We are happy to report that our flight to Rome was uneventful, just the way we like it. There was one moment of panic when the pilot on the Cleveland to Newark leg of our journey announced a possible delay and disimbarkment, Fortunately we only experienced a 15 minute delay. Whew

Due to the Italian government we were instructed to keep on our N95 masks the entire journey, except when eating. Apparently Italy is the only European country that extended mask wearing through June 16th, all others dropped that requirement. We actually received a dinner that consisted of some pretty tasty Indian butter chicken (you also had the choice of pasta). There was even a very flavorful lemon sorbet included. Breakfast, however, was just yogurt and a small pastry. Of course there was also beverage service, and it looked like red and white wine might have been free with dinner. All the snacks we took with us were really unnecessary.

Once we landed, a driver from JayWay picked us up right on cue. It took him some time to traverse Rome’s very busy highways and streets. They reallly do drive bumper car style here, but his brand new Mercedes remained unscathed.

We arrived safely at the Charme Spagna Boutique Hotel at Via dalia Mercede 37. Tucked into a narrow side street it had a small elevator sparing us from carrying our bags up a swirling staircase. The room is small, but newly renovated and very comfortable. They even gave us a bottle of Prosecco and snacks. The staff is also extremely helpful.

Our JayWay contact, Simone Ranalli met us at our hotel to review our itinerary. Turns out Simone is a he. A tall handsome young man bred and born in Rome. He provided us with more information than we know what to do with, but much of it will be very helpful to have.

Since we arrived at the hotel by about 9:30 AM, we had a day of sightseeing planned. After getting settled we hit the streets kind of following Rick Steve’s Heart of Rome walk and headed for the Spanish steps. Located in the. Piazza di Spagna. At the bottom of the steps is the Sinking Boat Fountain built by Gian Bernini or his father, Pietro. Like most of Rome’s fountains (perhaps all of them) it is aqueduct powered.

Then of course we hiked up the 138 steps to the baroque church at the top of the hill. The steps are named for the Spanish Embassy to the Vatican that has been located there for about 300 years. It was actually less crowded than when I visited 50 years ago, Then the steps were full of “hippies” congregating and strumming their guitars. It was also full of vendors. There were no vendors this time, only a handful of people trying to sell roses, or kids toys.

Next stop was the iconic Trevi Fountain. It was designed by Nicola Salvi and was completed in 1762. I believe the fountain represents the waters of the earth in the figure of a massive statue “Ocean”. Water flows out of twenty-four spouts and tumbles everywhere. It truly is an amazing spectacle, and if you add in the throngs of tourists taking photos and flinging coins it is even more impressive.

After crossing the Via del Corso, Rome’s main North-South boulevard that had once been used for horse races, we arrived at The Piazza Colonnade came next. The Piazza features a huge 2nd century column. The figures represented the victories of Emperor Marcus Aurelius over the barbarians.

There are colonnades and obelisks all over Rome, many of which have Christian symbols sitting up on the top which essentially made them kosher. That includes an Egyptian obelisk taken as a trophy by Augustus aver his victory over Mark Anthony and Cleopatra. The obelisk now sits in front of Italy’s parliament building. We saw lots of soldiers with machine guns all over the city, but particularly near government buildings. It also seemed that police were positioned at all tourist areas and museums.

One of the most incredible sights for the day was next, the Pantheon. You cannot understand how mammoth and impressive this structure is unless you see it for yourself. Massive forty foot single-piece granite columns greet you at the entrance. Built by Emperor Hadrian (A.D. 120), the domed room with its portico open to the sky is breathtaking. No wonder Michelangelo and Brunelleschi were influenced by its grandeur.

Sitting in Piazza Navona is another Gian Lorenzo Bernini fountain wonder, The Four Rivers Fountain. Four massive river gods represent the four continents known back in 1650. Powerful gushes of water represented the Ganges, Nile, Danube, and Uruguay’s Rio de la Plata. Piazza Navona is full of tourists enjoying the fountain along with restaurants and gelato. Another fountain is found in PIazza Navona, the Fountain of Neptune.

We followed the crowd and stopped for our first Aperol Spritz at 4 Fiurno. It was incredibly refreshing, and contrary to what we heard, included glasses full of ice. There must be more restaurants in Italy than any other country in the world. On most piazzas and down many side streets you’ll find restaurants after restaurant, and remarkably at night most are filled with patrons.

By this point our jet lag was really kicking in. I think we wandered through the Campo de’Fiori at this point, but frankly I don’t remember. Exhausted we headed back to our hotel. On the way we tried our first gelato of the trip. I hate to say it, but while it was refreshing, it wasn’t the “fantastic” we both had expected. I looked to see if the gelato was packed in a large mounds vs flat, with flat being better per our good friend Eileen. Perhaps it wasn’t flat enough.

Back at our hotel we collapsed. No harm in taking a siesta is there? At about 6 PM we forced ourselves up and out again to hunt for our supper. We picked one of the first places we saw based on the fact they had a table for two, and there were enough customers to make us feel it would be ok. Our pizza was good, but not much could be said for the caprese salad. After dinner, you guessed it, we went right to bed. Our Vatican tour starts at 7 AM, UGH!

Just one more day and we will be on our way again. We are heading to Italy. Our original trip was planned for October 2020. All of us know what happened next— COVID!!! Although the virus is still with us in its ever changing forms, we decided that we’ve waited long enough

Bags and backpacks are packed. I wish I could say we packed light, but unfortunately I can’t. Believe me we tried. I actually just removed another 4 items from my suitcase, but it still weighs in at just over 35 pounds. So once again we’ll be cursing ourselves as we load the bags on and off trains, etc.

Our trip will be covering a lot of territory. We will be going to Rome, Sorrento, Naples, Florence, Milan, Lake Como, Venice and many places in between. Our main focus will be on eating and drinking our way through the various regions of Italy. Gelato, gelato, gelato, pasta and vino!!!!

I’m writing this blog while waiting for United Airlines to pick up. We’ve already hit one glitch and we haven’t even left the house. We are required to load our passports, and despite being told days ago that we were travel ready, we can’t get our boarding passes and our Global Entry is not on our tickets.

I know many of you read my blog several years ago when Dan and I traveled across the U.S. This time I don’t think I’m going to be as dedicated for several reasons. I’m not certain how easy it will be to send my blogs via Italian WiFi. Secondly, since many of our mornings will be on the early side, I’m also not going to be able to stay up late at night updating my posts. Sooo, if my ramblings are very intermittent, or even nonexistent, don’t be too disappointed.

