Manasquan Life-January 2017

January 2017

Brielle

Sea Girt

Manasquan

Inside this Issue...

Quick Trips

We Deliver!

The Adventure Aquarium in Camden

Shore Recipes

Winter Beef Vegetable Soup

Back to Earth

Creating Space and Time for Meditation

PG

Influence ...and much more!

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January 2017

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Don’t Wait Until it’s too Late!

By Tony Garrow, D.C.

Millions of people suffer unnecessarily every day with debilitating foot pain. I’m saying that today because it is common for people to accept foot pain as a normal part of life. I don’t!

Foot pain suffers many times feel as though that’s the way their feet are and they just need to learn to live with the pain. For decades, foot pain sufferers have attempted to resolve their foot problems by purchasing and using a variety of different shoe inserts. Many times these shoe inserts are purchased over the counter or from specialty stores; whereas other foot pain suffers will even go so far as to see a foot doctor to get custom fitted orthotics to wear inside their shoes.

Dr. Tony Garrow & Dr. Susan Nemiroff

Now I’m not saying these are bad. While wearing a good pair of shoe inserts isn’t a bad idea it will rarely correct the actual underlying problem causing a person’s foot condition. Custom made orthotics and over the counter shoe inserts simply act as a band-aid to support the foot and provide a cushioned surface which is okay at times. Sometimes this band-aid approach will provide relief but many times it’s a futile attempt as shoe inserts will often fail to provide the long-term relief that they had promised.

Jersey Shore Wellness Center 3001-03, Route 88, Suite #2 Point Pleasant Borough, NJ 08742 732-892-0485 www.facebook.com/jerseyshorewellness

You might ask yourself, “If shoe inserts don’t correct the underlying cause, then what is the solution to really getting to the actual problem that is causing the foot pain”? Is it surgery?

Is it injections? Is it medications?

The answer to all of those questions is “no.” Surgery, injections and medications will generally not fix the problem either. In fact, with surgery especially there are numerous risks that you will need to consider. So then what is the solution to actually correct the underlying cause of your foot condition and pain?

Because most foot pain is related to an abnormality in the alignment of the 26 foot bones the best solution will be one that directly address and corrects the foot bone misalignments. The best solution to improving the healthy alignment of the foot bones is accomplished using a specific joint manipulation procedure by a trained expert. We do this and other techniques to help the problem.

We give you gentle adjustments to the 26 bones of the foot. Many people are familiar with chiropractic care as it relates to the spine, however, the idea of having your foot adjusted is a whole new concept to most.

With standard chiropractic practices a chiropractor will improve a patient’s back pain condition by administering a gentle, specific adjustment to a misaligned vertebra.

We provide OUR foot pain patients with a gentle, specific adjustment to the misaligned foot bones thus providing YOU, the patient with what they want. Relief. We actually improve the alignment of the foot bones and this is truly getting to the root cause of the problem. Call the office now to schedule your foot pain consultation and examination.

Garrow Family Chiropractic, P.C. 2204 Highway 35, Suite 7 Wall, NJ 08750 732-223-1990 www.facebook.com/GarrowChiropractic

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January 2017

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5

Break-Up with Yourself

by Allison Feehan, N.D., D.Psc, CRMT

A new year can bring so much anxiety for some of us to make big changes that we will hold ourselves accountable for. Others may look forward to change, anticipating something new and exciting. I’ve always been a firm believer in setting intentions versus a resolution which can relieve some stress and allow the ease into the change(s). But even setting an intention is a break with an old habit while creating a new healthier one. Deep down we all want what is healthier for ourselves. We want to be fit, abundant, in love, healthy and so on.

Either way you look at a new year its some type of break-up with something or someone.

Some people in our lives aren’t healthy for us but we continue on the same path. We can love someone who isn’t healthy for us and cannot see the unhealthy aspects because we are blinded by what we think is love. Speaking of change requires us to actually face the changes needed and follow through with it. It sounds so much easier said than done but once the change(s) begins the feeling of discomfort can be unbearable.

What are your plans or intentions for yourself for the New Year? Are you breaking-up with the need to lose 5 pounds? Do you have plans to make significant changes to the family’s eating habits? Do you need to “clean house” and sweep away some friends that no longer feed your soul? No matter what the change is that you desire to take action on in the New Year please keep this advice during your journey.

