Growing up I spent a lot of time at the Great Lakes. My grandparents lived a mile from the shore. We loved to go hiking, visit the lighthouse, which had been turned into a museum, go boating and fishing with our uncles, get ice cream (fireball ice cream!), popcorn, and go see a drive-in movie.
We relived all those memories this past weekend, and I captured this gorgeous sunset as our family young and old gathered at the quiet shoreline and skipped rocks. Our family is changing and growing and welcoming new spouses and babies to share in all this, but peaceful sunsets at the lake will forever be a constant. Happy summer and Fourth of July week.
306 sediments (sic) from readers:
«Oldest ‹Older 1 – 200 of 306 Newer› Newest»Ah, it all sounds so wonderful.....I bet I could name 8 children who would love some time on a beach, making sandcastles, splashing in the water, looking at bugs, skipping rocks, having a cookout...somewhere.
By the way 90-100 degree heat is brutal, but sure does make for great lighting for those with the photography bug!
My parents divorced the summer I turned six, and our lives (I am one of three kids) were very difficult after that. We lived in a small, two-bedroom apartment in Monterey Park in a not-so-great area, because that's all my mom could afford. We were very poor and on Welfare, because there was no child support.
So what could we do for fun? We'd pile into the Rambler, and drive down to Huntington Beach. This was pretty much an every weekend event in the summer. We would build awesome sand castles, dig for sand crabs, and get pounded in the surf. I remember walking to the snack bar to get candy, and the sand would be so hot, I'd have to hop onto strangers' towels to cool my burning feet.
While my childhood was not an easy one, I'll never forget the lazy summer days at the beach. We never, ever went on vacations when I was a child But since the day trips to the beach were pretty much free, that's where we went.
The only water I grew up around was the Ohio River. So, our family joined a club with a large pool and a swim team. My memories are poolside, with a few times at a cabin on the Ohio and going out on a small boat. I preferred the pool, frankly. I guess it was the chlorine. And no dead deer floating by...
Either way, summer holds wonderful memories for me. Swimming, bike riding, swimming, playing badminton or croquet in the back yard after dinner, swimming, washing the car, swimming.
Summer was too good to have to end with something as scheduled and stiff as school. I never wanted it to end.
Nowadays, I hear kids saying they can't wait for school to start because they are bored. And it's only the first of July!
I grew up in central California about 3 hours from the beach but we were very poor and my parents were always working so I never got to go.
But my kids had it much better. We lived in the Bay Area and on the weekends we would go to Santa Cruz or Carmel. It was so fun!
It's unfortunate that not all children are able to have warm and fuzzy feelings about childhood memories of going to the beach but you can make memories as an adult!
We're blessed to live an hour from the beach, so it's a fun, easy, cheap family staycation that we can do in for the day.
Growing up, we lived about 2 hours from the beach, the same distance Kate does. It never stopped my family from hopping in the car early in the morning, pulling in to the state beach parking lot about 10 or even 11 am and then we were there until 6. Along the way, we'd hit the fruit stands and have the best tasting strawberries! We'd devour 1/2 the flat by the time we got where we were going. My mom would pack a lunch for all of us, so food wasn't an issue. We'd usually stop on the way home and grab a quick bite at an A&W or sometimes a Denny's if my Dad needed a break.
I think that's what many of us find so frustrating about Kate Gosselin. She really make her life seem so much more difficult that it probably is. The kids are old enough, they've been to the beach so they know beach etiquette - not to wade out too far, not to fling sand on other people, etc. - that I really don't see what would be so dang all fired hard with taking her 8 kids to the beach for the day. Sorry, Kate, but the majority of people could care less about you and your kids and the ones that might stop you on the beach are handled very quickly with a kind smile, a thanks for being a fan, a hand shake and then done.
I live in Wisconsin...we have many lakes to play in/on. When I was a child I remember my mom taking my brother and sister to Lake Kegonsa.We had great times there.We would pack a cooler full of food and drinks. It was all but 10 miles away from where we lived. We had the best time...Swimming..fishing (altho I couldnt kill anything) I was the one who let the fish go.
I don't remember my mom being stressed out or bitching cause she took us there. I remember her taking lots of pictures and playing with us in the sand and water.She didnt need nannys or a boobyguard..She just wanted to be with us.
My mom was a trend setter...not in fashion or anything like that. My mom was the 1st woman to work in construction...my mom is the reason woman get 6 weeks off for having a baby. My mom fought for paid maternity leave...she fought raovac for that right and won. Look up Dvorak vs rayovack ..I think I spelled that wrong...the battery kings.
Yes I should know it better...but like kate I had a box o wine tonight.
Altho my mom was fighting unions for rights and equality....she still made sure she spent time with us kids...Nothing kate would even understand.
Growing up in LA, not far fom the beaches of Santa Monica, I remember wonderful summer beach days as a child - my mother and other neighbors would pack us up for a day - suits, towels, coolers, rafts, sunscreen. We would camp out by a lifeguard station for hours. As older teens we could take the bus ourselves to the beach. I raised my family further inland, but my fellow moms and I did the same beach trip with our children, maybe once a week in the summers. Kids loved it.
With our kids grown, married and starting famiilies, we have in the past few summers, done beach house rentals with them, in Santa Cruz, San Diego, Bodega Bay. Actually 2 had beach orientated weddings, great times and memories for us. This week, younger daughter and I have been talking about doing it again next summer.
Reading, Kate? Not so hard, and day trips are not so $$$ either.
My parents both worked full time but the always took us on several vacations. My favorite times were camping in the Adirodack Mts, my parents took us camping on all the lakes. My favorite memory was when my grandmother came camping with us for her very first time camping trip. She was so funny! She would have a dis towel over her shoulder and carry this little tiny rake and she would rake the sand around the campsite to make it look neat. It always cracked me up saying "gramma...it's camping! We don't have to clean!". In the Adirondaks you have to be aware of black bears, so at night you have to pack food in coolers and leave it in the car. One night we were getting ready for bed and I was sleeping with gramma on my side of the pop-up. I slid my hand under the pillows and hit something hard. When I looked for what it was, under her pillow my gramma had her false teeth and a hatchet!! Lol. I asked her if her plan was to hack a bear to death or gum it to death!!! Ahhhh the memories of spending time with parents who wanted to be with you and GRANDPARENTS too. The gosselin kids might have money, a mansion and a pool, but the are truly missing the real riches in life.
I grew up 10 minutes from the ocean, north of Boston. My Dad worked 3rd shift, my Mom 1st shift. Dad would come home in the morning, pack up the car with me and my two siblings and all our stuff, and w'd drive to the beach. He'd sleep on the beach for 4-5 hours while the three of us ran around and had a blast. During that time period it was a perfectly safe thing to do, and gave me and my sibs a feeling of some budding independence. Now I live a few hours inland, but we go to Cape Cod every summer, and I have great experiences sharing the ocean with my husband and son, sometimes adding in some relatives or friends. We go to the same place every summer, and meet up with our summer friends.
My favorite beach story == we, Mom, Dad, two sisters and brother, were heading back from White Crystal Beach, MD. Along the way, my Dad stopped to check out the roadside farm market. The highlight was the watermelon. Drove a few miles and the car over-heated. No problem. Dad pulled over; we piled out; he opened the hood to cool the engine. And,then he cut the watermelon. There we sat eating watermelon surrounded on both sides of the road with corn fields. The car cooled down. We resumed the journey back home. I believe I was about 5=years old. That would make it 76-years ago. Oh, yes we had a tradition for Palm Sunday. It was our dress up and join the Easter Parade in Atlantic City. BTW, that continued after I was married.
My uncle was a farmer, with a large farm that had a creek running through it. When my cousins and I were little, he dammed up part of the creek and created a small lake, which he stocked with fish. I lived for the days when my mom or my dad would say "We're going to the farm". My cousins and I would pull on our bathing suits and swim and dive, while our parents and sometimes neighbors would sit on the shore talking or fishing. We'd build a bonfire and our mothers would bring out salads and "fixins" and we'd roast hot dogs and make somemores. Sometimes my aunt would bury potatoes under the edges of the bonfire and we'd have wonderfully flavorful roasted potatoes to eat with our dogs and salad. Every year our church would have a church picnic at a local lake with a beach and community cabin. We'd all head up there after Sunday morning service and cook out, swim, play volleyball or softball, or just lounge around talking. In the evening, as the sun set over the water, we'd have evening prayers and sing hymns. Sometimes if I close my eyes, I can still hear "Nearer My God To Thee" echoing in my head and see the brilliant colors reflected on the water. Several times when I was little my parents rented a small cabin on a local lake and we stayed there for a week. I was really small -- 5 or 6 or 7, so I don't remember a lot, but I do remember the huge slide in the shallows. I was afraid to climb up the steps, so my dad climbed up behind me and slid down with me on his lap. By the end of the week, I was climbing up and sliding down by myself. Great times.
star..ditto..and sillimom?
(forgive my french..cause I am)..lol
me..was the shores of lake Huron.Canadian side.
We one tim3 built a sandman human in the path that the 4wheelers took...then dad had us sit back and watch them ffeak out after they ran over him...lmao
Dad then would explain although this time it was a sandsculpture...next time it coild be real and to slow down..lol
the looks on their faces! but dad ( scout leader) got his mrssage across and we had fun...then took out boat and caught raimbow trout for supper..yup
.I was the master skinner..ahhh
great memories
From kate's mindset, without the glitzy hotel, the flashy pool, the waiters waiting on her lazy butt, etc...what a waste of real estate. From a fellow Great Lake (Michigan on the WI shore, can't beat the beauty for all the $ in her accounts. She can only appreciate memories if they are made on someone else's $ (and LOTS of those $), have someone else watching her tribe, cater to her narcissistic needs and don't require her to actually know anything about them.
OT, in Gosselin-speak, Jon's 3 yr friendship with the Rabbi would be a long-time friendship. At least he is capable of having friendships. Kate's fall apart as soon as the friend is no longer able/willing to feed her needs. You know, you can't/won't cater to me, my, mine, I, who needs you.
One of my best memories of the beach is when I first got my GS to raise and went to the beach on the Pacific side (we live on Atlantic side). The lighting was perfect and the waves were huge. He found a long piece of seaweed and was running back and forth along the beach with it trailing behind him and a huge gorgeous sunset about to drop below the horizon in the backdrop. He was so carefree and happy and I loved seeing him that way. It was of those surreal moments that you just never forget.
I like to go to the beach in the early morning, and late evening, and when it is stormy. It always reminds of God's glory and power, gives me a new perspective on life.
I grew up in Queens NY. My great grandmother owned a 2 bedroom cottage in North Wildwood NJ. Every summer we (parents & 7 kids) piled into my fathers Chevy and drove 5-6 hours to the beach for a 2 week vacation. My father spent the mornings painting and doing fix up chores to help his grandmother, while my mother packed our lunches. We spend the whole day playing in the sand and swimming. In the evening we walked to the famous boardwalk to go on the rides. All of us kids would save our pennies all year to buy tickets to the rides. I remember bringing jars of pennies to the ticket booth and the poor women would actually count them out. Try paying for anything with a jar of pennies today!
Wonderful memories.
We lived near a lake in Connecticut for part of my childhood, and that was an almost daily activity in the summer. I remember the sense of accomplishment when I was strong enough to swim out to the diving dock. And early morning swim lessons in the rain in cold water!
My parents grew up in Baltimore, Ocean City, MD was the vacation spot I knew. Walking the beach looking for shells, digging for sand crabs, riding waves on a raft, the sandbar (before all the beach replenishment projects). The smell of Coppertone lotion (before they put SPF numbers on the containers!) Spending my allowance on a "custom" (you pick the shirt & the decal, they iron it on before your eyes) t-shirt and candy (Candy Kitchen!). And the smell of apple cider vinegar on the sunburn at night.
(There's another use for vinegar! Blot apple cider vinegar on sunburn with a cotton ball, it takes the sting out (not the redness).)
Kate's idea of going to the beach is an all-expense paid, two week trip to BHI. I think a trip for her and the family to a public beach would be fine. If there are any fans there, I think they would have a brief chat then go on their merry ways. If I were Kate, I'd take two friends to help keep an eye on the kids. There's just no way she could keep an eye on all 8 of them all the time.
I guess Kate's NEVER had to watch all 8 kids by herself ANYWHERE in public for an extended period of time (and going shoe shopping or getting a hair cut doesn't count,lol). She doesn't know HOW to watch her kids when they are mixed in with the huddled masses.
Beach memories...cheap summer entertainment! We grew up not far from the Galveston Beaches, and spend many summer days there damaging our skin! We kids used to pull the peeled skin off each other's backs (gross huh, lol).
Unfortunately, during my teen years the movie JAWS came out. I didn't go back in the water passed my knees ever again. Still haven't. lololol
Beautiful topic.
I've spent so many carefree summers at the shore.
As a child, we would spend hours at the beach swimming, and playing in the sand. Then in the afternoon, while my parents went fishing, my siblings and I would roller skate up & down the boardwalk until sundown.
As a teenager, I enjoyed going to the beach with my friends on Saturdays. Then when I started dating, we would go to the beach as well.
Then I married my dear husband, who HATES SAND.
He'll walk on the shore with sneakers on- but nothing more. He prefers swimming in a pool.
