In Memory of my Maternal Grandfather

MY GRANDFATHER MAKES A WISH

I'm thinking of my dearly departed grandfather, Albert Elmer Herman Louis Melahn, who was born on this day in 1903 (he died in the late 1970s.) The image atop this entry was taken on one of his birthdays in the early 1970's.

My grandmother can be seen helping him blow out his candles and my next youngest sister and I are behind them. We were told to "pose laughing," by my mother, who took the snap-shot when his cake caught on fire. (Our cousin Karl, who is for the most part of camera, is to my left).

#ClapBecauseWeCare Session 42

IMAGE COURTESY OF SUSAN MIRANDA

In my entry here on Blogger for last evening, May 10th, I mentioned that my brother-in-law would be getting the results from his COVID-19 test today, but, unfortunately (understatement) his results were among the 2,100 that were lost by the facility administering the test (as evidenced in the image atop this entry which was sent to me by my sister).

As for me, I learned at my orthopedist appointment (that I also referenced in the aforementioned post) he reasoning behind my severe pain (re my Greater tuberosity injury) and have been warned to expect it to continue for quite some time and eventually surgery may be warranted.

However, in the midst of my concern for my brother-in-law and my severe pain, I still participated in session 42 of the clapping/cheering/pan-playing tribute.

After all, our health care professionals, first responders and essential workers carry on in the midst of whatever their circumstances might be; it is the least I can do to show appreciation. As usual, I took a few pictures of the tribute and a couple of them can be seen below.

A #CLAPBECAUSEWECAREPARTICIPANT

A #CLAPBECAUSEWECAREPARTICIPANT

Saturday Night: A Report on This Evening's (5/9/2020) #ClapBecauseWeCare

A #CLAPBECAUSEWECAREPARTICIPANT

A #CLAPBECAUSEWECAREPARTICIPANT

GIUSEPPE
(He has taken a video of a session from his window.)

The photographs atop this entry are from this evening's (5-9-2020) #ClapBecauseWeCare tribute.

Saturday Morning: A Report on Friday Evening's (5/8/2020) #ClapBecauseWeCare

A #CLAPBECAUSEWECAREPARTICIPANT

A #CLAPBECAUSEWECAREPARTICIPANT

The photographs (two directly above and two directly below) are from last night's (5-8-2020) #ClapBecauseWeCare tribute.

A #CLAPBECAUSEWECAREPARTICIPANT

JULIE, THE WOMAN WHO TOOK PHOTO-OP S OF MY GARDEN
SEE THEM BY CLICKING HERE AND HERE 

It was pouring rain so I did not see many people hanging out their window or standing on their balcony or terrace. BUT I certainly heard a lot of cheering as well as horn blowing and "pan-playing" all around me.

Friday's Fact: The Importance of Face-Masks

GIUSEPPE AND TERESA
(He has taken a video of a session from his window.)

JULIE, THE WOMAN WHO TOOK PHOTO-OP S OF MY GARDEN
SEE THEM BY CLICKING HERE AND HERE 

The photos directly above as well as directly below...

A #CLAPBECAUSEWECAREPARTICIPANT

A #CLAPBECAUSEWECAREPARTICIPANT

A #CLAPBECAUSEWECAREPARTICIPANT

The latter is of a woman who called out to me to see take me up on my offer of mailing her photographs of our sessions.

Thursday's Testimony: A Report on Session 37 & The Importance of Face-Masks

A #CLAPBECAUSEWECAREPARTICIPANT

JULIE, THE WOMAN WHO TOOK PHOTO-OP S OF MY GARDEN
SEE THEM BY CLICKING HERE AND HERE 

The photos directly above as well as directly below...

A #CLAPBECAUSEWECAREPARTICIPANT

A #CLAPBECAUSEWECAREPARTICIPANT

GIUSEPPE AND TERESA
(He has taken a video of a session from his window.)

... are are just a few photo-ops last night's #ClapBecauseWeCare session.

