Happy Birthday, Sandy!

Yeah, Another Blogger

Seeing that a person’s birthday comes but once a year, celebrating it in a substantial way is a damn good idea. Even though my wife Sandy and I don’t always follow that philosophy, a couple of weeks ago we did. Having booked a hotel room in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA for Sandy’s birthday (the big day itself, plus the two days bookending it), we dipped into The City Of Brotherly Love’s many offerings and, as is almost always the case when we’re there, had a fine time.

Jules Goldman Books And Art, an eye-popping store.
Empty building that once housed the Painted Bride Art Center. Isaiah Zagar’s mosaic mural covers the building.
A portion of the mosaic mural at the rear of the building.

What did we do? We had two great restaurant dinners, for one thing, meals that we won’t soon forget. We took in a movie (Barbie, which Sandy, unlike me, liked a lot). We wandered into Jules Goldman Books And Art, one of the most mind-blowingly jumbled stores I’ve ever seen. And we gazed in wonder at the mosaic mural (by Isaiah Zagar) covering all sides of the long-vacant building that once housed the Painted Bride Art Center. Sandy and I saw loads of terrific music and dance performances at the Bride, and truly miss it. (The Painted Bride Art Center still exits. It’s at a different location now, and is but the merest shadow, arts-wise, of its former world-class self.) The building’s and the mosaic mural’s fates, tied up in litigation for a number of years, are uncertain. Demolition is a real possibility. If that comes to pass, Philadelphia will lose a treasure.

The painting popularly known as Whistler’s Mother.

The birthday girl and I also went to the Philadelphia Museum Of Art. In that enormous institution we viewed hundreds of artworks, including the world-famous painting popularly known as Whistler’s Mother, on loan from a museum in Paris. I was expecting to poo-poo the picture, but the more I looked at it, the more I liked it. It’s a well-designed creation, quite riveting, whose true title (Arrangement In Grey And Black No. 1) is a good description of what the artist James Whistler was going after, and accomplished, when his mother Anna posed for him in 1871.

The building in which I once lived (Clinton Street, Philadelphia).

I could mention plenty more activities, but I’ll limit myself to one. A very personal one. Namely, our visit to a central Philadelphia neighborhood we both were familiar with, and within which we very likely crossed paths many years before we formally met in 1990.

I moved to Philadelphia in 1974, taking up residence on Clinton Street, a leafy block with any number of fine old houses. I lived there for 14 months in an apartment building, the one nondescript structure on Clinton, during which time Sandy worked two blocks away. Did we pass one another, maybe more than once, on the street? Did we chow down in a neighborhood eatery at the same time? We’ll never know, but I’m guessing yes. On the day before her birthday, we reminisced about those long-ago days as we strolled along a bunch of blocks in the Clinton Street area.

To continue: As noted above, our paths crossed in 1990. Meaningfully too. This occurred at a singles event near Philadelphia’s Delaware River waterfront. Sandy and I, each of us far removed from our Clinton-Street-neighborhood days, clicked right from the start and have been together ever since. I don’t believe in fate or anything like that. But it’s cool that, unbeknownst to us, we were part of the same picture all those years before, in a sense just waiting for our stories to entwine.

Now, this being a piece about a special occasion, I’ll conclude the proceedings with blasts of good cheer and high energy. And I’ll turn to The Beatles to handle the honors. Their hard-rocking song Birthday appears on what has come to be known as The White Album. John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote Birthday quickly in the recording studio in September 1968. A few hours later, the band, McCartney handling lead vocals, put it on tape. Man, in no time at all a classic was birthed.

It’s inarguable that Paul McCartney calling Sandy and singing Birthday over the phone to her would be better than my presenting her with The Beatles’ recorded version. Maybe one day, in an alternate universe, that will happen. But for now, the original, in all its glory, will suffice beautifully. And so, once again . . . happy birthday, Sandy!

150 thoughts on “Happy Birthday, Sandy!”

  1. George's avatar George September 5, 2023 / 12:29 am

    Happy birthday, Sandy! What a fabulous story that you worked two blocks away from each other years before meeting and getting together!

    Looks as though you had a fine time in Philadelphia. I love the murals. Really hope they’re saved from demolition. The delightfully jumbled book and art store, and the prestigious gallery look wonderful.

