3 Dot Journalism: Miep Gies...The Cossack...and the Colonoscopies

Went to lunch with Ellie, Mary and Jonathan to Cafe Greco on 2nd Ave and 72nd on the Upper East Side...Ellie and I had the seafood salad which is fantastic here...Ellie had no calamari, I did....Jonathan and Mary both had turkey on pita...Jonathan finally caved to taking Mary's recommendation of having the Russian Dressing. We decided this was because Jonathan had Cossack blood and his body craved it against his will....This came about because Jonathan is of Russian Jewish descent and he explained that any blonds have resulted only because someone was messing around with (or more likely messed upon by) some Cossack....I was the only gentile at the table. Three Jews and me...I explained that they didn't know what it was like to be in the minority...I was the only West Coaster among three New Yorkers (love that!!!)...Mary, Ellie's daughter, is down from Rhode Island so they could go for Mother/Daughter colonoscopies in Manhattan the way other moms and their female offspring go shopping or get their nails done ...I thought it was VERY Californian...Some Californian must have messed around along their line like a Cossack. (Actually they lived in Beverly Hills for a bit so all is making sense.)...(Ellie and Mary said I could report on their dueling colonoscopies...Maybe it will help bring other mothers and their daughters closer?)...Mary told this amazing story about how she corresponded with Miep Gies who helped hide Anne Frank and her family. Miep is in her 90s. Mary was working on a play and wanted to ask her some questions. Mary told Miep that she runs a community theatre and kids of all ages from 5 to 75 are in the shows. Miep wrote something like "So 75? That means I could not be in your play?"...I paraphrase the whole thing, but Miep is a hoot!...Jonathan and Mary know a lot of people in common through the theatre...We got separate checks.