songbird's crazy world

So it’s the holiday season.  The winter solstice was celebrated on December 21, Hanukkah began on the evening of December 22.  Christmas Eve  arrived on the 24th, as usual.  Kwanza began on the 26th.  Tonight we celebrate the new year.  It’s a season of peace, a season of hope for all mankind. I wanted to write a joyful post to end this year. But ... There were 7 anti Semitic incidents in the NYC metropolitan area, one for each of the first 7 days of Hanukkah.  The last one, in Monsey, NY, involved a machete-wielding man who entered a Rabbi’s house and injured many ... five victims, including two children, had to be hospitalized. I have a friend who is afraid to put her Hanukkah menorah in the window. Once again, wearing my Jewish star feels like an act of bravery, an act of defiance in the face of evil. The hate doesn’t come from just one place.  The shooters at Tree of Life and Chabad of Poway were white nationalists.  The shooters in Jersey City and the machete-wielding

My favorite New Year's Eve songs: Happy New Year. May 2020 bring peace and prosperity to all of us.

So on Saturday we went to see  Magic Of Lights  at Jones Beach. Magic of Lights is a dazzling, drive-through holiday lights experience featuring favorite holiday scenes and characters of the season using the latest LED technology and digital animations. Experience Magic of Lights from the comfort of your own car as you wind through the sparkling path of Long Island’s favorite holiday tradition. One carload, one price. And at the end of the tour you’ll find a bathhouse converted to a Christmas village, with decorations, refreshments, a game room, and if you go before Christmas you can even visit Santa. We always try to get to the beach before sunset, so we’re usually among the first on line for the show. There are different zones along the route, each with its own theme — toys, Santa, the beach...And light tunnels between each area. Candy canes, fairytales, foreign landmarks...it’s all on light. Yes, that’s a Jewish

So for Christmas Eve, we found ourselves on the Nautical Mile in Freeport.  The Nautical Mile is famous for the fine restaurants clustered along a canal; follow Guy Lombardo Avenue down to the waterfront ... Yes, I said Guy Lombardo Avenue, he lived in Freeport from the 1950’s until his death in 1977...anyhow, we ate at the  River House Grille .  I had crusty bread dipped in olive oil, lobster bisque, baked clams, shrimp oreganata with linguini in scampi sauce, a nice Prosecco, and a very rich cheesecake for dessert.  Excellent meal. If you like old fashioned murder mystery movies, like Sleuth  or Deathtrap or anything by Agatha Christie, you’ll like Knives Out.   Great cast including Christopher Plummer, Daniel Craig, Jamie Lee Curtis and Don Johnson.  Lots of twists and turns as Craig tries to figure out who killed Christopher Plummer... We saw the movie Christmas morning, and had dinner at the Asian buffet.  Sushi, fried rice, Korean beef ribs, coconut shrimp, boneless pork ribs

We New Yorkers love our big trees.  This is the "Wall Street tree", which sits outside the NY Stock Exchange -- it's actually on Broad Street. Yes, that's a Hanukkah menorah at the base of the tree. The Stock Exchange is all dressed up for the holidays. #skywatchfriday

Seen while driving around the neighborhood. These next three houses are all on the same block.  They really go all out, don’t they? A TV screen?  And look at the windows.