Sixty Years Ago Today

Location: An eastern suburb of Cleveland, Ohio

Event: My 12th birthday

To my left: My younger sister, M, who would have her fourth birthday in a few weeks

Not in the photo: My other sister, E, who had her 10th birthday a few months earlier; my mother, who probably made the angel food birthday cake and certainly made the red felt "circle skirt" I was wearing; and my father, who likely took this photo. 

Six decades later and 3000 miles away, I watch the snow falling here again, drink many cups of tea with honey to soothe my sore throat, take a photo of an old photo with my phone, clean up the dust spots on that photo on my Mac, and share this moment with the final magical act -- the click of a "mouse" on the word "publish."

Mirabile dictu!

Blip 1999