songbird's crazy world

  1. When is the last time you experienced nostalgia?  We just went through the Jewish High Holy Days.   Our celebration was all social-distanced.  Made me nostalgic for holidays gone by.  2. September 29th is National Coffee Day. Do we need this? Ha! So are you a coffee drinker? If so how many cups per day, and tell us how you like it. Is there a recipe you enjoy that calls for coffee as one of the ingredients?  When I looked at my Facebook memories I saw all the posts from prior years, each time I stopped to get free coffee on my way to work.  This year I celebrated with my Keurig. I don't cook with coffee.  3. Do you find praise or criticism to be more motivating? Explain.  I do much better with positive feedback.  4.  What's a television series you keep coming back to and re-watching?  Star Trek .  Any version will do.  5. As the month of September draws to a close give us three words to describe your moo...

Anyone know what this is?  1964, the New York World's Fair in Flushing Meadow.  And these fixtures lit up the whole park.

 So Drew and I went out to dinner Saturday night. We went to one of our favorites, a Greek place that's about a 20 minute drive away. And we were halfway to the restaurant when he said to me: "I don't have a mask." He is in the habit of leaving one or two masks in his car.  But he had taken the masks out of the car so he could throw them in the laundry, and forgot to grab one on the way out the door. I usually have an extra mask in my purse,  but not that night.   Thank heaven for 7-11.

It's Music Monday.  And the theme? For National Neighbor or Sons Day song titles/lyrics about neighbors or sons Let's start with Paul Simon's ode to apartment house living: But there are good things about apartment life too: The Drifters wanted to get away from their neighbors for awhile: Sesame Street teaches us about our neighbors And won't you be my neighbor?

 On Rosh HaShanah it is written.  On Yom Kippur it is sealed.  May you be inscribed in the book of Life.

 The most solemn holiday on the Jewish calendar. There was a time when my father, of blessed memory, would accompany me to synagogue on Yom Kippur.  And when the Cantor would sing Kol Nidre, a solemn prayer that ushers in the holy day, my father would critique the performance. Cantors (like Rabbi's) have traditionally been men. I wonder what he'd think of this Cantor?

  Do You Want to Dance? Welcome to  Saturday: 9 . What we 've   committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love to  answer the questions, however, and here is today's questions! Saturday 9: Do You Want to Dance? (1972) Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it  here . This week, we're inspired by The Divine Miss M's plea for a definitive answer. Here are nine random "yes or no" questions. Naturally you're welcome to elaborate, but if you want to zip through with a Y or an N, that's fine, too.   1) Do you check your cell phone first thing in the morning?   Well, since I use it as my alarm clock,  I have to pick it up as...

 The first woman, and the first Jewish American, to lie in state in the US Capitol. May her memory be for a blessing.

 More "smokey sun" photos. Please keep the West Coast in your thoughts.   #skywatchfriday

  1. It's fall y'all. What's something you love about this season and also something you don't?  I love fall.  I love the cool, crisp air, the changing leaves, local apples, seeing pumpkins everywhere  ... The only problem with fall?  It leads to winter.... 2. When you think of the colors of fall, which one is your favorite? Is there somewhere you could easily day trip to see the leaves in all their glory? Will you?  My favorite?  All of them. My mother's house is located in a heavily wooded area.  Her backyard borders on an unofficial nature preserve, about 18 acres of woods that cannot be developed because of local zoning laws.   It's really very pretty this time of year. If I want to day trip to someplace more rural, I could drive out to the East End/Hamptons, or travel a bit further to the Hudson Valley/Catskill area.   3. What's one thing you've let 'fall' by the wayside during this season of staying home and staying a...

 They're ba-ack! These cookies are only shipped in the cool months, so that the chocolate won't melt.  That made sense in 1913, when the cookies were invented.  Modern refrigeration notwithstanding, Nabisco adheres to tradition even now.  They'll be gone in March...

“You shall appoint magistrates and officials for your tribes, in all the settlements that the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall govern the people with due justice ( mishpat tzedek) . You shall not judge unfairly: you shall show no partiality; you shall not take bribes, for bribes blind the eyes of the discerning and upset the plea of the just. Justice, justice shall you pursue (t zedek tzedek tirdof)  that you may thrive and occupy the land that the Lord your God is giving you”  (Deut. 16:18-20 ).

And it's a "your choice" week. So let's have some fun today.  I really need to laugh. Steve Martin always makes me laugh. John Denver had a wicked sense of humor Mac Davis found it hard to be humble A classic from Ray Stevens Of course I had to add some Harry Chapin That story got wilder every time he told it. And let's end with some Monty Python.  Great advice: I really needed humor today.  I have been crying since Friday night.  We lost a giant.  May her memory remain for a blessing. Baruch dayan emet: Blessed be the one true Judge. According to Jewish tradition, a person who dies on Rosh Hashanah is a tzaddik, a person of great righteousness," Ruth Franklin, author and literary critic, tweeted soon after the news of Ginsburg's death broke.  NPR reporter Nina Totenberg explained the tradition on Twitter: "A Jewish teaching says those who die just before the Jewish new year are the ones God has held back until the last moment because they were neede...