This posting is experimental in itself. I’m relearning how to use WordPress. I’m also learning how to use my new keyboard that will help speed up typing onto my iPad.

I think I’ve left you all with enough excuses for now. I’m going to attempt downloading a very exciting photo of our luggage (also part of my experiment), and will bid you arrivederci for now. And just in case you are wondering, I’m still on hold with United.

PANDEMIC – I kick myself every now and then just to convince myself that COVID-19 IS A REAL PANDEMIC. I sure am getting tired of being part of a major historical event.  Why couldn’t all of this just have remained in the domain of science fiction? Staying in place is what we are doing right now, which means we are not doing much of anything.

With so much being written about the Covid-19, my first reaction was not to write anything at all. Everyone has been overwhelmed with information, commentaries, press conferences, and jokes about it. However, since I write this blog primarily for myself, I felt compelled to Blog.

WASH, WASH, WASH YOUR HANDS – I’ve washed my hands so often that they are getting chapped. Placed right next to my soap is hand lotion.

SHORTAGES – PARTICULARLY OF TOILET PAPER, PAPER TOWEL, FACE MASKS AND HAND SANITIZER   Fortunately, shortly before leaving on our trip to California on March 1^st, we paid a visit to COSTCO and purchased plenty of toilet paper, tissue, and paper towel. What I didn’t purchase was hand sanitizer or face masks.  As a result, one of the most exciting things to happen to me in the past few weeks has been being able to purchase 2 small vials of hand sanitizer from Trader Joe’s.

SOCIAL DISTANCING — STAY 6 FEET APART or should it be more? Whenever our neighbor sees Dan and I heading out on a walk, he shouts a warning for us to keep our distance from others.  He points out, once again, how we fall into the category of being more vulnerable (since we are over 65 years old). We weren’t accustomed to thinking of ourselves as being elderly, but we sure do now.

Usually the socially distancing thing works out fine. Most walkers are on the same page as we are. However, I have noticed that in our local park, groups of young adults don’t think the rule applies to them since they are invulnerable. I sure hope that is true.

As for Dan and me (and many of our friends) we must accept the fact that COVID-19 is more dangerous for us. Even worse is the fact that due to a shortage of equipment such as ventilators, we are also being viewed as expendable. That is not something that anyone our age wants to spend too much time thinking about.

MASKS – Do they do any good or not? I’m still not sure. At first, we were told they didn’t do much good and that they should be reserved for the use by medical personnel. I think they discouraged us simply because there weren’t enough masks to go around.  First responders needed them more than the public.  Now the authorities are saying we should wear them when out in public.

People are getting very creative in making their own masks.  There is a Facebook page with my Uncle Dick wearing a yarmulke converted into a mask.  Other people have put diapers and sanitary napkins to good use. Most are simply sewing their own with colorful fabrics.  I made several masks for us using an old t-shirt and shoelaces.

GLOVES — Whether they help or not is even more unclear than whether to wear face masks.

SOCIAL MEDIA — I have used social media before, but nothing like I do now. I had never relied on it for entertainment, communication, exercise, game playing, meetings etc.  I still prefer face-to-face meetings, but it was cool when through using the application ZOOM, we were able to see and communicate with most of my first cousins and many of their adult children all at the same time. Our family members live throughout the U.S. from California to New York, yet for about 60 minutes we were visiting each other in the comfort of our own homes.

ONLINE LEARNING AND MEETINGS–   Dan teaches his John Carroll University class via ZOOM three times a week. Jonathan and Dana work from their kitchen table in their  Manhattan apartment.  My grandchildren do several hours of online learning from their home in Los Angeles. My book club met for the second time online where we enjoyed conversation and a glass of wine.  The glass of wine is critical to the entire experience.

I also wonder what impact staying in place will have on the way we live, work and learn in the future. For example, is my wine drinking at home going to become a new habit?  After seeing how one can work from home why would anyone want to go back to long commutes to the office? Will we ever go back to shaking hands? How about hugging and kissing friends and family?

SHOPPING – We’ve tried to avoid going shopping and gave Instacart a try for our groceries. It turned out OK, but my Diet Coke turned into Coke Zero Vanilla.  My three-zucchini turned into 2 zucchini and a cucumber.  No apricots.  No chocolate.  Nothing compares with doing it for yourself, but home delivery services are becoming much more entrenched in how we shop.

Grocery stores (and other retailers) have instituted safeguards such as lines on the ground indicating where you should stand, staggered registers, disinfected grocery carts, established shopping hours for seniors only and a limited number of patrons in the store at any one time. How long will these measures remain in place?  I hope they remain until an effective vaccine is developed.

DINING OUT – Technically none of us can do that anymore, however, Dan and I did picnic on Cosmic Dave subs the other day. We have also ordered take-out Chinese food from Ho Wah’s. I have always cooked most of our meals at home, but lately it has been getting a little monotonous. I’m glad we can change things up a bit every now and then by ordering take-out, therefore, helping ourselves as well as supporting our local restaurants.

EXERCISE— Since all gyms are closed, the internet has been a great source of a wide spectrum of workouts including aerobics, yoga, Zumba, etc.  Granted I don’t work out nearly as hard as I did at the gym, but it is much better than doing nothing. Dan and I are also taking lots and lots of walks.  Now that the weather is getting nicer, we are logging in substantial miles.

It is amazing how many people are outside.  There are kids riding bikes and scooters, making chalk drawings on driveways and sidewalks, playing basketball, skateboarding, etc.  Parents are outside talking with neighbors across the street, walking dogs, and pushing kids in strollers.  It almost looks like it did in the 1950’s, except most people are keeping a distance from each other.

I really enjoy seeing everyone outside, but it does mean lots of zig zagging in order to keep the correct social distance from others.  We have even had a few social occasions where we sat in lawn chairs on a friend’s driveway and chatted.

MAKING PLANS – There is no making of plans, and to me this is the most difficult part of staying in place. We Facetime, Zoom, and Skype with our children and grandchildren, but when will we be able to hug them again? We had also planned a fantastic trip to Northern Italy for this October. There isn’t much likelihood of our going, especially with talk about the virus having a resurgence in the Fall.