I've been to the beach a handful of times since then- with my kiddies, and friends.
I still love the beach- it heals me.
I love the sun, the smell of the ocean, the wind blowing against my face, the sound of the waves crashing... LOVE IT.
Authors -- I don't think anyone has mentioned Sue Grafton. Her first mystery is "A is for Alibi" and she writes through the alphabet to the most recent "U is for Undertow" I have read them all. Her lead character a PI, Kinsey Millhone, is quirky and interesting. Though her release schedule has become less predictable, she used to release a new one right around Christmas.
Sometimes when I can't sleep, I try a version of counting sheep -- recalling each of her book titles...."B is for Burglar....C is for Corpse...
I will have to wait to see how she handles X!
Living in Florida, the beaches are always nearby, and you can't mistake the Cuban families there. We're the ones who pack a big pot of arroz con pollo (chicken and rice) to take with us to La Playa. I also remember my summers when we'd visit family in the Dominican Republic, where you can still find virgin white sand beaches with the most incredible blue water! There we'd go to the local women who had little stands set up on the side of the road. They would sell fish freshly caught by their children or husbands, fried up on the spot with a side of plantains and a cold coca-cola or icy Presidente beer to wash it all down. Makes me want to go back, although now they have beautiful all-inclusive resorts at incredible prices with activities for the kids and food and snacks at every turn. The Hard Rock Hotel in Punta Cana is a great one. Maybe KK could take the gang there; it's relatively inexpensive and the kids would be in heaven!
I'm an Ohio girl, but my grandparents wintered in Fla. so we would go see them a once a year, twice if we were lucky. I remember going swimming on Christmas Day and then wandering the beach with my Grandma looking for shells. We gathered quite a variety of shells- all sizes and colors. When we got back to their place Grandpa took me to his workshop, plugged in the glue gun and he and I created all kinds of shell creations. We made things like a dog, a family, jewelry, etc. Thanks for giving my brain a nudge to remember that great day!
Oops, I sold Sue Grafton short. Her most recent is "V is for Vengeance".
Dmasy..
I love Sue Grafton. I also read Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series for a honest-to-good laugh.
My family was pretty poor growing up but each year we would take a camping vacation around the beautiful lakes in Upstate NY. The Adirondacks, the Catskills, Lake Ontario. It was cheap and fun. Those memories are still with me today.
As a grown up, we have been blessed that my in-laws have a house on a small lake in Upstate NY and a condo on the beach in FL. My kids are very lucky. The beach is still my favorite place to be - the peace that comes on the beach right after dinner and before the sunset crowd is balm for my soul. Oh - and I have thousands of sunset pictures from the west coast of FL!
My kids, idea of a great time is packing up for my MIL's house, inviting up all their cousins and water skiing, tubing and pontoon jumping all day long. It is easy, cheap and just what childhood should be.
Ooooo...LBI all the way! That is Long Beach Island, NJ. We would go for two weeks and sometimes a month every summer. Back then they had those two family houses and our cousins would stay in the top and we would be in the bottom. Our grandparents came to visit. It was so much fun and tons of memories. I haven't been back there in about 20 years. We now go to the OBX, Outer Banks, NC, where we fit 5 families in one house.
Nothing beats the Jersey Shore in my book!! It ain't all about Snookie! :)
Dmasy -- If you like Sue Grafton, try Marcia Muller's Sharon McCone series. She's one of the creators, along with Grafton and Sara Paretsky, of the female "hard boiled" detective books. I like Muller better than Grafton, actually. Sharon McCone grows and changes and learns over the course of the series, where Kinsey Milhone seems to be stuck in a time warp. Muller has about 30 books in the series so far. Some are better than others, of course, but nearly all of them are really good. Her husband, Bill Pronzini has a good detective series too, and they've created a couple of crossover books involving both of their detective characters.
My best adult beach memory occurred some years ago. My father died just a few days after Christmas so the following year, I decided to take my mother on a trip at Christmas so we wouldn't be stuck in her house with all the memories. A doctor I worked with had time share weeks at a condo on the beach in Ft. Myers Beach, Fla. He and his wife didn't want to pack up their small kids and go to Fla. at Christmas time, so he said we could use their condo. We got there mid afternoon after 2 days straight driving. It was cloudy and chilly and looked like rain but we didn't even bother to unpack the car. We hit the beach and as we walked near the surf a big, beautiful conch shell rolled up right at our feet. We had a wonderful, relaxing 2 weeks, gathering shells and enjoying the sun. There were some sad memories, but we also loved making new memories and friends.
I grew up and still live an hour away from the Oregon coast. In the summers I worked on my grandparents farm so did not experience vacations at the coast. As an adult I made up for it and spend as much time at the coast as I can.
My adult memory is each year a friend and I go to the coast (Oregon calls it coast, not beach) for a few days. This is ladies time. We sleep in, hang around in our jammies, stay up all night, drink our wine and talk about our lives. Its adult time to just take it easy w/o responsibilities. I look forward to this trip each year.
I'm one of the lucky ones who live close to beaches. I'm on Long Island, and have the choice of the beaches on the Atlantic Ocean or the beaches on Long Island Sound.
My friends and I spent a lot of summer days at the beach. We'd bring a cooler packed with sandwiches and soft drinks and spend the day there. I have very fond memories of those days.
Kate has a new CC blog called "Kate's Fun and Cheap 4th of July Tips". There really are no "tips"-it's just the usual about how they spend 4th of July and their "traditions".
BUT....Stop the presses! Earth shattering news revealed. Will the sheeple survive?
To quote:
•For starters, I make a traditional flag cake that I saw in a magazine years ago.
Oh no Kate!-you mean to tell us that the cake was not one of your "invented" recipes? I can hear the sheeple fainting dead away in disbelief.
Lots of summer memories- had a cottage in the Gatineau Hills, Quebec, as a kid. I recall the cold water of the river, the warmer lake water, fish for dinner, cool dew beneath my feet in the mornings, walks along the shore to catch the sunset, family visits, shells, feeding chipmunks, sounds and smells For some reason we could not get fresh milk easily so had to used powdered PET milk-yuk!!!...now we are about an hour's drive from many splendid beaches. I love sand (my son though would agree with your hubby, though, Pink) and water and waves, even the smell of sunscreen lol- summer is brimming with memories that come 'cheap'- if only Kate could see that.
I love Sue Grafton..and I just ordered the book version of Single White Female- watched the Bridget Fonda film last night...somehow I enjoy mysteries in the summer especially! anyone read Gloria Murphy?
Readerlady -- you really are a bountiful source of book info. You chose your profile name well! I will try Marcia Muller. You are correct, Kinsey is "stuck" in time without a cell phone. But, I am glad time does not advance, I would not want Henry, the neighbor, to pass away. Thanks.
I am enjoying everyone's summer memories.
I can hear the wooden screen door squeak and then slam shut...
I am also enjoying everyone's different summer memories- we all seem to have happy ones...
As for CC, Kate is just patting herself on the back with her award-winning decorated stroller, cooking from scratch, and 'mediocre' BBQ foods and sides. All very nice, but nothing new whatsoever. Just talking about herself. Will 'friends and family' come to partake and ooh and ahh over the flag decorated drive?
and btw what is so noteworthy about Joel asking about her run- since she talks about it all the time, ahy wouldn;'t he ask? Doesn't seem terribly advanced - sorry Jeoly- for an 8 yeard old or tweet-worthy IMO...
I used to live up the street from Lake Michigan my friends and I or family would go on weekends.
During the hot Summer's in Chicago or I use to go on bike rides down the shore.
Shes a cow@25.....I live within walking distance to LBI....It still is a great place. Has gotten very expensive. No offense to anyone who visits, but for people who live here, we secrectly can't wait for all the tourists to go home. Only because of all the traffic on RT 72. A lot of famous people have homes here now. The prices are really ridiculous. I think I have seen a licence plate from just about every state. But I love it here....Snookie and friend are about 20 minutes from here. We try to stay away when they're in town. They are here right now and it's just crazy in seaside.
Once .. remember the salt shaker on the dock to get the bloodsuckers off (sounds gross but as a kid was fascinating to watch)
My grandmother had a cottage near Ottawa - skinny dipping with Nana wow old ladies do that!
Every year or two my mother would collect various family and friends and kids and mothers would take the 30 mile train ride to closest town where dads would pick us up and finish the trip to the cottage - still have pix of raggle taggle kids with huge grins.
ot - fries done in an Actifry with 1 tbs of oil - the best - also Poutine!!
Ah...the beach. What a lovely place to be, ocean or lake. I agree with the poster above....it heals a person.
In the summer most days we went to the lake about 10am (after chores were done), dad would join us for lunch and a swim to cool off, and then we'd swim all afternoon til about 4pm when we went home to make supper.
Dad would be so hot from working construction all day, and in those days there was no a/c, so we'd eat supper quickly, and head back to the lake for dad to cool off. Spent the evening until after sunset at the lake.
We always had a lot of fun. Dad would dive off the 10 foot tower. I had enough nerve to only jump of it a few times. Talk about heart attack city! Never did learn how to bounce and bounce and then dive off the diving board. I so envied the girls that could do that. So graceful.
For vacations they took us camping in Nat'l Forests, cuz there was no money for the posh, first-class vacations like Kate takes.
We were lucky in that most of the time we had enough food (unlike our poorer cousins), but there wasn't enough money for other things like new clothes or vacations.
The camping was pretty basic, nothing nice like what the Palins had. You notice how on that episode Kate and her kids were all outfitted in brand new high-end camping clothes, paid for by TLC I presume.
Funny how we didn't do the first-class vacations like Kate used to to, but I bet we had more fun. Her kids never seemed to be happy. Nor did she.
Or the first time I went to LA for the summer it was so hot.
I went to and LA beach went some family met lots of nice people and had a great time.
You are correct, Kinsey is "stuck" in time without a cell phone. But, I am glad time does not advance, I would not want Henry, the neighbor, to pass away.
Me either!
As a young child my parents would pile all 5 of us into the station wagon to head to Vermont for an antique car show. Boring that was but we could wander the grounds of the motel, visit and sometimes ride, the horse across the street and visit with friends we only saw once a year.
When I got a little older, friends of my dad's bought a house that had been in a fire. We would drive down to upper Cape Cod (before the bridges) spend our mornings pulling down plaster and our afternoons at the beach.
As a teen, I would take the "T" from my suburban neighborhood into the city. It took a bus ride and two subway rides but it was a big taste of freedom. Dogandkids might have been at the same beach as I was :)
We were also lucky to have a great recreation department in my village and once a year they would put all of us on a bus and take us to Nantasket Beach and Paragon Park. We would get so sick riding the amusement park rides at Paragon, then head to the beach to relax before getting onto the bus home.
This was all in addition to visiting with my grandparents for a couple of weeks. They lived in the same city, different village, and it felt like they were a long way away. I fondly remember eating peach ice cream with my Grandma and watching Mod Squad and Candlepins for Cash!
One common thread in many of these posts is that many of us grew up in working class families where money was tight. We did not grow up entitled!
Despite my rather rough childhood, I did have the nurturing support of my grandparents, who took us on weekend camping trips up the coast of CA: We went to Refugio Beach and sometimes further up north to Morro Bay. These were simple trips where we slept in a tent and woke to the smell of sizzling bacon...yum! Then we'd walk on the beach and collect shells. For fun we also painted the rocks we found on the beach...still have them to this day!
Money is no longer tight, and I find it less and less important as I grow older. I would much rather spend a quiet afternoon at home with my family, cooking, talking, and hanging out, than spending money. Sure, you need money for a comfortable life, but the most important thing to me is relationships.
I really and truly hope that Kate is mending her broken family relationships. My grandparents were the glue that held me together as a child.
We were raised in Ocean Grove NJ 4 blocks from the ocean so we didn't know what it was like not to go to the beach every day. A small town where everyone knows everyone. Wonderful memories of lazy days. Sand all over everything in the house. Good friends and better memories. When we were old enough to work we all waitressed and would watch the clock waiting for our shift to be over so that we could get to the beach. As I said in another post we probably would have made fun of Kate for showing up at the beach in full make-up and a bikini. Everyone in town turns out for the parades and it will be no different on Wedneday for the 4th.
I can hear the wooden screen door squeak and then slam shut...
+++++
Oh wow, I was just thinking about that! What a great thread! Summers were spent at my grandmother's house. We roamed free during the day, playing in everyone's back yard. At lunch time, wherever we were, the neighbor would invite us in for sandwiches and chocolate milk. If we heard my grandmother's cow bell during the day, it meant to come home for money because she needed something from the corner store, which was on the ground floor of my best friend's house. Our only rule was to be home when my grandmother rang the bell for supper. We'd cook hotdogs on the big brick barbecue pit my dad built, and have a picnic supper in the screened in pavilion. After supper, my grandmother, who had been gardening, baking, canning during the day, would take her shower, put on her "good" dress (I think she had two house dresses and two good dresses) and sit on the front porch. She didn't even have a closest in her bedroom - just a wooden "wardrobe" where she hung her clothing. That was our evening recreation -- talking to all the neighbors walking by, inviting them to "sit a spell" on the porch. We got new white sandals for Bible School, and off we'd walk to our church on the other street (there were only two streets in town). Then we got some money to go to the corner restaurant to buy an orange popsicle. When we were older we were allowed to ride our bikes to the outskirts of town to pick mint tea in the farmer's meadow.
