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. Their chemistry was real. 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 on to 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 . 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, diet 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 in and right away.

So when I turned “65” five years ago we celebrated at The Kotel in Israel. We contacted the Women at The Wall and created a rite of passage. I raised my hand to G-d, all the time holding onto the wall. Social security, Medicare with AARP F drug plan (no not that kind)- nexium cocktails, carpal tunnel procedures, medical tests you can’t pronounce; blah, blah, blah. Concurrently, however we brought back the supplemental bag of the real stuff that comes along with age appropriate hearing loss (really?)- whatever that means. Longer periods of peace of mind on the top of the list. Recognizing “what” really matters and “who” doesn’t. Bye Felicia. Binge watching yes, The Sopranos from Jan. 10th-1999, has replaced, once again, meeting for lunch or dinner and theoretically paying attention to the sign that says “only take your masks off while eating.” Emoji sad. Ok, back to Israel. During our visit we met up with a high school buddy (Jon Kuritsky) for those in the know and his wife Diana. They live in a beautiful village on the Mediterranean several hours north of Tel Aviv called Shavei Zion. It is in between Acco and Nahariya. They do many varied things with their lives. She’s a writer, he tows their land and they operate an inn/spa called NEA. We learned about a part of life or in fact death we never knew about before. Diana and Jon, pay it forward in a meritorious way. They are part of community of people who are known as Chevra Kadisha. Their responsibilities are to prepare the dead before burial. At first we thought how morbid, how scary. When we realized someone chooses to do so as the religious experience of being the last person to see the dead, we came to see it differently. Our hats goes off to them, as it would not even be wIthin the realm of possibility for us to ever consider. Diana introduced me to not just any soap that they use. We bought it at the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv. It is multi-purposed and so many bars and years later we still use it. Our charitable “paying it forward” has a much different tone to it. My take away is that symbolically the soap is a form of cleansing the body and mind. So just for today as we simultaneously count blessings all the while trying hard not to step on the cracks (so we don’t break our mothers back)- let’s go to grateful. We buy lite mayo and thinks it tastes fine, sign up for Pilates and understand the studio is now closed due to the continuous virus surge, and better understand the FOMO’s (feelings of missing out) really only exist in our minds. Let’s go with the meant to be Wednesday.

Dear Kindly Dr. Fauci
Friday is your Big Day.
With respect and adoration we’re all here just to say.
You’re celebrating “81”
Adding blessings and much Fun.
When we follow your scientific knowledge,
We trust our journey has begun.
Take a bow, then take another
Your focus won’t distract
You’ve imparted so much wisdom,
Through research proven fact.
We are positioned and we’re ready,
To get a piece of our world back.
We’ll raise a glass to honor, your grace and gravitas
You never once did wander, your path is well defined.
So Kindly Dr. Fauci, Our treasure and Our “Find.”
We’ll toast another go round, the planet needs you here.
Mutations are ticking numbers
No fingers left to count.
You devotion hasn’t waivered,
On your steadfast we can count.
You work toward a solution,
As you usher in the year.
We will raise a glass and honor,
You are Precious and so Dear!

Betty White is turning 100!

We got “Swept Away” by Lina Wertmuller, the Italian Filmmaker with an unmistakable style who left her mark on Italian and worldwide cinema. Sylvia Weinstock the “da Vinci of Wedding Cakes,” added tiers (tears) to her wedding cake wonders. She produced floral-drapped architectural works in the shape of rose-studded topiaries, baskets of speckled lilies and bouquets of anemones. She didn’t start baking until she was in her 50’s. Yes, my point. They both lived, until this past month into their 90’s. Long livers with passions strong. They focused on their interests and fine tuned their talents. Sylvia was lucky in love. She grew up in Brooklyn and went to the beach on the Rockaways with her friends on the weekends in the summer. One summer day she walked over to a group of boys and asked who wanted to go swimming with her.? One of the guys walked her to the ocean and as it turned out down the aisle. Relationships amongst long livers tend to be deep and strong with the emphasis on forgiveness.
As we are stepping into our 70’s as we close 2021 we are regrouping, pulling out all the stops and putting the
accent on the right syll-a ble. Long livers and some tips on long living is a curious study.
The power of luck cannot be overestimated. However, as studied by Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara the Japenese physician and longevity expert who lived until the age of 105 there are tips and suggestions worth paying attention to. The obvious well played song book we grew up with included staying active, keeping busy, 3 squares a day and take the stairs and exercise your way to the make up department at Bloomys.
Our take away from his study was to have fun and minimize pain. And I quote “ Pain is mysterious, and having fun is the best way to forget it.” If a child has a toothache, and you start playing a game together, he or she immediately forgets the pain.
Betty White believed everyone needs a passion. She kept humor at the forefront. Finding a passion is a talent in itself. Make it a good and find your passion Friday.

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 Saturday

And then one day your world becomes safer, brighter and filled with answers to questions you thought you would never get. I wish this on everyone- Bring it on 70- pedal to the floor! I got this- bh

When corned beef and pastrami meet on the corner of Potato Knish and Dr. Brown’s Soda. They bump into the Salami on rye with deli mustard sandwich and all get ready to watch as Mr. Ed whispers to Ozzie and Harriet a cute story about (ok who remembers their neighbor?) Thorny- Played by Don Defore. Yup! They are meeting over at Donna Reed’s 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, 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,” and 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. My wife. What did you pay for those shoes? Make it a great Wednesday.

Our Sophie Sunshine taught us that “G-d works in mysterious ways.” Once again Soph your words sprinted to the forefront of my mind. I have been struggling with turning 70 this week-end. I have been fussing over what feels like a daunting round number b-day. I will surround myself with family and friends and have things planned that portend to feel good moments and guilty pleasures. Control, Alt, Delete. In a 180 degree, Vicki Sue Robinson, Turn the Beat Around Moment “G-d worked in mysterious ways”- mama.-
Baruch Dayan Emmet to a friend and colleague of my husbands wife.
We got a call that a woman we know who has been battling cancer and kicking it suddenly passed away right after Thanksgiving. She was 70 years old. R.I.P. – G.I. When I blow out a candle to now “welcome” in this number I will include you in my prayers. There are no more afterthoughts only promises.

As an apprentice under Oscar Hammerstein,
Consummate wordsmith brought words to the point of a rhyme.
His work spanned theatrical lifetimes, his sense of rhythm, was simply sublime.
His content dictated the form as a sentence,
Turned a paragraph into a story through rhyme.
Sinatra sent in the clowns,and Bernadette Peters took a walk through the park with george.
Ambition only superceded by talent.
Like when “good things get bettter/bad things get worse/Wait—I think I meant that in reverse.”
He took us “Into the woods” and in good “Company ”were we.
Every theater lyric a short story, every line the weight of a paragraph you see.
“A funny thing happened on the way to the forum,” with a “Little Night Music”
And a “Gypsy” or three.
With “Passion” he composed the story,
From the “West Side” of the street was the call.
Dear Mr. Sondheim, in our memory, you will always stand tall.
You threw a lot of spaghetti and All of it stuck to the wall.