Monkey Shines

This has been a tough week for me.

I was working on blog piece last Sunday about my family history. My grandparents owned a fine furniture making company in the Boston area. They specialized in beautiful early American and English furniture styles, mostly made of mahogany. The business was passed to my Uncle Tony who eventually retired to South Carolina. My cousin Tony took over the business after his father retired.

I could not remember the address of the company, but remembered that the original site of their business was in an old carriage making factory that was torn down and turned into what is now a famous landmark in Boston.
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I have two sisters (Susan and Karen) and two brothers (John and George). I was the second born, arriving a year after Susan – actually, one year, twenty seven days, four hours and ten minutes. Karen was born four years later, and then came John two years after Karen. Mom and Dad waited ten years to surprise us with George. Actually, I think George surprised all of us, but that’s another story.
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December 27, 2008

I hope each and every one of you shared the joy of this holiday season with people you love. I would like to share a little story from our celebration.

My younger brother, John, has four children. His second oldest, daughter Meagan, has performed in the Fort Worth Ballet’s Nutcracker for years. This year was the first for her to be en pointe – a big step for a blooming ballerina. Since the start of her ballet career, Meagan has has a certain luminocity on stage. She just seems to shine a bit brighter than the other dancers.
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