Back to the Future! Just have Fun.

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. Make it a throw back Tuesday.

Dear Our New York, Our Friend. On a Day Pass.

The safety of your harbor.
Your crescent shaped appeal.
Could fill bottomless pit emptiness.
We really had some deal.

Your allure and all your glamour.
From every pillar to every post.
Almost on the daily you proved the consummate host.

The streets were jammed with clamour.
Central Park our landing pad of choice.
We rarely missed an opening.
So many opportunities to rejoice.
Shared songs at your great venues.
Danced on too many floors to count.

There never was a question.
You were where we did belong.

The seasons changed with such panache.
The leaves, the snow and the flowers they did bloom.
Our frowns would turn to smiles.
Never sat with doom or gloom.

Your restaurants encouraged our palette.
Started with foie grois ended with chocolate soufflé.
Never missed an opportunity to window shop and stray.
As we collected a lifetime of memories.
Full-filled so many dreams.
It’s time to say we’ll see you.
On the road our show we’ll take.
We are packing stacks of pleasure.
On the wonder you create.
Hit it.
“From the very heart of it New York, New York. If we made it here, we’ll make it anywhere… With ❤️

We are now back to visit, the patina has lost its sheen.
The traffic and the bike lanes and everything in-between.
We stop at our favorite food haunts.
The restaurants we adored. We loved the gastronomic memories. When the check came we hit the floor.
The lines to buy a bagel and Anita’s gelato around the block.
We devoured our Matsu sushi.
At Barney Greengrass we love the lox.
We stopped for a Levian cookie.
If you know you know for sure.
The turkey from P.J. Bernstein-on rye it didn’t disappoint.
The burgers and fries at Melons still call it our favorite joint.
We no longer crave the tumult.
Our thermostats changed their tune.
We love to drop in and visit.
Adios we’ll see you soon.

Our Bucket list has been reduced to the size of a “come kitty have your dinner dish.” 
The focus on shining our accomplishments, minimizing our regrets.
Now we see the picture with cataract corrected rose colored lenses. Our intuition a safe bet in that nexium enhanced gut reaction way.
Our group has been  reduced to the “give me five minutes”  I’m on the way ones.
“They say nothing lasts forever; dreams change, trends come and go, but friendships never go out of style.” You got that right Sara Jessica. 
We’ll take Health on the daily with a walk with a friend for the win.
We can forgo a new Prada bag for no traffic on the FDR with Waze in place when we have an early eye doc appointment.
We will trade a cruise to the Mediterranean for 12 nights of early dinners and an evening of couples canasta with a little gelato in the absence of Ebola threats. 
How bout a strong hug and a knowing smile while all the while counting our blessings when saying “see you after camp to grandchildren.” Nothing Better. Endorphins jumping. 
Come on now -champagne and caviar dreams have become give us a good colonoscopy result and the words your sinus’s have cleared up and we are holding strong. 
Hello Dolce -Hello Gabbana your exhibition was breathtaking and a one of a kind glorious treat but we are good on J. Crew tee shirt sales and bogo’s ( buy one get one at CVS. So what if we have enough cotton balls to distribute to a good portion of the Northeast. Shout out to J. Dines for the ride.
As we are speed walking, well really a quick stroll toward a big number are you kidding me b-day we will take a steadfast and predictable evening of chicken cutlets, a baked potato, a Celebrity Wheel of Fortune episode followed by Jeopardy and all the while playing Canasta Junction while sending appropriate Instagram posts to our peeps. Run on sentence counters that was for you. Sign on the dotted line if you’re in. 
Oh and one more Columbo like thing. You know those high heels without a platform we saw at the Mall last week – no thanks we are good Skechers slip ins. Don’t knock it if…
B’h.

Subject: Two plants surrounding the Orchards add another year.

Have been keeping these two plants thriving since 2012. They were my father’s plants that he cared for when he moved into The Esplanade on the Westside.

He passed away in March that year and we schlepped them from our apt. on 72nd Street thru years of time spent in Florida and back. They traveled in the car over night. Hydrated and obviously Happy.
Now they are in Englewood, N.J. and seem quite cooperative and well adjusted. Here’s to bringing life forward in a most special way. b’h.

“Zog nisht keyn mol az du geyst dem letstn veg.”

We found a new pastime and we named it bed rotting.
We binge and we cringe add a tray to besotting.
If the phone doesn’t beep we reboot to make certain.
Every so often we glance out the curtain.
With Netflix and Hulu and Paramout Plus.
Do not Disturb as we text our one plus.
We know we have company while we Amazon our way from our perch.
We make certain to browse new things from our purch. See homonyms.😎
We are never alone with our trusty remote. 
Hail Pfeiffer and Seinfeld and a we like you Sally Field.
Our lounging around leaves little time to yield.
Soon we’ll venture back out and take a walk round our hood.
Who knows the new donut shop could have something good.
We will pick up some snacks for the pre-Tony show.
Order Chinese in and away we will go.

Hashtag Ragtime.

For a few hours in time, the children we once were seemed to gather in one room. Then we recede into memory leaving behind the distinctive feeling that the past remains luminous and intact somewhere beyond reach. All the while we continue to move far away from the shores that once made us. What moves me most is the peculiar grief of time. 

Mangiare et Bene after services on Sunday- Mea Culpa.

Dear Stu Gotz,
Buono sera my friend.
The Boys are meeting later to play Bocce on Antony’s new court they built in his yard.

The smell of “Sunday Sauce” wavers out the back window and we salivate looking forward to some Valpolicella and meat-a-balls.

We picked up some loaves to dunk in the sauce as a thank you for having us over for “ La cena della Domenica.”

We also got cannolis and black and whites at Mucellis in Jersey city.

