today and tomorrow/July 14

Ladies Who Lunch
I met my friend Trudy for lunch yesterday.  No, it wasn't at Sel Marie, our favorite restaurant in Lincoln Square.  It was on a bench in the park at Damen and Foster.  Trudy rode over on her bike.  She brought a gorgeous salad.  I drove and had a McDonald's burger in my bag.  Oh well.

The important thing is we had a great time visiting.  Catching up on our latest opinions and observations.  Pondering the present and the future. 

When Lisa was over the other day, we wondered what would stay changed in the virus afterlife.  I can see the bench/lunch as a welcome addition.  Not at all a burden. 

today and tomorrow/July 13

My Dinner with ?
Do you remember the movie My Dinner with Andre?    Two talented  friends taking the time to show genuine interest in sharing their lives.  Talking.  Listening.   I loved it.  In this week's blog, Gerry asks the question:  If you could have dinner with anyone, alive or dead, who would you choose?  I'm emailing.


Finding Happiness
The Atlantic Magazine continues to deposit interesting posts in my in box.  This time they are addressing ways to be happy.  Definitely worth a look.  I'm emailing.










My Favorite Chef
He did it again!  Chef Chris of My Private Chef  brought over some wonderful food he took home from his bridal shower party.  He is back in business.  What a treat!

today and tomorrow/July 12

Class Act

The pandemic forced Wimbledon to cancel its tournament for the first time since WWII. In an extraordinary move, the All England Club will pay some amount of money to all of the players who were eligible to compete in the 2020 tournament.  Amounts vary for top seeded players to wheelchair participants.  

Serena, Rafa and Roger don’t need the money. There are more than 10,000 other professional players who certainly can use the help.

In addition, the Club donated strawberries, towels and balls that would have been part of the tournament to a virus relief fund.

I hope some of those strawberries made it to the nurses and patients in the UK.

today and tomorrow/July 11

Waiting

Back when I was watching a lot of cable news, the nightly message designed to calm down our Trump induced panic was: "Wait for the Mueller Report.  Wait for the Mueller Report.  He knows what he is doing.  He has the right people.  Wait."  Robert Mueller, the all American superhero was surely going to pounce on Trump and save us all.  Just wait.

Now that I am watching very little cable news, the current message is still getting through.  "Wait for the November election.  Wait for Joe Biden.  He will return us to normal.  Wait until November."  Joe Biden is the all American likeable fellow.  He surely is going to trounce Trump and save us all.  Just wait.

And while we wait?

Thanks Carole for sending me the article about the Mueller Report in the New Yorker.  I'm passing it on.  Definitely worth reading.

today and tomorrow/July 10

Jackson and the Jews
When, DeSean Jackson, the Eagles football player, repeated familiar anti-jewish material, he was immediately criticized.  Citing lack of education, his coach suggested a trip to the Holocaust Museum in  D.C. followed by a trip to the Museum of African American History.  Good idea!

I hope Jackson will also learn about how the Jewish community stepped up during the Civil Rights Movement.  Why has this crucial alliance been allowed to fade from our history?  Personally, I am remembering my great friend Chuck Markels, who died much too young.  He was an attorney who went south to help with the voting rights effort.  And, working with the ACLU, won a landmark case in Chicago breaking up ghetto public housing. 

I didn't have any trouble finding highlights of this history on the internet.  I'm glad I looked.

Happy Birthday Diego!

My grandson is 15 today.  Tall, handsome, creative.  Special.

today and tomorrow/July 9

Unorthodox
My emotional state is so fragile these days that halfway through watching this excellent Netflix show I called my friend Lori.  "If she gets killed or commits suicide, I want to stop watching right now."  I won't reveal the end.  I'll just say that I highly recommend this film.

The Atlantic. . .
discusses opening schools and continues to recommend interesting content from all media.  It's one of my favorite sources. I'm emailing.

today and tomorrow/July 8

Victory
It's so important to celebrate victories when they occur.  The shutdown of the Dakota Access Pipeline ordered by a judge is not the end of the struggle but certainly something to celebrate.  Melinda, working with the National Lawyers Guild deserves another huge round of applause for all of her work!

Music Everywhere
I'm emailing the latest notices I've received about all of the music we can enjoy.
WDCB -- the jazz scene
Grant Park Music
Old Town School of Folk Music