Leave Her to Heaven

In Act 1, Scene 5 of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the Ghost urges Hamlet not to seek vegeance against his mother, Queen Gertrude (for marrying the man who killed his father), but to “leave her to heaven.”  In 1944, writer Ben Ames Williams used this phrase as the title of his novel.  The following year, director John M. Stahl made the film adaptation of Williams’s work of fiction.  It starred Gene Tierney (who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, but lost to Joan Crawford in Mildred Pierce), Cornel Wilde, Jeanne Crain, Vincent Price, and Darryl Hickman.  The film won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Color.  It was Twentieth Century Fox’s highest grossing film during the decade of the 1940s.  Acclaimed Academy Award-winning film director Martin Scorsese (The Departed) said it is one of his favorite movies. 

It is a story of an obsession which has deadly consequences.  In my opinion, such consequences could have been avoided.  Ellen, a beautiful, rich young woman, meets Richard, a handsome young novelist, who bears an uncanny resemblence to Ellen’s late father.  Since Ellen was obsessed with her father (when he was alive, she wanted to spend as much time with him as possible, plus at her death she wanted her ashes spread in the same location as his), she seems to transfer her obsession to her new friend, boyfriend, fiance, husband.  Ellen proposes to Richard who is very much attracted to her.  He accepts, but is not quite sure what to make of her.  They marry within days of their meeting.  Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea. 

Ellen wants Richard and only Richard, all the time.  However, she quickly discovers that her new husband’s life is complicated.  And she also learns he is not willing to meet her half way.  Richard is a writer who likes to write.  He refuses her offer to allow her to support him.  Plus, Richard has a younger brother, Danny, a teenager and an invalid, who cannot walk without the aid of crutches.  As Richard and Danny’s parents are deceased (and also because of Danny’s handicap), the two brothers have developed an unusually close relationship.  Ellen learns that her new husband wants Danny to live with them instead of attending a boarding school where he would be with those of his own age.  In addition, living with the newlyweds is a sort of handyman/friend of the family.  To make matters even worse (for Ellen), Richard secretly invites Ellen’s mother and adopted sister (to whom Richard pays a lot of attention) to come for an extended visit.  Isn’t this what every a new bride wants, an extra four people around the house?            

There is an especially significant scene early one morning when Ellen crawls into the bed of her sleeping husband (1945 meant separate beds even for married couples), gently blows air in his face, kisses his lips, perhaps to arouse him for...  Then we hear from the other side of the paper-thin bedroom wall a knock and a good morning greeting from his brother, Danny.  Apparently, in preference to making love to his beautiful wife, Richard goes swimming in the nearby lake with his brother. 

When Ellen tries to encourage Danny to go off to boarding school in another city, Danny says he wants to wait until Richard is able to come live nearby the school.  He cannot bear to be separated from his brother, not even for a short time.  When Ellen tries to complain about what she thinks is wrong with their marriage, Richard points the finger at her with, “What’s wrong with you?”  I don’t think this was a match made in heaven (where according to the title, someone is going to be left for their comeuppance). 

Then, perhaps on the spur of the moment, Ellen committs an unpardonable act, a crime.  Out on the lake, Ellen and Danny are in a row boat.  Danny wants to swim to the other end of the lake, quite a feat.  Ellen encourages him to test his upper body strength (he cannot use his paralysed legs).  At first, all goes well.  Suddenly, Danny starts having trouble and calls out to Ellen (an excellent swimmer) to save him from drowning.  Ellen thinks this is her chance to have Richard all to herself.  Wearing her sunglasses and with absolutely no expression on her stone cold face, she does nothing until Danny disappears forever under the water.  She claimed she could not reach Danny until it was too late.  There were no witnesses, so she is deemed to be not guilty of any crime.  The above scene is one of the most ghastly I have ever witnessed on the silver screen. 

Later under duress, Ellen confesses her guilt to Richard who claims to be not totally surprised.  To me, Danny was not only a victim of Ellen’s cruelty, but also of Richard’s stupidity in marrying a woman, though beautiful, who was not in the least bit compatible with his life style or he with hers.  Let that be a lesson to us all.  However, if you are a fan of Alfred Hitchcock suspense films, I am sure you will enjoy Leave Her to Heaven.   

Fourth Lake, Chapter 7

Tuesday morning Judy awoke wrapped in Phil’s arms.  They were naked under the sheets and a couple of thin blankets.  It had gotten a little chilly during the night on Fourth Lake.  She turned towards him and kissed him gently on his lips.  He opened his eyes and smiled. 

“Good morning, Judy.”