Beach time was in Atlantic City. Those were the days of the Steel Pier. Women wore high heels on the boardwalk at night(with little caps on the heels to make sure they didn't get stuck between the slats on the boardwalk, and mink stoles. Men wore jackets and ties, and those funky cabana sets (swim trunks and jackets lined in terry cloth) for the beach. No swimsuits were ever allowed in the hotel. To get to the beach, we'd take the elevator to the basement (where you could grab a quick lunch in the only area of the hotel that was not air-conditioned...I remember it being very hot and smelling of coconuts), and then walk under the boardwalk to get to the beach. We'd play in Sandy Cove (the children's supervised play area at our hotel), then back to the hotel for dinner before our nightly ride in the rolling chairs.
I think our childhood is such a far cry from what kids have today. Do they still build forts, roam the neighborhood playing endless games of pretend, or does summer become boring when they've exhausted video games? Do they still run around the neighborhood catching fireflies? Is there any imaginative play left, and will their memories be as good as our memories? I hope so. I think about the Gosselin kids having been dragged around with cameras stuck in their faces, summers scripted, never having experienced what so many of us have.
Ah, to be able to go back for just one day...to be able to see my grandmother and mother, with strawberry-stained hands, rolling pie dough, and taking in the laundry that had dried on the line in the small back courtyard.
By the way, if anyone spent their vacations in Atlantic City, there's a great website, "Atlantic City Memory Lane," at http://www.iloveac.com/memory.php
Anything I have read here, these summer memory fun posts, makes a better CC blog post than that twit's does.
4th of July flag cake is ALL she has going for her. That, and barely grilled chucken wings.
Just saw this: How To Decorate A Flag Cake
http://allrecipes.com/howto/decorating-a-flag-cake/detail.aspx?src=lp3974_l1
From the CC blog:
"We have collected many over the years and I’ve purchased a few to add to our collection– especially since our recent long driveway has required additional supplies! : )"
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She simply cannot help herself. No, she can't stop at just mentioning that the driveway is lined with flags, can she? What an interesting case study in narcissism.
Betsy said... 46
From the CC blog:
"We have collected many over the years and I’ve purchased a few to add to our collection– especially since our recent long driveway has required additional supplies! : )"
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What on God's green earth is this woman talking about? Recent long driveway?? Did she remodel it or lengthen it in some way? Way to rub our mediocre noses in our short driveways Kate!!
We went to Refugio Beach and sometimes further up north to Morro Bay.
__________________
Do you know the song, "California Saga," -- "And have you ever been north of Morro Bay
The south coast plows the sea
And the people there are of the breed
They don't need electricity"
Google the lyrics -- this so reminds me of your posts.
...'steeped' is her new favorite-ish word...sorry about the typos in my last post- waiting for my new contacts and a lens popped out of the old glasses I am wearing :(
Lilly: do you live near Ottawa if you don't mind my asking? Poutine, delicious! Yes, I remember bloodsuckers- stretching them out out get them off...guess I became an animal rights' activist starting with them/or telling off kids who stepped on ants lol
I miss Coffee Crisps, Aero bars, Smarties....yum.
After reading all of the above posts one thing becomes crystal clear. You don't need to go on lavish trips, stay at expensive resorts, or have cameras filming every minute of it in order to make memories.
Memories are what occur everyday, in every walk of life. I don't think anyone here had a TV show and played a DVD to remember their summers and times at the beach.
He'll walk on the shore with sneakers on- but nothing more.
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Hey, Pink, I'd love to see that. Nothing on but sneakers! So he got an all-over tan? :)
Once ...yes about 50km from Ottawa - rural(ish) but commute when work available bad times now - over 20000 govt jobs being cut
Will gladly send cdn care pkg - lol including some loonies & toonies
Just got first corn, raspberries yum
Back to rideau lakes - don't go any more jet skis noise noise - not as bucolic as we remember from way back with no power or running water - but the sunsets ..sigh
Jessica - on page 23 of Allen Carr stop smoking book - you are not alone - keep it up - best(Ish) wishes for you
Another boring, we already know these things blog from Kate at CC. One thing that did get my attention: Kate actually, said she got the flag cake, as she had previously stated for the last several years, she invented, from a magazine. I guess CC is keeping her honest! This is big news! WOW!
FL mama: In those recent pics of Kate, doing gardening as the pic was labeled, if everyone would look closer, Kate was measuring the driveway, for something, not doing gardening. Also, not too long ago(like a month) Kate was re-designing the landscaping, remember, she tweeted that she spend, all day moving the landscaping hoses.
This blog was a: let's go down memory lane, something that should be on her own web-site, not at a coupon site.
To the people who lost power, I pray that they fix it quick! It's nasty out there! And My condolences to those who died cause of these storms that went through yesterday, and to those people who lost their homes, cause of all the fires going on.
I'm sorry but as health conscious and preparing healthy meals at Kate claims to do for her kids, sounds like she makes them eat a lot of bread. Bread for breakfast, bread for sandwiches. I mean you can eat bread even if it's wheat you can still be eating too much of one thing.
Bread is very filling but I don't think it's good to eat it constantly. She makes sandwiches, pita bread for these kids, chips and dips.
I just think she sounds like she feeds the kids too many carbohydrates, pastas and casseroles which are known for having a starch or two.
You can eat carbs but from her tweets and pictures what I see is Kate takes the easy way out on filling her kids up.
I don't ever remember eating as much bread as these kids appear to eat, bread in my house was monitored and strictly only ate once a day if that.
Sorry...I don't have any beach memories because as a kid we never went to the beach. Whole summers I never saw the beach till I was in my 20s today. I survived my summers in the desert without needing sand and sun. Closest I got to water was indoor pool at the rec center in our town I was 7 years old.
Hope everyone else enjoys their beaches and stories.
So what tips have we learned from Kate's new 4th of July savings blog entry besides "me, me, me, decorate the strollers, win first and second place, me, me, me"?
Exactly. Nothing.
Coffee Crisps! Fave memories from our med school days in Toronto way back when.
Collected many over the years re: July 4th parade flags is just more crapola. They probably went to all of 3 parades in the grifted stroller, so how many flags did she 'take' and save? Recent driveway? Her language is awful.
Moose Mania said... 49
He'll walk on the shore with sneakers on- but nothing more.
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Hey, Pink, I'd love to see that. Nothing on but sneakers! So he got an all-over tan? :)
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Hahahahhahhhahaha, Moose :o)
I almost choked on my lunch reading that.
What I really meant to say ;o) is that my husband will only walk on the shore, or take a dip in the ocean, but he will not lay down a blanket or towel.
There, much better ;o)
Have a great day, Moose!
At least someone understood the topic of Kate's blog entry even if Kate didn't: Tips for fun and cheap 4th of July. In the comments section
I plan my menu based on what is on sale at the stores and which coupons I can combine with those sales. That means I must keep an open mind with regards to my menu. If chicken breasts are on sale, we will have grilled chicken sandwiches as opposed to burger and hotdogs (healthier, too!). For a treat or dessert, Rice Krispies treats with a few red, white and blue sprinkles are inexpensive, especially since I can get all of the ingredients at Aldi or on sale at the store. Memories and traditions are great, but when it comes to trying to save, especially in tough economic times, it's best to remember that new memories can be made by keeping an open mind.
PatK(56)-Well, we DID learn to make sure we check coupons before we go to the grocery store, to buy decorations on sale after the holiday, and the best one yet-SAVE the decorations to use year after year. I'm sure none of us here would ever think of doing those if Kate in her infinite wisdom had not posted them.
Different holiday-same old tips.
Thank you all for sharing your sweet memories.
See Katie Irene? You don't need t.v. cameras filming your "memories" to remember them.
Marie: :( I hope you make up for it now. You deserve some nice beachy memories too.
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Lilly said... 52
Once ...yes about 50km from Ottawa -
Will gladly send cdn care pkg - lol including some loonies & toonies
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That is so entirely sweet of you to offer.Really, that made my day. However, I currently have my fill- my husband was on a business trip to Quebec and returned with about 500 Coffee Crisps, Smarties, Turtles, Aeros, newspapers, coins and bills and other souvenirs...but if I run out....lol. I was born in a mainly French town near Ottawa, but later moved to Toronto- we kept the cottage in Quebec. :)
Orange Crush: I am a U of T grad :) Was married in the Vic chapel. Lived just off campus. Great memories.
Kate has begun to tweet less and less. I think she has a new PR team that have her on a short leash! The more she says the worse she sounds! She hasn't even mentioned the 4th and it's better if she doesn't but hopefully she'll take the kids to the local parade and fireworks!
Anger issues Kate: sorry I hadn't seen your question about GWOP. Someone had mentioned that not many people comment there any more and I said that was sad because that's the first site I visited years ago!
Reader lady thank you for the advise to use towels with each others scents! My hubby and I did that last night and hopefully my beagle and the new rescue will adapt to each other quicker! Thanks again!
OK, Kate, it's your turn. We know you read here, or at least your lieutenants do. So, what are your happy childhood memories? Did they involve a beach? Or going camping? Or traveling to grandma's house, requiring packing up a car and suitcases? Please share with us
what makes you look back in time and say "ahhh, that was so wonderful, and I am so thankful I had that experience."
Or did you and your family just stay home all the time and watch TV?
Would your children like memories of carefree,
soul-refreshing, nurturing summer days and nights? Do they deserve them? Or will their memories be digging into popcorn for a chocolate Bugle and watching a DVD if Mom decides it's movie night? Will it be time in their own isolated pool with only occasional
guests their own age coming in for some fun?
C'mon Kate. Share. We're listening.
Wow...just wondered over to twitter and OMG... it'a completely "dead" over there. I've never seen it so slow. Maybe because its summer and people are busy. I'm thinking that it got so boring that....who cares anymore. She is slowly but surely sinking into a black hole. I don't know if it will pick up again but....her fans are falling asleep waiting to hear from their leader and the haters are losing interest. Period....She better come up with something to get her name out there....where's that fork...
Tweet-le De Tweet-le DUMB said... 58
At least someone understood the topic of Kate's blog entry even if Kate didn't: Tips for fun and cheap 4th of July. In the comments section
I plan my menu based on what is on sale at the stores and which coupons I can combine with those sales. That means I must keep an open mind with regards to my menu. If chicken breasts are on sale, we will have grilled chicken sandwiches as opposed to burger and hotdogs (healthier, too!). For a treat or dessert, Rice Krispies treats with a few red, white and blue sprinkles are inexpensive, especially since I can get all of the ingredients at Aldi or on sale at the store. Memories and traditions are great, but when it comes to trying to save, especially in tough economic times, it's best to remember that new memories can be made by keeping an open mind.
*******
Maybe this person should take over Kate's job.
She (?) sounds pretty savvy in the savings at the store department. I like the way she dissed the whole idea of having to keep up with traditions. Hey, Kate, that's not what this blog is about. It's about saving money by using coupons. Do what saves you money, not what tradition dictates.
I love this person.
One thing that did get my attention: Kate actually, said she got the flag cake, as she had previously stated for the last several years, she invented, from a magazine. I guess CC is keeping her honest! This is big news! WOW!
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Does anyone have the link to the video where she said that she invented it?
I am also a Sue Grafton Fan. My mother-in-law started me reading her books years ago and I have read all but the very last one. May I also recommend Patricia Cornwell's series about Dr. Kay Scarpetta. The first book in this series is 'Body of Evidence'.
Since I live in central NY, the Adirondack mountains are only an hour or so away. So my earliest and best beach memories are of my family loading up the station wagon, pulling our "pop-up" camper and heading up to a campground on one of the various lakes, which always seem to be cold by the way, even today. We would cook out, play on the beach, meet all the other kids at the campground. Very simple ordinary pleasures I know but since my father passed away when I was very young, these memories are all the more sweet and precious.
From what I'm reading her I don't think many people will relate to my beach experience, but I do think everyone here can agree that beaches makes one think of beach reading! I usually take a nice mix of fluff that can be put down and picked up often without hurting the story, whatever the big book of the moment is, and my 'book ipod', the ipod I have dedicated solely to audiobooks. I'm currently deeply engrossed in the Ender Game series (for about the 50th time...) The film version is finally being made and most of my family have been debating how good or bad it will be. Especially as we were quite divided over the comic book versions.
I grew up in Miami so it was practically beach season all year long! If we went up to Miami Beach we'd go early in the day (b/c it was usually pretty crowded and took longer to get to) and I can remember when I could start smelling the salt air, we were almost there! The other beach we went to was called Crandon Beach and my dad always worked the 3p-11:30p shift, so mom would make a big dinner that dad would eat before he left for work & she'd pack the rest up and off to the beach we'd go, getting there by 4:00 and staying until dark. It wasn't very crowded and there is a huge lighthouse at that beach. Nowadays I live a little over an hour from St. Augustine beaches and we go about every other w/end & yes, I do like mom did and pack us a big dinner and we tend to go later in the day (I have fair skinned kiddos!). We all love it.
