You charmed the husk right off of the corn Mame.
As Jessica Fletcher, with your basket perched in front of your bicycle you did the same.
In Sweeney your meat pies, put Nellie Lovett on the map and attracted the attention of Mr. Todd.
Louise sang out as Mama called from the sidelines.
A shout out -a big prod.
You knew everything would be coming up roses.
With a push, a shout the ultimate nod.
We added a madcap moment,
And knew we’d always be Alice Toklas to your Gertrude Stein.
“If life should reject you, you had us to protect you-
Friends sisters and Pals.”
7 decades of acting glory,
The consummate actress, a mother and wife, the all around gal.
Known for voicing Mrs. Potts.
Your tone so recognizable,
“As a tale as old as time.
Song as old as rhyme,
Beauty and the Beast.”
You left us a library of work.
“Ever a surprise,
Ever as before.”
RIP Dame Lansbury.
“That’s all she Wrote.”

Hang around someone’s laughter.
Your days will carry a bounty worth the price.
Without much effort, in the absence of strife.
We only live once, not sure about twice.
As adventures roll out 10 for a dollar.
Make them work the the first time, it doesn’t take a scholar.
Visit arcades, take pictures, ice skate galore.
Days filled with penny candy.
You can’t ask for more.
Go bowling, have parties, Dream Big, and sing songs.
Play 9 holes with precision.
Hit the ball straight and long.
As life marches forward add some lyrics to your song.
Pick daises, make wishes, play kick the can.
Have malteds, ice cream sundaes,
Salted pretzels galore.
Kale chips and oat bars are really quite the bore.
Play mah jongg, canasta, bid the Baron
3 clubs.
Be daring, add some lyrics, double down, take a stand.
A Grand Life worth living – Dancing as fast as you can.
Have a Fun Friday.

The longest 6 years of our lives.

Pestilence, War, Famine, Hamas devastation, election year, the “D” word, Helene, Milton.
Cut to a little Levity.

“Desmond has his barrow in the marketplace.

 Molly is the singer in the band.

  Desmond says to Molly, “Girl I like  your face.”

  And Molly says this as she takes him by the hand…

Oct 9, 1949- Liverpool

Happy b-day John Lennon

Dear Prudence, won’t you come out and play and greet the brand new day. Who knows how long I’ve loved you, you know I love you still, will I wait a lonely lifetime, if you want me to I will. 

I think I’m gonna be sad, I think it’s today. The girl that’s driving me mad is going away.

Cause one day you’ll look to see I’ve gone but tomorrow may rain so I’ll follow the sun –

So as I see it you gotta pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues cause –

There is music they tell me in sweet fragrant meadows of dawn and dew,

there is love all around but I never heard it playing no I never heard it at all till there was you.

I wanna hold your hand as we cross Abbey Road, so don’t let me down-love me do.

Please don’t twist and shout because she says she loves you and you know that can’t be bad. Anytime at all, all you got to do is call and I’ll be there.

Cause when I’m home, everything seems to be right, when I’m home feeling you holding me tight. And if you want some fun try Ob-la-di, ob la-da – Life goes on!

Mangiare e Bene-

We sit down at the table, pass around the basket of bread.

Our menu in our hands, ordering we do dread.

Pasta, pasta everywhere, but not a drop to eat.

We love to see our peeps, we eat and then repeat -AGAIN?

With some laps around the clubhouse pool.

And a walk around the lake.

Another fettuccine bolognese we really cannot take.

Our pants are getting tighter, as the buttons they do pop.

And then we order dessert and pull out all the stops.

Four forks around the key lime.

Or a spoon for creme brûlée.

A holy moley to the cannoli.

Decaf cappuccino on the side.

We glance into the mirror, as it really tells no lies.

Our girlish, curvy figure, so very far away.

When we get up in the morning we start a brand new day.

A scoop of some plain yogurt- add a banana to the bowl.

We have yet to stand on the scale.

The Veal Milanese has taken its toll.

As we dress for one more table and another group of friends.

The caring and conversation we trust will never end.

If we eliminate the bread, skip the pasta page indeed.

Perhaps some broiled salmon, is exactly what we need.

Have a great Sunday-

Finding Nemo- coming soon to a theater near you -On Demand.

You had us at Fish Tanks. Our early fascination with the fish tank in the dentist’s office was only surpassed by the candy dish at the reception desk.

Are dentists cavity enablers? Have a cleaning and a lollipop? Please fact check Herbie Frankel.

On to our fascination with Nemo.

