Good morning, Susan! ☕✨
We had another heat wave the past few days, but today will be the last day, then it's back to normal temperatures and *maybe* some light rain.
Enjoy your day of books, reading and writing! Looking forward to #TheCampfire this Tuesday! ✨☕📚✍️💫
intro to my upcoming #TheCampfire story:
When I was a freshman in high school, my buddy found a copy of the anarchist cookbook. Now that is a manual on how to create some legitimate chaos, there are parts in that book that tell you how to improvise..
#EastCoastKin #naiveteismyforte
#TheCampfire 🔥
First Tuesday
April 7, 2026
Food Food Food
Care for loved ones
Miss you Jimmy
Adventurous women
Around the next bend
Tree houses
Schwan’s truck
Youthful sneak outs
Step forward
Tell your story ~
fabulous moments
simple days
It’s all important
to the fabric of us
OUR EARS ARE OPEN
@pmgibbs.bsky.social
After reading all the restaurant stories around the #thecampfire this morning. I ended up heading out to breakfast. There aren’t a ton of restaurant options in little Beattyville, KY, but we do have Herman’s Brew.
There were a lot of tales of food and restaurants around #thecampfire yesterday. I’m reading the stories with my coffee. It’s all making me very hungry 😆
I missed #thecampfire entirely yesterday, so I’m sitting out here in front of the coals with my morning coffee…and now I’m hungry
The popularity of #thecampfire proves it!
Fantastic photo! I love looking at my family’s old family photos. As far as pretending to be something your not, for the next #thecampfire maybe I’ll tell the story of the time I let someone talk me into telling people we were accomplished horseback riders. We were absolutely not. 🤦♀️
For many years my very favorite restaurant was Horn of the Moon Cafe formerly on Langdon Street in Montpelier, Vermont. It's been gone a long time now and that's a sad tale. But oh how the food glows in my memory. My favorite had to be the enormous chef's salad with every veggie you can name plus avocado and crispy tempeh cubes. It was on a huge plate piled a good six inches deep at the middle. And don't get me started on the bbq seitan sandwich. Best and messiest thing ever. I smile to recall, one needed to have a full hour lunch break or more to eat there. It didn't matter how busy they were or not, they had a slow but steady pace and you simply couldn't run in and grab something. But oh was it worth it. If anyone has a time machine....
I know I'm late to #TheCampfire but I see there are still a few embers burning. And who the heck left that squishy marshmallow on the ground, I almost stepped on it! Anyhoo earlier @pmgibbs.bsky.social shared a tale of a beloved restaurant she misses & I thought I'd do the same. Sweet dreams kids.
Photo of the sky tonight, at sunset. A soft blue with pink waves, and a hint of yellow on the right side. Deciduous trees are in front of evergreen trees and they are all backlit. Today marks the 4 month anniversary of my husband’s stroke, and today we celebrated his survival by going to the library, getting some lunch, and going to a grocery store. It was the first time he walked through a grocery store, second time going to the library, and maybe 5th time dining out since his stroke. We met a kind woman at the library and meeting and talking with her made his day! I’m not exactly sure what I expected things to be like 4 months post stroke, but today was a very good day!
Tonight’s sky colors 💙🩷💛
#TheCampfire
See alt text for what I am remembering today…
Hey Petie, I’ve been away for months. Life has been tough over here. The toughest time I’ve ever had. There’s a story that needs to come out round #TheCampfire one day. I’m just not ready to tell it yet. For now, I’m focusing on the wisdom written on this old bench of yours 💙
A great #TheCampfire story!
Check out the stories so far today at the hashtag
During lunch, I’d be sharing my time with my MIL while she watched soap operas. I always hated those things, but before long, I was totally hooked which continued for years. Although I was married and now had a couple of children, I developed a silly crush on one of the soap opera actors who had thick, dark eyebrows and piercing blue eyes. I felt so ridiculous daydreaming about this actor. Flash forward about 20 years, when I was working out at a remote gym next to the Burbank airport. A man approached me and asked if we knew each other. He looked sort of familiar to me, but I was certain I hadn’t met him. We became casual acquaintances, and it finally occurred to me why he looked familiar: he was the actor I had a crush on! Never in my life did I think I would actually meet this person, let alone have him approach me. The actor was Brian Bloom who played Dusty Donovan on “As the World Turns.” This image includes three smaller images of the actor Brian Bloom. The two on the left are from his days playing Dusty Donovan on 'As the World Turns,' and the image on the right might be when he was about the same age as when I met him. When I met him, he was wearing a bandana on his head and was wearing sweats. He also had a slight beard, as in this photo. The most striking thing about him was his black hair, heavy black eyebrows and piercing blue eyes. He also has a chiseled chin and nose. Later in life he portrayed several superheroes.
#TheCampfire
I was pregnant with my first child and working on a fixer-upper house in San Diego that was to be home for our new family. Until the house was ready, we stayed with my in-laws next door for several months. (continued in alt)
I’m sitting on a bench on Roanoke sound as I write this. Military jets are in the air, one after another, not usual.
