Tuesday This and That

"There's a world of wisdom in our personal stories. Your life is a legacy, a gift that only you can give. Why waste something so precious?"

"Too many Americans have ignored their ancestors and family history and not bothered to examine their own life stories, much less share them with others. They too rarely share much of their past lives with friends, or pass them on to their progeny. And yet we desperately need to do all that..."

 Dolly Berthelot

Good morning from Brooklyn, New York.  It's a rainy one here, so I'm planning on spending it indoors.  It's Spring Break so I have the whole week off from school. I really do need this rest.  I've a new alarm clock upstairs.  Oh, wait til you hear the latest.

It seems Mr. Leadfoot is renting out his apartment.  Lately I've been hearing a toddler running around at all hours of the night, and the other day I confronted a pregnant woman carrying a toddler in the lobby.  I asked her if she was new and what apartment she was in. I already knew because I had followed her footsteps to the door and knew she was on her way out.  It seems as if she and her husband are from Israel.  I didn't push about Mr. Leadfoot but I did make them aware that their bedroom is right over mine, and they have been quite loud at night.  She apologized and said they were still trying to adjust to the new time zone.  That I understand, but is it fair that I should have to adjust with them?  Well, lately now it's been a 5 am wake up for me, every morning.  What is it about that bedroom that fascinates everyone?  Why does everyone have to hang out in there?  

Now I am sure the Asian people who partied so wildly last week had also paid him, probably just for the weekend.  My intuition tells me he has an ad in Craig's List or something similar renting out the rooms for a few days or weeks at a time.  Needless to say, the office is not too happy about it and are planning to take action.  Like the super's wife said, we don't know WHO he is going to rent to.  

On a happy note, I received a letter from a lost cousin on Saturday. I'd been doing some work on my genealogy and discovered that my mom's brother had two sons so I set out to find them. Well, I did find the address of one of them and sent out a letter. Heard from him yesterday and phone numbers have been exchanged. I haven't called him yet because frankly, I don't know how to begin the conversation.  What do you say to someone you either never met  or met and haven't seen for 60 years?  It seems Mom alienated her own family as well as dads.  And in the process I have also met a wonderful new friend and 2nd cousin, his ex wife and their son.. And who said genealogy is only about the past.

Wishing my son, Jerry, a very very happy birthday.  The years have passed so quickly. 

Have a good one.