Allison Feehan N.D., D.Psc, CRMT Owner of Integrative Healing and Wellness 732.202.6797 1531 Beaver Dam Rd. Pt. Pleasant

1) Write down a list of things you would like to see change in the New Year that would bring you happiness, abundance, health, wellness, etc.

2) Set the intention of how long you think it will take you to be successful in these goals.

Be sure to write down a recovery plan if you deviate from the intention you had previously set for yourself or your family.

3) Read over your list a few times. If they are changes within the family, review them with the family. Ask for the changes or intentions that they wish to add or take away.

These goals or intentions should be obtainable. If you set the intention to lose 20 pounds, target to lose 5 pounds in the first month.

4) Once you have reviewed the list set the intention within yourself that you are breaking-up with yourself. The old self, whatever it is, is no longer needed.

Whatever you are shedding no longer serves you and the New Year is allowing this transition for change.

5) Check in with yourself from time to time throughout the day. Does the new habit make you feel uncomfortable? Do you need to adjust something in order to stay on target?

Or are you so in love with the new you that no changes are necessary? Sometimes change is so invigorating we wonder why we waited so long to make the change.

Love you no matter the change(s) you seek.

The priority to set a healthier more satisfying goal for yourself should always be a priority whether it’s a New Year or not.

Many Blessings and Much Abundance

January 2017

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January 2017

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Influence

By Maureen Whelan

There is no question that we, as parents have an influence on our children, their development and the life choices they make. The question lies in what type of influence we have on our children. I recently saw a story about twin boys who were raised by their father, who was an alcoholic. One of the boys grew up and became an alcoholic himself, while the twin brother grew up and never had a drink. When asked what influenced their decisions in life, the boys shared the same response, “I watched my father”. As parents, we affect our children’s actions not only by what we say, but by our feelings and behavior in life.

I am fortunate to have parents that not only realized their own influence on me, but who also chose to surround me with relatives who were positive influences. Most memorable events in life were treated in a familiar fashion, whether they were positive or negative. Weddings, births, holidays, funerals, and visits from long distance relatives were marked by a large family gathering, a drink or two and some inappropriate humor. Songs were belted at the top of their lungs enough to make any Irish pub proud.

My mother cooked for hours. The joyous times were celebrated, and in sad times, the clan rallied together so that no one would feel alone weathering their own personal storm. There was not a great deal of intimate sharing of details. My scottish Gran would sit in her rocker with her tartan plaid wool lap blanket, “What’s to be will be” she would say. There was no judgement about mistakes made, but rather a matter of fact advice about what to do next. Then it was back to normal. Pick up the pieces, focus on what you can do and live your life. I contribute a great deal of who I am today to the positive influences and supports in my life. I felt love and emotional support, and I wanted to be like those around me.

So how can we determine our influence? Researchers believe that a parent’s emotional connectedness will influence a child more than actions or spoken words. There will be many factors that influence our children on a short term basis. These include relatives, teachers, friends, media, economic and sociocultural factors. A parent’s ability to develop a positive emotional bond, instill feelings of safety, efficacy, and worthiness, will have a greater influence. My own experience verifies this. I’ve worked with hundreds of children from various cultural, educational and socio-economic backgrounds. All were differently-abled.

The common factor in the children with the greatest successes were parents who were invested in their child’s life, and accepted their child’s current ability level. They supported growth, meaningful relationships and life experiences. Sadly, there were many children that were unable to reach their full potential because of the a parent’s influence. In some cases, the parent was embarrassed by their child, some denied the disability never allowing their child to have access to the supports they needed to grow, in other cases the parents struggled with their own emotional and psychological health issues. All of these issues prevented a positive parent-child bond to develop, even when the parent expressed love for the child on a regular basis.

So as we begin this year take an honest look at your emotional health and the bond you have with your children. Acknowledge if your child is smarter, slower, more creative, disorganized, more athletic or clumsier than you had planned. Be aware of the emotions he elicits in you and seek help if needed. To those of you who can identify healthy, loving emotional bonds, Congratulations. Foster others by being kind to the parents who lack this gift with their own children. Most of all reach out and support the children in your community who need your influence.

January 2017

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You didn’t have

a choice about the

parents you inherited, but you do have a choice about the kind of parent you will be.

