Katie Melua - "A Happy Place"

Love love love Katie Melua.  Her new album, “The House” is interesting and hypnotic, anchored by the first release, “The Flood” (see earlier post).  Subtle shades of electronica beneath flowing, melodic, artfully structured and sweetly sung songs.  The result is unusual and moody.

“A Happy Place” is industrial-chic and beautifully shot in what seems to be a vast studio with an army of androgynous, pale-faced dancers caught in the monotony of a cheerless, factory-based, Orwellian-tinted existence.  The beat is syncopated and catchy and the vocals clear and divine.

Finish Line!

“The trouble with jogging is that the ice falls out of your glass.” ~Martin Mull

The moment I pack my suitcase for a journey, I am perfectly resigned about two things.  One – that I will not deprive myself of any gastronomic delight or opportunity to drink champagne while watching a sunset (or sunrise).  And two, possibly in response to one, I will pack my running shoes.

Beyond the obvious physical benefits, running in the morning while on holiday allows me to profoundly experience the soul of a place – through my soles, as it were.  Running through the streets before the sun has even risen is such a pure and intimate moment.  I gain more understanding of the local culture in this hour then often, in the entire journey.

But most certainly, the memorable upside of this cardio-excursion is the frequency of moments when you think to yourself, “If I hadn’t run, I wouldn’t have seen…”

…the elephant walking in the middle of a crowded boulevard in Phnom Penh on her way to her morning ablutions…

…the drag queens precipitously walking home from the all-night Mardi Gras party in Sydney, heels broken, make-up running and feather boas looking listless and slightly anemic…

…the street vendors shuffling their carts over the cobblestone streets in Florence, while the mist over the Arno gives way to streaks of salmon, pink and orange …

…the sound of the waves gently pounding the beach in Sayulita as surfers wade into the water, half-asleep yet ever-hopeful that today they will catch the perfect wave…

…the  elders, with their colorful umbrellas and spry joints practicing tai-chi in a small, peaceful park in the middle of Hong Kong.

Perhaps it’s the attainment of that elusive, thoroughly-addictive, mind-altering endorphin rush that contributes to the feeling of perfect peace that envelopes me when I run.  When on foreign soil, this experience can be transcendental, heightening my senses and connecting me to a culture in ways I never thought possible.  And on a more secular note, when I run while on holiday, I get to eat cheese.  And bread.  And dessert.

Following are 6 of my favorite routes that bring me eternal joy (and stronger legs) each and every time I have the opportunity to run them.

1. Hong Kong – Mid-levels/Victoria Peak

Lugard Road, Victoria Peak

If you’re in shape, good for you.  Run up to the top of Victoria Peak via the Old Peak Road.  Otherwise, do what I do, and take the funicular to the top.

At the top, take Lugard Road, the oh-so narrow road that circles the peak.  The homes are spectacular, nearly rivaling the panoramic view of the Harbour.  The jungle feel and dense foliage create an enchanted atmosphere in the early morning, with the fog firmly settled in.  What I didn’t expect, and I think those who haven’t been to Hong Kong wouldn’t expect as well, is that in stark contrast to the chaos that is Hong Kong, the back side of the island is dense forest as far as the eye can see.  It is this paradox – bustle and soul, that grabs you and for me, makes Hong Kong spectacular and totally unexpected.

Head back down the Old Peak Road, where you will pass some grand old Colonial homes in various states of disrepair, as if lost in time and taken over by jungle.   Head into  Soho (in this case, South of Hollywood), and stop for a coffee at any number of delightful cafes on Staunton Street. 

Tip: When running down through Mid-Levels, its a kick to get onto the escalator, which looks like a habitrail, on its morning one-way-only route down into town.

Tip #2:  DO eat at The Peak Lookout restaurant on Victoria Peak.  The ambiance is romantic – tables set outside on the deck, trees festooned with fairy lights – Sinatra playing quietly in the background.  You will seriously wonder what year it is.  And when the fog begins to creep in around 9:00 PM, it is absolute magic.

