Goodbye, Dear Friend

Amalfi's restaurant has closed!

I am heartbroken.

For those of you who frequented Amalfi's, you know what a great place it was. Outstanding food, great atmosphere, and truly, a place where you could be comfortable.

The owners, Angelo and Marcia, were not just the owners but real and true friends. They welcomed you into their restaurant as though you were at their home and they treated you like family. Angelo passed away a while back but Marcia kept things going for as long as she could. These people were very dear to my family and their presence will be missed.

And Jason...what can I say about Jason? He was the best waiter I have ever seen. He went WAY beyond just a waiter, he was another part of our family. Never sad, always a joy to see and talk to, he was a great part of what made Amalfi's my favorite place to go. I don't know where he has gone, but I will look for him. I can't imagine not seeing him again.

For those of you who missed the opportunity to visit this special place, my heart weeps. You missed one of life's great experiences. Not just for the food, (OMG-the FOOD!), but for the warmth and feeling given to all who stopped in and joined the family.

I will always and warmly remember Amalfi's.

I'll just always be a little sad when I do.

Rituals

Hi ya, readers!

What's up?

I was reading an article the other day and the writer was talking about how much he enjoyed the ritual of scotch drinking. Choosing the proper glass, just enough ice or water to bring out the flavor, choosing the appropriate scotch for the moment, and the slow, warming taste of a well crafted drink.
Made my mouth water.

And I thought.. how many rituals do we, as a modern people, incorporate into our lives?

I too, drink scotch and do enjoy the relaxing aspect of the proper drink. I also smoke the occasional cigar, which requires a great deal of preparation and equipment. (Cutters, lighters, ashtrays, etc.)

I find a comfort in these things.
They take time.
They require the participant to become actively involved in the moment.
And once you are involved, they force you to relax and savor life.

Women have their rituals as well.
The long, soaking bath. The manicure/pedicure/salon experience. The extended lunch for conversation and reflection. Some have even taken our scotch/cigar ritual for their own.

I think this shows a need for people to have fun points in their life. A reliable, comfortable act that is the same each time and provides a positive result for the person.
Something we can do that gives us happy feedback.

Tell me your rituals. How do you escape the sometimes monotonous lives we lead? Do you have any rituals or do you feel they are overrated?

Let's talk.


Image courtesy:
magazine.continental.com/.../scotch.jpg

Who Do Ya Love?

Hey, folks.

Quick family update for those who follow...everybody's doing great. The Mom is settling into Lake Taylor and beginning to have fun (who da thunk!), and Beck's is doing above average in P.T. (always the overachiever).

So onward!

Walter Cronkite passed away on Friday, 17 July. He was the journalist for myself and the generation before me. I remember him reporting the moon landing, Watergate, and even a little of the Kennedy assassination. He was a voice of reason during Vietnam and was considered the most trusted newsman in America, not only by his peers but by his audience.

I think he was important to me because he was part of a small circle of celebrities that I could actually see during my youth. I didn't have E Entertainment News to watch or People magazine to read. My exposure to the world of stars was limited to 3 major networks and movies at the theater. So when someone from my small group of idols passes, I feel it.

And it made me think..do kids today have similar groups?
I mean, they grow up in such a different world.
Cable TV, movies on demand, a constant bombardment of celebrities who rush to show every little aspect of their lives. Are they impacted when a member of their circle dies? Or is their attention span so short and new celebrities so readily available, that they just move on the next?

Help me out here, readers.

How do you feel? Do you miss someone in your world of entertainment, someone who reached you in a special way? (Don't use Michael Jackson, he is a special case.)

Let me know if I'm alone here.

IT'S ALIVE!

OMG...It lives!

Been away for a while, so now I've got to re-learn how this blog thingy works.

Hope everyone is OK.
As in my last post, the household has been keeping me busy. Beck's is doing great. She finished at- home P.T. and is now at the Norfolk Wellness and Fitness Center/InMotion Physical Therapy. They have her on a bike to increase her range of motion and doing mat exercises to increase her strength. She has a serious love/hate thing going on with the folks there. She knows that this has to be done but she sure ain't enjoying it! But I think she is looking forward to the pool therapy.

I am SO proud of her. She's done a fantastic job of working the knee and doing her exercises and you can see the results in her walk and the way she moves. She has been a trooper.

The MOM is still at Lake Taylor. They moved her to the rehab side due to a roommate issue and she is doing better. Not a happy camper but this is the best for her.
I don't think she will be going back to her apartment. Her upper body strength is poor and we haven't found out yet if her new repaired leg will support her weight. She has a dr's appointment on 30 July and, hopefully we will find out more then. But we've been trying to set the stage for the future so that her life can move on.

I have friends in the same boat so I guess it's a common issue at this age. (Well, THAT made me feel old!) As they say once the child, now the parent. Life goes full circle.

I want to say thanks to all the friends and family who have come out and helped us with this, both in moral support and other ways. Your visits and calls have helped more than I could ever tell you.

A special thanks to Bill Newell for the Corona Light. Dude, that was JUST what the Dr. ordered!

So that's the latest. I'll work on consistency and try to be better at posting.
It is cathartic and I can definitely use the therapy. (As my friends will tell you.)

Thanks to all for listening!