Today is Sunday, June 19, 2022. Today not only marks the second federal commemoration of Juneteenth, the holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, but today is also Father’s Day 2022. As you might recall, the holiday commemorates that day on June 19, 1865, when Black Americans living in Galveston, Texas, received word that slavery had officially ended in the country. President Joe Biden signed into law a measure making Juneteenth a federal holiday in 2021, which came on the heels of the racial justice upheavals of 2020 that followed the murder of George Floyd and the resultant demonstrations that ensued from that ugly incident. What is disjointed about this joyous celebration of the total emancipation of Black Americans is the ongoing attempt to distort the history of the Civil War that is being waged by extremists on the far right. That is just so unacceptable and repugnant and must be fought by decent folk speaking truth to power. This holiday should have as significant a meaning as the Fourth of July.

Since this was father’s Day, Elliot and I celebrated the occasion by taking our good friend “Mark” to Il Toscano, an Italian restaurant in Douglaston. We also went to Macy’s to purchase a new coffeemaker for me; this time I bought a 12-cup programmable coffeemaker from Cuisinart. I also spoke to my son who lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, after receiving a lovely gift basket from Harry & David from him. There are all sorts of baked goodies in the box, from cookies to brownies. He also sent me a $25 gift certificate to Dunkin’ Donuts.

Elliot heard from his two daughters, “Emily” and “Jody,” as well. They both sent their father a marvelous Italian/Jewish cookbook for Father’s Day and he FaceTimed with Jody and his granddaughter “Sadie” today. His daughter from Silver Spring, Maryland, Emily called to wish him a happy Father’s Day. So in lieu of actual visits, this is the next best thing to hope for on this holiday: recognition from your children in some form or another.

We invited Mark back to the apartment to view the newish kitchen being finished by other artisans, which is another story for another time. I gave up writing about the ongoing project since it is so arduous and frustrating. But there is finally light at the end of the tunnel, which could be occurring sometime soon, most probably by the end of this week. Cross my fingers!

We then sat down to watch a 2002 film, Last Call, a film based on the last days of famed alcoholic writer F. Scott Fitzgerald and his relationship with a young budding writer by the name of Frances Kroll Ring who was his secretary in Los Angeles who helped him with transcribing his final novel, The Last Tycoon, a fictionalized account of Irving Thalberg, who was considered “The Boy Wonder” for his youth and ability to select scripts, choose actors, gather production staff, and make profitable films for MGM Studios. I consider myself somewhat of a Fitzgerald dilettante, so I was surprised to hear about this almost-flirtation that went nowhere toward the end of his life. I was not aware of Fitzgerald’s association with this woman; she did write a memoir of her time with him and the film was based on this book. The two major women in his life were Zelda, whom he loved until the day he died, and gossip columnist Shelia Graham who came into his life toward the end of it.

The three principal actors in the movie were Jeremy Irons as Fitzgerald, Neve Campbell as the lovestruck secretary, and Sissy Spacek as Zelda Fitzgerald, his mad wife who he conjures up in front of him in his rented house in Los Angeles. She had been institutionalized for some time before her tragic death in a fire at the hospital she was staying in in Asheville, North Carolina, after being diagnosed as a schizophrenic.

The film ended after 10 p.m. and that’s when Mark took his leave.

So for those fathers out there, I hope your day was superb.

Have a good week.

Stay safe and be well.