Bluebirds Fly!

Mandy Patinkin admired from afar

As Che in Evita the consummate star

With your “Criminal Mind” you gave Chicago such Hope

As Carrie’s Saul Berenson you widened her scope

The Homeland would be safer as you exposed the truth

With your focus on song, your loyalty strong

You could sing from any page from The Book of Ruth.
No walk in The Park on a “Sunday Afternoon”

You broadened our view as Seraut with his brush

The regulars gathered round in silence and hush

In awe as Che sang to Eva Perron

Ah! But our breath was taken,

As Avigdor to Anshel you starred

Never disputed you had us at Talmudic

Yes all of us from wide and from far

Inigo Montoya you blew us away

Show us your hand with six fingers, please do
Took us Over the Rainbow left a song in our heart

From there we won’t sway

We have our head start!

Throw in a “highball”or two!

Melancholy and Marvelous

My mother loved FOOD- shopping, unpacking, organizing the refrigerator,preparing, cooking, eating, wrapping leftovers, eating, cleaning out the refrigerator eating some more. She studied food and became a dietItian.
Studied some more and with her masters degree was titled nutritionist. Then got an M.S.W. In social work at the age of 50. I think she wanted to figure out through research why food was always top of mind.

I relied on radishes cleaned and in Tupperware with French dressing as an after school snack. Sometimes I opted for Buitoni Raviolis, yum as I think about it now.

I waited around and did homework until dinner. I came to expect something breaded, something fried with Le Seur Peas and a baked sweet potato. I looked forward to broiled baby lamp chops- I still do. The melody lingers
on. Snowballs, hostess cupcakes, twinkies, drakes ring dings, yodels -yum and yum. Euphoric gastronomic recall. She saved the Lindt Chocolate for her card games.

As the culinary seed was planted I waited for it to sprout into my type of cuisine. I too love food. However everything else around it feels equally as appealing. I have an extensive salt and pepper shaker collection.
Varied, and meaningful. Collected from places I’ve been, antiquing and from gifts. Some are antiques, several glass, some ceramic. Betty Boop and Harley Davidson sets hang out in my cabinet together. Dishes, silverware and amber glass represent my treasured
items. Flowers and table settings add to the allure of my meal. My collection of soupcons (fancy serving ladles) makes me smile.

Shopping for the ingredients and researching who has the best mozzarella and filet mignon a past time. Aligning the seats for comfort and space adds to the canvas. I make sure the creases in the napkins are well pressed
and the water glass is properly situated. I light candles and get dressed. I then set up the ice on the bar and cut lemon slices. All the time this is going on I have the oven on, the flames on low and I check my ” something breaded, something fried.” I learned
from The Best.

You bring us up with predictability. Always there to add to a good time. You have helped to make the simplest events happenings. In big celebrations you know how to join a room and get everyone up there doing the hokey pokey. When we’ve needed you most you came through. It was clearly love at first sight. You are our go to as you ask nothing in return. You listen without judgement and give us the benefit of the doubt. When we are together you are boss. Our biggest responsibility when we meet up is not to fall or make fools of ourselves. Anytime we’ve dared to abuse you, we woke up with extreme regrets and vowed to never do it again. Whatever we adorn you with is just fine. A lemon, an olive, you’re cool, you know who you are. At times when we have been fickle, you waited and knew your appeal would win out. Thank you for adding a dimension to our lives, so trustworthy and reliable. And-you know what, you were right in the bigger picture way. The line between what is meant to be and what was not is really very obvious. When Plan A doesn’t work out, become the rock star of Plan B and keep your eye on the prize. Make it a good Monday and tonight at Donahues make ours straight up and dirty. No rocks! Thanks Vodka!