Cinco de Mayo in Bygone Years & 5/5/2020 (Tuesday's Truths WK 178)

It's Cinco de Mayo and I'm recalling a time the holiday fell on the first Sunday in May, which coincided the Five Boro Bike Tour, an event I referenced in this past Sunday's entry here on Blogger. At that particular time, I celebrated completing another bike tour with a margarita at Santa Fe restaurant (which can be seen in the photo directly above).

This year because of the somberness due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus)  pandemic, I  don't think there was much (if anything) mentioned about the holiday which is normally a festive one in my hood as we have a number of Mexican Restraunts (which are closed due to NYC's shutdowns).

#ClapBecauseWeCare Session 24 ETC

A #ClapBecauseWeCare Participant

The 24th Session of #ClapBecauseWeCare took place last night (Sunday, April 19th) and through my long camera lens I discovered that someone in a building northwest of me has put a banner (see photo at the top of this entry) on his balcony in support of the on going #ClapBecauseWeCare movement to pay homage to first responders, front liners and essential workers who are keeping everyone as safe as possible during the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Severe Weather Did Not Stop Session 19 (Tuesday's Truths WK 171)

MY ROOFTOP GARDEN IS THE SETTING FOR "WORDS IN OUR BEAK"

A massive storm pounded New York City Monday (April 13 2020) morning and afternoon with heavy rain and speedy gales that caused flooding and power outages across the five boroughs.

Because my crabapple tree toppled over this past Friday and no one can come to help me tie it to the railing until our lockdown is over, I secured it by placing a couple of my garden chairs around it (as seen in the image atop this entry).

Easter Sunday 2020

In a recent post on my personal Facebook Page, I made a commitment to share a poem a day during the month of April in honor of this being National Poetry Month.

In the event the text of this poem too small or too pixelated within the golden backdrop that I created as an image, here's a copy of Oliver's poem:

Have you ever seen
anything
in your life
more wonderful
than the way the sun,
every evening,
relaxed and easy,
floats toward the horizon
and into the clouds or the hills,
or the rumpled sea,
and is gone–
and how it glides again
out of the blackness,
every morning,
on the other side of the world,
like a red flower
streaming upward on its heavenly oils,
say, on a morning in early summer,
at its perfect imperial distance–
and have you ever felt for anything
such wild love–
do you think there is anywhere, in any language
a word billowing enough
for the pleasure
that fills you,
as the sun
reaches out,
as it warms you
as you stand there
empty-handed–
or have you too
turned from this world–
or have you too
gone crazy
for power,
for things?

Because it is now Easter morning, I chose The Sun, by Mary Oliver, for today's selection to post there but wanted to share it here too. Re this poem, Robin Bates writes, "I have periodically turned to Mary Oliver to provide Easter poems, even though she seldom speaks overtly about religion. A number of her lyrics reenact the progress of Easter week, from dark suffering to miraculous release and ecstatic union with the divine. In 'The Sun,' Oliver’s main focus is on the moment of transcendence."

Dr. Seuss was born 116 years ago today!

Dr. Seuss was born 116 years ago on this day of March the 2nd. I have paid homage to his day of birth in prior posts here on Blogger and I've also referenced several of Seuss's quotations within a number of my blog entries, all of this can be referred to by clicking here.

In any event, on this day of Seuss's birth, I find myself thinking about his first book, which was titled, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street (the book featured in the image atop this posting) and something I've addressed in prior posts here on Blogger.

According to a number of sources, including Wikipedia, "At least 20 publishers rejected the book before Geisel ran into an old college classmate, who had just become juvenile editor at Vanguard Press. Vanguard agreed to publish the book, and it met with high praise from critics upon release, though sales were not as impressive." 

Throwback Thursday 2-6-2020

In honor of #ThrowbackThursday, I've posted some photographs of sculptures within this blog post that I took in Riverside Park South during bygone years.

Feast of the Epiphany and Related Matters

Today is the Feast of the Epiphany, (also known as Three Kings Day), a celebration that I've blogged about in bygone years. I don't have anything to add to my musings re that subject, so please click here to read my former entries and have yourself a blessed Epiphany!

Meanwhile, because there were three kings it's a good time to once again DISPEL (I first attempted to do this here on Blogger in 2011) the adage, "bad things happen in three."