Sydney Botanic Gardens - My Vortex

2.  Sydney

When I found myself frequently questioning the Gods as to why I had jumped ship from my normal life in L.A. and regrouped in Australia…when the fear and anxiety threatened to send me into yet another panic attack of titanic proportions, I would put on my running shoes and head to the Botanical Gardens.  If it weren’t for this spot and for Crowded House, my constant and singular musical companions, I’m not sure I would have made it.

I like to start the run  just under the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  Run through the Rocks towards Circular Quay.  Follow the Quay to the Opera House and then into the Botanical Gardens – follow the path to Mrs Macquarie’s chair carved into a block of stone.  This is where she used to sit, admiring the view  and waiting waiting waiting for her husband, Governor Macquarie to return from sea.  This is a very special place for me – religious, really.  Sometimes I would have to wait for people to enjoy it before I could take my turn to sit.  But I always sat, willing Elizabeth Macquarie’s spirit to protect me and guide me through a difficult time.  I have no doubt she did.

Continue back through the Botanical Gardens (stop to smell the roses!) to Macquarie street, past the Parliament House of NSW, then into Hyde Park, up Oxford Street to Centennial Park, where you could get lost for days.  Run back, or better yet, wander around Woollahra and Paddington and head to the Elephant Bar at the Royal Hotel in Five Ways and have a glass of Veuve.

Tip:   If you time it for a Saturday, you may catch the famous Paddington Market on Oxford Street.  Great art, clothes, decorative things, leather goods – I have found many unusual goodies here.

3. Santa Monica

Santa Monica Stairs - Glute Hell

So many great places to run in this area.  Along the beach past the Venice Boardwalk to the Marina.  Along Ocean Avenue, with its palm trees and gorgeous ocean views.  We all have our favorite routes.  I’m partial to running along San Vicente Blvd, probably because I grew up in Brentwood, and have run this street to the beach, with its grassy median, all of my life.  Alone, with friends, with my dogs, with one of my mom’s husbands (#2) and of late, with my AIDS group in training for the Florence marathon.  An added bonus, if you take it all the way to Ocean Ave and hang a right on Adelaide, you can have the distinct yet painful pleasure (no pain no gain) of doing the famous “stairs” that descend the hill to West Channel Rd.  Your glutes will thank you.  Tip: If you take San Vicente back into town from the beach, stop at the famous red Brentwood Country Mart on the corner of 26th and San Vicente.  When you go through the doors, you’ll come into an interior patio with a wood burning fire pit that has been there as long as I have been around. (It’s old!)  They still do a mean cheeseburger and you can eat around the fire pit.  Divine!

Anse de Saline - Starting Point

4. St Barths

OK – THIS is a tricky one, and not for the inexperienced runner.  St Barths is Hilly with a capital H.  H-squared, really, if you count Heat.  Not to mention the fact that the roads are narrow, windy and steep – a calamitous scenario for drivers, let alone those of us trying to get some exercise while along side of them.   My cousin Doug has sussed out the best running route (bearing in mind the island is only 8 square miles).  He starts at Anse de Gran Saline and heads inland, where there is only a little grade and more importantly, a larger road with grass alongside.   This gently slopes up as you come to the fork in the road, where you veer left towards Lorient. Hit the beach in Lorient, turn around and head back to Saline, where you can have an amazing breakfast at Le Grain de Sel.  Honestly, this is about the only place I can think of, other than past Toiny along Grand Fond, that is relatively flat and where you don’t risk getting taken out by a Suzuki Jimny driven by a tourist with a death wish. 

Tip #1:  Run in the morning – it can get really baking hot otherwise.

Tip #2:  If one wanted to finish one’s run at Anse de Gran Saline and one were of the mind to take a quick swim in that glorious ocean in the buff, one could do so here.  Of course, I couldn’t comment on that.

5. Phnom Penh

Sambo on her way to a bath

The key here is to get up really early to do this run – around 5:30 AM,  so that you can end up along the river  in time to see Sambo on her way to or from her morning ablutions.  It’s quite a sight.  We stayed at the Pavilion Hotel (only place to stay – hands down), so I would start from those welcoming gates, hang a left to Street 240, make a right and head down to the river.   Definitely do a quick circle around Wat Batum where you can see the Achy Breaky Dance Group doing their best Billy Rae Cyrus routine, totally bizarre in every way.  Head north (er, west) via Sisowith Quay, past the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, past the FCC, and take a left and head back up into town.  Get back to the hotel, jump into the pool and then stake your table around the pool for what is one of the best breakfasts ever.