We woke up had oatmeal and my peeps and I are about to turn 70 wtf years old. The years like the bouncing dots of a text message being replied to have flown by. Resplendent with wonderful and some not so wonderful memories that have marched along with us, like dutiful soldiers. Luckily, we have built lovely little corners for them in the attic of our minds.They are always there to call upon. Reliable, friendly and filled with warmth. 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 a glow to last a lifetime. 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. And then, like the fleeting moment of the Robin Red Breast sitting upon your lawn who just stopped by to announce Spring it goes. You start another project, read another book, or spend the day perfecting the new recipe you got for osso bucco. Lucky to have a new day to create a new moment. We Polaroid the feelings that having lunch with your 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. Today I will steal a glimpse of GHG during dance class as she swings and glides another opportunity for me to create a picture to call all mine.
Make it a great Sunday and who knows perhaps along the way add a new memory that will last a lifetime.

Shawshank No Redemption!
Steve Bannon in “Double Indemnity”
The role was perfectly cast.
Recidivism has new meaning,
Behavior quite aghast.
You’re taking the punch for the culprits,
The losers and the rest.
Volunteering to be the “final jump” as lightning did the rest.
Chief Strategist was your title,
For a minute and a half.
The facts and the law were evident
Your innocence couldn’t last.
Go stand on the line for your uniform,
Orange IS the new Black.
We hear them calling Bannon-
Go ahead you fool, go back.

Judy Gottlieb Gomberg

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And I quote- Lillian Hellman-“It is a sad day when you find out that it’s not accident or time or fortune, but just yourself that keeps you from things.” With the glory and glow of celebrations we just experienced and more in front of us we sit for a minute and take stock. Knowing what counts, is tantamount to counting. The quality over quantity adage comes into play more so. What amounts to enough? Restaurants are mobbed, the streets are crowded as everyone is clamoring and starving for freedom. Safer place pandemic, the new left of normal and this mask you are wearing, yep, gonna last. Have we emerged with a different appreciation of collecting moments? Perhaps for now. Will we surrender to half doses factored into our years ahead? And why not? One emphatic take away is the more you can discount the “only ifs,” the better a chance you will have of 12 stepping it and attaining the wisdom of “knowing the difference.” Make it a Sunday with a cherry on the top.

Alexei sailed straight to the top
His praises we will sing.
The day was clearly perfect,
You didn’t miss a thing.
The splendor of the moment
Leaves us breathless as we glow
The nachas and the wonderment
On our faces it does show.
You raised a boy so tender
His values deep and strong.
A culminating day, center stage he did belong.
He owned his place in manhood,
The boy he leaves behind
A warmer and loving menschkit.
Would be very hard to find.

A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats!

Our lower school memories of the sugar cube vaccinations, TB skin tests, when a small amount of tuberculin was injected into the skin, (as we waited a day or two to see the results on our arms) and finger prick blood tests were what we knew. Our children and grandchildren have a much heavier load as masks, mandates and deleterious effects of the Pandemic are their mainstay- for now. The days of you can’t hug your grandparents from the waist up because you could transmit “corona” hopefully are fading and will hold.

Where were you when Kennedy was shot? Our young, formative, developmental years were spent during the 1960’s. Knee socks, tennis sweaters, madras blouses, crinolines, helancas, mary janes patent leather and capezio shoes, loden coats, pea jackets and wrangler dungarees were our go tos. We were taught to take the right action and let go of the results. Respect your elders, do unto others, lend a helping hand, sell girl scout cookies, collect for The March of Dimes-basic adages that started on our front lawn in front of our white house. Destroyed norms of human behavior were unimaginable as we stood stalwart and pledged allegiance with presidential reverence. Our battery operated toys, playing clue, monopoly and the game of Life excluded the possibility of getting carpal tunnel, tendonitis or suffering from the results of social isolation. So for today let’s professionally clean up our own acts, stop pointing fingers and make sure the days of leaving someone out are professionally cleaned from memory.

Feathers Brush My Heart! I’ve been touched by an Angel sent down by my mother.
Placed a feather around my neck from a Gal like no other.
You took it off your neck-
Handed it over to me.
The gesture quite extraordinary, my heart filled with glee.
I was stunned for a moment as
your thoughtfulness kicked in,
Doesn’t get much better,
A genuine Win/Win.
The message gave me shivers,
Up and down my spine.
The beginning of a friendship
With glimmers of divine.
I will cherish the moment
As the jewel hangs above my heart.
A message from my mother
Nothing can keep us apart.