Posts Tagged: Personal Memories
My Father Danced with Iris Apfel When No One Else Would
Eighty-eight years ago at a high school mixer, while the gym floor was crowded with couples dancing, my 15-year-old father Marvin kept his eye on another 15-year-old, a shy female friend leaning alone against the gymnasium wall. They were neighborhood
My Father Danced with Iris Apfel When No One Else Would
Eighty-eight years ago at a high school mixer, while the gym floor was crowded with couples dancing, my 15-year-old father Marvin kept his eye on another 15-year-old, a shy female friend leaning alone against the gymnasium wall. They were neighborhood
A Hunter’s Christmas
65 years ago the most wished-for Christmas gift for this Jewish, 3-year-old suburban girl was a hunting rifle. Not just any rifle, but a gen-u-ine- Roy Rogers rifle, perfect for hunting pretend bears in my post-war suburban development. This
A Hunter’s Christmas
65 years ago the most wished-for Christmas gift for this Jewish, 3-year-old suburban girl was a hunting rifle. Not just any rifle, but a gen-u-ine- Roy Rogers rifle, perfect for hunting pretend bears in my post-war suburban development. This
Creature Comforts and Doggie Heirlooms
Every pocket in every coat is filled with reminders of my dog Stanley. As the first nippy day in New York began I grabbed my puffer winter coat for the first time this season. As I stuck my hand
Creature Comforts and Doggie Heirlooms
Every pocket in every coat is filled with reminders of my dog Stanley. As the first nippy day in New York began I grabbed my puffer winter coat for the first time this season. As I stuck my hand
9/11 Blue
It is the sense memories of September 11 that linger as vividly today as they did 22 years ago. It is impossible to see a particularly clear, otherworldly blue sky forever dubbed 9/11 Blue without it simultaneously conjuring up the
9/11 Blue
It is the sense memories of September 11 that linger as vividly today as they did 22 years ago. It is impossible to see a particularly clear, otherworldly blue sky forever dubbed 9/11 Blue without it simultaneously conjuring up the
Dancing Around Father’s Day
If I am a pro at waltzing through complex relationships, I learned that life skill from my most primal relationship – my father. Like me, the man himself was complicated, a tangled mass of contradictions. For many years Father’s Day
Dancing Around Father’s Day
If I am a pro at waltzing through complex relationships, I learned that life skill from my most primal relationship – my father. Like me, the man himself was complicated, a tangled mass of contradictions. For many years Father’s Day
Cry, Uncle
While Kevin McCarthy refuses to cry uncle, I am preparing to shed tears for my own. There is a personal sadness that is weighing on me as I prepare to lose an important person in my life. My one
Cry, Uncle
While Kevin McCarthy refuses to cry uncle, I am preparing to shed tears for my own. There is a personal sadness that is weighing on me as I prepare to lose an important person in my life. My one
When it Comes to Rape Past is Always Present
My introduction into the go-go 80s was less than auspicious. 43 years ago today I was getting ready to celebrate a new decade-the 1980s. Instead, it is remembered as the day I was brutally raped. On the cusp of a
When it Comes to Rape Past is Always Present
My introduction into the go-go 80s was less than auspicious. 43 years ago today I was getting ready to celebrate a new decade-the 1980s. Instead, it is remembered as the day I was brutally raped. On the cusp of a
How Thanksgiving Leftovers Created the TV Dinner
Thanksgiving and leftovers go together. For many, it’s their favorite part of Thanksgiving. Days of turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce combined together in all sorts of configurations keep the warm holiday feeling going. In fact it was one
How Thanksgiving Leftovers Created the TV Dinner
Thanksgiving and leftovers go together. For many, it’s their favorite part of Thanksgiving. Days of turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce combined together in all sorts of configurations keep the warm holiday feeling going. In fact it was one
All God’s Children
In another lesson from my childhood department. Despite living in a so-called “Christian nation” with the far right claiming God for themselves, even in 1962 as a 7-year-old I knew God belonged to everyone. He wasn’t a Jewish God, a
All God’s Children
In another lesson from my childhood department. Despite living in a so-called “Christian nation” with the far right claiming God for themselves, even in 1962 as a 7-year-old I knew God belonged to everyone. He wasn’t a Jewish God, a
Still Obsessed With Marilyn Monroe
60 years ago today Americans were waking up to the tragic news that Marilyn Monroe had died. It was a hot, muggy, Sunday afternoon as I lolled about like a Hollywood starlet in a kidney-shaped pool when I learned the
Still Obsessed With Marilyn Monroe
60 years ago today Americans were waking up to the tragic news that Marilyn Monroe had died. It was a hot, muggy, Sunday afternoon as I lolled about like a Hollywood starlet in a kidney-shaped pool when I learned the
Envisioning The American Dream 