Author: Stacy Horn

I wanted to put up the bass aria from St. Matthew’s Passion that I’ve been listening to over and over and over again. It’s the song that made me post “music so beautiful it hurts.” But I’m having technical difficulties. I think it’s too big or something.

This is the name of the aria: Mache Dich, Mein Herze, Rein.
It’s performed by the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart & Helmuth Rilling, and I found it at the Apple Music store after listening to a billion different versions. The singer’s name is Thomas Quastoff. Take advantage of my research. Go get it. It’s only 99 cents.

In the meantime, I give you the Christmas lights that hang in the back of my apartment.

My friend Jackie Broner made me a banner!! I couldn’t help noticing how many people had nice, custom made banners, and, well, I didn’t. So I asked Jackie, who did the banner for blog for The Restless Sleep, which gets a million compliments, if she could do one for this blog too, and this is what she did!!

All hail Jackie!! THANK YOU, JACKIE, BEST BANNER DESIGNER IN THE WORLD!!

Look how nice Buddy and Finney look. Finney is giving such a sweet look. But you know they’re evil, right? I think I explained that. Do not be swayed by those looks. Evil. Totally, totally evil. I may be lost but SAVE YOURSELVES.

This is Hannah. She is 22 years old.

Her bio from the Save the Chimps website: “When we opened the doors to the transport truck we found Hannah sitting in her cage rocking back and forth furiously. She was almost immediately introduced to Gromek and since then her confidence and personality have grown.

“She has a lovely sense of humor. Some days she is Hannah the Terrible tearing into her food like a beast and lately she has been wearing a new smile that only she fully understands. The rocking has disappeared.”

I read about Save the Chimps in People Magazine. Land in Florida was bought for chimps who had been part of some Air Force experiments. I sent them a donation.

They sent me a thank you and their latest newsletter and I read it and now I want to send them every last cent I have. It’s just one of those heartbreaking things. You want to help these people to get the chimps outside to play, and to give them food treats and toys and warm, soft blankets. If you look at the pictures you’ll see the chimps love to wrap themselves in blankets. (Maybe they were never kept warm?)

If you don’t want to send money, they also say they need care packages: more blankets, toys (toys suitable for infants and toddlers, basketballs, dog toys and beachballs) and treats: dried fruits, especially something called craisins. I googled craisins and couldn’t find a place to buy them. Apparently I live in the city where you can get anything except craisins.

This helicopter has been hovering outside my window. It looks far away in the picture, but it’s actually very close and very loud.

Now it’s hovering a block away. Okay, so the person they are looking for is probably not me. I am not wanted for not doing all the reading I’m supposed to be doing this week. (Oh God, Oh God, there is SO MUCH.)

My birthday is in six weeks. I want to start talking about it because it’s freaking me out a little. Plus, I can’t think of what to do to celebrate.

So, forgive the total, self-involved, vain, narcissistic post today. I’m trying to buck myself up. Not that all my posts aren’t all like that, I’m just recognizing that today I am reaching new heights.

I was looking for something to do with Echo yesterday and found this picture of myself. It was taken 13 years ago:

So I compared it to a picture that was taken 5 years ago:

And finally to one that was taken last summer, at my book party:

They were all taken by talented photographers who know how to make people look good, is the thing. But the last one is pretty much what I look like. I had my hair done for the party, but other than that, I didn’t do anything special. I have no makeup on beyond lipstick. Not bad for the BIG BIRTHDAY that is coming up. (Oh GOD, could I be more pathetic??)