Have you noticed that the weather is getting cooler and the days shorter (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere)? The Autumnal Equinox is September 22! This is my LAST blog of the warmest season, and I already miss walking with the sun on my body…
It is easy to get dressed in summer. Even the rain feels gentle, like a sprinkler on the skin. I actually got drenched one night, returning from a Toastmasters Meeting. I left home without listening to the weather report, without my trusty umbrella and so I got soaked (to the bone as we say). The F train came equipped with powerful air conditioning and so I shivered after my shower.
My younger self remembers the carefree days of no school, trips to Rockaway Beach and Alley Pond Park with my maternal grandmother, parents and cousin M, a little older than I; jaunts to Long Beach (NY) with my parents and paternal aunt H and uncle A with my cousin R, a little younger than I. Our fun was simple: going to the beach, running along the water, eating simple, deliciously prepared food. At Rockaway we had peppers and eggs on Italian bread or (I’m not kidding) chicken cacciatore – my Grandmother Mary’s beach specialty. At Alley P. P. we grilled chicken parts and had blackened corn on the cob, and other delights…Mmm
One of my favorite shops in Park Slope is closing…and I am quite sad. It is the last video rental enterprise. When I moved here in 1986, there were 3-4 of them. Slowly they left us…How romantic of me to think we residents, by force of will, could keep K afloat, by renting her DVDs in a fickle, what-is-the next-best-technology-we-can shift-into atmosphere. Seeing the “Going Out Of Business” sign was a kind of heartbreak for me – the end of an era. I’m a movie buff. K and her staff offered critiques on most of the flicks, and treats for our pets. We’d discuss the directors and production. And so, my younger self came of age seeing the harsh side of change – when people fail to sustain their livelihood.
However, from the spiritual perspective, this is a new opportunity for K – the owner – to reinvent herself and her talents. An adventure awaits her. Will I see K again? Will I frequent the cinema more often, or stream films? I’ll figure this out as I mend my broken heart…
Overall I continue to enjoy the summer of 2014: the launch of my e-book “Compassion In My Own Words” (on Smashwords.com), a trip to Sedona, my son’s surprise birthday party in Roscoe at my sister’s home, a dinner evening with my Dad at ‘Off the Hook,’ a very good seafood bar in Astoria, NY. My father ate 2-dozen little neck clams, some lobster and cheesecake. We reminisced about dining at Lundy’s, Coney Island, a world-class place to have seafood when I was a younger. My grandfather, Anthony, took the entire family there for his birthday; Grandpa also took my parents and other family members there before my birth for other treats and occasions. It was a family tradition, which I loved. (I remember ½ dozen clams selling for 75 cents.)
(Note: Lundy Brothers opened in 1934 and had a 2,400-seat capacity. The original eatery closed in 1977 after the death of Irving Lundy.)
I feel gratitude for the abundance of love, support and opportunity in my life as I transition into the next season, literally and figuratively. I believe in my heart, that with the growth of love and compassion within us, we will see equal access to prospects and resources!
I’ll speak to you on September 29, once fall has arrived…
Linda
