It was a summer playground and a cultural touchstone. The Shore was never lined with fancy mansions but beach houses where doors were never locked or shoes worn.  It was a simple and happy seascape. It was the birth place of your first kiss under the lifeguard boat, a summer crush and a host of many memories such as the boardwalk, roller coaster rides, the haunted old house, my father’s annual swim, my mom’s peach and plum pies and, more recently, our summer soiree. 

At the Shore, we take ownership of the corner fruit and vegetable stand –Big Ed’s–for tomatoes and corn-on-the-cob, Mike’s subs, Mueller’s crumb cake, Fumosa Rolls (the best hard roll at the shore) and The Donut Shop for fresh baked cinnamon twists. 

I am saddened by the wrath of Hurricane Sandy and what it did to this coastal community. It touches a very sensitive place in my heart. These beach towns were filled with memories created by generations of families and it was the Shore that bound us all.

I never have stood still in the sun or the rain
Like that old littering pine tree
When time moves on
I move along but the images will always be
With each passing year the lines will grow deeper
My memories will grow sweeter
The laughter will grow fainter
And I’ll remain the painter of a love song from 1973

Bury my heart on the Jersey Shore
Bury my heart yeah
Bury my heart no matter where I run
Bury my heart yeah

Song Lyrics by Shannon McNally