WHAT I DID FOR LOVE...

August is a busy month in my restaurant.  I was preparing my steam table... cutting lemons, laying out various things I must have at my finger tips when cooking.

My cell phone rang.  I thought , "let it go... you can call back later..."  then my blood pressure started to sky rocket.  What IF it was an employee is calling about working tonight?  What IF it was my mother or father calling?  I stopped my jobs and reached for my cell phone.  It was a call from my baby sister in New Orleans.  I dialed, she answered.

Teresa said, "I know you are too busy to listen to the news, but, one of your favorite musical icons has died."
"Who?"
"Marvin Hamlisch.  I know how much you admired and loved the music the man created.  He died in
Los Angeles of some kind of lung failure.  I know you will morn this..."

She was spot on.  I actually choked a muffled cry inside my body!  This man's music had an enormous impact on my life.

He was born June 2, 1944.  Two years older than me.  When Teresa was telling all about this event I heard songs playing through my musical mind... THE STING.  He composed the musical score for the movie and of course the top tune:  THE ENTERTAINER by SCOTT JOPLIN... Scott Joplin became a house hold word!

I was  teaching piano to lots of kids during the 70's.   They ALL learned "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin.
They learned that there had been a rag time composer... a black man... married to a white woman!!! Scott Joplin composed many rags...

I have played for dance classes in some of the most famous dance schools in the USA for over 20 years of my life. WHY?

I grew up with a mother that loved dance and could dance.  I could improvise at the piano and play by ear... I could accomadate any change in tempo, drop measures, add more beats... you name it.  (BTW, this is not a good gift if you perform classical music!)

When "A CHORUS LINE" the musical hit Broadway, it represented a major part of my life as well as what I did to pay rent.

I saw it on Broadway.  I saw it in SLC, UT at the Capitol Theater.  I attended the LAST ROAD SHOW OF IT"S PERFORMANCES IN DENVER COLORADO.  I have a key chain I purchased at the Denver Show. It sits on a sacred table I have in NZ of certain rocks, photos, dried flowers...

I loved all the music Marvin composed but two songs belong to me forever.  "WHAT I DID FOR LOVE" and the main theme... "ONE" from A CHORUS LINE.  Marvin gave me a very special gift.  A melody that would haunt me all of my life.  I have forever said:  If you want to give someone a gift they will never forget............ give them a melody.

I went to NYC in 1968.  Liza was a nobody... Bette Midler was not really known... Marvin?  well?  Brent was there but, they Liza, Bette etc. even Barry Manallow  went far beyond my dreams.  (I lied, I went to NYC the first time when I was 17 because I had won a talent contest!)

I knew from then on that, that particular city belonged to me... or I belonged to it in another lifetime.

In 1968 MAME was the rage.  I saw it with Angela Langsbery live at the Schubert Theater.   At the time I was in rehearsal for a musical review called:  "FROM BROADWAY WITH LOVE".  That story could fill a book beyond belief.  I have had to learn some big lessons in life!

I met Marvin two times in my and his life.  Once in Las Vegas.  He was performing his Piano Concerto.  Once in SLC, UT.  He was a bit nervous because of his Jewish background and the Mormon power.  I told him:  THE MORMONS NEED THE JEWS, THE JEWS NEED THE MORMONS OMG, what if Hamlish were alive in this dimension and with the up and coming election!  WHAT WOULD HE DO... write a fantastic song.  Damn I miss him.

He is one of 11  people to win all four major U.S. performing awards:  EMMY AWARD, GRAMMY AWARD, OSCAR and TONY AWARDS.  This collection of 4 is referred to as an "EGOT".
Hamlish and RICHARD RODGERS... (Sound of Music, Oklahoma, Show Boat...) are the only two people to win this award.  HE, HAMLISH ALSO WON A PULITZER PRIZE.  The list is endless.


When Understood that he had died.  I lit a candle.  I placed one of my sacred stones beside it and gave him my adoration and thanks for making my musical life amazing.

