Thanksgiving 2009

I survived Thanksgiving Day 2009. Now on to the main event! My day began with a visit from son Joey, grandson Nicky and his Uncle Anthony. We progressed from pancakes and coffee through turkey and artichokes and desert -- and everything in between.

Thanksgiving Day was unseasonably warm for a November 26. So from time to time, we found ourselves outside sitting on the stoop. Annie and Louis, Anthony, Liddy, Alison, Pam, Vanessa, Chris and I began about 2 o'clock with anitpasto.

A Day at the Museum

Liddy and I drove into NYC to visit the American Museum of Natural History, AMNH, on 81st Street & Central Park West. The complex is a huge amalgamation of buildings fused into one enormous facility. It has been many years since my last visit and through the years, except for special exhibits, little has changed. The same dinosaur bones and stuffed animals awaited us, but same or not, the museum captivated our imaginations and excited our interests in diverse subjects. We planned to see the whale, the dinosaur bones, and the elephants -- and we did. We also enjoyed viewing the history of our north eastern section of America. We arrived about 10:00 A. M. and by noon the crowds were overwhelming. Happily we had seen enough by then and wearily make our way to the exit.

Liddy was hungry for a bagel and tuna, so we stopped at the Tick Tock Diner on Route 3 in Clifton, NJ to visit a second cultural icon in the same day. The Tick Tock Diner stands out as an excellent diner in a state known for its diners.

Halloween 2009

Halloween is here again. I know its Nov 1, but its the first chance I got to write.

Yesterday was a blustery, cloudy, damp, eerily warm, late October day. It was an ideal day for Halloween. From the first giggling child running to my door singing "Trick or Treat, smell my feet" to the last stragglers, it was AMERICA.

Where else but in America can we be free to participate, or not, in an ages old, constantly evolving custom that involves frivolity and candy? I get so frustrated when I hear the religious fanatics decrying the 'celebration' of Halloween. To all my 'religious' friends, I say that is the hallmark of theological arrogance. Halloween is a day, not so much celebrated as enjoyed. It is a day where parent's can be children and children can just HAVE FUN. It is NOT as I have been told, "the devil's birthday!" Halloween is, pure and simply for FUN. There is nothing nefarious about it.

So, whether you participated or not I hope you had fun. This morning, we were given an extra hour to prepare for next year's Halloween.