A Night at the Samuels Hotel

Wanted to do some writing but am airing out the allergenic carpet, so I stayed with Freda and Bernie Samuels. They live in Legacy Oaks in Warrington, PA.


See website here.  

They pamper me. "We love you, Ruthie, come any time," says Freda.

 Bernie is a master chef.

He picked up this corned beef at Rednor's. We don't have one around here.

 I ate my corned beef with spicy mustard. Bernie also made roasted taters, which I had to decline b/c they're high in carbs.

Bernie also has diabetes, but it's under control. Every time he took his sugar it was between 80 and 120. He told me the 'high' number can be 125.

His mother died of the disease at age 42. Bernie had just come home from the Navy in World War II and his mother had died 10 days prior.

Mamela!

He told me nuts are really good for the person with diabetes.... nuts that grow on trees. I eat peanuts which are underground legumes.

Bernie eats pistachios which I gave up for vanity's sake. They chip off my nails and nail polish.

Flowers on the window sill. The Samuels are so popular, people bring them gifts. I brought a tin of one of my fave teas

Hot cinnamon spice.... they loved it.

For dessert..... hot zucchini bread, fresh from the oven.

I dunked it in my tea.

Let her eat cake and then go on the exercise bike, which I did for half an hour. It's a recumbent - the best! - and in the mirrored basement. I read my library book club selection

  Book of short stories about Nigerians flight to the USA and the life of violence they endure in Nigeria.

If I could only remember the author's name.... Adichie  adichie adichie.

Freda is an amazingly beautiful woman.

And, as we know, an author of memoirs.

 The tireless 89-yo Bernie roasts his own raw almonds.

Bernie is the best storyteller I've ever met.

He was telling me stories about when he joined the Navy at age 18. His memory is flawless. He can remember everyone on his ship and ones who hated Jews. "Hey Jewboy" one of them would say.

He was challenged to a boxing match by one of the antisemites.

What do I know? he says. He's 18 yo and had never boxed before. Quickly knocked out. Undaunted, he worked with a punching bag on the ship.

Then one of the black guys on the ship - the blacks' job on the ship was to 'serve' their 'masters' - wait on their every wish - saw Bernie working out and taught him how to fight.

POW!

A black guy taught Bernie the rudiments of fighting.

Bernie, who grew up in the Strawberry Mansion section of Philly, talked for a couple hours while I sat entranced.

I recommended that he get in touch with the Abington Free Library War Veterans series and mailed him the info.

Three years ago, I heard the great Ted Heck, 90 at the time, a columnist and tennis player.

BTW, I just ate a delicious dinner. Vegetable soup, made in the slo-cooker, with the usual suspects with Asparagus as the guest star, and, as you can see, a side of Corned Beef that Bernie gave me.

I had to dine with Princess Helena the Unicorn since my sister Donna stood me up.

Marcy, too bad you don't live closer.

Well, now it's time for bed at the Samuels Hotel.

They sleep on the first floor. A HUGE staircase leads to the second floor where I use the computer, the baffroom and the bedroom. I weigh 134.4.

They loved my PJs, which I bought at the same garage sale around the corner as where I bought tonite's dining commpanion - pretty sad when you have to pay someone to eat with you.

I read a lot of Adichie's short story book. HEY, the exercise paid off and I remember her last name.

You've heard of high ceilings.... these are high ceilings. Freda loves her hardwood floors.

Bernie has always loved to cook.

 Here's my bedroom.

Wedding photo of Freda's b'ful daughter Sharon and her then-husband.

 You'll never guess what Bernie made me for breakfast..... an omelet with lox! Scrumptious. Just the egg itself was delicious.

Why is that, I asked Freda.

He's got a magic touch, said Freda. Everything he makes turns out wonderful.

 The Samuels had crackers and peanut butter for breakfast.

 Always thinking, always talking.

Ah, he's making a call on my behalf. I'm reading the Intell.

The Intell is a great paper, I said to Freda.

It's a wonderful paper, she said. Better than the Inquirer.

They get both... tossed inside plastic bags in the driveway.

I went out in my PJs and picked em up for them.

Back home, in the kitchen I'm listening to disk one - of 11 -  of the book



Riveting! Told from the viewpoint of a young Jewish boy. It reads like nonfiction.

Jew-hater, Nazi-lover Charles Lindbergh is elected president. He was a great fan of Hitler and visited Germany before the war. Became an admiring personal friend of Hermann Goring.