Oh, Tannenbaum

High expectations and holiday stress make it difficult for me to enjoy this time of year. One source of cheer is this Clark street tree. This picture doesn't do it justice. It's just a plain old oak tree, but they light it every year out to the tip of every branch on every limb. Even with a cherry picker, this would take forever. It's beautiful. Check it out between 33rd and 34th streets.

John Winston Lennon

John Lennon died 25 years ago today. I still play my Double Fantasy CD at least weekly. It is one of the most optimistic albums ever produced. The last song, Hard Times are Over, often brings a tear to my eye, knowing what we now know was about to happen when he recorded it.

Brown makes fun of me because I like the Yoko Ono tracks at least as much as John's. She is high on my list of people I'd like to have coffee with.