Your relationship with your dad is so dear. I can’t wait to read your memoir about him! This reminded me of a time my dad and I were on our way home from somewhere and stopped at Perkins for dinner. But per his suggestion, we ordered dessert first. ❤️
Love dessert first! That's my kind of dad. My dad and I were definitely partners in crime, and we have some wonderful stories, but in all things in life, there's always contrast. There was a lot beneath the surface that has finally become clear to me. Writing this memoir is a challenge, for sure. There's so much to tell, and I'm willing to explore. We had a lot of fun. I know he loved me, most likely more than he loved anyone else. I felt that way about him too, for a very long time. Him, and my maternal grandmother. xo
Well, I don't know about that. He died in 2011, and I don't think I could write/publish it if he were still alive. It's a tough one. Our relationship was pretty complex. Maybe you will get to read it one of these days. xo
Nan I listened to your wonderful audio; such a treat. Really brought me down memory lane. My mother’s family was not as traditional as to have two Seders but yum I remember my grandma Marion’s chopped liver, (and how she always had her Maalox at night). The Sanka! The matzohbrie! Loved you and your dad sneaking in the contraband Easter candy! You made me feel like I was there 😀
Thanks for asking. My back spasms still come and I still can’t sit or bend, but I am hopeful that in time this season of my life will shift back to a healthier one. I am learning the painful lesson of slowing down and realizing that maybe there are things I “think” I’ve dealt with emotionally in the past few years of upheaval that are probably still bubbling away underneath. I believe in the mind-body connection, so I am moving through my healing on all fronts.
Passover is a memorable time for me. Night a bit like yours except for nods to ritual…. If you haven’t tried matzo brei recently. Try it again. Years ago a Woodstock restaurant sold it year round.
This was great! And very real!! From the Cadillac to Aunt Paulie saying "Oh yeeeeeahhhh? No kidddink?" I can still hear her saying it as I too spent a Passover with them. I believe I have some pics too. You mention anything about reading the four questions but based upon who was present...how did you do? I must have gone either the year prior or the year after you. Did you ever partake in the Dewars kept in the top cupboard? Oh the memories! Thank you for sharing this.
I want your pix, Steve! I’m so glad you’re backing me up on Aunt Paulie. I see them all so clearly. I don’t know who read the four questions. Maybe it was me. I remember a seder when they were still in Howard Beach. I wanted to wear a yarmulke and they wouldn’t let me. Nanny offered me a paper napkin like the one she used to wear when she’d light candles and say the brucha. A lot of good and funny memories. And no, no Dewars for me. I was into the Ativan, Manischevitz and Peeps! Love you, cousin! xo
No peeps for me but once I stayed with Nanny and Papa with Mike, a friend of mind, for three weeks during a summer. I was 16 years old. Mike watched me use the wrong plates for whatever I was eating. Meat on the dairy plate. I felt I wronged them and that bad things would happen....it didn't. Oh the guilt!
Howard Beach was before my time. They moved to North Miami in 1972 (I believe), which was the same year we moved to Michigan.
I loved Nanny's cooking, especially her soups and mandel bread. Oh the mandel bread! Love you too!
Ah, the mandel bread! But the chopped liver? YUM. I don't eat meat anymore, but if someone handed my her chopped liver on a slice of challah, I'd never say no! I hated it when you all moved to Michigan. We lived so close to each other when we were all in Long Island. xo
I do remember Chuckles. My favorites were and still are the licorice and cherry ones. You still get them. xo And oy, the fruit slices. I was at a seder the other night, and they had fancy ones. I took one home with me, tasted it, it was SO sweet that I nibbled on it over the course of 24 hours, more out of obligation than desire. xo
Nancele! Thank you for taking this shiksa on such a sweet sweet seder ride. The details made it sing...canasta, Coppertone, frozen kosher candies, SANKA. You and your poor dad trying to silence the plastic on the cushions. The build up to find out what you bought at the drugstore (I heard you laugh a little!) was so fun and the reveal did not disappoint. What a delicious romp! xoxoxo
I want to call you "Eileenele" but I'm not sure it works! SANKA and TAB and FRESCA! ICK. It was a fun trip, we laughed so much. Don't forget Kaluk. I had to look it up when I was writing the story, because I often doubted it was a real card game. She was a cutie, that Aunt Paulie! xo
I typed that whole comment twice as I didn't think it posted, OY VEY! Kaluki sounds wild...it's a rummy game from the Caribbean? Your Aunt Paulie was so cutting edge with her card games! I probably would have popped a TAB and joined her.