Tip:  While running Street 240, stop to window shop at Jasmine Boutique – you will lose your mind.  Unbelievably gorgeous silk clothes with a contemporary point of view.

Running in Firenze while Jules hams it up

6.  Firenze

Having successfully completed a marathon in this fair city, I can say without hesitation that I did not like running in this otherwise agreeable town.  Cobblestones, quite frankly, are hell on the ankles.   Still, a route along the Arno on the Lungarno Corsini from the Palazzo Corsini past the Ponte Vecchio up to the Piazzale Michelangelo, with the most amazing view of the city, is not too taxing, and completely worth the journey.  Heaven. 

Tip:  Don’t even try to run in town around the Piazza della Signoria or the Palazzo Vecchio. If the cobblestones don’t kill you, trying to weave your way through the throngs of tourist will.  Not worth it!

Happy trails!

I’ve just returned from a long weekend in San Francisco.  Each time I visit the ‘City by the Bay”,  I am reminded of how intoxicating this town is.  In fact, I will go as far as saying that San Francisco is the most exciting and vibrant city in the U.S., with New Orleans a very close second.  Both are cities with real authenticity and soul, and a slightly unconventional character -  much like my favorite people.

My husband has been commuting from LA to SF for six years now, doing the San Francisco Shuffle, as we call it.  During this period we have culled a list of our favorite things in the city – hotels, restaurants, views, shopping, music, picnic spots.  Following is a list of what we consider to be de rigeur for like-minded, eclectic sorts visiting the “city by the bay.”

Hotels

There is a chain of boutique hotels called Joie de Vivre.  By city standards, they are all well-priced, though some definitely more so than others.  Each property is distinct, charming and full of character, tapping into a particular audience and making a guest feel as if he is surrounded by like-minded travelers.  Most of the hotels offer complimentary wine in the evening, an  entertaining way to shake off the day’s activities and transition into the excitement of a night out in Shakytown.

Following are our favorite JDV and non-JDV hotels:

Galleria Park Lobby

Galleria Park Hotel –Very cool and stylish – recently renovated – big rooms – frette linens!  Eclectic in a silvery, pastel kind of a way.  This hotel has pretty much everything you could want – big rooms, excellent location, great staff, hopping bar with quiet restaurant above, a small gym and a rooftop garden/walking track.  Located close to Union Square and downtown, it is both a commuter’s dream come true, and a great stay for visitors, as well.

Hotel Carlton Lobby

Hotel Carlton – Funky, eclectic and sublimely eco-chic. Modest yet cool and so comfortable.  You get the feel the guests are 20 and 30- somethings – hip, movers and shakers with a collective eco-conscious disposition.  This place is affordable,  sits in the middle of a great Lower Nob Hill neighborhood, and has a really nice, mellow vibe.  Plus, their eco-friendly practices are way ahead of the curve – this is a hotel with a cool conscience.

Hotel Rex Lobby

Hotel Rex –More like a private club or a funky salon in the 1930s.  The colors and decor are warm, comfortable and inviting.  Oil paintings and book shelves line the walls of the lobby cum bar area (excellent bar menu).  Whimsical touches, like lines of poetry stitched into the banquette in the casual, chic French restaurant, remind guests not to take things too seriously.  Certainly Max, the charming and gracious pug mascot of the hotel, paints a picture of an “everyone knows your name” relaxed, literati environment. Union Square area.

Hotel Kabuki Lobby

Hotel Kabuki –Cool Japanese aesthetic – calming not over the top.  Not your Shibuya pop-art scene – more sophisticated.  Eastern & Western influences come together to create a very well-appointed and sleek property, attracting an eclectic mix of guests.  Its Japantown location made it too far for us to consider as a commuter hotel for my husband, however we would definitely give it a try for a weekend.    Nice restaurant and heavenly, well-priced spa.

Harbor Court Lobby

Harbor Court Hotel

This Kimpton property is particularly well-situated in Steuart Street, down in the Embarcadero.  It is a study in metro-chic, with calming tones, modern touches and a sophisticated yet understated vibe.  Rooms are smaller, but who cares – they are well-appointed with gadgets, sheets with a high thread-count and snuggly robes, and oh yeah, a killer view of the water and Bay Bridge.  Sitting in a comfy robe, glass of wine in your hand, watching the fog roll in over Treasure Island while listening to the foghorns is worth the price of admission alone.

Dining

While these choices may not necessarily be featured on the new chichi hot list, they are a few of our mainstays.

Rijsttafel at Borobudur

Indonesian – Borobudur – 700 Post Street (Post & Jones) – Everyone raves about this place and it is truly fantastic.  Recommend doing the Rijsttafel for dinner – well-worth the price.

Slanted Door Exterior

Modern Vietnemese - Slanted Door – Ferry Building.  Despite the hype, the Slanted Door delivers every time.  Get’s crowded so book, and not inexpensive, but consistently good and good location.

Town Hall Restaurant

Great Place for Lunch -The Town Hall – Howard & Fremont – great lunches – best burgers and soup – exposed brick – known for its service – always a good meal – plus, the bill comes discreetly hidden in an old book!

Shanghai 1930 Bar

Chinese Cuisine & Jazz Club – Shanghai 1930 – Steuart Street – truly a restaurant that will transport you back in time.  We have been there several times, and its easy to feel like you’ve left the US.  The classic Chinese fare is good, but it’s really about the ambience and the live music.  The private cigar room isn’t so bad, either.

Cliff House Restaurant

California Cuisine & Killer View – The Cliff House – While you’re cruising around in your GoCar tour, time the trip so you can pop into the Cliff House for a late lunch.  Sure, this is a standard tourist trap, but the view goes for days, and is just as good while sitting at the bar as it is at a fancy table by the window.   Steeped in history, this is always worth the trip.

Farallon Restaurant

Seafood with Fabulous Style  – Farallon – Post Street – Certainly there is no shortage of good seafood in San Francisco, but Farallon is a preference for us.  Perhaps it’s the design, which reminds me of being in a very cool underwater grotto, complete with jellyfish chandeliers.  Truly, the interior of this restaurant is a work of art and testament to the importance of details.   We go for the oysters and the vibe, both of which they do extremely well.

Kuleto's Restaurant

Italian Rustic – Kuletos – located in the Villa Florence Hotel on Powell – this restaurant is always good.  Another one of those places where it’s more fun to saddle up to the bar and just graze over a meal of starters.  Soups are home made.  Anti-pasta salads are  fresh and feature some amazing, unusual additions,which vary from day to day.  Stop in for a late lunch or early dinner.  It’s definitely a great way to take a break from shopping or duck out of the cold.  Great breakfasts, too!

Cocktails

Tommy's Mexican Restaurant

Best Margarita -Tommy’s on Geary – focus group tested among serious local tequila drinkers.  Casual atmosphere and super friendly bartenders who will discuss tequilas and the level of inebriation you are looking to achieve.

Buena Vista Cafe

Irish Coffee – The Buena Vista – Hyde & Beach – is synonomous with Irish Coffee and is about as famous as they come in San Francisco parlance.  Plus, the story of how the Irish Coffee emigrated here is rich with history.  They take their Irish Coffees very seriously!  Plus, its a great place to kill a late afternoon and people watch.  Gets very crowded, so sharing a table is common and half the fun.

Top of the Mark (kitschy photo)

Best Place for View, Cocktails, Live Jazz & Dancing (Plus 4 stars for romantic) – unquestionably, Top of the Mark – The Mark Hopkins on Nob Hill.  Whenever we visit, I feel like I have entered my parents’ era- very grown-up and ever so slightly dated – but in a familiar, well-worn traveler kind of a way. And when I get a chance to dance with my husband to Sinatra or Duke Ellington, my life is just a little bit more fabulous.  Isn’t everyone’s? I like a table on the dance floor so we can literally dance back into our chairs, enormous dorks that we are.  I have heard there’s no cover before 7:30, but who cares, really?  This is a special place for a special night.

