Blizzard of 2010 - take 2

The second snow storm was not all it was played up to be - which was just fine! We got maybe another 3-4 inches but best of all, it was the light, fluffy snow! At 8:30 pm the snow had stopped and the wind was not crazy. I had been watching the forecasts and they were talking about temps in the single digits for Sunday and with the wind chill factor even less so I figured I should shovel Saturday night before everything froze. So I went out but it did not take very long. When I woke up the next morning I realized I could probably have waited until Sunday to shovel but at least it was all done! Only problem was the ice. Parts of the sidewalk were icy and the porch and stairs were very icy. Ever since breaking my elbow is 2003, I have been paranoid about walking on ice. With the carpeting on the porch and stairs there was not a lot I could do, Then my sister Deb reminded me that Bonnie had bought this stuff called an ice walk mat (or something close). Anyway, it is hard to describe but is a brown fibrous material about 18" wide and you put it over ice and you can now walk! Perfect for the porch and stairs! It does not mold itself perfectly to the stairs but is fine if you are holding onto the railing. I had just enough salt left in the bag to do the sidewalk so I was all set! Here is a pic of the house - with the ice walk mat. Doesn't everything look pretty?

Later in the day I drove down to the south end to check on Deb and Bonnie's house for them. There were a lot of wires either down or very heavily weighted with all the snow and ice. I guess those are the houses that may have been without power. Fortunately Deb and Bonnie's house appeared to be fine.

Next storm is Tuesday evening.....stay tuned!

Karen

Karen
Serendipity Bed and Breakfast
info@serendipitynj.com
www.serendipitynj.com

Bizzard of 2010 - Take 1

OK, so the blizzard of 2010 has arrived. It started snowing last night and really did look pretty. Around 9 pm I looked outside. The snow was coming down and there was a lot of wind. Across the street at Coral Sands, their parking lot has maybe a half inch. On MY side of the street, we already had about 2 inches on the sidewalk. Hey, no fair. It really was kind of funny - no snow across the street but snow here. Well, by morning things has kind of evened out - but there still was more snow on the south side of 9th street. However, there was enough snow to go around!
We are still waiting for the next snowstorm to come through. but I feel sorry for the people who live on the back bay area. In addition to having to deal with all the snow, they also have to deal with flooding. The next high tide is 2 pm - I cannot imagine having to deal with snow, water and wind. So things are not as bad at Serendipity as they could be. And I am thankful for that.
I set my alarm for 8 am so I could get an early start on shoveling. I woke up, heard the wind and said, forget that and snuggled back for another hour. By the time I went out, the snow had mostly stopped but the wind was really bad. I was fortunate that Rich from across the street came over and helped me to shovel. The sidewalk wasn't too bad but it was a heavier snow than the last one. The snow that had been piled up by the plows was really heavy and that is the part that Rich worked on.Conditions like this really do bring out the best in people. I feel a bit tired but invigorated by being out in the fresh air. It is cold and windy but also feels clean. I love living in Ocean City.
Stay tuned for Blizzard of 2010 - part 2. Anticipation........!

Karen

Karen
Serendipity Bed and Breakfast
info@serendipitynj.com
www.serendipitynj.com

Win a free night at Serendipity Bed and Breakfast!

There might be snow on the ground but those hot days of summer are fast approaching.
How would you like to win a free night at Serendipity? From now until March 31, make any 2 night or more reservation for any stay during 2010 and be entered into a contest to win a free night! Already made your reservation? Email me and tell me to enter you name in the contest! That is all you have to do. Pick up the phone and call me at 609-399-1554 or go to my website at www.serendipitynj.com and reserve online. Put in the Notes section "enter me to win one free night!" On April 1 - and I promise this is no April Fool's prank - check back at this blog to see if you are the winner!

Good luck!

Karen
Karen
Serendipity Bed and Breakfast
609-399-1554
info@serendipitynj.com
www.serendipitynj.com

Snow on the boardwalk!

Hi!

