Last week, a blur now, was spent with Michael Peterson and his Real Life Tour, sponsored by the US Army. What a blast getting to know Michael, his band members, tour group and of course some great folks from the Army. The purpose of the tour was for Michael to speak to teenagers about making the right choices in life. And speak he did to over 2,000 kids at six schools, to large teen groups at churchs and other place kids gather. We had lunch one day at El Burrito with six kids from Midland High. When lunch was over we dropped them off in the tour bus at the front door to MHS...greatly improving their social status. Besides being a great singer/songwriter, Michael is a quality guy.
If you missed the finale concert on Saturday night..you missed something special, including guest performer and Sony recording artist Colt Prather. Here's Colt in action....
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
Michael Peterson....
Some months ago, through old Army contacts, I was asked to help bring Country and Western artist Michael Peterson and his Real Life Tour to Midland. The tour is sponsored, in part, by the Army and is aimed at reaching teenagers with ways to take responsibility and make correct decisions.
I've spent the last three days with Michael and he is the real deal. I don't know that I've ever heard a more effective speaker and one who has a knack of gettng his message across to kids through music, laughter and with his own personal story. We have already had several engagments and today, Friday, he is speaking at Lee Freshman High School, Goddard and Abell Junior Highs in Midland and tonight we travel to Lamesa and the high school there.
And......Michael is a great musician, songwriter and C&W star. Named "CMA newcomer of the year" in 1997 he quickly had five hits in the country charts top 10 and one reached #1. I've heard Michael this week playing accoustically at his speaking engagements. I can't wait to hear him plugged in with his entire band Saturday night. For a little extra fun, Michael has an amazing "illusionist" couple, Ridgeway and Johnson. I've seen a little of what they can do, all I can say is "damn, how did they do that". Kristen is also ranked as one of the top escape artists in the world. Worth seeing.
Michael will be in concert Saturday at 7 p.m. at Midland's Horseshoe, but will be meeting fans and signing autographs from 5 p.m. till the show starts. You should try and come. I'm telling you.....he is really good! Take a look.....
I've spent the last three days with Michael and he is the real deal. I don't know that I've ever heard a more effective speaker and one who has a knack of gettng his message across to kids through music, laughter and with his own personal story. We have already had several engagments and today, Friday, he is speaking at Lee Freshman High School, Goddard and Abell Junior Highs in Midland and tonight we travel to Lamesa and the high school there.
And......Michael is a great musician, songwriter and C&W star. Named "CMA newcomer of the year" in 1997 he quickly had five hits in the country charts top 10 and one reached #1. I've heard Michael this week playing accoustically at his speaking engagements. I can't wait to hear him plugged in with his entire band Saturday night. For a little extra fun, Michael has an amazing "illusionist" couple, Ridgeway and Johnson. I've seen a little of what they can do, all I can say is "damn, how did they do that". Kristen is also ranked as one of the top escape artists in the world. Worth seeing.
Michael will be in concert Saturday at 7 p.m. at Midland's Horseshoe, but will be meeting fans and signing autographs from 5 p.m. till the show starts. You should try and come. I'm telling you.....he is really good! Take a look.....
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
You won't be forgotten....
Faithful readers will recall that last year at this time friends Scott Davis, Terry Johnson and I [along with a lot of help!] staged what we called The West Texas Troop Salute at Rockhounds Stadium. Organized in only 2 months time, the event exceeded our wildest expectations with over 4,000 people showing their gratitude and support for our troops. We had intended to repeat the Troop Salute this year.
But, after a great deal of heartfelt consideration, we decided that the same event might not draw the crowd it did last year, the old "we've seen that" syndrome, which we understand. And we wanted to do something a little more directly appreciative for some troops needing a lot of support.
So...this year we are doing "Hero Appreciation Day" at the rehab unit of Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. The rehab unit is where the most severely wounded troops spend months..even years getting their bodies, minds and spirits healed. We want to give them a break from the hard work of healing by hosting a barbecue on the lawn at the hospital.
What started out as a simple plan to take a "BBQ trailer" down and cook some hot dogs ourselves has turned into a large, but worthwhile, undertaking. And the support, as usual, is phenomenal. Luckily, last year I had met the Chief of Staff of US ArmyNorth at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio and he has been a major boost on the ground there helping us to put this together. He has the Army volunteering tent canopies, chairs, tables and man power. What started as a dog cookout now has Rudy's Famous Barbecue catering the event for what we think will be between 3-400 patients and their families, guests, VIP's and just plain folks.
Support and offers of assistance are coming from all over. Larry Gatlin is on board and this week we were contacted by C&W recording artist Roger Creager...he'll be there. The Lucky Tomblin Band signed on today. A shuttle astronaut I met in Midland last month is flying in from Canada for the event. A major radio station in San Antonio is live broadcasting the proceedings. CBS7 in Odessa is sending a news crew, Borden's is donating all the ice cream we can eat and the list goes on...
Last month my phone rang...."hi this is Connie Nelson, I'm Willie Nelson's ex wife, I heard what you're doing and I'd like to help. I can serve, clean up...whatever". Well Connie is helping now....a lot. I talk to her several times a day. She's still in the music business, knows everyone and is working on several more entertainers. And, of course, she called Willie. Willie is now a major sponsor and started off by sending 300 of his new CD's and 300 special "Willie Bandannas".
