The sweetness of a smile

Any of you who have known even one infant knows what a thrill it is to see him or her smile for the first time. Shortly after arriving in Sharon on Friday afternoon, I was holding Julia and talking to her and she smiled at me! I soon found that it is relatively easy to elicit this response by smiling at her and speaking in that voice that we adults seem to use instinctively when speaking to babies.

Of course I did not have my camera at that moment so I lost my chance. But this evening we gathered at Simmie and Ronen’s house for a family barbeque, and Julia obliged.

Those first smiles are so precious. Up until that point, the only real emotions you see from a newborn are hunger, discomfort, pain, or general unhappiness (translation: you have no idea what in the world is bothering the baby once you’ve fed her and changed her diaper). All of these emotions are expressed in one way: wailing! But at last, you find something you can do or say that fairly reliably elicits the desired response. To me, this moment is almost every bit as exciting as seeing the newborn infant for the first time. Those first smiles are the first clear sign that you are really communicating with this little person, and they open a door to someone you have so longed to meet.

Here are a few pictures I took earlier this evening. You can see that Julia has really filled out quite a bit in the last few weeks. And she still has the lovely dark hair.

We had a wonderful, busy weekend. We had Simmie and family over for Friday evening dinner, and Joshua and Ella with us for lunch. After lunch we headed back to their house and played in the yard for a few hours. This morning we took Eliana and Maya to “Launch,” a place I described a few months ago that is filled with trampolines. We went when it first opened so there were not a lot of children there and it was so much better for the girls and for us. If you ever plan to take children to one of these places, I strongly urge you to get there when they open; it makes for a much better experience all around.

The whole family gathered for a barbeque at Simmie and Ronen’s house. Fortunately the weather cooperated so Barry did not have to stand out in the rain at the barbeque grill.

We will be heading back to New York tomorrow morning. Although technically, summer does not begin until June 21, at least in the United States Memorial Day is the “kick-off” of summer. I have been wearing my sandals and even linen for the last couple of weeks, so it is time for the weather to get into step.

Have a wonderful week.

Love,

Rebecca

You never know where things may take you

My post about translations between languages prompted an e-mail message from our friend, singer/songwriter David Roth, that led to a highly enjoyable exchange of messages back and forth between us yesterday.

A group in China has invited David to tour and perform there in 2015. In preparation for this event, they recently published on their website a photo of David and a brief article in Chinese.  Curious about what they had to say, David copied and pasted their text into "freetranslation.com." With no humans involved in the translations, it is not surprising that this is a highly effective laughter-inducer. Here is the translation it provided:

Coming to China - American folk concert of King David Roth American Country Western songs. David the roth writing and singing songs touched the soul of all listeners. Passed a never had the feeling he was clear and lyrical voice to the audience. This feeling makes you feel the initial strong shock. A very remarkable album - clever, poetic and very passion. Whispering every story as if an old friend at your side, which gives the audience a spiritual quiet and comfortable feeling, suitable for almost midnight when slowly to savor. 

This is a people enough to shake the soul album, super studio, with a sexy, clear, affectionate, athletic, and many other adjectives to describe the voice of King David Roth did not get enough of, and the people of this feeling can very direct feel, at the moment you hear this song. The song soundtrack simple, rustic guitar-based line outlines the background. Sophisticated recording, superb vocals, you should feel a mature, moderate David Roth. Let us savor David Roth vigorous silky alto, feel his heart affectionate, smooth heartfelt singing. The interpretation of the first pass-known songs, folk songs King DAVID ROTH you pondering life. 

What is quirky about this is that some phrases are probably right on the mark, such as “songs (that) touch the soul of all listeners.” But when they refer to David as “King David Roth”, you are reminded that this was, after all, generated by a computer whose mastery of the English language is only as good as the people who wrote the program code.

Hearing about this reminded me of a widely reported story from about 25 years ago.

In preparation for a luncheon for the United Negro College Fund, (Vice President Dan) Quayle's aides had put the group's slogan, ''A mind is a terrible thing to waste,'' in the Vice President's talking points. But he rambled off-course (and said): ''And you take the U.N.C.F. model that what a waste it is to lose one's mind or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is.''

Source: The Education of Dan Quayle

By Maureen Dowd

Maureen Dowd is a White House reporter for The New York Times.
Published: June 25, 1989

A separate story told of Vice President Quayle, who, on his return from a trip to Latin America, was quoted as saying

“I wish I'd studied more Latin in school.  That way I could have talked to those people more.”

I had a lot of fun with this plethora of malapropisms out there in cyberspace. But a nagging question arose, namely, how could I know if Mr. Quayle really said them? So I went to Snopes, and was rather surprised to read that many of these widely reported gaffes were never actually spoken by Mr. Quayle, including the two I have quoted here.

