I have a confession to make. I am not a cleaner. I absolutely despise cleaning. To me, cleaning is just a chore that I know I have to do.   My mother, on the other hand, was an avid cleaner. Growing up, our joke was that she used to follow my brother, sister and I around the house with her sponge. My cousin tells me that she cleanses by cleaning. I feel that way when I cook but absolutely not from cleaning.  

Normally, I'd cover this stadium gathering the Sunday after so many of gathered in many rows at The Porch presented by Hijole at Citi Field.  A memorial service covered last week pushed back this report on watching the Mets defeat the Yankees on June 26 a week.  Apologies to those who expected the account then.

Judging oneself is a bad habit, that holds back our creativity and personal growth.   We often set unrealistic standards, comparing ourselves to who we think we should be. I know I am my worst critic. I expect perfection in this imperfect body and mind.   I have experienced over the years that my relentless self-criticism is waning, learning to be nicer to myself. Accepting my imperfections (there are so few :-) and understanding that mistakes are part of the learning process is liberating.  

When I was coming up in the 50s, simultaneous with the rise of Rhythm and Blues (soon to be Rock n' Roll), the primary (solo) instrument was the Sax (think King Curtis, Big Al Sears or Cannonball Adderley).Then, in 1952, Les Paul (born Lester Polsfuss) changed the course of musical history when the Gibson Les Paul electric guita

We noticed the little Grasshopper on the car’s side mirror as we drove down the street from our house.She was going for a ride to a destination unknown.Would it be an adventure or a new beginning?

This is the time of the year that commemorates many occasions in the Schwartz Household, between birthdays (Joe, My sister-in-law, brother-in-law and my birthday, plus my wife and I anniversary). I always enjoyed July because as a kid, school was out, and summer was in full swing. The 4th of July, one of my favorite holidays, meant fireworks, something my dad would take us to at the end our block in Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn.

Friends, I am ready for some recommendations.  

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love to travel. One of my favorite aspects of travelling is to learn about the location’s culture.  I love to learn about the locals day to day life.   One way we found to do is to take food tours. What people like to eat seems to teach us so much about their customs.  I love watching “Somebody Feed Phil” on Netflix. He says, “Food is a great connector and if we can share food, we are friends.”