RETRO FAMILIA...

Last night we went to hear Ramsey Lewis and John Pizzarelli play an evening full of Nat King Cole tunes...goes without saying, they were great!

50's music carried me back to another time and place...when I happened to be walking in Barcelona past the home of Antoni Gaudi, where he stayed when he was working on Sagra Familia. I noticed this Retro British Gal coming my way. She was really pleasant and accommodated me with this little snap shot...

Cool Beans!
BTW, she was also sporting a polka dot dress and saddle shoes...
Perfect! You gotta love it!
                                             :^)   Tom

GOOD TIME TO REMEMBER...

                                  THE PASSOVER LAMB

                                     THE LAST TRUMPET

Gotta be there... 

                                     Fit for the  King,   Tom                                        

WHAT'S IT GONNA TAKE...

...to win your smile?

...??? Huh?
                                               O K tnx :^)

OK, YOU HUSKERS!

It's time to come home...

Springtime in Nebraska...

It's growing season,               :^)  Tom

                                              

LOVER'S LANE...

Could be any lane...depends on how you walk it...

This one's just down the street from the Duomo in Milano. Turn left at the Brera.

You can't miss it.

:^) Tom

TRIBUTE TO DANA...

It's a real sad day for me today. I got up to the news of my old friend Dana Stephenson's passing a few days ago. This is personal, I know and most people who visit my blog have probably never heard of Dana. But, considering the sobering nature of this fleeting life, I'd like to share a memory...

Dana was a stud...should have been a warrior. Everybody loved and admired him as a handsome man, gifted athlete and notably talented person. Dana was special. He oozed life and excitement in the good old days and was so much fun to be around. He was one of my favorite mates. When we took the field, there was no slow gear...only hair on fire, always pushing the limits! He played hard and knew how to compete. That's what I loved about him. That was when all was fine in the world. Trouble is, Dana didn't fit, got targeted and was brought down, hard...'made an example of', and until close to the end struggled getting his feet back under himself, the discipline part of his mojo back.

From Leavenworth, he wrote and told me his prison leading batting average number, and about how when things are going your way, you seem to have a freight train full of friends, but when hard times hit, you can fit your real friends in the backseat of a Volkswagon (bug)... 

When I was a kid, we had a little framed picture of a dog with this saying on the wall... 

'A friend is not a feller who is taken in by sham, 

A friend is one who knows our faults and doesn't give a damn.'

                                                          Hard life,

                                                          Soft core,

                                                          Thanks, Dana...

                                                          To be continued,

                                                                            Tom

TRUE ART...

Sriyani and I spent most of one day last week roaming the hallowed halls of the Louve in Paris. The famous gallery is massive in size, overwhelming actually, with mind blowing pieces of art all around, some ancient and from places and times we've barely heard of...

For me, the most beautiful expression of art I saw that day was a living man's leading role in the adventure he was sharing with his children. They were obviously dressed for the occasion, actively flowing and twirling and dancing and laughing their way through the gallery labyrinth. 

Their joy being together was remarkable...

After Dad agreed to let me photograph him with his son, I got my shot, we all thanked each other, then they turned and continued on their bouncy way...

Big sister didn't budge, just stood there looking up at me...

Do you want me to take your picture, too?

Oui...

Ok...Pose...Click...Smile...Giggle...Run away

Innocent as doves... 

The greatest art is heart to heart,
A worthy quest along the way.
It's a beautiful thing,
And, the beat don't stop for nothing...
Tom