Sisters

Having just spent 5 days with my Sis [Monday to Friday], I wanted to jot down some thoughts. We had really missed each other during the pandemic. When I make her take me to upscale Greenwich Avenue to browse or shop sales, our differences rise to the surface.

Sis & Me 
Peace Corps & track team [both, late 1970s]
refined/reserved & extroverted
Lands' End & Lilly Pulitzer
auburn hair & dirty blonde
museums & coffee bars/gift shops
hot tea & iced coffee
NY Times daily & articles, especially Sunday Styles, but not whole paper
organic chemistry class & women's studies
research scientist & lifestyle writer
mysteries & cookbooks
neatnik & striving to declutter
comfortable shoes & silver Tory Burch sandals
fair Irish skin & Italian skin that tans
ShopRite & Whole Foods
plane trips & road trips
saving money & spending it
pears & plums
irises & roses
Greece & Nantucket
long-time NYC apartment dweller & lifelong NJ resident
famously "not into driving" & driving everywhere
mastered sailing & likes bicycling
short, chic hair & hair pinned up at top in bobby pin
Home Goods & Bergdorf Goodman
camel & hot pink

We Both Love 

• The ocean.
• New York City.
• Walks.
• Talking about our family members who have gone before us, including Don, Dad, all four grandparents, three uncles, two aunts, our cousin Dut.
• Dogs, especially our own small Sugar and Buttercup.
• Our Italian cousin Linda.
• Good restaurants and good meals.
• Baking.
• Ruth Reichl's books.
• Garbarini-isms--the inside language learned from our Italian family, especially Dad and Uncle Anthony. But also phrases from our Irish grandma and grandfather.
• Our gold charm bracelets [now vintage--hers started in 1966, mine in 1991].
• Signature scents.
• Being observant people watchers.
• "I Love Lucy" and "Columbo."
• Gardening.
• Good friends, especially lifelong ones.
• Making each other laugh.

Good night.