Old Friends

Old friends Old friends Sat on their park bench Like bookends… When I think of that Paul Simon song written in 1968, the year I graduated college, I didn’t think he was talking about ME! I wasn’t old then and never thought I would be. Now, I’m proud to say I have made it to … Continue reading →

Matzo Balls!

I’m known for my matzo ball soup. I learned the technique over many years, peeking over the shoulders of two generations of matzo ball makers before me. Grandma Gussie’s were small and hard resembling golf balls. My mother adopted the Manischewitz Matzo Ball Mix which made into light fluffy dumplings. Aunt Esther’s always came out … Continue reading →

Sold!

Five hundred dollars! Cash. Yay. And just in time for Christmas. Oh, but wait. I’m home alone — all dressed up and… (Ah, well, there’s always my little secret stash box where I can squirrel it away and lay in wait for the floodgates to open when we can get back to full-on retail therapy.) … Continue reading →

Menorahs on Parade

Donna, my wise-cracking Jewish friend from Queens and I pulled into the parking lot of the Santa Cruz Veterans Hall to meet our group for the first annual Menorah Parade. There was a guy with a long fuzzy beard standing in front of the building. I rolled down the passenger window of Donna’s shiny red … Continue reading →

What Happened to the Hubbard?

People wanna know! I just left you hanging and now Christmas is coming. Who cares about a big ole blue squash at this point? Well, a good number of you do. My long-time friend, Victoria, asked me about it just this morning. We don’t talk often but when we do it’s as if we’re picking … Continue reading →

Hubba Hubbard!

I found the Hubbard! The last time was in 2016 and I look every year. I happened to be walking by the vegetable stand near my home when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw it —larger than life, larger than the turkey I plan to cook. I hauled it home and stared at … Continue reading →

Essential Ingredient

If it’s October, it’s time to make plum pudding. I learned how to make this traditional English Christmas treat in a cooking class in 1977 and I have made it every year since. If I do the math correctly, this is my forty-third year. I can still hear the voice of the cooking instructor, a … Continue reading →

Double Birthday!

September 9, 2020. My son Tyler turns forty! My sister, Linda Sue, turns seventy! How did that happen?! I’m all about the party. Preparations must be made. Cake! Champagne! Balloons! Dancing girls? Well, I’ve been known to toss a feather boa about…Okay, wait. Pandemic? So, no social gatherings. Oy vey! I got a request from … Continue reading →

The Serena In Us

Originally posted on The Beaver Lake Library:
Serena Williams is arguably—though I can’t conjure any reasonable argument—the greatest female tennis player of all time, both fiercely respected and roundly feared on the court. And yet with the start of each tournament, especially the majors, the unrelenting commentary on Serena begins. At this summer’s Wimbledon, the…

The Saturday Blog: Dessert

Originally posted on The Write Side of 59:
The Write Side of 59 View original post Continue reading →