SUMMER – The joys of summer will be quite muted this year. No camp for kids? No fireworks?  No swimming pools open? Museums closed? No concerts? No Baseball? No picnics? At least we can still visit our parks—I hope.

GAS PRICES– Gas prices are low, low, low, but there is no where to go. (that rhymed in case you missed it).  A single tank of gas can last for months.  We just paid $1.40 per gallon. Our neighbor paid $1.09 at COSTCO.  We recently leased a new Subaru Outback. The salesperson has called at least twice asking how we like our car. I told her that I think we like it very much, but we’ve haven’t had the chance to drive it anywhere.

PASSING THE TIME – It is amazing to me how most days pass by quickly with my having accomplished absolutely nothing. Dan and I have made some inroads in cleaning out our attic and other parts of the house, but one can only spend so much time doing that. Below is basic list of how we spend our time:

• Cleaning
• Cooking
• Reading
• Clearing out emails
• Selling things on eBay
• Talking on the phone
• Taking walks when weather allows
• Watching TV in the evenings (Too much of that, we are running out of programs to watch on Netflix.)
• Playing the piano
• Contemplating the future
• Exercising to Silver Sneaker classes on my computer
• Waiting for a tax refund from the State so we can pay IRS this summer.
• Visiting friends by sitting in each other’s driveways 6 feet apart. Hopefully, we can do more of this as the weather improves.
• Playing games
• Doing puzzles
• Working in the yard

THE END—Our President wants to start opening the economy as of May 1^st regardless of what medical experts might say. I realize that we cannot remain in shutdown mode indefinitely, but a vaccine is at least a year away. We also still do not know how to properly treat the illness. Safeguards must be put in place or the virus could come roaring back. Only time will tell how this drama unfolds.

In the meantime:

EVERYONE PLEASE STAY SAFE!!!

 

Winter is closing in upon us   Time has been pushed back an hour, so we are back to being surrounded by darkness in the late afternoon.   Dan has taken care of all of his “getting ready for winter” tasks around the house.  Plants we want to save over the winter have been sprayed for bugs and brought into the house.  Snowplow services are hammering stakes into the ground marking out the driveways they’ll be plowing.  Squirrels are scurrying about collecting nuts and burying them in the planters on our deck and in our yard.  As a result, potting soil is scattered all over our deck and our lawn is full of holes.  Everyone is starting to shift into hibernation mode.

Another thing the colder weather does is make me wax poetic about things that I might have put into a novel had I the talent to ever write one.  For instance:

The leaves are bright vibrant shades of red, orange, brown, and yellow.  They shimmer in the sunlight shaking and rustling in the gusty wind.  The air smells like fall, crisp and slightly dusky from the fallen leaves.  Thousands of leaves float in the air making it look like it is teaming with life, but in fact, quite the opposite is true.  New leaves will greet us in the Spring, but for now, all that will be left in a few short days will be dark tree trunks and empty branches reaching out into the often-grey sky.   

See, it’s a good thing I didn’t take up writing as a profession.

I love the change of seasons, and winter is no exception.  During the rest of the year a beautiful sunny day cannot be wasted by staying indoors.  Winter’s gray and cold creates a wonderful environment for looking inward and for doing inside tasks that until now only resided in one’s mind.  This winter, however, I may have a slight problem as I’ve almost finished an on again off again project that has taken me 15 years to complete.  I’m in the process of completing a needlepoint rug that measures 60-1-/4” x 30-1/4”.  So now what will I do?  I’m certainly not going to make another rug.

I know I’ll be spending some time planning our next big trip – Italy in October 2020.  I may even try to learn a little Italian. The first part of our journey will be a tour of Northern Italy with our good friends Eileen and Jim.  Milan, Lake Cuomo, Verona, Bologna and Venice are all part of the itinerary.   The second half is what needs planning.  Are we making a mistake not going to Rome or the Amalfi Coast?  What about Pompei, the Isle of Capri, or Cinque Terre?  Unfortunately, we can’t see it all.  One thing we’ve learned is not to spread ourselves too thinly.  But the question is — where should we spread ourselves in the first place?  I think we will spend our extra week in Florence and explore some of the small towns of Tuscany.  If anyone has any suggestions don’t hesitate to let me know.

As much as I’ve stated how I like winter, I also must admit that I like escaping the winter gray for a few weeks.  Now that we are retired, we do take advantage of the fact our daughter and her family live in California.  Dan is limited to John Carroll University’s Spring break, but I get to escape for a little longer.  Our trips tend to fall near the end of “fire season.”  As I write this note fires are still burning in California, however, the fires near my daughter’s home are “contained” for now.  With the fires, mud slides, earthquakes, high cost of living and traffic jams, California is not the magical place people flocked to just a few years ago.  Dan and I don’t feel the pull to move out West permanently like my grandfather did long ago, but it is a great place to visit in the dead of winter.  Another wonderful benefit is that I usually get to see my sister and brother-in-law who live in San Diego.

Another major winter project, I hate to even bring up, is clear-cutting our stuff.  I think I’ve mentioned it before, but after 40 years in the same home we’ve got LOTS of stuff.  Our flooded basement helped a bit in the culling process, but that was a drop in the bucket.  We are seriously thinking about moving to a home with a master bedroom and laundry on the main floor.  Downsizing should be part of our plan, but I’m not sure Dan and I are capable of doing that.  In fact, I’m not sure we are capable of even making the decision to move in the first place.  Logic and common sense tell us we should make a change while we are not under any pressure to do so.  We both turn 70 in 2020 — although I’d like to point out I haven’t quite turned 69.   Didn’t I just turn 60?  How is 70 even possible? That fact alone is enough to immobilize one from taking any kind of action.  It’s just a number, but it is an awfully big one.

I’ll try to write more as the fall turns into winter.  This week is supposed to bring falling temperatures and several days of snow.  I’ll try to stay away from politics, although that is difficult given IMPEACHMENT is a word that is heard and read about daily.  Plus, I think the entire election process goes on for far too long in this country and there is only so much a person can take regardless of one’s political leanings.  Now-a-days it appears the country either leans completely to the right or completely to the left.  What ever happened to the middle?  Uh oh, I’ve slipped into talking about politics, so I must close for now.

Happy Holidays!!

I was waiting for additional inspiration before posting, but since it never arrived here is my blog albeit slightly dated. 