As someone who is so fair skinned/white that I damn near glow in the dark, the beach wasn't where I spent my summers. I spent my summers staying on my grandparents cattle ranch. I still had a blast & have the best summer memories. Would help my pawpaw feed the cows (riding in the back of the truck & kick hay out at the following cows) and playing in the feed corn at the barn. As I got older, he let me ride his horse and follow him around as he drove around in the truck checking cattle. I spent days picking berries with my mamaw, making jelly & pickles & helping her with the yearly canning. Riding in the back of the truck 40 miles to do the once a month grocery shopping (it was a big thrill back in the day). Pawpaw taking me out fishing in one of the tanks on a little paddle boat he kept just for us. And every evening, after making pawpaw's dinner, mamaw took me to the city pool for 2 hours. Unless it was raining, we went every night during the summer. On the way home, she would stop at the DQ (the only fast food in town) and we would have ice cream. I remember getting to go out to the giant garden and pick which watermelon we would have and being teased by my aunt for swallowing a watermelon seed & how a watermelon was going to grow out of my nose. It would always be too dry on the 4th for fireworks, so pawpaw would make sure I had sparklers & I would have to stand under the carport on concrete while they were lit.
I could go on and on and on about the fun I had with them every summer. Even if we very seldom left the ranch for that fun. Simple fun, simple times and AMAZING memories.
Any day at the beach is a sweet memory for me. Getting in the water and swimming around is so relaxing. I grew up in a working class family, one of four children with a stay-at-home mom and a dad who worked for the phone company. Growing up on the Cape and being able to go to the beach everyday was pure heaven. In the summer, we didn't need to go on vacation, life was a vacation.
Bringing over from the previous thread.
JoyinVirginia...105
I am glad you enjoyed your time here. I love Provincetown. It is a very colorful place. What did you think? As far as the water being colder, you are right. The water at the beaches on the Outer Cape and the north side of the Cape is definitely colder. However, the water at the beaches on the south side of the Cape is significantly warmer. I didn't mind the colder water when I was younger but now I like the warmer water so we always hit the beaches on the south side. On a side note, my husband and I are big fans of Coach Shoka and Virginia Commonwealth. We always cheer for them when MarchMadness rolls around!
Flight of the Kiwi said... 24
Hey Dwindle - I am in southern Delaware county. Hope you are OK. The last round missed us. A bit of rain and thunder. It's 69 degrees at the moment. THAT is enjoyable! Hubby managed to run a locust tree thorn thru his foot. Ouch! Yard clean up is dangerous. Antibiotics and a tetanus shot.
BTW I grew up in Lake County on Lake Erie. Attended a high school in Geauga county. Small world :)
Please be safe!
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Small world! I have immediate family in Delaware, my sister lives in Lake County, and I myself lived for 2 years in Geauga Co, attended West Geauga schools.
Last night that thing rolled through here so fast, I dont think we got 2 dozen raindrops out of it. And no damage thank heavens! But the temp dropped literally 25 degrees in an hour and the entire night was so nice afterwards!
Another fun day at Gosselin Summer Camp - today we play mail. In the basement, wth paper and envelopes. I guess C&M are unpaid counselors. She really does not interact, does she?
Dmasy -- I was born with my nose in a book and have rarely removed it since. Both my parents were big readers, too. I participate in several book discussion groups and blogs. Mysteries are my first love, but I do read other types and genres.
Beach trips - There were 9 of us and mom worked part time (later full time when only 4 were still in school). Wednesday was go to the lake day. I dont remember why that day, must have been her day off. (NO, KATE, she never ever had hired help of any kind.) I only remember one or two times my father came with us, must have been a Sunday trip when that happened.
A big giant umbrella to stick in the sand, some kind of packed lunch, I dont recall what, lots of sunscreen, and we were just there all day. I remember leaving the house fairly early and it was so lovely feeling the morning on the sand and watching the water of Lake Erie change as the day got started. Big sheets covering the seats of the station wagon to protect somewhat from the sand. Naps on blankets under the giant umbrella.
When I was little, Dad taught us to dig as deep as we could and use our little pails to get water to fill up the hole. Of course it would never fill with water, but it was a fun game.
I just remember being really happy with those outings, including the summer music on the radio. Never thought too much about it at the time, it was just so nice.
Kate’s Tips for a Fun & Cheap Fourth of July
Each year, we get especially excited for our favorite summer holiday, Fourth of July! It is steeped in deep tradition here in our household and brings warm temperature and fond memories of celebrating the birthday of our nation, locally and afar, with my family.
Many years ago, when Mady and Cara were infants, I worked long hard hours designing and creating a blue ribbon winning red, white and blue adorned stroller to enter the local Wyomissing Fourth of July Parade’s “stroller division.” One year, I even asked a friend to make shimmery dresses for Mady and Cara to wear! Yes, I was crazy exuberant about the biggest parade in our community and I wasn’t the only one. Nearly everywhere you looked, everyone was putting forth their best efforts to win in their category. It was so much fun!
One year, Jon and I even tucked our babies into bed and as we began to decorate our double jogger stroller, we felt compelled to cover our garage windows so that no one would catch a glimpse of our masterpiece ahead of time. The competition was fierce, I tell you! It makes me laugh to remember the energy and creativity the we turned loose on such a contest.
We won first and second place the years that we entered. The prize was simply the fun, memories and photographs we had to share for years to come. Fast forward to present years and that same thrilling excitement comes to mind!
Although our Fourths haven’t always been “traditional,” especially in recent years, there are some elements that keep the feeling alive.
We always line our driveway with the American flags that are routinely handed out just prior to the start of our local parade. We have collected many over the years and I’ve purchased a few to add to our collection– especially since our recent long driveway has required additional supplies! : )
Beyond that, I typically plan a barbecue with a red, white and blue theme. A few of my favorite Fourth of July traditions:
I make all of our cookout foods from scratch (as usual) as opposed to buying pre-made dishes. This allows me to keep with tradition while saving a whole lot of money!
For starters, I make a traditional flag cake that I saw in a magazine years ago. With a white cake box mix, blueberries and sliced strawberries and Cool Whip topping, I create an “edible flag.” It’s a light and delicious treat that has become a standard tradition in our family! In the past, I have also made a layered dessert using ladyfingers, homemade whipped cream, strawberries and blueberries for an “adult’ version. It has a beautiful holiday themed look if displayed in a clear glass bowl.
When cooking, I usually go with hot dogs and hamburgers and all the fixings. It’s inexpensive and has a very summery feel.
Additionally, I typically serve macaroni and potato salad, baked beans and the always popular (in our family) deviled eggs! Fruit salad, veggies and dip and any other light dishes can be added. It all screams “summer fun cook out time by the pool” and it’s hard to go wrong with that! Make sure to check for grocery coupons before you head to the store!
For decorating, I resist buying all flag-themed items. To save, I typically use red plates, blue napkins and white tablecloths, or any combination I find on sale or have on hand. I also tend to purchase decorations AFTER the holiday when they go on final sale or clearance. I save them along with my Fourth decorations, which I also use year after year. Reusing decorations is a great way to help with creating traditions and it also helps save money over the years.
Whatever the Fourth of July means to you (beyond the obvious celebration of our great nation’s birthday), I hope that is a day to come together with family and friends while celebrating your own (affordable) tradition
In praise of mediocrity:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/your-money/redefining-success-and-celebrating-the-unremarkable.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=general&pagewanted=all
Loving everyone's stories.
fidosmommy said... 4
Either way, summer holds wonderful memories for me. Swimming, bike riding, swimming, playing badminton or croquet in the back yard after dinner, swimming, washing the car, swimming.
Summer was too good to have to end with something as scheduled and stiff as school. I never wanted it to end.
Nowadays, I hear kids saying they can't wait for school to start because they are bored. And it's only the first of July!
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ITA, Fidosmommy. My summer was much the same. In the summer after 4th grade, my friends and I were allowed to start biking to the pool together which was a big deal as it was about a 1 to 1 and 1/2 mile bike ride.
I remember as a kid waking up in the morning, eating cereal while watching the morning block of cartoons which ended around 9 am. Then it was out the door, biking to the library or to the school playground or to a friend's house and not coming home until 3, when the afternoon cartoon block came on. Or, if I did stay at home because it was too hot or there was no one to play with, I'd read, draw, watch the soaps with my older sister (All My Children was a fav), play with my toys, etc.
I think kids are bored because they expect to be entertained 24/7. I see it with my own kids. With the internet and computer games, they can watch funny animal videos or game strategy videos on YouTube, play the same video games they just learned how to beat, visit their favorite websites that are all about things they like (Animal Jam, Jumpstart, Doll Design, Pokemon, etc.) and it's always something new every few minutes, which is just perfect for their short attention span. Also, many of us put our kids in structured activities throughout the week. Again, the emphasis is on structured. They're told what to do. Much like school.
Most kids don't know how to be bored, if that makes any sense. They don't know how to handle large amounts of unstructured free time.
Someone made the comment earlier about their dad taking them to the beach and sleeping while they were off playing for hours and how it's a different world now. I'll be honest - I'm not certain the world is any more dangerous than it was when we were kids, I just think we are more aware of all the things that could happen and that has swung the pendulum towards helicoptering and overprotectiveness. I think our challenge now, as parents, is learning to balance world proofing our kids while allowing them the freedom to grow and be independent.
Which brings me to Kate Gosselin. Either she is the world's biggest SlackerMom (http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Slacker-Mom) or the worst Helicopter/Overprotective Parent in the world.
Fleecing the Sheeple: I think it was on the Today Show or the View years ago, What to make for 4th of July fun, or something on that line. We got into a it a couple of months ago and last year. Kate kept owning it, and we all said that that Flag Cake has been around for decades, long before Kate was born.
Let's Throw Tomatoes: Thanks, I thought GWOP was closing down. But yeah, not many post over there anymore or at BM site either.
What is this thing about an 'Adult version' of a desert, made with lady fingers? And kate is using a box cake mix,for the Flag cake, what not by scratch! First, Kate states that the whole 4th food is made from scratch, but she uses cake mix for the cake. LUNEY TUNEYS
Eric T Woods @ewoody64
@Kateplusmy8 R u sure no bikini pictures? Lol
@Kateplusmy8
@ewoody64 lol. If I get to the beach this summer, there's sure to be some, sadly (for me)!
She's just not going to let this go. For the love of all that's holy, will some well-healed Sheeple please send her to the beach? Where's the one who sent her the socks and Ipad? I'm surprised she doesn't set up a PayPal donation account on her website.
I think the same guy is asking about bikini pictures(why?) and Kate responds
"If I get to the beach this summer, there's sure to be some, sadly (for me)!"
Does she think people will take her picture and post them so she doesn't want to be seen in a bikini on the beach? She didn't mind being in a bikini before.
I'm in Eastern NC about an hour and a half from the beach. I don't like like hot weather even as a child so I've always preferred the off season. Going in the off season saves money on hotels too. I like to go out to eat, go shopping, walk on the beach.
Myrtle Beach, SC isn't far, and they have lots of shopping, shows, etc. We were in Louisiana for a wedding in January, and the Gulf of Mexico water is warm in January compared to the water at home. The outer banks are also a great place to go.
I make all of our cookout foods from scratch (as usual)
So tell me how the following equates to "from scratch":
white cake box mix
Cool Whip
baked beans - from a can
ladyfingers - tell me she makes these from scratch
hot dogs and hamburgers and all the fixings - store bought buns, meat, etc. Doubtful that she makes her own buns, catsup/mustard, or grows her own onions
macaroni and potato salad - dumping the deli container into your own bowl doesn't constitute from scratch
Fruit salad, veggies - you can tell she didn't write this because she has consistently spelled 'veggies' as 'veges'
Plus cutting up some fruit and veggies and putting them on a tray doesn't really constitute cooking from scratch
The only thing left for her to possibly cook from scratch is the dip, and that's just dumping a few prepared ingredients together. Unless she makes her own sour cream and creamed cheese, which I doubt.
For the 4th of July, cause it is on a weekday, I will be home, cause it is too hot out. But the day before, my friend and her family, we go up to the Butera super market parking lot and reserve a space. The parking lot faces a Golf course that does fireworks everyyear, on the 3rd at 9:15pm. It's free and the surrounding community all come out to the intersection(Nagle & Gunisson) on the sidewalk and put their chairs and watch. Butera closes and we watch fireworks. There are several communities, near by, that have a festival and fireworks.
xxxxxxxR u sure no bikini pictures? Lol.TweetFavorite39 mins agoTwitter.
Kateplusmy8lol. If I get to the beach this summer, there's sure to be some, sadly (for me)!
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What the helllllll? I think that this is his 2nd message asking Kate for a bikini photo.
How long before he offers her a free beach trip?
Kate is either too stupid, or too self-absorbed to not notice how lecherous that fan sounds.
Her creep-o-meter must be broken :o/
Wow, or something like that. We are sharing our memories, and suddenly, out of the blue, Kate is telling about memories. Happy memories at that. Coincidence?
Did anyone else notice that "kart" (supposedly) said that she and Jon decorated the strollers?
Yep, NO WAY SHE WROTE THAT BLOG POST!!!!!!!!
Her head explodes if she has to say his name. Someone else wrote it.
