Slide show?

Whew.. they take some work and $, but they are worth every penny and every bit of energy. When we bought our home in 1999, I knew the family room would be Dan's "Super Bowl" room, but the large living /dining room would one day be the room for hosting music "soriees". Around 2002 we started converting the room into a music room complete with stage, lights, and sound system. Then we had a couple of years of being patient when the house slab "shifted" and the entire back of our home had to be reconstructed. But I soon picked up my dream where it left off, and was  back on track with the idea.

I named the room  "Heritage East" in honor of the wonderful little coffeehouse in Mission Beach (The Heritage) where I got my start in music around 1965. Many thanks to Dan, Mike and Matt, and Jim Sprague for building that stage (and to Jim Sprague for the beautiful wood flooring) And more thanks to Dan for saying "Ok, we can have a bunch of people in our house for the evening, many of them strangers to us"!  After the first 30 min of snacks and gabbing before the music starts though, they were no longer strangers. We had the common demoninator of being "patrons of the arts." We were there to make sure talented musicians/singers were given a supportive and attentive audience.

It ended up I only put on about 11 concerts on that little stage (and I no longer live at that house) but it was very fun and fulfilling to have put on those shows. Thanks so much to my family, the performers, and to the fellow "patrons" who attended the shows and gave their time and donations to these grateful artists. Look up "House Concerts" in your area sometime, and attend them! It's a wonderful way to make new friends and hear great music.

Sooooz

OH my gosh. I LOVE New York!.  Although Mike came home from NY after being there a couple of months,  I knew I'd get back there eventually.  

So I  just went for a week.. by myself.. July 2-7th, ('07) . Spent two nights in Midtown at the great little apartment (at 43rd and 9th . up 34 floors..with the "Five Million Dollar View!")  as the guest of my good friend, Kate and her husband George. What a treat to fall asleep on their couch, looking at a NY skyline that could have been a photo straight off a postcard. Then I went and spent four days in Greenwich Village .. just to get a teeeensy feel of living there.  I walked everywhere and took the subway often, and chatted with so many great folks, listened to incredible music in Washington Square Park (I stayed at the little Washington Square Park Hotel. Great lil place.. if you can do "small hallways").   The staff was wonderful. I got very very ill one night  (maybe somethingI ate?)  and was sick for 16 hrs straight. The staff checked on me and sent me up some Gingerale and soda crackers when I finally felt I was going to live. about 5pm the next day.   I lost a whole day in NY .. that was a bummer.. but the day after, I was back out there.. walking everywhere. I saw where Mike had been living when he was there around  Bank and Hudson (NICE lil spot) ..

I had a great time and wish I could live in NY .. only for a year.. but what a year that would be... I like the fact you can live without a car.. what a concept!

My son Mike has been in New York for almost 6 weeks now.  For a die-hard California guy, he was amazed he fell under NY's spell the very first day.  He got to live in the Village for five weeks. He loved it and wants to stay in NY if he can.  We miss him like crazy, but ohhh boy, what a great adventure this is for him!   

Give me a holler if any of you folks know where he can go to play  music  and meet other musicians. He's getting re-settled now  (the apt in Village option ran out,  so he'll be staying with friends in New Jersey for a bit while he thinks about his next step).  He's a talented guy (plays several    instruments--main ones are guitar and piano) and is a very personable.  He may already have some irons in the fire.. but again, if you have any contacts, let me know and I'll pass them his way!