What a beautiful sight to behold - freshly fallen snow. And when you see it on the beach it looks even more special. Ocean City got 7-8 inches. It was one of those perfect snows, nice and light, fluffy and easy to shovel. Plus, a guy going by stopped to talk and shovelled for me while he asked me questions about the house next door. Isn't life great! I took a walk on the boardwalk so I could look at the snow on the beach and took a couple of pictures to share with you. I took one of the boardwalk so you could get an idea of how much snow there was. Hope you enjoy them :)

Karen

Karen
Serendipity Bed and Breakfast
info@serendipitynj.com
www.serendipitynj.com

February is a tough month. It is still mostly cold and miserable and you start to feel closed in. Bet you are ready to get away for a weekend! If I am right, come and visit Serendipity Bed and Breakfast. Winter time in Ocean City is very different from the summer. There are no crowds, no long lines at Mack and Manco, and no cars filling up the streets and parking lots. Instead you can stroll the Boardwalk at your own pace. Gaze at the stars at night without all the streetlights and storefront lights obscuring the view. Or just snuggle in your comfortable bed with your special gal or guy at Serendipity watching a movie! Most of all, give yourself permission to forget the outside world and concentrate on yourself.
To make your weekend special, stay 2 nights and receive a box of Fudge Kitchen fudge - my favorite place for fudge! If you can stay a 3rd night you will get a small tub of Johnson's popcorn in addition to the fudge - does life get much better than that?????
So call me today at 609-399-1554, reserve your time off at Serendipity and be sure to tell me you read my blog so you get your fudge and for a 3rd night caramel corn also! This offer is good even on Valentine's/President's weekend and for the entire month of February!
Hope to see you soon!

Karen
Serendipity Bed and Breakfast
info@serendipitynj.com
www.serendipitynj.com

Mother Nature reigns supreme!

When they say - don't fool with Mother Nature - they sure are right! The second week of January I went to Florida to visit my brother and get some rest. Well, I sure did manage to rest up - the week I was there was the week of the freeze in Florida. I seem to bring the freeze with me. In 2009 I went to Key West a couple of weeks later in January and same thing - cold weather so again no laying on the beach. I did manage on that trip to some sun bathing by the heated pool. No such luck this trip but I did get some time to just sit and do nothing - and boy did I take advantage of that! So the trip fulfilled it's purpose - rest and relaxation!

So now I am home and again am a witness to Mother Nature. A few days ago it was 50 degrees (which is balmy this time of year!) and I enjoyed my walk on the boardwalk. I had a lot of company on that walk, too. I think everyone had the same idea - take advantage of this gift and enjoy it! Today there is rain and 50 mph winds.......no walks on the boardwalk today :) I know that all regions have variations in their weather but I feel that living on an island - which means surrounded by water - seems to bring nature closer. I can feel changes in temperature, in the sky, and in the air. One thing I have also found is that regardless of the weather, I love living in Ocean City. Today, with rain and 50 mph winds provides a perfect day to brew a pot of tea and open up a good book! Yes, life is great in Ocean City!

Karen

Karen
Serendipity Bed and Breakfast
info@serendipitynj.com
www.serendipitynj.com

After Christmas let down

I love Christmas and I love decorating for Christmas. Taking the decorations out of their boxes and choosing the perfect place to put them makes me happy. And even if it is not the perfect place, I still enjoy it! Yes, I know, I can be annoying with my love of Christmas but no one is perfect! The house always looks so pretty - both inside and out. I love to drive down the street and see my house all lit up - especially if the tree inside is lit up. I love looking at the Christmas trees, the little houses all lit up and all the Santa Clauses. So you can imagine how desolate the house looks now - no outside colored lights, no Christmas trees, Santas or houses. It is always sad once the house is "undecorated". It does feel good to vacuum up all the mess from the trees - even though they are artificial they still "shed" some needles. And yes, putting the furniture back where it belongs is nice. But it is sad to put all those lovely decorations away until next Christmas. So I guess it is on to Valentine's Day and red hearts!

Karen

Karen
Serendipity Bed and Breakfast
info@serendipitynj.com
www.serendipitynj.com