25.7 - LisaMD's Task - I've Got Sand Between My Toes

[SRC Moderator, Moderator]

25.7 Lisa MD's Task: I’ve Got Sand Between My Toes

Oh, sweet summertime… the smell of coconut suntan lotion, the roar of the ocean, and the feel of sand between the toes has me yearning for beach time. Fortunately, I live on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, so I can pack up my cooler, beach chair, and books, then hop in my car and be at Assateague Island or Ocean City, MD within 30 minutes for a day of fun in the sun.

Assateague Island is a barrier island that stretches about 37 miles along the Delmarva Peninsula, with most of it in Maryland and about a third in Virginia. The Virginia section is known as Chincoteague, home of the famous Misty of Chincoteague. I spent a lot of my youth camping in Chincoteague. I prefer digging my toes in the sand in the less populated and pristine beaches of Assateague, plus I like the company of wild ponies roaming the beach.

Ocean City, MD and Assateague were at one time connected, until a 1933 hurricane created an inlet in OC and separated the land masses. OCMD is a huge tourist destination in the summer. Its normal population is around 7000 people; however, summer weekends bring in over 300,000 people. The boardwalk, Trimpers Rides, Thrasher’s French Fries, Seacrets, Fagers Island, and Fisher’s Popcorn are some of the main attractions. At least once a year I brave the tourists and enjoy some Thrasher’s fries.

Choose 2 different options and read a book for each option.
Required: state the options.

Option 1: Read a book by an author whose first and last initial can be found in ASSATEAGUE ISLAND / OCMD. Letters may only be used as often as they appear. You may combine the two terms to find initials (e.g. for Mark Gatiss, M in OCMD and G in ASSATEAGUE).

Option 2: Read a book whose cover shows a person with their bare toes in the sand (i.e. no sandals, flip flops or similar footwear).
Required: post the cover.

Option 3: Anyone who has visited Assateague, OCMD or any beach for that matter understands the phrase, “HAPPIER THAN A SEAGULL WITH A FRENCH FRY.” Read a book whose title contains a word of 4 or more letters made from this phrase. Letters may only be used as often as they appear.
Required: State the word.

Option 4: OC native and country singer, Jimmy Charles, penned an anthem called, “It’s a Maryland Thing, You Wouldn’t Understand.” As an Eastern Shore of Maryland girl, the song represents all kinds of summer vibes. Read a book whose title contains a matching word of 3 or more letters (excluding “the” and “and”) from the song lyrics:

https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Jim...

Required: state the word.


Optional: Watch the music video and enjoy my local beaches and summertime vibe:
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...

[Lisa]

The lyrics for “It’s a Maryland Thing, You Wouldn’t Understand” by Jimmy Charles

If you’ve never seen an Atlantic sunrise
Then the sunset over Isle of Wight
Never crossed the Bay Bridge with the windows down. salt air blowing all around
Never heard of Assawoman or Susquehanna
Got a Maryland tattoo with matching pajamas
Let me shed a little light so you can recognize
Why us free state folks have so much pride

It’s A Maryland Thing You wouldn’t understand
We can talk about it over Natty Boh cans
Picking crabs on the porch on a hot summer night
Tucked underneath that Mason Dixon line
It’s A Maryland Thing, Hell yeah You just wouldn’t understand
It’s A Maryland Thing, Hell yeah

Catch the Ravens at the Bank or the Birds in the Yard
While ole Fort McHenry’s still standing guard
Watch an Osprey fly across an Assateague sky
Wild ponies shaking off Horseflies
Sail my boat up the Chesapeake Bay
Salute our midshipmen along the way
When the works all done and the weekend comes
You Dam right we going down the ocean Hon

Yeah It’s A Maryland Thing
You wouldn’t understand
We can talk about it where the waves meet the sand
Crushing crushes on the dock at a Harbor side bar
Day drinking in the sun or underneath the stars
It’s A Maryland Thing, Hell Yeah, You Just wouldn’t Understand
It’s A Maryland Thing, Hell yeah

Ooooo ooooooo
Ooooo oooooo

We put our hands on our hearts and we stand up tall shouting Oooooo
Say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave
Son
It’s a Md thing
You Wouldn’t Understand
But Francis Scott Key was from Frederick Man
You can find us wherever you roam
We’ll be wearing our flag to make sure you know

It’s A Maryland Thing, Hell yeah
We put Old Bay on Everything
It’s A Maryland Thing, Hell Yeah
Crab Cakes and football its what we do
It’s A Maryland Thing, Hell Yeah
Get you some scrapple and pit beef
It’s A Maryland Thing, Hell yeah
Berger cookies & Snow Cones
It’s A Maryland Thing, Hell yeah
Fishers Popcorn
It’s A Maryland Thing, Hell yeah
I could go on and on forever but you just wouldn’t understand

[Lisa]

Approved

[Lisa]

Sorry

[Dee]

Nice task! I live on thé other MD peninsula - surprised you didn’t add an ode to the chicoteague mosquitos lol

[Lisa]

Dee wrote: "Nice task! I live on thé other MD peninsula - surprised you didn’t add an ode to the chicoteague mosquitos lol"

Thanks, Dee! Didn't realize you were a Marylander too.
Mosquitos, horseflies..... I try to pretend they don't exist.

[Kathy KS]

Just verifying... for option 2. The book cover MUST have beach/sand? Not just bare feet?

[Lisa]

Kathy KS wrote: "Just verifying... for option 2. The book cover MUST have beach/sand? Not just bare feet?"

That's correct. Barefeet must be on the sand.

[Kathy KS]

Lisa wrote: "Kathy KS wrote: "Just verifying... for option 2. The book cover MUST have beach/sand? Not just bare feet?"

That's correct. Barefeet must be on the sand."

Thanks. Out of a huge TBR list, I find several with barefeet; several with beaches, but none together! I guess one of the other option will have to do.

[Lisa]

Kathy KS wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Kathy KS wrote: "Just verifying... for option 2. The book cover MUST have beach/sand? Not just bare feet?"

That's correct. Barefeet must be on the sand."

Thanks. Out of a huge TBR li..."

If you like Elin Hilderbrand, many of her bookcovers fit this description.

[Trish]

Just double checking for Option 3. Can the word made up from the letters be an acronym? For example, NASA?

I'm wondering about From Nazis to NASA:The Life of Wernher Von Braun - although it's US title would also work: Dr. SPACE: The Life of Wernher Von Braun

[Lisa]

Trish wrote: "Just double checking for Option 3. Can the word made up from the letters be an acronym? For example, NASA?

I'm wondering about From Nazis to NASA:The Life of Wernher Von Braun - alt..."

Yes, that would work.

[Trish]

Cheers, Lisa.