"A LIFE WITHOUT ANYTHING GOOD IS BAD."

Ever since my last posting here on blog, a number of months have once again passed in which, due to severe (some life threatening) health issues and other horrendous circumstances, I've been unable to post content. But here I am again and this time it's with promising news and a sincere hope that I will now be able to continue posting on a regular basis.

I'm off to a good start!

Today, I was able to get a $1.00 scoop of ice cream from Van Leeuwen Ice Cream!

Their flavor selections are truly magnificent (understatement), albeit pricey, but today, March 16, 2025, in honor of their opening a new location on the UES of NYC, they offered this tremendous price reduction!

AND, the first one hundred persons to come to this new location, were given a tote that has an image of an ice cream cone on one side and on the back, is a copy of their motto: "A LIFE WITHOUT ANYTHING GOOD IS BAD."

The collage posted atop this entry depicts my experience re taking advantage of Van Leeuwen's good and positive will, which could not have come at a better time for me, as I attempt to return to posting on this blog; and to commence with my book project, Imperfect Strangers, an endeavor which has been interrupted countless times due to the situations I mentioned in the intro to this blog entry.

Van Leeuwen's motto,  "A LIFE WITHOUT ANYTHING GOOD IS BAD," is the kick in the butt I needed  to restart my book project.

I have posted an entry on Substack to announce my moving forward on this long standing book project.

Christmas Eve 2021

Today, in the wee hours of Christmas Eve morning in NYC we probably had the most snow we will get for this year's holiday.

Glad I got a glimpse of how it looked in my garden, which as you may know, is the setting for all my books that have Words In Our Beak in their title.

With Thanks to "B THE DIFFERENCE"...

It has been a number of weeks since I've posted content other than "news" re additions to my collections on FAA (Fine Art America) which is not typical for me.

I truly detest promotion-based blog posts, yet recognize that it is a very necessary part of being a freelance writer and artist.

Having said this, please allow me to bring you up to speed, which I’ve had on my to do list since mid November 2021, as I wanted to let my readers know I've had another life disruption... but thankfully one of the consequences has led to a true blessing bestowed on me by the B THE DIFFERENCE foundation.

B THE DIFFERENCE's logo (seen directly above) is a turtle, which is a creature with whom I've identified (featuring these animals here on Blogger and in my book, IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS).

The foundation, B THE DIFFERENCE is back from the holidays and I am most grateful to be a recipient of their generosity.

So, dear reader, upon reading this, you may be asking, what is B THE DIFFERENCE?

It is an organization which was founded in October 2011 by Stephanie and Jessica Merritt to honor the memory of their brother, Brandon, and they have shared the fact that Brandon was 8 months old he was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis (NF), a disease targeting the nervous system by developing tumors on nerve endings. 

As readers of this blog undoubtedly know, NF, is a disease that I was born with (which is discussed in one of my first blog posts as well as in many posts thereafter); and my having it, has impacted my life on many levels, some of which is described in my book project Imperfect Strangers.

It can be viewed on Vimeo and/or You Tube.

Evidently Brandon never asked "Why me?" when NF compromised his ability to play sports and interact with children his age—if anything (according to his family), Brandon's physical disabilities allowed his personality to become incredibly nurturing and sensitive.

I must confess that there were times I did allow NF to restrict me, perhaps that's because I grew up in a different era, or maybe I'm just a complainer at heart.

BUT I digress...from my "explanation" re my uncharacteristic absence here on Blogger:

The following photos of me were taken at an Emergency Room in NYC (Mount Sinai, 59th Street) on Saturday, November 13th, 2021.

At the urging of CITY MD, I had gone to the emergency room on that day because I had fallen the evening prior and my symptoms were worsening. 

Here is the situation:

As I said, I had an accident on Friday, November 12th, and sustained an injury.

Turns out I had a proximal humeral fracture, which, as you may know refers to a break involving the area surrounding the humeral head, commonly known as the ball of the shoulder’s ball-and-socket joint. 

Brittle bones are a symptom of Neurofibromatosis and I've broken many bones in my lifetime, including the first month of 2020 when I broke my Greater tuberosity! So it was not all that surprising for me to learn the extent of my recent injury to my arm.

In any event, the following day, after a brief visit to CITY MD, I received advice to go to the emergency room where I spent 4-5 hours undergoing X-rays which determined the type of injury I now have. 

