Grandpa is turning 80Won

Before the Parade Passes By-


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 new first day of school Villager outfit that sported our circle pins. Did Ginsburgs and Wechslers feature alpacas, madras blouses and new bangle bracelets second week in July? This summer June and July lasted 10 minutes.

Who remembers the street lights going on as our signal to stop playing and go home? Did they go on so much later in the summer then than 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. 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 raisin bagel 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.” Have a nostalgic Sunday.

And I quote David Whyte- “the ultimate touchstone of friendship is witness, the privilege of having been seen by someone and the equal privilege of being granted the sight of the essence of another, to have walked with them and to have believed in them, and sometimes just to have accompanied them for however brief a span, on a journey impossible to accomplish alone.”

We Loved New York-

From the Madeline Murals at the Carlyle, and foie burger at Minetta Tavern, We Love New York. 
A stroll through the Modern
buying clocks with big numbers at the gift shop. 
We Love New York!
With euphoric recall we remember the Days of Comedy Clubs and “Arthurs“ jazz club , two drink minimums, laced with “sunshine and sodas and beer.” Oh the crunch of multi colored leaves as we strolled across the park in Autumn to have lunch at The Boathouse. 
Ah, yes NYC. 
From Drinks at the bar at The Four Seasons before the variegated visuals of the flowers and soufflés at Grenouille, we Miss our golden New York. Memories of dancing at El Morocco and Le Club before backgammon in the backroom at Cavalleros, priceless. We closed the night before with an early breakfast at The Carnegie. How about the days of sitting on an auxiliary seat in the back of yellow cabs with leg room, en route to an underground Allen Ginsburg poetry reading in a dive on Astor place near Tompkins Square Park. ”I took a deep breath and listened to the bray of my heart. I am. I am. I am.” Poems by Sylvia Plath inspired us to walk down to the Hip Bagel. An infamous, artistic guy named Shelly Fireman had a vision we jumped onto. We heard about him and his multifaceted interests. A perfect panoply of his Peter Max Art, knowledge of herbal cures i.e. Dr. Giller and his cocktails known as ACE (adrenal cortex extract) and the smoked fish from Barney Greengrass. We couldn’t help but prophesize that he would find a unique recipe for success through the perfect antipasto in the most lyrical of neighborhoods. He would breathe garlic into locations housing music, art and the sounds of Placido Domingo. Good guess, indeed. Moving on now to the long ago delights of Steak Diane at Quo Vadis before it became The Post House. A little black jack and throwing dice at a private after hours gambling joint in a townhouse on 72nd and Park. Brass, red carpeting and pink walls added to the late night fantasy of downing Harvey’s Bristol Cream and suffering the after effects the next morning. Bromo- seltzer set up on our nightstand could have served as the back drop of an Andy Warhol painting. B. Altman’s, Rita’s Blue Tent Dress Shop on Madison Ave and accessories and Mini Dresses at Bendels was our idea of a perfect Saturday shop around before lunch at Yellowfingers or Daly’s Dandelion. Sunday Mornings of counting Ninas on the cover of The Sunday Magazine section through the distinct brilliance of Al Hirschfeld, was the precursor to lunch at Maxwell Plum’s. Oh those Eggs Benedict and mimosas under the kaleidoscopic stained-glass ceilings imagined and realized by Warner LeRoy. What a treat before grabbing the latest Woody Allen film at The Paris Theater on 59th Street. In the way, way back of the memory bin, the Pate at Brussels, anything at Le Bernardin- and the pasta at Joe and Rose (favorite of the Kennedys) were all pieces of our we Love New York Days. 
So just for today, we will brush off our blue suede shoes, pick out a paisley blouse, grab an old hermes belt, add a touch of Shalimar and dream of the Date-nut bread sandwiches at Chock Full o’ Nuts. Make the memories live again.

It’s August tomorrow and the first week has always felt like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning.
 Summer months are secretly shorter in an uncanny way.
We’ve already viewed commercials for school supplies and bathing suit sales in between Simone Biles breathtaking, winner takes all performance.
Nectarines, apricots and donut peaches are peaking their season.
Our 50+ Sunscreen is nearing the bottom of the tube.
We finished reading The Wedding People (novel by Alison Espach) our guilty pleasure beach read. Timely indeed as the protagonist Phoebe Stone had a cat named Harry and so on. It’s a propulsive summer read. A positive way to take your mind off the crossfire political arena, where dodging bullets has become as common as orange juice and our daily newspaper.
So just for today, one hot dog at a time, get some fresh corn (a dollar an ear,) open a bottle of Whispering Angel, buy a farm-stand Blueberry Pie and add a side of Haagen-daz coffee ice cream. It all tastes better before the Halloween candy commercials start appearing between Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. Have a great Wednesday. 

