What the @#*&% ???

ALL THREE NETWORKS ARE BROADCASTING THE MICHAEL JACKSON MEMORIAL!!!!!!!

Are you kidding me? Really...are you kidding me?
Yes, he made a huge contribution to Pop music.
To Pop music.
Pop music.
Pop.

Charlie Gibson , I can't believe you are talking this way.
Charlie Gibson, I have lost all respect for you.
It would feel more right if it were one of the ding-a-lings from Entertainment Tonight or Access Hollywood.
But still not right.

Michael Jackson, I have nothing against you. I understand your talent and even your appeal. I remember thinking "I'll Be There" was the greatest thing I had ever heard.
When I was ten.
Even my Dad said you would outgrow the rest of your family way back then.
You were a talented guy.
In Pop music.
Pop.

You may have even done some really nice things for people.
I don't think you molested those kids.
I do think you were a victim of arrested development.
You were probably a wonderful father in a way that is very different from most other wonderful fathers.
You were the King of Pop music.
Pop music.
Pop.

What the hell is wrong with this world?

Seriously.

Potty People

Aren't these adorable? I got them at Wilgeshouse for $4.00 !! They are 4" tall and just quirky and whimsical enough for me. Just add a little black paint and a dab of hot glue and.......Voila!!!

Hendrix Loves Catnip

Hendrix...our cat, loves catnip.






Zevon ..our dog , is a little jealous.

A Boy Who Can't Be Embarrassed

I've been working on the invitations to E's Graduation party. It's been a pain because my scanner isn't working. Don't worry ...I asked first if he would be embarrassed if I used that picture. He said no. You would have to go a long way to embarrass that boy.


But I'm trying !!


By the way....he doesn't get his height from Grandma.

Todd Snider is Coming to Boston

If you love music and don't know Todd Snider , you've got some catching up to do. He's been around for a long time now. I first heard of him around '95 when Songs for the Daily Planet came out on Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville Records. It was one of those CDs that seems like you've had it forever after a few listens. These are songs that stick to your ribs.
There hasn't been a disapointing CD from him since. There is a whole lot of humor well mixed with some sensitive and touching songs and a little bit of politics with a lot of biographical stories thrown in. It's over simplifying to call him Folk/Rock but tha's the slot he most fits in.
If I can only talk you into buying one Todd Snider Cd then make it Near Truths and Hotel Rooms. This is a live Cd that shows him at his best. Todd is one of those very few musicians who is as entertaining when he is talking as when he is singing. And he talks a lot. I've heard this CD a whole lotta times and I've never become tired of it. You get so you talk-along as much as you sing-along. His stories are entertaining , true or not.

He's making a rare appearance in Boston next week. He's touring in support of his latest CD The Excitement Plan. I don't know if he's touring with a band this time. Warren Zevon, who we never missed when he was in town , didn't always tour with a band. While it was still a treat every time , the times he had a band behind him were extra special. Last time we saw Todd Snider he took the stage by himself as the opening act for Don Was at Johnny D's in Somerville. He was on for a very short time..about a half hour ..but he packed a lot of entertainment onto that tiny stage. He'll be at the Paradise on June 12th. We'll be there with a gang of people, young and old. If you aren't in the Boston area go here to see if he'll be performing around you. You're denying yourself something really wonderful if you don't. I hope you are all lucky enough to get a chance to see him.
Just a laugh here. When we saw Todd at Johnny D's we got the chance to talk and have a drink with him. Just as charming as I would have hoped and expected. He left a message on A's cell phone. She was at school studying for finals and was so disapointed that she couldn't come home to see him. The message was cute and funny. Then my husband, Notanseladams snapped this lovely picture to document the meeting . Yep...that's what I got.

How To Wrangle Those Store Cards

It's gonna be a lot easier to be behind me in line at Shaws, Stop and Shop, Petco, CVS, Office Max, Ace,Barnes and Noble and....................

How easy is this? Punch holes.......... and put on a key ring!
This was inspired by my NEED to clean my purse.

Leonard Cohen in Boston

I don't think I have the words to describe the show we saw on Saturday night. Sublime..Sensational..Exceptional...Transcendant...All expectations were met AND exceeded. From the moment he appeared on stage he was musical perfection. I knew I would love the show ; just seeing him ,the legend, would be enough. The performance by Mr. Cohen , his back-up singers and his band was more than I ever could have wished for. They were rehearsed to within a breath in the show.......but it didn't come across as phony. The band , who L.Cohen tipped his hat to often, was so tight I don't think there was a single missed note in the entire three plus hours they played.

He was very gracious and often acknowledged the contributions of the band and singers , as well as the additional contributions of Sharon Robinson,one of the back up singers, as long time collaborator on several songs. He gave over the singing duties to Ms. Robinson on Boogie Street and to the Webb sisters (the other two back up singers) on If It Be Your Will. Both songs were delivered impeccably and it was impossible to feel cheated that Mr. Cohen didn't lend voice to them. He held his hat to his heart during each of these performances as well as during every solo delivered by members of the band.
Did I mention the lighting? I'm telling you ,not a detail was left out.The lighting , along with the sheer curtains that hung from the ceiling created a visual mood to work beautifully with the music. The beauty of the lighting was profound during the choruses of Hallelujah when the normally subtle , bluish light became bright white light that bathed the entire stage as if...as if...okay I can't say it but you can imagine! With any other song that light would seem harsh but with this it was glorious. I was not the only one who actually gasped.
It was an evening of beautiful music, interrupted only by a 15 minute intermission. He didn't talk a lot and each time he did there was not a wasted word. He introduced the band no less than three times ; I sometimes find this a little indulgent and grandiose but Mr. Cohen gave the introductions with such grace and respect it was very easy to take. At one point the 74 year old Cohen mentioned that it had been about 14 years since his last appearance in Boston..."I was 60 then. Just a kid with a crazy dream!"
We go to many live music shows. I love a huge variety of music....always have. Over many years I have been to hundreds of shows. Nothing has ever come close to this. At the end of the show, with the entire band at the front of the stage with him, he acknowledged the crew, the dressers,(someone has to take care of the ubiquitous fedoras), the bus drivers , everyone involved in the tour. At the end of the "thank-you's" he added one more. He thanked the audience and with a sincerity I believed, he said," We will always remember this night" I will always remember this night.....I hope this tour has made Leonard Cohen want to be out there with his fans and that he will return to the road again....saving retirement for the distant future. He is a gracious gentleman. Thank you, Leonard Cohen!!!

It would be wrong not to say a few words about the venue. The CitiWang ,formerly known as just the Wang, is a beautifully restored theater. In the seventies it was known as the Music Hall and I saw many ,many acts there. It was a run-down beauty then...well worn ,with shadows of it's glory days peeking through. The restoration took many years and many dollars to complete. It is now certainly one of the most beautiful spaces Boston has to offer. Marble and gold, glowing light and soaring balconies.Chandeliers too many for me to count...two giant chandeliers hang from the
stunningly painted ceiling in the grand foyer as if from red velvet ribbons alone.
The seats, of course, are not perfect. My husband , at 6'3" was a little cramped but my 5"5" was very comfortable. Getting in and out can't be done without having others in the row stand up. The seats are forgivable though with perfect acoustics and lovely, yet sometimes distant, views.
The further seats soar in height but somehow the view is still perfect. When my daughter was six we went to her first ballet, Swan Lake , at the Wang. When we approached our seats I was a little nervous that she would be bored sitting so far away from the stage. We were second to the last row, second balcony. When the dancers started she gasped...looked at me with wonder...and said, almost breathless,"Ohhhhh, Mama..look at the tiny people!" It was wonderful.