Auschwitz

Us non-Jews may think we know all there is to know about the Holocaust, but we only know it intellectually. I recently attended https://theauschwitzexhibition.com/#about, and I’ve still not recovered from it. I’m not sure I ever will.

It was a combination of the artifacts from the camp - especially a brick from one of the gas chambers - that affected me so viscerally. The exhibition’s a/v historical presentations were interesting and useful, but on a much different (ntellectual) level

I remember once telling a Jewish friend of mine how useful ancestry.com had been for me in understanding my heritage, and my friend responded that it has been difficult and painful - sometimes impossible - for her to use that app.

Now I know why.

Sunday Morning Coffee

Transcript of Princess Catherine’s Video

Masking Up Again

The only condition for visiting a friend this morning was that masks had to be worn inside the house because of some recent surgery she had, and an abundance of caution.

It felt weird putting on and wearing a mask for the first time in two years, but I kind of expected that when I heard that it would be required.

What I didn’t expect was what came after I’d put it on. So many bad memories and the overall bad vibe of the covid era came rushing back, until the only good thing about covering my face was that it kept it warm on a windy and cold Spring morning.

Even though I’ve never contracted covid, memories of that period are not fun. Those were very dark times indeed.

Bongos

I remember a time when bongo drums were all the rage. You could get a surprising variety of tones from them, in addition to laying down an urgent rhythm line.