I don’t remember seeing so much rain in June.  According to the local news (who knows if it is fake news or not) it was one of the wettest Springs on record.  It rained nearly 6 out of every 10 days.  Only twice since 1900 has it rained more frequently.  It is still raining every few days around here, but at least we are now getting summer weather.  Of course, being Clevelanders, everyone is now complaining that it is too hot.

The point I’m leading up to is that for the first time in our almost 40 years of living in our home, our basement flooded.  Fortunately, I am blessed with a good sense of smell.  Many of Dana and Jonathan’s wedding gifts were being stored in the basement.  We had time to move them and other valuables to higher ground before the flood waters rose.  We estimate we got at least 6”-9” of storm water.

What do you do when your basement is filling up with sewer water?  We went to sleep.  After all it was past midnight and there was nothing more we could do.

In the morning the fun began.  What a mess!  After touching base with the City of Beachwood and our insurance company, State Farm, we contacted Servpro.  Within hours they were at our house removing everything in our basement including the carpet and the tile.  The tile was removed because it had asbestos in it.  Sixteen extremely loud fans blasted away for 3 days nonstop drying out our basement.

Oddly enough, our town didn’t have a diagram telling us where our pipes were located.  As a result our lawn was dug up.  No pipes there.  It turns the pipes were found under our driveway, so that was torn up as well.  At least all of this activity served as a lesson for a group of toddlers and their sitter.  They were taking a walk and found the construction so fascinating that they took a seat on the sidewalk and watched while the concrete was being poured.   It was very cute.

Wedding gifts, china etc. are now sitting in our family room.  Everything else is piled in our garage.  Based on how slowly our insurance company is processing our claim, it is going to stay that way for a while.

We had been thinking about the possibility of moving and were making a concerted effort to clear out 40 years of accumulation.  A flooded basement is one way to clear cut one’s belongings, although I wouldn’t recommend doing it that way.

What a far cry from last summer.  Instead of an adventure driving throughout the USA, we are dealing with painting, flooring, talking with our insurance company, and trying to figure out why our basement flooded in the first place.  Not much fun, but our basement will be squeaky clean.

The old saying says goes that “bad things” comes in threes.  Now that we’ve had a flood, we should be safe.  #1 We had to replace part of our roof due to leaks in our bedroom ceiling.  #2 One of our air conditioners had to be replaced.  #3 The great flood of the summer of 2019.

I was wrong, the list of “bad things” continued to grow.  I was playing my usual Thursday evening golf game and hit a ball over a low fence.  There it sat just out of reach.  Do I ignore it? Do I simply move on?  NO of course not.  I easily climbed the fence, but I wasn’t so lucky on the way back.  I twisted my knee and am now limping around.  That’s a sport related injury isn’t it?

Then at the end of short family vacation in the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania, I woke up with Vertigo.  I ended up in the emergency room of Somerset Hospital.  So now I’m limping around and am slightly dizzy.

On a more positive note, Dan and I celebrated our 45^th anniversary.  Dan keeps reminding me that we’ve known each other for 51 years.  I guess he doesn’t think 45 is a large enough number.

NOTE:  Now that I’ve allowed so much time to elapse, (it is almost September), I am happy to report that our basement has been painted, and new flooring installed.  In addition, all our stuff has been deposited back where it came from.  My knee is much better, and my vertigo is gone. Hopefully my next blog will be only about “good things.”  Our luck seems to have turned around…stuff happens.

 

Dan and I have lived in the same home for close to 40 years.  It doesn’t take much imagination to envision the amount of stuff we’ve accumulated.  We’ve got a basement full of our stuff, stuff we adopted from when we sold my parent’s home, and on top of that, wedding presents we are holding for Jonathan and Dana for the time they no longer live in a tiny apartment in New York City.  Our attic is also full of more stuff.

Slowly, and I mean slowly, I am trying to get rid of this stuff.  Call me sentimental, but I can’t simply toss things out.  It might be something the kids may want.  Or, someone may pay me something for it if I sold it on Ebay or Craigslist.  Or, it might be something I can donate.   Or, it might simply be something I just can’t part with for now.  There seems to be a lot of that.

Occasionally I come across something that stirs up something that is more important than the thing itself, like a childhood memory.  I was sorting through a bunch of Beatle trading cards and baseball cards and found my long-forgotten Target: Moon cards.  These were science/science fiction trading cards from either 1957 or 1958 featuring some actual space event or what space would look like in the future. The one sitting right on top was entitled “Sputnik Descending.”  Sputnik was the first man made satellite to be launched into Earth’s orbit and it was, horror of horrors, launched by the Soviet Union (now Russia) in 1957.  Sputnik’s launch intensified the arms race (the Cold War) between the U.S. and its arch enemy.

Russia was beating us in the Space Race, and we feared they were beating us in the arms race as well.  They were the first to launch animals and plants into space and bring them back alive.  The Soviets also launched the first human orbital spaceflight with Yuri Gagarin onboard in April 1961.  However, the U.S. wasn’t doing too poorly.  We were the first to launch a hominid into space and bring him back home safely.  His name was HAM.  A chimpanzee named after Holloman Aerospace Medical Center located at the Holloman Air Force base in New Mexico where he received his training.  They called the mission Number 65 so the public would have never been the wiser had HAM not made it back alive.

Early space endeavors were so important and anticipated by the public that they were heavily covered by the television networks.  There were only three stations back then – ABC, NBC, and CBS.  Most space launches were televised and watched in real time.   I clearly remember when Alan Sheppard made his flight.  He was the first pilot to make a controlled space flight back in May 1961.  All of Northwood Elementary School’s student body was glued to watching small black and white televisions in the front their classrooms during John Glenn’s historic Friendship 7 mission.  Watching the blastoff was mind boggling.  We were all holding our breath until we heard his space capsule had dropped into the sea and he was picked up by a Navy vessel.

At the same time there were so many advancements in space, the U.S. and the Soviet Union were diligently building enough nuclear bombs to destroy the earth several times over.  As a result, people all over the world were frightened that there would be a nuclear war.  Public Fallout Shelters were constructed and filled with supplies for the “lucky few” who would be able to enter them.  Some people even built their own shelters, although I never knew anyone who did.  As school children, we were taught that in the event of a nuclear attack that we should “Duck and Cover.”  We were instructed to hide under our desks and cover our heads.  Even back then kids knew better than believe that this would save us.

