Spring Cleaning Spruce Up

New curtains and a new rug for the bedroom. You can’t tell from this shot, but those are very, very clean windows. Nothing spruces up a room more than clean windows, and pairing that with new curtains—dare I say it—sparks joy.

As does a new rug. There was almost another cat in that shot, but he immediately got up and ran to me. That was Bali, the sweetest of the bunch. Whenever I leave he frantically runs to the door, trying to get me to stay. Poor little thing. We have a ritual where I always reassure him that I’ll be back and how nice that will be.

That’s Bodhi on the bed. He’s not sweet per se, but when he decides he wants to sit on my lap while I’m working, or sit with me on the couch when I watch tv, he will fight any cat to the death who tries to steal his spot. Both cats understand that Bodhi owns me, and rarely challenge him.

Music All The Time

I’m lucky to live in New York City, where I can hear music anytime I want. Yesterday I went to the Cerddorion Vocal Ensemble’s latest concert. (I have a friend who sings with them.) I was introduced to another great group, The Unsung Collective, who were there as guest artists. They were just amazing, as were the Cerddorion Vocal Ensemble. It was a great afternoon. This is a picture of The Unsung Collective, who were posing for pictures as I was leaving so I took a shot myself! The Artistic Director is Tyrone Clinton, Jr.

The Unsung Collective

After Choir

A shot of me and two of my friends, Ellen and Giovanni, after my choir’s performance of A Sea Symphony at Carnegie Hall. Ellen says I look like I’m holding an award and I agree! My friends are so good looking, don’t you think?

I’ve been staring at this picture because I’m getting cataract surgery on one of my eyes next Wednesday and will no longer need to wear glasses, except for light reading glasses. I like how I look in glasses, though. I think I look better. So I’m already feeling nostalgic about them. Maybe I will grow to like how I look without them.

Rest in Peace, Kevin Krooss

An old friend of mine just died. It was completely out of the blue. He was 67 and mostly healthy, very physically active. It was a gut punch. I’ve known him for decades. He came to Echo, a social network I started in 1989, and he basically helped Echo in a million ways ever since. He was very tech and software savvy so he was always fixing something. I’ve been going through a hard time recently and he invited me out to his home in Caumsett Park, a nature preserve out on Long Island, to take a break in a beautiful spot. He offered to pick me up at the train station, drive me around. We’d go swimming and kayaking, two things he knew I loved to do. I’ve been holding onto that invitation, thinking of taking him up on it this spring.

He was always doing something nice for me (and for Echo). A few weeks ago I posted that I was having trouble sleeping and he sent me a couple of boxes of tea that he said helped him. And it helped! I have that tea whenever I am anxious and need something soothing.

I’m sure a lot of people are missing him now. I can’t believe he’s gone. Weirdly, I have almost no pictures of him. I don’t know why that is. But here are a couple of pictures from 2009 and 2006, at lunches with Sue and Josh, (and one also with Andi) who used to work for Echo. We’d get together from time to time for mini-reunions.

This just sucks. I don’t know how else to put it. It just sucks.

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