It is June 2025 and I am getting ready for my high school graduation. I am graduating with honors and excelled at the top of my class in creative writing. I was bestowed the honor of delivering a speech on my take away of the Covid-19 virus that plagued the world in 2020. It is 5 years later and although it took the better part of 2 plus years until the eye of the storm subsided, we were left with a brave new world. The last five years have defined our world and my youth in ways that could never have been believed with no preparation in site. We were human shock absorbers. In guinea pig fashion we were isolated in our own boats navigating a storm flooded with fear, rage and no real answers. The virus knew no limits and left its mark on millions of innocent bystanders. We never knew if it was our turn to suffer on the front line of battle. We spent time dodging bullets, while baking blueberry pound cake with our siblings in lockdown mode. There were months on end where no expiration date was just that. As 13 year olds while forming friendships was top of mind, we were concurrently learning to fight an enemy that could come from around any corner, on any block. The streets crowded with people wearing masks was a clear visual of the enemy at hand. As lucky kids, the worst we knew was strep or a wrist sling from breaking a fall on the basketball court. Yet, we came to understand we were now dealing with deregulating the rules of the health cards as we knew them. Belly aches, scrapped knees and irritated gums from braces were mere annoyances compared to what we were up against. Fast forward and with no braces in sight, I am dressing in a new suit and sporting a tie decorated with happy faces. We survived and are thriving as a vaccine and maintenance program is in place. While overcoming an act of G-d, and a human disaster that has left us with emotional scars, I will address my graduating class today with honor. I will look in the eyes of my friends and know we developed strong friendships in spite of the scariest of times. My take away dear friends is if anyone one of us falls a little behind, we will wait till you catch up. We all started behind the starting line and emerged stronger and knowing together is “hashtag” better.

As we are designated to the “upper class women” line we are more aware of how tempus fugit (time flies.) Let’s (carpe diem) seize the day and in a (sicut enim medicus) just what the doctor ordered way, get out of our own. As a true broadway babe, let’s do a Priscilla Lopez from Chorus Line and “dig down deep,” flip the sting from these dangerous and difficult times and Go to Humor.

 And so it goes. Nip and Tuck- It’s a Rap.

Bo to the tox and the forehead looks younger.

Go to the thighs cause they tell you no lies.

As gravity tugs at our mugs with full force.

Can’t look any younger by taking a course.

Esteem to the team with eyes opened wide.

Into home base we score wth full pride.

Our mojo and moxie helps dig and look deeper.

We mellow, we chill, we’re considered a keeper.

Match up to our egos we know our self worth.

We are one of of a kind on this entire earth.

Consider the knife to smooth our appearance.

We go to the doc and ask for some clearance.

We fast over night cause we gotta look tighter, back out of the deal cause we pulled an all-nighter.

So Vixen and Rudolph strap into ur sleigh.

Ain’t going under that knife,

No fricken way.

We’ll accept what we look like cause older is wiser.

We ain’t going backwards, we’re no compromiser.

Let’s call up our buddies who know us so deep.

So happy to hear how we’re perfect when asleep.

With gumption and courage we hold our heads higher.

Came into our own the seller, not the buyer.

We like how we look and we feel so damn good.

We heard it for sure from a friend in our hood.

On some “Grey” days we binged as Mc Dreamy took care of Don Draper.and diagnosed it as just too much day drinking. 

We were left confused after Sam Seaborn ( Rob Lowe) exited the West Wing, while salivating over Carmela’s “Sunday Sauce.” Bada Bing to those meat-a -balls.

So, when corned beef and pastrami meet on the corner of Potato Knish and Dr. Browns Soda, they bump into the Salami on rye with deli mustard sandwich. Well done french fries? -sure why not- our picture show.

They get ready to watch as Mr. Ed whispers to Ozzie and Harriet a cute story about (ok who remembers their neighbor?) Thornyp- Played by Don Defore. That was a stretch.

They are meeting over at Donna Reeds house to watch the Beaver and his brother Wally take on Ken Osmond a.k.a. Eddie Haskell in a game of H-O- R- S-E, in their driveway. After a pot luck dinner with bread pudding for dessert they will sit around the piano and sing out loud with My Little Margie and Aunt Bee who is getting a ride over with Barney and being escorted by Opie. Oh “kay” then.

They take out the game of Clue and wait for That Girl ( Marlo Thomas) to be Bewitched by (Elizabeth Montgomery.)

All the while Ann Sothern, who came with Don Porter is taking the minutes of the day until Eddie Albert shows up with the fur clad, diamond bearing Eva Gabor from their Green Acres Pad. A good time was had by all and in their game of Clue they played until Jim Backus announced “I Married Joan.” They all agreed that everyone loved Lucy.

The category is Sitcoms in the Sixites. We’ll take Columbo for $1000.00 please. And I quote – Just one more thing. There’s something that bothers me. One more question to my wife -what did you pay for those shoes? Make it a throwback Thursday. Phew!

MAY 9, 2021 ~ AROSEBYANYOTHERNAME2016

During our early morning Instagram grazing we came upon this post above. With a heartfelt reaction it started our day with Gratitude. “Don’t tell me the sky’s the limit when there are footprints on the moon.

