The Guggenheim

I hate to admit that the last time I was inside the spectacular Guggenheim Museum in New York City was probably twenty years ago. It is hard to believe that this modern architectural "sculpture" is more than 50 years old. It's still one of my favorite gallery spaces.

We really enjoyed the current Picasso Exhibition featuring black and white works by the artist.

Impossible to take photos there though, without getting scolded by guards. 

(I took my chances.) I really just wanted to photograph the space, not the artwork. No harm in that, is there?

The show closes in January, 2013. Get there if you can.

But keep your phone/camera in your pocket. And don't look down if you are prone to vertigo!
(The first two photos are mine...the rest are not. I swear.)

Who Knew Grandpa Could Do That?

Granda Belle, Grandpa Morris (cigar in left hand) & me.

I was about 7 years old visiting my grandparents in New York City. Grandma Belle always took me shopping when I came for a visit, usually for school clothes or a special dress. As a reward for following her through the big New York department stores for hours, she took me to the toy department (maybe it was Macy's or Bonwit Teller) and let me pick out a doll.
I remember the counter where a sales lady stood, and behind her a wall of dolls on shelves going up to the ceiling. My eye was drawn immediately to a small nurse doll.
" I want that one!," I proclaimed.
I think it was that little blue cape that did it for me. It was like a superhero cape. I had to have it.

Nurse Nora

And so Nora was mine. I carried her everywhere as we continued to roam the big city, jumping on an off buses and walking down the busy upper west side avenues. (This was the 1960's, so it was a nice neighborhood, but not nearly the chic area it is today.)

Eventually we returned home and I proudly showed off my new doll to Grandpa Morris.

"Where's her little nurse hat?" he asked.

I was mortified. Nora's perfect little white nurse hat was gone.

Grandma must have been exhausted from the day at this point, but she agreed to take me back out to retrace our recent steps and see if we could find the lost hat.

Nora stayed safely on the couch in the apartment with Grandpa.

Morris & Belle. Again with the ever present cigar.
(He lived to age 95, I'll have you know!)

We searched up and down West 79th Street, but of course there was no sign of the little hat. It was long gone. After about 30 minutes of scouring the sidewalks we gave up and headed for home. I was miserable. 

I remember walking into the apartment to deliver the disappointing news to Grandpa and seeing a sort of smug glint in his eye. He pointed to Nora, still sitting where I had left her on the couch.

There on Nora's head, was a perfect little white nurse's hat.

Confused, I ran to get a better look.

It was just the right shape and had a little length of elastic to hold it in place. It was perfect.

Grandpa had whipped it up from a piece of fabric from an old pillowcase, knowing that there was little chance we'd find the original lost hat out in the big city. 

"The elastic strap will help it stay on so you won't lose it," he said. 

Today the elastic is stretched out and the formerly white material has faded to a dingy brownish hue, but it remains a treasured possession. Proof that my cantankerous and often grouchy old grandpa had a heart of gold and a hidden talent with a needle and thread.

After he passed away in 1994 I kept his grey fedora. 

He always felt that one should really never leave the house without a hat.

He never did. 

And neither did Nora, thanks to him.

My daughter with Nora

Mom's Wedding Dress

I still have my mom's wedding dress as well. (See earlier post below about Grandma's dress) I guess I have started a small collection. (Mine has been vacuum sealed in a silver package for the last 25+ years. The wine stains that the dry cleaner pretended they removed are probably nice and permanent by now.)

Mom & Dad tie the knot: April 14, 1957

Mom lived in New York and the dress came from Jay Thorpe on 57th Street. 

Jay Thorpe      Photo: Gottscho-Schleisner, Inc. 

It was also a tea length lacey dress. It's really tiny, as mom was just a tad over 5' tall and most likely weighed about 100 pounds at the time. I tried it on for fun when I was a thin teenager and could barely get the side zipper closed. Funny how those pointy shaped bodices were in style then.

I always think of mom a lot this time of year, since they were married in April and she passed away in April of 2006. She'd be so proud to know that her grandchildren are about to embark on job searches in her favorite city. I wish she was here to cheer them on.

Mom and Dad flanked by my New York grandparents.

Thinking of you, Mom. 

You were an adorable bride.

The beginning and end of my modeling career

My mother was a born and bred New Yorker, and her parents, Belle & Morris, lived in The City all their lives. When I was growing up we visited about once a year. It was great fun. Mom & Dad would leave me with my grandparents and head off to see a show, take in the latest exhibit at Moma or The Met and visit old friends.

For me New York was all about Central Park, The Planetarium, The Natural History Museum (right up the street from Grandma's apartment on 79th Street). The Circus, bagels and lox, tapioca pudding from Horn & Hardart, corned beef, pickled herring and visiting Grandma's friends and relatives. It was an adventure.

oops...correction: actually October 1963

And of course we always went shopping for new clothes. In the summer of 1968 I was in the children's department at Lord & Taylor on 5th Avenue trying on dresses with my mom and grandmother. Suddenly a couple of ladies approached Mom and asked her whether she'd be willing to let her little girl pose for a photo session modeling some clothes for an hour or so. (If that happened today, surely you'd think it was some sort of scam and immediately call for store security.) Grandma and Mom were excited.

