Wednesday's Wisdom: "....a time to mourn"

My father died twenty-one years on this day of November 30th in 1995, which was the Monday after Thanksgiving. In any event, from the moment I first knew him, as evidenced in the image above featuring one of our earliest encounters, I loved him dearly. And I'm told that he was very excited about my coming into the world, which is demonstrated, to a certain extent in the following picture.

The image features him with my mother and was taken a little under a month before I was born. In it he's comparing his belly to hers! My dad had a great sense of humor as well as a quick wit, and he often put a spin on the lyrics of songs, which is a fact, I've written about in prior entries here on Blogger, including one that I published six years ago on November 29th 2010.

In the aforementioned post, I wrote that, "Most people when recalling my father's antics will remember him for having his own takes on "Top-40" music hits. For example, with the song, "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden," the lyrics go,"I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden . . ." but my father's take on it was,"I beg your pardon, I never farted in your rose garden . . .

"As for the once-upon-a-time hit song,"Bad Moon Rising," the lyric-line is,"There'a a bad moon on the rise". My father's version? "There's a bathroom on the right." And with Paul McCartney's, Band on the Run, where the lyric-line,"band on the run" repeats over and over again, my father's rendition was,"band with the runs."

"My father's sense of humor, and apparent relationship with songs, remained with him throughout his life. Even at the very bitter end, when he had hoped to be out of a hospital where he had been for treatment due to severe consequences of emphysema, he recorded a tape giving Louis Armstrong "a run for his money".

"In the tape, my father expresses what the doctors had hoped to do: have him out of the hospital the Monday after Thanksgiving. Sadly that was not to be, as he was still in the hospital the "Monday after Thanksgiving" and declining quickly: dying that week after Thanksgiving instead," which was on November 30, 1995.

Tuesday's Truths Week Nineteen: My fauna, flora, and insect themed postcards have been selling at M&M!

It's time for another Tuesday Truth! Nineteen days ago, here on Blogger, I made an announcement that Steve Mohr, the sole proprietor of More & More Antiques (an exquisite shop on the UWS in NYC), had made the decision to sell my fauna-flora-insect-themed postcards. In that announcement, I stated that "... Steve Mohr's place has been there for over twenty-five years. Mohr's vast knowedge of antiques, coupled with an excellent eye for spotting unusual and interesting collectible pieces, guarantees a fun experience to anyone who goes there.

"In addition to offering unique collectibles, More & More Antiques has wonderful items for the home, especially for the various holidays. The way in which the shop's owner, Steve Mohr, displays them is magical! I confess that his talent in positioning the whimsical figurines (which he sells during the various holiday seasons) has inspired a number of the "stories" that I've written for hometalk.

"Steve's displays, as well as the helpfulness of Nancy Nelson Mancini (who works there), have been the inspiration (whenever figurines are involved) for entries here on Blogger (as well as tumblr and Facebook) that have to do with New Year's, Three Kings Day, Valentine's Day, Saint Patrick's Day, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and any patriotic holiday."

In any event, I'm grateful that Steve has not only decided to sell my cards, he has also placed them in a "prominent" position (on the countertop where one pays for purchases) in his shop! The photograph atop this blog entry features how my postcards look in Mohr's store.

The 2016 Advent Season begins today.

Today, Sunday, November the 27th 2016, marks the beginning of a new liturgical year with The Season of Advent.

Three Days After... Photographs & Musings: Macy's 2016 Thanksgiving Parade Part Two-B

Welcome to the conclusion of my coverage re my experiences with the 2016 Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. If you follow this blog, then you know that every day from November 15th 2016 through the eve of Thanksgiving (November 23rd 2016), I provided posts with cool information regarding the participants (mostly the character balloons and novelty balloons). And on Thanksgiving Day, as well as the day after, my blog entries were centered on what took place during this year's parade. Today's blog entry will be my last one for the 2016 year of this particular event.