    Great tune too.

    Liked by 3 people

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger September 5, 2023 / 11:43 am

      Hi George. Sandy and I have explored Philadelphia time after time after time, either individually or together. We never get tired of this city.

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  3. Lynette d'Arty-Cross's avatar Lynette d'Arty-Cross September 5, 2023 / 1:26 am

    Happy Birthday, Sandy! 🎂
    It sounds as if you had a terrific weekend – great weekends like that are so wonderful.
    I’ve seen Whistler’s mom in Paris at the Musée d’Orsay. She definitely gets around and is certainly doing well for her age. 😉

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  4. AmericaOnCoffee's avatar Americaoncoffee September 5, 2023 / 2:39 am

    That’s what I call living it up!

    Liked by 2 people

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  5. Leah's avatar Leah September 5, 2023 / 3:11 am

    Happy Birthday to Sandy! Fantastic celebration! Love the artwork on the Art Center!

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger September 5, 2023 / 11:48 am

      That mosaic mural took about 10 years to complete. I think it was completed circa the year 2000. It’s pretty incredible.

      Liked by 1 person

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  6. swabby429's avatar swabby429 September 5, 2023 / 3:25 am

    That was much more than a regular birthday celebration. I’m glad Sandy and you enjoyed a beautiful outing.

    Liked by 2 people

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  7. joylennick's avatar joylennick September 5, 2023 / 4:19 am

    No blue plaque on the corner of Clinton Street, Neil?! Tee hee…A belated Happy Birthday, Sandy and a great year to follow. It all sounded good fun. Loved the untidy bookshop! Cheers.

    Liked by 3 people

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger September 5, 2023 / 11:51 am

      You know, I’ve walked past that store many times, without giving it a glance. This time we went into it, and could hardly believe our eyes.

      Liked by 1 person

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  8. gabychops's avatar gabychops September 5, 2023 / 5:25 am

    Thank you, Neil, for a heartwarming story! And of course,

    Happy Birthday, Sandy!

    Joanna

    Liked by 2 people

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  9. johnlmalone's avatar johnlmalone September 5, 2023 / 5:27 am

    happy birthday, Sandy: that year 1990 was a momentous one for you both 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

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  10. tylerus's avatar tylerus September 5, 2023 / 6:17 am

    Happy birthday to Sandy. A charming (uplifting) post. You make for a wonderful couple!

    Liked by 1 person

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  12. JOYCE HAMILTON's avatar JOYCE HAMILTON September 5, 2023 / 7:59 am

    Isaiah Zagar his magic garden is one of my favorite places to take visitors. Sounds like Sandy had a wonderful birthday! You are a perfect couple. Many more happy and fun birthdays!

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger September 5, 2023 / 11:57 am

      Thanks, Joyce. You know, Sandy and I haven’t been to the Magic Gardens. Going there is on our to-be-done-list.

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  13. Joan Blumberg's avatar Joan Blumberg September 5, 2023 / 8:22 am

    What a nice story!

    Liked by 1 person

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  14. Debra's avatar Debra September 5, 2023 / 9:26 am

    Looking forward to continuing the birthday celebration with Sandy soon. Your hookup shows that you don’t have to always look far to find your heart’s desire. (Didn’t Dorothy say something like that in the Wizard of Oz?) :-}

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  15. The Wheelchair Teen's avatar The Wheelchair Teen September 5, 2023 / 9:26 am

    I’m happy to hear that Sandy had such a nice birthday! It’s great that you really went all out with the celebration. Surviving another 365 days around the sun is no small feat. I’ve heard of Whistler’s Mother, it’s pretty cool that you were able to see it in person. And the Barbie film which I also liked 😊

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger September 5, 2023 / 12:02 pm

      Hello there. I’m not sure why Whistler’s Mother is on display in Philadelphia. It was lent by a museum in Paris. In any case, I’m glad to have gotten up close and personal with it.

      Liked by 1 person

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  17. Jacqui Murray's avatar Jacqui Murray September 5, 2023 / 9:58 am

    You make me want to take a trip for my next birthday–which won’t happen. Happy birthday, Sandy!

