We’ll Drink a Cup of Kindness yet,

For the Sake of Auld Lang Syne.

2024 let’s open a brand new door.

Signing off on 23 for all that happened were the meant to be’s.

We’ll bring along our mojo.

Add an extra beat to our step.

Let’s try a new approach.

Reduce a few regrets.

The unknowns are the challenges.

So far from our control.

We are ready, willing and able.

For the beat of a new drum roll.

Let’s pave the way to create a new template,

Diminish woes and strife.

Set forth the ultimate of goals.

To maintain a meaningful life.

We’ll add some brand new faces.

Replace the naysayers who miss the joy.

Let’s welcome 2024.

Hear, Hear for the Real Mccoy.

Repost- with❤️‼️
No Rhyme-All Reason.

Landlubbers, drindl skirts and bell bottoms. Tennis sweaters, weejun penny loafers and madras blouses. Typewriters, wax dipped monogram letter seals and loose leaf notebooks. Bon Bons- jujubes, chuckles and double bubble. Chocolate yoo hoo’s, dairy queen sundaes and red licorice strings. Dave Clark Five, Connie Francis and Charlotte Russe . Dobie Gillis, pink erasers, papagallos. Loden pea-coats vinyl jackets, mary jane patent leathers, and white shoe polish for ked sneakers. Apple Brown Betty in Swanson tv dinners, buitoni ravioli in the can and potato sticks. Sewing class, emenee toy trumpets and the morning show “Just for Fun.” The Mikado, Pirates of Penzance and Flower Drum Song. Won-ton soup, chopped suey and egg foo young. Peanut Butter and Jelly on Ritz Crackers with Campbells tomato soup. Spaldings, Jacks and 45’s. Army, Navy Stores, Kresge’s Dept. Store and Alexanders. Mohair sweaters, shift dresses, mini and maxi skirts, baby doll dresses, colored tights- stirrup pants. Science projects on Oak Tag, pencil sharpeners and No. 8 pencils. Revlon Rum Raisin lipstick and Mary Quant make-up. Shalimar, Joy, Ambush, jade east, english leather and Old Spice. Po-ke-no, parchessi and Simon. Bonanza, Gunsmoke and Wagon Train. Let’s do it Tuesday!



~

Norman Lear’s sentiments  in Carl Reiner’s documentary on aging “If You’re Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast,” -exactly! His credo is find your “hammock” and live in the “now.” As he sees it the transition of time in between the “ok it’s over, to what’s next, is when his productivity kicked in. At the end of a writing project, leading with humor and sending a message -he kept hundreds of people in his audience laughing. And I quote- Go Beat that- Happy 100 years yesterday Mr. Lear. 

HBO launched the documentary, catch it if you can. Mel Brooks is hysterical, Dick Van Dyke glides across the dance floor, Norman Lear is brilliant, Carl Reiner orator extraordinare. They were all Nonagenarians -Mr.Reiner RIP -Mr. Lear Happy “100” omg years. 

A big take away message is if you spend too much time working off disappointments and complications you will be one miserable soul. Excuses hold no water when they are used without discretion. Give hugs, go where the tariff is reciprocal and strong. 

The future might be an assumption but when you “find yourself in times of trouble,” find your version of Mother Mary and become the ambassador of your estate. 

One thing long “livers”had in common, whether or not chopped “liver” and french fries were mainstays is that they fell in love with lots of things. They attached passion to their activities. They honed hobbies and had specific collections. Please pass the salt and pepper shakers -collection strong. Cole Porter, hit it- “The night is young, the skies are clear-So if you want to go walking dear. It’s delightful, it’s de-lovely, it’s delirious.”  And now Baruch Dayan  Ha Emet. And I quote Mr. Lear. 

Life is about having a good time, and it was a good time…🥲

Many years ago pre cell phones as a single real estate broker I had a “change purse” filled with dimes to make from the phone booth on the corner calls. Run on sentence counters that one’s for you,
One day after leaving the bank to deposit a commission check on an apartment I sold at 120 East 79th Street to an old friend who was relocating to- at that time Ed Koch’s Big Apple, I experienced a ny crime story gone awry.
Michael and I were both single at the time and although that certain spark to help create any romantic interest wasn’t there we became fast friends. During our apt. hunting time together we would meet at Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle Hotel, have a cocktail and dig into their well known hand made potato chips that were strategically placed on the bar.

Particularly during the holiday season after we listened to Bobby Short work his magic with all 88 keys on the piano we thought wow, yes Bobby it certainly is “The Most Wonderful Time of The Year.” In the greatest city.
At times we would order another round and a burger. We had Fun. The 90’s in the city had a strong financial system and high culture flourished. It felt good pounding the pavements to our next big deal, or not.
Back to the dimes. So this one particular day I left the bank and strolled along Madison Avenue proudly sporting a new fur coat I bought with the commission I made on Michael’s apt. A man approached me to let me know I had something on the back of my coat. He looked vaguely familiar and as I tried to place him I realized I had seen him sitting in a chair at the bank I had just left. He suggested I take my coat off and he would help clean off what felt like the better part of a bottle of Jergens lotion. Something clicked and I ran off and quickly grabbed a cab. I glanced back to see him and another man standing together.
This experience helped form my living cautiously in NYC ways. Naive no more. Close but no cigar.
So very fast forward, decades later, no fur coat in sight and as a one only Stoli drinker we are heading out of the city. It is no longer our New York.

We always thought we would age out here, ordering food in and catching first run movies at The Paris Theater. Yes Jackie Gleason “away we go.” We will always tap into a New York State of mind, especially when someone bumps into us with their cart as we are buying fruits and vegetables at The Boys. Adios Friend.