So This Happened

I went to the cleaners to both drop off and pick up.  As is my habit I parked at the far end of the lot.  That gives me a chance to get at least a little exercise.  My drop off load was significantly smaller than my pick up load.  The man behind the counter offered to carry the cleaning to my car.  Our conversation went something like this:

Man Behind The Counter:  I'll carry the clothes to your car.
Me:  Thanks.  That's not necessary, though.
Man Behind The Counter:  No.  I insist.
Me:  My car is parked across the parking lot.  Clear to the end.
Man Behind The Counter:  That's all right.  I will carry your clothes.

Whereupon he walked around the counter and took my many plastic bagged articles of clothing off of the rod and began out the door.

Me:  Okay.  Thanks.
Man No Longer Behind The Counter:  Where is your car?
Me:  (pointing across the parking lot clear to the end) Over there.
Man No Longer Behind The Counter:  Clear across there?
Me:  Yes.  I told you it was clear across the parking lot.
Man No Longer Behind The Counter:  Why did you park so far away?
Me:  I like to park far away so I can get some exercise.
Man No Longer Behind The Counter:  Please go to your car and drive it here.  I will save this parking place right in front for you.
Me:  I don't want to do that.  I told you I would carry my cleaning myself.
Man No Longer Behind The Counter:  Then here.  You carry your own clothes.
Me:  (Taking the clothes from him)  Right.  Thank you.

As I walked away I heard him go back into his dry cleaning establishment.

Man Once Again Behind The Counter:  Goodbye.  Have a good day.
Me:  You, too.

Not only did I get in my little walk, I got to take home clean clothes.

Read A Review of Carol's Book

Check out GoodReads reader review of Of Little Faith by Carol Hoenig. Then add it to your "to read" list.

The Vietnam War is on the nightly news and women are burning bras in the fast-changing world of the 1960s, but thirty-year old Laura wonders why her choice as a feminist couldn't be to have a baby without marriage. Laura not only has to justify her desire to her forward-thinking friends but to her fundamentally religious siblings as well. Yet, her most important mission is to find a man who will agree to impregnate her and then get out of the picture once the act is accomplished. Four narrators push along the events in Of Little Faith, set in 1960s Seabrook, Long Island, as three adult siblings converge in their recently deceased father's home. Laura is a 30-year-old newspaper columnist from New York. Her brother, Eric, is a compassionate minister trying to find his faith, and sister Beth is an angry and disapproving fundamentalist who is determined to hinder her siblings' desires in the name of her religion. They share the narration with Eric's wife, Jenny. Tragic secrets are revealed without resorting to high drama in this portrayal of two separate halves of counterculture and suburban banality. Readers will find Of Little Faith to be uplifting and heartfelt in the most surprising of ways.

• https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18234502-of-little-faith?from_search=true

The End of the Life of Sarah

The Torah portion entitled Chaye Sarah, the life of Sarah, (Gen. 23:1-25:18) actually begins with Sarah’s death, at the age of 127 years.  The second verse of the portion gives us something to puzzle over.  We are told, “Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (another name for Hebron), in the land of Canaan and Abraham came to mourn for her”.  Came from where?  Why wasn’t he with his wife of so many years at the time of her death?  One source suggests that he was coming from the funeral of his father Terah, but that is refuted by another scholar (whose arithmetic was better) who pointed out that the ages of all these people are detailed in Genesis, and Abraham would have been 135 years old when his father died, and 137 when his wife died.  Many commentators believe that Sarah’s death happened immediately following the near-sacrifice of Isaac, after which we are told that Abraham went to Beersheva.  What we are not told, though, is the “why”.  Hebron is quite far from Beersheva.  Did Sarah know what Abraham was doing at Mount Moriah?  A Midrash suggests that Satan came to her and showed her a vision of Abraham holding the knife over Isaac, and that vision was the cause of her death.  But if Sarah was at Hebron, why did Abraham go to Beersheva after he left Mount Moriah? Perhaps because he knew he would not be welcomed where Sarah was.  Throughout Abraham’s life his faith in God was paramount but the same cannot be said for his devotion to his family.  Whether Sarah knew of his intent to sacrifice Isaac or not, it would seem as if she and her husband of so many years had gone their separate ways.

Of Little Faith Gets Launched

Tonight in New York City at the Fountain Gallery (702 Ninth Avenue) Carol Hoenig launches her amazing novel Of Little Faith published by Steel Cut Press.  Carol is a wonderful writer.  She is also person of integrity.  We wish her the best.
Of Little Faith can be purchased at the store of http:steelcutpress.com
Trust us.  This is money well spent.

Inside The Basset Brain - Beware Of Imposters

It is said that imitation is the highest form of flattery.  Apparently that can also be said for imposters as was recently observed at the annual Southern Basset Hound Society Picnic.
The real Basset Hounds didn't seem to mind.  Of course, real Basset Hounds seldom mind anything.  Or anyone, for that matter.