“I love you, my darling.  Sleep well?”

“Wonderfully!  And you?”

She kissed him again and again and again.  They fooled around in bed for several more minutes before Judy said she was hungry.  They both got up and together they fixed a breakfast of orange juice, scrambled eggs, link sausages, toast with strawberry preserves, and coffee with cream and sugar.  Judy showered first and then dressed in a tank top, a pair of tight-fitting shorts, and sneakers.  While Phil was taking his shower, Judy left the cottage to sit by the lake.  Almost as soon as she had settled in to her chair to enjoy the view on this sunny day, Joe Williams came up behind her.

“Excuse me, Judy.  Good morning.  Is everything OK?”

“Oh, good morning, Joe.  Sure, everything is wonderful.”

“I hope you don’t mind my mentioning it, but yesterday it sounded like there might be a problem.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Well, you and your husband were in the water talking loudly and then you got up and kind of ran into the cottage.”

“Oh, that was nothing.  You needn’t concern yourself.”

“That’s great.  But, like I said, if there’s anything you need, you just ask and I can take care of it.”

Joe walked away and returned to his cottage while Judy noticed his loose-fitting t-shirt and black Speedo swim trunks.  At first, she felt embarrassed that someone had witnessed their quarrel.  Then, she thought how sweet it was for him to be so concerned about her.  Finally, she started wondering if Joe was suggesting something more than just being a friendly neighbor.  He was a good-looking young man, tall and slender.  Judy started to fantasize a little.  She snapped out of it when she saw her husband coming out of their cottage.

“Hey, Judy, I have a great idea.  Let’s go canoeing on the lake.  Yesterday, I noticed a store in town which claimed to be New York State’s number one canoe dealer.  I think it’s called Mountain Man Outdoor Supply.  What do you say?  Why don’t we go over there and talk to them?”

Judy was stunned at first, never having been in a canoe.  She believed the same to be true for Phil.  However, it sounded thrilling, just the two of them out on the lake, like Hawkeye with his pioneer woman.

“Okay, darling.  Let’s go for it.”

So the two of them walked over to the store Phil was referring to.  They rented their necessary supplies and received a one-hour lesson in canoe operations and safety.  The woman there recommended a sixteen-foot long Mad River canoe, which, thankfully, weighed only about 60 lbs.  Their paddles were of very different lengths because of the dramatic difference in their respective heights.  The woman told them that the correct paddle, standing on its blade tip, should reach to about the level of your mouth.  Judy marveled at her paddle with its squared-off blade, seemingly extra long shaft and t-shaped grip.

Even though both Judy and Phil were good swimmers, the woman strongly recommended they take life jackets with them out on Fourth Lake.  In case of an accident, they would provide both warmth and buoyancy.  Technically, it was New York State law that they have them in the canoe.  It was up to them whether they would wear them or not.

While at the store, Phil and Judy heard more unpleasant news about Watergate on a radio that was playing there.  The House Judiciary Committee, by a vote of 21-17, passed its third article of impeachment against the president:  “President Nixon failed to produce, without any lawful cause or excuse, papers and other things, as directed by duly authorized subpoenas issued by the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives, thereby willfully disobeying such subpoenas.”

Phil claimed it was bogus.  He believed a president could always find a good reason not to answer a subpoena from some congressional committee.

Two additional articles, accusing President Nixon of illegally concealing the bombing of Cambodia and of committing tax fraud, were defeated.  Floor debate on the three approved articles was scheduled to begin in about two weeks, in mid-August, 1974.    

Another store employee transported their canoe by truck over to the parking lot adjacent to Inlet’s Arrowhead Park from where Judy and Phil could carry it to the water’s edge.  As instructed, with Judy in the front (bow) on the right side and Phil in the back (stern) on the left, they each held on to their respective deck plates as they carried the canoe until they gently placed it into Fourth Lake.  Before entering it themselves, they placed their provisions inside, especially their picnic lunch and their two life jackets.  Finally, Judy entered first in the bow and then Phil in the stern.  As they had been instructed, they were both in a kneeling position with their back sides resting against the edge of their seats and their knees flexed as wide as possible.  With their paddles in the water, they shoved off heading west from Inlet.

Phil and Judy had learned to paddle on opposite sides of the canoe and to rotate their bodies as much as possible.  They used the forward stroke which meant keeping the paddles in a vertical position while doing a sweep motion, then pushing down the grip hand until the entire paddle is in the water and finally lifting it out of the water when it reached their hips.  Both having come from athletic backgrounds, the two of them took to this new sport like the ducks that were swimming nearby.  Judy especially noticed that the canoe was light enough to be carried, yet it could support a tremendous amount of weight in the water without sinking.

