Friday Night Fish Fry

"I just felt like going to a party tonight..."

What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace." ~ Agnes M. Pahro

 
 our Ben Ben in a snow dance

 

 

And peeping out at us.  The cutest snowman in the world I think!

Even if I didn't know that Christmas was right around the corner my amaryllis and paper whites would be reminding me daily.  Their blooms starting to pop out in various rooms in the house.  I love having those guys around.  It makes the gardens not seem like a distant memory.

A busy week ahead.  For everyone I'm sure.  Appointments and more shopping mixed in with dinners, parties, fun and games.  Baking and eating.  Excitement in the air.  I always get so excited thinking about giving the kids their gifts.  But I don't want to rush it getting here because it goes so quickly on Christmas day.

 

I have the sweetest video of Eudora and old Dale loving and bathing each other.  The only cat to have anything to do with them.  They are terrified of Darius.  I keep getting errors trying to load the video with the thump thump thump of Dora's tail and the fire popping in the background.  It is so cute.

 

 

I liked this quiet shot of Toonce with his friends before the show Friday night.  We went to Richmond to see one of his favorites ,The Skip Castro Band.  A boogie woogie band started around 1977 in Charlottesville and was huge in that area and from Boston to Atlanta in the 80s.  ( Right in Martin's law school days.)   So I was tickled he had such a nostalgic night with so many of his best friends when it has been such a tough two months on him.   He needed a night out! 

Going to a Party Tonight is one of their songs.

I have to admit I like them much better now than when I was young.   The boogie woogie sounds were fun.  It was nice seeing the guys relive their youth.  And the piano guy Danny Bierne is unlike anything I've ever seen before. 

 
 

Bo Randall (who Toonces and fans swear is one of the best guitarists out there), Charlie Pastorfield, and Corky Schoonover on drums.

His groupies seemed to think so too. 

It really was nice seeing middle aged people out there dancing, singing and shaking it  like they were 21 young and free again ♥

 

in closing, having a great week.  Good luck with all your Christmas duties and may everything fall right into place for you...no stress.  No worries.  All Joy! 

and if anyone has an elf to spare to come wrap my gifts I'd love it, thanks!

I'm gonna close out with a favorite shot of Ben and some family shots after his play.

 

 

 

 

 

Rhythym

“True music must repeat the thought and inspirations of the people and the time. My people are Americans and my time is today.” ~ George Gershwin

 

Americana!

***

Twice I've tried to post on our weekend adventure at Rhythm and Roots festival  in Bristol, TN.

Now my time is short.  I've got to get up early for a date with my nephew Ben.  The fair is here.  *yeah we love the fair!*  Which by the way, my nephews Caleb and Jackson and niece Izzy have won blue and red ribbons in the photography competition. Another *yeah!

So I have to skip the stories about people watching during the sets and how the cheesy striped shirt guy had two women too good for him competing for him.  Miss Yoga tight clothes lost out to Miss Super High energy girl.   I think it was because Miss Yoga seemed too into herself and making sure she moved just right.  And I don't have time to go into the not one, but TWO, conversations I fell in to during long bathroom lines about life after forty.  All good except the looks falling apart kind of stuff....

But it is okay to skip all that I guess to say that this festival rocks.  And with bands with names like Black Lilies, Drunk Uncles, Folk Soul revival, Shake it like a Caveman...how could it not be cool?  And those were some of the bands I didn't even GET to see.  But really wanted too. 

I saw Yarn for the first time.  Loved them.  Big Daddy Love whom I met at Floydfest and there set was so good...so high energy...so spot on that it reminded me of Old Crow Medicine Show.  We saw Dale Watson twice.  Once at a the back of a bar that had a beach scene out back and an apple tree with a creek running by.  Now that was fun.  BUT the funniest thing was that the locals love their bar.  And their nightly/weekly seat.  And they weren't happy with the festival goers no matter how much revenue it was bringing their fair city.  So walking by those guys was...well funny.  And a bit intimidating.

We had the best best- super best time. 

 I found a new band I really like called the Shane Pruitt band whose organist was from the Steve Miller band.  They rocked.

One night I was having flat bread with roasted red peppers and a Tuscany salad with cloth napkins sitting in an uncrowded spot listening to a street band...watching others flow by.  The next day I had a street steak and cheese.  That is the great thing about the place.  Air conditioning or outdoors.  Bars or street stages.  Or even theaters.  It was incredible.  And all about the music.

Yes this is on our to do list next year- Lord Willing.

The only bad part was when in one bar I was watching a local fave in got so hot I thought I was going to be sick.  And Toonces too.  And then my hearing went out in my left ear because I fancied myself too cool for ear plugs.  Lesson learned.

So that is our weekend in a big wrap.  I hope it makes sense because I don't have time to proof read. 

Also I've had the pleasure of watching Izzy win her regular season soccer last week and then Ben play in a match last night.   They both made me very proud.

So I will just throw out a cute pic of those two right in with the festival scenes.

Okay?

Great.

Oh and Toonces is pictured with Dale Watson who he really really likes and if you're into that kind of thing you should check out the poor guys story sometime.

He is the real deal.

 

 

Shane Pruitt

 

Big Daddy Love with yoga girl and drunk obnoxious- wouldn't sit down -dude.

 

My sweet baby and Dale Watson.

 



 
 

Yarn

 

 

 

Crowds

And some kids with their own rhythm going on...