A few days before leaving for our annual visit to Martha’s Vineyard last week, I received a voice message from Steve and Kim. We've been visiting the Vineyard for many years. We stay at the Outermost Inn in Aquinnah and are there at the same time every year. So are Steve and Kim. We were looking forward to seeing them again this year and I was …
Yesterday morning I found myself in front of a little outdoor garden sitting area -- four benches in a small circle by the beach overlooking Vineyard Sound. Bricks, many with names and acknowledgements line the floor and the area is enclosed by beach plums. In the center there's a boulder engraved with depictions of a lighthouse, a male and fem …
There are a few bagel stores in our neighborhood. Two within walking distance, although you'd pass one on the way to the second. Several others are a short drive. I am not sure whether any of them are significantly “better” than any other; however the loyal fans of any one of them swear that others don't compare to theirs. And there are differ …
I've heard the expression that "getting there is half the fun". Although I anticipated writing this blog from Asheville, North Carolina, I never thought that I'd be writing about getting --or almost not -- getting here. We booked our trip some time ago. Fly to Charlotte and a scenic two-hour drive to Asheville. The Forces had other ideas. Got to …
In case you haven't seen this yet, someone tried to charge his cellphone on stage at a performance of “Hand to God” on Broadway. Details are unclear, but apparently a man in the audience jumped onto the stage to plug his cellphone into one of the electrical outlets on the set. The only problem was that the outlet was a prop in the scenery -- n …
A scene in a play that I saw last week really bothered me. In the scene, an elderly man was fired from his job in a garment district factory. Protesting his firing, the man told the young owner that he had worked for the owner’s father and uncle for 43 years. As the play moved on, I was distracted by my thoughts of loyalty. It took a few minute …
The first day of Summer. Thoughts of long weekends, vacations, beach and mountains. Whatever works for you to get away from the heat of the City, and other things. What to pack? Sandals, flip-flops, walking shoes, shorts, bathing suits, a few T-shirts, maybe a light sweater. Those choices are far less important than deciding on these: cellphone …
Flo's mom passed away last week. I liked Sue, and I think she liked me about as much as she liked anyone who wasn't directly related to her by blood. Sometimes it was hard to tell, because Sue suffered from Alzheimer's for most of the years that I knew her. Sue was a private person. Her family was IT -- the beginning and the end. If you were le …
Last Friday, as the Rangers faced the decisive game seven in their series with Tampa Bay, I read all the hype about the Rangers’ past successes in seventh games over the years -- they were unbeaten in the last seven decisive games. The hype upset me. Sports, as many things in life, are generally subject to the laws of averages. Over time, things ba …
The hostess at one of our favorite restaurants in the Berkshires led us to our “quiet” table in the back dining room. Only a few tables in the room that was usually reserved for private parties -- one table of six, a table of four, another two at one table, and us. I learned a long time ago to never talk about private matters in public and nev …
I recently received an email from an art gallery which, for some reason, keeps me on its email list. The email announced the birth of a second child to one of the gallery. The email was replete with pictures of the happy family and newborn baby. I was reminded of a friend who told me that he got his wife to go to baseball games by talking about …
I don't consider myself to be a fashion statement; although the other day an adversary told me that my tie reminded her of a Klimt painting as we digressed to a brief discussion of the movie Woman in Gold. Recently, with Flo’s encouragement and support, I have ventured into the frontier of expressive men’s socks. I have joined the ranks of many …
We've all been subjected to it. That stamp on the back of your hand that guarantees re-admission to an event. Once stamped, have you ever had the lingering question of what if the stamp fades? We were in Washington visiting Mea and went to a craft show. Paid our admission, entered and stamped. Later in the day, after leaving and re-entering once …
Last Sunday I attended the annual Holocaust Commemoration at Temple Emanu-El. As in recent years, for me the ceremony accentuates the fact that the number of survivors is decreasing every year. My Mother lights one of the thirty-six memorial candles and, unfortunately, there were not enough survivors to light them all. As I listened to the stories …
Cameras are ubiquitous and the pictures and videos taken by them are playing an ever-increasing part in our lives. I recently heard a legal analyst refer to videos as the new DNA of criminal prosecutions. Call me “old fashioned”, but I am not one who immediately thinks of taking out my cell phone and taking pictures, let alone a video. (Flo and I …