Having said that, I should not be excessively harsh with myself. Snopes apparently verified that Vice President Quayle did say some pretty goofy stuff:

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure."

"A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls."

"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water

that are doing it."

snopes.com: Dan Quayle Quotes

Thinking about Vice President Quayle’s gaffes reminded me of Tina Fey’s portrayal of Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live during the 2008 presidential elections. One that comes to mind is

“I can see Russia from my house.”

We knew then and know now that Sarah Palin did not say that, but at times this becomes fuzzy; Ms. Fey’s impression was that good. But there were gaps in Ms. Palin’s basic knowledge that were certainly of concern in someone who might have been just a heartbeat away from the United States presidency. Perhaps that is what made Tina Fey’s portrayal resonate with so many viewers.

We are back in Sharon this weekend. Simmie and family are joining us for dinner this evening, and Joshua and Ella are coming to us for lunch tomorrow while their parents attend a social gathering for adults only. I have been busy all day: we left New York before the crack of dawn and stopped at the grocery on our way up here this morning, and I have been cooking this afternoon. We are hoping for nice weather on Sunday so we can do something outside. In the afternoon, Ella and a friend are having a joint birthday party to which Eliana and Maya are both invited. At the end of the day, we will all gather at Simmie and Ronen’s house for a barbeque. Monday we will be heading back to New York. I am tired just writing about it!

Have a wonderful weekend and, for those of you in the US, a nice kick-off to summer.

Love,

Rebecca

This one speaks for itself

On a much more somber note, this one speaks for itself.

Did Cooper Stock really have to die? - Yahoo News

Love,

Rebecca

Speaking the same language

Barry and a group of colleagues from various countries throughout the world are the principle investigators on a major study funded by the European Union to examine side effects of radiation therapy for the treatment of breast, lung, and prostate cancer. This has been a major focus of Barry’s research work over the past 15 years. The hope is that this world-wide study involving 5,300 patients will enable better predictions of which patients are most likely to experience adverse side effects, thereby helping to guide treatment choices for future patients.

In order to conduct research in an international setting, much care must be given to ensuring that the same questions are being consistently asked of the patients in the various languages spoken in the participating centers. But sometimes even countries speaking the same language may use that language differently to describe clinical experiences. For example, among the many symptoms queried, each prostate cancer patient in the United States is asked whether he had experienced “loose stools” following the radiation treatment, and presumably most Americans know what that means. Meanwhile, the form used in the United Kingdom, where English is also the spoken language, asks about “sticky/slimy motions.” During a recent teleconference, a question was raised by the lead investigator in Germany (who knows why?) whether these two responses mean the same thing. Barry did not wish to spend much time ruminating over this, not to mention recognizing that it might not be the most appropriate dinner conversation with his loving wife, so he quickly responded to the German colleague that the two phrases represent the same digestive upset, or as our friend David Roth sings in the song I have attached here, it always comes out okay in the end.

David Roth Magic Pill

I look forward to receiving your bad jokes in response to this post. Having said that, I appreciate as well as anyone that long-term side effects of cancer therapy are no laughing matter, whether chronic diarrhea or peripheral neuropathy. Perhaps being able to chuckle now and then is the key to living well despite these daily reminders of this long road.   

Love,

Rebecca

On the road again

Just before Sabbath started on Friday evening, we sat down to watch the final match in the Jeopardy “Battle of the Decades Tournament.” The final winner was the one with the highest total score in the two final games, which pitted three amazingly talented players against each other:

Ken Jennings, top number of games won (74)

Brad Rutter, top total lifetime cash winnings ($3,355,102)

Roger Craig, top single daily cash winning ($77,000)

Mr. Rutter has now added another $1,000,000 to his lifetime total winnings. Mr. Jennings earned $100,000 for second place, and Mr. Craig $50,000. Tomorrow evening, we look forward to the return of Julia.

We had a lovely Sabbath, spending much of the afternoon with friends who recently sold their home a few miles north of here and moved to a beautiful apartment not far from our house in the heart of Riverdale.

Early this morning we drove to a nearby Target store before it opened, and I spent a few minutes driving “my” new car around the large, empty parking lot. Without so much as another car in sight, it went pretty well; I guess that driving a car, like riding a bicycle, is one of those things you never forget how to do. However, such controlled circumstances are a far cry from driving on busy streets, and I know I will likely never be ready for that. Still, I had a song in my head as I was behind that wheel.

A couple of weeks ago, we visited the New York Botanical Garden for the first time this season. Many of the flowering trees were in bloom, and I took some pictures.