I remember a chart on the classroom bulletin board that showed the amount of devastation there would be if a bomb was dropped on downtown Cleveland.  Concentric circles identified the levels of radiation and the survival rates as the circles radiated further from downtown.   We could survive – maybe.

Back to Sputnik, and the memory it brought back to me.  As concerned as the American public was about the Soviet Union’s success, we also secretly admired what they had accomplished. I remember standing with my Dad in our backyard searching the night sky in search of Sputnik.  Either the local newspaper or television news must have told us what time and where in the sky we should look because we found it.    There it was, a tiny light moving across the sky.  It was man-made, and it was incredible!

The U.S. managed to survive the nuclear threats of the 1960s, the worst being the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.  The Soviets tried to place ballistic missiles in Cuba just miles away from our mainland.  The plan was stopped by President Kennedy.  It was also President Kennedy that called for us to be the first to put a man on the moon.  That mission was accomplished in 1969.

We effectively won the Space Race by being the first to land men on the moon in July 1969.  We also won the Cold War after witnessing the fall of the Soviet Union around 1991.  An attempt was also made to limit the proliferation of nuclear weapons when The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was signed by the U.S.  and Russia in 1970.  Now it is being reported that both the U.S. and Russia want to walk away from the treaty so they can work on adding new weapon systems.

Decades have passed since the Cold War, but Russia continues to be our nemesis. However, we must also contend with an ambitious China and other nuclear nations such as North Korea, India, Pakistan and Israel.  Add to the mix terrorists on the lookout for nuclear weapons.   We live in a very insecure world and it appears we are headed toward another arms and space race.  Humans simply don’t learn.  One of these days one of these bombs is going to be set off, it is only a matter of time.  Will mankind survive?  I think that is a fair question to ask.

 

Now that 2019 has just begun, I am sitting down to reflect a bit on the past 12 months.  It is hard to keep the craziness of our political system out of my musings, but I have no interest in writing a political diatribe.  Things such as a dramatically erratic stock market, another government shutdown, a worldwide trend toward nationalism,  increased anti-refugee/migrant sentiment, anti-Semitism, etc. are all extremely unsettling.   I have never felt as concerned about the state of the world as I do today, much of which I attribute to the current leadership (or lack thereof) of this country.  Enough said.

It has been an amazing year in many respects.  The highlight being our son, Jonathan’s wedding.  I hosted Passover again for family and friends, as well as a party in honor of Jonathan and Dana.  Our 7-week trip across the USA was also one heck of an incredible experience.  I celebrated my 50th reunion from Beachwood High School with 90 plus of my best friends.  We also recently returned from a wonderful Thanksgiving spent in a rather smoky California.

I already wrote of Jonathan and Dana’s wonderful wedding that took place on October 21^st.  One other brief side trip Dan and I took before heading back home from the wedding was to the Atlantic Ocean.  This was so we could officially state that we traveled to both coasts in a single year.  We stopped at Sherwood Island, the site of a 9-11-01 Memorial for Connecticut residents who died on that awful day.  It was cold and blustery outside, so the visit was short but sweet.  We stopped just long enough to take a few photos.

One other random thought regarding our married children.  When Dan and I married we called our in-laws Mom and Dad.  Sure, it was a bit awkward at first, but over time that’s what they became to us—another Mom and Dad.  Our kids and their spouses call us Wendy and Dan.  I do understand where this is coming from, but I can’t help but think it would be nice if they called us Mom and Dad. This makes signing cards a bit difficult.  If addressed to Jessica or Jonathan, of course, we sign a card Mom and Dad, but what to do when a letter is directed to our children and their spouses?  We’ve basically settled on Mom and Dad.

The Woolsey fire in southern California threatened Jessica and Joey’s home just days before our planned arrival.  The air quality had become so poor that our grandson Mickey’s asthma was acting up.  This forced the Meyer family to leave town, but it turned out to be just hours before a mandatory evacuation was announced.  The fire was just two blocks and one freeway away from their home.  Several homes were lost, and fire reached the fence surrounding the kid’s elementary school, but most of the area was spared. Unfortunately, Malibu on the other side of the mountains, didn’t fare so well.  By the time we arrived, the Meyer family was safely back home. For the  first few days the air smelled smokey, especially first thing in the morning.  By the time we left the smell had either dissipated or we simply got accustomed to the aroma.

Thanksgiving was a lot of fun, and as expected, very delicious and nutritious.  It was also work.  COSTCO came in handy, just as it would have at home, only it was a much larger store and extremely busy.  Jessica’s oven is very small, and our 22-pound turkey barely fit inside.   Baking all of the side dishes and getting everything warmed up before serving was quite a challenge.

Guests included our Dana and Jonathan, who flew in from New York to spend the week, along with my sister Amy and her family; husband Steven, sons Eli and Gregory, and their daughter Mara (who came in from San Francisco).   Pearl Berg, Steven’s mother, also joined in the festivities.  It was a treat being with the California branch of our family, although there is something quite special about cousins Jodi and Dave’s cozy old farmhouse in Chardon back home.

One afternoon we all drove to downtown LA to visit the Broad Museum.  The Museum is named for philanthropist Eli Broad who financed the building that houses part of his modern art collection.  Artwork included works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Calder, Roy Lichtenstein, Kooning, and a single Yayoi Kusama infinity room.  I happen to enjoy modern art and would highly recommend visiting the Broad if you ever get the chance.

We also spent a day in Santa Barbara.  First, we went to the zoo, where Bria and I fed romaine lettuce to a giraffe.  When we got home we learned that it was unsafe to eat romaine.  We both hoped the giraffe was OK.  It is a small and lovely zoo with views of the ocean.

The Santa Barbara area is also known for its vineyards.  So, after the zoo we spent the next few hours doing “adult things,” like drinking lots of wine.  In town there is a street that is filled with wine shops where you can enjoy wine tastings and purchase local wines.  Jessica, Dana and Jonathan took FULL advantage of the offerings.  I partook a bit, but Dan sampled very little as he was the designated driver.  The Mickey and Bria  managed to have fun simply running about.  I was amazed at how cooperative they were especially since they were not allowed inside the wine shops.  The ride home was extremely quiet with everyone sleeping except for Dan and me.

