Arthur & Bernie

A New Chapter

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:44:00 -0400

And there they are. May 2013, Brooklyn. Over the past two and a half years, this blog has taught me...

Let's Dance: Generations Step to the Beat

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 18:14:14 -0400

Let's Dance: Generations Step to the Beat: See, I promised there’d be more on our DOROT Young...

Birthday party pic. March 2013, Manhattan. In years past, for...

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 18:02:00 -0400

Birthday party pic. March 2013, Manhattan.

In years past, for Arthur’s birthday, I’ve given him cards with messages from readers and Twitter followers. I thought about doing it again this year, but then I figured, why not shake things up?

I’d gotten an email from William, who DOROT paired with a dear friend of mine. He remembered that Arthur was a big theater buff like himself, and that I’d said they would get along quite well. Could we schedule a time for introductions, he asked.

The time, as it turned out, fell on the Friday before Arthur’s birthday. I brought daffodils and doughnuts, and William, though meeting him for the very first time, brought him a card. It was a party of three!

That card still sits on the table next to Arthur in the living room. It was a special visit. And with continued luck, the start of a friendship.

Basically, Yes

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 21:31:00 -0400

Me: Basically, what happened was... "Basically" — ha, listen to me. I sound like Pop Pop. Mom: You...

How a Random Act of Kindness Helped Me Heal

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 11:24:00 -0400

How a Random Act of Kindness Helped Me Heal: I somehow forgot to link to last month’s AARP...

"Gornisht mit gornisht."

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:21:00 -0400

“Gornisht mit gornisht.” - Arthur, the other day when I asked what he’s been up...

Dance partners. March 2013, Manhattan. More on this soon, but I...

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 18:10:00 -0400

Dance partners. March 2013, Manhattan.

More on this soon, but I can’t wait any longer! I just have to post this photo from our DOROT Young Professionals dance event with Ballet Hispanico. It was quite possibly our best program ever. Smiles, shimmies and shakes all around, wheelchairs be damned.

(More) About Us

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:04:00 -0500

(More) About Us: A few months ago, I got an email from DOROT saying I’d been nominated for...

En route. February 2013, Pennsylvania. This will be my first...

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 16:49:00 -0500

En route. February 2013, Pennsylvania.

This will be my first time home since Pop Pop passed.

A Winter's Tale: Helping Seniors Weather the Cold

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 09:44:29 -0500

A Winter's Tale: Helping Seniors Weather the Cold: Arthur doesn’t seem to mind the cold. He...

Stopping by parks on a snowy evening. January 2013, New York. It...

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 11:09:00 -0500

Stopping by parks on a snowy evening. January 2013, New York.

It was a cold walk to Arthur’s this Friday, and an even colder walk home. Inside, though, it was nice and warm. I brought Vietnamese — shrimp summer rolls and pork chop vermicelli — from my favorite shop along the way. We shared.

“We’re such good Jews, aren’t we? Eating shrimp and pork chops,” I said. “And on Shabbos!”

He shook his head.

“It’s delicious.”

Backyard dancers. July 2006, Pennsylvania. Today is Bernie and...

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 11:59:00 -0500

Backyard dancers. July 2006, Pennsylvania.

Today is Bernie and Ruth’s 70th wedding anniversary. I have no doubt that a version of this is happening somewhere right now, with Dibi cutting the rug and Pop Pop looking on, smiling. See him there on the porch?

I could be sad, but I’m not. Let’s dance.

The Gift I Didn't Know I Needed

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 12:46:18 -0500

The Gift I Didn't Know I Needed: My latest post for AARP is a thank you / love letter to my friends....

While the rest of New York waited. October 2012, Brooklyn. The...

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 16:17:00 -0500

While the rest of New York waited. October 2012, Brooklyn.

The Sunday before Hurricane Sandy hit, we gathered in Prospect Park to dedicate a tree to Dibi and Pop Pop. I wrote about it for my December AARP post, which should go live sometime next week, so more on this soon. But let me just say: I was and continue to be so grateful for the friends who dreamed up the tree and made it happen. And yes, it survived the storm (thank goodness!), so there will be many more picnics and sits and talks there to come.

That’s what friends are for. September 2012,...

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 13:31:24 -0500

That’s what friends are for. September 2012, Pennsylvania.

I lost track of things this fall, understandably, so over the next few days, I’m going to post some favorite Arthur and Bernie-related moments from the end of 2012. This one, taken the day we buried Pop Pop, has to be first.

Per Jewish tradition, his funeral was held the day after he died. As soon as Kelsey and Lauren heard the news, they dropped everything, rented a car and drove the six-plus hours from New York to my family’s town in Pennsylvania. Yes, really.

I feel beyond fortunate for the two of them, and for all the friends and family who surrounded me with the love I needed in order to get through. More on that tomorrow.

A Modern Family: Bringing Generations Together for Dinner

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 11:04:37 -0500

A Modern Family: Bringing Generations Together for Dinner: It’s not a new idea, as an AARP...

Turkey days of yore. November 2007, Pennsylvania. Home from...

Sun, 25 Nov 2012 14:58:00 -0500

Turkey days of yore. November 2007, Pennsylvania.

Home from Thanksgiving, and what a Thanksgiving it was. My mom hosted at her house in Kentucky. My sister, brother-in-law and dog-in-law Sugar drove up from Florida, and my boyfriend and I flew in from New York. We ate, we shopped, we visited friends, we toured a couple breweries. There were lots of hugs to go around.

Last night, my sister and I sifted through boxes from high school and college — old duvet covers and coffee mugs and sweatshirts; pictures from proms, swim meets, trips, graduations. It could have been tedious, but it wasn’t. We sighed and giggled about all we’d held onto, and then we kept what we cherished and tossed what we didn’t.

Life keeps going, doesn’t it?

We paused more than a couple times to talk about Pop Pop and to miss him being there (or a phone call away), but you know what? It wasn’t the story of the weekend. That story belonged to us, to everyone who was there. And now that I’m back in Brooklyn and thinking about it, I know that’s exactly how he would have wanted it.

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:05:00 -0500

Snaps from our pilot DOROT Young Professionals dinner party. November 2012, Manhattan.

Before Dinn-uh

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:34:39 -0500

Me: What kind of pizza do you like? Arthur: I like every kind of pizza. Me: Okay, great. Then I'll...

After the show. October 2012, Manhattan. It’s been a while...

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 10:14:29 -0500

After the show. October 2012, Manhattan.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted about Arthur. This is one of my favorite recent pictures of him, from when we saw An Enemy of the People on Broadway a few weeks ago.

“The strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone,” Arthur quoted after I ordered our tickets.

“That’s from the show?”

“It’s Ibsen’s last line.”