The upshot is I saw an orthopedist that following Monday who is associated with Mount Sinai hospital and he confirmed the severity of my fracture and the need for me to have Open Reduction Internal Fixation Surgery (ORIF)

BUT this surgery could not be done until 11-22-2021 as I needed to go to appointments for medical and COVID clearances which I did, and I’ve now had that procedure!

One of the after surgery “needs” that the doctor and anesthesiologist recommended for me was to wear a pump for a period of five-six days to release opioids in increments in a safe manner, but ultimately my pump (unbeknowest to me) was cutting off my oxygen leaving me nearly unable to speak and cutting off air circulation.

The pump was originally set to be removed permanently on Thanksgiving morning and I had made arrangements for someone to help me with this, but due to the potential danger I was experiencing (inability to speak and inability to breathe) its immediate removal was mandated.

Because the pump was on my back I could not get to it easily and the doctor warned me I could rip a  “proper” catheter if I did not to it exactly right.

But be that as it may, I was able to pull the device off which gave me much needed relief.

Then on 12-1-2021, two weeks after my surgery, my bandages were removed.

During one of the days following surgery (I've lost tract of specifics), and, out of the blue, I received a phone call from Aisling Rice (Director of Operations at B The Difference), who had heard about my plight with Neurofibromatosis through someone who actively reads my blog posts and whom I am in touch with by phone and/or email but have never met.

The fact that I had suffered an injury involving my arm had nothing to do with why I was contacted... it was just serendipity, or evidence that perhaps my guardian angel is working after all... for I've now been informed that I am the recipent of a generous grant (from B The Difference) to cover part of a medical need.

I am so grateful for this and I've applied their monies towards an outstanding balance of a dental procedure. 

Hopefully one day when I'm in better shape, I will be able to make contributions to others as B the Differnce has done for so many. To learn more about B the Difference, please click here.

Meanwhile, since my arm's movement is compromised, a turtle in Central Park is the one giving B the Difference a HIGH 5!

House Sparrows Eavesdrop! (Monday's Memo)

I am always humbled, honored, thrilled, entertained and educated when birds visit my garden (which is atop a roof extension in NYC). 

One dreary cold day (this past winter) I caught a glimpse of a lone Mourning dove having a conversation with a male House sparrow while they perched on the edge of a bird bath which was mostly filled water.

Another male House sparrow cocked his head to eavesdrop.

[Both of these bird types are included in all of my books which have Words In Our Beak in their  title and they are also featured in BIRD TALES. Info re all of these books can be found by clicking here.]

According to a page within Wikipedia, "The verb eavesdrop is a back-formation from the noun eavesdropper ("a person who eavesdrops"), which was formed from the related noun eavesdrop ("the dripping of water from the eaves of a house; the ground on which such water falls")."

This source goes on to say,  in bygone years, "an eavesdropper was someone who would hang from the eve of a building so as to hear what is said within. The PBS documentaries Inside the Court of Henry VIII (April 8, 2015) and Secrets of Henry VIII’s Palace (June 30, 2013) include segments that display and discuss "eavedrops," carved wooden figures Henry VIII had built into the eaves (overhanging edges of the beams in the ceiling) of Hampton Court to discourage unwanted gossip or dissension from the King's wishes and rule, to foment paranoia and fear, and demonstrate that everything said there was being overheard; literally, that the walls had ears."

Not to be outdone by the House sparow who was listening intently to the chirping of the Mourning dove and the other House Sparrow, I cocked my head to eavesdrop, for whenever I hear what birds have to say, I learn something!

In Remembrance of Donna De Solis

This post is in honor of what would be the seventy-fourth birthday of my dearly departed friend, Donna De Solis, who passed away on June 25th, 2015. In the picture directly above she can be seen at the bottom of image and I am standing directly behind her. It was taken in 2014 and we were on a pier at the Hudson River, celebrating my birthday. 

Little did we know it would be the last time I celebrated mine with her, for she died the following June two months before my birthday in the year 2015.

Donna was the office manager at The Church of the Blessed Sacrament (my parish).

Over the many years I knew her, I was honored and privledged to be a guest at a number of the Christmas parties she held in her home and to go with her to various events happening in NYC. 

Moreover, she came to a couple of exhibitions that featured my photography. In the next picture, Donna can be seen with a yellow sweater over her shoulders and yours truly is standing behind her. 

