2025 was a strange year, wasn't it? I sometimes wonder if I will look back on 2025 as the beginning of the end of the world, or at least the end of my country as I know it. Our democratic republic has been hijacked by a megalomaniacal madman backed by billionaires trying to keep all power and wealth at the top. This country is losing its foreign allies. I never know which way the economy will go. Wars are raging. People are dying. The government is hiding vital information. All this happened in the space of a year. How much worse will it be?
Isn't it funny how life still can go on as normal even as the world goes mad? Maybe the world is doomed and I am experiencing the the calm before the storm, but on a micro level 2025 was a good year. I spent time doing things I love with the people I love. I have The Box to prove it.
For those of you who don't know what I am talking about, Kevin and I have an annual ritual. (I learned about this in a Facebook meme, so I guess social media serve a purpose sometimes.) During the year, when something good happens, when we have a happy day, when we receive some special news, we write it down on a piece of paper and put in in the box. On New Year's Eve, before we go to bed, we open the box and review all our memories. It helps us close out the year on a high note.
We had a full box this year.
I have no idea what 2026 will hold both globally and here in my own little world. Kevin has a play coming up, but right now I have no theater to do. We have no grand plans for the near future.
I learned that it's okay to embrace the blank slate and go with the flow. Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans, right?
So, with no further ado, I will recap the year 2025 in our happiest moments.
January 15th
Kevin is cast in Amadeus with the Manor Club Theater.
January 28th
Rachel is cast in Pal Joey with the Harrison Players.
February 13th
We enjoy a night out at the ballet. We see three Balanchine ballets that Maria Tallchief made famous including Firebird, which is one of Kevin's favorite symphonic pieces.
April 4-6
Successful run of Pal Joey. My performance was well received.
April 12th
A successful headshot photo shoot. I have four favorite images to play with depending on the type of role I am going for.
Weekend of 4/24-4/27
Kevin's successful run of Amadeus.
May 11th
We hold Mother's Day brunch at our home for the mothers close to us. (I made the cinnamon crunch brioche recipe I have been dying to make for a long time.)
May 23rd and 24th
Took Mom to the newly-reopened Frick Museum for her birthday. The next day the family had a birthday dinner at Erik's.
May 31st
We attend a very special night for local theater. ACT Actor's Conservatory Theater celebrated its 50th birthday with memorabilia, tributes, and performances. Kevin has done shows with them before. I haven't had the courage to audition for them yet, but you never know when that will change. It was a beautiful evening.
Kevin is cast in Calendar Girls with the Harrison Players.
July 13th
Riddle and Liane have a successful competition together.
July 16th
My birthday. Kevin and I took a day trip over the border to Connecticut. We took the ferry to Sheffield Island where we toured the lighthouse and had a picnic. Then we finished the day at the Maritime Aquarium. We had dinner at Augustine's Salumeria that evening. It's one of my favorite restaurants.
July 27-August 2
This is what we look forward to all year. We went to Chincoteague for the 100th Pony Penning. As always there were good times with pony events, the beach, nature, good food, sunsets, and family.
7/31
Kevin finalizes a long-awaited contract with Monster Energy at work.
8/11
Rachel is cast in The Prom. It is my debut with Elmwood Playhouse in Nyack.
8/20
We had a plan to visit the Duchess County Fair in Rhinebeck, but were rained out. We made the best of it by going to the Bruce Museum in Stamford instead. Who knew Connecticut had its own school of impressionists?
September 11th
Took a day out to the zoo with Mom. It's an annual tradition.
September 13th
We had a fun night out with Rich and Mickey at the Van Gogh Starry Night exhibit at the Botanical Gardens. We experienced a spectacular drone show.
September 26th
We continued to explore our bougie side with a night at the opera. We saw the excellent Adventures of Kavalier and Klay. I never thought that book could be made into an opera, but it was a fabulous production. Kevin bought me a glass of proseco before the show so I could have a photo of me being the kind of person who drinks champagne at the opera.
October 4th
Dad's 87th birthday. Erik threw a killer barbecue!
October 5th
Our anniversary is actually on the 6th, but we celebrated 24 years together with dinner on the 5th due to our respective rehearsal schedules. Dinner at Le Provencal.
October 18th
Keep our democracy alive and make your voice heard. We participated in the local No Kings protest.
October 22nd
Kevin's birthday. Once again we had a tight window of time to celebrate due to our respective rehearsals, but we made the most of it. We had lunch at Miss Nellie's and then saw a matinee of the excellent Operation Mincemeat.
October 23-26
Successful run of Calendar Girls for Kevin and the Harrison Players.
November 7th - December 6th.
Successful run of The Prom. This was a fun show with a cast that all got along and worked well together. It was a hard show to let go of. We even had the Beth Leavel (the actress who starred in the show on Broadway) come to see a performance and compliment us on it.
October 31st.
We celebrated Halloween and Anthony and Bill's first anniversary with a party at their place. (The bustier I stole from the Harrison Players for Pal Joey came in handy for the goth fairy costume I concocted.)
November 27th (Really the entire Thanksgiving weekend)
Had the best Thanksgiving weekend ever. Friends and family came to performances of The Prom. We had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner at Carmine's. (It was Italian food rather than a turkey dinner, but I'm not angry about it.) I even got some extra riding in.
Theater, friends, family, and horses. Life doesn't get better than that!
December 8th
At work Kevin gets a finalized contract with Quip signed.
December 12th
Sian visits. We have brunch at Angelina's, stroll the Bryant Park Christmas market, spend some time at the New York Public Library Treasures exhibit and then view the Slate Political Gabfest after dinner.
(That's Stephen Colbert all the way on the left)
December 12th
Kevin is cast in Death of a Salesman with the Harrison Players. Was that backdrop sample I took a photo of at the library an omen? He texted me to tell me he was cast while we were there.
December 14th
We indulge in another cherished holiday tradition and partied with our theater friends at Anthony and Bill's holiday party. As always, the place was decorated to the nines as only Anthony does.
(Thanks to Taylor for that fun photo of me doing what I do best - eat!)
December 23rd
It's a rainy day without much to do. We indulge the holiday spirit a bit more and head to Lyndhurst Mansion for an afternoon. Not only does Anthony decorate his own home, but he is also responsible for the Christmas decorations at Lyndhurst. I want to serve Christmas dinner in that dining room!
I learned that day The Gilded Age is shot at Lyndhurst and the grounds are used as Central Park on the show.
December 25th
Family Christmas at Mom's. All the family gathered. Even Asher poked his head in.
December 26-27th
Sian returns and stays part of the weekend at our place. We indulged in food and girl talk and an evening the Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights.
December 31st.
The two of us have a quiet New Year's Eve with dinner at Modern on the Rails and coming home to open the box and see how much good fortune we had this year. So grateful for everything and everyone.
January 1st
Happy New Year! Homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Let's see what 2026 holds for us.
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