Comings and Goings

I come to this space this morning with something of heavy heart. I received notice that our friend, Martha, who I have mentioned in the blog recently lost her struggle with cancer on Sunday. I met Martha at a class at Western back in 72 and later caught up with her again when Mary happened to be working with her in Kalamazoo schools. After that we worked together and hung out, as she would often come and watch the Garage Band or Hokey Band when we would play. As so many of my friends are, she was unique and had a big heart that wouldn't give up easy. Peace to you friend.

Occurrences such as this make you thankful and treasure all the more the time we spend with friends and family or doing something useful or creative. This past Friday night we had a little friendly reunion among Jimmy Jazz, Mikey "the biskit" Seaton and Corrie Robbins. All longtime friends celebrating fall birthdays and each other I suppose. We met up at the new Wine Loft where a big weekend crowd developed quickly in the early evening. We left there and walked over to the "reborn" Charlie Fosters for dinner. Tales remembered and updates on families were exchanged. One would not think the times were so hard with the number of people out and about spending $. This is how we pursue one form of happiness I guess, if we are able.

Sunday morning I participated with Susan doing a performance for the Festival of Trees at the Kalamazoo Radission. I reprised my Santa Conga Maria role assisting Susan in doing Holiday songs for a decent morning crowd. 11 am on Sunday we be jammin! and playing to the little kids is a favorite thing of mine and and done it many times with Susan over the years. I am not the most likely Santa but only a few of you know I first played him as a stand in for my second grade play when the original Santa got sick. I think this years costume was the best ever though as Susan had a new one for me to wear. So there are quite a few pictures out there that parents were taking of us and their kids dancing, singing and shaking music makers up on stage. I should mention that Mikey D. and Sus' sis Anita were there doing their thing as Rudolph and the Gingerbread man, uh lady?

Then Monday morning Mary, Callie and I crawled out of bed and drove to Chicago to see daughter Ashley who had just finished up working a family farm conference for Equal Exchange.

We did a quick visit wrestling with some traffic and confusing directions but found where she was staying on the north side where we took the train back into downtown for some shopping and lunch. I did my best being patient while the ladies shopped and we had a nice lunch at a little Italian place near the John Hancock building that I had eaten at a couple of November's ago. MIchigan Ave. had just had the holiday lights up so the city was in full holiday swing. It was chilly and the train had taken a while to get there so we took a cab ride home which wasn't that much more costlly and much quicker and warmer. After checking out Molly's place, Ashley's friend from MSU, we had to say our goodbyes and try and beat the rush hour traffic which we did and had a dry 3 hour drive home.

Always good to to reconnect in person with a child and get some hugs and kisses although
Ashley is coming home for Christmas, yeah.

When we returned home and checked email is when we got the news about Martha. As Thanksgiving looms here quickly I ponder what we celebrate and are thankful for, what we cherish, that which nourishes our body and soul. Brought closer to home all the more by recent events. I am thankful for having all of you in my life+

No Sun No Leaves November

After an abundance of Autumn sunshine we have now had zero sun the last several days, which makes for gloomy outlooks, especially when sitting at home looking out at it or trying to get the last of the leaves to fall so I can remove them this year before the snow hits which is predicted for the weekend. I wish I loved golf as much as some like Too Tall, Melvis or Peter so I would be motivated to play in this weather but I am saving that for the post Thanksgiving golf trip to Tennessee.

Since I last blogged other than the leaf removal, part of which has been made easier with the acquisition of the "well aged and taken care of " Snapper Lawn Tractor from friend JImmy C, I have finished the Janis Ian book, which I enjoyed and related to as a musician, writer and fellow early fifties born boomer. I appreciated Janis' outlook of working through the hard times by keeping the faith. Related to books I failed to mention another book in my name droppers blog that I really enjoyed this summer which Marty let me borrow, "Grit NOise and REvolution: The History of Detroit Rock and Roll", having been there and around for most of that time I found it insightful and entertaining. The MC5 sections and FM radio pieces of the era were quite "right on!"

In recent days I made my first foray into selling something online by posting on "Craig's List". If you haven't used it, it is an amazing way to expose or be exposed to whatever you are looking for including jobs, cars, etc. We are trying to sell Callie's 93 Grand AM and one brief post got me 8-10 emails of interest. Beat phone calls but does take some management of the interested parties. Try selling a car with over 200,000 miles on it, not easy.

Daughter Ashley has used it for years and I believe it helped her find out about current job but I could be mistaken on that and she will let me know I am sure. Bottom Line 2 parties came and drove the car so far and one I have deal with and said he is coming to get it Friday. Ahh- the Internet, where would we be.....

In closing, I watched the Country Music Assoc. awards last night and it is sad to see that realm of country music become such a glam and glitz show and maybe in some ways it always has been just different times but other than a few of them country music is just a world of pop songs with a bit of a twang thrown in here and there-but it's what the people seem to want so the radio stations, record execs., etc give the people what they want, watered down tunes. Most of popular music radio is that way I suppose; "Stumbling Drunk or Just Another Hokey Song #34, would never have a chance.

In closing, my "outlook" is somewhat colored these days by our recent visits to friend Martha in hospice. She seems to be hanging on to life because she has always believed in living life to it's fullest even after the crap she was sometimes dealt. Her family is strong and I pray for them and Martha to see the light through these tough times.

Ya'll keep the faith too now, thanks for checking in on the recent life and times.

Will we get change back?

Fellow Americans:

It tis the day after election day and I ponder, amazed at how quickly after laborious campaigns that in one day across the country things happened that could potentially change some pivotal directions in the United States and the world. I want to believe it can happen for the good of us all that we can work together and I will leave it at that for now as I am trying to change my own views on our future as the human race.

The speeches from last night and this morning are heading in the right direction but the honeymoon phase will need to last a long time to make it work as a good marriage has to continue through the hardest times, for the greater good

The Obama's picked the right music to frame the celebration last night. I heard "Sweet Home Chicago", guessing by Buddy Guy after the victory announcement, I heard some perfect classical music for moment as the speech was over and families came on stage, not sure who it was, and then as they were headed off stage and the crowd was celebrating Springsteen's "The Rising" accelerated the crowd's feelings of the night. So the Blues, the Classical and the Boss is a good way to start this for me. Now the rest is up to the big US, can we write a new song for the new times to come.

I wanted to mention the quick Halloween trip (photos) to Fenville/Saugatuck with the G'Nas last weekend. Corby came over from Detroit to make the unseasonably temperate trip and we dressed up and ate and danced and goofed off as good trick or treaters do, our hangovers were not from candy though. We had mucho fun again in the little coastal town with all the crazy characters that abound there.