Your "memory for the details" serves you well. Reading this is like watching a movie--so visual and full of fascinating information. I must admit, sometimes I read about Nan-of-the-past and try to imagine that it's really you you're writing about. Which is what is so great about memoir writing. We all have rich lives worth writing about, I think. Thanks for sharing yours.
It's really me! I love that: Nan O' the Past! We all have so many stories that get can left behind, and the more I write, the more the things I'd forgotten come racing back, which is usually delightful, though sometimes with the delight comes sadness. Love you, Ann. xo
Blake, thanks! The old memories are golden for me. I love thinking about the kooky clan I came from and realizing how many of us recognize these characters. They're almost stereotypes on the one hand, but on the other, they're comforting players in one's life. It's wonderful when what I lived rings a bell with others in a kind of extended kinship! xo
Another wonderful post. As Sheila wrote in the comments, so much amazing details, you are a real ethnographer, Nan. I learned that Clinique for men existed in 1982.
Wow. What a compliment! Am I really an ethnographer? Or am I just old with a fair memory for the details of my past? I like your interpretation best! xo
Oh wow! I’m so impressed by the details about something so long ago. It was lovely. I also have next to zero Jewish experience so it was nice to hear of the family culture.
Oh, my. I've lived in a somewhat Jewish bubble my whole life and I never realized it until I started publishing here. I took it for granted because I grew up in the New York metro area, where population of Jews is second only to Israel. I always forget that we are 0.2 percent of the world's population. Did you find my translations of the Yiddish helpful? I hope so! xo
Your relationship with your dad is so dear. I can’t wait to read your memoir about him! This reminded me of a time my dad and I were on our way home from somewhere and stopped at Perkins for dinner. But per his suggestion, we ordered dessert first. ❤️
Love dessert first! That's my kind of dad. My dad and I were definitely partners in crime, and we have some wonderful stories, but in all things in life, there's always contrast. There was a lot beneath the surface that has finally become clear to me. Writing this memoir is a challenge, for sure. There's so much to tell, and I'm willing to explore. We had a lot of fun. I know he loved me, most likely more than he loved anyone else. I felt that way about him too, for a very long time. Him, and my maternal grandmother. xo
I’m glad you’re up for the challenge. And what an honor for your dad.
Well, I don't know about that. He died in 2011, and I don't think I could write/publish it if he were still alive. It's a tough one. Our relationship was pretty complex. Maybe you will get to read it one of these days. xo
What a fun story 😍 you share your experience so vividly - i can almost see it all unfolding 💗
Thanks, Shifra! xo
What a sweet memory. Your dad sounds like my kind of guy.
Nan I listened to your wonderful audio; such a treat. Really brought me down memory lane. My mother’s family was not as traditional as to have two Seders but yum I remember my grandma Marion’s chopped liver, (and how she always had her Maalox at night). The Sanka! The matzohbrie! Loved you and your dad sneaking in the contraband Easter candy! You made me feel like I was there 😀
I'm glad you enjoyed it. I love this story. We are all related, you know? How are you feeling these days? Relief for your back? xo
Thanks for asking. My back spasms still come and I still can’t sit or bend, but I am hopeful that in time this season of my life will shift back to a healthier one. I am learning the painful lesson of slowing down and realizing that maybe there are things I “think” I’ve dealt with emotionally in the past few years of upheaval that are probably still bubbling away underneath. I believe in the mind-body connection, so I am moving through my healing on all fronts.
Nan-another beautifully written piece-your delightful imagery paints a vibrant picture of Jewish life in the Miami of that era.
Passover is a memorable time for me. Night a bit like yours except for nods to ritual…. If you haven’t tried matzo brei recently. Try it again. Years ago a Woodstock restaurant sold it year round.
This was great! And very real!! From the Cadillac to Aunt Paulie saying "Oh yeeeeeahhhh? No kidddink?" I can still hear her saying it as I too spent a Passover with them. I believe I have some pics too. You mention anything about reading the four questions but based upon who was present...how did you do? I must have gone either the year prior or the year after you. Did you ever partake in the Dewars kept in the top cupboard? Oh the memories! Thank you for sharing this.
I want your pix, Steve! I’m so glad you’re backing me up on Aunt Paulie. I see them all so clearly. I don’t know who read the four questions. Maybe it was me. I remember a seder when they were still in Howard Beach. I wanted to wear a yarmulke and they wouldn’t let me. Nanny offered me a paper napkin like the one she used to wear when she’d light candles and say the brucha. A lot of good and funny memories. And no, no Dewars for me. I was into the Ativan, Manischevitz and Peeps! Love you, cousin! xo
No peeps for me but once I stayed with Nanny and Papa with Mike, a friend of mind, for three weeks during a summer. I was 16 years old. Mike watched me use the wrong plates for whatever I was eating. Meat on the dairy plate. I felt I wronged them and that bad things would happen....it didn't. Oh the guilt!
