November 5, 2007     Chicago, IL
The Windy City is calm today. Walking down by Millenium Park and Lake Michigan,
I see the empty bouys where sailboats would lie tethered in the summer months. Winter is coming. It'll be a snowy one and a time for resting, healing and rejuvenation. Come spring, thing's will look different. The hulking snow piles will yield to gardens of beautiful flowers.

I'm staying with a friend tonight and enjoying my time on the road. It's been a crazy Fall with concerts all over the map. Lots of miles on the van. Another friend in Kenosha invited me to hang out at his new house, but that'll have to wait for another time. I'm presenting "Beads on One String" tomorrow at the Unity in Crystal Lake, IL and I'll head home after that.

June 21, 2007 Clearwater, MN
Just home from Kansas and points south. A great trip filled with several unplanned experiences. Lunch with musician friend Richard Mekdeci in Kansas City was a treat. He's a busy guy who seems to know everyone.

So much has happend since my last entry
in February. TV and Radio shows plus concerts in all types of venues. The band and I had great fun at the famed Ordway Theater in St. Paul just a couple of weeks ago. Were you there? They've already asked us to return for two concerts the first weekend in June 2008.

Over the years, I've performed in many churches. In particular, the UNITY churches have been very open to my music and for that I'm most appreciative. Unity has a great message of "oneness". Check them out!

Yesterday I had a good laugh while eating my Raisin Bran breakfast and reading the local paper.  It seems our Unity church in St. Cloud is dedicating a new flower garden this summer. Though I'm sure it passed spell check, the newspaper committed a classic "oopsy" in quoting Lisa Brisse from the church: "Unity Church believes in quiet medication and peaceful thoughts," Brisse said.

Yep. That's Unity. Instead of communion wafers they give out vallium. No wonder they're such a happy, yet calm group!

The word should have been "meditation".

It'll be interesting to see if more people than usual show up at their next Sunday service.

February 23, 2007 Memphis, TN
I'm here for the Folk Alliance convention. 2000 + folkies and folk music lovers. Where else can you walk into the lobby of a Marriott Hotel at 2am and find a guy playing a tuba? Later, getting on the elevator only to find another guy playing an upright bass, with 6 others gathered around him going from floor to floor? Gives the term "Elevator Music" a whole new meaning.

These conferences are exhauting, but it's fun to catch up with music buddies like Buddly Mondlock, John Smith, Lisa Aschmann and others. It's the only time of year I get to see some of these folks.

My welcome to Memphis was a little rough. As I pulled into a parking stall across from the Marriott, a gentleman greeted me to take my parking money. I gave him the $20 and asked him for a receipt. He said he'd go get me one, but he didn't go back to the parking booth. Instead he headed the other way, across the lot. Immediately, I knew I'd been taken, so I did what any stupid, naive, trusting person would do, I went after him, talking with him for several blocks trying to get my money back.

Musician Darlyne Cain, being much more street smart, came running after me to back me up. She got right behind this guy while I walked next to him. We eventually steered him back towards the Marriott. When he decided to run, we yelled for security and they took over the chase. He got away. The cops showed up a long time later. I didn't get my money back, but I thank the Marriott for giving me free valet parking for the rest of the conference.

January 25, 2007 Albert Lea, MN
Have you seen "An Inconvienent Truth" yet? The movie about global warming? It's
everything it's billed to be. Everyone should see it.

Tonight I'm staying in a small "mom and pop" motel, which is something I do a lot of. I love being able to pull up right to my room door to unload the guitars, etc. Tonight, though, I have noisy neighbors. Reminds me of my college days with frat parties going on next door. It's 3am. Should I just go join them?