you have all enjoyed the beach, barbecues, concerts, boating, golf and other great summer activities.

Dick and I took advantage of a perfect summer day in July. We went into Boston on the Blue Line. In 15 minutes, we were at the Aquarium station about to take in all that Boston Harbor has to offer. The photo opps were incredible: tall buildings, fabulous hotels and condos, restaurants, the Aquarium, magnificent boats offering harbor cruises and tourists from all over the world enjoying the picturesque harbor.

We walked over to the North End for the Feast of Saint Agrippina. It’s a fun place to visit. We love the atmosphere, music and food. Our last stop was Fanueil Hall and the Market Place.

The following Sunday, we continued our walking tour of Boston. We got off at Copley Plaza and wandered through the Copley Fairmont and the Taj on our way to the Public Gardens. I was in awe of the enormous old willow trees and the way their branches touched the water and swayed in the warm summer breezes.

The Swan Boats have been a popular attraction in Boston for decades. They glide through the water carrying passengers who have taken the time to enjoy the tranquility of this beautiful spot. After a quick stop at the infamous Cheers for a bit of nostalgia, we headed to Boston Commons.

It was heartwarming to watch families playing Frisbee or enjoying a picnic under a lovely shade tree and young couples sitting on a blanket reading a book. It was nice to feel the serenity and to watch the kids cooling off in the Frog Pond. Another one hundred pictures later, we stopped at Clarke’s at Fanueil Hall for a leisurely lunch before heading home.

We truly have many great places to visit and some amazing things to do and sites to see, right in our own back yard.

WRITING UPDATE: CAROUSEL KISSES

I am hoping to announce soon that Carousel Kisses is available. When I know, you’ll know. The cover is done and we are close to publication. I have re-vamped my personal website, www.luvs2write.com and have a website/blog for the book, www.carouselkisses.blogspot.com. I am now on Twitter under Carousel Kisses and have a Facebook page for the book. Tide Dancer, my publisher, has added me to their website, www.tidedancer.com . I will continue to send out updates on my blog, through personal email and on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Thank you for your support.

MY WRITING GROUP: NORTH SHORE SCRIBES

We celebrated our second anniversary as a writing group with a luncheon at the home of one of our members. You can visit us at www.northshorescribes.wordpress.com. Please stop by. We appreciate your comments. Bookmark the site and visit often.

OTHER HAPPENINGS IN THE REHAL WORLD:

We are expecting our 5^th (yes, I said number 5) grandchild next week! Another boy.

We are looking forward to our next Disney trip in October. This one will be a magical happening with some of our kids there, including two grandkids. We have a relaxing weekend planned in North Conway in December.

My class reunion is coming up soon. LEHS (Lynn English High School) Class of 1965, September 24^th at Gannon in Lynn. If you were a member of this class, try to make it. If you know someone who was, please tell them about it in case they don’t already know.

Thanks for reading my blog. Please stop by again.

Enjoy the last days of summer!

Lina

Sweet September

September is half over. Jobs are scarce, but I continue to network and explore possibilities. The right thing will turn up. In the meantime, I’m learning how to use my new camera, spending time with Katie, writing and doing volunteer work. Dick and I have enjoyed some great day trips.

We took the subway into Boston for the Feast of Saint Anthony. I saw the Rose Kennedy Greenway for the first time and found interesting photo opportunities in the North End. Walking along the narrow streets, we watched vendors set up their pushcarts in preparation for the biggest feast of the summer. We wandered through, taking in the aromas of various pasta dishes, pizza, sausage, peppers and onion. So much great food! It started to rain just as I was eating my ziti. I saved the gourmet biscotti for later and we headed back to Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. We stopped for a drink at an outside café, walked back to the subway and got home before the deluge.

That same weekend, we took a ride to Ipswich for fried clams and continued on to the beautiful seaside town of Newburyport. I loved having bigger boats and different scenery to take pictures of and rambling through the Oldies Market. I got some terrific shots. We went to a farm stand on the way home. I found an unexpected photo opportunity. They had chickens, turkeys, a llama and, of all things, a buffalo. You know I had to get his picture. Photography can be a challenging and sometimes dangerous hobby.

Last Friday, Dick took me on a mystery ride. Not knowing where I could end up, I grabbed a hooded jacket and my camera. It was cold and windy at Salisbury Beach. Even though it has changed so much and doesn’t have the flavor I remember as a kid, I liked being there. I looked at what it is now and saw visions of the exciting place it once was. I stood where the Frolics used to be and remembered the night when I was fourteen and my dad took me there to see Paul Anka. I took some pictures of the crashing waves, something that had always been part of that beach. I thought about the rental cottages and some of the family vacations spent there. Recalling it all so vividly, I pointed out where the flying horses, boats, tilt-a-whirl, rollercoaster, Ferris wheel, dodgem cars and fun house with the barrels once stood. It was like stepping into a time machine. We had a slice of pizza at Tripoli’s. It’s not the same as it was all those years ago, but my taste buds were working from memory. A light rain began to fall. We ate in the car and I was further surprised when we continued on to Hampton Beach where the Seafood Festival was beginning.

It was colder and windy at Hampton too, but not raining. We walked through the tents and stores and food booths for an hour and a half. I had fun taking more pictures. It rained hard all the way home. Once again, we got out before a deluge.

On the writing scene: I’ve been toying with the idea of resurrecting Carousel Kisses and getting it out there in the global market. I’ve even been thinking of starting my own publishing company. I have added a story or two to Sweet Violets and hope to get that one further along while I have the time. As you can see, I’m blogging again.

I hope your summer was a good one, despite the torrential downpours of June and July and the steaminess that followed the rainy days of this ridiculous excuse of a summer. I hope your vacations went well and that you are enjoying the cooler days and a sweet September as we segue in fall. Dick and I are looking forward to Disney in October and I’m trying not to think about Black Friday or Christmas shopping being so close.

Happy fall!