~ Marian Wright Edelman (https://www.brainyquote.com)

Maureen Whelan is a pediatric Occupational Therapist and mother of 4 children ages 16,14, 11 and 7.

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Soup season is here! Soups are a great way to add some immune boosting foods and herbs while enjoying a soul nourishing meal. I like to add some aromatic vegetables with the herbs and cook until very soft.Then I use my immersion blender to blend these into the broth. This thickens the soup slightly without making it too starchy. You can adapt this recipe with your favorite beef cuts, and vegetables, (I used a 28 oz flank steak). I don’t always have time for bone broths so this recipe starts with broth from the box. This recipe makes a very large pot of soup. Add some crusty bread and you have a easy meal. Enjoy!!

Winter Beef Vegetable Soup In a large stock pot:

3 TBSP olive oil 2 stalks of celery chopped 3 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 TBSP italian seasoning ¼ tsp. Nutmeg

1 medium onion chopped 2 carrots, sliced 2 Bay leaves ½ tsp. ground ginger

Add vegetables and herbs to oil and sweat on low heat for about 10 minutes.

Add: 2- 32 oz boxes of beef broth 1-32 oz box of vegetable broth Cover pot and simmer for 30 minutes until vegetables are very soft. Reduce heat to leave on low heat for another hour. Remove bay leaves and add 1-15 oz. can of fire roasted tomatoes. Use your immersion blender and blend this until smooth.

Next add: 5 carrots, sliced thick 2 parsnips, cubed 1 cup frozen chopped spinach 3 celery stalks, sliced 2 cups frozen peas 1 large onion diced In a large skillet heat on medium high heat and lightly coat with oil. Brown flank steak seasoned with salt and pepper. Place steak with all remaining juices into the hot soup.

Deglaze the pan with broth for additional flavor.

Cook soup for 10 more minutes and serve hot.

January 2017

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12

Creating Space and Time For Meditation

by Natalie Berko

With the New Year upon us, we find ourselves thinking about ways to be happier and healthier. Meditation is a free and beneficial way we can enhance our daily lives with benefits ranging from physical to spiritual.

With a regular practice studies have shown the improved ability to (permanently) regulate emotions in our brain. Meditation improves concentration, encourages a healthy lifestyle, benefits cardiovascular and even increases happiness! Anyone can reap the benefits and all you have to do is basically nothing. It sounds almost too good to be true, give yourself permission to be a beginner and see what this practice can do for you.

The act of meditation is the practice of becoming acutely aware of what’s going on within you. It is the practice of taming the mind so that you may focus your energy and awareness on the task at hand. Meditation teaches you to live in the moment, accept obstacles and move through any situation with profound clarity and a sense of inner peace and calm. One way to get into the habit of setting time aside to meditate is to create a sacred place for your practice. We create spaces within our homes for the activities that are important to us and sustain us. We have spaces for eating, sleeping, entertaining, laundry, but do we have a space in our homes to simply just be? Creating a sacred space for meditation will remind you to take time to practice stillness.

A sacred place need not be fancy or expensive and can be created anywhere, even a tiny corner in your office.

There are no hard set rules when it comes to creating your meditation space, follow your heart and intuition.

The space should feel like pure bliss, a place where you can be alone and relaxed away from the everyday hustle and bustle.

Natalie Berko

Creating Sacred Space: 1. Choose an area or a room that makes you feel good. Take into consideration noise level and lighting.

2. Keep the area simple and uncluttered. Choose a few items that bring you comfort: meditation pillow, yoga mat, maybe a nice throw blanket.

3. Bring in something from nature. By adding an element of nature, your space becomes infused with balance and harmony. You can add a potted plant, some sea shells, maybe a few crystals for some extra positive vibes.

4. Soothing music, a singing bowl, chimes or a trickling water fountain are all great options for added ambiance.

5. Burn incense or light fragrant candles. Choose scents that are calming and bring your mind at ease.

Once your space is set up it’s time to get started! Commit to five minutes a day and build your practice from there. Meditation can be awkward at first and unfamiliar but with time quieting the mind becomes easier. Your space will provide creature comforts to help you focus and relax your mind.

Simple Steps to Mindful Meditation: 1. Set a timer for five minutes to start 2. Sit with your spine straight.

Proper posture is important.

