'The Goldbergs' and the Russians

Yesterday was calm and peaceful around here, for the most part. It rained in the morning and again, hard, in the afternoon -- which is great because the ground is as hard as baked clay. (Which is what it is, I suppose. It's raining now, too.) In between we had a burst of sunshine long enough for me to sit in the garden with a New Yorker, and for Olga to do some sunbathing. I watched this peacock butterfly (above) as it visited our buddleia and dusty miller plants.

I read an interesting article in The New Yorker about television pioneer Gertrude Berg. I don't think I'd ever heard of her, or her show "The Goldbergs," which was first on radio in 1929 and eventually moved to television in that medium's earliest days. "The Goldbergs" was a predecessor to "I Love Lucy," and its lead character, played by Berg, was immensely popular. But unlike "Lucy" it was never syndicated and many of its episodes have vanished into the ether, with some preserved only on kinescope.

I've long been interested in old TV shows so I'm surprised I didn't know of this one. But unless an old show was filmed and later syndicated for release as a repeat, I never saw it growing up. That's why shows like "I Love Lucy," "The Honeymooners," "Star Trek" and "Gilligan's Island" made a huge impression on me long after their initial runs, while I've barely ever seen other popular programs, like "Mission: Impossible" or "Honey West" or "The Man From UNCLE," that didn't become staples of syndicated TV in the '70s. (At least not where I lived.) "The Goldbergs," sadly, never had the benefit of syndication.

In other news, I found the real estate listing for the Russians' apartment. The one time I've been inside it was during the peak of their renovations, so it was interesting to flick through the photos and see how it looks now. I'm not surprised that it is pristine and pale. I am surprised at the rent they're asking -- Dave and I pay nowhere near that much, though granted, the Russians have an additional bedroom. I keep hearing about how crazy rents have become, and perhaps this is evidence. Food for thought any time we consider moving in the future.

Dave and I have scheduled a vet appointment for Olga this morning. She still seems a bit weak and off-balance after her "episode" last week and we just want to get her looked at. I think it's probably her vestibular disease flaring up again, in which case we may just have to wait for it to subside on its own. But we should have her ears and heart checked, at a bare minimum.

Here are some more blooming things in the garden -- the burdock (above with the bee) and the teasels. Some of our plants have been looking desperate, so once again, thank goodness for this rain!