A December Sunset In Brookyln, New York

Photo by DC©2021 Above photo taken yesterday at sunset by DC while riding the Manhattan-bound F-Train between the 4th Avenue and Smith-9th Street stops.

Have you ever been awakened by the crowing of a rooster?

Being awakened by the crowing of a rooster is, literally and figuratively, an uplifting experience . . . that is, if you have spent your life waking up to the clashing sounds of the city or the low rumbling of the suburbs.

Meeting Sue Grafton at a Book Store in Manhattan

Such a surprise met Marash Girl years ago, when she walked into a bookstore in Manhattan only to notice that her favorite author of mysteries -- Sue Grafton (May she rest in peace) -- was signing books in preparation for a booksigning soon to occur later that afternoon. So gracious was Ms. Grafton, that she cheerily chatted away with Marash Girl (someone Ms. Grafton had never met before) as Ms. Grafton continued signing the books that the author knew would fly out of the store later that afternoon . . . as soon as her booksigning talk was over. The connection was so real that Ms. Grafton and Marash Girl continued communicating by email for years . . . That meeting is of Marash Girl's favorite memories . . . and Sue Grafton is and always will be one of Marash Girl's favorite authors. Such sorrow when Marash Girl recently learned that Ms. Grafton had passed away several years ago May the Lord welcome Ms. Grafton into the Kingdom of Heaven!

Napping on the "A" Train in New York City

Judith Kirshner (Eger), Marash Girl's college classmate and dear friend, grew up in Brooklyn, New York. After graduating from college, Marash Girl would travel to Brooklyn to visit Judith. And, of course, traveling between Brooklyn and New York City, the two young women experienced many adventures. As Marash Girl thinks back to those days, she finds it hard to give credence to the fact that, at the end of the day, a day of escapades in Manhattan, Marash Girl and Judith would be so tired, that after boarding the "A" train, they would stretch out on the seats of the subway car, seats on opposite siet off the train at the right stop... Believe it or not, that's the truth, and Marash Girl is stickin' with it!!! And here's a photo of Judith taken years after she and Marash Girl rode the "A" train together.

Artists, Where Are You?

There was a time in Marash Girl's life when she knew not one person who was NOT an artist. Presently Marash Girl knows only one woman who is an artist and one man who is an artist. (Both are painters.) What's going on? Is it this writer? The times? Or the place? Or is Marash Girl's definition of "artist" too narrow?

Purse Snatching in the Big Apple

When Marash Girl was living in New York City, she heard that purse snatching had become a big problem, so she asked a local policeman what she should do. Without hesitation, he answered, "No problem at all. Simple! Just don’t carry a purse!"

A Toss In The Hay?

In discussing the political climate of the day, a long-time acquaintance of Marash Girl soundly approved the President's latest appointment to the United States Supreme Court. "Why should we help kids who have just had a night of it?" she asked . . . or as she put it, "Why support kids who have just had a toss in the hay??!!!!" And that from a woman who had tossed around "in the hay" plenty during her youth!

A Photo From Marash Girl's Blog!!!

Feeling a bit under the weather last week, Marash Girl was lazing around the house, until, out of a clear blue sky, as they say, (and there was a clear blue sky that day), came a phone call from a publisher who wants to use a photograph from the Marash Girl blog, the very blog you are following, in a book he is about to publish. "It was the best photo on the internet of . . ." Wow! That sure perked Marash Girl up . . . Thank you, Mr. Publisher! Marash Girl will write more on the title of the book and the photo the publisher has selected after the book is published!

On the Bus: Commuting to Yonkers, NY

In the days when women wore skirts, and that was not so long ago, (or was it?) Marash Girl commuted to work daily by bus from the Bronx to Yonkers, New York. On one such morning, she felt a hand under her skirt. Reaching down, Marash Girl grabbed the hand, a large, rough hand, clearly attached to the man standing next to her, held the hand up high, and shouted, "What is your hand doing under my skirt?" The man attached to the hand shouted out, "That's not my hand!!!" And that, as they say, was that!!!

Do you remember where you were on THE 9/11?

Marash Girl still thanks the Lord that her son, who was living  and working in New York City in full view of the Twin Towers on that fatal 9/11,  and at that fatal hour, in full view of the crash, lived to tell the tale.  To this day, Marash Girl thanks the Lord for her son's life.

"No adults except in the company of a child."

           It takes New York City to figure this one out!!!                        
Photo by Marash Girl

                        "No adults except in the company of a child."  www.nyc.govparks

I'VE NEVER FELT THIS WAY ABOUT A WOMAN BEFORE!

