We were staying at a new hotel in Woodstock New York. An escape weekend in the Catskills. The room was modern, overlooking a brook fed by a waterfall framed nicely in the room’s window. The television was a challenge. All the streaming channels were available - provided you had an account and remembered your password. For the life of me, I couldn’t …
My grandson, who is a few months shy of his sixth birthday, recently started playing Monopoly. It was no surprise that he challenged me and his father to a game when we visited them last weekend.And when our brother and sister-in-law visited, we took out Connect Four and played several games.I don’t generally play board, or computer, games, and was …
This past Tuesday was the Winter Solstice - the “shortest day of the year”. It was also the first day of winter. Winter conjures up visions of cold and snow. For me, beginning yesterday, the days will be getting longer and we’ll enjoy a little more sunlight every day. I’ll focus on the sunshine and look forward to Spring Equinox. Happy Holidays.
We have to remember many, many dates. Birthdays, anniversaries, and others. I sometimes test myself with the birthdays of our seven grandchildren.There is a new date that must be stored in our memory bank: the date of your second Covid vaccination (or the single dose of Johnson). It’s the date that is needed, along with other information, to confir …
Last week, our grand-dog, Tonka, died.I think about his life. His adoption by Mea and Charles in Seattle twelve years ago. He watched as our children’s relationship flourished to marriage. The moves in Seattle, the move to Washington D.C. The birth of our two granddaughters.My daughter, Mea, shared: “About Tonka I would say he was with us day in an …
I am sitting in the waiting room of a local urgent care center…waiting to take a COVID rapid test.We have been invited to attend the bar-mitzvah of the grandson of close friends this weekend. Although we’ve heard of people being asked to show vaccination proof and be tested before attending an event, this is our first.I wasn’t sure how I’d feel abo …
Happy Thanksgiving to the Gotham Family ! Whatever you are doing and whomever your are sharing with..... Take at least one moment to be thankful ...and be safe
Days (of the week) and dates (of the month) - oftentimes a single day can be labeled with two identities. Do you focus on the day or the date?A few weeks ago, we received an invitation from our friends for an event on “Friday, 11/11”. Without realizing the error that the day and date didn’t match, we entered the event for 11/11 on our calendar.We w …
This past Monday - the first day in the office after leaving daylight savings time - I couldn’t figure out how the morning had passed so quickly until I realized that I hadn’t turned back the clock on my desk. I looked up from my work and saw that it was approaching noon, paused and finally realized that it was only eleven. I reset the clock with a …
Three weeks from today is Thanksgiving. Time to start considering the holiday seriously, if you haven’t already.The Thanksgiving Day Parade will be back - perhaps a sign that things are getting back to PC normal.And after the parade are families gathering for dinner as they did before?With three weeks to go, our family is in discussions. Concerns o …
We recently heard of a disruption during dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. The incident, in which a diner complained to the annoyance of many people around him, was over a condiment that was simply mot available that evening. The restaurant had run out and the delivery wouldn’t be until the next day.I wonder why some people complain that s …
With temperatures falling, I wonder whether it’s time to go inside.Like many people, over the past year and a half we have been reluctant to eat inside restaurants and have been dining out outside.Exercise has been a challenge and we have not been inside a gym. Walking has been the major exercise escape and we’ve enjoyed the outside tent and equipm …
One definition of root is to noisily applaud or encourage a contestant or team.Here we are in baseball’s post-season. The local teams - who are the usual objects of our attention and support - are all packed up.I find myself watching the play-off games, primarily because it’s just good baseball. And I find myself far from neutral as I watch. But I’ …
We stopped for a late afternoon glass of wine. We ordered marinated olives with the wine - a justification that we wouldn’t be drinking on an empty stomach.The olives had their pits.As we ate, we commented that the olives - with pits - tasted better than others. I realized that with the pits you are forced to think about biting into the olive, mani …
I reached for a hat in the closet and was showered by more than two dozen baseball-style hats, a few caps of various styles, and an assortment of other rimmed headwear.I knew that several head coverings had accumulated over the years, but the extent of the collection was alarming and a reminder that the time has come to clean and clear.But as I wen …