It was exciting for both of them as they powered their canoe smoothly through the clear, blue water.  From this new perspective, Fourth Lake and its environs looked majestic.  Contemplating their new adventure, she laughed nervously as Phil tried to remain calm. 

“How are you doing, Judy?”

“Great!  I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“Weren’t you paying attention during our class?”

“That was then.  This is now.”

“Well, you’re in front, so you’re in charge.”

So, where’s this church we’re supposed to be heading to?”

“On the north side of the lake, on our right, probably about a mile or two up.  The guy at the store said we can’t miss it.”

“Say, what’s that over there on the left?  I see a whole bunch of kids swimming in the lake.”

“It must be a summer camp.  There are a bunch of them in this part of the Adirondacks.”

Off in the distance, emanating from the site of the camp they noticed, Judy and Phil could hear children singing, “We welcome you to Eagle Cove, we’re mighty glad you’re here...”

Later on, they noticed, plum in the middle of the lake, an island, called Dollar Island, since it resembled a silver dollar.  They had been told at the store that it was privately owned and contained a rather large house.  They couldn’t see any sign of life on the island.

The more Judy paddled, the more tired she felt.  She couldn’t as yet see the church.  They had been told it was a ways off on the opposite side of Fourth Lake, but now the trip seemed to be longer than when they were talking about it at the store.  She looked at the shoreline, about a half-mile away, and could notice an occasional house or an inn or a restaurant right at the shore with a dock to accomodate boats.  Other than those, all she could see at the water’s edge were trees.  There was no sandy beach like on Long Island.  Finally, Judy saw the tall, white building in the distance they had been looking for. 

It took Phil and Judy another thirty minutes and all their strength and energy to finally arrive at the church on the lake.  Upon reaching a grassy area nearby, they experienced a sense of exhilaration that they had accomplished such a feat on their own with no prior experience.  They were not kids, but they proved they still had vitality.  When they climbed out of their canoe, they gave each other a broad smile and a well-deserved kiss as good shipmates should. 

Judy had made some roast beef sandwiches on kaiser rolls with muenster cheese, tomatoes, and mayonaisse for their picnic lunch.  She had also packed a couple of Macintosh apples and a bottle of Riesling imported German wine.  They each devoured the food with ravenous appetites.  After lunch, Phil sat on the ground with his back against one of the many trees nearby, with Judy next to him, her head resting on his shoulder.  He pulled her close.  They looked back toward the long distance from where they had come.  It was too bad that Dollar Island blocked their view of Inlet.  They slowly regained their second wind for the return trip.

When they finally arrived back at Arrowhead Park, Phil called Mountain Man Outdoor Supply on a payphone for someone to come pick up their rented supplies.  As Phil waited by the canoe, Judy walked back to the cottage as she couldn’t wait to take a nap before making dinner.

Fifteen minutes later, after the man from the store had retrieved everything, Phil also started walking back to their cottage.  As he passed the food store, he decided to stop there and pick up a six-pack of beer and some potato chips, peanuts and maybe, if they had any, some pre-packaged dip.  When he arrived at the check-out counter, May was eagerly awaiting him.

“How are you doing, handsome?  Did you lose the wife?”

“Excuse me?”

“Don’t mind me.  I’m just fooling with you a little.”

“Okay.”

“My name’s May.  Where are you from?”

“New York City.”

“I figured.  Big difference between here and there.”

“You been there?”

“No, but I’ve seen it in the movies.  I’d love to go for a visit.  I’m originally from Syracuse.  Ever been there?”

“Yeah, about twenty years ago, I played in a basketball game against the Orangemen.  I think we lost.”

“No kidding?  You were some hot-shot ball player?”

“I was all right.  Played three years at Penn.”

“I’m impressed.  I’ll bet you could still do good, one-on-one.  You enjoying Fourth Lake?”

“Yeah!  It’s beautiful.  We went on a canoe trip today, went over by that church on the other side of the lake.  By the way, we passed Dollar Island and noticed a big house on it.  Anybody there now?”

“It’s owned by some rich people from Rochester.  They usually spend about a month there every summer.  They left a week ago.  Won’t be back until next year.  I know because I helped deliver the groceries over there.”

“Thanks!  Good bye.”

“I hope I see you again real soon, handsome.”

When Phil arrived at the cottage, he found Judy fast asleep on their bed.  As he put the beer and the other stuff away, he reminded himself to tell Judy what he learned about Dollar Island.  Phil knew she would be interested.  He also knew that Judy would be too exhausted and sore to make love again tonight.

