Hannah & Henry circa 1915 My Grandpa Henry In the early 20th century there was an influx of East European Jews coming to the States seeking refuge from troubled times at home.   Among them was my maternal grandfather Henry who came with his widowed mother Gertrude,   his younger brother David,  and Gertrude’s elderly… Read More

Outpatient The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine is heartbreaking as millions flee their homes and we watch helplessly on the TV news. At the turn of the 20th century,  with the Jewish influx of the time,  both my maternal and paternal grandparents emigrated to the States from Eastern Europe,  my father’s parents from Ukraine. They all… Read More

Chipmunk We live in Manhattan and we will love the hustle and bustle of our city life,  but we also love communing with nature on weekends at our woodsy retreat in the Connecticut foothills.  (See Country Living, Wisdom in the Weeds,  and  Pickled) On one recent country weekend I came home from the market with a load… Read More

“May You Live in Interesting Times” As we start our third year of this fearsome pandemic it’s hard to believe we’ve gotten through it this far.   Initially I was in a state of disbelief,  and it took me awhile to internalize how serious the situation was.  And then I felt sorry,  very sorry for… Read More

Stephanie and Me,  circa 1965 Posing for the Camera  Before we all took selfies on our cell phones,  and before  “BFF”  and “besties”  were entries in the Urban Dictionary,  Stephanie and I were best friends posing for pictures in a neighborhood photo booth.   We were practically inseparable then and I’ve written before about our… Read More

Hotel Kittens As you may remember I spent childhood summers at my grandmother Esther’s hotel in the Catskill town of Liberty,  NY.  (See My Heart Remembers My Grandmother’s Hotel,  My Game Mother,  Playing with Fire,  and  The Troubadour) You may also remember that one of my beloved childhood pets – a cat with a beautiful… Read More

Our Special Guests My loyal readers may remember that I spent happy childhood summers at my grandmother’s small hotel in the Catskills.  (See My Heart Remembers My Grandmother’s Hotel,  My Game Mother,  Playing with Fire,  Hotel Kittens, The Cat and the Forshpeiz,  and The Troubadour) Here’s another hotel memory,  though this one is bittersweet. Every summer for many years… Read More

Say It Ain’t So, Joe! Apparently cheating is nothing new,  even the Biblical King David cheated on a wife or two. And cheating in professional sports has been around for a long time too.  Even before Pete Rose and the pine tar,  and the Boston Patriots and eDeflategate,  there was Shoeless Joe Jackson and the… Read More

Basement Kitten Always crazy about animals,  I’ve written before about some of my beloved pets over the years,  even my two attention-deficient goldfish!   (See Missing Pussycats,   The Puppy in the Waiting Room,  Fluffy and the Alligator Shoes,  ASPCA and Naval Funeral) When my husband Danny and I were newly married we lived in Westchester in… Read More

My Beloved Basement I’ve written before about 2026 McGraw Avenue,  the house in the Bronx where I grew up,  and  in my mind’s eye I can still see every room, nook and cranny.   (See Parkchester, Celebrate Me Home,The Puppy in the Waiting Room,  and  Mr Bucco and the Ginger Cat) And now I even… Read More