Queen Mary | family history

While working recently on assignment in the port of Long Beach, California, I had the occasion to view the Queen Mary, which is docked there permanently.

The Queen Mary is the ship on which my father, Eric Wolf, and his parents came over to America, fleeing the deteriorating situation in Nazi Germany. 

I believe they sailed from a port in France (either Brest or Le Havre) to New York City. His immigrant identification card was No. 923199.

They arrived in New York on March 22, 1937. 

For what it's worth, sixty years later, to the day, on March 22, 1997, my daughter Emma became bat mitzvah.

History. 

Family matters.

Senator Tim Kaine

Tim Kaine (D-VA), photographed on assignments when he was Virginia's Governor, and more recently in his role as our Senator.

Congratulations to him on his selection by Hillary Clinton to be her running mate on the Democratic Party's 2016 Presidential ticket.

SkillsUSA Conference 2016 | Louisville, Kentucky

I recently documented my 31st SkillsUSA National Skills Leadership Competition, held this year in Louisville, Kentucky. More than 16,000 people attended, many competing in their trades for national-level gold, silver, and bronze medals. An elite group of winners goes on to vie internationally in the World Skills event (next year in Abu Dhabi) as Team USA.

Thanks again to Tom Hall, Ann Schreiber, Craig Moore, Tom Kercheval, Jane DeShong Short, Karen Kitzel, Darlene Helena, co-photographers Clay Allen, William Fambrough Jr.,  Janet Cantore Watson, and the whole terrific SkillsUSA communications team for the experience... and for surviving yet another year of Hell Week.

And thank you to Marge Ely and her daughter Fiona for hosting me during my (brief) break time. Much appreciated. Great pizza, and see you next year. May it be a good one.

Here are a whole bunch of my favorite images, from gazillions recorded during the week.

Eleven Years

Today Ruth and I are celebrating the 11th anniversary of our first meeting. We always go to the same Thai restaurant where we met and began to fall in love. Thanks again and again to Sherri Shunfenthal for making the match. Eleven years of love, and we are still growing and sharing together; happily, peacefully, respectfully, in labor and in fun. Here's to my sweet wonderful best friend, a wise, caring, trusty companion on life's road. I love you my dear one. 

YAY!