The Day After... Photographs & Musings: Macy's 2016 Thanksgiving Parade Part Two-A

It's the day after Thanksgiving, a day that has long been called Black Friday, which is a topic that I've written about in bygone years here on Blogger. However, within this blog post for the day after Thanksgiving  or Black Friday, I will not be covering that subject. Rather, I will fulfill my promise that I made in yesterday's entry, which was that I would continue my coverage of the 2016 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Part of what I state in the aforementioned blog post is that two brand new characters have been rendered into Macy's balloons, and yesterday they made their debut in this venue! Those characters are Trixie the Dog as well as the Dreamworks Trolls. They can be seen (in the images posted atop this entry) making their way down the streets of NYC with trees from near by Central Park as their "back drop.

As you can see the features of Trixie the Dog as well as her tag (top image) are almost as as big as a traffic light! In any event, you can also see that both character balloons are "flew" much lower than usual this year. This often happens during windy connection or near to the starting point of the parade, which is where these pictures were taken.

I LOVE A PARADE! Photographs & Musings: Macy's 2016 Thanksgiving Parade Part One

Well, well, well, after my many blog posts during the pre-Macy's 2016 Thanksgiving Parade, it finally happened today, and it certainly did not disappoint! What a treat it was to witness the good man, Charlie Brown, lead the entourage of Macy's balloons down Central Park South in NYC! Charlie had a make-over for this year's Macy's Parade, which allowed him to have his kite!

Tomorrow's The Parade!

Sponge Bob, the popular Macy's ballon pictured above, is here with me to announce that the 90th Macy's Thanksgiving Parade will take place in NYC tomorrow! I began blogging about this event on November 15th 2016, with an entry where I included photos of various Macy's balloons including one with Woodstock riding on Snoopy; and ones rendered in the likeness of Thomas The Tank, as well as Spider Man. From what Sponge Bob tells me, Spider Man will not participate this year.

Wednesdays Wisdom: It's good to be with helmet and hose.

Folks are doing a number of things in response to the result of the 2016 presidential election, and most of those actions seem to be demonstrating or signing petitions.

Others are attending retreats to gain perspective, as well as to cleanse and renew their spirits. One such retreat was held on November 12th at Corpus Cristi Church in Manhattan. The retreat had been planed long before the political angst occurred in NYC (and throughout the world), but perhaps that was providential.

In any event, the retreat I am referring to was sponsored by the NYC Chapter of The Thomas Merton Society. The theme of the retreat was In Everything Mercy: Thomas Merton and Pope Francis on the Merciful Heart of God. 

Christopher Pramuk led the event, and all the while, attendees had the pleasure of Thomas Merton smiling upon us, albeit from the vantage point of being in a painting by James Nally, which can be seen atop this blog entry.

Yet Another Tuesday's Truth for Week Eighteen: Two Days Until The Parade!

There are only two days remaining until The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade marches down the streets of NYC on Thanksgiving Day! As I've been reporting here on Blogger, it is a parade that is near AND dear to the heart!

I confess that I've NEVER seen the parade on television. My main vantage point for viewing the parade has been from on the street where I live. This has given me the advantage of seeing just how colossal the Macy's balloons actually are as evidenced in the following images which shows various details of the balloons faces that are rendered in the likeness of Angry Bird, Charlie (a Macy's Christmas Elf), and Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger; as well  as the shoe of Ronald McDonald.

Tuesday's Truth WK 18: JFK's Obituary

In memory of the fifty-third anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which took place on 11-22-1963, I am posting an obituary written by E.B. White  (for The New Yorker magazine) atop this entry.

People Watching is for the birds & balloons: 03 DAYS UNTIL THE PARADE

Smurf, when rendered into a balloon for The Macy's Parade, can be quite the voyeur! This is evidenced in the image above, where he can be seen looking into the window of a NYC residential apartment building as he made his way along the parade's route on Thanksgiving Day in bygone years.

The Inspiration of a Leucistic House Finch AND Vinicio Riva

Yesterday, a female house sparrow and a male house finch were having a conversation while perched on a railing that surrounds my rooftop garden (in NYC), as evidenced in the pictures atop this blog entry, where you can see them sharing the railing with my kiwi vines.

Normally the coloration of male house finches is red, and, knowing this, caused the little sparrow to be very concerned as to what caused this particular finch to have a white-colored face and a white head. The sparrow listened very carefully and with great empathy as the house finch confided in the sparrow saying that he had a case of leucism.

