living

RRBC 30-DAY BLOGGING CHALLENGE – DAY 14

Susanne Leist12 Comments

Welcome to the 1964 World’s Fair. I was five years old, and my memories are primarily of crowds of people, music, and magic. I found my brother’s black-and-white photos, and I’m sharing them with you.

“The 1964–1965 New York World’s Fair was a world’s fair that held over 140 pavilions and 110 restaurants, representing 80 nations, 24 US states, and over 45 corporations, with the goal and the final result of building exhibits or attractions at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.” Wikipedia

The World’s Fair was a huge event, but I maybe thought so because I was a little girl. I have foggy memories of products from different countries and prehistoric animals. When I visited Epcot with my daughters, it triggered memories of seeing something similar. Epcot is my favorite theme park in Orlando, Florida, and this has led me to wonder why I used Disney World in my vampire books, not Epcot.

This picture symbolized crowds of people to me when I was a kid, but I didn’t understand crowds until I worked in Manhattan.

I wonder what the audience was watching. Was something happening in the water?

Maybe there were pavilions on the water since there wasn’t enough room for 140 in the park.

The last photo is of my brother. He’s wearing a hat because he became more Orthodox before attending college. After Yeshivah University, he wasn’t religious anymore, which is strange since it’s a religious college. If I was 5 years old, he was 16. I believe he was born mature and wise. And then they had me.

RRBC 30-DAY BLOGGING CHALLENGE – DAY 10

Susanne Leist17 Comments

I’ve reached the tenth day of the blogging challenge, and I’m amazed I’ve made it this far. And look above, I received a Blogger Award. Since the challenge is to inspire us to write about our days, I’ll share what I do with my time.

Besides food shopping, I have excursions with my dog to the vet or the park. Since he has diabetes and Cushing’s Disease, we visit the vet more often. Nounous doesn’t enjoy walking on the sidewalk since he trips on everything since he lost his sight to cataracts. I visited the park near his vet two months ago when I was getting his medicine. When I spotted people walking their dogs, I was surprised since dogs were never allowed in this park, and I searched for signs, and there weren’t any prohibiting dogs. The park I usually visit, which has the outdoor pool I use in the summer, doesn’t allow dogs and sports huge signs stating that fact. Since then, I’ve been walking Nounous around the small lake in the park when the weather isn’t too cold. I’m waiting for the weather to brighten later this week for me to take him on Thursday.

I miss going out with my friends since my husband refuses to see them on Saturday nights, saying he’s tired from work. Whatever. My friends work during the day and see their families on Sundays, so it’s hard to see them. During the summer, I met them at the pool. If it wasn’t for Covid, I’d spend most of my days at the indoor pool, not far from my house, but I’m afraid of catching Covid. I was exposed to one person who had it, my husband, and I was sick three days after him and three weeks longer than him. I’ve never had any resistance to colds or viruses.

My daughters live in New Jersey and Connecticut, and since I don’t drive on the highway, it’s been challenging to see them. Hopefully, they’ll visit when their newborns get older. Covid and RSV have limited a few of our planned events. We haven’t celebrated Chanukah yet with our grandchildren, and I told Ezra, my oldest daughter’s four-year-old, we had more presents for him and that Chanukah would be extended through January.

I use my free time to create book banners and trailers and then share them on social media. This past year, I edited my work in progress a few times but am still waiting to feel the urge to continue writing it. The reviews on the first book in the series asked for more background on the Penobscot Indians, and I always listen to my reviews. I read everything I could find on the Penobscot, but I might have outlined and researched too much for this book that I’ve lost the creative drive to finish.

I tell myself to be happy I have my health and my daughters and grandchildren and to use my loneliness to write better books. This challenge has pushed me to write daily, and I hope to continue this productive habit.

Thank you for joining my blogging challenge. Please visit my fellow RRBC bloggers at https://ravereviewsbookclub.wordpress.com/rrbc-member-chat/