Today was a beautiful day, so after my practice drive and running a few local errands, we headed for the NYBG. This weekend marked the opening of a new special exhibit, “Great American Gardens of the Early 20th Century and the Extraordinary Women Who Designed Them.” In addition to walking around some of the specially designed spaces, and taking the pictures shown here among countless others, we went to a presentation called “From Ragtime to Jazz: The Roots of Pop.” A variety of styles including ragtime, jazz, and Broadway show tunes featuring the works of Scott Joplin, Eubie Blake, Irving Berlin, and Tin Pan Alley composers such as George Gershwin, George M. Cohan, and Dorothy Fields was performed by a trio of artists. Many of the songs were familiar and it was quite enjoyable.

Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Rebecca

Get outta my dreams....

A couple of years after we moved to Sharon, I started going to an aerobics class two or three evenings a week. If memory serves, the class was held at a space that served as a dance studio for children. The instructor was a high school French teacher by day, and had developed a passion for aerobic dance that led her to start this class. With all the things I have long since forgotten, I still remember that her name was Jeanne Roulleau, and I can still picture that petite, energetic, warm, and always smiling woman.

When I first started going to the class, I was rather overweight and woefully out of shape. My pulmonary function was probably already on the decline, although I did not realize that until a few years later. Still, I was in my mid 30s and I persevered and little by little was eventually able to keep up with Jeanne. I also managed to shed quite a bit of weight, although it was not the first nor would it be the last time I gained and then lost those pounds.

One of the things I most enjoyed about the class was the music. She was familiar with a wide variety of music, and spent a lot of time selecting songs that had just the correct tempo for each phase of the routine: warm-up, high energy, cool-down. She would develop a routine that we would use for a few months until she had the next one ready. There are some songs that resonated so well for me that I can still remember parts of the routines that went with them. One is Steve Winwood’s “Roll With It,” which she used as a terrific cool-down. Another song has stuck in my mind for all these years. I was not familiar with the song or the artist when I first heard it in her class, but it was perfect for that part of the routine: “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car” written and recorded by a British fellow named Billy Ocean.

I found myself humming this tune because we just bought a new car. All those trips to Sharon had racked up a lot of miles on our car, and before we started sinking too much money into repairs, we decided it was time to replace the car. So it was not surprising that I found myself humming this tune.

  

I have a license but I have not driven in years, and it is likely that I will never drive this car. My sense of direction and ability to respond appropriately to so many stimuli is not consistent with the ability to safely operate a nearly two ton machine. However, we put the title in my name so that we could obtain New York disability license plates. Among the qualifying criteria for such plates is poor pulmonary function, so we did not have to go further than my pulmonologist to complete the application. It turned out to be a little complicated to actually obtain the plates for a new car: the dealer does not do this, so we picked up the car with the standard plates. This morning we drove over to the Department of Motor Vehicles. We found a parking space about a block away. Initially, before removing the license plates, we both went inside to ensure that they in fact would be able to issue the disability plates (you never know how much misinformation you have been given). We then went back to the car and took off the plates, which Barry took inside to do the exchange while I waited in the car, hoping that we would not be ticketed for leaving our car parked on the street with no plates. When Barry returned, he had to (again) take a number and wait on line. This time, the person claimed that the form was a copy and did not have my original signature. It was, in fact, the original: I had signed it in black ink. So Barry returned to the car and had me sign it again with blue ink. Then he went back inside, took another number, waited in line again, finally was called, and this time the person said they could not accept the form because a change had been made with my new blue signature. They said we would have to go back to my pulmonologist and have her sign a new form, with my signature in blue ink. At that point, Barry requested to speak to a supervisor. Fortunately, the supervisor agreed that this was a minor change and they let it go through and Barry was handed the disability plates. So the DMV took quite a bit longer than we had anticipated, but what else is new?

Now I just have to replace the New York City parking permit, which provides special allowances for parking on City streets, I have had for quite a few years. I have set that in motion but it will take a few weeks for them to provide me with a new sign for the dashboard.

Maybe early Sunday morning, I will find a deserted parking lot and try to drive my new car!

Love,

Rebecca

To life!

With the last post a few minutes ago, this blog has now received 18,000 page views.

The number 18 has special meaning for Jewish people. There is a system of numerology called Gematria that assigns numerical value to each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The numerical value of a word is the sum of the values of the letters in that word. Probably the best known example of Gematria is the Hebrew word for life, chai, which is spelled using two letters, a chet ח and a yud י, the 8^th and 10^th letters of the Hebrew alphabet, respectively, adding to 18. That is why Jewish people will often give charity in multiples of $18.

So thank you all for helping me get to this wonderful milestone!

Love,

Rebecca