How much of a pervert is the guy who keeps asking for bikini pictures? Ewww. And then Kate responds that there WILL be bikini pics, if she makes it to beach---sadly for her. I'm taking this to mean that the pesky paps will be stalking her and snapping her picture, much to her delight (oh, I mean dismay). It is just such a burden to always have the paps around when you go on a beach vacation, isn't it Kate? Especially if you call and alert them or even pay them yourself to show up.
Kate wrote, Make sure to check for grocery coupons before you head to the store!
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Oh, my gosh, Kate. Thanks for this tip. You saved my life. I never would have thought of it. Usually I wait until I get to the store to do this, see something for which I might have a coupon, and then drive back home to get it.
What a clueless idiot. May the fleas of a thousand camels nest in her good bra.
Mentioning Jon in such a positive way is Surprising. I think she feels like she won't play into his hand and trash him. This would be a good thing no matter her motives.
star22
standing ovation for your mom =)
good luck -- I liked the first few Cornwell books, but I think she's written herself into a rut. The last 4 or 5 haven't been very interesting. Do you like Kathy Reichs? I like her much better than Cornwell. I'm currently reading a series by Beverly Connor that is very good. She has 2 series, but my favorites are the Diane Fallon books. Diane Fallon is a forensic anthropologist who is a former human rights investigator and is now the director of a museum and crime lab in Georgia. Connor is a forensic anthropologist, so most of the cases have a ring of authenticity. There are 9 or 10 books in the series now.
Hit send too soon, sorry.
Did anyone notice that KK actually mentioned Jon in her blog, and more or less favorably? Baby steps!
If she is truly worried about paps she should do some research and find quieter beaches. They exist everywhere there is an easement. In my case we went to the lake at a local legacy park in a town with a population of 300. There were about 3 other people there. There are things you can do if you are having paps Problems or problems with fans.
pity party
your post reminds me of my beloved nova scotia.
thank you
chebukto head during a storm is magical
has she EVER had an original idea or an idea that we haven't all been using all our lives? Who the hell does she think she is to put this crap out like we've never heard it before? And does she really truly believe that life is just one big memory after another? How about living life just because? If she wasn't so damn ignorant she would realize that the memories she has burnt into her kids minds are not happy ones, they are memories of her demands, her excesses, her rants, her, her, her. The happy memories were tossed away with their father, relatives, true family friends (as compared to the crew type family)and friends that real kids make at school. These kids have lost or never experienced this in their lives. Good job, kate.
"Her creep-o-meter must be broken :o/"
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I think she's just desperate for any kind of attention or flattery. She doesn't care if it's a creep who gives it to her. She's answered him both times, and each time uses it as an excuse to grift for a beach vacation.
Fleecing The Sheeple said... 67
This is the video showing the making of the flag cake-it starts about 9:10.
Kate doesn't specifically say she "invented", but she says "I wanted to do "something flag-themed and I thought about it and thought about it and we ended up coming up with a real easy dessert". Thus she implied that she "invented it"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCYFM7Kwecs
"Fleecing the Sheeple: I think it was on the Today Show or the View years ago, What to make for 4th of July fun, or something on that line. We got into a it a couple of months ago and last year."
++++++++++++++
Wasn't it on the 4th of July episode at the beach house that they trashed with pudding, or am I thinking of another cake? I can't find the video...
tate said... 87
How much of a pervert is the guy who keeps asking for bikini pictures? Ewww.
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And she doesn't seem to get that his twitter name is Woody
the bikini tweet is full-on creepy. why would she even reply? makes her look desperate in so many ways.
reader lady- that's the author the Bones TV series is based on- I like the show so maybe I will try the novels. Thanks.
Amazing Lazy Summer Daze said... 43
Ah, to be able to go back for just one day...to be able to see my grandmother and mother, with strawberry-stained hands, rolling pie dough, and taking in the laundry that had dried on the line in the small back courtyard.
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For me it is raspberry hands, my grandmother and dear Great-Grandmother, the sheets flying in the breeze, my grandmother (a real Flapper from days gone by) teaching me some of the dances and her own mother still gasping in embarrasment at it all. LOL! Grandma's jello salad, meatloaf, her iced-tea, my great-grandma's baking! Did I ever tell you guys that my great-grandma was kitchen help for the Henry Ford family? She baked and also help set the dining rooms, saw to the silver etc.
Oh, to just have them with me for one day... oops, tears now.
Daze, what name do you usually use? I love your post.
Kate's responses to the bikini pictures questions make her look even more pathetic in her "wishing" and "grifting".
She has a POOL-does she only wear her bikini at the beach? On second thought, she probably does only wear it at the beach-never know when one of the hordes of paparazzi might show up.
Readerlady said...12
Every year our church would have a church picnic at a local lake with a beach and community cabin. We'd all head up there after Sunday morning service and cook out, swim, play volleyball or softball, or just lounge around talking. In the evening, as the sun set over the water, we'd have evening prayers and sing hymns. Sometimes if I close my eyes, I can still hear "Nearer My God To Thee" echoing in my head and see the brilliant colors reflected on the water.
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AHHH! The yearly church picnic! SOOOO much fun. I know my mom just stationed herself under the pavillion or tent and was there to tend our boo-boos or whatever we needed. Until some of the adult games started and we NINE had a hoot hauling her out to participate! So I just sort of played it the same way when I started attending with my own four kids. To this day, mine have the happiest memories of the church picnics.
What a great thread - summertime memories, without a $25K pricetag for rentals and over the top brand new everything.
I have many memories of the beach! We lived in Ohio in a house right next to the Maumee Bay. Only a small dike separated our house from the water. Up until I was probably 8 or 9, we were able to go and play in the sand or walk out when the tide was low and collect "lucky stones". I lived on a street where everyone knew each other, where the kids could freely go to any neighbor's house at any time and be welcomed. Most of the mom's didn't have jobs outside the home so we could always find someone to go with us so we could play at the "beach". We were never allowed to swim, I'm not sure if it was too dirty or most likely because of the safety factor. Sadly, our community had a couple of major floods and our the dike was raised and a bunch of boulders were brought in, which covered the sandy area. So gone were the days of walking out the door to go build a sand castle :(
For a few summers we rented a cabin up in the Irish Hills of Michigan. The whole extended family; grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. I have many memories of fishing, swimming, playing in the sand, etc.
We also used to camp up at some State Parks in SE Michigan. My dad would take a week off of work but we would always stay at the campground for a month. When my dad's vacation time was up he would just drive to work from the campground, which was about 45 minutes away. Being that close, we would come home once a week to do laundry and check on things, but for the most part just lived at the campground.
So much fun, and I'm sure it was inexpensive because we were not rich by any stretch of the imagination.
Except for the year we drove from Ohio to Washington state, all of our vacations were within an hour and a half from our house. I wouldn't trade one second of it for a more "exotic" trip. What matters most is that we were always with family and just enjoying each other's company. I remember one uncle patiently teaching me how to fish, having rock skipping contests with the cousins, basically just "mediocre" things. My parents and grandparents have all passed on, so I think I'm getting sentimental and starting to ramble!
I could go on forever sharing memories of my childhood. Thanks, Admin, for triggering this trip down memory lane!
Kate is a twit said... 98
Fleecing The Sheeple said... 67
"I wanted to do "something flag-themed and I thought about it and thought about it and we ended up coming up with a real easy dessert". Thus she implied that she "invented it"
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Watched bits and pieces and have the following remarks: Yes, she is implying 'after much thought' she would make 'her' flag cake. She did not allow 'icky' Joel with the woebegone face help- poor little fella. Second, she did not have her 'good bra' and looked perfectly fine, better in fact. Third,she was nasty and bossy and threatened to ruin the fun several times. Last, she is no Maria Von Trapp- Grand Old Flag- although Mady was ok!
I will not comment on the photo or corn rows- cruel- what a controller- oops,just commented !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCYFM7Kwe
Please send me and my kitties good vibes, if you can. I'm still stuck in the hellhole/rehab (the one that thinks bologna and cheese on white bread is a dinner!) with no end in sight, and in about an hour the cats are supposed to go into foster care with a total stranger. What's worse, nobody they know will be there to help see them off. I'm terrified and they'll probably be scared out of their minds. They're both old, one is timid anyway, and the other has a heart condition, so...I'm just really freaking out. Up to now I've been paying a wonderful babysitter more than my monthly income (LITERALLY - and damn you-know-who won't even spend the money to take her kids to the beach!), but we both know the cats need more people time, so she's been killing herself to try to find a good foster situation. Neither one of us has met this person, though. I'm just really upset, and I miss them SO MUCH!
P.S. I've been so "jellus" reading about your gardens and your recipes and your families. I hope no one ever takes any of that for granted -but it certainly doesn't seem like you do...
anger issues kate said... 80
First, Kate states that the whole 4th food is made from scratch, but she uses cake mix for the cake. LUNEY TUNEYS
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yep, and Cool Whip too. I love Cool Whip, but is it organic, Kate?
Hot dogs and hamburgers from scratch too? My grandmother ground her own meat, and the other grandma stuffed her own sausages, so maybe Kate will grace us with how she makes hot dogs and hamburgers from scratch. I do occasionally make the buns from bread machine dough, but I have special form pans to bake them in - is Kate making buns from scratch too? Pickles, cheese, mustard, mayo all from scratch?
She is so darned pleased with herself that she manages to make her own potato salad and doctor up canned beans, she thinks she INVENTED the dang stuff.
Someone please alert Kraft that Kate is making CoolWhip from scratch.
~Didnt she also brag about 'inventing' the flag cake on some epidode where she let the girls place the fruit on the cake, but angrily shooed the boys from the room?
the bikini tweet is full-on creepy. why would she even reply? makes
her look desperate in so many ways. 101
Perhaps becase she IS desperate? I wonder how much time she is spending prancing around her front yard in one of her bikinis, wishin'
and hopin' and prayin' for the pap (paps in her dreams) to show up and "invade her privacy" ha ha.
xxxxxxxR u sure no bikini pictures? Lol.TweetFavorite39 mins agoTwitter.
Kateplusmy8lol. If I get to the beach this summer, there's sure to be some, sadly (for me)!
__________________________
Rant On:
Oh for the love of Pete, Katie girl. You are just so full of yourself. You really make me want to throw up, puke, hurl, vomit, regurgitate, heave, barf, blow chow, expectorate, gag, spew, spit up, retch and upchuck all over that stupid pink iPhone of yours. It obviously gets so much more attention and caressing than your children do.
Egads, woman, do you NEVER think about how ridiculous you sound typing such conceited, narcissistic, vainglorious and stuck up things?
You know you LIVE to be photographed in a bikini or other skimpy outfit.
The saddest, most pitiable part about this and your shallow, silly celebrity wannabe life is that you have deluded yourself into believing you are in hot demand. Do you honestly believe that hordes of paps will be doing a Normandy-like invasion of every beach in PA and NJ, all hoping you appear, then swarm around trying to snap pictures of you? Seriously?
Newsflash, girlfriend. It ain't happening. No one cares. Come to terms with it.
OK. Rant over. It must be the heat.
I don't think she knows what making from scratch really means. I think anything that is not a TV dinner is made from scratch to her. My mother made biscuits from scratch every morning, sifting the flour, cutting in the shortening (preferably lard for the best), adding the buttermilk a little at a time, putting flour her hands to knead it and putting flour on the counter to roll it out with a well-worn wooden rolling pin. She would cut them out with a can that had both ends out, put them on well-greased black cast iron "skillets" and put them in a hot oven. She would take a peak at them and when almost done pull them out and pour melted butter on them and put them back in to "brown." Biscuits to die for, every day of every year of her life until all the kids were grown and gone. That is baking from scratch. She always said no two people make biscuits alike. We would say your's are the best. We would eat them with Yellow Label syrup and butter or homemade blackberry jelly, that we all picked the berries for in the woods with the snakes, bees, ticks and thorns. She didn't have a canner, so she would pour wax over the top to seal them and just kept them in the fridge (they didn't last very long). That is cooking from scratch. She would use left over biscuit dough from around the cuts to make blackberry cobbler, just blackberries and sugar brought to a boil and drop the cuttings into the cast iron pot and put the lid on letting them "simmer," peaking in until the dumplings were done. Scrumptious. The house smelled divine. That is cooking from scratch.
Actually I did not, deep in my soul, enjoy hot sand, wind, ice cold water, traffic, parking fees, etc. But I am from Southern California, and as a teen and young adult I dutifully went to the beach all the time, because that's what you do.
When I went to Florida for a vacation I was downright crying from heat and went in the ocean that first night knowing the water would be warmer than what I was used to. I was stunned that it felt like a hot bath. Then there was the seaweed that threatened to devour me.
Now I have dogs who love the beach. But I kind of pretend it isn't there quite often because it is unbelievable how much sand they can carry home with them.
I know so many of you are suffering from the heat, while here in S. CA. there are so many little pockets of weather. It can be totally different just a couple of miles away. Where I am it is actually uncomfortably hot only maybe 7-10 days a year. When I worked in N. CA. it was unbearable for months at a time. I would love to move someplace else, but when I think of how the weather would be even a few miles away, let alone thousands of miles away, I hesitate. Also of course the housing market collapsed, but that's another story.