 

Our Trip the United States

On Tuesday, June 30, my wife, Cristina, and I took a late night flight from Guarulhos Airport in São Paulo to JFK Airport in New York, arriving very early on Wednesday morning, July 1st.  After taking a taxi to the Hotel Pennsylvania on Seventh Avenue near 33rd Street, we did a little shopping (AT&T, Whole Foods, Macy’s) until we were able to check in a little before 2 PM.  The highlight of the day was having dinner with my daughter, Rachel, her husband, Mike, and my grandchildren, Nate and Leo.  Mike cooked us a great meal, as usual.

On Thursday, the 2nd, we walked from the hotel to the New York Highline, located west of Tenth Avenue at about 30th Street.  It was our first time there and it is a beautiful above-ground park with a boardwalk.  We walked all the way down the Highline to 13th Street in order to visit the new Whitney Museum, which had a great exhibition of Twentieth-Century American art.  Before entering, we had lunch at Bubby’s restaurant across the street.  That evening we had dinner with our good friend, Joe, at Barbaresco’s on Lexington Avenue.

On Friday, the 3rd, after waiting in a line on the sidewalk, we had breakfast (hot plain bagel with cream cheese, tomato and nova) at the best bagel factory in the world, Ess-A-Bagel, on Third Avenue.  We had dinner at Spark’s Steak House on East 46th Street before walking across town to West 43rd Street’s Stephen Sondheim Theater to see Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, which is about the early career of the singer, songwriter.  We enjoyed hearing many of her wonderful songs such as “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” “It’s Too Late” and “You’ve Got a Friend.” 

On Saturday, the 4th of July, we had planned to go to the beach with my daughter and her family.  But, as it was not a beach day, the 6 of us instead walked across the Brooklyn Bridge starting from the Manhattan side.  After having lunch in DUMBO, we took the subway back to my daughter’s apartment.  On the way there, Cristina recognized and talked to a Brazilian journalist who had covered the recent earthquake in Nepal for TV Globo.

On Sunday, the 5th, we walked from the hotel to Washington Square Park on Fifth Avenue in the Village.  There, we enjoyed soft ice cream cones and some wonderful music from a live jazz band.  That evening, after locating a corkscrew, we enjoyed some wine in our hotel room while watching the USA women win the World Cup.

On Monday, the 6th, we took a taxi to LaGuardia Airport to fly to Orlando.  After renting a car, we drove to the Ramada in Altamonte Springs, a suburb.  We were pleasantly surprised to discover that their cable package included our favorite TV channel, Turner Classic Movies.  It was on every waking moment we were in the room.  That night, we drove to my son’s, Bret’s, apartment, where we met Katie for the first time.  They have been together for about two years.  They cooked dinner for us, which was salad and a marvelous lasagna.  Afterwards, we drove to an ice cream store for a hot fudge sundae, something not commonly found in Brazil.

On Tuesday, the 7th, the four of us had dinner in a fish restaurant.  Cristina and I enjoyed grilled catfish.  Afterwards, we strolled around a lake at the local park.

On Wednesday, the 8th, after breakfast at a nearby Waffle House, Cristina and I drove to the Mall at Millenia in Orlando.  We were there to have lunch at the Cheesecake Factory with our friends from Lake Placid, Bob and Maria de Deus.  Walking from the car to one of the buildings, we found a middle-aged woman prone on the grass, pleading for help.  She was being attacked by bees.  As we approached, Cristina was stung by one and withdrew.  Unaware of what happened to her, I, with the help of another woman, got the first woman to her feet and then got the hell out of there, only to find an injured Cristina.  In the restaurant we found ice to deal with her pain.  After lunch, the four of us toured the Mall.

On Thursday, the 9th, Cristina and I visited the Orlando International Premium Outlets.  It’s an exceptional shopping experience, especially if you enjoy shopping.  Many of the customers were Brazilians, as attested by the fact that there were signs in Portuguese and many of the sales people spoke Portuguese.  That night, we had dinner again with Bret and Katie at the local Perkins restaurant.

On Friday, the 10th, we flew to Raleigh-Durham Airport in North Carolina.  Here was the low point of our trip, at the Dollar Rent a Car counter.  It took over two hours, waiting patiently in line, to get a car.  Unacceptable!  Apparently, the company had offered a big weekend discount and were flooded with reservations.  They did not have the manpower to handle to overflow of customers.  After finally getting a car, we drove to our hotel in Durham, the Staybridge, and then to Fridays on the Porch at the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill to meet our friends, Kevin and Connie, for a drink and some live bluegrass music.  Later, we had dinner at the Top of the Hill restaurant.  Before returning to our hotel, we strolled around Franklin Street.