3. Notice and then concentrate on your breath.

4. Your mind may wander, this is natural, acknowledge the thoughts and let them drift away 5. Return to your breath creating a pattern even counts in even counts out

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14

The Perfect Pair

by Katherine Kehoe

Winter can be miserable. It gets dark before we’re even out of work, it’s too cold to go outside, and we don’t feel like doing much except for sitting on the couch under blankets with some hot cocoa. But there is still work to be done and families to be fed and watered.

Now that the craziness of the holidays is slowing down, we can quickly fall into a really depressing and boring winter routine.

So how do we motivate ourselves to get up and shake off this familiar cold-weather funk? We treat ourselves. I don’t mean with a brownie or mac and cheese, because we all know we’ll regret that eventually.

There are lots of other ways to do nice things for ourselves. And there is one giant perk to the winter season that can make any woman feel fabulous in an instant: the perfect pair of boots.

Anyone who still believes diamonds are a girl’s best friend has clearly never found the right boots. I am a firm believer that, much like the classic little black dress, every woman should have one go-to pair of boots (at least – if you want more, don’t let me stop you!). The options are endless! You can go ankle-height or knee-height, leather or suede, heeled or flat, cowboy boots or lots of buckles. You could stick with the trusty black or brown, or go a little wild with brighter colors or funky patterns.

If you don’t already have a pair sitting in your closet, it’s time to go and find one. I know, just the process of getting yourself a pair requires hauling yourself off the couch and out the front door. It might seem like a hassle, but trust me. When you get to the store and you start trying them on and looking at all the possibilities, you’ll start to feel better. And when you slip into the pair that fits just right, that makes your legs look longer and puts an extra bounce in your step, you’ll be glad you did.

Yes, it might cost a little bit of money, but your happiness is worth a little splurge every now and then. I’m not saying go out and buy ten new pairs.

I’m just saying that perfect pair of boots is almost like magic. As soon as you pull them on, they’ll give you a boost of excitement and happiness. And this will give you a reason to get off the couch, walk out the door and brave the cold – because you are awesome, and you deserve to feel like it!

Katherine Kehoe When not writing for 08742, Katherine is a Librarian Assisitant and Drexel Graduate Student

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Hawaiian fine artist

Richard DiGiacomo brings his

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January 2017

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16

A Tradition, Not a Style

by Matt Connelly

While recently preparing to host a holiday party, my wife tasked me with the important responsibility of purchasing the beer. “Pick up a bunch of different Christmas-style beers,” she requested. Easier said then done. A quick survey of the seasonal shelves at the liquor store revealed dozens of Christmas offerings with no discernable pattern of style.

Bell’s Christmas Ale is a Scottish Ale, while Anchor’s is a Winter Warmer. Sam Adams Merry Maker is an Imperial Stout. Delirium Noel is a Belgian Strong. Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale – maybe my favorite current seasonal – is an IPA. And forget about finding consistency in the ingredients. Troegs Mad Elf is made with cherries, Great Lakes Christmas is made with honey, Schlafly Christmas is made with juniper berries and the aforementioned Anchor seasonal has licorice and pine.

Matt Connelly is a 17-year educator currently serving as the Vice-Principal of Woodbridge High School in Woodbridge Township, NJ. Follow Matt on Untapped at MConnelly

According to Don Russell, author of Christmas Beer: The Cheeriest, Tastiest and Most Unusual Holiday Brews, the Beer Judge Certification Program has tried to define the style suggesting its appearance should be “amber to dark brown” and it must taste “rich and malty” but the BJCP “concedes many brands that call themselves Christmas beer don’t meet its narrowly defined criteria.” So how can we define a Christmas beer? A look at its history might be the key.

As a practicing Catholic, calling the style “Christmas” is at best misleading and at worst heresy, as the style in question originated thousands of years before Christ with the Druids celebrating the winter solstice. “On the occasion of the solstice, celebrants would settle for nothing less than the very best of this sacred drink – the strongest beer made with ample malted grains, flavored with the very best spices and herbs.

And it would’ve flowed freely, gloriously creating a physical bond between man and the gods, between earth and sun,” Russell notes. Its no coincidence that the Druidand subsequent pagan celebrations of the winter solstice took place on December 25 and many say that Pope Julius I used this date for Christ’s birth to divert attention away from the pagan celebrations.