I was lucky enough to grow up with a pool in our backyard, but we always spent at least one week in a cottage on Cape Cod. Family would go in April, meet w/ realtors and check out available rentals. Mom wanted to know what she was going to be spending a week in. My dad loved the ocean - always told us the white water reminded him of beer foam. (Just remembered this today when meeting w/ priest b4 his funeral) When I got married my inlaws had a trailer by the NH beach, then a home in Wells, Maine. We would spend several weekends and weeks there during the summer. When they moved full time to Florida, we started cabin camping - anything to be near the beach. We are also close enough to have several day trips to the RI beach - where the waves can be big enough for boogie boarding.
"For the love of all that's holy, will some well-heeled Sheeple please send her to the beach?"
If she keeps mentioning the beach, the non fans are going to want to send her by dumping her in the ocean head first.
Just watched the 4th of July episode ....wow...I had kinda mentally blocked out what a shrew she is/was... Few observations: wow her boobs were small! No cleavage at all...she does not have a "good bra" now, she has a "miracle bra"! Also, paper plates and bibs and 1 stalk of broccoli...some things never change! Her response to Jon when he realized he had cut his finger on the crab was awful. What a bitch! She is screaming at the kids to stop eating the strawberries which made them sad and upset and then she turns around and says "let's take a picture of you and the cake and because they are all sad because she upset them by screaming at them for eating strawberries, she does what only Kate would do...to get them to smile for the camera, she bribes them with the strawberries? Wtf? Her skin was really beautiful back them...to bad she fried it in the easy bake oven bed. Some things never change...bitch the entire time you make them dinner and then eat it with a glass of wine. Wow
I also think she totally copied her current fashion style from then2 girls who worked in the braid shop! Yessiree
I have so enjoyed reading everyone's memories of growing up/summer. I'm reminded of two movies that always make me smile....Now and Then and Sandlot. This thread has reminded me of how fun these movies are.
I think it's a real breakthrough that Kate wrote about memories she and Jon made. Yet her immature bragging continues. Oh, and Kate retweeted this:
Jonni @keepermom72
@Kateplusmy8 having Gosselins withdrawal! Any idea when Season 6 will b on dvd? Headed dwnstrs 2 watch Hannah pooped in hannahs unnerwears!
Dang, I feel sorry for those kids. How mortifying to one have those scenes on film forever, but then Mom retweets this? How embarassing for Hannah.
Great topic, admin!
She's a cow, where do you go in obx? we bought a house this winter, we have been looking for a couple years and found a great buy that we did not get outbid on! it is in nags head, down old Oregon inlet road, on the west side but short walk to the beach. We get to go soon, yea!
I grew up on an island in the Chesapeake bay of Virginia, a short walk to the beach. I walked on the beach almost every day, even in winter. During the summer the moms and grandmas took turns supervising kids in the water. There were some rental cottages down the road, and usually there would be some kids. Since I had a swingset in the backyard and we had a TV, I would male new friends and end up going to the beach with them. My mom loved it, she wouldn't have to watch me. The older neighbors all had grandpa who visited in the summer, do we would ride bikes, play games inside, look for rabbits in the woods, and yes catch fireflies at night. Dad had a huge garden and I would help with planting, weeding, and harvesting. My grandparents lived on the island, I remember grandma rowing her skiff (a small boat) to a big sandbar once for us to have a picnic.
When my kids were small, we visited my folks and went to the beach almost every well in the summer.
Bikini shots sad for me but good for you (implied). I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fppSdu5z1HQ&feature=relmfu
at 00:15...
Speaking about beach vacations, I guess she forgot to pack the good bra for this trip. How could any sheeple see this and still say she's not lying about the boob job?
Kate is Krazy -- The show "Bones" is based VERY loosely on Kathy Reichs books. Her main character is named Temperance Brennan, but that's about the only similarity. In the books, Brennan is older (late 40's), has a grown daughter (NOT named Christina, BTW), there is no Seeley Booth nor any of the other characters from the show, and she works in N. Ca. and in Montreal. I love the show, and I love the books, but if you go into the books expecting them to be like the show, you'll be very disappointed. The Brennan character is based loosely on Kathy Reichs herself, and many of the cases are drawn from her experiences.
Hi, everyone. I haven't read through all of the threads, just this one. Summertime beach memories. We lived in the suburbs of Chicago and we used to have a fourth of July beach day with our aunts, uncles, and cousins at a lake called Shady Shores. I remember Grandma making her potato salad, macaroni salad, and cherry crunch cake. They were delicious.
Normally we have our grandsons for the week of the 4th, but this year, we had them the week before. I'll miss taking them to the fireworks park, buying them cotton candy (and whatever else they ask for), and watching the looks on their faces when the fireworks are shooting off. But we spent the past week with them, and had our own fireworks that Papa and the neighbors shot off on Saturday.
My best memories of the beach have been the ones from the last 5 years with my grandsons. They make every day special!
Notice she just has to mention they were decorating their 'twin jogger' stroller. Wonder who was buying her expensive baby equipment back then? Jon's dad? Woman has been a grifting con artist for a very long time.
Orange Crush my theory about her grifting is that the twins were proof to her that she could grift a fair amount successfully and only made her want to have more multiples so she could grift all the more.
The twins were sort of a grift trial run, and it went so well they went back to try for "just one more."
I buy into the whole story about her being obsessed with the McCauleys, etc. Obsessed because she saw what a gold mine kids like these could be (even though they're not at all for more than a year or two)
I'm amazed at how well Jon's recent statement muzzled her. It really did. Not a peep bad about Jon since he said it. Not a peep. First she said no comment about the Rabbi thing and left it at that. And now this, reminiscing in a completely positive way about something they did together.
She is astute enough to realize that he has virtually put her in a trap where if she dares to trash him now, she will be the jerk.
Well played, Jon. Well played.
Had to tell all my gardening peeps I just picked my first three cherry tomatoes and they are delicious!
If anyone is looking for 4 July 'theme' books, I fully recommend "In Love and War" by Jim and Sybil Stockdale. It recounts from both sides the more than 7 YEARS Jim spent as a POW in Vietnam (at the time North Vietnam). And please spend a moment on the fourth remembering the men left, forever in some cases, to rot in prisons in Vietnam and Laos.
Can someone plz tell me why Kate needs a PR team it's not like she doing anything.
I spent a week at the beach when I was 6 and had fun. But my parents liked to take us many different places. When visiting grandparents in Michigan I swam in Lake Huron. Now at my age I'm not a big fan of the beach. But I know some people really love it.
In Berks County there is a large man made lake called Blue Marsh. It has beaches with swimming as well as boating and hiking. Little to no cost. For a little gas and a few bucks, drive 45 min to Mount Gretna which has a really popular lake to swim in and has the best ice cream shop across the street. The Jigger Shop is famous.
I guess she's too lazy to drive the 15 min to Blue Marsh.
readerlady- Thanks for the tips about Beverly Connor and Kathy Reichs. I am not familiar with either author. The Diane Fallon series sounds very interesting and I am always looking for something new. I think I will look for them the next time I'm at Barnes and Noble.
Surely the sheeple have the same easy breezy and cheap beach memories we do and must be tired of Kate's shenanigans by now. I'm not buying anything else.
I've enjoyed many beaches over the years. Childhood was around Neskowin, OR where we were lucky to rent a humble cabin for a week twice, then day trips to the Mendocino County coastline as a teenager. Enjoyed several MI lakeshores thanks to ex-DH's family. Now in San Diego ... well, they're wonderful for the most part.
I began making the "flag cake" back in 1983. I saw it on the cover of either "Family Circle" or "Woman's Day", cannot remember which magazine. The stripes were alternating banana slices (tossed in lemon juice) and strawberries. (so mine beats Kate's in nutrition). One year I made banana cupcakes. Cool Whip icing. Some with sliced strawberris, some with blueberries. Arranged them on a cookie sheet to resemble the flag. Am I amazing or what? (rhetorical, please don't answer LOL).
I have a large extended family - we number 42 at the moment, with my niece expecting number 43. My husband is one of six, his one sister has 5 plus 2 stepkids, almost all nices and nephews are married with kids, add in aunts and uncles - well, it adds up! Fourth of July, Thanksgiving we are all together. Sometimes, Memorial Day as well.
As a "supermom", well, personally, I don't think so. She's so NOT creative. Is she making a play for a guest spot on T. Spelling's new show about crafting?
I have a book published in 1985 that shows the flag cake.
I think it's a real breakthrough that Kate wrote about memories she and Jon made. Yet her immature bragging continues.
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I do too and I think this new attitude can only be good for the kids. Problem is Kate strikes me is the type of person who cannot change, not easily anyway. She may stick with some new attitude for a few weeks but won't be able to keep it up for long.
However I hope that's not the case and I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt on this she's actually thought about the parental alienation she has done to Jon and vowed to stop or at least try and that she HAS changed for the better on this.
It's easy Kate, don't take about Jon, at all. Or if you have to when you do make sure your comments are 100% positive, no backhanded or not so backhanded slams allowed. The best way to avoid this is to shut up about visitation, relationships, child support and fatherhood.
Realitytvkids.com (Administrator) said... 122
I have a book published in 1985 that shows the flag cake.
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For her next trick, Kate invents Jello Poke Cake. Or tossing a box of pudding into a cake mix. Or layering jellos and fruits into clear cups, tilted at an angle as they set. Or mixing crumbled crunchies into her Cool-Whip-Made-From-Scratch.
Seriously, I feel embarrassed for her at how she portrays her own upbringing as so very lacking. Like she grew up in a hovel raised by rodents or something.
By the way, I make a jello poke cake for nearly every occasion, just changing the colors of jellos for the event. This week: White cake/raspberry jello/cool whip with blueberries on top.
What a great topic, our fun summers. Once a Viewer and Lilly, I'm not far from the Gatineau Hills. My parents would prepare a picnic lunch and we would leave for a day at Lac Phillippe. Oh what a treat. The sand castles, running and playing on the beach and swimming in the lake. Later we would all sit down on a big blanket eat sandwiches, cheese, and after Mom would slice a huge watermelon. By the time we would leave we were so tired we would all fall asleep in the car and Dad would have to bring us in one by one (we were 4 children).
When I had my children I did the same with them. We would picnic at Old Chelsea and swim in Leamy Lake.
I also love poutine but try to stay away from it as much as possible, ooh the calories, but once in a while I just can't resist.
An update on my DD. She is now home with the baby (Malielle) who is doing tremendously well after giving us such a scare.
Seriously, I feel embarrassed for her at how she portrays her own upbringing as so very lacking. Like she grew up in a hovel raised by rodents or something.
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What's funny, or sad, is that her upbringing sounds so similar to so many of ours. The simple pleasures in life.
But where so many of us think, oh what a great childhood I had skipping rocks at the lake, sometimes it feels like all Kate can think is how her parents failed her by not taking her on exotic trips around the world and pouring oodles of money on her like a literal dollar bill tree. It sounds like her parents gave her what many good parents do, Kate just didn't want it.
Realitytvkids.com (Administrator) said... 116
Had to tell all my gardening peeps I just picked my first three cherry tomatoes and they are delicious!
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GO ADMIN! GO ADMIN!
3 lovely zukes here, and more on the way. Only a couple of tomatoes so far, but counted 6 today that are started to yellow! And my herbs are making me very happy!
Dwindle: Goodness - we probably have passed each other on I71 or I90...too funny. Any chance "Frank and Mary's" means anything to you?
My favorite (now) beach story involves Cape Cod National Seashore, super cold water compared to Florida and a husband who lost the car and camper keys in the rough surf while "playing". Didn't realize he had left the keys in his swimsuit pocket until AFTER the kids started acting faint with hunger and thirst. He hitchhiked back to the campground in Orleans while the kids (quite young at the time) and I kept moving the beach towels back and back while the tide came in. Twas hot and the cooler with drinks and lunch was locked up tight in the truck. Did I mention there were a bazillion (OK, I exaggerate a bit) stairs between the parking lot and the beach. Later we laughed and laughed...but not at the time! Oh, and when he returned with the keys, the FIRST thing we did was find a hardware store and make 10 (no exaggeration there) copies of the keys.
There have to be good memories of a marriage that produced 2 multiple births. As they say, the stress is something you share, and later can
talk about rationally and even laugh about it. They had a marriage. There had to be something good about it.
I'm glad she could think of one good memory anyway.
I've never been divorced but I imagine in all but the most contentious split ups you still have good memories of times with your kids at some point, at least early on. After all you liked each other enough to get married and have some kids.
Bluebird, congratulations on the birth of your little granddaughter. It sounds like there were some problems, but I'm so glad that all is well now, and mom and baby are home safe and sound. Blessings to you and your family!
Realitytvkids.com (Administrator) said... 129
Seriously, I feel embarrassed for her at how she portrays her own upbringing as so very lacking. Like she grew up in a hovel raised by rodents or something.
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What's funny, or sad, is that her upbringing sounds so similar to so many of ours. The simple pleasures in life.
But where so many of us think, oh what a great childhood I had skipping rocks at the lake, sometimes it feels like all Kate can think is how her parents failed her by not taking her on exotic trips around the world and pouring oodles of money on her like a literal dollar bill tree. It sounds like her parents gave her what many good parents do, Kate just didn't want it.