Rudy's Barbecue is giving us a large first class barbecue for 400 people at cost, but they have to pay for their overhead so there still was a chunk of change to cover. I told Connie we were looking for a sponsor for the meal, she said don't worry. She called me back an hour later and told me she had a friend who was interested in helping and to email the Rudy's contract to her. I did, and this morning I received a call from one of the family member/owners of a major western wear company. Five minutes later, deal done, the entire meal picked up by Cavender's Boots.
We will have some name entertainment, VIP's, and other notables attending, but the main goal of the whole affair is to have a crowd there to let these troops know how much we appreciate their sacrifices for us and that we won't let them be forgotten. So, if you can be in San Antonio on May 21st we'd love to have you, we kick off the festivities at 6 pm. The link above is our press release.......
But, after a great deal of heartfelt consideration, we decided that the same event might not draw the crowd it did last year, the old "we've seen that" syndrome, which we understand. And we wanted to do something a little more directly appreciative for some troops needing a lot of support.
So...this year we are doing "Hero Appreciation Day" at the rehab unit of Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. The rehab unit is where the most severely wounded troops spend months..even years getting their bodies, minds and spirits healed. We want to give them a break from the hard work of healing by hosting a barbecue on the lawn at the hospital.
What started out as a simple plan to take a "BBQ trailer" down and cook some hot dogs ourselves has turned into a large, but worthwhile, undertaking. And the support, as usual, is phenomenal. Luckily, last year I had met the Chief of Staff of US ArmyNorth at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio and he has been a major boost on the ground there helping us to put this together. He has the Army volunteering tent canopies, chairs, tables and man power. What started as a dog cookout now has Rudy's Famous Barbecue catering the event for what we think will be between 3-400 patients and their families, guests, VIP's and just plain folks.
Support and offers of assistance are coming from all over. Larry Gatlin is on board and this week we were contacted by C&W recording artist Roger Creager...he'll be there. The Lucky Tomblin Band signed on today. A shuttle astronaut I met in Midland last month is flying in from Canada for the event. A major radio station in San Antonio is live broadcasting the proceedings. CBS7 in Odessa is sending a news crew, Borden's is donating all the ice cream we can eat and the list goes on...
Last month my phone rang...."hi this is Connie Nelson, I'm Willie Nelson's ex wife, I heard what you're doing and I'd like to help. I can serve, clean up...whatever". Well Connie is helping now....a lot. I talk to her several times a day. She's still in the music business, knows everyone and is working on several more entertainers. And, of course, she called Willie. Willie is now a major sponsor and started off by sending 300 of his new CD's and 300 special "Willie Bandannas".
Rudy's Barbecue is giving us a large first class barbecue for 400 people at cost, but they have to pay for their overhead so there still was a chunk of change to cover. I told Connie we were looking for a sponsor for the meal, she said don't worry. She called me back an hour later and told me she had a friend who was interested in helping and to email the Rudy's contract to her. I did, and this morning I received a call from one of the family member/owners of a major western wear company. Five minutes later, deal done, the entire meal picked up by Cavender's Boots.
We will have some name entertainment, VIP's, and other notables attending, but the main goal of the whole affair is to have a crowd there to let these troops know how much we appreciate their sacrifices for us and that we won't let them be forgotten. So, if you can be in San Antonio on May 21st we'd love to have you, we kick off the festivities at 6 pm. The link above is our press release.......
Monday, April 14, 2008
I Like Maps...
I've always liked and been interested in maps. I also love PBS' Antiques Roadshow. Tonight the two converged. I've seen some interesting things on AR over the years that are somewhat related to some of the things I own, like the Whistler lithograph that was appraised last year. Thanks to my grandparents I have a Whistler lithograph.
But tonight a 19th century world atlas appeared that was very much like the 1800's atlas that I too possess, once again thanks to my art and book collecting grandfather. The atlas on AR was an 1836 version, mine is a 1852 and German, but the maps in both are hand painted lithographs, both complete and in very good condition and appear quite similar.
Even though I would expect mine to sell at somewhat of a discount to this American version, I was somewhat pleasantly surprised by the appraised value. Take a look at the AR Atlas Appraisal.
But tonight a 19th century world atlas appeared that was very much like the 1800's atlas that I too possess, once again thanks to my art and book collecting grandfather. The atlas on AR was an 1836 version, mine is a 1852 and German, but the maps in both are hand painted lithographs, both complete and in very good condition and appear quite similar.
Even though I would expect mine to sell at somewhat of a discount to this American version, I was somewhat pleasantly surprised by the appraised value. Take a look at the AR Atlas Appraisal.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
The Lost Jimmy Tapes...
It's amazing what shows up and where. Somehow on Spike.Com I ran into the uncut version of an interview with Jimmy Patterson at the MRT and My West Texas done with me right after the passing of The Big Gold Dog. I'm glad to find it saved; it sure brought back some memories.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Another Passing....
The size of my already small family became ever smaller yesterday with the passing of my Mom's older sister. My aunt Kay was a remarkable woman who overcame profound deafness, as a result of a childhood illness, to become a charming Navy wife, a caring mother and grandmother and a professional artist. She read lips so well and spoke so clearly that often we forgot she had almost no hearing. With the vagaries of modern life we saw too little of her, but her kindness and love of family will keep her in our hearts forever...
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Native Plant Sale...
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