Posts categorized as Rockaway

My fit form has lost its shape since surfing days have dramatically slowed …ugh winter. Not only that, when I’m not active, I get, as they say, “Down in the dumps.” Exercising releases endorphins and serotonin that improve our mood. This is why you’ll hear people say, “I’m addicted to the gym.” This is an addiction we can all embrace in 2023. That feeling of feeling good after a workout is everything. Lately, I’ve noticed some friends sharing stories on IG of their workouts at Goodform Studio. The gym opened […]

“Carrots struck again at the free fridge.,” read a text from my friend Mike B. Every so often a very large, beautiful bag of multi-colored carrots are donated to the community fridge at 166 Beach 92nd St. The carrot drop is a mystery to many and we’d love to know who the generous carrot-donator is? Please come forward! I took some purple carrots. I decided to make a creamy carrot soup with fresh herbs and garlic. Soup calls to us during the cold winter months. Carrots of many colors have […]

I hadn’t surfed in three weeks. It felt wrong. I didn’t like it. It wasn’t even the cold that held me back. I accepted a long-term freelance gig that’s been all-consuming. It’s the type of schedule where you fall behind on life – laundry, making the bed, no food in the fridge, Christmas decorations all over the living room floor. I’ve skipped needed showers, skipped brushing my hair (well, in fairness I rarely brush my hair), and skipped writing my column (eek). I’ve been living on a screen, on Slack, […]

Since the first week of November the deliciously dynamic duo La Brotheria, has been open at the 97th Street Concession. La Fruteria (@lafruterianyc) and Brothers (@brothersrockaway) joined kitchens, serving us breakfast, lunch, and a diverse taste with guest pop-up dinners all month. It’s been a joy for so many of us. As we all know, winters can be difficult in Rockaway… you know, the quick shift from the lively, sunny, summer to chilly, unconsolable nothingness. Personally, having La Brotheria as a gathering place to meet friends and enjoy great food […]

Mckenzie Dowler gets a photo with Skelly after a surf sesh. It was late at night. I was in bed looking on craigslist in hopes of finding the elusive 12 foot Home Depot Skeleton on the black market. No luck. But then, like a magic rabbit popping out of a velvet hat, there he was, back in stock on homedepot.com. Clicking “purchase” gave me a sensational rush of power. I hit the freedom button. It’s not often that a big box store gives society a big communal gift. There is […]

What do cookies, sea God plush toys, rad guitar riffs, and a surfboard that amps out DJ vibes have to do with each other? Nothing, except that all will be present at the Beach 91st Street Garden tomorrow, Saturday, Oct 8th, from 1-4 p.m. Get Baked With Sea Monsters is the community gardens end of season event. Here’s the skinny: Enjoy delicious homemade baked goods and coffee for sale, made by garden members. Expect corn muffins, caramel apple tarts, chocolate chip cookies, decadent brownies, chocolate rice crispy treats, vegan and […]

 A month ago, I wrote about an experience with Don Riepe, our beloved The Jamaica Bay Guardian. He stopped by the Beach 91St Street Community Garden to give a talk on what we can do as a community to help protect the monarch butterfly. We learned about their habitat, migration, life cycle and feeding. The takeaway – plant an abundant amount of milkweed and goldenrod in your garden. We also discussed the importance of other pollinators and their vital role in our ecosystem. To learn more, Don told us to […]

From Left to Right – Diane Cardwell, Don Riepe, Charley The Dog, Kristi Dickerson   The New York Times published an article last week stating the monarch butterfly has been placed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. The Times informed, “In 2020, U.S. wildlife officials found that monarchs were threatened with extinction but declined to add them to the endangered species list because they said conservation of other species took priority…. Eastern monarchs, which make up most of the population in North America, dropped by […]

The soil is the canvas. The hues of flowers are the paint. The texture of leaves and branches are the brushes. A garden is a painting. Some paintings are completed in a day, some in a year or many years. A garden is ever-changing and its picture is never finished. Each garden I pass on the street speaks to the individuality of the gardener and their personal creative expression. These living canvases, small or large, are intended to be seen by passersby, to call forth reaction or to showcase beauty. […]

“Did you get Anna’s wetsuit yet? Thursday looks good,” Kristi’s text read. “Oh boy, I guess this is really happening.” I say to myself. The anxiety hits me. In the abstract, I’ve been interested all these years in surfing but I never thought I’d be physically or mentally strong enough to pursue it. My friend Kristi had been gently nudging me to get in the water. This was back in May. I’m a people pleaser and I didn’t want to disappoint her. I thought she felt it would be something […]