I cannot imagine our planet living without his music.  I love my classical genius's but We ALL NEED the music of MARVIN.  He is eternal.  I miss him.

One can read more about him on line.

change... snow... colder temps...

Yesterday brought snow.

As Robert Frost wrote... Stopping by woods on a snowy evening.  The little horse must think it queer not to have a farm house near... he gives his harness bells a shake as if to ask is there some mistake?  The woods are lovely dark and deep but, I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep and miles to go before I sleep... and promises to keep...

Snow brings "SILENCE".  Snow covers stuff that is ugly.  Snow INSULATES.  It keep heat inside caves, houses, tents...  IGLOOS!  Snow translates into winter solstice.  It defines the meaning of being cold.

Every snow flake is a glorious "individual" only one of a pattern.  Proof that we humans are much like snow flakes.  Each and every one of us has are very own DNA that sets us apart from  other life forms.  That DNA is also a part of our spiritual being.  It defines who and what we are in this dimension of time and space.

Weeks ago I awoke 'round 5 AM.  The heavens were scintillating with the light of diamonds.  Stars.  The Milky Way was vibrating.  It set into words one of my favorite lines from Longfellow:::Then, within the meadows of heaven blossomed the lovely stars.  The "Forget-me-nots" of the angels.  ONE STAR SHOWN BEYOND THE REST... THE MORNING STAR.

When I was a little boy I learned a transcription piano solo of this wonderful aria by Wagner.  The Morning Star.  The melody thrummed it's vibrations inside my musical mind.  I had to walk out into the woods and become part of the celebration of morning.  A NEW DAY.

I have all these topics I want to write about but do not seem to find the "creative force" that enables me to put into words what I feel or am thinking...  Tomorrow is a new day!

A Native American told me once that the best way to live was:  KEEP CLEAN AND KEEP YOUR PROMISES.  I promise I will write about so many things that occurred the past few months.

I am practicing 2 and more hours a day!  THAT IS AMAZING!

My neck, arms, hands, wrists are in pain!

They will be fine in a few days.  Using muscles I have not engaged in months is a kind of strange adventure in and of itself!   I am excited about my musical adventure in NYC.

Goals keep us centered.
Music demands the three "D'S"... Determination, dedications and discipline.

MAGIC

I do believe in MAGIC!  My life has always and will forever be magic.  I simply have to fit into a new and different space.  From Memorial day week end until the end of September I put on a different hat.
I hate "LABELS".  You are a pianist, you are a Mormon, you are a weight lifter, you are a writer, you are a rebel, you are  and you are and you are.  I had an old Doctor in Star Valley tell me ounce:  WE ARE SIMPLY SPIRITUAL BEINGS EXPERIENCING A PHYSICAL BODY.  (Dr. O.D. Perkes)

I do believe he was absolutely right. Einstein proved E- Mass... everyone knows the equation.  When I was fading into another world with cancer three years ago... there was a force that lifted me, held me within the arms of love and I was never afraid of dying.  I was afraid of living.  PEOPLE CAN BE EVIL and they CAN AND WILL DO VERY BAD THINGS TO THE HUMAN RACE, NATURE, YES THEY DO EFFECT THE UNIVERSE!

I believe somethings in life are like art of tuning my piano.

Roger Baker is a MASTER.  He maintains the pianos at the most precious musical event on this earth:  THE TETON MUSIC FESTIVAL.  When I was in St. John's Hospital in Jackson Hole WY.  he walked into my room without my knowing.  He was tuning a piano at the new performing arts center.  He is a doctor for pianos.  He loves my piano.  He never fails to keep it in a state of bliss and awaiting my hands.

He came by the first of Sept. and I had him care for my means of expression.  (MY PIANO)  He made my piano sound like an angel.  He understands the way my hands fall and touch the keys... he knows I live in a harsh climate and it effects the piano...  HE UNDERSTANDS HOW I EXPRESS MY BEING ALIVE VIA THE PIANO.

