Xmas Cookies

Little sweetheart, it’s been a kind of tradition to get up the date after Thanksgiving and make the first batch of Christmas cookies of the season. I used to always do that with my mom when I went home to visit. But I got my booster shot on Friday and have been laying low until just this morning. I’m on it, now, though! 

It always takes me until about the end of the first batch to really get them right - the last couple of cookie sheets worth are usually the best dozen or so. I miss doing them with my mom and I miss doing them for you. But it’s good tradition to continue. I listen to a Christmas playlist - as couples of shows I recorded off BBC Radio 4 over 15 years ago and just have it for a couple of hours. 

You’re certainly and as ever in my thoughts, in my heart, and, I know - nearer than I can imagine. With love at Christmastime…
 

The Day Before

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, little sweetheart, and even though I’m not traveling we will cook and have a meal. We’ll get the turkey in the oven around noon and meantime I’ve made a few things ahead of time, tonight - the potatoes, that cold pie you like, and deviled eggs settled into that lovely little dish your mom got for us one year. 

However difficult things can be and have been, I’m always so very thankful for you, little sweetheart. You’re very much in my heart. How I love you!

About Today

Little sweetheart, today is your dad’s birthday. I haven’t been anywhere in almost two years, no traveling, no flying, because of the pandemic, so it’s been that long since I’ve seen either your mom or your dad but we talk, and especially text, often.

Just like I so loved cooking for you, I love cooking and baking for them when I visit, and a couple of times I’ve been there for birthdays, so I could make a cake. When I can't be there, I've found a place that makes nice cakes and things and they ship them fresh by UPS Next Day Air packed in dry ice. Your dad likes chocolate, so that’s what I got him. It arrived safely, I learned, yesterday, so hopefully he’s enjoying it now. 

Thinking of you, as always - we all are are. With all my love…

Meet Up

Little sweetheart, we finally met Irene Trudel last night! Irene was one of our earliest champions, you may remember, playing tracks from Of Love and Loss and then especially BPXmas and Angels contemporaneous with their releases and has continued to be a great advocate and friend right up to the present day. 

Sylvia arrived from France (finally, after 20 months!) just about a week ago and she saw that a musician we really like - Maria Nadler - was playing a show downtown at LPR. Irene spoke about it on her show, too, so we got tickets and made plans to meet up with Irene and her husband Peter before the show, since they were going, too. 

I hadn’t been to a show since the pandemic began, so it all was a a bit surreal - I think for many of us, it was - but it was an amazing night, and so good to finally meet Irene and Peter. She’s already been on the air this morning and a played a track from the upcoming album as well as some of the things we heard last night, both from Marissa Nadler and the two support acts that proceeded here. 

It feels like things are maybe starting to get a bit closer to normal. And it feels like you yourself are very close, too. With all my love…

Nov 13th

My dear dearest little sweetheart, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I'm so grateful for you. You are in my every thought. You are my reason, my conscience, my everything. With all my love forever.

 

 

Penny Lane

Little sweetheart, for the last few nights before I go to to sleep I've been watching a short video- well, two of them - on YouTube. They're both performances of "Penny Lane". One by Paul and his band closing a show eleven years ago and the other Elvis Costello with Paul's band performing at the White House For President Obama on a night celebrating him (with him in attendance). 

I think what I found so resonant at first was how incredibly happy, delirious, delighted the audience - a cross section of generations - was in the first video and although the second was a much smaller, select crowd and the performance more intimate, the sense of joy every bit as palpable. 

And, of course, hearing Beatles songs always brings you to mind, little sweetheart - one of the first things you did when we were first getting to know one another was bring the entirety of your box DVD set of The Anthology to rehearsal and give it to me so I could watch it. I hadn't asked and we hadn't spoken of it. We were just newly introduced. But you said you knew I liked the group, so you brought it from home for me the next day. 

And when, a couple of weeks later, you threw that lovely "cupcakes & cocktails" at your apartment, you wouldn't let anyone change the music from your Beatles playlist and you sat down on the sofa with me and stayed there all night until it was time to go home. And even then, walked me to the basement garage and gave me your GPS device so I could find my way safely back to Bernal Heights. 

It was the beginning of our story. And how well I know, as I feel your celestial presence every day, that it is a never ending one. It is, like you are, eternal. 

With all my love forever. 

All Soul's Day 2021

Little sweetheart, over the years I've come to be more and more interested in some the days of remembrance. Two of them are these first two days of November - All Saints Day and All Soul's Day. 

Yesterday, I looked in to see if there was a service being broadcast from Trinity Church downtown. I think I told you how lovely some of their services - especially their Tenebrae - have been. Yesterday's was a really lovely one which brought both comfort and tears as I listened in quiet remembrance and prayers for you. It's here. 

With all my love forever.