We are at an opening for a 2002 art exhibition that I was featured in (with two other artists who are not in this photograph) at The New York Gallery Building (on West Fifty-Seventh Street in NYC). The art piece which is behind us is one of my kaliedoscopic images titled Rocks By Strawberry Fields. 

At the time our picture was taken, my kaliedoscopic photographs could only be printed on photographic papers as wall art or rendred on to note-cards.

Howeover, over the years, with advancement in printing processes, my kaliedoscopic works (as well as all of my other photographs) can be rendered (by Fine Art America AKA FAA) in an aray of sizes on to various surfaces for wall art including, acrylic, art paper, canvas, metal, poster-paper and wood. FAA also has framed options available and they can render the images on to note-cards.

I think Donna might've found it cool that FAA can print my kaliedoscopic images (and my other ones) on to items for personal use such as totes, week-ender bags, pouches, note-books, stickers, cell-phone cases and jigsaw puzzles; as well as face-masks.

In any event, I'm certainly thinking of Donna as well as those family members who survived her including her husband Tony as well as her son, Bryan, who shortly after her death, requsted that I create a video in honor of memory, which I did and it can be viewed on Vimeo as well as You Tube.

E.B., A Visitor Who Has a Bird's Eye View of my Roof Extension Garden

This past Friday E.B (seen in the photograph directly above) is a man who lives acrooss the courtyard came to visit my garden. 

I guess he was so relaxed he forgot his phone which I took over to his building and he met me in the lobby. I initially came in contact with E.B. during #clapbecausewecare sessions which were something many New Yorkers participated in during the lockdowns that took place throughout the darkest evenings of the coronavirus pandemic.

One of the last sessions took place on 6-25-2021 and E.B. can be seen participating in that particular session in the next photo.

In any case, during the time of lockdowns and clap/cheeer sessions, E.B. purchased all three volumes of my Words In Our Beak hardcover book series.

It was wonderful to hear him say whenever he has had guests visit his NYC apartment he shows them my books, and then from his window he points to my garden to let his vistors know that it is the spot where my stories take place.

On another note, we have been trying to work out a time to meet  together ever since E.B. took me to lunch (in November of 2020)....

... and at that time we promised each other he’d visit my garden.

I’m very thankful he could come by last night especially since he is leaving NYC for the summer but we hope to get together in the fall when he returns, and fyi, when I say E.B. has a bird's eye view of my garden, I mean it literally for his surname is Bird!

Grow NYC's compost is in the bag!

Every Sunday, under all types of weather conditions, I take any food scraps I have as well as pieces of foliage from pruned plants and trees (that grow in my roof extension garden) to a Greenmarket that is sponsored by Grow NYC and is located alongside The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) and I put them in their compost bin.

From there the folks who work at their Compost Station transport everything to Governor’s Island where it is ultimately turned into soil that’s suitable for house plants and/or a great “product” to use as fertilizer if one has an outdoor garden.

Today individual bags (an example is featured in the image atop this posting) of their “concoction” were given to those who bought any food scraps (as well as pieces of foliage from pruned plants and trees) to their compost bin.

So glad to have been a recipient of a bag of it.

Meaning Associated with the "Flower Moon" (Wednesday's Wisdom)

Last night when I was speaking by phone with my friend CF (who has been "temporarily" living out of the city for a little over one year, due to the coronavirus pandemic and the need for her and her husband to move into the house where his mother lives, which is in a  NJ town); she remarked on how beautiful the moon looked —  something that would've been harder to view in NYC than in the rural area where she is staying.

It was only my hearing her remark which prompted me to remember that I had heard about how the moon would appear when listening to the morning news and I had made a mental note to myself to go out to see it.

However, after dealing with my computer pick up, and issues related to reinstalling my machine, I forgot all about it.

After she told me about what she had seen, I immediately went to the end of my street to see if I could catch a glimpse of it as I could not see it (even through a long lens) when standing in my garden.

When I got to the corner, I could catch a glimpse of it but in my excitement re the possibility of seeing it, I only had my pocket  camera with me, not my long-lensed DSLR.

With city lights it is difficult to observe the brightness of the moon without going deeper into Central Park.

However doing that at night is not safe or wise, so I took a few snaps from the stret corner and just reflected on the phenomenon of this special moon, known as the Flower Moon. 

Many sources re last night's moon offer wise words and concur on how it came to be called the flower moon, aand in honor of this recnt event, I wil share them in this segement of Wednesday's Wisdom:

"The Full Moon of May is known as Flower Moon to signify the flowers that bloom during this month. ... Other names for May’s brightest Moon phase are Corn Planting Moon, Mother's Moon, and Milk Moon, from the Old English Rimilcemona which means Month of Three Milkings, when cows were milked three times a day."

