Tracy and I finally connect

I had a very pleasant surprise today -- Mother's Day 2008. I received a call from my sister Tracy. We'd missed one another earlier in the week and it was great to hear from her. And daughter Elyse, too, who was in the background.

Once again I've found it weird to be referred to as brother and uncle and to refer to this person as a sister. It's been a foreign concept for so long. Me? A brother? But it's a fact of my life. I am a brother. An older brother, to boot.

We chatted about what we might do when I'm out West, where we'll go. And I reminded Tracy that we're just 20 minutes from Disney World when she, Elyse and Nolan make it to the Sunshine State.

I've scanned in several photos to share with my new family of me many, many years ago, but first I'm adding a wonderful photo of Elyse and Nolan shot a few years ago to let one half of my family see what more of the other half looks like.

I really like the effect used in the picture; it's just a great shot of two really cute kids.

But for a really cute kid you have to admire the shots that follow -- of course, they're of me and Mom when I was still out in California, some with cousin Amy in the shot, in 1959-60 and then in Brooklyn in early and then mid-1961.

No laughing, please.

The next several shots are in Brooklyn at my second birthday. The top photo is of me and several of my cousins in the basement family room of our house in Brooklyn, followed by a couple more from the same event. The usual characters, grandparents, aunts, cousins, family friends -- and a few people I don't recognize.

Below is a shot of cousin Janye and me at Rockaway beach in May 1961. I've loved the beach and marine life ever since. And as the photo below that one attests, I also enjoyed just hanging around in the backyard in Brooklyn.

Skipping ahead a decade and a half, give or take a few years, below is my frat brothers and I -- plus the little sisters -- of Tau Epsilon Phi outside the frat house in 1978. That's the year it was selected by Playboy magazine as the partyingest house in America. Playboy threw us one hell of a party. Can you recognize me? I'm on my knees in the second row in my "Jew-fro." Oh, that's also the year my pledge class defeated the other predominantly Jewish frat on campus in what became known as the "Nose Bowl." I played offensive center in that game.

Well, there are plenty more photos to resuscitate from dusty boxes and bags, but for another time.