Moey [formally, Maureen] and I met in kindergarten--at Seltzer School in Dumont, New Jersey--in the mid 1960s. Dumont is a dot on the Bergen County map near Bergenfield and New Milford, not far from Oradell and Paramus. A freight railroad ran through it, right behind my backyard. The conductors waved at us kids, and we always watched for the caboose. Sometimes, train brakes screeched and china shook in the breakfront. You might have ended up late for church if a long train came when you were crossing the tracks on New Milford Avenue. The busiest places in town were the A&P and, probably, 9 o'clock Sunday Mass.
The world was changing all around us, but we were little girls, in little dresses, with blankets we brought in for nap time on the floor. Mine was pink and, I think, pilled. We lobbied for time at the play kitchen or with the blocks or with the teacher. We noticed some boys who misbehaved, Jimmy and Frankie, whose flushed faces and mischief punctured our peaceful kindergarten bubble, and a pretty blonde classmate who often arrived late, crying.
Our town was nearly pure white and we were not aware--at least I wasn't but I have to ask Moey, since she had young parents, in their twenties--of things rocking the world in the Sixties, from the Beatles to Martin Luther King Jr. We were detached from all that, focusing, as young children often do, on television shows, our toys and what was for dinner. We did not watch the nightly news.
Moey walked over--alone, I think, as she is the first child in her family--from her red brick house on nearby Forest Road. I crossed the street from my shingled Cape Cod house on Bedford Road and walked down White Beeches Drive with my mother, or with Brenda Wing. I am the baby of my family.
Moey and I still marvel that her mother let her walk alone.
Things seemed very safe and secure. No matter that we would soon hear about a kidnapper, a man, who was driving around town in a white car, and we should be careful. I don't remember anything else other than that warning. We would go on to grow together through girlhood, through Girl Scout camping trips, science fairs, May processions at Saint Mary's Church.
We were, and are, a gift for each other. Sometimes our wrapping gets wrinkled or dull with so much use. Sometimes we forget that what we have is a gift, not a given.
I am thankful. Moey drove down from Montvale to take me to lunch. It was lovely.
While we once talked about boys, sewing class (not a strong suit for either one of us and I think Moey even resorted to taping a hem), going to the library, our track meets, college friends or our babies, we now discuss careers; the absence, or aging, of our parents; and our young adult children with life choices of their own....where they will study, where they will live, roads they will take.
Thank you, Moey.
TCOY
The world was changing all around us, but we were little girls, in little dresses, with blankets we brought in for nap time on the floor. Mine was pink and, I think, pilled. We lobbied for time at the play kitchen or with the blocks or with the teacher. We noticed some boys who misbehaved, Jimmy and Frankie, whose flushed faces and mischief punctured our peaceful kindergarten bubble, and a pretty blonde classmate who often arrived late, crying.
Our town was nearly pure white and we were not aware--at least I wasn't but I have to ask Moey, since she had young parents, in their twenties--of things rocking the world in the Sixties, from the Beatles to Martin Luther King Jr. We were detached from all that, focusing, as young children often do, on television shows, our toys and what was for dinner. We did not watch the nightly news.
Moey walked over--alone, I think, as she is the first child in her family--from her red brick house on nearby Forest Road. I crossed the street from my shingled Cape Cod house on Bedford Road and walked down White Beeches Drive with my mother, or with Brenda Wing. I am the baby of my family.
Moey and I still marvel that her mother let her walk alone.
Things seemed very safe and secure. No matter that we would soon hear about a kidnapper, a man, who was driving around town in a white car, and we should be careful. I don't remember anything else other than that warning. We would go on to grow together through girlhood, through Girl Scout camping trips, science fairs, May processions at Saint Mary's Church.
We were, and are, a gift for each other. Sometimes our wrapping gets wrinkled or dull with so much use. Sometimes we forget that what we have is a gift, not a given.
I am thankful. Moey drove down from Montvale to take me to lunch. It was lovely.
While we once talked about boys, sewing class (not a strong suit for either one of us and I think Moey even resorted to taping a hem), going to the library, our track meets, college friends or our babies, we now discuss careers; the absence, or aging, of our parents; and our young adult children with life choices of their own....where they will study, where they will live, roads they will take.
Thank you, Moey.
TCOY
- Long lunch with Moey.
- After work emails, short nap on couch.
$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET
- Montclair parking garage, $4.
- This what I wrote last weekend: Just now, 8:48 pm on Saturday night, alone at home, ordered a nightie and really pretty floral Homebodii PJs on sale, Nordstrom app using Nordstrom card, both items 40 percent off, total $85.16. The floral pattern is very vintage/Shabby Chic. I hope the PJs and chemise both fit. If not, will return in store on 57th Street. My bday is Tuesday, Happy Birthday to me. Free shipping. WELL, I didn't like the nightie or PJs at all. So since I had the car tonite, I drove 15 minutes up the Parkway to Nordstrom in Paramus....where I returned the two items. I then got another pair of pajamas, soft, in taupy pink with white roses; a pair of black Wolford Velvet de Luxe [meaning soft, not velvet] tights; and a beautiful "twilight blue/lavender fog" lace Wacoal bra. I needed a new bra, and Wacoal is tops. So I'm not counting the $85.16 again, since that was credited right back to my Nordstrom card. I spent a total of $160 tonite [Wacoal and Wolford are pricey but great]. So....$74.84.
- Large iced coffee at Nordstrom coffee bar, with tip, $5.
- Kings, bananas, dog treats and jar Nutella, $11.03.
total daily spend: $94.87.
ongoing monthly spend as of Jan. 24: $2,680.15.
avg daily spend: $111.67.
COMPARE TO LAST 5 MONTHS:
december 2019 [Christmas and all that entails]
total monthly spend as of Dec. 31: $3,998.16.
avg daily spend: $128.97.
Total spend for November (30 days): $2,979.03.
Average daily spend: $99.30.
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TOTAL SPEND FOR OCTOBER (31 DAYS): $2,495.36.
AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $80.49.
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TOTAL SPEND FOR SEPTEMBER (30 DAYS): $2,214.43.
AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $73.81.
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TOTAL SPEND FOR AUGUST (31 DAYS/PLUS VACAY IN HERE): $2,895.06. ⬆️
AUGUST AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $93.39. ⬆️
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