Be that as it may, re this May moon, upon seeing it, I found myself singing the Cat Steven's lyrics, "....I'm being followed by a moon shadow, moon shadow...."

A Bird's Form of Panting (to cool down) Tuesday's Truths WK 217

The “real feel” temperatures climbed into the 90's this past weekend and weather conditions like this are very hard on our avian community. I am very mindful of having fresh water for them but it is still very difficult for them to cool down in situations like this. One thing birds do to cool off is to open their beaks ever so slightly as the young European starling is doing in the picture atop this entry.

2021's First Sunday in May

Under "normal" circumstances, The TD Five Boro Bike Tour would be occurring today, as it always takes place on the first Sunday in May. 

This annual event began on June 12, 1977 (an image of the event from Bike New York's web-page) and it was known as the Five Boro Challenge with 250 participants. 

Going forward it took place every year on the first Sunday in May hosting up up to 32,000 riders from every state in the nation and 65 countries around the world with the exception of last year when it was cancelled as NYC was in the throes of the coronavirus pandemic related lockdowns.

Facts About Sparrows (Wednesday's Wisdom)

The other day when I was on Broadway I noticed some tulips swaying in the wind, but it was not until I put my camera’s memory card in the computer that I noticed a young female House sparrow had been catching some rays alongside those flowers.

It's the pits!

In the photo directly above, a few daffodils are catching some shade from the sun's rays by being within a sturdy, masterfully crafted tree pit. CURBED reporter Diana Budds calls these structures "micro-Edens," but the city's parks department calls them "tree pits."

European starlings contine to enjoy my garden. (Saturday's Sentiment)

European starlings the bird type featured in the image atop this entry (visiting my roof extension garden) were brought to NYC from England 131 years and one month ago yesterday (3-16-1890).

Daffodils: A contendor for NYC's flower + an inspiration to poets (Tuesday's Truths WK 211)

Welcome to my 211th segement of Tuesday's Truths, where I'm pointing out that evidently Michael Bloomberg, when he was mayor of NYC, wanted to designate daffodils, the flower type featured in the image directly above (which was taken in Central Park) to be our city's flower (the state flower is the rose). 

Ed O'Neill Has the Worst Celebrity Recognition Skills Ever? (If so, I'm a close second)

The photo atop this entry features a screen-shot from the You Tube video posted directly below.

In the video Ed O'Neill is on the Ellen DeGeneres show where she "acuses" him of having the "worst celebrity recognition skills ever," 

Apparently he earned the bragging rights for having the "worst celebrity recognition skills ever," upon being in a waiting room at an airport when he wass approached by Britney Spears, who wanted her picture taken with him. He, asuming she was just a young fan, agreed, but after Spear's photo-op (seen within the image atop the entry) went viral is when O'Neill learned the identity of the airport fan.

My Garden-themed Note-Cards

I received a notification from Fine Art America (FAA) that "someone" purchased my greeting cards and one of them, A NYC Rooftop Garden is featured in the image atop this entry. 

The other one, Echinacea Triplets, can be viewed in the  screenshot directly below.

FAA does not disclose the name of a given buyer but every now and then a buyer lets me know which is the case with GK, the woman who purchased these cards. She notified me that she had bought them and I'm grateful for the sale and that she took the time to let me know. GK and I met over ten years ago when Vivianne Tvilling (owner of äskling a boutique that was on the UWS for a number of years) had an event.

As for these particular cards, they feature views of my garden, which is the setting for my three volume book series, Words In Our Beak.  These are directed to children and adults who are curious about gardening as well as birds and want to learn about them from a unique perspective.

MY BOOK SERIES

The stories are set in my garden and these books are narrated by a female cardinal whose picture is on the cover of each volume. 

They make a perfect gift anytime but especially during the Easter season which began on April 14th 2021 and lasts until May 23rd.

Out like a lion?

Today, in NYC, March is kind of going out like a lion, albeit not all that of a ferocious one, just chilly and rainy. But — as evidenced in photos atop this entry — she is leaving behind some colorful buds bursting from my crabapple tree. Buds are also appearing on my other trees as well as my shrubs and they are appearing on my kiwi vines as seen in the next set of pictures.