Although Pope Julius I was successful in taking paganism out of the holiday, it seems he left the beer. From European monasteries brewing to celebrate the birth of Christ in the middle ages, to Norwegians imbibing to celebrate their yuletide conversion to Christianity around 900AD, to the 19th century British poorhouses providing ale to their residents during the holiday season, to the scores of brews populating the shelves of our local markets each December, beer has remained a consistent part of the Christmas spirit.

Given this storied history I’m not concerned that I cannot pinpoint consistent characteristics of a “Christmas Ale.” It turns out that it’s less a style and more a tradition.

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January 2017

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January 2017

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“A Drop of the Hard Stuff” by Lawrence Block A book review by Brian Favretto

“A Drop of the Hard Stuff”, by Lawrence Block, is a work of American crime fiction. The main character, Matthew Scudder, is an on-againoff-again NYPD Detective/Private Investigator. He first appeared in “The Sins of Our Fathers” in 1976, and “A Drop of the Hard Stuff” makes the 17th in the Matt Scudder series. In this book, Block wisely created a novel out of a single flashback told by Scudder, instead of writing about the exploits of what would now be an upper-middle aged former detective.

In the opening scene, Matthew Scudder (who has battled alcoholism most of his life) is sitting late at night shooting the breeze with an old friend, Mick Ballou, when Mick raises an interesting topic. He wonders what their lives would have been like if they’d each made different decisions along the way. Mick, with his checkered past, wonders how his life would’ve been different if he’d become a cop. He asks Matt, a former cop, what he thinks his life would’ve been like if he had taken to a life of crime. Matt begins to tell a story about a childhood friend from the Bronx named Jack Ellery who had done just that.

As Scudder goes through the list and begins to eliminate suspects, I was treated to an adventure that reads as if someone was in front of me telling the story. Each time I thought I knew who the killer was he would turn up dead! I was forced to keep guessing…and reading. In the end, it becomes a game of cat and mouse, and I began to wonder if #17 would be the last in the Scudder series, but we know he survives or he wouldn’t be telling this story. The Serenity Prayer is a typical way of closing out an A.A. meeting, and states: “May God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference”. Was Scudder wise enough to know the difference? Was he able to stay sober?

Overall I am a fan of this book. I haven’t read any others in the Matt Scudder series, yet I didn’t feel as if pieces were missing.

It didn’t really give away anything from the first sixteen, and the story works just fine as a standalone. Block’s prose is easy to follow, and he provides a glimpse into the mind of a detective, as well as the daily struggle of a recovering alcoholic, where the main focus every day is making it to a meeting, and avoiding a drink.

This book also serves as a good reminder of the consequences we own with each choice we make.

Jack Ellery realized too late in life “just how much damage he’d done… and that he couldn’t entirely undo it”. Some good wisdom from a deceased fictional character.

This story goes back to the early days of Scudder giving up drinking, where every day for him meant a struggle, and attending at least one Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. In one of these meetings, he comes across Ellery, who he hasn’t seen in years, and is slightly more advanced in his sobriety.

He has already completed Step 8 in the Alcoholics Anonymous program (compiling a list of people that you’ve harmed in your life), and is currently working on Step 9 (making amends to those people). When Ellery is absent from the next few meetings, Scudder finds out he’d been murdered in his own apartment. He was shot in the mouth, and Scudder believes this was to send a message- “stop talking about what you (we?) have done in the past”. Scudder, as an ex-sleuth and current unlicensed investigator, is hired by Ellery’s A.A. sponsor, Greg Stillman, to track down the killer.

Luckily, he can provide Scudder a copy of Ellery’s Step 8 list of the people he’d harmed.

If you’re looking for a good crime novel to warm up to on these cold winter nights, “A Drop of the Hard Stuff” can be found at the Brielle Library and the Manasquan Library, and anywhere books are sold.

“A Drop of the Hard Stuff”, Mulholland Books, 2011

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20

Happy Munching!

by Lauren Kehoe

I’d be lying if I said I never gave my dog table scraps.

While I don’t like to encourage begging, I will save certain small treats as high value rewards.

A reasonable amount of human food can actually be good for dogs and offer extra nutrition. On the other hand, certain foods we love are very dangerous for them. It’s also good to keep in mind to match the reward with the value of the treat. Human food can be a great treat to accompany new difficult tricks.

