For Ken on July 19th
July is a busy month for my family. We celebrate a cluster of birthdays from July 10 to the 16th. Then on July 19th, I stop to remember my father. It is on this day in 1996 that he broke the only promise he ever made to me. “I don’t plan on going anywhere," he’d said. But by July, he was gone. Like my mother, my father was larger than life in my eyes. They had separated after I was…
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Weekly Photo Challenge – Hot
Given the 90 degree temperatures that have returned to the North East this week, it's difficult not to think of hot as anything but weather related. But there are many shades of hot: trendy, now, sexy, peppery, spicy, piquant, electric, stolen, in trouble with the police, etc. I mulled over the different meanings of hot as I looked through my photos for one or two that would fit the bill. These are what I came up with. [caption id="attachment_6096" align="aligncenter"…
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Soulful Sundays: Maysa
My wonderful blog buddy, Tosh Fomby who blogs at Totsy Mae, introduced me to this singer, Maysa Leak. I'd never heard about her [caption id="attachment_5797" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Maysa Leak, photo courtesy of YouTube"][/caption] before but right away, I felt like I 'knew' her. She reminds me of someone else, though I can't remember who. It'll come back to me when I'm not trying so hard. Mayas was born in 1966 in Baltimore, Maryland. She's been a lead singer for the British…
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Flowers for Gloria
Today would have been my mom's 82nd birthday. Gloria loved flowers, roses, in particular. My, how she loved roses! It would have been such a treat for her to visit the New York Botanical Gardens today. But since she can't, I'm sending these flowers to her. Mama and I were alike and yet so different. She told me once that she wished she'd had my courage. I told her I wished I had her brains. I know for sure that…
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Manhattan to Spain via the Bronx
I wanted to revisit Barcelona earlier this year. Had reserved a room at a hotel that’s located steps from the Ramblas. I was excited. For years since I left Barcelona, I had not felt the urge to return. My experience has so shaped me and my view about travel, I wanted to preserve the memories. But quite unexpectedly, I started feeling that I needed to go. What would Barcelona look like since I was a student there 20 plus years…
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It’s Bastille Day
I just realized it's July 14th! [caption id="attachment_5882" align="aligncenter" width="395" caption="Arc de Triomphe"][/caption] Happy Bastille Day!
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Travel Photo Thursday – Old and New New York
[caption id="attachment_5872" align="aligncenter" width="585" caption="Old and New New York"][/caption] One of the newest hotels in New York, the Hyatt 48Lex, will open in August. The old building, which housed a camera store, a deli and an antiques shop, was demolished around 2005 or 2006. I was curious to see what would take its place. Once the scaffolding was removed, I was surprised a thoroughly modern structure which is a lovely counterpoint to the building next to it. Several gargoyles adorn…
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Tasty Thursdays – Gelato
I can’t remember a time in my adult life when I’ve eaten more ice cream, sorbet and gelato. A pint or more of sorbet or ice cream is on my shopping list every week. I tell myself I’ll only need a pint but if I don't pace myself, I can eat all of it in one sitting. Last weekend, I was in the Bronx where my friend and I had a wonderful meal at Emilia’s on Arthur Avenue. A family-style…
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A Perfect Meal
When I saw yesterday's Daily Post prompt, Describe a Perfect Meal, I thought immediately of a dinner I was invited to several years ago. The details of the menu have receded from my memory. What remains now, more than 15 years later, is the memory of the afternoon. It was at the home of friends, a couple, who I have great affection for. He had been a diplomat and linguist who had had an assorted number of interesting occupations. He…
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A Human Safari Park?
This disturbs me so much, I hardly know how to write about it. "Survival launches tourism boycott of "human safari park." What the hell is a human safari park? I had to read the headline several times before I got it. The more I read, the more my blood boiled. I can't even find the words to express my disgust. Here's the entire text and a link to the article: Tour Operators Oppose Human Safaris "The Association of Tour Operators…
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