After Dan left to go back to teach, I spent another week visiting.  I took a train from LA to Solana Beach where my sister Amy picked me up.  I had a terrific 2 days playing with my sister and brother-in-law.  I also had a chance to catch up with my two nephews.  It really was fun being with them without a crowd.  It has been a long time since I’ve done that.  We took Amy’s mother-in-law Pearl out for lunch and did lots of shopping.  We celebrated my birthday at a restaurant right on the ocean.  Amy and I took walks and talked and talked.  It couldn’t have been nicer.

I also experienced a bit of California culture when I was asked by Jessica and her friends to give Sound Yoga a try.  I couldn’t resist.  It is really a form of meditation.  You lie down on a mat and close your eyes as various sounds stemming from hollowed out crystals and chimes surround you.  Since about 60% of an adult’s body is comprised of water, the idea is that the sound waves will permeate your entire body.  Supposedly it causes people to recall memories, see colors, relax etc.  As for me it was relaxing.  It was eerie how the sounds would resonate from one ear to the other, but that was it for me.  Not an unpleasant experience and may have even been worth the $35.00.

I am now officially the wife of a college professor.  Yes, Dan has been teaching part time since the Fall of 2016, but it wasn’t until he recently received a piece of mail directed to Professor Daniel Dermer that it became official for me.  Dan really enjoys teaching at John Carroll University, but he spends hours preparing for his classes.   I also entered the field of education on a much smaller scale. I tutor reading to kindergartners and first graders at Gearity Elementary School.  Coincidentally, my cousin Caren teaches first grade at Gearity and I tutor a few of her kids.   I also continue to help distribute food at Marion-Sterling Elementary School located in downtown Cleveland.

One of the most interesting art exhibits we experienced this year was the fantastic art of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama held at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  Tickets were required, and the event was sold out.  Seven of her infinity rooms were displayed, along with many of her other art pieces.  It was AWESOME.  Granted she definitely had a problem with penises, but the infinity rooms were filled with mirrors, lights, and structures that projected the “illusion of infinite space.” In the 1960’s she was famous for her staged “polka-dot happenings.”  She still loves her polka dots.

Another very colorful event that took place in Cleveland was the Lantern Festival at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.  It consisted of large-scale colorful lanterns located throughout the zoo.  It was fun for adults and children alike.

Even though it feels as if our democratic system is being seriously threatened, 2018 was a very good year.  As my grandmother Anna said, “if you have your health you have everything.”  The older I get, the more I agree with her.  We saw our children and grandchildren several times and that continues to be our favorite activity.  Being with friends and family is what makes life meaningful.  What could be better?  Hopefully 2019 will be equally as good, if not better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our son is a married man!!!   On October 21^st in Darien, Connecticut, Jonathan and Dana tied the knot.  It was a fantastic weekend.  The wedding and reception were held at the Darien Community Center, a lovely mansion with beautiful grounds. It was a perfect location for a wedding.   Most importantly, Dana and Jonathan couldn’t be happier.

On Wednesday, October 16^th Dan and I loaded our trusty Subaru Forester once again. This time the car was filled with a selection of wedding gifts to deliver to the kids.  Our house is being used as a holding area until the gifts can be given a proper home.  Dana and Jonathan’s small apartment, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, cannot accommodate much of their “loot.”  We drove to Fort Lee, New Jersey, just outside New York City taking a Southern route on Interstate 80.  I must admit that I didn’t sleep very well that night thinking about all of the stuff sitting in our car.  I’m afraid I have a mid-Westerner’s paranoia regarding crime in the Big Apple.  But all was well, and after a challenging 45-minute drive that following morning, we illegally parked in front of the kid’s apartment (which is what everyone has to do) and delivered the goods.  I got the easy job of staying with the car, while Dan, Jonathan and Dana made multiple trips up and down three flights of stairs.

We were very fortunate that we didn’t have to stay at a hotel for our two-day New York visit.  Our friend Eileen’s sister and brother-in-law invited us to stay in their home located around the corner from Jonathan and Dana.  How convenient!  Of course, we had to illegally park again in order to take out our luggage, but by now we were becoming regular New Yorkers.  Then on to the parking garage also just a block or two away.  I had used SpotHero to book parking in advance and low and behold it worked seamlessly.  The only glitch was a block party that had closed off the entrance to the street of the parking garage.  But, the parking g-ds were with us and a road worker just happened to be at the right place at the right time and opened up the barricade.

We spent the rest of the day trying to be helpful.  I ran some errands with Dana, while Dan stayed behind and helped clean up the apartment.   Jonathan had to locate a tailor as his mail order rented suit came with broken buttons and didn’t fit properly.  But we had big plans that evening.  We were meeting Jessica, Joey, Bria and Mickey for dinner at Tony’s Di Napoli’s located at Time Square, and then on to see the Lion King at the New Amsterdam Theater on Broadway.

The restaurant was crazy busy for a Thursday night, so it was good Jessica had made reservations.  Dan and I arrived at Time Square via subway in plenty of time, but the Meyer family came by cab and were late.  Fortunately, the restaurant was accustomed to late arrivals, and while they would not seat us until the entire party was present, they did honor our reservation.  The food was served family style and was very good.

Yes, after 20 years the Lion King is still playing on Broadway and the theater was packed.   The show opened on Broadway in November 1997.  The Meyer family had spent the day at the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Wall Street, and lord knows where else, so I don’t know how any of them managed to stay awake, but the play was enjoyed immensely by us all.   The only exception may have been Mickey who exhibited signs of exhaustion—like lying his head on his grandfather’s shoulder.  Everything about the play was wonderful.  The acting, music, animal costumes, staging, etc. were truly what one would expect of a colorful Broadway spectacle.

Friday was a wonderful day in which Dan and I spent most of the day on our own with Bria and Mickey.   Everyone else was doing wedding prep activities, except Joey who spent the day working.  After a quick breakfast, where Uncle Jonathan joined us, we headed over to the Natural History Museum located a few short blocks away.  All of us had a great time exploring that marvelous place.  We went to a special exhibit about the sea where the kids got to build islands, and  where special lighting made the land forms shift about.   We saw plenty of impressive dinosaur skeletons, and hundreds of stuffed animals.  The kids were terrific and we only misplaced them once or twice, but please don’t tell their parents.