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And she was so disgusted by her mediocre upbringing that she never even noticed some relative somewhere making a flag cake, so Kate thinks she invented it. Did they live on restaurant food, so that kate thinks doctoring up a can of baked beans is 'scratch'? I dont know, she just UMMM HONESTLY believes she invented masterminding laundry, making a box mix, slopping a starch casserole on the table, using red plates for some holidays...
She is so proud of these nothing little things that she brags about - I guess she really 'doesnt see other people' and their lives and the things they do. Next will be a blog post about she invented pulling up her own pants.Because 'nobody knows how to help her.'
I think I am feeling more pity for her mental illness because I have not had the excruciating experience of listening to pompous voice telling lies, and I have blessedly not witnessed her lashing out, verbal abusing or flapping away her children for a while.
Kate said she was going to do menu Monday's we all see how long that lasted.
So I doubt if she makes any positive changes they won't last to long.
Kate to me doesn't seem like the type to stick to things she tries it and then she's done.
Yes chef that's a characteristic of narcissists, they tend to float from one thing to the next never really committing to much.
In fact I think one reason the entertainment business attracts so many narcissists besides the obvious, is that you get to float from movie to movie or show to show. You never have to do something for long before it's on to the next thing.
I don't think she will change, but I want to be positive about this.
Dwindle said... 130
Realitytvkids.com (Administrator) said... 116
Had to tell all my gardening peeps I just picked my first three cherry tomatoes and they are delicious!
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GO ADMIN! GO ADMIN!
3 lovely zukes here, and more on the way. Only a couple of tomatoes so far, but counted 6 today that are started to yellow! And my herbs are making me very happy!
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JEALOUS HERE!!! I'm still looking at blossoms. :(
Admin, congrats on your tomatoes! We haven't had a lot of rain (until Saturday), so there is not a lot showing in our garden right now. However, we do have leaves showing, especially on the pumpkins I planted for the boys. We even have a 4 inch cucumber that sprouted.
Our garden is showing much less than it has in previous years, but I know that has a lot to do with the lack of rain we've had.
Realitytvkids.com (Administrator) said... 137
Yes chef that's a characteristic of narcissists, they tend to float from one thing to the next never really committing to much.
In fact I think one reason the entertainment business attracts so many narcissists besides the obvious, is that you get to float from movie to movie or show to show. You never have to do something for long before it's on to the next thing.
I don't think she will change, but I want to be positive about this.
______
Right I also believe why Kate never apologized to Jon cause she thinks she was/is right all the time.
Jon didn't do it her way so he got tossed aside as well as Beth/Ashley/Jamie/Family members/twitter people.
Plus I think she think she the next Kris.K which if funny.
All of these beach stories have brought so many happy memories today. An aunt and uncle in my very large family loved to camp so they pitched a tent at the lake every semi-warm weekend and whoever could make it came. Oh the times we had! Learning to water ski, the same uncle taught all 51 1st cousins - not all at the same time :o), the wonderful meals cooked over a campfire, the singalongs after dark with whatever instruments were around...throwing sticks into the water for the dogs to fetch, teaching my son to swim...thanks, everybody, I'm going to have very sweet dreams tonight.
Realitytvkids.com (Administrator) said... 118
Had to tell all my gardening peeps I just picked my first three cherry tomatoes and they are delicious!
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Yay! We picked some last week, and they are just sweet bites of delish. I have also made pesto from the basil. While we were at our daughter's in Sacramento this weekend, I picked a bowl of the orange and pinkish red cherry toms that her Aussie MIL had planted in April, also delicious. Think I want their soil. The rest of my garden is so-so, but we do have good farmer's markets.
And I do agree with you that her grfting success with twins sent her down the path to more, more, more. All that talk about '1 more' is utter bs - she knew damn well what overstimulated ovaries meant, and went right ahead. I do not think she realized that 6 could happen, but I do think she was prepared to have Team Kate, State of PA, the world, help her cope with twins or perhaps triplets. Not sure about Jon, but I suspect she hid some fertility info from him, too. She's been lying for years.
Dwindle - What is Jello poke cake? I've never heard if it but it does sound interesting.
Admin: congrads on a couple of tomatoes. I've had about 3 so far.
I learned how to make kale chips.
raw kale leaves
olive oil
salt & pepper or whatever you like
and a grill: like a George Foreman type
mix in bowel: oil, salt & pepper
then put on grill close lid, cook to it's like a chip, don't burn it.
I heard they sell this in speciality shops for $5 a small bag.
Learned this at the Greenhouse. They also made currant jelly, & parsley dip.
SoCal Local said... 3
"My parents divorced the summer I turned six, and our lives (I am one of three kids) were very difficult after that. We lived in a small, two-bedroom apartment in Monterey Park in a not-so-great area, because that's all my mom could afford. We were very poor and on Welfare, because there was no child support.
So what could we do for fun? We'd pile into the Rambler, and drive down to Huntington Beach..."
________________________________________________
I'm sorry for your childhood pain, here in L.A. County... but, I LOVE IT SO CAL! I live in Monterey Park now- for over a year, and it's an amazing city, on the hill. I dwell near La Loma Park... The 3 bedroom home I live in, and those surrounding it market value at more than Kate's mansion. Your summer life in HB, was a charmed one, as most kids never get to see the Pacific Ocean. I grew up in Redondo Beach... born & bred. Small world! Hubby and I just moved from Long Beach, after 17 years owning a home there.
(My California King Harbor fishing stories in Redondo with Dad & Cinderella-esque sisters, to follow.)
And now auditioning for her role as Kate Kardashian, momager, she's twatting yet again about Mady and her home movies. Give it up already.
If Mady is perfectly capable of filming things then what is the point of having a film crew film your memories, one of the reasons Kate often cited for doing the show. Just have Mady do it and shut up about getting a new show.
By the way whatever happened to TLC's BS about filming update specials. Sheesh they film little people specials all the time. They really did just drop her like a rock.
NJGal51 said... 154
Dwindle - What is Jello poke cake? I've never heard if it but it does sound interesting.
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Bake a cake in a sheet cake pan. Chill for several hours in fridg. Meanwhile make a small box of jello using only the hot water, let that stand at room temp while cake is chilling.
Take a wooden spoon and, using the handle, poke a series of holes in your chilled cake. (For example, 10 rows across and 6 down). I use a gravy ladle and spoon the cool jello into the holes. Chill immediatly for a few more hours, or overnight. Frost with cool whip, even if you dont make your cool whip from scratch.
This is a delicious light cake, perfect for summer or a light dessert. I am sure there are different or easier ways to make it, but this is what I do with it. At Halloween I use orange jello, at Christmas I use lime jello etc. I frequently use sugar free jello too. It works best with white cake, but you could certainly use just a yellow cake mix too.
~I have tried something similar with pudding too. I do the same thing with the cake. But instead of jello, I make a box of instant choco pudding using only half the milk. Very gently fold in 1/2 a tub of cool whip. Quickly, before the mixture starts to firm, spoon it into the holes and chill for about an hour. It comes out almost like a mousse in the cake.
Dwindle said... For her next trick, Kate invents Jello Poke Cake. Or tossing a box of pudding into a cake mix. Or layering jellos and fruits into clear cups, tilted at an angle as they set.
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Hee hee, Khate could try to bring aspic back as a 'family food'. I can just see the tweet campaign now.
My parents took my brother and sister and I up north to Muskoka in Ontario(Canada)every summer. They rented the same cottage with a leaky roof and an outhouse and we loved it.
My father would head back to Toronto on Sunday to work and the rest of us stayed up for 4 to 5 weeks. At six and seven years of age I never realized what my Dad sacrificed for us so we could spend half the summer literally in paradise. He worked for the first three weeks of our vacation to pay for the cottage rental and the mortgage payment on our little house. He would then join us for the last two weeks.
My sister and I would always bring most of our Barbies and of course my Barbie Goin' Camping Motor Home and her Barbie sports car and pop up trailer and spend hours taking our Barbies on their own summer vacation. Between swimming, boating, fishing or rainy day activities my siblings and I were never bored. We made friends we saw every summer as we grew. We saved our allowance to buy treats at the snack bar.
It wasn't until I was much older that I realized how fortunate we were to have parents who played and laughed with us. If it rained Mom had crafts and bingo games and Dad taught us how to knock down tin cans with a BB gun and play Black Jack. My dad would have us all sit on the arms of the big chair and he would tell his favourite ghost story.
Years later they bought a cottage in the same region and we all enjoy it to this day. In fact I'm going to the cottage on Wednesday to enjoy it some more.
Hey everyone...off topic but what was the author of the Florida mystery books mentioned in a previous thread from a few weeks ago? If no one remembers I'll go searching but I'd rather not spend time searching if someone knows. Thanks!
Kristine, my husband grew up in the 50's/60's in Monterey Park, and we lived there for a few years in the 80's - he has great memories of growing up in a pokey suburb, way different from the city today. Hope you have found the great little wood burning pizza place near the 60 Fwy.
I was a grandmother before I ever saw a beach. I was raised in New Mexico. Went to see my daughter and her family in New York, and one day we all went to the ocean. We were not dressed to swim that day, but decided we at least needed to wade in the ocean. I had never seen the ocean, so I had no way of knowing the ocean waves were very strong that day. So, the waves caught me, flipped me over and back again. My glasses were washed away. My camera was ruined. I was soaked from head to toe and in spite of all that, we laughed until we cried. It was one of my most fun vacations ever.
Two comments to make tonight
1) I dont think the hunger games is an age appropriate book or movie for the tups. Perhaps for the twins but there are some adult themes that I dont know that they will understand.
2) A trip to the beach is all perspective. One of my friends lives in Arizona. His favorite saying is "we have lots of beach but no ocean." I grew up in Utah. The closest thing we had to the ocean was the Great Salt Lake. Its a nasty lake on the best of days. The smell, the brine flies and the fact sediment did not keep us from playing in it. We would visit antelope island a few times a year. They have a beach with perfectly round sand. It was always fun once you got over the smell.
Oh please, Kate HAS bikini pictures from years past. If I were her, I'd tweet back to the person "Just google "Kate Gosselin Bikini" and you'll have all the pics you want!"
Sheesh.
I am glad to hear that she put forth a positive memory involving her time with Jon. As you said, Admin, I think Jon did paint her into a corner with his People interview and that there's not much she can say now without looking pathetic.
Slowly I think we're moving towards both of them fading away until there is no new news, no more pap pics, etc. At least, I really, truly hope so.
Andrea said... 164
Two comments to make tonight
1) I dont think the hunger games is an age appropriate book or movie for the tups. Perhaps for the twins but there are some adult themes that I dont know that they will understand.
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Which themes? I think they can definitely relate to their pain, emotional and physical, being used for entertainment. They can relate to having to be more mature than their chronological age. They can relate to raising a sibling (or six) because of a mother who's checked out or unable to earn money. They can probably even relate to not getting enough to eat. And they are about a year, at least, into relating to themes of crushes and boys that are friends but not boyfriends.
I do enjoy the twitter silence and the twitter silence may just be her downfall. People (even sheeple) are beginning to lose interest and twitter was the only thing keeping her somewhat relevant. I've been watching her feed in twitiq and she is boring, boring, BORING! I don't think the fans like the "kinder, gentler" Kate because h latest persona gives them nothing to argue with the "haters" about. tick tock, tick tock.
She was her own undoing on twitter. All the bragging and grifting alienates people, not to mention all the other asinine tweets from her. Not only were the contents of her tweets alienating, but she also tweeted too much. There's no mystery anymore about her, we all know everything. A celeb who tweets a few times a day, real quality tweets that are very funny or interesting, is far more likely to stay in the game than someone over tweeting like she does doing it some days 20-30. You always have to keep a little mystery as a celeb, keep people guessing and coming back for more. A good PR person would have helped her with all this.
Also with her fans staying quieter lately Kate will lose interest and fast.
Bubbles -- Was it Tim Dorsey? Carl Hiaasen? I seem to remember both of them being mentioned and both write books centered in Florida.
KAT 35...
I have heard LBI has gotten really expensive and that many of the old style, two family houses were knocked down to replace with "mansions". We used to stay on Mermaid Lane. We were there every summer from the mid sixties to early eighties, then back in the 90's when my sisters started having kids. So many memories. I don't live close anymore and in some ways wouldn't want to see it all different and built up. That would be sad. Is Bay Village and the Lucy Evelyn still there?
Hi bubbles,
Tim Dorsey is the Florida mystery author who writes a series with the very funny serial killer Serge Storms. The books are crazy funny, and feature lots of real Florida landmarks.
Another poster mentioned Carl Hiaasen who also writes Floridabased series, he is also funny, good writer, but for laugh out loud crazy the Dorsey books can't be beat. Either would make fun beach reads.
Her last tweet is soo funny.....Mady made a short hunger games film featuring Hannah and cara.....do the gosselin kids fight each other for food because they are starving at the McMansion in this film? Lol. Maybe they are trying to give their food rationing mother a hint!
RT @TheQuarterRoll Story abt @Kateplusmy8.We think she had a commendable attitude &spirit during a challenging X. http://t.co/2pZZePQe THX:)
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Kate thanks the writer(s) of this fawning story, thus approving (overlooking) its glaring errors. (The article lauds Kate for a positive outlook that includes writing successful books in the aftermath of being canned by TLC.)