#TheCampfire
Tomorrow is the 4 year anniversary of arriving here. I’ve been in a stasis, not having real responsibilities, but what was fine at the beginning is now an impediment to growth. While the throes of grief brought me here, I’m coming out of the cocoon and I’m ready to venture as an adult.
March 3 2018. A date in my memory because of the amount of steps l did on this day.There had been snowy weather, so it was an opportunity for some photographs. What l hadn’t counted on was my own foolishness. I returned home, exhausted, tired and wondering why l had not stopped earlier.
#TheCampfire
@pmgibbs.bsky.social started #TheCampfire for us to share our #stories every month on the first Tuesday. I always remember something from my childhood but you can tell any story. Use the tag. Swap some yarns. It's a good time!
Photo of deep orange flames against the black of night
#TheCampfire
Today I'm remembering the first hints of Spring coming to me on the air of a winter thaw. More weeks of frozen landscape to deal with but a slight waft of green things and the sound of birds congregating. Not time to put the sleds away but time to start thinking of tree houses.
My younger brother and I playing with his big yellow Tonka trucks in the front yard. Eating honeysuckle nectar in the woods in the backyard of my childhood home. My mom picking me up from gymnastics and coming home to my dad cooking dinner and dancing in the kitchen. I’m grateful for the memories I have as a child. I’ve longed for a place that makes me feel like Kentucky did when I was a little girl. While I dont necessarily feel like West Virginia is our forever home, I do feel strongly that many signs have been sent since being here. When we moved a few years ago and I saw this recently empty Schwan’s building right down the road from our house, it made me feel like the universe and my late mother were telling me I was headed in the right direction with my life. That probably sounds crazy, but it’s what I believe. I believe in signs from the universe and I believe in signs from our loved ones who have passed on. And I believe my mom will never let me forget how much I loved the Schwan’s man, with his sherbet and his ice cream. She’d always get a tub of mint chocolate chip, her favorite flavor, and a tub of chocolate chip cookie dough, which was my favorite flavor as a kid. Campfire friends, what’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
The #nostalgia that is the Schwan’s truck…
Growing up in Kentucky, there was only one other truck that would provoke as much excitement as the ice cream truck would. That pale yellow Schwan’s truck is forever engraved in my head, reminds me of happy times. (cont. in alt)
#thecampfire #memories
I was in my early 30’s, traveling with my sister and mother, just finished with a divorce and a job in New York. I was ready, clearly, for something new. I saw him, in passing at the hotel, and he gave a smile. He was so dark, with a perfect gap between his front teeth. As I boarded a craft to shuttle me into town, he went to a roof to paint, a handyman, I now realized. We waved through the distance. It would be months before I would discover that he was not allowed to mix with the guests. Yet by that night we were together in every spare moment - on the beaches, in the bars, at restaurants, in the discotheques. Three months later, I packed my belongings in the states and moved to Mykonos. I took my books and my dog and got a small room for the winter. Did he speak English? Not exactly, but we stumbled through. Time passed, and we learned each others’ languages. We took endless walks with my dog Homer on the beach, where he tossed spiky sea urchin shells in the air. We went to the few restaurants that were open in winter, watched Greeks dance in their tradition. Listener, it was not to be. By the time I got my orientation there, I was already sick with an infection. The doctor asked me out on a date as he passed me my medications. He asked me for my address in New York. I suddenly understood why I was the only non-islander I could find that winter. I was a target. When Grigoris asked me to walk a few steps behind him when with his friends, I was startled. We fought, argued not for long, and I packed my bags back to Athens. He followed me, pleaded. But he would not give up his ways. There is no happy ending here. As quickly as it had begun, it was over. I was heartbroken, enraged, alone, and it was entirely my fault for being so shortsighted about the culture shock I would experience. I never returned to Mykonos, a place that will always be a spiky creature, full of sharp, spiny lessons for me. I will always remember it fondly and with reverence.
#TheCampfire
OPPOSITES
I never should have been let out of the states.
Though it may not show in this picture, Mykonos would be more than a destination for me.
And though I have a horrible smirk on my face in this shot, it is the only photograph I have left of a beloved moment. (ALT)
Located between Smithfield, Va and Surry in the country, definitely a destination spot. Drive down a steep road curving into a hollowed out spot with small cottages, a lovely beach area and the restaurant. Nothing fancy, just a house over a pier, with eight tables and a very small bar area, but the view and then the food took you to nirvana. I would take the James River bridge over to Smithfield, driving up Rt 10 through rural areas and turn onto a road leading down from the highway. The beach greeting me first and then walking up the steps to enter the Bay House and the great food awaiting me. I loved the crab cakes, the fresh tuna and the bay scallops, all sourced fresh each morning from the Outer Banks and Chesapeake Bay. This was a very casual dining place and eating dinner while the river sang its song was such an enjoyable experience. After dinner, I’d hop in my truck and travel to Surry to catch the ferry over to Jamestown for a chance to catch a beautiful sunset while crossing the river. The whole trip was a great way to treat myself after a hard day of landscaping. Sadly in 2003, hurricane Isabel came to Virginia and destroyed so much of my environment and obliterated the tiny restaurant on the river, along with all the cottages. Nothing was left except for cement pads where lives were lived. The devastation was severe and the restaurant was never rebuilt that I know of. After the hurricane all hands on deck to clean up for months left no time for adventure and then life changed to focus on other things, but I’ve saved this menu to remind me of the special place I would make time to visit. The drive through rural areas to a small simple restaurant and then a ferry ride with sunset was an amazing experience that I’ll never forget. Do special little things to make memories that will never leave you.
