Dateline:  New York City

Every Monday the New York Times carries a feature entitled ‘Metropolitan Diary’ on the Editorial page.   It’s a selection of letters from readers living in the area who write of their every-day experiences  in ‘The Big Apple.’  Here’s a typical ‘experience’ of a visitor from Oakwood, Ohio to New York.

“To get to Macy’s at 34th Street from the Beekman Tower on 1st and 49th – you take the cross town bus to Broadway and transfer south. The first lady bus driver explained about the bus stop, waited to make sure her passenger got the spot, waved to the Oakwoodite – and drove on.  A lady at the ‘stop’ asked “…going down to Macy’s?  I’ve been waiting a while…”

Fifteen minutes later – still no No.7 bus. Ten minutes later a bus appeared, but when it got closer it’s sign read ‘Out of Service’.  Undeterred the lady stood in the street, flagged down the bus, the door opened and several words were exchanged.  With that the driver turned off the ‘Not in Service’, lowered the entry step, and invited “…you two ladies can get on.”  They did, and were delivered to Macy’s front entrance. It gives a whole new chapter to “The Miracle on Thirty Fourth Street.”

Phoebe Bowditch has been a long time NYC friend who entertains her Oakwood friends when they’re in the City for the Masters of Foxhounds annual ‘do’.  She hunts with the Essex Hunt in New Jersey where we’ve enjoyed their sport, and also going ‘beagleing’  on Sunday afternoons with their great ‘pack’.

On Thursday Phoebe invited the Oakwood-ites for dinner at her Cosmos Club.  “I’ve also included a couple – fellow foxhunters – and Tom said he knew the Miami Valley.” When Tom Gimbel and Valerie arrived the most fabulous conversations began – and lasted for hours!  “I was stationed at WPAFB during WWII – before I was sent to Germany. Whatta wonderful, friendly, interesting place Dayton was then. Would you happen to know about a girl I dated while there?  She lived on a winding brick road…had quite a few sisters…and was a beautiful blond…”

“You’ve got to mean Connie Focke (Breen)! “Yes!” shouted Tom with a huge grin on his face.  “She’s one of our best friends…we go to her place in Maine every summer/fall…I’ll call her first thing in the morning!” The phone lines rang long and clear on Friday morning..

Valerie Gimbel is English by birth, is devoted to her horses and rides most every day. The three ladies talked about nothing but their favorite horses – and the gentlemen talked about nothing but the financial crisis!

Last Sunday evening a long-time friend of Oakwood High School grad Nancy Heck Sternal was the guest artist with the St. Luke’s Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. Helene Grimaud is a world renowned pianist – is French – and has a pack of wolves on her farm in upstate New York. She and Nancy are friends as Helene is also on the Board of the International Wolf Center in Ely, MN. This is the fifth time ‘Round Town has heard Helene perform and the second time they’ve heard her in Carnegie Hall. A reception, for the benefit of Helene’s Wolf Center, was held following her performance – so it was great time to visit and catch-up with her International career.

Robert Taylor, a director of the New York State Wolf Center, as stayed with Nancy and Ron in Minneapolis.  He was kind to invite Nancy’s parents to visit the NY Center.  “It’s only an hour’s train ride…I’ll pick you up…and…

Dateline: Meanwhile, back in Dayton....

Rosemary Houston celebrated her ‘centennial’ birthday last Friday!  Her sons had a fabulous party for their Mother – at Moraine Country Club.

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