Summer
in the Hamptons
Thanks
for inviting me to your blog, Angela! I haven’t posted in quite some time and
I’m excited to connect with readers and fellow authors again.
Summer
is upon us and it’s hot in Virginia. I recently relocated from New York’s Long
Island where the late afternoon and evenings are always cool with an assist
from the perpetual ocean breezes. In Virginia it’s just the opposite. The
hottest part of the day is 5 p.m.
As a lifelong
resident of Long Island’s South Fork, I spent endless summers boating, sunning,
and swimming on some of the most spectacular beaches in the world. Summer in
Westhampton is a unique experience, some of it great, some not so much. The crowds
start to arrive Memorial Day weekend and tourists slowly trickle in until
school is finally out. The 4th of July weekend arrives and…boom! The
crowds arrive along with the fireworks. Dune road is like a New York City
street during rush hour…you can’t even reach the speed limit of 25 mph. The
beaches are packed and the restaurants mobbed. You need to get there early if
you want to catch a few waves and have any chance of eating dinner out. Farm stands
dot the roadsides, bursting with fresh produce and just-caught seafood. There’s
a farmer’s market every Saturday in the parking lot behind the supermarket
where you can buy bouquets of fresh lavender, homemade soaps and other local
delights. Shops on Main Street showcase surf and beach wares, pricey name
brands, yet eye-catching and tempting. As a year-round resident you wait until
September when everything goes on sale and the shop owners head to warmer
climates. If you want a visual, watch Something’s
Gotta Give with Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson. Perfect portrayal.
Dinners
are often eaten on the beach and my favorite no-cook-no-muss-no-fuss picnic
dinner is pasta with fresh tomato sauce.
Serves 4
6 medium-sized tomatoes, roughly chopped
4 large garlic cloves, finely minced
10 leaves basil, cut into ribbons (reserve a little for garnish)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Place tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil in a large serving
bowl. Stir mixture until tomatoes are coated with oil, and garlic is evenly
distributed throughout the sauce.
Cover and let marinate for about four hours on the counter at
room temperature. Add salt to taste. The tomatoes will release their juices and
flavors will meld. If you can't wait the full four hours, it's still tasty
right out of the mixing bowl. Serve over pasta or bread, with more fresh basil
and Parmesan cheese.
I cook
the pasta in the morning and let it rest at room temperature, then toss at the
beach. Another little trick is to make margaritas the night before and freeze
in a plastic container. I pour the frozen concoction into beach-worthy salt-rimmed
glasses, decorate with a slice of lime, and WA-LA…a frosty cocktail!
How
many people can say their favorite vacation spot is their hometown? Living in a
world-famous destination, I’ve never felt the need to visit a beach elsewhere. The
sand is white and soft and the water crystal blue or green if you catch it on
the right day. Surfers abound and if you get to the beach early you can
vicariously catch a little thrill as you watch the talented riders crest the
ocean waves.
We have
our share of celebrities too. I once worked out at my local gym next to Eli
Manning, the summer after the Giants won the Super Bowl. We walked out to the
parking lot together, chatting aimlessly about the lovely weather. His wife was
off doing a “yoga on the beach” workout. Eli indulged his young fans at the
gym, signing autographs and working out with the boys on the football team.
Technically there are two towns, Westhampton and Westhampton Beach—the
incorporated village. They portray a quaint, rural, small town atmosphere, and
there’s a definite distinction between the locals and the city people…the
townie kids call them “cidiots”. One afternoon I was picking up my 15-year-old
son from the Bath and Tennis Club where he worked as a cabana and bus boy. Both
my sons worked the beach club/restaurant scene in the summers and many of my
son’s friends lifeguarded the beaches. More than once I bumped into two hunky
lifeguards in my kitchen as 7 a.m. as I was heading off to work. My door was
always open and my house served as teen central for many years. Anyway, his
shift got extended for another hour so I killed time at the supermarket to secure
a few items for dinner. It was around 4 o’clock on a Friday and the lines were dreadful,
a mixture of hired help stocking beach mansions and Manhattanites shopping for groceries.
Waiting in line, I noticed one of my neighbors ahead of me. The guy a few spots
in front of her yelled, “Can’t you locals shop on the weekdays so we don’t have
to stand in line!” That loaf of bread in her hand became airborne and smacked
the guy right in the back of the head. A bunch of us surreptitiously smirked
with satisfaction. That shut him up.
