Postcards from Manhattan

Rarely do I travel 3,000 + miles for a weekend, but I did so recently, and the experience and rewards were great. While staying in New York, it seemed appropriate to visit some sites and share some postcards with Social Correspondence.

Postcard # 1

Dear Francine,

It seems that we have developed a fine new tradition, catching up with one another while taking walks, and how fortunate it is for me to benefit from your knowledge of the many treasures tucked away or hidden in plain sight in Central Park. What an amazing place for your daughters to grow up.

From Lincoln Center, walking to Central Park West at 81^st was quite pleasant, as my route was along the westernmost path inside the park. We enjoy so many of the same things: breakfast at the Boathouse; visiting the Alice in Wonderland sculpture and taking in the delight of the children as they swarmed the sculpture, finding every possible place to perch; riding the antique merry-go-round; and discovering those wondrous birds in the Central Park Zoo. This was all good practice for my soon-to-be status as a grandmother.

Until next time! Thank you for unveiling the Park for me in stages!

Hugs, Marcia

Postcard #2

Dear Rob,

You are so amazing. Something I have puzzled over for many years has now became more transparent, thanks to your expert research, and all within a day, no less.

How fortunate for my Montgomery cousins and me that you found us through exploring genealogy. It had not previously crossed my mind that I/we have so many living relatives, descending from a common origin only three or four generations back. And that you were able to trace us all back to 13^th century Germany was especially remarkable.

It is even more generous that you were willing to take on the mysteries of my paternal grandparents, unrelated to you, including the mystery grandfather who passed away in the early 1920s, leaving my baby father as an only child. How remarkable to learn that my paternal grandparents both had family roots in the U.S. prior to the Revolutionary War. It was disappointing to know that there are no Graham family cousins, not even distant ones, and that finding documentation of their county of origin in Ireland is not possible, due to their early arrival in the Colonies, prior to the documentation of ship passengers through manifests. But what you were able to uncover for me is so appreciated!

 The Atrium of the Lincoln Center is one of my favorite places, with its soaring ceilings, soothing and life-affirming living walls, and murmur of slowly flowing water, accompanied by beautiful music from the Lincoln Center performances. It is puzzling that the tourists choose to hang out in the ubiquitous chain coffee shop next door rather than in this special space. Add avocado toast and free wi-fi, what’s not to like? Thank you for meeting me there and for delicious lunch! It was good to catch up.

Until next time, best to you, Lisa, and family!

xoxo Marcia

Postcard #3: Union Square, Washington Square, The Strand

Dear Carol and Jim,

What fun it was to meet you in New York and Brooklyn last month with the family, and to hang out all together in Washington Square, Union Square and The Strand bookstore. Otto Enoteca and Pizzeria may be the only economical way we can experience Mario Batale cuisine, and it surely was special! Washington Square brought back happy and fond memories of visiting our post-graduate students at New York University.

The Strand bookstore is truly a book-lovers’ delight. Sixteen miles of books, both new and used, are there for browsing, ranging from current fiction and non-fiction, art and architecture, fashion design and coloring books, comics and graphic design, military and sports. For music lovers, there are rows and rows of books, plus vinyl recordings and CDs. The whole top floor of The Strand is devoted to rare books.

I came away with a vintage paperback edition of P.D. James’ classic first novel, An Unsuitable Job for a Woman, thinking back to my lack of foresight to purchase the novel when it was first published in the early ‘70s. A few years later, as Ms. James was becoming a big name popular author in the U.S., with many books to her credit, I thought it was intrusive that a fellow guest at a mystery writers’ dinner party  requested that Ms. James sign her copy of that book. Oh, the foolishness of the young, because P.D. James was one of the kindest people I have ever met, or had the good fortune to be seated next to at a dinner party.  She encouraged and praised the other guests, both writers and non-writers, and  signed that book with the utmost of graciousness.

For us, of  course, a mutually important, life-changing event is soon to come. Now that we have traveled to New York to attend a baby shower, and enjoyed a bit of play time together, we can only hold our collective breaths while waiting for the arrival of the main event, a new life in our respective families.

Until next month, my best.

Love, Marcia

Coming soon:  Watch for Social Correspondence’s Postcards from Brooklyn!