Searches and mysteries

8/29

Looking back, yesterday had a recurring theme. Andrea called because someone doing genealogical research on her family has a partner with my family name. Was wondering about the research my father had done years ago. So I call my mom and we’ll look for it while we’re there.

Get a call from an older man in Maryland trying to find information on his grandmother’s marriage in 1905. Something he wants to clear up before he dies. Would we have a certificate? Well, no, our records have suffered the ravages of neglect ( Oh the ‘70‘s-‘80‘s, long before I got here..) and water damage. I try and direct him to the New York City Marriage Registry office. If anybody would have it, they would. So I wind up going on line and finding a New York Times wedding announcement. Took place in this sanctuary while it was still Park Church in 1905. The Rev. Dr. Anson Attenbury presiding. That is what our records would  show. But he thinks there  are also records under another name one year earlier at an Episcopal Church. Ah, a mystery I can’t solve.

And then I’m drawn into a person/background check. Online. A fascinating and costly process. Questions answered, or more mystery? 

Feeling a bit like a detective....

The mumbling man comes in, I know what’s coming. His large hand held out...I do what I can. We talk a little about Capital Hall and then he quotes to me from Psalm 21 and 34.

A man from a construction company comes in looking for Stephen to talk about some renovation work that needs to be done. 

Gregory comes in, that ingratiating, presumption of intimacy look on his face. He’s supposedly working. Supposedly OK. And yet, here he is again.

Stephen, Cara, RL and I all pitch in to drag the trash bags out to the curb, hoping they’ll take them this time. Sanitation does not seem excited about removing Bazarov’s Russian forest, even now broken up and bundled like a serf’s bundle painted gold. 

Yossi Tamim

Yossi the jazz musician drops in to see all our performing spaces.  Met him last week at Bonnie’s concert at Milica’s gallery. (So the connection line runs from Yossi to Milica to Zoran to Zeljko...) I Show hom the sanctuary, the chapel, Mc Alpin and the gym and the Papp theatre. As I expected, he’s blown away. Wants to play here. He’s mixing jazz improv and chamber quartet. I tell him about Ethel. And Carman Moore. He’d fit right in here. (https://www.facebook.com/yossi.tamim.5 ,  So he’ll talk to Danielle and we’ll see what is possible.

Stephen and Cara join me as we head to Riverside for the last of the Palestine Film Festival.