On Saturday, the 11th, Cristina and I shopped at Walmart, Whole Foods, and Southern Season.  We lunched at Whole Foods and had dinner at Panera Bread.

On Sunday, the 12th, we drove to Southpoint Mall.  The first order of business was Barnes and Noble where we bought some books.  We spent many hours walking around the busy mall.  For dinner, we returned to downtown Chapel Hill and the Mediterranean Deli where I ate my favorite sandwich, Falafel Traditional.  Since last year, the restaurant had expanded again, adding a small market where I found dark chocolate covered almonds and halavah.

On Monday, the 13th, Cristina and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary.  We shared a bottle of Spanish sparking wine and a delicious dinner at 411 West Italian Café at 411 West Franklin Street.  After, we walked to McCorkle Park on the UNC campus and sat for a while under the stars.

On Tuesday, the 14th, we drove to Graham, North Carolina, about 25 miles west of Chapel Hill, to visit our friends, Raymond and Belinda, who had recently bought a house there.  We were their first guests for dinner at their new home.

On Wednesday, the 15th, I went to the local North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles to apply for a renewal of my North Carolina driver license.  I passed the vision and sign tests and should receive my permanent license for another 5 years by the end of July.  We spent the rest of the day at Kohl’s.  We had dinner at City Kitchen at University Mall.

On Thursday, the 16th, we flew from RDU Airport to Miami International Airport, and then after a long wait, flew back to São Paulo.  The first order of business in Miami was to eat an American-stype hot dog with mustard at Nathan’s.  Interestingly, on the second plane we sat next to a man who apparently was being deported from the USA.  I say this because he was escorted to the gate and then chaperoned while there by three uniformed federal policemen.  We arrived at Guarulhos Airport at 9 AM on Friday, July 17th.  Trip is over.  Until next year.       

Fourth Lake, Chapter 6

Judy woke Monday morning from a sound sleep, fully refreshed and fully alone, again.  She looked around for any signs of life and found none.  She called out Phil’s name and received no response.  She said it two or three times, to no avail.  Finally, she got up and searched the cottage.  Nothing!  She started to worry a little, again.  It was like twenty-fours hours had passed and nothing had changed.  Had he abandoned her on Fourth Lake?  Had he run off with his secretary?  Had he...

Judy looked out of the window with a view of the lake and saw Phil dressed in beige bermuda shorts and a white Penn t-shirt squatting by the shoreline looking out at the clear, blue water.  She put on her bathrobe and slippers and walked down to the lake to greet her husband who had not abandoned her after all.

“Good morning, darling.”

“Good morning, Judy.  All this nature’s so fantastic.  I’m glad you talked me into coming.”

“I wish you’d have wakened me.  We could have made love and then come down here together to enjoy all this.”

“Oh, you were sleeping so soundly, Judy.  I didn’t want to disturb you.”

She grabbed his t-shirt and pulled him towards her.

“Please, Phil, promise me that you’ll wake me the next time.  I want us to spend as much time together as possible over the next two weeks.  This place is beautiful.  I know that.  But, we came here because I want to know where we stand and where we’re headed.”

“Look, Judy, I guess I haven’t been the best husband to you, but I’m trying.  I’ve been working hard and I have a lot on my mind at the office.”

“I hope you’re not talking about your secretary.”

“Please, not again.  There’s nothing going on there.  Stop it.”

Tears came to Judy’s eyes.

“Phil, you’ve got to admit that she’s young and beautiful and I’m getting older and have had two kids and ever since she started working for you, you seem to have lost interest in me.  You never tell me you love me and never put your arms around me and you never say you want to make love to me.”

“Of course, I love you, Judy.  I wouldn’t be with you if I didn’t.  Maybe I’ve forgotten how to treat you and maybe I’ve been taking you for granted.  But, believe me, I love you, not my secretary.  Beside, you’re far more beautiful than she is.”

He kissed her lips like he meant it.

“Are you sure?”

“Sure, I’m sure.  Are you hungry?  Let’s go to the local market and we’ll buy some food.  And then I’ll make you a great breakfast of pancakes with butter and maple syrup.  What do you say?”

“Okay!  I need you, Phil, and I love you.  But, you’ve go to show me.  It’s important.”

“I know, Judy.  Let’s go.”

