This just in my inbox from my dear friend Alan Blackman, father to my dear old friend who I miss sorely every day, Stephen Blackman

Metropolitan Diary Pillow Talk With Saks Fifth Avenue By JAN JAFFE

Dear Diary:

When I lived in New York City and we ordered things by telephone, Saks offered three needlepoint pillows. Two fit perfectly with celestial theme I had chosen for bedroom; the third had more of a holiday theme.

Well trained, I ordered the two by item number.

Equally well trained, the Saks representative on the other end of the line checked: “So, you want the ‘Sun’, the ‘Moon and Stars,’ but not ‘Peace on Earth,’ right?”

There was a pause as we both considered what she had said. Then we both chuckled.

“Well, yeah,” I replied, “of course I want peace on earth … ”

“But bigger than pillow-size,” the woman said. 🎅