We need medicine and Doctors to keep us alive.  Today I drove Matt to the SV Medical Clinic for tests round 7:30 AM.  The moon was at it's crest, the stars were smiling at me... I had to awake round 6:30 AM to drive him to Afton.  Buy the time I picked him up the sun was just beginning to smile on me life.

I live within the most amazing energy on earth.  The Mountains, the rivers, the sky, the sunsets, the moon and stars.  Life is good.

I've got a lot to be thankful for...

ALERT:  EXCUSE MY POOR SPELLING.  MY SPELL CHECK WILL NOT WORK AT THE MOMENT AND I AM FRUSTRATED.  ALAS!

We closed the business Sept. 30th, Sunday evening 2012.   Sometimes I do not STOP and just think:  I have so much, beyond imagination to be thankful for.  The past year I have been so fortunate, and yet I still want to expand more and more and explore so many other things in what life I have left in this dimension.

The beginning of the season was good.  I hired a cook...  He was in his late 50's and he did a fine job, but had so many other issues in his life.  Suddenly in July he could no longer work.  I worked alone... into August.  That means a lot of prep work... making soups, sauces, baking potatoes, and more things than most people would understand.  Then the Universe gave me a fine young man.  A 23 years old and able to handle the job.

My staff, meaning girls were pure magic and worked their sweet butts off for me.  Business was way up and my health did not fail me...

I awoke this morning round 8 AM.  I did go to bed early last night.

It was very cold this morning, but I had to GET OUT AND DISCOVER THE PLACES IN THE WOODS I LOVE TO WALK WITHIN...  I have not taken any walks with the magic of nature since I opened Memorial Day Weekend...

I walked from the back door of the house to the highway.  The Mighty Snake River is extremely LOW.   One can see islands of sand, dead trees, and life that lives below the deep green waters.  I walked to what I call the mouth of the Grand Canyon of The Snake River.  My hands, and feet were freezing, but I could not stop climbing into the blue morning sky, the mist on the river and the clean air.

I finally turned around and walking back toward my house I turned into my sacred Green Cathedral.  I have written about this space before.  It was full of the symphony of bird, pine and cedar songs.  The few yellow leaves of the quaking aspen were vibrating against the endless blue sky holding a half moon within it's loving arms.

I walked into my kitchen, made bacon, eggs and toast.  Then walked up to the house to begin a cleaning project that I have neglected for months.

The tree squrills were every where.  I have two that live behind my restaurant.  I named the one FATSO.  He actually got stuck in the drain pipe that goes into my dumpsters...  his fat body did release itself because of the grease drippings... the other squirrel I named Squrilly Shirley...  She can simply fly through the air.

Behind the house we have tree squirrels.  One was on the ladder we have propped against the house because of painting projects.  That damn squrill was on the top of ladder when I came home this afternoon.  It scurried down the ladder steps.  (I am not making this up...) then ran to the crab apple tree beside the sliding doors in the kitchen of the house.  It sat on the  end of a limb and began going up and down on the branch of the tree, which is laden with apples.  The little critter was having a ball.  There was another one in a cedar tree behind the crab apple tree.  Cedar berries are not as big as the crab apples... crab apples are about the size of a marble...  the poor bugger in the cedar tree could not compete with Crab apple Amusement Parks Rides.

I remember my Grandma Johnston making Crab apple Jelly when I was a little boy.  She would hold the sealed jars up to sunlight to see the clarity and color of the jelly.

In Eastern Wyoming everyone has their "secret" places where Huckleberries grow.  Where Morel Mushrooms grow...  I love it because where I grew up in Northern Utah, we had to drive into the canyons to find Chokecherries... Sarvis Berries...  and mushrooms?  we left the mushroom hunting to the Ute Indians.

I played Beethoven on my piano today!  I down loaded books from Amazon.com onto my I Pad...
I am so  grateful I have so many gorgeous things in my life.  Most of all nature, music, family and friends.

I plan to write about many things that drifted through my mind the past four months.  Life is good.