People Change

The Bar Mitzvah last night was fantastic. The place was beautiful and the food was unbelievable. A lot of food stations with wonderful choices. Some combinations I never had before, like a piece of fig paired with a bite of sea bass. It was literally a one  bite dish (an amuse bouche) that fills your mouth with flavor. There was a fire pit outside grilling filet mignon and an overflowing sushi station. I loved seeing the kids running around. The girls look so mature and tall and the boys barely come up to their shoulders. Everyone was running and jumping and that made the adults join in. They played the same games that we played at my son's Bar Mitzvahs. "Coke and Pepsi" and "Bubble Wrap" never go out of style. The room was filled with love and laughter. There were a few awkward moments, when I did not recognize some close cousins. They had either lost their hair or gained weight and they no longer resembled who they used to be. Some of them said that I had turned into my mother. I was expecting that comment since I do resemble her a lot. I am so glad we attended the party as there is nothing better than reminiscing with family.

From Boy To Man

This evening I will be attending my cousin's Bar Mitzvah. He is my third cousin and I think I might have met him once. I feel like I know him from the yearly holiday picture that his parents send. I think of his mother as my little cousin and cannot believe that she has a thirteen year old son. I guess she will feel the same when she sees pictures of my granddaughter. I am looking so forward to this party even though it is a two hour ride to get there. There will be lots of food, loud music and I am hoping for a candy bar. There will also be lots of catching up.

Stress Test

This morning I am going to take a stress test. I had one about 5 years ago and everything was fine. My doctor would like me to have one every three years but I disagree with him. I finally gave in and made the appointment. I can think of a million better things to do this morning. I am having more stress thinking about this test than I actually will have when I have to walk on the treadmill. I am not a big fan of having dye injected into my body, but that is the way he wants the test done. I cannot have any caffeine or dairy products for breakfast, so my day is already starting off annoying. When I walk out of the test, I will coin my sister in law's phrase and say, "TAGL" (take a good look) because I won't be back here for at least five more years.

On The Big Screen

Last night one of my friends was on television. She was the expert psychologist on a Hoarding Buried Alive show. They flew her to Canada last fall to do the show. I remember speaking to her each day while she was filming and hearing how things were going. I met her a few years ago when she was an intern in my office. We became close friends and she looks at me as a mother figure, since her mother passed away a few years ago. Since then, she has become a college professor and is going to open a private practice this summer. She does radio shows and lectures and will do more television episodes. Last night was the first time I saw her as she was treating a patient and was very impressed. It is funny when you know someone in one context and then see them in another. She was so professional and confident, but the first thing I saw this morning as I got up, was a text message asking how she did. I told her she did great and I was so proud of her. Even doctors need encouragement.

Bot Vy

Years ago I hired a nighttime receptionist named Edie. She was in her early thirties and from Poland. She came to America and went to college and then got her master's degree. She was a quick learner with a wonderful work ethic. She stayed with us for 2 years. She left because she did not get a raise. It was not that she was a monetary person. In fact, she would have been happy with a 5 cent raise. To her, not getting a raise meant she was not appreciated and she could not live with that. My boss did not understand that and after the fact, was very sorry. We tried to get her back but it was too late. Every time we showed her something new to do, she always asked "bot vy?" (But Why?) Sometimes we had a good answer, sometimes we did not. Eventually we told her, some things are done "just because" and you don't need to know why.

Determination

I am very impressed with my son. Once he sets his mind to something, he will do it. He is still renovating his house and has one room to go. He decided that a dropped ceiling would be best in this room as there are pipes in the ceiling. In case there would need to be a repair, all he would need to do was take down a ceiling tile instead of ripping open the ceiling. Once he makes the decision to do something, his process begins. You can see the wheels turning in his head as he figures out his strategy. He measures and researches and then draws it out. When I came to his house for dinner last night, he brought us to his washroom. As soon as we walked in, we looked up and saw a beautiful new ceiling and spotlight. It came out perfect. A professional contractor could not have done better. It was flawless. The most important part of the whole project was that he had never done this before. His determination was the driving force.

Super Market Memories

When I moved into my house 30 years ago, one of the highlights of my day was walking to the local Pathmark supermarket. It was four blocks away and was the perfect destinationespecially if you had small children. It filled up the afternoon with a walk in the fresh air and light shopping. I could buy whatever would fit in the carriage basket. Some memories never fade. I still see myself pushing a large carriage with one baby lying in it and the other toddler sitting on the chair attachment. The employees at Pathmark became the people of "the neighborhood", like Mr Rogers used to talk about. Now that I think of it, most people do not remember the show Mr Rogers. My children loved it. He was a nice man that spoke so softly. As my children grew, so did my memories. A typical day would include walking to Pathmark, stopping at the card store for a 5 cent tootsie roll (only if the kids behaved) and walking through the aisles of the store. We would always go to the bakery, and Ella, the bakery lady was always ready with a fresh baked cookie on hand. We would say hello to the meat cutters and deli slicers. We would then check out at Nora's aisle. She was a sweet lady with an Irish brogue. Now, Pathmark is closing within a few weeks. Now the pharmacy is closed. The bank will close soon also. The shelves are emptying. I can no longer go there and see the desolate store. It is like seeing someone slowly dying. I will not go there again. I want to remember how it used to be.