When I was young my grandmother ran a small hotel on a lake in the Catskills, and I’ve written about the idyllic summers I spent there with my family. (See My Heart Remembers My Grandmother’s Hotel, Hotel Kittens, My Game Mother, and Our Special Guests.) One happy memory of those childhood summers is rowing on the lake with my father, and when I was old enough, taking a rowboat out on my own. Since then I’ve certainly been on larger and more impressive crafts – but...
My father was a self-taught classical pianist and throughout my childhood the sounds of his music rang through our house. And in my mind’s eye I can still see him sitting at the baby grand playing a piece by Chopin or Beethoven. (See Moonlight Sonata) That baby grand followed my folks from the house I grew up in, to one they moved to in their later years, and of course that house too was filled with my dad’s beautiful music – until years later when he died and the piano stood...
I’ve written before about my father Arthur. (See My Dad, Around the World in 80 Days, Fluffy, or How I Got My Dog and The Corpse in the Office) By profession Arthur was a family physician who when asked his medical specialty once quipped, “I treat the skin and its contents.” But by avocation my dad was also a memoirist, an artist, and a self-taught classical pianist, and I best remember him sitting at the baby grand in our living room. He never had a lesson and didn’t...
Although I grew up in a house, most of my adult life I’ll been a Manhattanite and an apartment dweller. (See 2026 McGraw and Cooking with Gas) However over the years we did spend many wonderful summers in houses at the beach. (See The Great Hampton Babysitter Heist, Menemsha Sunset, and Skinny Dipping) They were all rentals and our stays there hassle-free, and at the end of our lease we’d empty the fridge, pack up our stuff, and drop off the keys. But about a dozen years...
We first met Gerhard through our friend Renee. He was the English professor who years earlier had been her graduate school thesis advisor. The two had remained very close and Renee invited Gerhard to join our group of friends who took turns hosting each other at dinner, and who in summer spent weekends together in the country at Renee’s house and at ours. (See Comfort Food for Renee) And times spent with Gerhard were always delightful! He was bright and witty, always ready for a...
Welcome to my blog World Thru Brown Eyes! Enjoy the read and please leave a comment and tell me how this old world looks thru YOUR eyes!
