Local columnist says goodbye
By Marci Lutsky
Do you want to know what goes by really quickly? Three and a half years. That’s how long I’ve been sharing my ideas and stories with Shore Local readers. The time has come for me to sign off from my Vegging at the Shore and Mom’s Vibe columns as my family is making a life change and moving to Vermont. I want to take a moment to reflect on my journey with Shore Local and some of my favorite topics I have written about over the years.
In January of 2017 I was contacted by Cindy Fertsch to ask if I wanted to meet for coffee to discuss the possibility of writing a food column for her and her husband’s new newspaper, Shore Local. With experience just as a food blog writer, I decided to give it a try. A couple years later Cindy asked if I would also write a parenting column called Mom’s Vibe. At that time I told Cindy that I wasn’t a typical parent who made Disney dining reservation months in advance and that maybe she find someone better suited for the task. She convinced me to write about parenting topics anyway. The experience of writing both columns has been so rewarding.
One of the topics I’ve enjoyed writing most about is how to cook with real ingredients in a way that a family with young children will enjoy. People always tell me they are sick of making multiple meals for their family of picky eaters. My hope is that I’ve provided ideas for getting kids excited about cooking (visit a farm!) and adults too! Several years ago I started teaching cooking classes in a variety of locations. It was always nice to welcome new participants who learned about the experience from Shore Local.
As my twins got older, the topics of my parenting column changed. In 2017 I wrote about the transition from preschool to kindergarten. I also gave ideas for indoor birthday party ideas during the cold months and ways to occupy kids during the summer. While none of us never anticipated a pandemic, recent months have had me writing about topics such as how to stock your food pantry with ingredients that would last longest. As much as I love cooking, I am also an avid reader so each summer I enjoyed writing about my recommended beach reads.
Over the years I have enjoyed hearing from Shore Local readers with questions and comments about my columns. Being stopped in the supermarket to comment about an article always brought a smile to my face, back when we didn’t wear masks and you could see people smile!
I grew up as a shoobie spending summers at the Jersey shore and made it my permanent home nine years ago. In that time I have come to love all that the Shore has to offer year-round residents like shoulder season beach days. While I will miss so much here, I’m looking forward to my family’s next chapter filled with endless outdoor adventures in the green mountain state of Vermont. I would like to sign off by expressing my gratitude to Cindy and Bob Fertsch for giving me an opportunity to write for Shore Local and also I would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who has read my articles over the years. It has been experience I will always hold close to my heart. Stay safe, stay healthy and keep cooking real food!
Marci Lutsky is a local mom of nine year-old twins and can be reached at veggingattheshore@gmail.com.