In the U.S. House of Representatives that day, the Judiciary Committee approved, by a vote of 28-10, a second article of impeachment as follows:   “President Nixon repeatedly engaged in conduct violating the constitutional rights of citizens, such as (1) endeavoring to obtain from the Internal Revenue Service confidential information contained in income tax returns for purposes not authorized by law, (2) by directing the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Secret Service and other governemental agencies to conduct investigations not related to national security, the enforcement of laws or any other lawful conduct of his office...”

When Phil heard it on the car radio, he said to Judy that “I’m sure every president has done something like that against one of his political opponents.  That’s nothing to get kicked out of the White House for.”

A presidential spokesperson denied that Nixon would resign.  He was confident that the House would not vote to impeach.  “We do not feel that it will go to the Senate.”  However, Senators Mike Mansfield, Hugh Scott, Robert Byrd, and Robert Griffin met to plan for the first trial of a U.S. president since 1868 (Andrew Johnson).  In addition, House Minority Leader John Rhodes estimated that the votes against the president would reach about 300, well over the majority necessary.  Rhodes was not a happy camper.  In a final piece of bad news, Howard Phillips, Nixon’s former Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, announced the creation of a new organization called Conservatives for the Removal of the President.

Judy and Phil drove to Inlet’s only food store, which was smaller than anything like it in Little Neck.  After they had loaded their wagon they had to wait in line several minutes at the store’s only check-out counter.  That gave May Flanagan, the check-out girl, plenty of time to check out Phil, the handsome, new tourist.  She was a cute, 35 years-old brunette with relatively short hair.  Her husband had abandoned her about four years before to move back to Syracuse.  She loved living near Fourth Lake more than she loved him.  Unfortunately, there was a scarcity of men in the area.  As she was recording their purchases on the cash register, May kept an eye on Phil, who returned awkward glances at her.  Luckily, Judy was too occupied with packing groceries to notice the predatory female who was giving her husband the once over.

They loaded up the trunk of their car with enough bags of food and other necessary household supplies to last for a week.  Judy wanted to return one day to Woods Inn for dinner and perhaps go to the Laughing Loon for a drink, but she wanted to cook their meals in their cottage as much as possible to create a more intimate atmosphere between the two of them during their vacation on Fourth Lake. 

Later in the day, they took a swim in the lake from the píer in front of the cottage, which was built to accomodate the many boat people who liked to frequent this part of the Adirondacks with its many lakes.  In spite of the heat of the day, the water was neither hot nor cold, just very refreshing.  Judy was wearing a very small red bikini that showed off her flat stomach, especially for a woman who had given birth to two children.  Phil had on a pair of black Speedo swim trunks which showed off his manly physique. 

Judy swam over to Phil and put her arms around his neck and kissed his lips.  She looked into his eyes as adorably as possible.  Under the water, she wrapped her legs around his waist.  She wanted his full attention. 

“I love you, Phil, very much.  Do you love me?”

“Of course, I do.  You know I do.  I was just about to tell you.”

“How much?”

“You and the kids mean everthing to me.”

“Let’s not talk about the kids.  This trip is for us.”

“Okay.”

“Do you know what I’m talking about?  I don’t just want us to be our kids’s mom and dad.  I want us to be lovers, passionate lovers.  That’s what I want.  Is that what you want?  Maybe it isn’t.”

“Sure.  I want to be your lover.  I love you.  You’re a hot-looking woman.”

“I’m hot-looking, Phil?  Okay!  But am I too hot to touch?  Are my lips too hot to kiss?  Are my breasts too hot to hold in your hands?  Is my body too hot to feel on top of yours?  Am I too hot when you’re inside me?”

“Sure!  Sure!  Sure!  What do I have to say to satisfy you?”

“You have to prove it to me, Phil.  I can’t just take it for granted any more.  You have to prove to me how you feel about me.  This is your chance.  There are no kids here.  No clients, no colleagues, no family, no friends, no family nor neighbors to interfere in our lives.”

“You make it sound like a test.  You’re putting pressure on me, Judy.”

“Every day when you go to work, you have to prove something to your clients.  If you don’t, they go somewhere else.  Well, think of me as your most important client.  You’ve got two weeks to prove that you’re the best.  Otherwise,...”

“Otherwise what?”

“Look, it’s real easy, Phil.  If you put out the effort, I’ll meet you half-way.  But, you’ve got to show me.  If you just act on what you said, that you love me and that you want me, everything will be okay.  The problem has been that you haven’t shown me this over the last couple of years.”

“You know that’s because of my work.  It’s exhausting.  By the end of the day, I’m sapped.”

“Bullshit!  If you want me, you find the time and the place and I’ll be there.”