Go to humor Saturday.

Carl, Carl did ya hear me?
Root Beer, yes, no not diet.
Stanley get on line, go on, say you just had your hip replaced.
Sol, hurry I want to stop at the place that has pizza so I can have a couple of slices on the plane. No, nothing to drink. I get dizzy when I pee on a plane (toilet.) Ugh and the floor is always wet.
Marty hold my coat, I knew I should-a checked it with my luggage. What ya mean I have to hold my mah jongg set on my lap. Are you joke(r)ing me. Get it Marty that’s a joke. Ha! Ha! Next time go for the Mosaic thingy.
Ron- ( hello Ries) go show em your shoulder strap so we can get the exit row. No one can bang into you, you’ll sit by the window.
Mel-ask for bags of cookies and 2 bags of pop chips and pretzels. I’m hungry.
Frank- can you get me a magazine in the front of the plane? Doris what century are you living in? This is Jet no magazines) Blue. Ok, so buy me earbuds. I’ll catch up with Teresa Guidice on RHONJ.
Joey, wanna play gin rummy? I brought the cards we got when American Airlines sprung for them.
Morris-ask what plantain chips are and if they’re kosher? Be nice. Don’t tell me to shut up.
Paul- you wanna sandwich? I brought cream cheese and grape jelly on white. Or sardines on a roll with butter and onions. Neither one? No worries, eat the plantain chips.
Dinner? We are having Chinese.
Danny, Danny you sleeping? Watch my handbag I am going to see what they are selling in the cart. Quick let
me out. To the Moon Alice. To the moon.

Hillbilly Eulogy-Grab em by the Cat.
J.D. no Chance Vance you blew it just like that. 
Sporting awkward eyeliner and a get over yourself Smirk.
Step right up next to Humpty-the consummate, ultimate Jerk.
As s woman who never birthed children, but loved so many with-full heart.
Your words smack of sheer stupidity.
Quite an ignorant way to start.
As your platforms sure to be short lived.
Save your breath on comments spewed.
Do the hokey pokey, while you slug some mountain dew. 
That’s what it’s all about. 

With The Fringe on the Top🎼

Cards and tiles grab a seat better hurry.
Bring your glasses so your eyesights not blurry.
Counting 7’s or hoping for jokers.
Thinking Concealed hands are the chokers.
Watch your partners as they go down with Aces.
Don’t forget to wear poker faces.
Playing the games, we learned from our mother.
Laced with memories not like any another.

All our games help to add “the fringe on the top.” 🎼

Replacing tiles adds smiles to our miles.
Add some luck we’ll trade the joker.

Eye on the prize, the wild card as the topper.
Planning our games for the week, there’s no stopper.

Soon we stop, take a break for a nosh.

Give a kick a charlotte russe-
Oh my gosh.
Yep, one more thing to add “the fringe on the top.”

When we sit back down to the tiles.
Mixing and rolling the dice brings us smiles.
Singing along to Frankie Valli and his crew.
As we bank on a good time will ensue.
So let’s keep on counting and mixing, pick the pack will help add the fixings to “the fringe on the top.” Phew!

We woke up had oatmeal and wrote 72 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 Thursday and who knows perhaps along the way add a new memory that will last a lifetime.

A Side of Gypsy!

Have some nova, Mr. Goldstone.

Have a bagel, have a schmear.

Have a latke Mr. Goldstone.

Any spare that I can spare I’ll be glad to share!

Take a dish, have a pickle, have a knish, here’s a fork.

Put your feet up. Feel at home.

Have a coke, something corked?

Would you like to hear a joke?

G-d forbid a smoke.

Have a decaf mit your babka.

Mr. Goldstone come sit by us.

Come Daven by the river, meet us on East End and 84th.

Finish up Mr. Goldstone, you’re already on your fourth (course.)

Have some flanken, cooked with care.

Everybody give a bissel cheer.

We sat you-next to Murray.

Go sit in that Big green chair.

Have a Goldstone, Mr. Bialy.

Tell me any little thing that I can do.

Have some liver, chopped on a cracker.

Have a cookie, have a few.

What’s the matter, Mr. G?

How bout another pot of tea?

Good Shabbos-Mr. Goldstone.

Raise a stoli, maybe two.

Keep your senses- helps stability.

Mr. Goldstone we love you.