Since Katrina hit last week, I've been trying in vain to find aunts and cousins who live in New Orleans and Mississippi. Almost two weeks after the disaster, I just got word that some of them are OK and staying in Houston -- my Aunt Mary, and my cousins Janice, Penelope and Colette. I haven't spoken to them yet and the fate of other relatives is still unclear, but after days of worrying. I'm happy to have any glimmer of hope.

Hi, Bill Radke here. I'm enjoying the listener responses to our "You Say It's Your Birthday?" story. I have a friend who believes our lives are profoundly influenced by whatever pop song was number one on the Billboard chart on the day we were born. My song is Sonny & Cher's "I Got You, Babe." (Aug. 17, 1965) My connections to it are: the duo's breakup made me weep madly as a child; and my wife once portrayed Cher in a show, singing (of course) "I Got You, Babe." OK, not earth-shaking, but fun.

My co-host this week, Alex Cohen can do even better: "Alexandra" means "helper of mankind." She's known to her friends as someone to go to when they need something. Her song: Bill Withers' "Lean On Me."

Find your song at www.thisdayinmusic.com

Let us know if your song's connection to your life is eerie!

I came across this story idea after developing relationships with several local farmers in the area where I live (upper Hudson River Valley). I know Kenny, Rocco's son, and through Kenny I learned about the family's history and how they started farming by peddling vegetables on the street in the Bronx back in the 30's, 40's and 50's.

Critics say that Harry's just for kids. That it's too simple. That the writing is deadly. Rowling uses too many adverbs. Good fantasy should relate to the real world. The books are a time suck. And a few years ago, Pope Benedict said that the Harry Potter books were "subtle seductions" able to corrupt young Christians.

In my opinion, the nay-sayers are being nay-sayers just for the sake of being nay-sayers. Except maybe the Pope. I'm not saying Potter's perfect.

But reading the books makes me want to be a teenager at Hogwarts. Makes me want to go back to high school - okay so this time I'd learn Defense Against the Dark Arts instead of trigonometry.

Like the time I was really depressed about something, Men probably. I was so sad…the kind of sad brought on by dementors. They're nasty beings that suck all the joy and happiness out of a room and turn it freezing cold. Don't let them kiss you or they suck out your soul. They give you the feeling that you'll never be happy AGAIN EVER. Of course I'd learn how to fight the dementors. It's called a Patronus Spell. I'd get out my wand, concentrate really hard on the thing or event that brings me the most joy. and it's got to be something really good, eating chocolate won't do. (pause) …Okay - got it. Then when I'm ready and can feel the dementors breathing on my neck, I'd shout EXPECTO PATRONUM and my patronus, my thing that guards me from evil shoots out of my wand takes the form of a blinding light and chases away the evil dementors and unhappiness.

If that's not useful for real life what is? I can't wait to see what I can learn as a 6th year student.

The USS Constitution reminded me of a fond memory of when I was a little girl living in the Boston area. My dad was selling wholesale jewelry on the weekends and sometimes I go with him. We lived on the North Shore and he'd have to deliver on the South shore, so we'd have to go by the Boston Harbor and the USS Constitution. But being 4 years old, constitution was a hard word for me to say, nevermind understanding what it was. And when my dad said it, I heard 3 words "con stih TOOSHUN." I didn't know what the word 'con' meant, nor the word 'stih' but 'TOOSHUN' of course I know what that was... it was the adult way to say 'tushy.' So when I was four and my dad would ask me if I wanted to go to work with him on Saturday. I'd ask... "do we get to see the constitushy?"

There's a phrase I've heard editors use before-- "drown your kittens." Most stories require some kitten drowning at one point or another. That is, every story has a thousand precious details. And it's always a struggle to decide what to leave out.

Here are some of the details I discovered in my research about Hi Jolly -- details I fell in love with, but had to let go. I don't know how credible all of them are, but they're interesting: