Posts categorized as Community

A few weeks ago I wrote about how my cat Lefty went missing. I had spoken to my neighbor Jill Lauri about his disappearance. Jill is an animal communicator and her words truly comforted me, easing my anxiety throughout the ordeal. After speaking with Jill, she went home and connected with Lefty. She took the time without being asked, and wrote me these beautiful words… “Lefty says that he is fine and exploring. He is not far away and plans to return home. Lefty says that initially a noise startled […]

  Previously Published in The Wave. I believe I was 8 years old. We were at my Aunt Katherine’s annual block party on Herbert St. in Greenpoint. I was running for dear life down the middle of the block screaming because my cousin Tommy was chasing me. He had a bucket of ice in tow. Tommy was 5 years older than me, so naturally, he caught up quick, even with the ice bucket. He grabbed me tight around the waist and threw the ice down the back of my shirt. Ice […]

Max Power at The Rockaway Beach Brewery Previously published in The Wave. The man. “Don’t move upstate. Move to Rockaway. It’s like the Costa Rica of Queens. You can help us at the bar this summer.” Rashida Jackson urged Matt Preis, more famously known as Max Power*, music promoter extraordinaire, pet guru and overall rad dude. Max has known Rashida Jackson and Patrick Flibotte (owners of Sayra’s Wine Bar) for over a decade. They met when Rashida worked at Maggie Brown, a now-defunct restaurant in Clinton Hill. Max was there often, […]

Here’s a recap of the best instagrams of last week. If you want the day to day follow me here! The garden is in full bloom. Above is pomegranate yarrow. This rich color works so well with the purples (russian sage, cat mint) and yellows (day lilies) already in my garden. yarrow is very easy to care for. if you deadhead the old flowers more will grow throughout the summer. The rain didn’t hamper the Beach 91st street block party. Wow, it was a crazy party. Above is Matt and Grill Master good […]

Lefty’s first birthday. Previously published in The Wave. I realized he was gone around 7am. After a quick search under the bed, in the hall closet and downstairs on the mound of laundry, I got the treats out. I started shaking the bag. That always works. My three other cats came trotting in but Lil Lefty did not. My heart started pounding. I searched in every drawer, in the stove, in the washing machine, in the storage room, behind the Christmas decorations, under the porch. Everywhere. The panic set in […]

It just so happened I got booked with some freelance days in the city the very first day the ferry set sail. Perfect timing! Everyone has heard the details thus far, there are some kinks to work out, yada yada yada. But overall the response from our community seems positive, as is mine. After work on May 1st I headed to Pier ll for my voyage back to Rockaway. The ferry before us was at capacity so the line for the 6:30pm seemed endless. The mood was jovial despite this. […]

This Mother’s Day weekend the market at The Edgemere Farm will be Saturday and Sunday from 9am -1pm. You can pick up your tomato plants and many other garden must-haves to kick of this gardening season. For more info visit their website. The farm is located at  385 Beach 45th Street, Far Rockaway, NY 11691.

Previously published in The Wave. My neighbor Simon Chardiet* was surfing around beach 99th the day before “blizzard” Stellaaaa. While waiting for the next wave, he noticed a duck getting tossed around. Simon paddled over and saw the fowl was injured. He felt compelled to take action. “It was going to die. If I was that duck, I would hope someone would try to help me and not turn a blind eye.” Simon managed to secure the duck and they both bodyboarded to safety. On land, he got assistance from […]

Previously published in The Wave How to eat pizza is a contentious subject among New Yorkers. There’s the right way — folding — and there is the semi-legitimate way eating it flat/open.  Among the horrifyingly uncouth methods, there is crust first, removing the cheese and eating the bread separate.  Then there is The Unspeakable: eating a slice with a knife and fork. With John Kasich, it was understandable. He’s from Ohio; what does he know about pizza?  In 2011 at La Famiglia in Times Square, President Donald Trump, a native […]

Previously published in The Wave My Grandpa Ralph loved to gamble. One vivid memory I have of us, is when we’d go to OTB.  He used to take me to the one in Bellerose, back when they had brick and mortar locations in the city.  I was around 15 years old, and I would place bets for him. He couldn’t see the racetrack program very well  because his diabetes affected his vision. This was also a good way for me to learn. Grandpa Ralph was teaching me how to bet […]