Julie Andrews sang for my family

So.

Bookends notwithstanding, Katy's professional Monday wasn't too hot. Result? Blues.

Add in a husband sick with a cold, rainy weather and everything seems really ... bleah.

Solution? Retail therapy! I took a break and walked to Macy's, formerly Kaufmann's. I bought a wallet and a pair of stockings. And came close to tears.

The store Muzak was spooling Christmas music, of course. The piece playing as I browsed purses was Julie Andrews "Joy to the World," from her 1969 Christmas album made with Andre Previn.

In 1969, I was 14 and living at home, the oldest of 7 kids. We listened to LPs back then and one of them, every Christmas for many years, was the Julie/Andre album. Julie's voice and the powerful joyful orchestrations, surrounded my noisy family. I will never forget those sounds. Especially because my family was intact. Mom, Dad, sibs 1 through 7. All there.

I miss my Dad so very, very much; I would love to be able to talk to him about work, life and just generally what's going on. And my brother Chris, so quiet, so stubborn and such a pillar.

Julie sang for all of us. When I heard her today in Macy's, it was all I could do to keep from crying.