It’s also good to put in food puzzles, offering your dog enrichment and food.

Gemma’s Story

Lauren Kehoe is an avid animal lover and dog owner.

Natural peanut butter is a dog favorite. It’s high in protein; just make sure it doesn’t have xylitol or hydrogenated oils. Plain yogurt and lean proteins such as chicken, turkey, salmon, and beef are also great treats. Pumpkin and sweet potatoes provide lots of vitamins such as beta-carotene and Vitamin A. Apples are a great crunchy treat, along with peas and green beans.

Vegetables like green beans are great fillers to mix with normal dry dog food if your dog needs to lose a few pounds.

Since we are little we are taught chocolate is off limits for dogs. I remember bawling my eyes out when one of my dogs got a hold of a chocolate bar from an aunt’s purse. Luckily he survived, but that doesn’t mean you should feed it to your dog. Some less well-known toxins include grapes, raisins, avocados, onions, and garlic. These foods can cause vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and death. Reactions are contingent on the size and age of the dog, as well as the amount of food consumed by your pet. Alcohol, coffee, and sugar free gum should also be avoided. I’ve seen a few owners who think it’s hilarious to let their dog drink from their beer, but it can be deadly.

Human food can be a great reward for pets and get them out of their daily dry dog food rut. The key is choosing the right foods. And of course, like anything else, moderation is key. It’s important that your dog still gets all of the necessary nutrients provided from standard dog food. Human treats can supplement a healthy diet, but should not overpower it.

If your dog does consume something hazardous to its health, be sure to call your local emergency vet for further instructions. You may be able to give your dog a spoonful of peroxide and run around with them to induce vomiting, but it depends on the type of dog and amount eaten.

It is always best to check with a professional.

Gemma is a 2 year old shar-pei/pug mix that sadly has been bounced around through 3 different homes. So, now here Gemma sits waiting for what she hopes will be a forever family. The vet did say that unfortunately she will need to be on a lifetime of eye meds because she was born without a natural tear production.

She cannot produce tears on her own to help keep her eyes lubricated which can lead to other problems. Please do not let that affect your decision on giving this sweet girl a 4th chance!

She deserves a loving home that will understand her medical needs. Gemma would do best as the only pet. We are unsure of her house breaking status, and she could use some obedience training. We are looking for a family with dog experience for our sweet Gemma. Kids 10+

Rita’s Story

This cat is part of out shelter outreach program where we go into overcrowded shelters and take some of their pets in hopes of giving them a better chance at being adopted.

Rita is a beautiful 5 year old tortie who is initially shy with strangers but she responds to a soft approach. Once she feels secure with you she will show you her true self, a sweet but timid little lady who wants and needs quiet reassurance and affection.

With some gentle coaxing, she will be your friend for life.

We have found Rita to be uncomfortable around other cats so she would do best as an only pet. If sweet and gentle sounds good to you, come in to meet Rita today. She’s waiting patiently for her own forever family.

Xanthe’s Story

Xanthe came to the Jersey Shore Animal Center on August 12, 2013 with her siblings. She has grown up here with us and really enjoys living in our Free Roaming Room with her feline friends, but she would be even happier with a forever home to call her own. Xanthe is on the shy side, but would do wonderfully in a house with another cat or two. With time, she does come out of her shell and enjoys a few scratches behind her ears. Please give this beautiful girl a chance at a home of her own. Come in and meet her today!

Daisy’s Story

Take one look into these “bedroom eyes” and you’ll see a girl who can’t wait to cuddle up and sleep next to you.

Daisy is a front-declawed brown tabby who was returned to the shelter because her owners could no longer care for her. This eight-year-old is a little shy at first because she’s still getting to know her new surroundings, but as soon as you pet her, she will rub her head against your hand and purr happily.

She only needs the right owner to bring her out of her shell.

Will you be that person who gives Daisy her forever home?

Stop by and meet her today!

Jersey Shore Veterinary Services (Lakewood) 732-363-3200 Red Bank Veterinary Hospital 732-747-1072

Martin’s Story

Martin was pulled from an overcrowded shelter in TN by a caring rescue group who put him into foster care and had him treated for heartworms. When his treatment was over and his heartworm test negative, he came to us in hopes of finding a home to call his own. He gets along with other dogs and appears housebroken. He is about 2 years old and a ball of fun. He has to wait til November to be neutered, but we are taking applications on him. Please stop in to visit this little guy today.