E&O Trading Company

Cool, Big Space & Exotic Cocktails – E&O Trading Co. on Sutter is a fun, lively, high- style place with a pretty good happy hour. Try the vodka mojitos – much lighter than Gin and definitely not as painful in the morning.

Attractions

We like to do fun things on a Saturday, especially if we’re in the city with kids and friends.  Sure, museums are amazing in San Francisco, but there’s a certain exuberance in doing something outrageously touristy, especially if it involves small, open vehicles.

GoCar Tours

We discovered those yellow little motorcycle/cars and have done them twice now.  Go Car Tours have three routes they offer for touring the city.  Each route is GPS navigated and there is a “guide” that tells you where to go and what you are seeing.  The Urban Park route is the one to do – so entertaining – you go through Golden Gate Park and see the Tea House and the bison, the Haight, Baker Beach, and it finishes up on Lombard Street.  The “guide” even screams “Wee” when you go through a tunnel.  Seriously – who couldn’t like that?  The tour takes about 3 hours, but you can stop and start whenever you want.  We like to stop at the Cliff House and have lunch.  Or pack a picnic and eat with the bison in Golden Gate Park.  Great fun either way!

Alcatraz Night Tour

I love all things spooky, so the Night tour of Alcatraz is right up my alley.  If you can time it so the weather is cold and foggy (not too difficult), then so much the better.  I defy anyone not to get creeped out while there at night.

Entertainment Resources

San Francisco has so much to offer in terms of entertainment and culture, I feel I have shortchanged myself if I don’t check into what’s happening in the city.  On any given night, you can catch Malawian hip-hop or amazing performance art.  The choices are vast and varied.  The trick is to find out about them.

I like two online sites to prime me for a weekend in the city.

Brown Paper Tickets is an excellent online resource for learning what’s happening in San Francisco, and beyond.  The service fees are minimal and at least 5% of their profits goes to organizations within the communities they serve.  Best of all, when you purchase a ticket through them, you can choose how these proceeds are divided, with the options being Animals, Children, Environment, and Human Rights. LOVE this!

SF Station focuses solely on San Francisco, offering a totally comprehensive listing of everything San Francisco has to offer – from music, clubs, restaurants, art, performances, events and shopping.   This is my first source for finding both mainstream and unusual goings on.

SF Marathon Mile 20 - Stuart, Cooper & Mom (with purse) offering support

Another fun fact of San Francisco – they have a great marathon.  Certainly one of the most beautiful.  Plus, you get to run over the Golden Gate Bridge, which is a kick.  This city is truly exceptional.  Looking forward to being back in a couple of weekends.

I’ve been doing a lot of traveling lately.  In the last month I’ve sailed on an ocean liner and watched my mom catch her first wave on Waikiki Beach as her surf instructor Panama, who also taught my grandmother to surf, cheered her on from the water. I’ve danced the hula to classic Hawaiian songs written by my great uncle Boy for his wife Aggie Auld, a famous and beautiful hula dancer.  I’ve picked oranges in groves that extend as far as the eye can see, where my great grandparents’ home sits right smack in the middle.  I’ve propelled myself so high on a swing that I could see Douglas Aircraft far off in the distance, camouflaged in clotheslines to foil a Japanese invasion.  I caught Sinatra at the Sahara, along with Louis Prima and Keely Smith.  And then I hung

Mom - Waikiki Beach - 1950

out with my mom and dad for awhile, just as they were beginning their romance.  The journey I’ve been on this past month has been my best to date.  Granted this is not your typical travel experience.  But then, time travel never is.  Here is my story.

It started about a month ago when my mom called on a Friday night to say that she’d just recorded another song with her vocal coach. “Lesley!!  The most exciting thing!! I’ve just recorded another song!  That’s nine now!  Isn’t that marvelous?  And they’re good!”   My mom’s vernacular, as with her life, is built upon exclamation points. Emphasis and enthusiasm are her stock and trade. She is gorgeous and warm and funny and she can light up a room like nobody’s business.  She is a preferred traveling partner for sheer amusement value.  I have witnessed it in multiple countries – her life force needs no translation.

