Pushing on a Rope
Parenting
Flashback Friday — Warm Regards from 1997
It’s 8 degrees. The weatherman is forecasting another possible 18 inches of snow for Monday. It’s time to bring out the big guns. At my first job out of college I worked at a weekly paper here in Fairfield County whose publisher had an unbreakable edict: cute kid or pet above the fold in every … Continue reading
Return to the Status Quo
Slowly, normalcy is returning to our corner of Halsey Drive. Jet lag and exhaustion have done a number on Basil and Catherine, but nevertheless, they have regaled me with tales from their weeklong Greenwich High chorus trip to Hawaii. Friday night, over pizza, they unpacked way too many trinkets, recounted the entire visit to the … Continue reading
The Aloha Diaries Part 6 — Aloha
Well, the Greenwich High choral group is on its way home, having left Honolulu a couple of hours ago. Assuming the second leg of their journey, from SFO, runs on time, United Airlines should deliver my two Valentines by supper. The kids sang one last time yesterday, at the National Cemetery of the Pacific — Punchbowl Cemetery, … Continue reading
The Aloha Diaries Part 5 — In Remembrance and Making Memories
Yesterday’s leg of the Greenwich (CT) High choral group’s Hawaii trip started out on a somber note. The group spent the morning at the USS Arizona Memorial, where they had a tour, heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor and gave a performance. Mr. Lee, who witnessed the attack from start to finish, shared his … Continue reading
The Aloha Diaries Part 4 — Fun in the Sun
Lots more excitement in Hawaii yesterday. The Greenwich High chorus spent the day in Oahu, where they had lunch at the Turtle Bay Resort, spent time on Waimea Beach, and toured the Dole Pineapple Plantation before giving a performance at The Ala Moana Center. Here is Catherine on the beach, where the kids reveled in the sun, surf and 80-degree temperatures. … Continue reading
The Aloha Diaries, Part 3 — Naval Gazing
Yesterday, the Greenwich High choral groups headed to the naval base on Ford Island in Hawaii, where they toured the Pacific Aviation Museum and performed on the dock at the Battleship Missouri. The kids are so tightly scheduled that I’ve had only brief conversations with Catherine and Basil, mostly via text message. Basil’s efforts to send me video from his phone camera … Continue reading
The Aloha Diaries, Part 2 — Quite a Hike
First full day in Hawaii was busy. They got started with a trip to Hickam Air Force Base, where there was a tour and lunch before the obligatory group picture, a piece of which Basil captured here. So far, everything seems to be going just fine, with everyone trying some new things. Basil gave poi a … Continue reading
The Aloha Diaries, Part 1: A Wing and a Prayer
Well, the Greenwich High choral groups are safely in Hawaii, having landed in Honolulu about 8:30 our time last night. It was a looooong day — for them traveling and for me waiting to hear they had finally arrived. I dropped them at GHS to get on the bus to the airport at 2:30 am. … Continue reading
Snow Daze
Another day, another snow storm — or at least that’s how it’s starting to feel these days. And yes, another snow day. At the rate we’re going, Catherine will graduate high school after she moves into the dorm at Hofstra. But even high school seniors greet the news of no school with childlike glee. After … Continue reading
Flashback Friday — A Walk on the Beach
We need a bit of relief from this never-ending, icy-cold winter, so flashback to June 1997, one of Catherine’s first trips to the beach. Never mind that she wouldn’t now be caught dead in a hat at the beach … or anywhere else. (Or that she’d run away if I ordered summer outfits from the … Continue reading
Pushing on a Rope 