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VAN MORRISON AND THE CHIEFTAINS

 

“Irish Heartbeat.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 13, 2016. Asbury Park. By Jean Bredin © Blogfinger staff.

March 13, 2016. Asbury Park. By Jean Bredin © Blogfinger staff.

 

St Patrick Day parade. By Jean Bredin , Blogfinger staff. Asbury Park 3/13/16 ©

St Patrick’s Day parade. By Jean Bredin , Blogfinger staff. Asbury Park 3/13/16 ©

THE DUBLINERS   “Whiskey in the Jar:”

Paul Goldfinger. Asbury Park 2018 Blogfinger.net. Click once to enlarge.

 

Paul Goldfinger. A. Park 2018 parade.

 

THE IRISH ROVERS:  A tribute to our grandson Noah.

 

 

Founders' Park. Ocean Grove. Silver gelatin print. By Paul Goldfinger ©

Ocean Grove. Silver gelatin darkroom  print. By Paul Goldfinger ©  2016. This is the Fitzgerald Fountain before it was refurbished in 2019.  Click to enlarge.

 

By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger   Re-post from 2016.

 

The Story of Ocean Grove, 1869-1919 by Morris S Daniels.  Published in 1919 by the Methodist Book Concern in New York City:

“In a little old dingy tent, one of ten erected on the sand drifts of what was later to be known in Ocean Grove as Thompson Park but now called Founders’ Park, there occurred on the night of July 31, 1869 an event of immense significance.

“What happened was not unusual of itself, and the surroundings were not such as to impress one that history was making within the confines of the poor little tent, illumined, as it was, by a few tallow candles; but ‘Great oaks from little acorns grow.'”

Morris Daniels tells us that about 12 people gathered in the tent which belonged to Mrs. Joseph Thornley.  They all had arrived the day before and pitched their tents there.  There were no chairs, so they all sat on rough pine boards.

Daniels says, “The night was dark, save for the stars which twinkled brightly from overhead, while the few candles within cast a weird shadow upon the scene.

“Some had come directly from their own tents while others had preferred to wander over the yielding sands to the edge of the dune overlooking the sea to watch the moon rise from her briny bed.

“But shortly after nine o’clock all had gathered in the little dimly lighted tent for Ocean Grove’s  first religious service—–a prayer meeting.”

 

WARREN VACHE´    “Stardust”.   (He performed in the Great Auditorium.)

Oh what a night….

Paul Goldfinger. OG boardwalk.  Click once

 

CAL TJADER.   “The Night We Called It a Day”

 

Amish country….

Blogfinger cow herd. Lancaster, Pa. Moe Demby photo for Blogfinger.net.   Nov. 1, 2022.

 

 

TOM PETTY.   “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”

 

Faith Baptist Church. Wickapecko Drive, Wanamassa. Ocean, NJ. 1/16/24. Paul Goldfinger photo. Click to enlarge.

 

Paul Goldfinger, MD.   Editor Blogfinger.net.

I have photographed this evidently vacant Baptist church many times in different seasons. I’ve never seen anyone there.    It is a place that has intrigued me for years.

 

Link to history:

Faith Church history

 

2026 update.   This church has been brought to life by a new congregation, and you can drive by and see the cars and the congregants on Sunday.  It is called the “Living Stone Church.”  We will look forward to photographing it this summer as it is restored  back to life..  And the new name?   Who knows?   Let’s find out.

 

Amen Choir of the First Baptist Church and the National Philharmonic (Kennedy Center, Washington DC)

 

Eileen’s meatballs and spaghetti.

 

The problem with the American College of Cardiology is that they don’t have a football team. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

 

Meatballs:

 

2 lbs ground meat (I used ½ beef and ½ turkey)

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp red pepper flakes

½ tsp dry oregano

¼ cup Eggbeaters (or 1 large egg, beaten)

¼ cup water

½ cup panko bread crumbs

4 tbsp grated parmesan reggiano cheese

2 tbsp vegetable oil

 

In a sauté pan heat oil until it starts to sizzle. Add onion and cook until onion begins to soften. Add garlic, and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Do NOT let garlic burn. Remove from heat.

 

In a large bowl place meat. If you are using more then one type of meat gently mix the meats together. Add onion and garlic to the meat. Add all the other ingredients to the meat and gently combine.  If you mix too vigorously the meatballs will be tough.

 

Roll the meat into golf ball sized balls and place on an aluminum lined baking tray.

Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

 

Sauce:

 

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp dry oregano

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4  tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup unsalted chicken broth

1/4 cup dry red wine

1 28 oz jar Rao’s marinara sauce

1 28 oz can San Marzano whole tomatoes, crush with your hands

1 tsp sugar

½ cup fresh basil

½ cup fresh flat leaf Italian parlsey, chopped

 

In a 5 quart Dutch oven heat oil until it simmers. Add onion and cook until onion wilts. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add Rao’s marinara and San Marzano tomatoes, stir and cook until tomatoes begin to simmer. Add broth and wine, stir together and simmer for 15 minutes. Add all the other ingredients, except the parsley and basil. Stir together and cook for 30 minutes. Add the cooked meatballs to the sauce with the parsley and basil and simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve over pasta of your choice.

 

This recipe makes approximately 30 meatballs.

 

 

DISNEY STUDIO CHORUS.   From Lady and the Tramp  “Bella Notte.”

 

 

You can comment on this post by email:     Blogfinger@verizon.net

 

Ocean Grovers enjoy walking to downtown Asbury for restaurants, special events, music and a lively bar scene. Paul Goldfinger photograph for Blogfinger.net.

 

 

Main Street at Asbury Avenue—a big disappointment.  Someday Main  Street will come to life. Blogfinger photo. 12/2/23.

