Morton Chalfy's blog

Amblin’ Alameda: House Party

Submitted by Morton Chalfy on

We celebrated our house’s 100th birthday with a party Sunday and a high old time was had by all. Emphasis on “old.” We played songs from the era, ate food that had been first introduced in 1913 (Mallomars, Cracker Jacks, Lifesavers and a punch out of the turn of the century) and several of the guests came in appropriate costume for the period. Most of our guests brought food from recipes gathered from an Internet search for “vintage recipes of 1913.” Read more >> about Amblin’ Alameda: House Party

Amblin’ Alameda: How I Know it’s Summer

Submitted by Morton Chalfy on

Summer has arrived early this year. Maybe it’s because of climate change, maybe just a “natural” fluctuation of wind and wave. Maybe summer just decided it had enough of sitting in the dark and decided to come out to play. Whatever the reason, it is here and I can tell by its major signs: chilly weather, low clouds obscuring the sun, and fog that rolls in through the Golden Gate and fills the streets and alleys with its bracing temperatures.

Bracing - that’s a word the British use to indicate “wear at least two outer layers of clothing.” Good advice during Bay Area summers. Read more >> about Amblin’ Alameda: How I Know it’s Summer

Amblin’ Alameda: Food for Thought

Submitted by Morton Chalfy on

Friends of ours just recently completed a long ordeal and sold their house in Oakland. Their lives had changed, they wanted to downsize, they worried about not getting enough in a depressed market to finance a move, they had to clear out and make minor repairs, stage the house and agonize through the bidding process. But, success! The market is tight, prices are up, they hit their mark and the pressure, most of it anyway, is off.

They dropped by last evening to drop off a few things and we decided to go out to eat. Read more >> about Amblin’ Alameda: Food for Thought

Amblin’ Alameda: The Antiques Faire

Submitted by Morton Chalfy on

Last Sunday - the first of the month - I was fortunate enough to be treated to a professional’s view of the Antiques Faire held at the north end of Alameda Point. My guides were a pair of young women, one striking brunette and the other a fiery redhead, who are both collectors and resellers. I had been warned to wear my walking shoes and bring my energy and I tried to do both. The shoes were easy, the energy less so.

We met at the entrance, paid our admission fees and set out down the main aisle. Read more >> about Amblin’ Alameda: The Antiques Faire

Amblin’ Alameda: Spring at a Walk

Submitted by Morton Chalfy on

The pace of my walkabout is usually quite predictable. I have to start out slowly to give my back and knee joints time to warm up, which takes three or four blocks, and then I unconsciously begin to walk faster. By the time my back has self-lubricated to well-oiled efficiency I’m marching along as though my old Master Sergeant was barking out the rhythm. But not today. Read more >> about Amblin’ Alameda: Spring at a Walk

Amblin’ Alameda: Trees On Central

Submitted by Morton Chalfy on

When I first arrived in Alameda my sweetheart took me on a tour of the city, showing it off with obvious pride. One part of the ride was devoted to Central Avenue and the parade of stately trees that line its sidewalks. I had arrived in late December and the trees, of course, were bare.

“Just wait until the summer,” she said. “These trees form a beautiful canopy.” Read more >> about Amblin’ Alameda: Trees On Central

Amblin’ Alameda: Encinal Avenue, Heading West

Submitted by Morton Chalfy on

It's mid-March, and we're seeing some just outstandingly beautiful days. While the folks back East are enjoying the usual mid-March super storms which dump tons of heavy, wet snow on everything and everybody and make living extra-hard work, we’re having a mini-summer stretch. Oh well, we’ll just have to suffer through it. Read more >> about Amblin’ Alameda: Encinal Avenue, Heading West

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