Howard Beach was before my time. They moved to North Miami in 1972 (I believe), which was the same year we moved to Michigan.
I loved Nanny's cooking, especially her soups and mandel bread. Oh the mandel bread! Love you too!
Ah, the mandel bread! But the chopped liver? YUM. I don't eat meat anymore, but if someone handed my her chopped liver on a slice of challah, I'd never say no! I hated it when you all moved to Michigan. We lived so close to each other when we were all in Long Island. xo
the creamy sugar yolk. I can still taste it.
Right??? xo
Just wonderful! You brought me right there. Sanka, oh my God! I remember. So dreadful!
Thanks for the read.
Sanka! Fresca! Tab! Ewwwww. Glad you enjoyed it, Amrita. xo
Remarkable details. I used to love those jellied fruit slices. Remember Chuckles?
I do remember Chuckles. My favorites were and still are the licorice and cherry ones. You still get them. xo And oy, the fruit slices. I was at a seder the other night, and they had fancy ones. I took one home with me, tasted it, it was SO sweet that I nibbled on it over the course of 24 hours, more out of obligation than desire. xo
I think I need to find me some Chuckles! You can have my licorice.
Sounds good to me...but you're going to keep the cherry one? Hmmm. May have to buy two packages! xo
xo
Nancele! Thank you for taking this shiksa on such a sweet sweet seder ride. The details made it sing...canasta, Coppertone, frozen kosher candies, SANKA. You and your poor dad trying to silence the plastic on the cushions. The build up to find out what you bought at the drugstore (I heard you laugh a little!) was so fun and the reveal did not disappoint. What a delicious romp! xoxoxo
Maybe a nice chocolate egg cream with seltzah and Fox’s U-bet chocolate syrup 🤩
Now you’re talking! xo
I want to call you "Eileenele" but I'm not sure it works! SANKA and TAB and FRESCA! ICK. It was a fun trip, we laughed so much. Don't forget Kaluk. I had to look it up when I was writing the story, because I often doubted it was a real card game. She was a cutie, that Aunt Paulie! xo
I typed that whole comment twice as I didn't think it posted, OY VEY! Kaluki sounds wild...it's a rummy game from the Caribbean? Your Aunt Paulie was so cutting edge with her card games! I probably would have popped a TAB and joined her.
A TAB? Not a Diet Dr. Brown's Cel-ray? The worst. How anyone can drink that is beyond me. Diet or regular. It was my creepy uncle's favorite.
Your "memory for the details" serves you well. Reading this is like watching a movie--so visual and full of fascinating information. I must admit, sometimes I read about Nan-of-the-past and try to imagine that it's really you you're writing about. Which is what is so great about memoir writing. We all have rich lives worth writing about, I think. Thanks for sharing yours.
It's really me! I love that: Nan O' the Past! We all have so many stories that get can left behind, and the more I write, the more the things I'd forgotten come racing back, which is usually delightful, though sometimes with the delight comes sadness. Love you, Ann. xo
I loved this so much! I am reconnecting with my somewhat lost Jewish heritage. Nice to hear your experience ❤️
Blake, thanks! The old memories are golden for me. I love thinking about the kooky clan I came from and realizing how many of us recognize these characters. They're almost stereotypes on the one hand, but on the other, they're comforting players in one's life. It's wonderful when what I lived rings a bell with others in a kind of extended kinship! xo
Absolutely LOVED this post! The plastic covered couch cushions and so many fun details! :)
Thanks, Mary Anne! Yes, those sticky-icky plastic cushions. Awful!
Another wonderful post. As Sheila wrote in the comments, so much amazing details, you are a real ethnographer, Nan. I learned that Clinique for men existed in 1982.
Wow. What a compliment! Am I really an ethnographer? Or am I just old with a fair memory for the details of my past? I like your interpretation best! xo
Oh wow! I’m so impressed by the details about something so long ago. It was lovely. I also have next to zero Jewish experience so it was nice to hear of the family culture.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Those are some of the very good memories. Family is fraught, but there was a lot of love present, too. xo
I agree Sheila, and I even had to look up the word seder. So much wonderful detail here.
Oh, my. I've lived in a somewhat Jewish bubble my whole life and I never realized it until I started publishing here. I took it for granted because I grew up in the New York metro area, where population of Jews is second only to Israel. I always forget that we are 0.2 percent of the world's population. Did you find my translations of the Yiddish helpful? I hope so! xo
I’m laughing at myself. I thought everyone knew that one! I’ll know better next time! xo
It was helpful, but I think you didn't translate seder, so I had to look it up.