Our Summer Supper in Stuyvesant Town

The orange patch marks Stuy Town.
Figgy [and Dad, we learned when he came to see her] were both
born nearby, at Beth Israel Hospital on First Avenue.

Every year when Figgy is at camp, H. and I drive into the city to have dinner at the apartment of our good friends Celia and Greg. Their teen son, Ben, joins us, too, and it's always fun.

Celia was H.'s editor/boss at Medical Tribune, in the early 1990s, when he first got into science writing. Then I stole her as my friend, too. She and Greg are treasures to us both. And now Celia is writing daily  for The Partnership at Drugfree.org; check www.drugfree.org and search Celia Vimont. She is the pretty brunette pictured with the other contributors.

On this steamy night, they greeted us with crisp white wine; chilled shrimp; plump, tender pumpkin ravioli; and fresh asparagus. For dessert, sweet summer blackberries, strawberries and raspberries. But more important than all that is their friendship. They are calm and kind, strong and smart. And we laughed so much.

While in Stuy Town, I always marvel at the trappings of city living: the buzzer to get in; the elevator up; the incinerator in the hallway; the smaller, yet highly efficient kitchen [which Celia and Greg have organized beautifully]; the safety of the quiet, well-lit apartment "village"; and the proximity to the East Village. I wonder what it would be like to live in New York, the city I love. I like to hear about the friendships the family has with other neighbors in the building, about the cat sitter who watches their beloved Natasha. About their subway rides to the Mets games, and Celia's fitness classes at the Y. I love how Celia goes and gets fresh pasta and sauce from her favorite Italian place when we come.

Thankful for a nice night with our friends.

Good night.

TCOY

1. Irish oatmeal for breakfast.
2. Rode my bike to P.O. to mail letter to Figgy and to Kings to get walnuts to top brownies I brought to Celia and Greg's.
3. Washed my skirts and skorts, dried out in sunshine.
4. Got nice sandwich at Kings, had half for lunch, saved half for tomorrow. Had with big wedge of iceberg lettuce from salad bar, with a few bacon and blue cheese crumbles [not many].
5. Ate my fruits and veggies, thanks to Celia's fresh berries and asparagus.