Judy got out of the water, went into the cottage, and then into the bathroom and closed the door.  She was dripping wet.  She had left her towel by the lake.  She sat on the toilet, leaned forward, put her face in her hands and cried.

Phil got out of the water and sat on the edge of the dock with only his feet dangling back in the water.  He stared out to the west where the sun was starting on its downward arc reaching near the peak of the mountain that stood on the opposite side of Fourth Lake.

Later, after dinner and after enjoying a gorgeous sunset together on their deck, Phil and Judy, without saying a word, went inside and headed toward their bed.  Judy pulled down the covers and started to disrobe.  Without taking her eyes off Phil, she slowly removed her blouse and then her bra.  Following her lead, he took off his tight-fitting t-shirt.  They laid down on the sheets from opposite sides of their king-size bed.  Phil got on top of Judy so that his well-toned pectoral muscles rested on her firm, but soft breasts.  With their arms wrapped around each other, they pressed their lips together and slowly began to make love.  Judy slept well that night.  She thought progress had been made.

________________________________________

I will be on vacation for the next two Sundays.  Watch for my next post on July 19th.    

                

Birth of a Nation

On May 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia to discuss the fighting that had erupted in Massachusetts between colonists there and the British Army.  Delegates from all thirteen of the original British Colonies were at the Congress.  On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia, based upon a resolution passed by his Colony’s Convention, proposed to the Congress that “Resolved: That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States.” On July 2, 1776, Lee’s resolution was approved by twelve of the Colonies.  New York gave its approval one week later. 

On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence which refers to the “Unanimous Declaration of thirteen united States of America.”  It concluded that “We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America...declare, That these United Colonies are...Free and Independent States.” 

The reference to thirteen, to an uncapitalized united, and to independent States is proof that the original thirteen British Colonies came together in the Declaration of Independence for the purpose of declaring independence from the British, for each of the thirteen States. 

The declared independence was, of course, rejected by the British.  It took until the signing of the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783, after seven years of war, for the British to finally accept the independence of those thirteen American Colonies.  In the first article of the treaty, “His Britanic Majesty acknowledges the said United States, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia to be free sovereign and independent states.”  

The original document, ratified on March 1, 1781, that governed the relationship among the thirteen newly independent States was the “Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union Between the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.”  Article 2 of that document declares that “Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence.”  Article 3 proclaimed that “The said states hereby severally enter into a firm league of friendship with each other.” 

As this league of friendship ultimately proved unsatisfactory, representatives from the thirteen independent States reconvened in Philadelphia to draft a new document, the Constitution of the United States of America.  The Preamble of the Constitution declares that “We, the people of the United States...establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” It was now the United States, not the thirteen united States. 

Article 7 of the Constitution proclaimed that, “The Ratifications of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution Between the States so Ratifying the same.”  On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to so ratify the Constitution, thereby establishing a Union between it and the other eight States (Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, South Carolina, and Georgia) that had previously ratified it.  Today is June 21, 2015, the 227th anniversary of the birth of a nation, the United States of America.  Please celebrate this anniversary today and every June 21st.    

The other four non-ratifying independent States (Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island) could have been considered to be foreign nations by the United States of America.  However, Virginia ratified the Constitution four days later on June 25, 1788 and New York followed suit the next month on July 26, 1788.  North Carolina joined the United States of America the following year on November 21, 1789.  Finally, Rhode Island, which had at first rejected the Constitution, ratified it on May 29, 1790, almost two years after the establishment of the Constitution of the United States of America.  The thirteen previously independent States had now given up their independence to form one independent united nation.

Please note the following from Dr. Richard R. Beeman, John Welsh Centennial Professor of History Emeritus, Department of History, University of Pennsylvania: 

“There is no question but that the thirteen American colonies, when they declared their independence, considered themselves "united States" in that common cause, but NOT The United States.    And the Articles of Confederation reinforced that notion of thirteen independent and sovereign states--making it clear that the states, not the "central government," was supreme.  Indeed, the Articles of Confederation are properly considered more of a "treaty" among those sovereign states than America's first Constitution.    The drafting and ratification of the U.S. Constitution was an important step in creating the United States, but, in fact, if you look in the public press during the period between 1789 and 1865, most of the references to the central government are spelled "united States," not "United States."  It is only after the Civil War, when the notion of a perpetual union is enforced by force of arms, that the American nation is regularly referred to as the "United States.””

