We loved this event, which was a fundraiser for the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum. To our amazement, two of the houses were on our little block – only two and three houses away from us. In fact, those were our favorites since the use of their backyards was so well-planned. It was amazing to see from their perspective the same eucalyptus forest I see from my backyard many an afternoon in my own sanctuary. I was definitely inspired and amazed at the time that was spent by so many of these gardeners. As the president of the Glen Cove Community Association, I was also particularly proud that three of the houses among the ten involved, were in Glen Cove itself (including the two on our block).

This Thanksgiving that we just had was particularly poignant with my siblings.  We checked out my brother’s new RV, among other things.

Mom dying this year was hard enough, but then the election and two friend committing suicide has made this a very bleak year indeed.

Sometimes music helps me cry, even if it’s hard to believe the lyrics of an amazing performance like Ledisi’s cover of What a Wonderful World, which takes my breath away.
 

 Likewise, the performance by Alex Newell with a trans choir makes me cry EVERY time, especially when you hear his unworldly last note.  This performance alone deserves an emmy!

I also burst out in tears listening to the lyrics of a song I’ve known for many years, My Grown Up Christmas List:

Do you remember me?  I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you with childhood fantasies
Well I’m all grown up now, And still need help somehow
I’m not a child but my heart still can dream
So here’s my lifelong wish, My grown up Christmas list
Not for myself but for a world in need
No more lives torn apart, That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts, And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win, And love would never end, no
This is my grown up Christmas list
As children we believe, The grandest sight to see
Was something lovely wrapped beneath the tree
But Heaven only knows, That packages and bows
Can never heal a heartached human soul
What is this illusion called the innocence of youth
Maybe only in our blind belief can we ever find the truth?

I’m seriously renewing my efforts to pursue the dual Italian citizenship I am entitled to after the nightmare of an election we had.  I have no choice but to give this pig-adent a chance, but the question of the harm he will do to this country (especially to those who voted for him) is only “how much?”  It is going to hurt our entire economy that had just started to be picked up by progressive policies.  Mark my words.

Donita and I have been friends since at least 1984!

Shando didn’t get to his 25th year HS reunion in Bucyrus, Ohio, this year, but he did join me at my 30th Reunion in Fremont.  My high school was technically in Union City. It was a lot of fun and I got to reconnect with a lot of people I hadn’t really been in touch with for a long time.  I also got to show off Alex because she happened to stop by toward the end after she attended a conference nearby in Silicon Valley.

The day before the fire Mom took these pictures:

After the fire:

My good friend Jim Purpura visited again  in March from New York (it was actually Easter Weekend) when he was in town for work.  We had brunch at Cafe Flore.

Visited my gaydad friends of many years, Mike and Todd, at their new place near Santa Cruz, where we had taken our kids to play on the beach years ago.  It’s a lovely area and the weather was just perfect.  Great company, great food and great conversation were also at hand.  We stopped by the visitor’s center where they had a new aquarium on display.  The S.S. Palo Alto was also a topic of discussion.  The cement-based ship was brought from Oakland and sunk to become a night club and swimming pool for years, until a series of storms eventually turned it into a new ecosystem for the birds and marine life.