Restaurant Review: Bethany Blues

I need to start this review with full disclosure. I worked at Blues for five years and so I am, perhaps, a bit biased about how good the food and the service is. But, in my defense, I had some back up validation the other day.

I am spending the weekend at the beach with my niece and nephew, both of whom are teenagers and both of whom have eaten at Blues many times in the past. On the first night we were together, I told them I would take them anywhere they wanted to go for dinner. The instant and unanimous decision that I got was "Blues --for the mac and cheese."

Ten Simple Rules When Dining Out

I have spent a lot of time waiting tables and, in general, I love it. I get to move around; I get to meet a lot of different people; I get to walk away at the end of the shift.

I am constantly astonished, however, by the behavior of some people when they come out to eat. I have, therefore, made up a list of the top ten rules everyone should follow when they eat in a restaurant.

A Small Town Fourth of July

Although I loved living in London and there are times when I miss it desperately, more often I am thrilled to be home. Yesterday was one of those days. The English, for obvious reasons, do not recognize the 4th as a holiday of any kind. In fact, most years I had to work on that date. I never let it pass without some small celebration, but it never felt quite right. For the first time since 1999, I was able to celebrate the 4th as it should be done.

The Sea

My Beach

Today is World Ocean’s Day. In honor of this momentous event, my friend Cris, who writes two wonderful blogs, asked those of us who also blog to post something that she could share with others. I have wanted to post a blog about my love of the sea for some time, so I thought today would be the appropriate time. Because other writers have also loved the sea, I decided to structure it around my five favorite quotes on the subject and tell you all why these quotes mean as much to me as they do.

Night With A Psychic

Do you believe in psychics? The rational part of my mind has always been a tad skeptical when it comes to people who claim they can either see the future or commune with the dead. As I have gone through life, however, I have seen, heard about and had experiences that have certainly forced me to keep an open mind on the subject.

Christmas 2012

For the first time in nearly a decade, I celebrated Christmas with my family. It was a traditional holiday, reminding me a great deal of my childhood. The house was beautifully decorated by my mother; there were presents under the tree (Santa still comes to my mother's house); and, we ate the traditional turkey dinner in the evening. Simply wonderful time. Here are some of the photos I took during the four days I was celebrating.

Thoughts on Turning Fifty

Today is my fiftieth birthday. I am struggling with the concept as I only feel about twenty-five. Reaching this milestone has made me very introspective and, as they say that with age comes wisdom, the following are the ten most important things I have learned in the past fifty years:

Lego Christmas Village

I have always loved doing puzzles, a trait I inherited from my mother.  She and I have been known to sit down at a jigsaw and get up days later.  In fact, one of my favorite memories of my mother is around a jigsaw puzzle.