— — — — — — — This grouchy man is my hero — — — — — — —

Gregory the grouch, called me today…😣☹😩

Of course, he was his usual grumpy self, whining voice &all…The bearer of depressing news.

As per his personality he informed me of a death. This was of our neighbor of ours, long ago, Margie from Lawrence, Long Island.

Her house was next door to Gregory, his late wife Jane, with their family in the 1970’s to 1980.

Margie & her husband, Dr. Moe were a love match… in a 2nd marriage. Together they had a daughter, Lolly… late in life.

I got the job of decorating their newly built modern barn-style house on Larch Tree Road. They had a fall-out with their original interior designer, so I was hired.

Dr. & Mrs. Moe Lang & I enjoyed lots of fun together, as I completed their “Love Nest”. It became a pure white and yellow fantasy with white lacquered exposed beams, that crossed up and down the walls then fingered into a pitched ceiling. A skylight opened ceiling to the blue sky above. One could not help but smile in such sunshine.

The half circle leather sectional sofa faced the floor to ceiling ivory stone fireplace. Wormy pickled white bookcases straddled the rustic hearth. Lalique glass accessories and tall Cali lilies graced the porcelain elk, & doe statues…resting on the fireplace’s broad shelf.

We loved creating the right happy, chic home they wanted. Laughter & comradery accompanied the 3 of us throughout our shopping the NYC design market. We took advantage of being in the city by staying for dinner at some restaurant before hitting the road with the rush hour traffic.

Dr. Moe was a doctor of internal medicine & a popular “diet doctor” who had his office in Atlantic Beach.

I recall one instance when my mother was visiting me from Miami. She wasn’t feeling well so I made an appointment at Dr. Moe’s office. When we arrived for her appointment, the office was crowded with patients, but Dr. Moe was not in. He was missing in action!

After a prolonged wait…Dr. Moe comes waltzing in.

He greets the overflowing waiting room, with a smile & a half bow, then announces to all, “Help is on its way"!

He was so caring by nature, and with such charisma, that we forgave him.

Back to the grouch…

The grouch sends me a greeting card every few weeks. He signs them,

“Love “Janie and Gregory”. Weird since Janie is his late wife who died about 20 years, ago. We have been platonic friends for 50 years…plus.

I must tell a story about Gregory, Jane, my husband, Arthur & I, with 4 other contemporaries. We were all young parents in the 1970’s about 30 years old.

In the Hamptons for the weekend, we climbed aboard “The Kushe” a 38' yacht to go back home to Lawrence.

Getting to Westhampton beach was a chinch for the new captain/owner, because we left The Lawrence Marina in the early sunny morning. We sailed easily travelling through the inland waters. It was smooth & lovely.

Sunday evening, we left for home after a day of partying. It had gotten too late in the day to leave for our 3-hour journey. We were leaving at dusk.

The captain was completely an inexperienced one, with wild tendencies. This same captain was a bit drunk. He was also an obnoxious, loud, stubborn pain in the ass…above all.

He decided on this reckless voyage thru the black ocean with its dangerous jetties piercing the crashing sea.

I was terrified as I am fearful of the deep ocean. Too late I realized the route home the son of bitch was taking…putting our lives in peril.

I held on to a stationary table in the cabin, grabbed onto Gregory for dear life AND screamed & cried the whole nightmare voyage. Evidently, I was the only vocal person aboard! I must admit I made enough of a racket, that and the boat engine and the crashing ocean what a cacophony of primal roar.

I was seeing the newspaper headlines; “Shipwreck on South Shore of Long Island…10 young kids become orphans as their parents are killed”.

Poor Gregory with me hysterical holding his arm so tight I must have stopped its circulation. He never complained. Everyone else was frozen silent in fright.

The surf was turbulent… it rocked the vessel. With each swell, & drop caused me to bellow even louder. What a lunatic I behaved like!

Well, Thank Heaven, we made it to The Lawrence Marina in one piece.

After I was deposited on terra firma, pried my clamped claws off his arm, then Gregory confessed,

“I was really even more terrified than you Dee-Dee”.

“I cannot swim…I never learnt”.

That’s why the Gregory the Grouch will always be my hero!