Shabbat dinner was at Dana’s and Jonathan’s and we officially met Dana’s parents, Wendy Brezin and Gary Kresel.  We had communicated with them several times earlier using FaceTime, but this was our first encounter face-to-face.  They were easy to talk to and we enjoyed meeting them. The apartment is small, but we all managed to fit around the dining room table.   We enjoyed good conversation over our Mexican dinners.  Everyone had a pleasant evening, including the grandkids.  We spent a bit of the evening packaging the goodie bags to be given to hotel guests the next day.

First thing Saturday morning we headed to Dana’s shul.  I say Dana’s because she has been involved in Kehilat Hadar for many years.  It was an interesting and joyful experience.  I had never been to such an egalitarian orthodox service.

• Women and men read from the Torah
• Women and men sat together
• Most congregants were young, with a few exceptions
• Singing and chanting was done enthusiastically and with lots of pounding
• Singing and chanting was done entirely in Hebrew
• The congregation was open to the LGBTQ community

I loved it and could see why the community was such an important part of Dana’s life.

I was given the honor of opening and closing the ark, which I managed to do with a little assistance.  Services were held in a large room located in the Solomon Schechter Day School.  The room overlooked lots of trees, so it didn’t feel like being in the middle of a huge city.  After services we hosted a kiddish (light meal) along with Dana’s parents.  It was a lovely experience.

It was now time for us to head to Stamford after picking up items from Jonathan’s that were needed for the wedding weekend.  We stayed at the Stamford Courtyard by Marriott, as did most of the out-of-towners.   Then it was time to eat again.  I had made reservations for us and another 27 people at Barcelona Wine Bar located directly across the street from the hotel.  To say it was a lively bunch of people is an understatement.

I must admit that ordering was a bit confusing because the menu was fairly complicated.  How does one order an assortment of tapas for 29 people with varying preferences.  Nowadays there are countless personal preferences such as gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, no red meat, no onions etc., etc.  It ended up with us sharing an assortment of dishes by paying a fixed price.  This arrangement worked better for some than others.  I had to leave before the bill was settled, so I was lucky to miss the confusion that followed.  My only comfort was that everyone enjoyed being together and my reservation had made finding a place for dinner in a strange city much easier for everyone.    Jessica even connected with a cousin who happened to live in the area, Lindsey Rossen and her two children.

I had left early because Dan and I, along with Dana’s parents were hosting a dessert for our guests at Bar Zepoli, the restaurant located inside our hotel.  It turned out very nicely.  Everyone had a place to sit and talk and enjoy an assortment of desserts, coffee, tea, etc.   It was fun meeting some of Dana’s family friends, and seeing Jonathan’s good friend Shamir again.  Jonathan and Dana even made an appearance later that evening.

Finally, the wedding day was here.  It was an overcast and a chilly day, but it wasn’t raining, so the decision was made to have the wedding outside.  When we arrived at the venue it was clear why Dana and Jonathan had chosen it, and why the wedding would be held outside.  The garden was lovely, with roses still in bloom and a running fountain in the center.   Unfortunately, there was not much change in foliage, despite it being the third week in October.  The chuppah looked lovely with the backdrop of greenery and flowers cascading down its side.

Family pictures were taken outside before the wedding.  Everyone looked lovely.  The wedding party included two bridesmaids, Jessica Meyer and Rachel Pomerantz. Both women looked gorgeous in their navy dresses.  The matron of honor, however, Sarah Taber, was unable to attend.  Sarah had the best excuse possible—she was having a baby.  (Her son was born early the next day.)  The groomsmen, Jason Toth, Jason Kahn, and Shamir Parma wore the same blue suits as Jonathan, and all looked very handsome.   Bria and Mickey were adorable and were prepared to do their jobs as flower girl and ring bearer.  Of course, Dana and Jonathan were the most beautiful of all.

Prior to the ceremony a “Tisch” was held.  Led not by Jonathan, as would have been traditional, but by Dana.   It is customary for a groom to attempt to deliver a learned discourse at the Tisch (“table”). But traditionally he is interrupted by his friends shortly after beginning, with lively singing and rhythmic clapping in which all present join to prevent him from continuing. There was also plenty of scotch on the table which helped the participants sing louder and pound harder on the table.  It was an extremely lively event. The pounding on the table and singing was so loud that guests below came up to see what was going on.   It is supposedly designed to protect the groom who may be less than scholarly, lest he be shamed on what should be his most joyous day.  Meanwhile downstairs, Jonathan was hosting everyone at an elaborate appetizer table. There were many great and tasty appetizers and included Jonathan’s favorite, miniature pizza ‘bagels’.

Everyone was well fortified with both food and drink before venturing out for the ceremony.  Rabbi Jonathan Lubliner, from Dana’s temple in Jacksonville, officiated.  Most of us made it to the chuppah with no problem with the exception of Dana and her parents.  For some reason they took another route and ended up a little bit off course.  Of course, they finally made it to the front of the chuppah. Their little mis-adventure added a bit of levity to the affair.

The rest of the service went off without a hitch.  Silver kiddish cups that had belonged to Dan’s parents and grandparents were used.  In addition, as part of the service, the Rabbi read Dana’s and Jonathan’s pledge to each other.  Family and friends participated in the service in the reading of the seven brochots (blessings).  “The blessings trace the arc of Jewish history from the creation of the world and the Garden of Eden to the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and relate the happiness from those events to that of today’s marriage.”

All of the guests and wedding party yelled ‘Mazel Tov’ when Jonathan broke the glass on his first try.  The breaking of the glass acknowledges that as happy are we are today; the world is broken, and not as it should be.  We hope to help make the world a more perfect place.  Overall it was a very meaningful and lovely ceremony.

After the newlyweds were given a few minutes to themselves, a 30-minute hora began.  It’s a wonderful thing to dance at one’s son’s wedding.  Dan and I are truly thankful that we’ve been able to enjoy the weddings of our two children.  Jessica and Joey will be married 10 years on November 2^nd.  Interesting how the weddings are just about 10 years apart.

Another unique part of the wedding was what Dana called the “Shtick”.  After Jonathan and Dana were lifted up on chairs and danced around – which is traditionally done, they were entertained by their guests.   Using signs and props, guests would do their best to entertain the couple and make them laugh.  For example, my sister made a poster that showed a child with toy tools stating that he “hit water.”  Which is what happened with Jonathan when he was “fixing” my parents sink many years ago.  He actually took the pipes apart with his toy tools; we had to call a plumber to fix it.