Living in New York City, having just graduated from Graduate School, Marash Girl was dutifully looking for a position nearby, a position where she could put her newly learned skills into practice.  Searching for a school system that might be need a Guidance Counselor, she tried to call the Yonkers Public School System, but whenever she made the phone call, she found herself in an 'hollow space'. a space that was hollow, but not empty; rather it was filled with voices of other folks who were trying to call Yonkers as well.
After several failed efforts to reach Yonkers, Marash Girl chatted with the other folks who were frustrated with their efforts to reach a phone number in Yonkers as well.  The newly formed 'group', as New Yorkers were wont to do, decided to meet up at the local Automat Restaurant . . . (not a washing machine and dryer spot, as one might think today).  As we had already gotten to know each other over the telephone, seeing one another face to face added a new and exciting dimension to the adventure. We continued to chat over the phone, and one young man decided he'd like to meet Marash Girl for a date.  They did so, the handsome young man and the lovely young Marash
Girl, and as often will happen, there was some electricity, and the young man bent over and kissed the young woman, exclaiming as he did so, "I've never felt this way about a woman before!"  Marash
Girl was thrilled, as she felt as if she had never met such a handsome young man before.  But wait she did for his call, and it never came. . . Whatever could be the reason?  Back to the telephone group with her problem.
The friend of the handsome young man was on the line when she called in to share her confusion.  He counseled her.
"But didn't you know?"
"Know what?" queried Marash Girl.
"He shares an apartment with his professor."
"So , , , " replied Marash Girl.
"Well, he shares a bedroom with his professor."
"So what?" queried Marash Girl.
"Well . . . . . . . he shares a bed with his professor, and if his professor ever finds out about this, the professor will kill him!"

N.B. My husband tells me I've already written this story in my blog, but it never hurts to write it again, right?  I mean, write?

Uncle Manoog and Marash Girl's Leather Sandals

Years ago, when Marash Girl was living in New York City, she loved to visit her Uncle Manoog, first cousin to her Grandpa Moses, both born in Marash in the mid to later 1800's.  In those days, Marash Girl wore leather sandals . . . that is, hand made leather soles with a few leather straps to hold the soles onto her feet, very expensive sandals that had been hand-made in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and gifted to Marash Girl by her then artist friend.  That was the style, and very stylish it was (both the sandals and the friend).  But Uncle Manoog was unaware of the styles of the day, in that he was, at that time, in his late nineties, and rarely went out for walks along the Brooklyn boulevards.

As Stephanie reports the story, Uncle Manoog approached her with some money, and asked that she buy Marash Girl some proper shoes; he hadn't realized that his cousin's family was so hard up that their daughter couldn't afford a proper pair of shoes to cover her feet!

The Kindness of New Yorkers

"BROKEN"  (in case folks  hadn't noticed!)   Some kind NYC soul took it upon him (her?) self to create the sign attached to this bench, and to cover the sign with plastic! "BROKEN"  (if you hadn't noticed)

It's 9:00 A.M. Do You Know Where Your Kids Are?

                                                                  (Photo of a poster on the streets of New York City)

A new twist on an old theme.  "It's nine o'clock in the morning...Do you know where your kids are?"  Scary if you're a parent, right?    But if you're a parent in NYC, you or your caregiver can text “SCHOOL” to 30365 to get the help you need and find out how many days your child has missed.  Unfortunately, that text will NOT tell you where your kids are!

Fearless Girls on Wall Street, or Facing the Wall Street Bull!

 

                 Fearless girls (Dylan Marie on right) face down the Wall Street Bull, New York City

Knitting Needles to the Rescue . . . or, On the Bus to Yonkers

Many years ago, Marash Girl was living in the Bronx with her cousin, Richie, and her Auntie Gohar.  She (Marash Girl) would travel by bus to work every morning, the bus from the Bronx to Yonkers (New York, of course!)  On one very busy morning, Marash Girl felt something strange down around her legs (those were the days when women wore longish skirts); she reached down and pulled up a man's hand!  Looking at the man next to her, whose hand she was now holding high into the air, she shouted, "What was your hand doing under my skirt?"  His answer?  "That's not my hand!"

From that day forward, Marash Girl carried knitting needles in her bag, needles which were very visible stretching their necks well over her bag.  That was the secret! Never again did she have a problem with folks getting too close to her during rush hour!

A Walk Along Wall Street

                                            A Midwinter Walk Along Wall Street                          Photo by Marash Boy 

Four Free Toppings!

One of the many delights of the grandchildren on their trips to Cape Cod was the local pizza shop which offered three free toppings every Tuesday. . . It had been years since Marash Girl had seen such generosity in a pizza shop, and now, she was in NYC with Marash Boy, awaiting the train to Boston, when Marash Boy decided to get lunch.  And guess what!  There it was, but even more generous!  Four free toppings for his pizza! What a wonderful surprise at the end of a wonderful weekend.  Marash Girl hastened to regale her granddaughter with the story, and yes, indeed, she too remembered:  three free toppings on Tuesdays in Sandwich, Massachusetts!

The Next Block

Visiting NYC this past weekend reminded Marash Girl of the years she spent in the Big Apple.  Living on the upper West Side, she overheard the following on one bright October morning:  "Oh, yeah. There was a murder last night alright,  but nothing to worry about.  It wasn't in this block. . . It was in  the next block over."