Napoli. October, 2015

My mother's "unofficial" birthday is today. She was actually born on December 30, but I didn't learn this until many years later when I saw her death certificate. I questioned my father about it, and he said she wanted her birthday to be New Year's Eve. So. And that's why I honor this day with one of the MANY religious personages she championed. Padre Pio (now Saint Pio) was a priest and mystic who became famous among American Catholics in the 1940s-1960s because of his bearing the stigmata, the marks of Christ's crucifixion. It's said by some that his stigmata actually bled, and his legend generated much interest and controversy. But evidently that didn't stop this Neapolitan family from erecting a somewhat startling streetside shrine outside their home in the center of the city. My favorite element: the two plastic bottles seen through the patio glass. Happy New Year! And Happy Birthday, Mom.

Tucson. November, 2015

Oh dear, it looks like the "Love forever" lock custom has hit the American Southwest. I've seen this bizness previously in Paris and in Venice, but never stateside. Until now. You and your loved one affix a lock onto these hearts (there were several along Fourth Avenue) and then throw away the key, uniting you for all time. In theory. (There is a bus driver here in greater Boston who announces the stop at a local church in his thick New England accent as "Sacred Hat," so I'm wondering if the tattoo parlor seen in the background is somehow related to these sacred hearts.)

Springfield, NJ. December, 1958?

Well, happy birthday to me. It was sometimes tough as a kid having a birthday so close to Christmas. "Santa" would always come up one gift short on the 25th, which would then materialize -- surprise! -- on the 29th. But who's complaining? These days I don't even like getting gifts. So, please, please refrain. Also, please note: slipper socks! (Does this picture make me look gay?)

Tucson. November, 2015

It's said that the Joshua Tree was named by a group of Mormon settlers who crossed the Mojave Desert in the mid-19th century. The 15-40-foot tree's unique shape allegedly reminded them of a biblical story in which Joshua reaches his hands up to the sky in prayer. It's also said that it only grows in the Mojave. But my friend Simon and I saw these at Tucson's Desert Museum. So there.

Napoli. October, 2015

Another shot from one of the city's many outdoor markets. This man takes his eggs seriously. I kept hoping I wouldn't trip on the cobblestones and "encounter" his fulsome and fragile display. (Click here to see another egg-based display that I saw in Rome some years ago.)

Napoli. October, 2015

I love the variety of clams and other shellfish that this vendor displays at one of the city's many outdoor markets.

Paris. December, 2005

A time to be grateful. I am grateful for so many people, so many things. I have riches beyond measure. Merry Christmas.