Month: January 2022

I have almost no pictures of myself growing up. Most were lost in a basement flood. My cousin Debbie so kindly sent me some pictures she had of me. I’ve never seen these before.

This is my favorite, because it feels so back in time. I’m five years old in this shot, and I believe it was taken at my grandparents home in Jamaica Estates, Queens, New York. Doesn’t it look like a picture out of a storybook? What a privileged upbringing I had.

My first communion! I loved my outfit so much.

I’m thrilled to have this one. Me as a tween! An awkward looking tween, which I guess is normal for the age. This one is special because I’m at a pool. For those who don’t know, I’m very into swimming. Talk about a privileged upbringing. This must have been taken at the Huntington Crescent Club, a country club my family belonged to. My mother later told me that we were struggling financially and my father refused to give up the membership and various bills couldn’t be paid as a result. My father started his own business, which worked out well eventually.

As I have bragged many times, my cousin William Kaelin won “the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with two other physician-scientists for unraveling a molecular mechanism that not only is crucial to survival, but is entwined with cancer and other diseases.” Because of Covid we weren’t able to celebrate until last October. Here are a few more pictures.

This is the picture I desperately tried to get myself but mine did not come out well. This is the Nobel Prize winner jumping for joy at the end of the evening. It was one of the sweetest, happiest things I’ve ever seen. That is my brother Douglas to his right.

The Nobel Prize winner … dancing I think. I just like seeing pictures of him looking so happy.

My brother Douglas, me (looking odd but it’s one of only three pictures I have of myself there!) and Bill’s date (I can’t remember her name, lovely person, so sorry).

Douglas again (what can I say, he makes a good picture) dancing with one of our nieces, Lauren.

Me with Bill. I wish I had made an effort with my hair and makeup! But oh well. I’ll do better the next time someone I know wins a Nobel Prize.

Walking to work through snow heaven. My friends hate when I talk like this but I wish it would snow MORE. I want more blizzards. I took this on the way to work after last week’s snow fall. Here is the perfect soundtrack for this post.

I’m listening to this CD right now. It contains carols you almost never hear (and some I’ve never heard) and two new carols composed by the conductor, Stephen Mager. The arrangements and singing sound like they from another time, I can’t explain it, but it’s just lovely. I don’t remember where I got this. I think someone sent it to me after my book about singing came out. I will be forever grateful, it is among my favorite Christmas music. (Today will be my last day of listening to holiday music, until next year. I try not to over-do listening too much so it remains special.)

You can buy the CD here (by contacting the producer and composer Stephen Mager).

Here is a choir singing Stille Nacht,/Silent Night, arranged by Mager It’s not from the cd, but it does have the sound I’m describing.