Yorkville: Stoops to Nuts: April 2020

Monday, April 27, 2020

Cold War Kid

The New York Times 1962 memory here fits today like a slipper.

Sunday, April 12, 2020

"It's bigger than Nan's turkey!" Rory said.
"Leave me alone, it's too early."
"Tommy, I swear it's huge. Get up!"

I tried to punch Rory but missed and my momentum carried me out of the bunk bed onto the bedroom floor. I got up and scratched my butt through my PJ's' on the short walk to the kitchen.

"Holy crap!" Rory was right. This was the largest chocolate bunny I'd ever seen. It took up half the space on the dinner table. Nearly twice the size of the big one in the window at Woolworth's on 86th Street. This monster rabbit was surrounded by painted Easter eggs and cream-filled chickadees. Mom out did herself, but this was no surprise with Mom when it came to chocolate and sweets. When she was 13, her class at St. Joseph's visited a candy factory in New Jersey owned by Father Heidi's family. When the kids were leaving the factory, the nun pulled Mom aside and patted her down. Mom had bars of chocolate stuck in various spots on her clothing and body. The nun grew suspicious when Mom kept her winter coat on for the whole trip despite the fact it was an unusually warm April day.

When I got home from school, I knew Mom was having a good afternoon if she had chocolate stuck between her teeth. She smiled a lot after chocolate, and smiled harder when Dad hit his thumb with a hammer.
Happy Easter, Ma! love, your Boys

Rory Tommy Bunny @1959

Ryans' @1938

If you enjoy my work, check out my memoir, "I Hate the Dallas Cowboys - tales of a scrappy New York boyhood." It's available at Logos Bookstore, 1575 York Avenue, or buy it online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble or other booksellers. If you do read it, please leave a few honest words about the book on Amazon and B&N. Thank you! (133 five-star Amazon reviews out of 133 posted)

St. Joe's 8th grade @1944

Friday, April 10, 2020

Glory Days?

Old Cathedral Girl High School sweatshirt @ 1970, Fits! ( not really) School's long gone from 50th Street & Lexington along with Radio City Music Hall showing a new movie and Rockettes Radio City all day.

LaSalle Academy H.S. Graduation, June 1972, my parents had not seen each other in two years. He was excommunicated from the household. Not sure my father would show up for the graduation and not sure Mom would stay if he did. Remarkably, they were scary polite to one another. They focused on me but snuck lovey looks. At some point he asked her to dinner. Mom said OK. I started to dribble. Next morning, I woke up to pee and I heard Dad's voice coming from the kitchen. I thought or maybe said out loud, "oh shit, here we go again."

And there we went... glory days