Day 2: Mad Mama's early life

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Today was beautiful, warm but breezy, perfect for walking. Gracie and I started by taking the Broadway bus to the ell and the N train to the end at Ditmars. We had lunch at Mike's: a typical classic Greek diner with those 10-page menus. We had spanakopita and moussaka. Both were okay. The spanakopita filling was very good, the salad was excellent, but the phyllo dough was tough, probably reheated in a microwave or something. We traveled west to Immaculate Conception Church where a wedding was to begin shortly. I lit candles for Antoinette's mother and Noah's dad Joe, which is no fun at all any more because now they're electric, so you just hit a little switch to light it. No real fire, and no more containers of sand to plunge the match into. We watched the wedding party dither around. The organist played a gorgeous Bach tune instead of Here Comes the Bride. The bride's colors were black and white. Unusual, but very pretty.

We continued west a few blocks to St. John's Prep, which used to be Mater Christi Diocesan HS, from which I graduated in 1967. It mostly looks the same. One change is that there is a chain link fence with razor wire all around the school. I thought it seems harsh to make it so impossible for kids to escape classes, but Gracie thinks it might be to keep people out who don't belong there. Easy for her to say; she was homeschooled. Another change is that the candy store on the corner, where I was busted for smoking in uniform, is now a dental office.

We got back on the bus, switching to the Q18 at 30th Ave, retracing the route I took home from school until I started working. We stopped and got Italian ices. Some things are worth waiting for; it did not disappoint! We went to the apartment building where I grew up, which my dad moved into at 12 years old with his mother and siblings. I told Gracie stories of the old days as we went from there to St. Joseph's Church.

This is a good place to insert that Astoria is eerily similar to what it was 50+ years ago. Those old brick apartment buildings that went up after WWI still stand, little worse for wear. The sidewalks are clean, people take pride in their blocks, just like then. It is a very diverse little part of the city, with lots of Colombians, some Asians from far east countries, Pakistanis -- lots of skin shades, which is refreshing coming from our fairly non-diverse city. We were also struck by the strong family ties shown by men, many of whom had toddlers in tow as they shopped or walked around. We saw more men with little kids than women, although more women pushed strollers with very little ones inside. Also, the languages spoken filled the air with music. Even English sounds interesting when spoken in various accents and dialects.

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Comments

[atty]

Sweet Baby Jeebiz!!!
The place DOES look like a PRISON!!!!! But that was still a good line anyway, you're such a pissah, honey.

[atty]

Is that Zoey from Nurse Jackie or the ghost of Jackie O?
Seriously...Gracie's expression and position in all the pics of her thus far would seem to indicate that you are some sort of paparazzo stalking her ;^)

[Seanzo]

The Reason I'm not a Catholic
There are popes spinning in their graves over this battery operated candle thing.