You ARE (SUCH) a Good Man Charlie Brown! CB Leads? 04 DAYS UNTIL THE PARADE

The first image atop this Blogger entry features Charlie Brown as he hurriedly makes his way along the route for The Macy's Parade in 2012! I am thrilled to have learned that he will be participating in the event this year, which is now four days away. AND he will be doing so with a make-over! I've also heard that he may even be the parade's leader this year! Your'e (SUCH) a GOOD Man, Charlie Brown! Ronald MacDonald will also be returning!

Distinguished by Juncoes

The photo atop this blog entry is of a dark-eyed junco. He is staring at the neighbors who live below me as he stands on a ledge which surrounds my garden that's located on a rooftop in NYC). 

Fond Reminiscings RE The Pillsbury Dough Boy & A Reminder 05 DAYS UNTIL THE PARADE

The image atop today's entry features The Pillsbury Doughboy Macy's balloon peering into a window of an NYC apartment building, as he made his way along the route for The Macy's Parade in 2014. I am thrilled to have learned that he will be participating in the event this year, which is now five days away!

As anyone reads my posting (here on Blogger or tumblr, or Facebook), knows, for the past few days, I've been announcing a countdown of days re this Thanksgiving event. (I started doing this when there were nine days remaining.)

In any event, now there are five days remaining until the 2016 Macy's Parade and I'm pleased to have learned that he will be participating in the event this year, the smiles that The Pillsbury Dough Boy brings to most every one he sees, will be even more appreciated in the wake of the constant barrage of negative talk regarding the 2016 Presidential Election.

Happy Mickey Mouse Day with this Reminder: 06 DAYS UNTIL THE PARADE

Today, November the 18th, is known to some as Mickey Mouse Day. This day has been set aside to acknowledge Mickey Mouse, because, according to Wiki, Mickey's first appearance was in Walt Disney's Steamboat Willy in 1928. 

Just six years later, in November of 1934, Mickey agreed to have his image rendered into a Macy's ballon, in order to be represented in The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. He has been represented in the parade for many years (not all but most) since that time, including the year of  2013, when I took the image that is atop this entry. Be that as it may, I anticipate that if I go to this year's parade, which is six days away, that I will see Mickey Mouse.

Adele Going Batty

I came across this You Tube video of Adele panicking upon seeing a bat flying in the place where she was giving a concert performance. While it's true that this incident does not have much to do with my usual content, it truly made me laugh. And usually what brings laughter is the best content to share, dear reader!

#Throwback & #Throwforward Thursday: SEVEN DAYS UNTIL THE PARADE!

The day before yesterday, I reported here on Blogger that there were nine days to go until The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade marches down the streets of New York City. Now there's seven. But Macy's isn't the only one marching, TIME IS MARCHING ON, and, it's really the hour to except the results of the 2016 Presidential Election, rather than waste another second in woulda-shoulda-coulda — at least it is for me, who doesn't have any time to waste in negative thoughts. And the more I indulge in them, I forget about my priorities, one of which is tending to my beautiful urban garden that is on a rooftop, a view of my place in its most current state can be seen in the following pictures.

Both photographs were taken (yesterday) by Juan V, who came here to help me plant my tulip bulbs, as has been our annual mid-November ritual.

Thanksgiving is one week from today!

Thanksgiving is one week from today! The characters who have visited my home during this time period over the years, are back to warm my heart and home with their ideas about life. The photo atop this blog entry features a Thanksgiving scene currently taking place within the shelves of an armoire that I call my story-box. This piece of furniture is in my main living area. Regular readers of this blog, or of my entries on tumblr and hometalk, as well as my posts of Facebook, know that the story-lines created by the characters visiting me, change with the seasons and given holidays. In any event, this year my whimsical characters are spending Thanksgiving within a grove of candy-corn trees where quails like to be, as a moon watches over them. This is evidenced in the top half of the image.

All of the characters spending time in the proximity of the candy-corn tree grove have been coming here for a number of years; with the exception of the love birds who love birds. The two of them are wearing black bomber jackets and can be seen in the close-up photo posted below.