My mom has sung her entire life –strictly as an amateur – around the house and occasionally, at parties.  She’s got perfect pitch, as she will tell you, and an extensive song list rattling around in her head, causing her to frequently punctuate conversations with outbursts of a related song lyric.  (You can imagine how this slows down conversations, but we’ve come to accept it, and to our horror, find ourselves doing the same thing!)  Her musicality is innate and her phrasing second-to-none.  A couple of years ago, she decided to pursue her singing more seriously.  She hired a vocal coach and takes weekly lessons.  She likes to sing over pre-recorded tracks and play them for her friends just for the fun of it.

In our conversation that Friday night, I responded to her news in equal, apple-doesn’t-fall-far-from-the-tree, enthusiasm.  “Mom – that’s great!  Hey – why don’t you make a CD?  We’ll put together a website and launch your music career!”  Looking back on this conversation, it sounds vaguely like something Wally would say to the Beave, but in that moment, the direction of both of our lives changed.  By the end of that weekend, her website, Patty Coquillard – It’s Never Too Late! was up and running.  Her CD, Footprints In The Sand, debuted October 1^st.  At the ripe old age of 76 (nearly 77), my mom has embarked on her singing career.  Go figure.

I knew my mom’s story, like her boundless energy, would be infectious.  Sure enough, she is now doing interviews for various media outlets eager to feature a woman whose courage, enthusiasm, passion for life and talent have led her to pursue a singing career in the third chapter of her life, a concept espoused by a new idol of mine, noted Harvard professor Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, whose message of the third or penultimate chapter in life as being the best has stayed firmly attached to my last existing brain cell for months now.

Moreover, my mom is rapidly gaining icon status among her peer group.  This past weekend, she called to tell me – in total astonishment – that a group of members of her church have asked her to speak about her story – her courage to pursue singing at this, ahem, penultimate stage in her life. They tell her she has inspired them to get off the couch!  She loves that.  She now sees herself not only as a diva, but also as a new breed of motivational speaker – a female Tony Robbins to the over 60 set.  With a little bit of Cole Porter thrown in for good measure.  And preferably, a full orchestra behind her.  As her star ascends yet again, I am thrilled to be along for the ride.

Daughter’s Footnote

Yes – I am undeniably thrilled to be along for the ride.  No question.  But truth be told, I was seriously unprepared for the journey.  What started as a lark quickly took a serious turn, sometimes taking me to painful places.  It began with the music.  I had not heard several of my mom’s new songs prior to putting together the CD, and was eager to see what story they told when viewed as a whole – not only in terms of a theme for the CD, but in terms of what they told me about my mom.  When I listened to all the tracks for the first time, really listened to them, I was overcome with a tremendous sense of melancholy and loss.  The songs, standards from the 40s and 50s, felt so sad and wistful to me.  Listening to them, I experienced what I imagined my mom has felt in looking back on her own life.  I grieved for her.  For the loss of people she has loved, of precious times that have passed.  I grieved for her and I grieved for myself.  It shook me to the core.  I wondered how she could live with this pain.  How would I live with this pain as I entered my penultimate chapter?

I was shocked to learn that she didn’t feel what I had imagined.  For reasons I’m only now beginning to understand, this was clearly my issue.  We talked a lot about this, about her song choices and ultimately, about her life.  I came to realize that she chose these songs not only because the vocals and melodies of the period came naturally to her, like riding a bike, but also because she deeply associated certain memories with the songs.  Precious memories.  Happy memories.  Bittersweet memories.  It dawned on me that these songs, like mom’s memories, are her footprints in the sand.  As she shared more of her stories, I found myself further propelled back in time, experiencing her life – her history – through her eyes.  Consequently, I have spent the better part of this month firmly entrenched in the 50s – spiritually stuck in an idealized era – lost in my mom’s history and more than a little concerned that I could not or chose not, to find my way back.

