For years we have celebrated New Year’s Eve with our dear friends. Usually just the two couples. We’d find a place on the East End to have dinner and stay over for breakfast on New Year’s Day. This year will be different—for obvious reasons- but we are trying to hold on to some tradition.

Last year at this time we headed into the New Year with 2020 vision. Who could have predicted what was in store for us?.  

  I saw a Facebook post tonight that reminded me of my childhood. It’s funny how certain foods take me right back to our kitchen on Batchelder Street, sitting around the table in a room surrounded by shiny wallpaper which was covered floor to ceiling with huge orange and yellow flowers. (I know my mother did not come up with that décor on her own. How many of you will share your stories of similar themed decorations?)

  We buried my Mom on Mother’s Day, 2008. I was extremely close to my Mom and my Dad knew that. Therefore, on the day of her funeral, he handed me her diamond wedding band, for me to wear, “always.” On that day I slipped it on my right hand and vowed never to take it off.  

Annually, I offer a rather short blog with a concerted purpose: a musical start to welcome the new year.

I recently found out that the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented many suppliers of Christmas trees from Canada from selling across the border.   So now we have spruce thieves - individuals that illegally cut off spruce tops. They work late at night, and use fluorescent tape to mark their trails into the spruce swamps, so they don't get lost on the way out.  

Are you aware that Gotham has a Hall of Fame?

Happy holidays..... Our children are all married with young families. One lives in Manhattan, one lives on Brooklyn, another in Alexandria, Virginia and another in Washington D.C. Getting everyone together has always been a challenge and it has been years since we were all together in one place.