Ere of 5787 upon us.
We would run into their home always overflowing with the smells of Shabbos on the stove, cookies in the oven and ripped toilet paper in a box, next to the toilet bowl. Symbolic of a very observant Jewish home on the week-ends.

Zada sat on his over-stuffed chair surrounded by prayer books. We would fall into his smile, his warmth. He particularly cuddled my sister Roberta. She was the youngest and so curly haired adorable. We watched him read, we observed him in prayer. Our backs were covered as G-d had to be listening, he did it so well. Rabbi Irving Gottlieb presided over a congregation in a shul in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn. In the 50’s, early 60’s it was a predominantly Jewish and Italian “good” neighborhood. He also owned a rabbinical artifacts shop on Rivington Street on The Lower Eastside. We would visit him on Sundays and once again was greeted with a big smile. He couldn’t wait to hand us a hard candy from a dish he had on the counter. What fun we had. In our early days growing up we were traditionally observant. My mother kept a kosher home. Her father was a kosher butcher. We were frum, Devout and pious Jewish people. On Passover mom koshered the kitchen from head to toe. She changed the dishes and utensils. She lined the refrigerator and cabinet shelves with oak tag. The food strictly kosher for Passover. Matzoh Brei our favorite, our biggest request. All we knew is that the dishes were not as pretty as our every other day dishes. Green glass was just not our taste. Our memories are of very long Seders where we were so hungry that eggs dipped in salt water tasted so good. I cherish those days. Then it all changed. Our taste of orthodoxy, our world as we knew it was over. We moved from Brooklyn to New Jersey and our affiliation to strong observation paled. My father was the only son of an orthodox Rabbi. He had 5 sisters.We moved from our solid roots when he radically decided to join a reformed temple. Our lives would change forever in how we observed Judaism. Somehow we followed his lead, as we respected our father. We all stayed strong to tradition. Holidays and their loveliness have resonated throughout our lives. We came together for dinners, we worshipped and practiced our faith in a different format.What is the “chosen” people in G-d’s eyes? We sang and we prayed to him in our own hearts, albeit in a different format but not in a different way. As fate unfolded I am blessed to have 8 grandchildren through marriage. They are orthodox and very observant. I have moved much closer to my very observant roots now. We live life sequentially. Fate brings us to situations at different times in our lives. There are no coincidences. I strongly believe in G-d and a divine order. I feel my faith so intensely thru the blessings of grandchildren who run into my house threaded with familiar smells and traditions. They fall into our smiles, our warmth – as I did on Rabbi Gottlieb’s lap in 1958. Zada, I smile big as I hand them candy sitting prominently on my counter. I wish this on everyone. Hashtag Blessed.

Dear Mr. Buffet you went where most do not dare.

You came full circle with so much less and so little wear or tear.

You are the GOAT (genius of all time) when it comes to crunching numbers.

Had foresight in crafting a deal.

When it boils down scientifically, you are certainly the Real of the Deal.

You saw straight thru to values in a bottom line and net/net way.

Put Family first as a constant. The motherlode of your prairie.

When life threw you lemons, you cored the apple, saved the pulp and didn’t allow for dreary.

While saving more then you spent, advising your devoted employees the same. 

Knowing we don’t live forever you made sure we’ll remember your name.

In solitude you spent the bulk of your time, which best well served your contrarian mind.

You didn’t resort to the gamble, you offset the odds with buying when others were fearful.

Susie stood by your side and was the mother of your outstanding progeny. You felt it was right at first sight.

She was devoted to fine tuning your personality, quite a challenging plight. 

You heeded her advice to give back and become philanthropic. You’d never dare put up a fight.

As a testament to your children’s devotion. Your contributions are very defined . 

Donated the bulk of your fortune in advance to help serve mankind. 

While commanding control in fast motion, insuring as much as you could that no one would be left behind.

“Why are there so many songs about rainbows-

And what’s on the other side?

Rainbows are visions.

They’re only illusions.

Rainbows have nothing to hide.

So we’ve been told.

And some choose to believe it.

I know they’re wrong wait and see.

Someday we’ll find it.

The rainbow connection.

The lovers, the dreamers and me.”

If Dolly could.
“DollyWood.”
She dreamed herself into a corner and lived her life
Center Stage.
She redefined being a female artist.
Throughout her career she remained all the rage.
All she had to do is “smile that smile” and there goes all our defenses. Here you come again and here we go.
From 9 to 5 your Imagination Library helped plant seeds, keeping dreams alive.
From the hills of Tenesse you did haul.
Entertaining the world was simply your call.
Life would treat you kind.
You had all that you dreamed of.
You wished others joy and happiness.
But above all you wished for love.
Your talent extraordinary, your heart rang so true.
When it came to caring for Carl Thomas Dean. There was nothing you didn’t do.
From The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
To the porch in Steel Magnolias.
You kept us entertained while sipping your Diet Colas.
In your “coats of many colors, that your mama made for you.”
Your legacy we will carry. A reminder, when returning favors holds court.
You paid it forward second to no one.
May your soul know the depth of the universal support. Amen!

Once in Awhile-

Dear Ordainer of Weddings and Funerals. Would we still have tried as hard? Perhaps overlooked more.

Please stand on that long line over there. That’s the one that says “Weddings and Funerals only.”

You don’t see it? It’s the longest line in the room. The shared celebrations and the pool your sorrows with tones of mandatory invites and holiday seats filled.

The terms Kismet, Destiny and Beshart suggests- the prophetic,
the meant to be’s.

How much does luck or chance factor into who we go the distance with? Does forever mean until the holiday meal is over, the card game is finished, or when someone moves off the block?

