MY GROWN-UP CHRISTMAS LIST, PART II

3) Loving Frank. (This book came to me via Nanette.) Frank Lloyd Wright is one of my favorite architects and was a masster artist in his own right. The book explores his life with the perspective of a long-range relationship he had with a woman outside his marriage. Though Frank Lloyd Wright was an eccentric, and certainly an egoist, there is no doubt that the brilliance of his vision made up for many of his personal failings. This book is a must-read for fans of his architecture, as well as anyone who finds pathos in the way humans must entwine their lives in order to survive. Emotional and heart wrenching, this book had Nanette glued to the edge of her seat on many a long winters evening.

And, one more...this time, not a book:

4) I recently reconnected with Cal Tjader, the great jazz player whose music had inspired me in college. His famous Concert by the Sea album was recorded at the Monterey Jazz Festival and helped instill in me a passion for the Monterey coast. I associate jazz with Carmel. Tjader’s music is to me like the sea, the coast and the music all blending into one glorious celebration.



If any of you are still out there looking for that perfect gift for someone, maybe one of these will offer inspiration. Let us not forget, however, that the best gifts of Christmas are not to be found in boxes and bags under the tree on Christmas morning. It is found in the smile of a stanger on the street; in the warmth of a glowing hearth-fire; in the peace that surpasses all understanding...but most of all, in the love of friends and family.