#TheCampfire
I have a scrapbook with mementos from my adventures and a favorite place to eat dinner was the Bay House at Burwells Bay on the James River. A small out of the way eatery that had a magical kitchen serving the best fresh seafood with incredible views of the river.
⬇️
Morning Susan! Are you participating in #TheCampfire today?
Denny's is open 24/7 and serves classic American food. All sorts of breakfast food - scrambled eggs, hash browns, toast. Also Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy. The Chicken Fried steak. Or huge sandwiches with with lots of meat and cheese on toasted bread. And of course seasoned french fries as a side with everything. As a chain they are still around- I wouldn't recommend eating there! We would always get coffee, maybe a slice of key lime pie and just hang out and chat. We would stay there for hours sometimes all night, walking out the front door when the sun was coming up. In those days you could smoke cigarettes inside, so the whole place was just covered in this vast cloud of cigarette smoke. The absolute best part though, and the reason we came is because of the people. We were a small group of 5 small town boys, we drove about a half hour to get down to that restaurant. We were the freaks and outcasts of our tiny little town, we came together, because we didn't fit in anywhere else. This Denny's was that place where all the other freaks in the area tended to congregate, it was like they were drawn there by some kind of gravity. We would discuss philosophy with punks in their leather and spikes, mohawks or skinheads. We would share art and poetry with the transvestites, flicking their voluminous lashes and sparkling sequins. We would laugh our asses off with the gays, they had the humor like a razor - we always tried to avoid being their target. There were the quiet weird and the extremely loud weird. The solos and the gangs. It was an amazing time and a wild cornucopia of people. I loved them all, some specifically, and some generally, but all of them in a way. They helped shape me. I grew up there. I never felt so accepted by a group of strangers before that.
When I was young my friends amd I started hanging out at add a local all night restaurant called Denny's.
(cont. in alt)
#TheCampfire #naiveteismyforte
It’s #TheCampfire today, thanks to Petie @pmgibbs.bsky.social, who hosts it so well.
Hope you’ll jump in today!
Tom and a buddy from a campground in Casper, Wyoming met up with 2 sixteen girls from the area. The guys, fifteen and desperate to impress, said they were musicians, Tom on keyboard and his friend on the guitar.Later in the evening the gig was up when the girls produced a guitar.Tom was thankful they didn’t wheel out an organ!! Dropped off at the campground around 2 in the morning they found the gate locked and decided to skirt around it through prairie dog town. Fun-until they encountered an 8 foot snake on a feeding frenzy! Rattled, they scooted around the large creature defending its territory, and with extreme caution, made their way back to their campsites hoping not to stumble on another. Tom slid silently into the sack thinking no one was the wiser. The next morning all Tom’s dad said was that he was out kind of late. Sorry, a little anticlimactic I know.🙃 Tom said to add the moral of the story: Don’t pretend to be something you’re not.🏕️
Tom’s a little disconcerted by the fact that he’s becoming more like his parents everyday.🙃
Below is a #campfire story he often tells around our campfire, remembering days gone by on the camping trail with his mom and dad. #Thecampfire
Thank you, Susan✈️
Happy reading! I don’t know that book…I look forward to hearing about it.
And thank you for the reminder about #TheCampfire
Wishing you the same!
Good morning, lauren!
Safe travels to you! Enjoy the ocean for the moment! 🌊
I am doing well, thank you. About to start The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. Really hoping I like it. Also tomorrow is #TheCampfire - looking to see if I have a story to tell there.
I hope you have a lovely day!
When you’re a cutie they let their guard down & that’s when you strike! Dig out under the fence, make your getaway down the street. Don’t worry about the one chasing you, she can’t get under houses! But watch for the other who has treats & grabs you.
Share your escape stories
#TheCampfire
March 3rd
Tomorrow is #TheCampfire, hosted by @pmgibbs.bsky.social !
Are you ready to share some wonderful art and stories? It’s one of my favorite ways to get to know the community! 💫
Morning Petie! Glad to hear you’ve already gotten the dogs sorted out. The spring poetry book does sound like the perfect balm after a long winter - I haven’t managed to get it just yet! 🤔
Enjoy your day! Time to get ready for tomorrow’s #TheCampfire! Woot!
☕️ ✨ 💫