You might recognized them, dear reader, as I've featured them in my cyber-venues, including a post here on Blogger this past February. The Thanksgiving-themed characters that are socializing behind these Love Birds have all been coming to my place for nearly five years! Each of those characters has spent time in the armoire and in my indoor garden of succulents.

The pilgrims riding a turkey (one can be seen at the left of the Love Birds and one can be seen at their right), were featured in entries on Blogger, tumblr and Facebook. A closeup of them can be seen in the following image.

In their earliest years of visiting my place, the turkey-riders confined their antics  to my succulent garden.

Wednesdays Wisdom: Ducks also set the best example for how we should get along. (A follow-up to my 11-9-16 blog entry.)

My father died twenty-one years on this day of November 30th in 1995, which was the Monday after Thanksgiving. In any event, from the moment I first knew him, as evidenced in the image above featuring one of our earliest encounters, I loved him dearly. And I'm told that he was very excited about my coming into the world, which is demonstrated, to a certain extent in the following picture.

The image features him with my mother and was taken a little under a month before I was born. In it he's comparing his belly to hers! My dad had a great sense of humor as well as a quick wit, and he often put a spin on the lyrics of songs, which is a fact, I've written about in prior entries here on Blogger, including one that I published six years ago on November 29th 2010.

In the aforementioned post, I wrote that, "Most people when recalling my father's antics will remember him for having his own takes on "Top-40" music hits. For example, with the song, "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden," the lyrics go,"I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden . . ." but my father's take on it was,"I beg your pardon, I never farted in your rose garden . . .

"As for the once-upon-a-time hit song,"Bad Moon Rising," the lyric-line is,"There'a a bad moon on the rise". My father's version? "There's a bathroom on the right." And with Paul McCartney's, Band on the Run, where the lyric-line,"band on the run" repeats over and over again, my father's rendition was,"band with the runs."

"My father's sense of humor, and apparent relationship with songs, remained with him throughout his life. Even at the very bitter end, when he had hoped to be out of a hospital where he had been for treatment due to severe consequences of emphysema, he recorded a tape giving Louis Armstrong "a run for his money".

"In the tape, my father expresses what the doctors had hoped to do: have him out of the hospital the Monday after Thanksgiving. Sadly that was not to be, as he was still in the hospital the "Monday after Thanksgiving" and declining quickly: dying that week after Thanksgiving instead," which was on November 30, 1995.

Tuesday's Truths Week Seventeen: I'm with peanut.

The comedian, Seth Meyers, in his opening monologue the day after last week's 2016 USA presidential election had some interesting insights. One of the things he mentioned was the fact that on the morning after election day, he and his wife were sharing the breakfast table with their eight month old son. But apparently the only thing they shared with him was the table itself, for while they were engaged in conversations about the direction the country might be taking in the aftermath, their eight month old son was only involved in eating his pear.

Meyers stated that while he and his wife speculated on the fate of The Supreme Court, their son gave them an "I-don't-know-what-you-guys-are-talking-about-but-I'm-with-pear" look.

I can identify with Meyers, for when I was in NYC's Riverside Park during the final pre-election days, the conversations of those sitting  on the park benches were filled with fear and resentment. A nearby squirrel soaking up the sun's rays as he noshed, looked at the disgruntled people, and said, "I don't know about who you are with, but I'm with peanut."

Remembering Alphie McCourt

This past Monday night (11-7-16), I was very saddened to have learned that Alphonsus (Alphie) McCourt, the prolific author of, A Stone's Throw, and youngest brother of the late Frank McCourt (who wrote Angela's Ashes), died this past July! (A copy of the image that is evidently on Alphonsus's prayer card is featured atop this blog entry.) I knew of Alphonsus, his daughter and his daughter's caretaker because their NYC home is "a stone's throw" away from where I live.

It's Veterans Day

Today, November Eleventh is Veterans Day, and over the years, I've written about this solemn holiday in a number of entries here on Blogger as well as in a couple of entries on tumblr. The image atop this entry features some of my patriotic figurines paying homage to this day with a small celebration in my succulent garden.

