Holidays

At New York’s Rockefeller Center, details are everywhere, even the door handles.
From Architectural Digest: Architect Adam Rolston takes us on an insightful walking tour of Rockefeller Center, exploring the history and …

Have yourself a merry little Christmas, and make some tasty, memory-making Jello-O molds.
When I was a youngster, there was a Jell-O mold or two on the table at every Sunday dinner, holiday …

Listen to an extraordinary performance of Handel’s Messiah from Trinity Church, Wall Street NYC.
New York City’s Trinity Church and Handel’s Messiah have a long, long relationship dating back to 1770 when the historic church …

Radio horror shows and Halloween are great partners; add Vincent Price and Ida Lupino, and you have gold.
Lucille Fletcher, one of the twentieth century’s scriptwriters, wrote several episodes of the radio series, Suspense. Her most famous is “Sorry, …

The Library of Congress’ online store has clever yet affordable gifts for all of your bookish friends.
I’m always on the lookout for gifts for my friends and many of mine are avid readers, writers, teachers, and …

Menacing? You bet, if you’re an undead revenant feeding on the vital essence of the living.
I’ve never personally staked a vampire—but if I ever have an inclination to, this looks like it might just make …

Burst & Bloom. Sage advice from the professionals at Leica on how to photograph fireworks.
I’ve sort of mastered taking photos of Christmas lights at night, both indoor and outdoor. Yet, I’ve never captured a …

My New Year’s doleful weather prediciton (or why I don’t go to Vegas and gamble).
On New Year’s Day, the air in Baltimore was dense and heavy. Nearly 60 degrees outside, humidity at 98 percent …

Buying champagne for New Year’s Eve? These are the best vintages of the last 100 years.
Christie’s—the venerable, global auction house—says when buying Champagne, it’s important to understand not only which vintages are great, but also …

Re-captioned: Thanksgiving Triggers with a tip o’ the hat to the late Bob Weber.
You didn’t mess with my mother when she was cooking Thanksgiving dinner. I’m remembering those times by writing a few …

Creepy. Crawley. Cursed. From CBS Radio Mystery Theatre, E.G. Marshall narrates Black Widow.
It’s no secret—spiders aren’t on my list of cool critters. I know spiders do good things and are a necessary …

A Halloween treat: Cary Grant stars in an intense episode of Suspense—On A Country Road.
Suspense was a radio drama series broadcast on CBS from 1940 through 1962. It was one of the premier drama programs of radio’s golden age, and …

Happy days are here again! Macy’s July 4th Fireworks celebration returns to NYC for 2021.
Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks first burst over the New York City skyline with a special U.S. bicentennial show in 1976. …

On Juneteenth, I’m listening to the voices of former slaves as they tell their stories.
Last week I received an email from Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress. In part she wrote, “This June, we …

Here’s the secret to New York City’s roasted chestnuts—no street vendor or open fire required.
I bought my first brown paper bag of roasted chestnuts in New York City on a bitterly cold winter night …

From Baltimore’s Petite Louis Bistro, take-home for New Year’s Eve. I’ll start with lobster bisque.
Petit Louis is a Baltimore landmark, a treasured restaurant, and sharing holiday meals there are a tradition for many families. …

Merry Christmas! I’m sending you a tune to brighten your holiday. Thanks for reading BrockelPress.
In many ways, 2020 has been the year from hell, hasn’t it? I’ve been working from home since March 13 …

You can’t go to Radio City’s Christmas Spectacular this year. (Psst. The show can come to you.)
The news.While Radio City Music Hall’s annual Christmas Spectacular won’t have live audiences this year, NBC will air a taped view of …