The universe has a way of reminding us that we live on a small planet. I work in a government office in Southeastern Virginia. I am part of an eight-man team; six are government civilians, two are active-duty military officers. Of the eight, three have childhood roots in Brooklyn or Nassau County on Long Island. … Continue reading Small World…
Park Slope
Three Generations of Brooklyn Stoops
“Look at everything always as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time: Thus is your time on earth filled with glory.”Betty Smith. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn A stoop is a staircase ending in a platform leading to a house or apartment building entrance. In Brooklyn, a stoop is so … Continue reading Three Generations of Brooklyn Stoops
Up On The Roof
While listening to Spotify a few months ago, a James Taylor cover of “Up On The Roof,” by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, began playing. To me, the song is quintessentially about New York. As luck would have it, I was putting together flash drives of old family photos for my siblings at that moment … Continue reading Up On The Roof
Brooklyn Tour
It was my youngest sister's idea. In recognition of our parents' 60 years of marriage, we would return to where it all started. Brooklyn! The plan was pretty simple, Mom and Dad would come down from their home in Massachusetts with my sister and meet up with the rest of their children in Brooklyn. I … Continue reading Brooklyn Tour
60 Years
My parents, Regina and Jerry Baumann were married on June 3, 1957. Today is their 60th wedding anniversary.
“Money Cake”- Tales from 4th Street
As a child in Brooklyn, the first notable event in my family that came after the Christmas and New Year's Holiday was my maternal grandmother's (and her twin brother's) birthday. This year will mark the 111th anniversary of their birth on 23 January 1906. At a family reunion back in October, my mother and her … Continue reading “Money Cake”- Tales from 4th Street
In Search of Fred Goat
It all started with a homework assignment from my Aunt/God mother at the Kelly Family Reunion in October. She wanted a photo of Fred Goat. I remember Fred Goat from my childhood. We lived in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn during the 1960's, just down the street from my maternal grandmother's house. Nana, as … Continue reading In Search of Fred Goat