The Daddy, son, divers, water adventures and scary lost moments all in one. The adventure story is about Nemo (who is limited by his foreshortened fin) proving his independence and breaking away from his school of fish family.

Fast forward to the part where Marlin (daddy) and Nemo(son) are reunited. The audible sighs, at that split second, echoes in our minds. Ah! You can always find your way back home.

A spin on the primordial announcements over the P.A. system in E.J. Korvettes, the all purpose store of our youth. It went something like this. “Attention shoppers, we have Freddy here please come claim your child.

This mimics the relief we felt as Marlin’s journey to rescue his son is realized. Anything short of “those” people who strapped a pet like leash to their kids waists and led them around – the real nightmare.

So during these Ten Days of Repentance, we’ll engage our early childhood days in another euphoric recall moment.

The Howdy Doody(not bathroom language) days. How about Bozo the Clown and the Captain Kangaroo shows- what was really in the Captain’s oversized pockets? How many times did we ask our parents- is the dummy really talking as we watched Jerry Mahoney upon Paul Winchell’s knee. Who was really the dummy? Knucklehead Smiff love that name still. The only one not fascinated by Charlie McCarthy was undoubtedly Candice Bergen. We’d be remiss in not recalling Pachalafaka- hello Soupy Sales- prototype for the freak. We learned early on through Bud Collyer how difficult it is to Beat the Clock.

So as we “fall” ahead with no falling back excuses we relish welcoming a new Life chapter.

Hit it Barry Manilow. “ We’re going hoppin, we’re going hoppin today, where things are popping the Philadelphia Way. We’re gonna drop in on all the music they play on the Bandstand (Bandstand. )

Remember Dick Clark’s legacy lives on in perpetuity. Make it a great Saturday.

Dear Our New York, Our Friend.

The safety of your harbor.
Your crescent shaped appeal.
Could fill a 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 packed our 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 ❤

Repost Saturday.

There’s a hold up in the Bronx, Brooklyn’s broken out in fights. There’s a traffic jam in Harlem- that’s backed up to Jackson Heights. There’s a scout group short a child, Khruschev’s due at Idlewild- “Car 54 Where Are You?”

Gunther Toody and Officer Muldoon- where are you when we need you? Indelible visuals of their caricatures implanted in our minds. We only wanted them to get back together as partners. Chemistry strong.

My go to is Barbra with an A. “Was it all so simple then or has time re-written every line?”

Johnny on The Pony was a fave, rough housing at its best. Great memory and first glimpse into early on-set competition was watching the boys play skully. Remember flicking bottle caps onto a chalk made skully board? Object not over-flicking–nope it’s on the line.

When the going was good, with euphoric recall, we remember the days of no wine, maybe sweet sixteen roses. We drew the hopscotch board on the part of the sidewalk that was flat.

Throwing our skate key as our hopscotch shooter was the thrill- where would it fall? Happy to land with two feet on 3 and 4 or 6 and 7 (double squares). Jumping rope, (sorry no double dutch here) trading Barbie clothes and discussing what happened on last nights episode of The Patty Duke Show are such comforting memories of times well lived.

A simple worry was that the street light would go on before we found our skate key en route home to watch the latest episode of Dr. Kildare, (Richard Chamberlain) was very cute just turned 90.

We loved playing stoop ball- loosely based on baseball, only we used a Spaulding and retrieved it from the stoop steps, rather than from a batter. Big favorite was the game of Jacks. We didn’t care that we were often left with scrapes on the side of our hands from pinky to wrist. Bacitracin and band-aids were big in our house. The boys on the block played Stickball, (baseball with a stick.)

And then came the “Whistle.” I think our father practiced it a few times before we heard it coming as a “it’s time.” We did not look forward to hearing that sound at all, and in the middle of a game-ugh! “But Daddy we aren’t done. Please, just a little bit longer.” Denominations of time didn’t matter. Ten more minutes would have done. We cherished these after dinner nightly reunions. Our early childhood friends are still part of us.

Now we share Nexium, isometric tips and compare blood pressure meds. Just sayin. The crescendo of childhood memories was getting our baby bead bracelets with the letters spelling our names and encased in gold. Our piece of the sky, indeed. Ok, then, so with resignation and dismay we left the street. Bath time, Dr. Kildare and maybe some of Pinky Pinkham( Dorothy Provine) singing a few tunes at the Charleston Club. The corners of our minds are filled with the innocence of skate keys, Nancy Drew books and red licorice; never a clue that Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five would become the thundering moral statement of our time. Oh, what I would give to hear that infamous whistle beckoning me to come in, just one more time- And Daddy this time I would come right in -Papa.
Make it a good Saturday!