Long Beach N.Y.

Fr. Brian P. Barr’s Anniversary Party

Saturday evening, after 5:00 p.m. Mass at St. Mary of the Isle in Long Beach, New York, was Father Brian Patrick Barr’s big party for the twenty fifth anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood in the Diocese of Rockville Centre. Here is just one of the highlights of the momentous occasion.

Annunci

John’s and Fran’s Wedding

I recently went to John’s and Fran’s wedding, where everyone was, like me, Irish and from Queens.

It was an animated night with a wide variety of loud music, including some songs by the Eagles.

I was careful about the bar, not wanting to get drunk in the company of their family.

I should suppose I shall have a long wait for the day when I shall be able to keep my anxiety about crowds and noise in check. Until then, though, I can at least have a good laugh about it. For now I can keep on winning people’s hearts with my distinctive charm.

This is me first attempt at Sunday Whirl . Click the link to find out what it’s all about. Brenda Warren is in charge.

an escape from claustrophobia

A few years ago I joined the Monsignor Cass Council 2626 of the Knights of Columbus in Long Beach.

So far it’s a nice place but I have certain objections.

The parking stinks and the Knights’ Pub is too loud and crowded.

I’ve recently found a respite from the noise and crowds though.

Before each meeting I always hide out in the storage room in the back.

During the meetings we have our own brand of unavoidably necessary aggravation anyway.

Why add anything extra to it?

If only each of life’s problems could have that easy a solution, Oh how perfect!

Each week Rochelle Wisoff~Fields leads us in Friday Fictioneers, an attempt to write a hundred~word story based upon a photograph. This week’s photograph was supplied by Shaktiki Sharma.

reginald and rachel

While visiting family in northeastern Pennsylvania, Reginald and Rachel took a walk on the local boardwalk.

“Isn’t this such a nice change from Long Beach’s boardwalk, honey?” Rachel pointed out.

“If we were there now,” her husband reminded her,”we’d be surrounded by teenagers with surfboards, Hasidic Jews in traditional black garb, and maniacs on bicycles.”

“It’s the perfect cure for our claustrophobia,”she couldn’t help noticing.

For countless hours they stayed there, enjoying the absolute silence and privacy, occasionally passing comments about the enigmatic triangle on the horizon.

“Too bad we don’t have one of those in New York”, she complained.

Adam Ickes provided our weekly photo prompt. Rochelle Wisoff~Fields is our Friday Fictioneers fearless leader.

coming down fast but I’m miles above you

look up

dancing in infinite cerulean blue

look up

allison’s written words

the everyday photographer

hopeful boy

I spent a few hours this past weekend at the Long Beach, New York, annual Arts and Crafts Fair on the boardwalk. Yesterday I wanted to try to take a picture of a plane with either a banner or skywriting. Unfortunately I wasn’t quite fast enough.

make a wish

Each year, on a Sunday afternoon, some friends, relatives and I go to the nearest boardwalk and jump into the Atlantic Ocean.

This year was no different.

I always take my camera, careful not to get the pretty girls in bikinis too paranoid.

As I pass by countless concession stands, I greet people I recognize, having lived in Long Beach for a few years. The locals are friendly and welcoming.

“The Polar Bear Club is a good organization, Blanche,” I overhear a neighbor tell his wife. “Spending Super Bowl Sunday on the beach is obscenely painful though.”

This week’s photo prompt has been provided by Rochelle Wisoff~Fields who is also our weekly Fairy Blogmother at Friday Fictioneers.

the cats at the soup kitchen

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “An Odd Trio.”

The Kitchen on Pine Street can often be quite an exceptionally interesting place. Its official name is the Long Beach Food and Friendship INN. Having no previous experience with soup kitchens I don’t know what I could possibly compare it to but there’s always something distinctive going on there.

When I work there I’m expected to bluff my way past all kinds of characters and to put up with a wide variety of eccentric obnoxious behavior and circumstances.

One of the jobs I typically get is giving out a bowl of soup to each guest as he asks for it. Besides soup we always have a full, hot meal, salad, as well as drinks (always non-alcoholic), dessert,fruit and miscellaneous other kinds of things to keep people happy. The food is good. We get it from Trader Joe’s, Waldbaum’s, King Kullen and other nearby food stores.

Because in our neighborhood there are many factories, as well as a public school across the street, we have a lot of dumpsters in our general vicinity. One problem with this is that there’s always a steady supply of stray cats which each of us must bluff his way past. Unfortunately we’re constantly forced to throw away a lot of food. This inevitably attracts all those annoying creatures. At least so far they haven’t made any real trouble for anyone, as far as I know.