This Wednesday's Wisdom is from the birds! (Some Facts Re Mallard Ducklings ETC)

I have something in common with the Mallard ducklings seen in the pictures atop this entry (where they are swimming in the Hudson River with their mother), I'm one of three...

Monday's Musings (8/13/2018)

My sister snd her son (James Miranda) were in NYC for a few days last week and he wanted to see The Plaza Hotel, so at my suggestion, we walked through a portion of Central Park and headed towards the Gapstow Bridge to give him a scenic route of getting there.

An image of this famous bridge (which was taken from a web-page) can be seen atop this entry. The text accompanying states the following:

"Curving gracefully over the neck of the Pond at 59th Street, Gapstow is one of the iconic bridges of Central Park. It is the second bridge on the site. The first, a much more elaborate wood and iron bridge, designed by Jacob Wrey Mould, deteriorated and was replaced in 1896. The bridge offers postcard views of the surrounding cityscape. Facing south, you can see the famed Plaza Hotel and distinctive New York skyscrapers rising from above the Park's trees. Look southward in the winter and you'll see Wollman Rink's twirling skaters; in the warmer months you'll see the colorful amusements of Victorian Gardens."

Soon it will be Mother's Day 2018!

THIS SCENCE IS FEATURED IN VOLUME ONE

THIS SCENCE IS FEATURED IN VOLUME ONE

In a little over a week's time (as in Sunday the thirteenth of May), it will be Mother's Day! And if anyone knows the importance of a mother, it's is Frannie and Vincenzo, who are two to of Cam's (my visiting cardinal) children!

Sunday's Sentiments for 10-29-2017

Yesterday, Saturday, October 28th, marked the one hundred and twenty-first anniversary of the dedication of The Statue of Liberty. According to a Wikipedia page, the statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886. She can be standing in NYC's harbor (from the vantage point of Red Hook in Brooklyn), in the first image atop this entry. The second image features a driftwood sculpture of her.

That particular image (which was was included in an entry here on Blogger this past June), was taken by yours truly when I made a trip to Long Beach (on Long Island in NY) with my sister a number of years ago.

Plush Animal Lover's Day 2017

Today is Plush Animal Lover's Day, and the image atop this entry of a plush animal rendered in the likeness of a male cardinal, is my way of paying honoring this holiday, but please don't tell Cam I'm doing this!

Here's my Tuesday's Truths WK 61: I finally went to the beach!

Hello, and welcome to Tuesday's Truths for week fifty-nine: I finally went to the beach! If you follow my entries here on Blogger, dear reader, then you may recall that I have been trying to go to the beach for the year 2017 ever since May. Therefore, I'm so thankful that I finally had the opportunity to this, even though, because of traffic in getting there, we could only be on the beach four hours.

The beach I was able to visit was Long Beach which is on Long Island in New York. I've been to this beach on countless occasions since I moved to NYC in the 1980's, and several of my trips there have been with my sister, who unfortunately has not been able to visit me this year (as of this posting).

In any event, in spite of the fact thatI have been to Long Beach on so many occasions, I have never visited there in the month of October. It was such a wonderful experience to be there on a Saturday afternoon at this time of year.

And because it's "officially" the end of beach season (meaning there are no lifeguards), the beach was not peppered with as many umbrellas and beach chairs, as depicted in the image atop this entry, which is from a web-page.

However, a fair amount of people, as well as seagulls, were there enjoying an October day at the beach.

Thursdays Thoughts: Challenging the adage "bad things happen in threes" REPRISED

GOSLINGS ARE FEATURED IN VOL 2

Today I am thinking about the gosling triplets (pictured above), which I encountered in Central Park this past June, because I am also one of three (sisters), although we are not triplets.

A photograph of us with our grandfather that was taken when we were very young can be seen in the next picture.

Being one of three, has caused me to challenge the adage,"bad things happen in threes," which I did in a blog post that was published in 2011. This entry deals with the placement of flora (in threes) within my rooftop garden.

In any event, I'm thinking of the "bad things happen in threes," adage on this day of July 13th, as it is my youngest sister's birthday. She is the one in the middle in the aforementioned photo (I'm the one to her left — or seen to her right in this image).