If We Could Turn Back Time- on a repost kind of day-

So the year is 1967, we just got our drivers license, we head out in our white Volkswagen Beetle-roof top opened wide. The radio is set to Wabc am 770 and we sang out (very) loud. “We took a ride on a shoot the chute, when we fell in love down at Palisades Park.” Oh, Cousin Brucie… We threw in our nap sack which was packed with a striped towel, a rubberized white bathing cap with a chin strap (oy) baby oil and iodine mix and zinc oxide for our lips. We carried our new sun reflector under our arm. First we stopped on Main Avenue and one of us ran into the corner drugstore, (our Grovers Corner) to buy a pack of Newport Menthols and Wrigleys spearmint gum. Bradley Beach look out Passaic Girls sighting on the Garden State heading South. We all wore cut off “dungarees,” a washed out short sleeve madras blouse and underneath our version of an “itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini.” We were having a Heat Wave, only at that point in time nothing to do with a hot flash. We got into Susan’s new bells and whistles car. We fell into our 1960’s time machine. It’s now 50 plus years later and we’ve carried our age, albeit-not bad- with us, our voices sound the same. Our imaginations run wilder than we could have ever imagined. In surround sound style. memories quickly rolled by of Third Ward Park, the pond, the handball courts and Tom Sabas truck. Although nothing was yellow nor polka dot, two obvious differences were we buckled “seat belts” and didn’t stop for cigarettes. The pack of gum was opened. I declined as I just had a new crown put in and not on my head. Crowns are the new fillings. I think the dentists read that AARP pamphlet too closely. Ok, so we were heading to Debbie Larks in Monmouth Beach for a day of dejavu, forgiving smiles and delicious homemade blueberry pound cake. Another Sara Lee memory moment, only this time baked by Debbie and so yummy. I kept hoping somewhere sequestered in her beautiful home would be a couple of Bass weejuns, with shiny pennies dated 1969. She would give us a pair as a glorious reminder of how great our feet felt sans high heels. We had lunch with a beach breeze and dessert on the terrace as we caught up on children, grandchildren, thyroid meds and the latest f-factor diet. All the while we had a song in our heart as we quietly rubbed the rabbits foot in our pockets. Lucky and then some, poo poo. “Oh, if you need a friend we’re sailing right behind. Like a bridge over troubled water.. By the way Sue nothing about yesterday was a “Fugazy.” Throw it back Thursday.

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.”

From the Mountains to the prairies to the oceans…

Hon. Ketanji Brown Jackson,
Your knowlege runs quite deep.

Questions upon questions until you took the seat.

Your demeanor, style and enthusiasm,

Scale buildings high above.

If you run into Clark Kent,

Send him high fives and our Love.

This moment in our history,
Breathtaking as we sigh.
Please get your pens and pencils.
Numbers of crimes you need to try.

Protective and fair with reason,
Your style sings your praise.

The United States of America,
We trust you’ll help to save.

Your social construct as a woman, hits deep and to our core.
We sit with bated breath as we never have before.

Now more than ever, they’re aborting women’s rights.

We are holding tight to justice we have got a mighty fight.
Our bodies, souls and dignity are going up in flames.

Our humanity kicked to the sidelines we are fighting to regain.

Dear Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

You get but just one vote.

Sending pleading messages for strength, determination and hope.

A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats

Farewell “Murder No Mystery.” Prodigious proportions of murders down the block and coming to your neighborhood and not on the big screen. On the street you’ve walked home to with no thought of not making it to your front door. We watched as Lt. Alison Russo was laid to rest. Her father said it best through his pain “my daughter was fatally stabbed and left on the ground like a rag doll.” She would have been the first to run and save her assailant, had he not stabbed her to her death first. RIP posthumously Captain Alison Russo.
Where were you when Kennedy was shot? Our young, formative, developmental years were spent during the 1960’s. The innocence of knee socks and loafers, bell bottoms and clogs, alpaca sweaters and lady bug pins, madras blouses, loden coats, pea jackets and wrangler “dungarees” were how we rolled. We go back in thought when going forward needs a push. We learned to take the right action and let go of the results. Respect your elders, do unto others and lend a helping hand, basic adages that started on our front lawn. I know cliche counters but when the going gets…Destroyed norms of human behavior were unimaginable as we stood stalwart with presidential reverence and pledged allegiance. Just for today, look over someone else’s shoulder, be careful not to trip over the homeless person sleeping on your corner as you are reading your messages on your phones about one more shooting around the corner and down the block. Prayers strong!

Is Everyone in the Building Making Stuffed Cabbage? Carl Reiner repost- Go to Humor kind of day!

“Oh G-d” (1977), The “2000 year old man,” enters the Pearly Gates Laughing. Estelle Reiner, his wife, said it best at Katz’s Deli, “I’ll have what she’s having.” She was married for 64 yrs. to the controller at Rancho Conejo. 98 years funny, he certainly had “The Thrill of it All.” When Morey Amsterdam and Rose Marie reworded phrases to get the rhythm right on The Alan Brady show Carl Reiner called it a Wrap. So, as Rob Petrie tripped into our living rooms each week on the eponymous “Dick Van Dyke Show” it was really his “Show of Shows.”Norman Lear’s line in Carl Reiner’s 2017 documentary on aging, “If You’re Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast, was how he lived. So today Carl, we’ll have our coffee with cream and a little oatmeal in your honor. His credo was “ find your hammock and live in the now.” The transition of time in between “ok, it’s over, to what’s next, is when his productivity kicked in. HBO featured the documentary- “on demand” it if you can.The cast of characters, the best of the best. Mel Brooks is hysterical, Dick Van Dyke dances, Norman Lear is brilliant and Carl Reiner’s direction and hosting ever so warm and welcoming. When it was filmed in 2017 they were all Nonagenarians. One thing distinctly portrayed in this work of long livers is that they were passionate and fell in love with lots of things. So Carl we imagine as you enter the pearly gates, we will hear you say to G-d, “so Divine One, if you were commanding a performance your timing was propitious as “The Russians are coming, The Russians are coming”- in this “Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. I will pass the baton on to my son Rob and remind him of the line written in 1963 for “it’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. “And in a democracy, it don’t matter how stupid you are, you still get an equal share.” RIP Mr. Reiner well done!