I have had my kiwi vines for 11 years! They have bragging rights for being featured in my first garden-themed movie, The Kiwi Speaks! Fifteen Minutes of Fame....almost. 

It can be viewed on Vimeo and/or You Tube. Moreover as some of you may know, my garden is the setting for my three volume book series, Words In Our Beak. 

MY BOOK SERIES

My stories are told in the voice of Cam, a female cardinal, who visits it. Words In Our Beak is directed to children and adults who are curious about birds, and want to learn about them from a unique perspective. 

Santa Fe is Back in Business!

My article covers the re-opening of Santa Fe, a restaurant on NYC's UWS which like many had to close due to consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, they are now back in the bussiness of "cooking and cocktailing."

Poignant Omissions: A Cost of Being in Survival Mode (Wednesday's Wisdom)

Walking south on the east side of Columbus Avenue, I first noticed a young boy sitting on the curb and then saw a bouquet of flowers in his backpack. I followed his gaze which seemed to be looking up at the building directly across the avenue.

Written inside the pediment above the ornamental molding of 302 Columbus Avenue was signage for The J.M. Horton Ice Cream Company.

I was appalled at myself for not having noticed it before, as I have walked up and down this block countless times for nearly forty years. I am generally one to notice “the little things”—such as a young person sitting on the curb with flowers in his backpack.

When I moved to this UWS area of Manhattan in the 1980s with $200 and my bartender certificate, I was hoping to get a bartending job that would support me while pursuing a writing career. However, in spite of the many trendy restaurants, I could neither find a bartending gig nor a position waiting tables anywhere in the immediate vicinity, or even in other parts of NYC.

I suppose the prolonged quest to find a job is likely the reason I missed seeing the signage for The J.M. Horton Ice Cream Company and wondered if that is what happens in the minds of those who are in survival mode. Then again, was the signage even there at that time? I had to find out.

It did not take long. James Madison (JM) Horton came to NYC from Long Island when he was a teen in the 1800s, with $100 in his pocket. That was a lot of money back in that day, worth far more than the $200 I had brought in the 1980s.

I also learned that years later—in 1872, with three partners—Horton eventually incorporated The Ice Cream Company. Then, in March 1889, the company hired Cleverdon & Putzel, to design a five–story store tenement with a storefront at 302 Columbus Avenue featuring a triangular pediment baring J. M. Horton’s name.

It is hard to notice if you’re not looking for it because it is so high up. One might wonder why is it placed so high? The answer is logical.

Until 1940, the 9th Avenue EL was above Columbus Avenue, and the sign could easily be seen by passengers from the train. Having satisfied my curiosity regarding #302’s signage, my mind turned to the building’s storefront, currently occupied by a sandwich shop. I wondered what was in that space before? How was it after living in the area so long, could I not remember it? Was I so preoccupied? Are others like this too?

More research informed that the prior storefront had been home to Red River Grill. 

I do not have any memory of it, but digging deeper reminded me of the Japanese restaurant (where I sometimes ate miso soup in the mid–1980s) that had once been located there. The end of my search provided an unexpected answer. In the early 1980s, when I had arrived in Manhattan, #302 was occupied by The Wildwood Tavern.

I was surprised, as I had recalled The Wildwood being further north on Columbus. I knew it well because someone who knew the tavern’s owner got me a job there which made it all the more surprising that I had no specific memory of who occupied that space. I got hired to clean the bar in the early morning before it opened for the day.

Being the first and only employee to arrive each day, I always had trouble opening the old lock, and I was fearful I’d lose my job if the proprietor ever found out. One morning I had such difficulty that I was forced to ask someone in the next door laundromat for help. to my great relief, the tavern’s owner never found out.

Reflecting all these years later, I realize my concentrating on that fear is likely the reason I never looked up and saw The J.M. Horton Ice Cream signage and this may be the case for others who are caught up in their fears; but hopefully not too caught up to overlook a boy sitting on a curb with roses in his back pack.

NATIONAL DENTIST DAY 2021

Today is National Dentist Day. It is a holiday that I wrote about here on Blogger in 2017 when I was undergoing a painful procedure with someone who ultimately did a lot of faulty dental work on me and who is no longer my dentist. Moreover, within that entry, I refernced my Spilanthes, also known as The Toothache Plant which can be seen in the images directly below.

These images are also featured in my  June 28th, 2011 entry along with cool facts re this plant (herb) which I used to grow in my rooftop garden here in NYC.