SUMMERTIME

Sum - mer - time ...
And - the - liv - ing - is - ea - sy ...

It's the first day of summer, and I'm longing for the days when my husband and I took off down the road -- no specific place in mind, just adventuring, heading out of the city.

We had a blue Plymouth I'd bought for $100. It was a spare car we parked on a deserted street in the borough of Queens -- parking in New York was seriously expensive back then (now it's outrageously more so). In New Jersey, spur of the moment, we turned onto a state route -- no other cars, just apple trees, laden with fruit, hanging over a fence -- green Grannies, ripe, unblemished, and oh, what a taste!

On a green apple hunt -- that's where I'd like to be, I find myself thinking, as I'm changing channels on the TV, seeing ads for a Jaguar, Mercedes, B M W, a great deal on a Land-Rover, on Toyota's latest, "please trust us" Camry -- what about an Infiniti QX, or a Corvette?

What's in a name... a rose, by any other ... I'm seeing panoramic shots of open roads, shiny cars speeding along, hugging the curves, flying along as if time had stopped.

Ah sweet life back in the seventies ...

When - fish were jump - ing, - the - cot - ton - was - high...
...Yer - Mam - ma's - rich ... Dad - dy's - good - look - ing...
...So - hush - lil - bab - y, - do - n't - you - cry...

TV's blaring "Great mileage, bargain price, warranty covers practically everything."

One - of - these - morn - ings - you'll - wake - up - sing - ing...
...Spread - your -wings - and - take - to - the - skies...

Well, even if it's 2010 and the ads are lies, we can keep hoping and praying that the old days will come back, but gee ... I don't think so.