Reading
on the beach is a favorite pastime of nearly all beach goers. You can spot
what’s hot on the New York Time’s best seller list as you take the required
walk along the water line, hoping to diminish the effect of the calories your
going to consume at cocktail hour. Of course, there’s no alcohol permitted on
the beach so you have to be a little sneaky until 5 p.m. as the beach police
patrol the sands on ATVs. I recall the summer Fifty Shades of Grey hit, every
other beach blanket caressed a copy. Of course I recommend my debut release,
The Wives of Lucifer, as a hot summer read, or even if you’re curled up on your
couch with the air conditioner on full blast. You can find it on Amazon or from
my publisher, The Wild Rose Press.
I’ve
recently been inspired to write a series about summers in the Hamptons.
Families send their teens there to work for the summer. My sons made lots of international
friends over many summers working the trades in town. The owner of the Beach Bakery
hosts many of his European relatives for summer work. As a result, my son and a
buddy were invited to ski the Alps one winter as a benefit from a summer
friendship with a French teen. Intrigue and love affairs were the order of the
summer and many sad goodbyes came around on Labor Day. We call the day after Labor
Day “Tumbleweed Tuesday” as Main Street is suddenly deserted and the place
looks like a ghost town. A decadent feast follows as most restaurants close
their doors for the winter, emptying their coffers, hosting an all-you-can-eat
dinner for a price you’d never see from world-renowned chef Starr Boggs (a
native Virginian by the way) during the regular season. Half the shops close,
even the movie theater. So it’s pretty much feast or famine in my old hometown.
We do enjoy the beaches for another month or so, but the lifeguards are gone,
the beach huts close so there are no amenities…even the restrooms are locked!
I hope
everyone enjoys a delightful, scrumptious, and relaxing summer. Take some time
to relish the fruits of summer. Grab some of my pasta dish, a frosty margarita
and a good book. Enjoy!
She
will forever alter the balance between good and evil.
Olivia loves her new immortal life, her friends and especially Drew; she never thought she’d fall in love on the other side of death. But when Olivia learns she bears the mark of Lucifer and has powers that tie her to the Underworld, she worries that perhaps she’s done terrible things in her past lives and dark secrets are being kept from her. And those damn wives, what do they want from her? Olivia endures unspeakable tragedy in The Wives of Lucifer and when she discovers what fate has in store for her...she suddenly understands that being immortal doesn’t guarantee you’ll live forever.
Caryn
McGill has immersed herself in a lifelong study of religion, astrology,
reincarnation, and past-life regressions. This otherworldly journey coupled
with her decades spent teaching science has produced her debut novel, The Wives
of Lucifer.
Born on New York’s Long Island, Caryn McGill resided on
its bucolic East End until a recent move to Richmond, Virginia, where she's
currently finishing her second novel.
Find
Caryn McGill online: FB at caryn.mcgillwrites, Twitter @carynmcgill,
thewivesoflucifer.com and www.writeonsisters.com where she formerly blogged.
FB Author Page carynmcgillwrites.com http://bit.ly/1UpwCMK
Goodreads book link http:/goodreads.to/1UFDkRl
Website
www.thewivesoflucifer.com
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What a fun post - I also live in a beach resort area, but I do try to shop and do my errands during the week to avoid the Friday/Saturday madness. And I try to plan my trips in the summer to avoid making any left turns! Will have to add your book to my summer reading list - sounds like fun!
ReplyDeleteHi Caryn, Thanks for sharing about your favorite vacation spot, aka your hometown. :-) I loved hearing about some of your experiences there. You paint quite a vivid picture!
ReplyDeleteYou already know I'm a fan of Wives of Lucifer. God luck getting your book out there. Anyone who reads it is going to love it!
Kimberly
So glad you could be a guest, Caryn. I can't wait to try your no cook tomato sauce. It sounds delish!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Can't wait to try your recipe. The sauce and your book both look yummy!
ReplyDeleteI really think I'd enjoy The Wives of Lucifer. I have a book to be released later starring Luc, but he isn't bad (not all the time!)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like fun to live in a beach community. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to live at the beach...of course the lake works too. Your book sounds like a really fun read. My son's name is Drew so I like it already.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting post. I grew up in a small seaside town in Wales, but was never one for sunbathing on the beach I used to love it outside of the tourist season, when the beach was peaceful and I'd take long walks along it with my dog, searching in the rock pools for marine life!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your debut novel - great cover, WRP cover artists are amazing aren't they!
Your hometown sounds like a great place, Caryn! Thanks for sharing!😃
ReplyDelete