"Sure" they said. "Take her away! See ya later, Suze!"
Well, that was weird. But OK....
So I followed this lady down into the back hallways of the store where I met what I thought was a beautiful model wearing way more eye liner than my mother had ever owned in her lifetime. They put me in this too small raincoat that I remember thinking was so expensive, I'd never be allowed to own it...(besides the fact that in my family you always bought coats on the humongous side to allow for growth) I was led to a courtyard patio where women having lunch at the store luncheonette were watching us out the windows. I was told to observe the pretty model lady and just sort of do what she did. I am fairly certain I was chosen for this gig because I was wearing my shiny new Mary Janes with those goofy little white socks. (The kind that always got stretched out and crept down into your shoes when you walked.)
After about an hour of this posing and standing around, I was returned to Mom and Grandma, and we went about our day. A few weeks later a $15 check arrived in the mail. ("Man, what a cake job!," I thought.)
Then Grandma sent us a pile of clippings from the New York Times style section. Ah, my fifteen minutes of fame. No one was more excited than my New Yorker mother.

For a bit I was convinced that a modeling career was in my future. Then reality hit when I realized I had knock knees, a rather prominent nose and would never grow taller than 5 foot 2 and three quarters. Ah well. It was fun while it lasted.

Just remember girls, whenever you go shopping in The Big City, be sure to wear clean socks and your best Mary Janes. You never know when you might be "discovered".

Grandma Belle's Stuffed Cabbage Recipe

This traditional stuffed cabbage recipe was a family favorite from my New York grandmother, Belle Schwartz. I make it with ground turkey instead of beef. It still tastes just like the dish Mom & Grandma used to make!


---------

1 large head of cabbage

1 lb. ground turkey or beef

1.5 cups cooked rice

1 large onion, chopped

1 large can chopped tomatoes in puree

1 cup tomato juice or 1 can tomato paste

1 egg

garlic powder to taste

1 T olive oil

1 bay leaf

1 cup raisins

dash sour salt (citric acid) optional

1 T white vinegar (or lemon juice)

1 T brown sugar

dash paprika, ground pepper to taste

1. Rinse head of cabbage and place in a large pot covered with water and cook over high heat. Boil for 12-15 minutes, until pliable and soft. Drain in colander, reserving liquid. Allow cabbage to cool. Carefully cut out center core at bottom and discard, taking care not to damage outer leaves. Carefully pull leaves off of head one at a time and lay out on wax paper.

2. In a bowl combine meat, rice, 2/3 of the chopped onion, garlic powder, egg and a dash of freshly ground pepper. Mix well with hands. Place a small handfull of meat mixture, about the size of an egg, into the center of each large cabbage leaf and roll over meat, tucking in the sides of the leaf to keep mixture inside. Place roll down on baking dish to hold closed. Refridgerate rolls while making sauce. Chop the unusable inner leaves of the cabbage and set aside.

3. In a large sauté pan or dutch oven, sauté remaining chopped onion in oil until soft. Add tomatoes, juice, brown sugar, bay leaf, raisins, sour salt, vinegar, paprika, ground pepper, and chopped cabbage. For more sour flavor add sour salt, vinegar or lemon juice, for more sweetness add brown sugar. Heat sauce to simmer.

4. Place cabbage rolls into pan, nestling them into the sauce carefully. Add some of the reserved cabbage cooking water until rolls are almost covered with liquid. Cover pan and simmer on lowest heat for 1 ½-2 hours. Serve with rice or boiled potatoes and crusty bread.

Makes 12 rolls, about 4 servings.

Belle & Morris Schwartz circa 1950

The Klezmer Nutcracker

If you are in the New York City area this week, you must check out my amazing cousin Ellen in this wonderful production of The Klezmer Nutcracker at the
Vital Theatre
2162 Broadway, 4th Fl. (at 76th St.)
(Playing now until January 3)
www.vitaltheatre.org
"In the end, Chanukah cannot compete with Christmas, nor should it. Still, Chanukah has become (for better or worse) an important holiday on the Jewish calendar, one that reinforces both unity and identity. The Klezmer Nutcracker has to spin on its own two feet. -Paulanne Simmons"
Click here to read this review in its entirety.

The story: Sara is miserable at the family Chanukah party. But when mysterious Tante Miriam (played by the multitalented Ellen Kushner) arrives with the gift of a Golden Dreydl, everything changes. The Dreydl, an enchanted princess in disguise, whirls Sara away on an exciting adventure through a magical world. A delightful holiday tale for everyone, that weaves together threads of folklore and tradition with fantasy and humor.

Ellen Kushner is the host and writer of the award-winning national public radio show PRI's Sound & Spirit, hailed by Bill Moyers as "the best show on public radio!" With the band Shirim, she created the original radio version of The Golden Dreydl: a Klezmer "Nutcracker" for Chanukah (winner of a Gracie Allen Award). In 2007 The Golden Dreydl, was published, and in 2008 Vital Theater commissioned a full-scale theatrical version. Ellen Kushner is also a performance artist and award-winning fiction writer for teens and adults. A popular public speaker, she also teaches writing workshops all over the place. She currently lives in New York City. (but was raised here in Cleveland)
Go El!