Today is a pretty day, but it is a cool day at 52°, a sweatshirt day. The sun is bright, the air still. The dogs have been in and out. The goldfinches are at the feeders. It is Patriot’s Day here in Massachusetts. The Boston marathon has started from Hopkinton. The Sox will play at 11:10. I’ll watch the game and keep tabs on the marathon. 

When I was a kid, this week was my spring vacation. We never went anywhere. My farther was working. I did the usual stuff like bike riding, getting books at the library and hanging with friends, but one year was special. I was in the sixth grade. We were told to report to the town hall on one of the vacation days. We were going to make a record. That’s all we knew.

At the town hall, Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians were there as was Kenny Gardner, the singer. The band used to have a concert every year in Stoneham, my town, as one of the parish priests was friends with Guy Lombardo. We were told we would be recording a Christmas record. They gave us those John Hancock song books. We stood in front of the stage. Kenny Gardner explained what would be happening. Guy Lombardo would introduce each song then the band would play. Kenny Gardener took the lead while we sang with him. Some songs took a few takes, some took more than a few. Winter Wonderland took many takes. On what was the last take, I came in a note early on one of the stanzas. Kenny wanted to know who. My classmates gave me up. But to my surprise, that version is on the album. I tell everyone I have the only solo. We were there the whole day. At the end, they gave us Hoodsies.

I still have the original record from back then. The album cover is the worst for wear. The inside of the cover has all the lyrics. I think the cover is pretty with a night scene and a church with only stain glass windows lit. The cover says Sing the Songs of Christmas with Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians. At the top left in small letters it says, “Recorded Live at Town Hall St. Patrick’s Parish, Stoneham, Massachusetts.” I always think of that solo as my claim to fame.

Happy Easter!

Today is a beautiful day. It is even a warm day and will hit the 60’s so no jackets over Easter clothes. It is a perfect day for egg hunts.

When I was a kid, we went Easter clothes shopping with my mother. We got to choose what we wanted to wear. My sisters were always into pouffy dresses in pastels. I have a hat for my collection my sister Moe wore one Easter. The hat is white with a blue band and a bow in the back with two strands of blue ribbon flowing from that bow. My sisters wore white gloves. When I was young, I wore a dress and patent leather shoes. I have a picture of me from one Easter. I was wearing a blue coat with white buttons and those patent leathers. I was around three or four. My brother used to wear nice pants and a jacket with a design on the front. He wore a tie. 

I remember Easter morning and running to find my basket. Sometimes it was on my bureau. Other times it was downstairs on the kitchen table. I remember seeing a tall chocolate rabbit towering over the rest of the goodies and jelly beans on the fake grass. We’d get a coloring book and crayons and one of those wooden paddles with an elastic in the middle and a red rubber ball at the end of the elastic. Sometimes there was a stuffed animal. I remember half eaten chocolate would stick to the grass. It didn’t bother us. We’d get dressed in our new clothes for church. After dinner, we’d go visit my grandparents in East Boston. My grandmother had Easter goodies for all of us, for all the cousins and we were many.

I have a Nala story. Every morning the dogs run out to the yard. When they come inside, they get a dog biscuit and a small treat. The dog biscuits are peanut butter, and they look bit like gingerbread men. They are Buddy Biscuits. Yesterday I pulled out two biscuits. One was complete while the other was missing his left leg. Henry got the com-late one, and I offered Nala the missing leg biscuit. She refused it. I reached into the big and got a complete one. Nala took it and ate it.

Today will be a quiet day for me.