Considering that it’s Long Beach, there are a large number of beaches nearby. I feel like showing up at the soup kitchen with a beach towel one of these days, winding it up, and swinging it at all those obnoxious cats in order to chase them away. I know there’s no way that can possibly solve the problem but it would at least dispel any immediate trouble.

https://adorablyobnoxious.wordpress.com/2014/11/10/daily-prompt-trio-no-3/
https://willowscottling.wordpress.com/2014/10/30/there-are-times/
https://chaabaanov.wordpress.com/2014/11/02/continuing-my-habit/
http://basicallybeyondbasic.com/2014/10/30/daily-prompt-trio-no-3/

on the boardwalk in long beach

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “From Every Angle.”

This is a picture of a building on the boardwalk in the West End in Long Beach, New York. The old fellow sitting down is a Hasidic Jew. I don’t know any of the people in the pictures. Daily I make sure I ride my bicycle along this boardwalk in order to get enough exercise.

http://humanrightswarrior.com/2015/09/01/from-every-angle/

http://todaysgoodlife.com/2015/09/01/squirrel/

http://theoutershores.com/2015/09/01/angles-on-a-landmark-in-the-sand/

http://viewfromafrenchhillside.com/2015/09/01/blackberry-tuesday/

https://theeternaltraveller.wordpress.com/2015/09/02/weekly-photo-challenge-from-every-angle/

https://aditimaithreya.wordpress.com/2015/09/01/how-do-you-see-santa/

aah yes, i remember it well

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Memory on the Menu.” Compared to recent memories, I’ve always very much preferred the long ago kind. In an episode of “The Odd Couple”, Oscar Madison reminds Felix Unger of Dorothy Parker’s claim to have hated writing but loved having written. That’s the way my understanding of life is. I see time as being divided into three parts. The future is pure theory. There is, to a certain extent, no point in bothering to think about it. The present is one big responsibility. Even the good things have their share of annoyances. The past, though, from this point of view, is the nicest. Each of us is able to see it, as he can see the present, but he’s not obligated to deal with the hard parts. The recent past still has entirely too many memories of all its annoyances. Life during my school days, or during the times when I was working at some long-lost job, was no more interesting then than my current life is. What makes it so interesting for me to reflect upon those previous times is the very fact that I can’t possibly have them back. I can’t possibly control my past. What is done cannot possibly be undone. Anything left undone cannot possibly be done. I can, however, control it in my imagination. There’s no point in bothering to take such an approach to the immediate past, but it works well with much earlier time frames. There’s quite a significant reason for my having used a picture of a Good Humor ice cream truck instead of a currently commonplace vehicle. Last night I attended the first night of the annual fair at St. Mary of the Isle Church in Long Beach, New York. That truck was there. For me, Good Humor is a perfect example of the best of nostalgia. It was prominent long ago and has been hardly ever seen during current and recent times. That’s the kind of memory that has always truly piqued my interest.

https://rogershipp.wordpress.com/2015/07/10/memory-on-the-menu/

https://srollinson7.wordpress.com/2015/07/10/memory-on-the-menu-ill-have-a-starter-and-a-pudding-too/

https://warriorfreya.wordpress.com/2015/07/10/prompt-page-0055-memory-on-the-menu/

https://toweararainbow.wordpress.com/2015/07/10/deja-vu-haiku-2/

http://mariegriffith.me/2015/07/10/remember-2/

yes it’s summer…my time of year

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “In the Summertime.” Last winter was nightmarishly long, having lingered well beyond my ability even so much as to attempt to put up with it. My spring wasn’t even somewhat active. So far my summer hasn’t been the least bit eventful either.

I’ve been truly enjoying it all though. Each day I try to walk at least a mile in order to get my requisite exercise. During the cold months that’s an absolute nightmare for me. This past Memorial Day I marched with my Knights of Columbus council in Long Beach’s annual parade. I could never handle that kind of thing during a Thanksgiving parade.

The rain, fog and snow, along with the early sunset and bitter cold, drive me nuts. Road conditions are unbearable. Warm weather makes the little things in life such a pleasure. I go to the beach and enjoy the perfect breeze. Plants are in full bloom. There are cerain minor drawbacks to warmth though. For the past nineteen years I’ve always driven Saturns. My 1992 SC, during its heyday, was absolutely perfect. Over the course of its last few years however, there was a lot of trouble with, among other things, its thermostat. I froze during the cold seasons and roasted during the summer. My current 2001 Saturn, that belonged to my father, now deceased, is still in good shape, so fortunately that’s not a problem. A major advantage for me during the warm seasons is being able to take a nice relaxing drive to wherever I may want to go. As long as my thermostat works I’m plum thrilled.

My nephew Michael and his girlfriend Erin got engaged a few weeks ago at the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden in Astoria, Queens. It was an outdoor affair. In May, the kin and I went to Brookly Botanic Garden in Park Slope. That was also outside. Because the weather, each day, was warm I had the absolute time of my life. Cold weather, alas, would have made that impossible.

Even under the circumstances where there are no significant milestones to count on, spring and summer have always been perfect for me, much more relaxing than cold weather. The clothes, food and all sorts of other things are thoroughly to my liking.