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+