Wait till you taste his mother’s (olis) Raviolis – better than Pastosa on Utrecht Avenue. Truth, Omg- the Best- if I tell ya. You’ll see for yourself. We’ll compare.

Late afternoon-I looked up they are running Goodfellas and they got a new Samsung – like a really good size you can see like details on the screen.
I will pick you up.
Yeah I almost forgot his father Sal (the Voice) asked if we wanted to play in their poker game. Brush up on “ flopping a set”you know the “trips” hand.
They have a new finished basement and it’s like top notch from start to finish. Nothin like the original. You could see the back of your hair in like double way mirrors.
Bring dollars they are good-like very advanced.
Ok what a day we got planned – a little outdoors sport – some tv with brewskies -and a couple bottles of R&R Red and Rigatoni.

Save a little room for a Cuban and Amaretto on the back porch after Sunday Sauce.

No problem if I can’t drive by end of day my sister Marie offered to come get us. Salute Bro. Andiamo.

Jeopardy, O’Jeopardy, where art thou Game?
In a world filled with horror, absurdity, disdain.
We rely on the 7:00 hour on the screen.
Devoted, and forthright the answers are gleaned.
Holzhauer, Ammodio, Amy, Mattea strong.
Make room on the set for Mr. Ryan Long.
With Jamie Ding a contender to round out the song.
When The Daily Doubles come up on the board.
Make it a “truly”- the answer will come along.
30 seconds later with an answer in place.
The “Think” music so familiar for the answer a race.
A break from harsh News- that’s so tough on the print.
Let’s play along, in the absence of a hint.
The contestants phrase their response as questions.
The clues in the form of answers, no suggestions.
61 questions a game will be called.
Jeopardy, O’ Jeopardy we are always enthralled.
Make it a “bring it on” Wednesday.

Uvalde, Texas- 19 Children 2 Teachers Dead. Screaming.

“That certain night, the night we met, there was magic abroad in the air. There were angels dining at the Ritz- “And a Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square.”

Words by Eric Maschwitz, music by Manning Sherwin. The song was written in 1939 in a French fishing village Le Lavandou right before the outbreak of the Second World War.

The song tells the story of an enchanting and magical evening in Mayfair, London set around Berkeley Square at The Ritz.

Fast forward.

On a steamy week-end eve you get dressed, put on your lipstick, turn off your music, glance in the entrance way mirror and walk out the door.

You look forward to debriefing the week with a friend and meeting some new people. You’re all set to chill in a high energy, safe haven club, on your local Berekeley Square- the nightingales were singing.

Dirty martinis, bar bites, familiar faces and music you listen to at home and know every word to. A perfect design for a five-star time. Energy level strong. You thought.

And then the World According to Garp doesn’t happen. No Lin Manuel, THESE senseless acts of tragedy are what is “promised.”

Our promised land 70 years after World War II.

“Praising Isis, Gunman attacks Gay Nightclub, leaving 50 dead and 53 wounded in the worst shooting on U.S. Soil. Yes, on U.S. soil.”

We scream in horror as these mass shootings continue around our corners on our local Berkeley Square.

We cry in disbelief as one more lunatic walks into one more gun shop and puts down one more stolen credit card.

When will the tragic avenue for slaughter allowing 18 year olds to purchase weapons stop?

We continue to pay dearly because of the laws that govern the strongest nation on earth. We pray for the insane and fund them in jail after they take away our freedom of choice, as to which place to dance the night away–that takes our lives away.

In concentration camp like fashion we are prisoners of the assault style mass shootings. These severely deranged suicide bombers who live to die, are running rampant.

The adage “do guns kill people or do people kill people” was center stage again in an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

How long is congress on sabbatical from revising laws on buying over the counter rifles in a store that houses beef jerky too?

Dear G-d please look in our direction. 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders shot to their death. What next?

School Days, School Days, dear old Golden rule days! Reading and writing and rithmetic. Unquote.

In Wonder Women fashion we wonder how summertime flies by so much more quickly than ever before.

Our campers are coming home next week after 6 (yup!) weeks of camp. 

It feels as if cantaloupe filled with cottage cheese and iced coffee season(shout out to Linda Dietz) lasted much longer in the 60’s and 70’s.

We looked forward to school shopping and buying brand new white keds, blue loose leaf folders, colored tabs to divide social studies from algebra and colorful see thru pencil holders-but not so quickly.

A memorable excitement was wearing our first day of school outfits that were laid out in the chair next to our bed. New knee socks, label off. 

How bout the street lights? They went on so much later in the summer then they do now? When did Father Time become a Grandfather?

Please dude slow down we need to catch our breath. With self help books adding chapters on “recalibrating the Senior soul” we anxiously pull out plugs and hit the ground running. This abbreviated summer we took long walks and our games of play led the way to let’s have a cocktail around 5:00. We added a little Guacamole toast and summed things up with red velvet cupcakes. Got Shishito peppers anyone?

As long term memory takes center stage we fondly recall the days of climbing monkey bars, wearing very tight white rubber bathing caps to ward off the chlorine effects when we swam and how they added peanut butter to the ring ding formula and called them funny bones. Two pack Twinkie’s yes, please. 

So as we find ourselves in the first week of August with air pods in place we are “calling out around the world are you ready for a brand new beat?”

Summer’s here and the time is right for dancing in the street.” Always love a Martha and the Vandellas tune as “ it doesn’t matter what we wore, just as long as we were there.”

So just for today as we eat half of a well toasted bialy with cream cheese, sip our iced coffee with half and half, we’ll sing along as Frankie Valli croons about late December back in “63” and Betty Buckley reminds us to “let the memories live again.”

Make it a great day for someone else.