Through her eyes, I have basked in the warm sun on Waikiki Beach, while watching her take her first surfing lesson with Panama, a then-famous beach boy.  She was only 17 at the time, and it was her first trip to the Islands, as my family refers to them.  I watched as she rode her first wave in, excited yet mortified as her bathing suit top had fallen down just as she got up on her board.  I watched her dance each night to Harry Owens’ orchestra at the Royal Hawaiian – the Pink Palace.  I saw how beautiful she looked in her white organza dress and satin sash, flowers in her hair.  I listened as the orchestra serenaded her with “To You Sweetheart, Aloha” – always the last song of the evening, and frequently sung to my mom when she was in the audience.

Through her eyes, I watched her with my dad, before they were married, playfully washing his car in the driveway of his house on a hot summer afternoon, as Call Me Irresponsible, one of the songs on my mom’s CD, played on the car radio. I can feel the love they shared like a warm embrace.  Like my dad’s embrace.  I find myself subconsciously sniffing the air in hopes of catching his familiar scent confirming I am safe and loved.  I am devastated when I don’t catch it, and am painfully dragged back to a reality without him.

Mom & Dad circa 1952

Through her eyes, I watched as she entered my brother David’s room one day when he had just woken up from his nap and was standing in his crib, waiting for her.  I can hear Little Girl Blue, another song on her CD, playing on the radio.  I watched as they looked deeply into eachother’s eyes, as if sharing souls, and I understood in that moment the enormous love and connection they have always had.  When my mom sings Little Girl Blue, I know she is back in that room, gently swaying to the music, holding my brother in her arms.

I cannot say that this journey is over – indeed, in many ways, it feels like it is just beginning.  Nor can I say that I won’t again find myself down the rabbit hole again, lost in another period of my mom’s history, comfortably ensconced in a life that is not my own.  I consider though, that if I have been so moved by this experience, than perhaps my role is to chronicle – to compile the information so that our family – the kids, grandkids, and so on, can feel even a fraction of what I have felt– can hear her voice tell the stories, can know the richness of my mom’s life – of our family – of our legacy.  So now, I record her memories in addition to her music.  And I am struck by how a simple idea can spin into such a profound life change and by the irony that in helping my mom realize a dream, I have tapped into my own soul – for better or for worse.  As Sinatra would say, “ain’t that a kick in the head?”

A Letter from my dad to my mom - 1950

Dad's letter - now the track listing for Footprints In The Sand

I watched a creepy film recently called “Island of the Dead”.  The film was average, but I was surprised to learn that the subject matter – Hart Island – is a real place, far spookier than the movie, where over 800,000 bodies – adults and infants, and even dismembered body parts, are buried.

Hart Island is a 101-acre desolate and grim-looking slip of land in the western Long Island Sound that functions as a landfill for human bodies.  In 1869 it was established as the New York City’s public cemetery for the burial of those persons who died indigent or whose bodies went unclaimed, also referred to as a potter’s field –a biblical reference to a burial place for the unknown or misfortunate.  Given the photos, it is not a warm and welcoming place – quite the contrary, it looks cold and menacing and dismal and scary, not a shock given its tragic history.

In addition to being a potter’s field, Hart Island has been home to:

* A prison for Confederate soldiers

* An isolation zone during a yellow fever epidemic

* A women’s tuberculosis hospital

* An insane asylum

* An old men’s home

* A young men’s reformatory

* A WWII Navy disciplinary barracks

* A narcotic rehabilitation centre

Today Hart Island is overseen by the Department of Corrections, which ferries over inmates from nearby Riker’s Island to perform the mass burials and occasional disinterment that take place on the island. More than 800,000 dead are buried there—approximately 2,000 a year—one third of them infants and stillborn.  According to the Department of Correction, in 2005 there were 1,419 burials on Hart Island: 826 were of adults, 546 were of infants or stillborn, and 47 were of dismembered body parts.

The dead are buried in trenches. There are no maps of the graves.  Babies are placed in coffins of various sizes, and are stacked five coffins high and usually twenty coffins across. Adults are placed in larger pine boxes priced according to size, and are stacked three coffins high and two coffins across.  Babies and adults were buried together in mass graves up until 1913 when the trenches became separate in order to facilitate the more common disinterment of adults. The potter’s field is also used to dispose of amputated body parts, which are placed in boxes labeled “limbs”.

If you are interested, the following sites have more detailed information and photographs of the island.

The Hart Island Project

The Department of Correction – Hart Island