A Little Shop On A Corner

The photograph atop today's blog entry is a partial view of an awning that belongs to an exquisite  little shop known as More & More Antiques. It is located on the southwest corner of Amsterdam Avenue and West Seventy-Eighth Street, which is on the Upper Westside in New York City.

I am thrilled; as well as humbled and honored; to announce that Steve Mohr, the sole proprietor of More & More Antiques has decided to feature my fauna-flora-insect themed postcards in his precious shop!

Each postcard has an image on it that has been included in the book, Words In Our Beak Volume One, which is book that is set in  rooftop garden in NYC and the story is told from the perespctive of a female cardinal.

As you may recall, dear reader, I featured images of these particular postcards in a prior post here on Blogger and they are on my web-site, which was designed by Chris Deatherage.

In any event, Steve Mohr's place has been there for over twenty-five years. Mohr's vast knowedge of antiques, coupled with an excellent eye for spotting unusual and interesting collectible pieces, guarantees a fun experience to anyone who goes there.

In addition to offering unique collectibles, More & More Antiques has wonderful items for the home, especially for the various holidays. The way in which the shop's owner, Steve Mohr, displays them is magical! I confess that his talent in positioning the whimsical figurines (which he sells during the various holiday seasons) has inspired a number of the "stories" that I've written for hometalk.

Steve's displays, as well as the helpfulness of Nancy Nelson Mancini (who works there), have been the inspiration (whenever figurines are involved) for entries here on Blogger (as well as tumblr and Facebook) that have to do with New Year's, Three Kings Day, Valentine's Day, Saint Patrick's Day, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and any patriotic holiday.

If you find yourself in NYC, dear reader, I encourage you to visit More & More Antiques (at 378 Amsterdam Avenue) to check out my postcards and other items in his amazing store! What a treat for me it is to have my cards represented in such a magnificent place!

ADDENDUM FALL 2018: 

The non-hardcover version (or versions)  of Volume One within the Words In Our Beak book series that are mentioned in this entry may only remain available for a limited time, but hardcover versions of Volume One, Two and Three can now be found wherever books are sold. Please click here to go to my blog post that provides details as to where you can get these books.

MY BOOK SERIES

Additionally, I have rendered some images from these books into other formats and they are available via Fine Art America (FAA). Some of my other photographs (Black & White Collection, Kaleidoscopic Images and the famous Mandarin duck who visited NYC) can also be found on my FAA pages.

Wednesday's Wisdom: "Animals set the best example for how we should all get along." (Ellen De Generes)

Tuesday's Truths Week Sixteen: The 2016 USA Prez Election Is Today!

The 2016 USA presidential election takes place today: God, HELP America!

Monday Musings: Big Yellow Taxis Go Green! (Honoring Joni Mitchell)

On this Monday after The New York City Marathon,  I'm thinking about how accomplished and exhilarated those who completed it must feel: seeing all five boroughs of NYC, in one full swoop, while exercising, is amazing! I know this from having participated in an event that took me through the streets of all five of the cities' boroughs in one afternoon.

Granny and Jed discuss the upcoming election!

The #nycmarathon is for the birds!

Today is The New York City Marathon, and Cam, the cardinal pictured here, thinks it's for the birds! In this photo she can be see running across a table that is in my rooftop garden. The image is from Cam's digital book, "Words In Our Beak, Volume One, " which can be seen below.

ADENMENDUM: The digital versions of Volume One within the Words In Our Beak book series that are mentioned in this entry may only remain available for a limited time, but a hardcover version of Volume One can be found wherever books are sold.

Moreover, Volume Two of the book series is now available! Both volumes one and two are in hardcover format (as seen below) and can be purchased any place where books are sold.

Here's the purchase info for the hardcover versions of the Words In Our Beak book series:

Volume One: ISBN: 9780996378529:

Book Seller Info: http://bit.ly/2AFZDCz

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2zxVujM

Barnes & Noble On-Line: http://bit.ly/2AAnB26

book culture On Columbus: http://bit.ly/2FsC1Uf

Volume Two: ISBN: 9780996378536

Book Seller Info: http://bit.ly/2q75g8e

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2DY0mz0

Barnes & Noble On-Line: http://bit.ly/2G65m6H