 

 

This photo (A Sunday in July 2016) was part of a NY Times article; photo by Tony Cenicola. Asbury Park had a Mermaid Parade (a la Coney Island). Posted 2018 in Blogfinger.  The Ocean front in A. Park is a huge summer success as is Cookman Avenue year round.

 

 

Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corps produced a fine big sound heading east on Cookman Avenue for the Pride Parade. All photographs by Paul Goldfinger, Blogfinger.net. 6/7/15 .  Click on all photos to enlarge.

 

By Paul Goldfinger,  Editor@Blogfinger.net.   2016.

In 2016  we posted an article about the praise being lavished upon A. Park.

2016 AP rankings

Last spring Money Magazine named AP as having the second best beachfront in the US, ahead of many famous locations in California, Texas, etc.   “Asbury Park offers the classic combo of beach and boardwalk,” the magazine says.

The Asbury Park Press also reported that list.   Asbury has also been ranked high for the city’s “cultural scene.”  In 2017 it was named the “coolest small town in America.”

And also  they have fine parks, an artist colony, a  famous musical destination with a historic pedigree, many civic and religious organizations to help the town and the poor, and a wide variety of fascinating restaurants, coffee shops and specialty food stores such as the Creamery for amazing  home made ice cream on Cookman. The restaurants in and around Cookman Ave. are a draw for tourists year round.

As a place to live, the condominium scene is excellent and growing, and there are some wide and beautiful avenues to the west of the tracks where restored single family homes prevail.

But,  not so fast.  Asbury has recently  been reported to have the second highest violent crime rate in the state.  And, according to the AP Sun, the city has been named this February to the “top 50 worst cities to live-in across the nation.”  Similar reports have been mentioned in articles in the AP Press and the AP Patch.

 Main Street hasn’t grown up yet; it has  many low brow businesses and at least 6 Mexican restaurants.  Parking in A. Park is still difficult, and restaurant tourism on Cookman relies on customers coming and going by Uber.  Some visitors and workers park for free in Ocean Grove,  much to the dismay of residents of that historic town to the south of A. Park.

There are quite a few charter schools around in the hope of rescuing the many poor and under-educated kids around.  The high school is beautiful, but the test scores are not.

Among the statistics, the city is reported to be high in poverty rankings, low median incomes, and high median home prices.

So, which is it:  best or worst?

 

Blogfinger:   The best or the worst?    “It depends on where you stand.”

NANCY LAMOTT: “Not Exactly Paris.”

At the foot of Broadway. Ocean Grove. Undated. Paul Goldfinger ©

At the foot of Broadway. Ocean Grove. Undated. Paul Goldfinger photo.  Click once to enlarge.

 

“Le Parc De Plaisir”.  Francois Parisi.

From the Woody movie Midnight in Paris.

 


Exactly what she was looking for… 6/18/22. Click once to enlarge. All photographs by Paul Goldfinger.

 

By Paul Goldfinger, MD.  Editor Blogfinger.net.    6/18/22.

This young lady just graduated college in music therapy, but today she was looking for vinyl.  She found the James Taylor record that she had been seeking at our sale on Mt.Hermon Way.

We had a total of 37 sales around town, and quite a few shoppers were using our maps to visit as many addresses as possible.

In the photo above, out in the street, you can find a classic drive-by shopper.  How they do it, I’ll never know.

The socializing was, as predicted, a significant component of what went on. We had fun interacting.   I wore my Groucho shirt, and a man came by who is a fan, so we both sang a chorus of “Lydia the Tattooed Lady.”  (see below)

A shopper  stopped by who said that she had been “stalking” me for years on Blogfinger, watching the show, but saying nothing. However,  now she is revealed, so maybe we will hear from her again.

Jean Bredin came by and bought Raggedy Anne.   She wanted Anne so that she could “nag” her Raggedy Andy.

A man, an expert on coin collecting said to me, “If you ever go into your sock drawer and find gold coins, please call me.”      I didn’t tell him that I don’t have a sock drawer.  Do you?

 

This lady from Neptune (the town, not the planet) was having a good time at the sales. Here we are comparing notes about Neptune garbage pails, gardens and where to park her car.  Just then a space appeared across the street.

 

And this is Sam, a colorful 23 year old co-ed who was visiting Michelle her college friend in OG.   See, I told you we had some demographic shifts in town; the youthful “Grover Underground.”   And look Ma, no tattoos.    Paul Goldfinger photo in Hero’s  Park, across from our yard sale.  Mt. Hermon Way.   6/18/22

 

BRENDA LEE:

 

 

 

GROUCHO MARX:

 

 

Tomato farm in Fort Myers

Tomato farm in Fort Myers, Florida, using staked plants in raised beds.  by Paul Goldfinger .   Re-post. Blogfinger.net

images-2

Paul Goldfinger, MD.  Editor Blogfinger.net.  Ocean Grove, NJ,USA.

 

We have received word from Robert M. Harveson, Ph.D., Professor at the University of Nebraska, that he will publish our photograph of how tomatoes are grown in Florida.

Professor Harveson is completing a book for the American Phytopathogical Society Press that deals with  historical aspects of plant pathology. Our photo will be used to compare various ways that tomatoes are  grown compared to other tomato-growing regions.  He asked for our permission, and of course we said yes.

 

MOLLY MARTIN. “Tomatoes.”

 

 

Ocean Grove 03/06/2026.  Paul Goldfinger, Editor Blogfinger.net

 

The first one to name the brand, country of origin, model, year, engine, type of gas  and closest mileage  will win a signed black and white photo print by Paul Goldfinger.

The owner found this vehicle on the Internet.  It was his dream car.

We will announce the winner and mail/or deliver his/her prize.

Submit your facts to Blogfinger@verizon.net. or use comment button below.

 

 

Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington: