By Eric W. Schoen
So the big question this week? Did you have a turkey on your Thanksgiving table. Were you able to buy it from the Stop and Shop, or did you have to capture a wild turkey on one of our regions roadways? Well, the latter is probably illegal, and from what I hear the meat from wild turkeys is tough and inedible. So the big turkey shortage of 2021 was a farce.
I assume you were able to find a turkey and enjoy it with your family. Fresh whole cranberries were abundant and actually on sale at many stores. I hope either you made cranberry sauce or got the can of Ocean Spray whole berry cranberry sauce. I heard the cans of whole berry were hard to find, but as long as u didn’t serve the jelly cranberry sauce plopped out of the can on your holiday table you are OK in my book. I can’t believe rumors that some people plop the jelly cranberry sauce on to a plate, don’t chop it up and serve it so you can see the indentations from the metal can it came in. What can I say!
It was so nice to once again spend Thanksgiving with family. I sincerely hope you were able to. My sister and I went to our cousins the Meyerowitz’s, he a long time dentist in Yonkers Manor House Square before moving up to North Broadway.
Cousin Georgette, Dr. Meyerowitz’s wife, his daughter Sharon and Daughter-in-Law Nancy from Georgia were the chefs. From the soup to the homemade cole slaw to the moist, delicious Turkey to Nancy’s corn pudding to Sharon’s gluten free chocolate cake and everything in between the feast was spectacular. The corn pudding is the most recent addition, the recipe that comes from Nancy’s southern upbringing. A couple of spoonfuls of this delicious side dish equal a week at the gym if you know what I mean. But it was so good to see everyone after almost 2 years of no family gatherings caused by Covid.
Speaking of Covid, yes we have a new variant. Sadly there will probably be many more. Is there anything you can do about it. Unless you are a top scientist, the answer is probably no. The only things you can do is wash your hands, getting vaccinated, get the booster shot if enough time has lapsed and mask when needed. Since it’s out of your hands you have to go with advice of the top experts in the country and the world.
Covid is nothing but a big guessing game. A mystery. You never know what’s going to happen in the world of Covid when you go to bed at night. It seems like something happens that affects our lives everyday. You have to keep your chin up, your mouth and nose covered as appropriate, and through the power of prayer we will get through this.
If the pressures of Covid are getting you down, contact your insurance provider for referral for professional help. That’s what you pay those high insurance premiums for. Contact the Westchester County Health Department at 914-813-5000. Contact your Rabbi, Priest or respective clergyman. Last resort call 911.
Covid is affecting even the strongest among us, and you should not be afraid to seek help if you need it. There are resources out there for you and you should have no shame taking advantage of them! This, too shall hopefully pass, but until it does just remember if Covid wasn’t upsetting you that’s something you really should worry about!
Now onto the topic of the week.I’m tired of receiving calls on my cell phone and home phone from ‘Mary from the Auto Warranty Department’ who just magically heard that the warranty on my car is expiring. Friends I know who don’t even own cars are getting this same call. The calls can come at 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning, 6 p.m. during dinner time or 8:30 p.m when you are getting ready to go to sleep. Whenever the call comes, it’s always at the wrong time.
How does ‘Mary’ know my car warranty is expiring? If someone is giving her a list that person should be put in jail. ‘Mary’ should be put in jail. For most people their car warranties expired years ago, that is if they even own a car. These calls come in two, three times a day, and if you don’t answer quite often the ‘robocall’ making these calls will leave a message that cuts off after a few seconds leaving you equally as frustrated when you go to retrieve your voicemails.
Something has gotten to be done about it. Time to act now Federal and State legislators. And about the robocalls from the Police Chiefs and Fire Chiefs Associations that collect money not to help those in need but to enrich their benefactors. Putting your name on all these DO NOT CALL lists rarely helps because the companies who make these calls always find ways to get around the laws.
By the way, studies have shown that the auto warranty plans these companies sell are worthless and just a waste of your money. Let’s say you miss the call and really do want one of these plans. Try calling back the CALLER ID number that popped up in your phone. You will probably get a message that either the number doesn’t accept incoming calls or to push a number on your phone if you want your phone number permanently taken out of their call systems. An additional sign that the call is a fraud. And the number never leaves the system.
While we are talking about these frauds, let’s talk a little bit about Giving Tuesday that occurred this week. Giving Tuesday should be everyday, not just one day. If you can afford to give money to a reputable charity you don’t have to wait until Giving Tuesday to make your donation. Same goes for these days when you are called upon to do community service. If you can help a child read, help a senior citizen do daily tasks or get to the doctor or other appointment or buy groceries, don’t wait until our leaders proclaim a special day.
There are many good charities out there but before you give, check to make sure that the soliciting charity is legitimate and uses its donations to help those in need, not for big bureaucratic salaries. Contact the Better Business Bureau or the State of New Charities Registration Bureau, part of the Attorney General’s Office at (212) 416-8400. A lot of this information can be obtained online.
We have so many charities locally and throughout the country that do great work. Make sure you are donating to the legitimate ones!
HOT TOPICS: Black Friday and Cyber Monday spending by consumers was down. But if you walked into Macy’s at Cross County Center on the day after Black Friday to take advantage of continuing Black Friday specials, you would see why. The joint was, as they say jumping! My feeling is that people want to get out of the house and shop after the long Covid hibernation, even though the weather outside is a bit chilly.
Many long time Yonkersites remember Rabbi Abraham J. Klausner and his dear wife Judy from Temple Emanu-El on Rumsey Road in Yonkers. If you mention Temple Emanu-El in Yonkers, the first thing people will remember is Rabbi and his wife Judy. It’s always sad to me when one of my once avid readers dies. Rabbi died a number of years ago. Judy, his wife just passed this week. She was a talented artist creating many objects of art for the Temple. And a reader from Sante Fe, New Mexico!
Want to read a fun book. See if you can find a copy of a book Judy wrote in 2011, MY CUP RUNNETH OVER AND STAINETH THE CARPET available in paperback. Trust me, it will bring back memories and you will enjoy it!
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @ericyonkers. Listen to Eric Schoen and Dan Murphy on the Westchester Rising Radio Show Thursday’s from 10-11 a.m. On WVOX 1460 AM, go to WVOX.com and click the arrow to listen to the live stream or download the WVOX app from the App Store free of charge.