Early on we come to learn Holiday Anxiety can exist all year long .The uncomfortable dread of the “do we have to” kicks in.

As social media has connected us to our past, we have become voyeurs into the lives of the people we met through our “chance” encounters.

Reunions, cousin clubs and catch up events offer the second time around opportunities. If we try hard can we champion our first time around defeats and turn our once in awhiles, into the more oftens?

Our primordial worries of will we be liked, accepted, invited back have subsided with time. Some of the people…

So we learn back to the future isn’t always in the canasta cards. The surprise of the well blended double date shows up. We walk away, look at one another and think yes, a take two would be very nice, indeed.

We spoke with the pharmacist at CVS yesterday about waiting until October for our, as he referred to it “upper classmen” flu shot. What a gentle way of saying senior discounts accepted.

So as a member of that category we took our senior day discount on our over the counter Nexium and went home and took a nap.

My take away is, we can dwell on missed opportunities and bemoan our fate about who has stayed and who is gone, or we can accept that our time with them was inscribed as exactly what it was “meant to
be.” Make it a reach out to someone you love day. I just did.

Just have fun series. On the “tail end” of summer.

As we are planning another semester at The U of Broken Sound- we look back.

Profound, renowned with two feet on the ground.

We were meeted, greeted and not deleted. 🙏

We played games with cards, tiles and some balls.

With pilates our cores got stronger, with stretch class our legs seem longer.

Waited on line at Publix for our “Bogo’s”-buy one get one free.

Had a shopping cart collision at The Boy’s.

Go ahead taste a piece -the fruit it’s so sweet.

Another great spot for a- you’ll never know who you’ll meet.

Remember the woman I told you about who I met at canasta?

She was faster. a master and said “give a kick” let’s have coffee afta.

Could you plotz?

So with 6 months in we went for the win.

We played jukebox bingo.

Shared dinners at the Old Course with friends.

Got an A in listening to knee problems, sciatica, some dermatitis, maybe the flu.

The elongated complaints that never end.

Met a neighbor who knew a friend, who (go figure) whose grandkids go to camp with a Gom kid or two.

We joined a class to connect to our writing. Met a group who express themselves this way too. Our teacher is a woman named Sonia. She gives us prompts to write and share with our class. It is our best kept secret at BS. We look forward to returning alas.

As we pack up for the end of season. Add a pinch of sweet sorrows, laced with hugs good- bye. (for now.)

Our take away memories of winter. Our best shot, a wholesome try.

See ya after the holidays in October.

We’ll be back at the end of Fall.

We are hitting the ground running, ( maybe a quick walk.)

G-d speed to one and all.

Back to the Future-The expression refers to the time when one has to stop (over) thinking about the things they could, or not, have done in the past so that what happened wouldn’t have happened.

We took a stroll back in time to our beloved Rhinebeck. Flowers, food, art shops, cheese shops, kitchenware, knives sharpened, Bread Alone pastries and anything and everything at Adam’s Fairacre Farm. Attitudes of “disarming stress” was the common denominator. The paradigm in a soundtrack would be “let’s get it on,”- “ girls just wanna have fun,” celebrate good times come on- thank you Kool and the Gang. The familiar turns on the drive up the Taconic imprinted in our memory as if it were yesterday. Deja vu in full gear as we set out to exhume a long lived, feel good moment in time. We sprinted back to a community where our collection of play things unfolded like the adage about bike riding. Our emotional vision autocorrected as it’s been many years and a deleterious pandemic in between our then and our now. We had a group of peeps that shared an attitude of playful wonder. “Come eat by me.” Or, we are going to the neighbors for their signature dinners and warm embraces. This encapsulated chapter in our playbook is medicinal and holds a woven spot, likened to a puppy nestled in our laps. Sometimes you Can pick up where you left off. Especially now more than ever pick up where you left off, eat the dish you loved in the corner table at your favorite bistro- don’t miss the sale on lavender scented candles at the shop local boutiques. Knock on your door number one, win a -Trip Back to the Future. “Just a passing breeze filled with memories. Of the golden smile that introduced me to-The Days of Wine and Roses and you.”Make it a great day.

70 cents on the Dollar.

We woke up had oatmeal and wrote 74 on our application for a Florida drivers license. The years, like the bouncing dots of a text message being replied to have flown by. Resplendent with a potpourri of memories that have marched along with us like dutiful soldiers. Grateful to have built lovely little corners for them in the attic of our minds.

They are always there to call upon (especially when the path you are walking on is temporarily unpaved.)

Haven’t you read a book twice? You know what’s coming and still look forward to the race of your heart and the a-ha moments. The cost of admission-down memory lane every penny (heads up) that we’ve saved to gain entrance, worth it. Through very little provocation we tap into them. We share our euphoric recall thru posted pictures that we carry with us in our eyes only. Those moments in time that brought pink to our cheeks and offered an everlasting glow. Her look, his smile when you gave them a collage that documents their happy moments. Doesn’t get better, in-spite of all the the crazy glue stuck to your fingers times.

Then like the fleeting visit of the Robin Red Breast sitting upon your lawn who just stopped by to announce Spring-they go. You start another project, read another book, or exhume memories spending time throwing out old sweaters and picture frames.

Lucky to have a new day to create a new moment. We Polaroid the feelings that having lunch with childhood friends offers and document the look on a young child’s face when they jump into a cool swimming pool on a hot summer day. Just for today turn the other way, minimize disappointments and maximize your good fortune.

Make it a great day and who knows perhaps along the way add a new memory that will last a lifetime.