The rest of the evening flew by.  It was fun dancing, talking, eating, and drinking the night away.  Bria and Mickey both were sensations on the dance floor.  It was truly a marvelous wedding.

It is always a little bittersweet after a major event that has taken months in the planning, has come to a successful conclusion.  But it is also a relief.  Dana did a fantastic job, with Jonathan’s help.   He admitted to doing  25% of the work.   A breakfast Monday morning was hosted by my sister and brother-in-law, Amy and Steven; and brother-in-law, David, with his husband of one-week, Craig; along with some of Dana’s family friends.  It was perfect, with people being able to order directly off the menu.  Then it was over, and everyone headed back home.

Dan and I spent an hour or so talking with Dana’s parents at a local coffee shop after breakfast.  It was nice having a little one-on-one chat with them.  Jonathan and Dana headed back home.  They are planning a honeymoon to Italy come Spring when they both will have more vacation time.  We then headed home ourselves, heading first to Hartford.

We are rarely in New England, so it made sense to take the time and visit Dan’s parents’ graves.  It was almost dusk when we arrived, but we were able to bring Mom and Dad up to date on the wedding, etc.  They were such caring and loving people; our life isn’t the same without them.  Dan and I also went to visit their home on South Quaker Lane.  Not much change.  We ended up staying at the West Hartford Inn, which is a rather run-down hotel.  One would think that since it is located in upscale West Hartford Center it would be a much nicer place.  It’s not.

Our route home was through upstate New York.  We hoped to see Fall foliage, but the trees were still quite green, and as it turned out, the day was rainy.  We made a stop at Geneva, situated on Seneca Lake, one of the Finger lakes.  The hotel we picked was Bellhurst Castle and Winery. It is listed on the National Register of Historic properties and voted one of the most romantic places in New York state.  It was the perfect place for us to stop and decompress.

Since it was raining, we really couldn’t take full advantage of the lovely setting.  We did manage to go outside in time to see a double rainbow on Lake Seneca.  Then the showers began again and we headed inside.  After dinner we headed back to the comfort of our room   Frankly, I think that is all we really felt like doing after our whirlwind weekend.  By this point, I was coming down with a cold.  Funny how I was able to keep it at bay until after the wedding. The next day we headed home on Interstate 90, our Northern route home.

Home sweet home.  It really felt wonderful to get home.  Now we can reflect on how lovely everything was this past week and look forward to reliving it through pictures.

July 8 thru August 5, 2018

While new travel adventures may be on hold for the time being, I feel the need to continue writing every so often. Our blog is a place where I can hone my writing skills, but only time will tell whether or not readers will find my ramblings of any interest. Your comments would be appreciated.
We’ve been home a month now and it was a bit of an adjustment. It had been wonderful not reading, hearing or discussing the news. It had been wonderful not dealing with home maintenance related concerns. It had been wonderful seeing something new almost every day. But, vacations don’t last forever which is what makes them so WONDERFUL.
Upon our return we were fully expecting our house to be full of cat fur, and it was. We were fully expecting it to take time to sort through the mail, and it did. What we didn’t expect was finding an opossum staring at me with its small beady eyes when I went down the basement to find wrapping paper.
We had noticed that the tubing from our dryer to the outside of our home appeared to have eroded away. We had replaced it the day before I confronted our “guest.” The critter was on the 3rd shelf of a storage bookcase. After it hissed at me, I backed away and gave Dan the news. There must have been a less expensive and more humane way to have the animal removed, but we hired an expert to capture the creature. Sadly, I know that they euthanize wild animals. I have a problem killing spiders let alone a young opossum, but it had to go.
Fortunately, there was only one opossum in our home, but it wasn’t until I was cleaning our rarely used living room that I noticed a horrible smell. I thought at first something had died, but it turned out that the opossum had been using an area behind our couch as its bathroom. We were able to get the area clean and get the smell out, but we wondered how long the critter had been in our house? We’ll never know, but we guess it had made itself at home for some time. Since it found its way up to the first floor we assume it simply helped itself to cat food and water. Both cats appear to have accepted the opossum as a friendly visitor.
Also, on our minds was a party we were planning for our son Jonathan and his fiancé Dana. They are getting married in October, but the wedding is small and we could not invite all of our family and friends. We wanted everyone to meet Dana. In addition, Jessica and our grandchildren were coming in for the party and their annual summer visit. All we had done before leaving on our trip was to send out invitations. Now it was time to pull everything together.
On Sunday, August 5th 55 people came to enjoy a brunch of bagels, lox and fixings, giant blintz soufflé (made by me), fruit, sweet tray, tuna salad, alcoholic punch, tea, coffee, and cake. Jessica and Dana were both very helpful in getting the food ready and setting up for the party. Even the lox looked like it had been professionally prepared thanks to my neighbor Jan’s lox rolling technique. Many of our guests were able to sit at tables set up in our backyard, which helped keep the house from being over crowded.
When I was growing up my entire family lived between Cleveland and Akron. The Zaas Family Club, on my mother’s side of the family, would have frequent get togethers. I would see the Weisman relatives all of the time as we lived next door to my grandparents. But nowadays it is rare for all of us to get together. It was really special having the majority of family living in the area make it to the party, along with our close friends. That alone would have made the party a success. We even had a family celebrity stop by. My Mom’s first cousin Sheldon Ocker, a former sports reporter for the Akron Beacon Journal, was just inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame for his coverage of the Cleveland Indians. Go Sheldon!!!
We really lucked out because almost immediately after everyone left there was an unexpected rain storm. Now we can sit back and enjoy the balance of the summer and get ready for Jonathan and Dana’s big day.
I almost forgot to write about another of life’s landmarks – my 50th high school reunion. I remember when my father received an invitation to his 50th Glenville High School reunion. He was really old. Now it was my turn, and it is rather numbing to admit to being THAT OLD. I even volunteered to help in its planning, although I admit to not having done very much.
The reunion was held at Landerhaven Party Center, and for those not from Cleveland, it is a lovely place. Out of my class of 168 kids (about 17 are no longer with us), 79 classmates attended, plus plenty of spouses and significant others. After so many years everyone was comfortable with who they were making conversations easy and enjoyable. It is rare experience to be in a room filled with people with whom you’ve shared so much, such as growing up in the same sheltered community of Beachwood, OH, going off to college at the same time, and living through the turbulent 60’s and 70’s. It was a fantastic group of people and a lot of fun.
Stay tuned for more…..