Not long ago...my dad came to "visit" with my mom.  Mom has a friend, who though in her 80's, expressed to my mother reluctantly that she always "gets these things.' So..1 early morning she called my mom...."Diane, I don't know how you feel about these things but I'm sorry, I just have to say this...I am to tell you "Paul wants me to tell you, he loves you very much." and then her friend goes.."who the hell is Paul?!"  Of course, she only knows my mom when married to Ed.....mom giggled and explained...and then of course, as we "get this" she called to share it with me...apparently my mom had been thinking and missing my dad....and so he found a way to reach out!♥

God love my Aunt Katie!  If not for her I would know so much less... for instance..just a few days ago I learned...

While I thought Unlce Louey (whom my dad would talk of often) didn't go to their wedding because my mom wasn't Jewish....turns out...NO..Kaite says...it was because the wedding was in a Catholic Church!  Uncle Louey born in Russian remembered the Catholic Churches horrible treatment back in Russia!  So, my great uncle, who I know loved my dad was making a Political statment!  Ah...so NOW...I know where it comes from!!! 

Not long ago, my Aunt Katie, shared a story some of today, some 36 years ago.  In keeping with my dad's saying "you'll be late for your own funeral!"   I only recently learned.....

Seems my dad's first little family, Grandma, sister Katie, sister Annie and their families were on their way to the funeral on Long Island from Brooklyn and Queens.  Apparently, though I have no memory of this then, it was the time of rationing of gas for your car.  Odd days even days of your lisense plate.....sure enough... as they gathered their sad souls into Uncle Herb's car, IT RAN OUT OF GAS.....and of course...what was their license plate?????? An odd number on an even day!!!!!

Frantic that they would miss their brother's funeral...my uncle Herb (of Blessed memory) managed to somehow rent a car and get them to the service....I'm sure they were horrified of this on the fateful day....but for me...to hear this years later...I roared with laughter!  OF COURSE they would "be late for the funeral"  OF COURSE....Daddy's saying come to pass....just a little thing to let them know he was there and one last little gag.

 

I was under 5 or there abouts for I know I started kindgergarten there...I recall the first few days of moving in....I didn't know it then but came to find out that my parents did not really have furniture..either it had not arrived or I recall some story of "renting" furniture.

In any event, we had my doll or child's kitchen table, set and chairs.  And there we ate on our first few days in Bayside....making the best of no furniture by having a "party" with my doll furniture!

On another occassion, his sister, Katie came to babysit and somehow put a frying pan on fire....my dad sleeping in the bedroom....hears the screams and comes running to get the flaming frying pan..wrapped in a blanket, as he was nude.....there in the Bayside courtyard in the middle of the day....a crazy man wrapped in a blanket (which may even had wholes in it) stood with a flaming frying pan! All was well..fire out...but the naked man with the blanket and blazing frying pan was the talk of the neighborhood.
 

He loved his martinis and taught me to make them to my mom's horror.  Smirnoff Vodka, dry vermouth, shaken (not stirred) one olive! Please join me tonight in one to honor my daddy! and so they did! Thanks Darelene, Rich and Meredith!