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21

Christmas Music

by Charles Nolan

Even though we bemoan the genre from the first time we hear it’s jangling bells through mall speakers and car stereos during the last week of November each year, everyone has their beloved and hated holiday songs.

But on my list, they all rank somewhere behind the endlessly singable combination of ‘80s synth and traditional sleigh bells of “Last Christmas” by Wham! Since a young age, I’ve loved following along with George Michael’s whispering, seducing, soaring vocals.

In fact, I loved the song so much growing up that the mother of a friend burned me a holiday CD with “Last Christmas” as every other track and I rarely touched that skip button.

For me, the worst Christmas song is “The 12 Days of Christmas.”

The song is either archaic or just outlandish, as it has almost no resemblance to the Christmas we celebrated nowadays.

Do the 12 days begin or end on December 25? Due to the repeating nature of the song, are we to believe that the narrator purchased a partridge in a pear tree each of the twelve days, resulting in a total of twelve trees? What did the narrator’s object of affection do with so many birds?

By putting the holiday in the background of a heartbreak story, the band bring an oft-forgotten aspect of the holiday’s to the forefront.

Holidays can be difficult for anyone who has experienced any type of loss because the loved ones they are used to seeing during the season is no longer seen.

I’ve always been partial to the schmaltzy condescension of “Do They Know It’s Christmas,” the ‘80s song written and recorded by British pop stars to raise money for children in Africa, but that bias most likely comes from a long-standing Christmas Eve tradition that sees my family and my mother’s sister’s family cram into a small room and watch a 30-minute VHS tape on the making of the song. We mock, we repeat lines, we rejoice at Boy George’s mid-tape cameo appearance, and we sing along.

The song never digs as deep as death, but the theme of recurring pangs of sadness brought about annual celebrations of joy is something we can all relate to, no matter the loss or the holiday we’re celebrating.

Other favorites include “Where Are You Christmas?” as sung by future-Gossip Girl Taylor Momsen in a crackling high pitch during the 2000 live-action version of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” and the expletive-laced epic “Fairytale of New York”

by Celtic punk band The Pogues.

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22

The Adventure Aquarium in Camden Living in and around the New York metropolitan area, we are all very fortunate to have so many options for entertainment, sports, outdoor activities, etc., that are just a short car, bus or train ride from the Jersey Shore. Recently, I chose to take my four children to The Adventure Aquarium in Camden. The Adventure Aquarium proved to be very interesting and much larger than I had expected. They (the aquarium management) have certainly taken a cue from Disney, to some degree, keeping the kids interested with attractive and interesting displays all throughout the building invoking plenty of interaction. There are also good choices for food and drink while you are there. The Adventure Aquarium is large in scope, boasting 8,500 species and 2 million gallons of water.

On first thought, my thinking was, OK, we’re just going to see a lot of sharks and various types of fish in tanks, sea turtles and of course, little clown fish that resemble Nemo. Right? But, there is way much more.

My personal favorite was The Shark Walk! Yes. I found myself hovering over the one of the scariest creatures on Earth. I was probably 5 to 10 feet above circling, hammerheads, sand, thresher and many other types of sharks. So, here I am walking above a massive tank of sharks with nothing but a net between me and the water. Yeah, a net, a super thick, sturdy net, but, nonetheless, the sharks are RIGHT THERE! I always think of my Mother when I am in situations like this. I can hear her saying, “There’s no way I’m going on that!” But, I think everyone who wants a little adventure should check out, “The Shark Walk” at Adventure Aquarium in Camden, NJ. That alone was good enough for me, everything else was a bonus.

The hippopotamus display (shown above) is one of the most exciting exhibits to visit. You can watch full grown hippos swim and play right in front of you!

Lastly, were the various “touch tanks” for many the species.

How many people get to touch the back of a shark, a starfish, a sting ray? It may not be on your bucket list, but, it’s a unique experience. Well, pretty slimy experience, to be quite honest.

Add in the myriad of educational interactive displays not to be out done by just taking a few minutes to stare at the beauty of certain wildlife and learn more about our place and their place in this world.

Take the time to admire the penguins, frogs, rhinos, jellyfish, starfish, sharks thousands of other species knowing that all of this fun and education is just a Quick Trip away.

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