30 Comments

I love the visuals with the piece! You still have your original graded paper?!? And could find it??? Impressive. Iā€™m a beach-vacationer (preferably one warmer than the Oregon coast)!

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I did. My paper was saved from way back in 1998. I have a writing assignment from middle school in the 80s I have saved as well. Also notes books full of writing from back from the time I was 6 or 7 and that, back in the late 70s!! I had a novel on floppy disk and 1 is missing. I thought I was smart backing it up on one. Right?!!! šŸ˜ž

I have had help by techy friends to get the writing off but no luck

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Jun 2Liked by Jane Deegan

Jersey girl, here. The beach, of course! Started in Belmar, Long Branch, Seaside Heights , now I go to Ventnor each summer. šŸ¦•

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We love Cape May too

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Oh, yes Seaside Heights. We were there in 2009 around the time The Jersey Shore show was being filmed. I kept hearing people talk about it but I had no clue. There was a really beach near there there with white sand dunes and so much wildlife. I can't think of that

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Jun 1Liked by Jane Deegan

So beautiful, Jane! Makes me wish for a beach day right now.

Iā€™ve lived near a coast for most of my life, so my answer is easily ā€œbeach.ā€ Right now we live about 7 minutes down the road from the mighty Pacific. šŸŒŠ

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Thanks Maria!! How nice to be 7 miles from the beach!!

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Once a year, for two weeks in August, my family would pack up the old station wagon to drive from MN to Beach Haven NJ to vacation with my aunt uncle and cousins at their beach house. Weā€™d cram 7 kids and 4 adults into a 3 bedroom stilted house closer to the bay and walk the six blocks to the ocean every day. I read Stephen king novels from the second hand bookstore while nibbling donuts from Marvelā€™s on the beach while my brother body surfed. Such great memories! I will never forget the water tower at Beach Haven as my landmark to get back to the house.

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We were on the Bayside so my Grandfather could be near his boat. That was his life. He'd go almost every weekend to do deep sea fishing

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Omg! That sounds so much like us. Cousins, aunts and Uncles all in that house. We would sleep on the floor, but we didn't mind. Those are the best times. The water tower, yes! We took our son back to Beach Haven when he was a baby so it's been 16 years since I've been there. I'm sure it's built up even more.

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My aunt is 85 now, and my uncle died just before Covid. I think she finally sold that house. Theyā€™d had it since 1980. Made a fortune off the sale. Survived hurricane sandy. Last time I was there was 20 years ago.

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Oh wow. I'm thankful it survived Hurricane Sandy. That was a rough one for sure

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And it is an awesome essay

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Thanks so much!!

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I love the beach

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Thank you! The beach is one of my favorite places to be

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Jun 1Liked by Jane Deegan

I love the evolution of this piece. Thank you for sharing something that has been with you in so many forms!! šŸ’›

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Thanks so much for reading Leah. I'm glad I "dusted off" this old writing

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Jun 1Liked by Jane Deegan

Youā€™re an incredible writer my friend!! I love the photos that you include! Beautiful.

We went to Virginia beach as a kid and as a teen we went to both Disneys. Iā€™ve always preferred the mountains though.

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Thanks so much Lori for reading and your kind words! We went to VA Beach too one summer as a kid. It wouldā€™ve been funny if we were there at the same time A few years ago Chincoteague. It's beautiful there

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Jun 1Liked by Jane Deegan

We could have been playing side-by-side back then and never knew it. šŸ™Œ

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You never know!! I loved "surfing the waves" with a raft. Blue and yellow! And body surfing. Huge waves there but I was like 8

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Jun 1Liked by Jane Deegan

I donā€™t member too much from that time, but I do remember the currant taking me and almost drowning. šŸ˜³šŸ¤·šŸ¼ā€ā™€ļøšŸ˜‚

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Oh my gosh! That had to be scary!!!

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Awesome essay! So descriptive! And the photos are priceless! šŸ‘šŸ‘šŸ‘šŸ‘

I will always be a mountain girl. Tucked away in a cozy cabin and a roaring fire.

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Thank you. Not my usual type of writing and I'm thankful now for that assignment. Mountains are nice too. Where do you go? I know you don't live too far from me. We usually go to the Poconos but I prefer the Grand Tetons or the Green Montains šŸ˜‰

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I havent had a mountain vacation in tooo long! Ive been sightseeing while on the East Coast-but I remember the Canadian Rockies being incredibly majestic, Lake Louise and Banff areas. I need to go back! Have a great weekend!!

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I've never been to any of those places, and would love to see them. Enjoy your weekend

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Well as a mountain girl, I would say mountain. We had to drive like 5 hours to the beach. Love the newsletter <3

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Thanks so much! I love the mountains too but I'm a beach gal. I'm fortunate to live 2 hours from the beach and less than an hour from the mountains. Thanks again for your comment. I'm looking forward to reading more of your posts

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