    Liked by 1 person

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  19. shoreacres's avatar shoreacres September 5, 2023 / 10:08 am

    I love thinking of the two of you, surely crossing paths for some time before, unaccountably, you meet. It’s wonderful that you celebrated as you did, returning to a place that’s so meaningful to you both. Formally, it may have been a birthday celebration, but it clearly was a time to celebrate much, much more.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger September 5, 2023 / 1:04 pm

      Hi. We weren’t planning to visit the Clinton Street area. But we went off on a long walk and after a while realized that Clinton Street, and the block where Sandy worked decades ago, weren’t too far away. Being back there was a good experience for us.

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  20. Dave's avatar Dave September 5, 2023 / 10:09 am

    After touring The Barnes Museum I’m not surprised to read Philadelphia has other quirky art collections and bookstores. There’s more to the city than meets the eye. As for crossing paths before actually meeting, my wife and I have a similar story. She spent the summer before we met in Southern California, where I was working. We compared notes and were convinced we were in a few of the same places at the same time. That strikes me as a little more than mere coincidence.

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      • Dave's avatar Dave September 5, 2023 / 1:35 pm

        We met our senior year of college, in Indiana, only a few months after crossing those paths in California.

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  21. Helen Devries's avatar Helen Devries September 5, 2023 / 10:15 am

    Happy birthday, Sandy! You both had a great time and it’s nice of you to take us all with you to that super book and art store, to the mural and to the place where your paths might well have crossed…..have a great year ahead of you.

    Liked by 1 person

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  22. the incurable dreamer's avatar the incurable dreamer September 5, 2023 / 11:18 am

    I love the idea that you probably encountered one another all those years ago and didn’t even know it. Life is so wild sometimes. I’ve never been to Philadelphia, but I’m pretty sure I would enjoy it. Sounds like you guys had a great birthday celebration. Happy birthday, Sandy!

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger September 5, 2023 / 1:11 pm

      Hi, and thanks for stopping by. I’m a big fan of Philly. I lived there for many years, and now live not too far away. It has a lot going for it — the arts, history, good restaurants, beautiful parks, and on and on.

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  23. Mike and Kellye Hefner's avatar Mike and Kellye Hefner September 5, 2023 / 11:38 am

    Happy belated birthday to Sandy! Great post, too. I’ve wanted to visit Philadelphia for a long time – especially the museum of art, and the national park sites. What a great weekend you two had. Here’s to many, many more! Have a wonderful week.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger September 5, 2023 / 1:14 pm

      Many thanks. If the two of you like big cities, I’m pretty sure you’d enjoy Philadelphia. It’s got what it takes.

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  24. Paula B's avatar Paula B September 5, 2023 / 12:06 pm

    Happy birthday to Sandy, and congratulations on your decades of love together. How perfect that you were able to celebrate the past and present of Philadelphia — and yourselves — together.

    Liked by 1 person

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  26. JOYCE HAMILTON's avatar JOYCE HAMILTON September 5, 2023 / 1:37 pm

    A few times l got free tickets from our library. You definitely should go. I have been going there for years

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger September 5, 2023 / 4:25 pm

      Hi Ally. There’s probably an appropriate Beatles song for just about any occasion/situation/circumstance/etc. you can think of.

      Liked by 1 person

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  28. Rosaliene Bacchus's avatar Rosaliene Bacchus September 5, 2023 / 2:24 pm

    Sending happy birthday greetings to your Sandy 🙂 What a wonderful way to celebrate the special occasion! The Jules Goldman Books And Art store looks like a treasure hunter’s delight. It’s intriguing the way your paths must’ve crossed until the time was right for your face-to-face meeting.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger September 5, 2023 / 4:27 pm

      Thanks for the good wishes, Rosaliene. You’re not kidding about that store. It’s a wild place. I wonder if the owner has any idea where things are!

      Liked by 1 person

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  32. unionhomestead's avatar unionhomestead September 5, 2023 / 5:59 pm

    Happy belated birthday to Sandy. I’m now warbling that special song too. It’s one of those sort of ditties. Loved the mosiac; what a disaster if it were demolished. I’m a bit of a hippydippy sort when it comes to fate and love the thought of you two moving around the same neighbourhood with no idea what the future had in-store. Too sappy? 😁

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger September 6, 2023 / 8:21 am

      Morning. I think about that every once in a while. It’s kind of amazing that we were in the same area for over a year, ate in one or more of the same eateries that were there at the time, etc.