 

Mirage

One summer afternoon in 1965,  I was in New York City with my parents.  As tourists, we were wandering around the streets of Manhattan looking for something to do.  We passed a cinema on Broadway and decided to go in and watch a movie.  It was called Mirage and starred Gregory Peck.  In those days, his name on a marquee was enough to attract the movie-going public.  This black and white film was directed by Edward Dmytryk and had an excellent supporting cast of Diane Baker, Walter Matthau, George Kennedy, Kevin McCarthy, Leif Erickson, and Jack Weston.  The screenplay was written by Peter Stone, who two years earlier had written the screenplay for the very successful film, Charade (which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song), starring Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, along with the same Walter Matthau and George Kennedy.

When we entered the cinema that day, Mirage had already begun.  But for us, this was normal.  When we would go to the Oswego Theater in my home town, the decision to go would usually be a spur of the moment one and our arrival would have no relationship to any movie schedule.  We would watch the movie from the point at which we arrived until the end.  Then we would sit through previews, newsreels, cartoons, serials, and sometimes a second feature, until finally our movie would begin again.  When the point of the movie arrived when we had entered the theater, we would get up and leave.  One of us would say, “This is where we came in.”  To me, that was normal.  Today, I think it a very strange way to see a movie.  Today (and for most of my life) I am guided by the movie schedule.  I would not think of entering a theater after the movie had started.  

However, that day in 1965, I am glad we entered the cinema when we did, after the movie had already begun.  Why?  It had to do with the story and how it should have been told.

Mirage begins when David, a chemist who works for a private foundation, has discovered a way to neutralize nuclear radiation, which is a good thing.  However, it creates the possibility of radiation-free atomic bombs, which can be a bad thing.  He takes his yet undeveloped discovery to the office of the president of the foundation, which is on the twenty-seventh floor of a New York City skyscraper.  David believes his discovery is too dangerous and decides to destroy the only copy of its formula.  He opens the window and starts burning the paper it is written on.  The president of the foundation, a humanitarian who believes in the formula’s peaceful uses, tries to stop him, loses his balance, and falls out of the window.

David, utterly shocked at seeing this man whom he admires fall to his death, suffers “unconscious amnésia.”  He walks out of the president’s office forgetting who he is and what he has just witnessed (this is where film actually begins).  At exactly this point in the movie, my parents and I entered the cinema.  Like David, we had no idea what had just happened.  All four of us were confused.  However, the rest of the theater audience knew exactly what had happened (wrong).  Slowly over the next hour and a half the mystery is solved.  The shock gradually gives way and David’s memory slowly returns.

In my opinion, the story should have been told in this manner (and it was):  both the protagonist and the audience equally in the dark.  It would have created a more interesting detective story similar to an earlier Gregory Peck movie (Spellbound directed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1945) where his character also had amnésia.  There, both Peck and the audience had to simultaneously try to put all the pieces together. 

Mirage plays out as a Hitchcock-like suspense thriller.  After the shock, David doesn’t remember who he is, but a beautiful woman tells him they have a relationship.  That is a good thing.  On the other hand, two gunmen threaten him for some unknown reason, which is a bad thing.  It all relates to sinister forces that are trying to obtain his formula, which he has forgotten all about.  However, by the end of the movie, good triumphs over evil.  If you get a chance to watch Mirage, which I recommend, it will be a good lesson in how movies should be edited.    

 

Happy Half-Birthday

In the Walt Disney full-length feature cartoon, Alice in Wonderland (1951), Alice enters the house of the Mad Hatter, attracted by the sounds of a celebration inside.  The Mad Hatter, along with the March Hare and a very tired Dormouse, is celebrating their respective unbirthdays.  These obviously are all the days of the year which are not their birthdays. 

This gave me idea.  Celebrating every day (but one) as an unbirthday is a bit much.  But, celebrating only once a year on your birthday is too little it seems to me.  Therefore, I invented the half-birthday.  And today, June the 7th, is my daughter Rachel’s half-birthday.  Happy half-birthday, Rachel.

After all, people will say to you, “How old are you?”  If you want to give out this information, you tell them your age as of your last birthday.  But that birthday could be ten months ago.  So the age you provided is thus misleading.  You are actually closer to your next birthday.  But you are not there yet.  So breaking the year in two halves makes more sense.  Now when you tell them you are say, thirty and a half years-old, with a half-birthday only four months ago, you are providing more accurate information.

In addition, think of the advantages of this extra day of celebration.  The economy will benefit from people spending money on half-birthday cards, store-bought presents, gift cards, chocolate and ice cream half-birthday cakes, half-birthday parties, pizza parties, surprise parties, etc., etc., etc.  We will all be a little happier as we receive more personal recognition from our spouses, children, siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, friends, acquaintances, neighbors, and colleagues.  I don’t see any downside to my idea.  Do you?  So when is your half-birthday?