 Normally Rosh HaShanah means a big dinner at my mom’s house, a big dinner at Drew’s house.  It means chicken soup with matzo balls, gefilte fish, and either brisket or roast turkey.  A round challah to symbolize the circle of life,  apples dipped in honey for a sweet new year. Not in the age of Covid. This year Drew and I celebrated alone.  This year the brisket and chicken soup came from the deli. This year, instead of walking to the synagogue and praying with 1500 friends and neighbors, I watched services on YouTube.    (The synagogue is on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, the Rabbi’s sermon was unabashedly political, all about social justice and activism.  I loved it.) And i listened to the words of the service, so familiar. And I cried. 

According to Jewish tradition, a person who dies on Rosh HaShanah, which began last night, is a tzaddik, a person of great righteousness. When we hear of a death, we respond in Hebrew:   Baruch Dayan Emet. Blessed be the true Judge. We say of the deceased:  May her memory remain for a blessing. And G-d help this poor, troubled nation that she leaves behind.

  Frankie and Johnny Welcome to  Saturday: 9 . What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love to  answer the questions, however, and here is today's questions! Saturday 9: Frankie and Johnny (1966) Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it  here . 1) When this record was initially released in 1966, it never cracked the Top 20. Critics were harsh, saying that Elvis had not kept up the times. How about you? Do you consider yourself up-to-date on today's music? My musical taste seems to be stuck in the 60's, 70's and 80's. 2) The song is about a woman named Frankie and Johnny, the man who does her wrong. Who is the most...

 First, a classic from Phish And a 2020 variation on another classic, in Hebrew and English — full lyrics on YouTube.

 Here on Long Island we think we are far removed from the California wildfires. But the smoke from those fires made it to the upper atmosphere, and into East Coast skies. And look what it did to our sunset. Please keep the West Coast in your thoughts, it must be awful there... #skywatchfriday

  1. What's one thing you learned at the ripe old age of whatever age you are now? How to let things goo and not get riled up about stuff I cannot change. 2.  I read here a list  of foods that can help you look younger- e xtra virgin olive oil, green tea, fatty fish, dark chocolate, vegetables, flaxseeds, pomegranates, avocados, tomatoes, spices, bone broth How many of the foods listed have you tried? How many do you eat regularly? Your favorite from the list? I have eaten everything you named except flaxseeds and bone broth. I like olive oil, veggies, tomatoes, spices, avocado and dark chocolate. 3. Something you miss from the 'good old days'? When were the good old days anyway? I miss the good old days of 2019.  I miss all the social and cultural activities that have been put on hold, 4. What are two or three of the most rewarding things to be found in growing older? I am less worried about what others think, and more comfortable with my own company. 5. What's ...

  My mask lanyard.  A friend made it for me.  It’s her new side gig.

 Lesson of the day. When you think you might have a problem that involves the electric company, call them. A few weeks ago there was a bad storm here. Many people on Long Island lost electricity for days. We never lost power, but we did have an electric surge that did damage to some of our appliances. Ever since the storm, every time we used the microwave or washing machine Or whatever, the lights would flicker. We were afraid to use appliances without turning off the lights.  To tell the truth, it was scary. We called the electric company last week. They were supposed to be here on Thursday. They didn’t show up until yesterday. I’m glad they came. The gentleman from the electric company told me that we had a very dangerous condition. Apparently we had no “neutral“. He didn’t explain to me what that was, but Google is my friend. Apparently a “neutral” is a line designed to return power to the source and to regulate voltage. No wonder everything was going haywire in this house....

And this week's theme: for National Coloring Day song titles/lyrics about art in general – get creative or use your high school colors to build your theme around . I'm inclined to go with art... Nat King Cole compared a lady with a famous painting. Don McLean sang about an artist: How about a Coloring Book? I'm going to throw in some Sondheim And an educational song from Harry Chapin. And close it out with Chicago

  1. Tell us about any lawn or garden plans you have for this month, I'm not much of a gardener.  I planted sunflower seeds at the beginning of the summer.  Turns out the birds loved sunflower seeds... 2. "Many things grow in the garden that were never sown there."~Thomas Fuller  What does this quote mean to you? Literally or as a metaphor?  I'm not in the mood to wax philosophical today, so I will just say "weeds" and leave the deeper meaning out of it. 3. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about God? And here we go, asking yet another philosophical question... Next week is Rosh HaShanah, ask me next week... 4. If we were chatting in person, how would I know if you were nervous. My voice breaks, I use a lot of "ums" and other fillers... 5. Do you like the color yellow? Would I find any in your home or wardrobe? My childhood bedroom was mostly yellow -- yellow carpet, curtains and bedspread in a yellow, red and blue print....

  So Emotional Welcome to  Saturday 9 . What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme! Saturday 9: So Emotional (1987) Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it  here . 1) Whitney sings that she keeps her lover's photo beside her bed. What's on your bedside table? His cell phone, my phone and the alarm clock. 2) She's getting frustrated, waiting for the phone to ring. If your phone were to ring right now, who would you expect to be on the other end? 3) The video was filmed at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, PA. It seats 6,200. As the nation reopens from Covid19, would you feel comfor...