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  33. ellie894's avatar ellie894 September 5, 2023 / 7:24 pm

    Happy Birthday to Sandy! What a wonderful way to celebrate such a sweet occasion. ☺️ And, I had no idea Whistler’s Mother was such a large painting!

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger September 6, 2023 / 8:24 am

      Hi. Considering that it’s such a famous painting, there weren’t all that many people in the room where it was on display. So, I was able to get a real good look at it.

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger September 6, 2023 / 8:26 am

      Hi Cindy. The hotel we stayed in is in the old, historic district. Being in that area was a plus.

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  36. Jan Milusich's avatar Jan Milusich September 5, 2023 / 8:10 pm

    Happy Birthday, Sandy! It sounds like you both enjoyed a fun birthday getaway!

    Liked by 1 person

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  38. Robert Parker's avatar Robert Parker September 5, 2023 / 9:29 pm

    Cheers, whistles and many happy returns. It’s cool to think you might’ve crossed paths before actually meeting

    Liked by 1 person

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  39. annieasksyou's avatar annieasksyou September 5, 2023 / 9:37 pm

    Here’s another belated Happy Birthday to Sandy. So glad you shared your special outing with us. Loved that Collier Brothers book store; who knows what treasures are under all that clutter?

    Wishing you and Sandy many more years of love and fun together.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger September 6, 2023 / 8:31 am

      Thanks, Annie. As for that store, this was the first time I entered it. There must be half a million distinct objects in there!

      Liked by 1 person

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  41. wings of a tern's avatar rivertoprambles September 5, 2023 / 10:19 pm

    Whistler’s Mother sends her birthday greetings if she could. Congrats on another happy occasion!

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger September 6, 2023 / 8:33 am

      We had fun. Seeing that painting was pretty cool. There were a number of really good special exhibits at the museum that day. Including an amazing exhibit of folk art/outsider art.

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  42. lookingforthehigherself's avatar lookingforthehigherself September 6, 2023 / 7:04 am

    Happy birthday to Sandy 💃🏻 Sounds like it was a really love time spent in Philadelphia. I definitely loved the fact that you were both in such close proximity with each other before formally being introduced! I have often seen this pattern alot, of two people who may have crossed paths unknowingly before officially meeting and marrying! Its such a comforting feeling somehow. May you both enjoy many more lovely birthdays together! And Isaiah Zagar’s mural is so special!!

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger September 6, 2023 / 9:23 am

      Thanks for adding your observations and good wishes. Appreciated. As for Isaiah Zagar: he has decorated the outer walls of various buildings in Philadelphia. But as far as I know, his mosaic mural for the Painted Bride is by far his largest work.

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  43. Misti's avatar Misti September 6, 2023 / 5:08 pm

    Happy Belated to your wife!

    I am definitely curious to know why you didn’t like Barbie!

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger September 6, 2023 / 7:33 pm

      Hey, Misti. Well, I liked the first half pretty much. But then I thought the movie began belaboring its points. I thought at least a couple of scenes weren’t needed, and that the movie was 20 or more minutes longer than it needed to be.

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  44. kegarland's avatar kegarland September 6, 2023 / 5:46 pm

    What a cool story! To think that you two had more than likely crossed paths MANY times but didn’t connect until later is very cool to me.

    Happy BELATED Birthday, Sandy 🥳

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  45. Cristina's avatar Cristina September 7, 2023 / 12:48 am

    Happy Bday Sandy! So glad your paths finally crossed. Ciao, Cristina

    Liked by 1 person

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  48. talebender's avatar talebender September 7, 2023 / 11:07 am

    Wow, loved those pictures of the bookstore and abandoned gallery…..treasures, indeed!
    Happy Birthday, Sandy!

    Liked by 1 person

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  49. snakesinthegrass2014's avatar snakesinthegrass2014 September 7, 2023 / 2:20 pm

    What a great way to celebrate her birthday. You did the city up proud. But that bookstore — the librarian that is still me is having heart palpitations at the disorder! 😆 – Marty

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger's avatar Yeah, Another Blogger September 7, 2023 / 3:40 pm

      I don’t get that store. You can’t even reach half of the items in there. And I don’t understand how the owner would know where anything is. It’s surreal!

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