Shes a cow@171....The homes they have knocked down over the years on LBI HAVE been replaced by "mansions". Usually the homes are a block long...just ridiculous. There are still some little cape cods on the island. The old timers who refuse to sell. It seems it's a playgroud for the "well to do" crowd now. A lot of New Yorkers. Although there are mostly familys that vacation here. They just made it unaffordable for the average Joe.
Bay Vilage is still there...tons of shops and places to eat. They have Chowderfest every Oct. We went one year but the streets were so crowded we could barely get close to it. They probably have more shops since you've been there.....Its huge...It's really built up over the years. Still... we think its the best beach in Jersey. We take our kids to the Christmas parade on the Island every year....they do a great job.
This type of place is right up Kates alley. Believe me..no one here would be impressed by her presence. She would be totally ignored...there would be no panic in the streets. Ha...
I'm amazed at how well Jon's recent statement muzzled her. It really did. Not a peep bad about Jon since he said it. Not a peep. First she said no comment about the Rabbi thing and left it at that. And now this, reminiscing in a completely positive way about something they did together.
_____
I truly believe the change in Kate's twitter/recent comment about Jon are due to the recent lawyers/Gosselin book debacle. I can only imagine what is in the book, and since everything Kate does is online/print/tv/twitter there is a record of everything she has done/said. It's hard to dispute unadulterated evidence.
I believe the lawyers told her to STFU/play nice, instead of constantly feeding the fire. And because lawyers can make her money/block the book (supposedly) she is listening. She has NEVER listened to any PR, as we have all seen by her atrocious behavior. They may have also said, if you DON'T knock it off, we WILL drop you as a client.
heather
What was the point to that article? She wrote those books when she was employed be TLC, not after. The last book was a disaster...103 on th best seller list??? How is that not a failure? These people should really get their facts straight before writing anything about that scammer. It sounds like Kate paid this person to write that inacurate garbage. In fact it sounds like Kate wrote it herself and submitted it. The Quarteroll??? Who the hell reads that?? I'm sure she's happy with any press at this point...
Love my Grandsons, we did have a scare at birth but the NICU are wonderful and after three days in that unit my granddaughter was strong enough for my daughter to breastfeed and to finally bring her home. Thanks for your well wishes.
I have not seen Hunger Games and by what I've heard about it, I'm not interested, it does not sound like a movie I would like. Why does Kate always laud Mady, is it really because she's so talented in everything she does or is it Kate trying to mold a mimi-me in her. I believe Kate's Twitter has slowed down because she is finally realizing how much time is needed to keep 8 children occupied and fed. This is the first time she has them day after day, all day, and I don't think she has all the hired help she used to have. I may be wrong but it looks like she is slowly losing it.
I wish you all a happy and safe 4th of July and fun times with family and friends.
Bluebird; our favourite place to swim/have a beach day was Lac Philippe! Small world. One day your little granddaughter will be frolicking there !
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Re: Mady's film. Why is Kate pushing this so hard? what were the other kids, the audience? I notice Cara is often in the background of their projects. I don't think she likes her picture taken or being filmed!!!!!!
My best memory of the beach is in Rehobeth DE. In the summer of '05 I went down with my then-fiance and we found our wedding rings in a little Irish shop a on the main drag. The next summer my hubby and I went back and I was 8 months pregnant with our honeymoon baby girl. The Irish shop was torn down and never rebuilt. We were sad but still go back (almost) every summer, now with three kids in tow.
Another inexpensive summer memory. We used to take the ferry from Woods Hole to Nantucket to visit my grandparents. Once the ferry pulled out of Woods Hole and the snack bar opened, I would always buy a bag of Fritos to feed the seagulls. I would put one in the palm of my hand, hold it up and watch the seagulls come flying in and take it right out of your hand. It was great. A few summers back our oldest daughter wanted to do a family day trip to Martha's Vineyard. She thought I was nuts when I immediately bought a bag of Fritos to feed the seagulls. When they started flying in, she decided to get her own bag to feed them. Watching her laughing at the antics of the seagulls said it all.
She wrote those books when she was employed by TLC, not after.
Just what I was thinking. That article made NO sense.
It's talking about her positive attitude after being fired....and how she used her positive attitude to score with her books.
In Gosselin's case she had been focusing on her writing and it paid off.
Except the books were written *before* she was canned. The last one was written in 2010, and she wasn't canned until 2011.
Good grief. And she re-tweets that with no correction as to the facts. Wonder if she even read it. She probably didn't get past Kate Gosselin is wonderful.
How silly. Kate didn't focus on writing nor does she have a positive attitude. She just grifts and writes a few blog posts and runs a few marathons. She is hardly an example of what to do when you are unemployed.
Real Americans who are unemployed pound the pavement every day. I know people who have applied to hundreds of jobs, been on dozens of interviews, sent out thousands of letters. Getting a job is a full time job and there is no time for tweeting.
Pity Party said:
I like to go to the beach in the early morning, and late evening, and when it is stormy. It always reminds of God's glory and power, gives me a new perspective on life.
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That's wonderful Pity! Your statement reminded me of one of my favorite hymns, How Great Thou Art.
". . . I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed."
Mrs Malaprop at 184
That's wonderful Pity! Your statement reminded me of one of my favorite hymns, How Great Thou Art.
". . . I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed."
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I love that hymn, too!!
Malaprop, thank you, I love that song!
That's wonderful Pity! Your statement reminded me of one of my favorite hymns, How Great Thou Art.
". . . I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
No one sang it like my father's good friend, George Beverly Shea, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award last year at the Grammmys, at age 102!
I agree with Heather @176. I think the lawyers told her to STFU and I guess I didn't make it very clear in my original post about her twitter silence. I still think that sheeple and "haters" alike are beginning to lose interest because of the twitter silence and the kinder, gentler Kate. A leopard doesn't change its spots and Kate can't magically morph into someone she's not. Sheeple are finding that life goes on even without Kate and her daily dose of BS. Keep buying those twitter followers though Kate if it makes you feel relevant!
Real Americans who are unemployed pound the pavement every day.
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In order to pound the pavement, I think Kate would have to put away those hooker heels and buy some sensible shoes!
From Day One, Kate had herself in mind, and wanted "kids" as a commodity she could promote, emphasis "poor me" for help, commodities, and donations (grifting). Entitled - She would not spend money she and Jon had, as it was "their money."
She was always Narcissistic, but as the $$$ and fame came into play, her extreme behavior became more and more apparent. Boobs, liposuction, botox, facial surgery, veneers, etc... At some point, the kids became secondary. The kids were no longer the priority, but rather her fame. The kids were a means to an end. And the kids know this, in spite of her claims that she needed to earn money. She could have done this with a job, instead of filming.
TLC, in my mind, fed the beast. And she expected to do this until the kids were 18, in her own words. No gratitude - just more, more, more... Free trips, huge paycheck, clothing, house and yard enhancements for filming, babysitters, divorce, grifting, bad attitude, entitlement. Kate's big mistake was her ego got so big, she thought she was not expendible. HUGE mistake.
She is now still grifting, in spite of the fact that this reflects poorly on her. She has no job other than CC which has NOTHING to do with consumer savings, but rather her ignorance and lack of desire to get a job and support her kids. She has no serious prospects of a job, after close to a year. Chooses to advertise pictures and tweets about her kids, with no respect for their privacy, on Twitter, CC and her website.
Seriously, when will these kids ever get any privacy, and when will THEY EVER come first? Not too many people give a crap about her anymore, but she continues to use her kids. If she is so famous in her own right, why do the kids' activities, pictures, etc. still have to be posted by her daily on Twitter?
Time for this 37 year old who has relied on her kids to support her for the past 8+ years to step up to the plate and give them their privacy back once and for all. And support her kids as all parents do. It really is quite pathetic that she continues to post pictures and private information about them on Twitter, CC and her website.
I hate to say this but she really is a parsite and needs to set an example for her kids regarding a work ethic, which still has not happened. What is she waiting for? Reality check is due.
On a pleasant note, my parents used to take the 6 kids and my grandmother to a cabin in the Poconos, PA on the lake. We always had a great time, swimming, boating, exploring, enjoying the deer sightings, and nature at its best. It was a very rustic cabin, but all of the kids enjoyed every minute, as we played games and spent quality time together. Mom still cooked, but I will never forget what a great time we had, as rules were relaxed as we ALL were on an adventure away from home.
After my dad passed away, in our early years, we rented a house at the Jersey shore. No Snooki, just a lot of wonderful days at the beach, exploring, a break for all of us from our normal routine. We spent hours playing games, had other family members down to visit, and spent a lot of time with them. To this day, I cherish all of the sacrifices my parents made to give all 6 of us a wonderful adventure. Time spent with my grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends was such a joy in a different setting, as we all enjoyed the experience together. Great quality time.
I know my parents sacrified a lot to make this happen, which is why I think the world of them. They had their priorties straight. My memories are still very vivid.
Good times.
Why not takes the twins to see Snow white and the six to see Madagascar that seems more age appropriate.
Gosselin8ComeFirst...190
Well said.
Gosselin8 - great memories! We used to rent a house at the Jersey shore, too, in Wildwood. Grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, all piled into a little cottage. I remember the bug spray truck used to go by every evening to control mosquitoes. I don't think they do that anymore. It was a much simpler time, but I also cherish those memories.
Seems like Kate is changing her strategy. Now she keeps pointing out her "adult" the tups are and that they're not babies anymore.
kateplusmy8
Just made an S.O.S call 2 another HOM mom who's having bedX issues...can't believe it's been so long since my 6 were babies-had2think hard!
Seems like she's hoping someone will want to do an update show on her now "grown up" kids.
Beach Memories:
My mom had Discoid Lupus and she couldn't spend any time in the sun, plus my dad had Parkinson's and wasn't able to get around very well. (He had a hard time walking at all so I imagine it was very difficult to walk on sand!) But, like most good parents that make sacrifices, they did take us (my brother and I) to the beach a couple of times. I remember playing in the waves in the ocean for so long that when we finally laid down to sleep at night, we felt like we were still rocking back and forth. Weird sensation but a fun time!
Now that I have a family, we go to the beach almost every summer. Plus, my in-laws recently built a beach house and we now visit several times a year. When all the kids in the family were little we usually did silly stuff on the beach, like build drip-sand castles by dribbling a mixture of sand and water out of a small opening in your hand - the castles end up looking very gothic! We also have had water balloon and water gun fights - oh and silly string fights, but that is such a mess to clean up! We always have so much fun exploring and find new things all the time. One time recently, we took a walk on the beach at night and all the seaweed would glow after you stepped on it - I guess the photo-plankton was active at that time!
Beach vacations seem pretty inexpensive to me - just pack up an ice chest and veg out on the beach & sun for a few hours. It's such an "uncomplicated" vacation that I can't believe that Kate tries to make it more high-maintenance than it should be - but she has so many personality disorders that I'm sure she can make ANYTHING a "big deal"!
Kate simply has a skewed version of the space-time continuum. One year is a forever tradition and going to a 4th of July parade with the twins somehow happened during the Belle Epoque ;-)
It's fascinating, really.
Long time lurker here. Love reading but have never made a comment before.
I grew up on the NC coast. The only time we could truly enjoy the beach was during the Fall and Winter, when all the tourists went home. Going to the beach (I lived on the mainland, just a couple of miles from the ocean) meant sitting in traffic for hours to get to and from the beach.
We locals loved the tourists (dingbatters) for the money they brought to our town but hated them for the way they just took over everything.
My husband grew up on the Oregon coast (Newport). His experience was totally different from mine. There weren't many tourists there when he was growing up.
My husband and I actually went on our first date because of the beach. We met at a party and were in a large group of people that were all talking about where they grew up. The two of us were the only "coasties" (on different sides of the country though) in the group and we ended up talking to each other to share our experiences. He ended up asking me for a date that night and we have been together ever since.
To Amyf--my four cats had to go into foster care once when I had to go into the hospital. I couldnt keep all four when I got out of the hospital so two of them went to stay with the people taking care of them. Having someone take care of my cats gave me peace of mind and allowed me to be able to focus on getting well.
Good luck. I am sure your cats will be fine.
Twit@195:
Agree! There have been quite a few remarks about the 'aging' children- Joel, Aaden, the capabilities of the twins, the BFF-ishness, maturity mentions, talents.
I think she is hoping at least for a special or something which includes a trip and some bikini shots for her 'friend' Woody ,lol
Improbable Dreams said... 174
Kate thanks the writer(s) of this fawning story, thus approving (overlooking) its glaring errors. (The article lauds Kate for a positive outlook that includes writing successful books in the aftermath of being canned by TLC.)
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From the article: Her first book was published in November 2008, titled "Multiple Blessings." It debuted at number 5 on New York Times Best-Seller list, and sold over 500,000 copies by the end of 2009."
Notice we didn't see much of Beth after Multiple Blessings was published. I'll go out on a limb here and guess that Kate went berzerk on that deal too. Whatever Zondervan paid them was probably split three ways - two-thirds going to Jon and Kate and the other third to Beth - and it would have driven Kate around the bend to have to share that money. Whatever the amount was, it had to have been quite a sum and certainly enough to get Beth banished from the Gosselin Dynasty... forevah.
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