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Ode to Mom

We packed a picnic of egg salad and the nun’s Irish soda bread with some cookies from Sucre and headed over to Mom’s grave to refresh her flowers, have lunch with her, and commemorate the anniversary of her death two years ago. It was a beautiful day, the camellia bushes in the cemetery had all spent their blossoms that now skirted the tree like a snowy apron, the sun was bright, and the undergrowth around…

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Everywhere else it is just Tuesday night

We always say on Fat Tuesday that everywhere else it’s just Tuesday, but really last night a friend and I went to Meaux Bar and it was lively and gay. I had a delicious lardon salad and a winter vegetable soup that was divine; my friend had boudin noir – delicious. Then we headed to the Spotted Cat to hear Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns who were starting at 10PM. We walked into…

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Play date

Tin went to his nap knowing that when he got up he had a playdate with Lina so he woke up so excited and said, “I have a playdate and I’m going to eat pizza and cookies and have juice,” – hmmm – I said I think it is broccoli and kale they are serving. “NO BROCCOLI AND KALE!” Fine, I have a playdate tonight too – I’m going out with my Puerto Rican friend…

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Evan Christopher

To celebrate the release of a new Clarinet Road CD, Clever Wines will host my next jazz brunch this Sunday. They’re handling the food this time, and if it’s half as good as the band, it will be great.  I have Mike Pellera, Peter Harris, and Ocie Davis. Background jazz? No way! Hope to see you Sunday. Doors open at 11am, music starts at 11:30. Because seating is very limited, they are taking reservations. Please call…

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It’s who you know

I went from a StarTac to a Blackberry to an iPhone and along the way my contacts have gotten more and more screwed up. I’ve just figured out that I’m not going to have the email or phone number I am looking for at any given time. But when I asked a friend who dat? she responded and I apologized for my contacts being all screwed up and she said, everyone knows my contacts are…

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A singular focus

In contemplating all the things that are changing in our life, what seems constant is music’s indelible place. Children respond to music and dance and sing without inhibition. Adults respond to music in more muted tones (well some of us, some still have happy feet). Tin has always had a strong ability to focus in on music – remembering lyrics, beats, and even the performer’s gestures. Music is what redeemed us from the darkness of…

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It ain’t dere no more

One of the themes after Federal Flood was all the things that weren’t here no more like K&B or Sidmar’s or Bucktown or Fitzgerald’s or Maggie’s. But lately in my interactions with Tin I find myself telling him over and over that what I am doing right now might not be what he does when he grows up such as: Reading the newspaper Putting a letter in the mailbox at the post office The payphone…

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The thin veil

I was reading a post about the passing of Coco Robicheaux on a friend’s blog and was thinking to this week where Wednesday marks the second anniversary of my mom’s passing. Today as if written, Deacon John’s smooth voice was belting out Any Day Now, the same song he played graveside for her one year memorial. It’s time to refresh her flowers in her vase, and to visit just for a spell, and mostly to…

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The Lounging for the Lord option

Faced with the innumerable possibilities of how to spend yesterday evening into this evening, the drumming at the Healing Center, the Celebration in the Oaks, the French Quarter stroll, Three Muses, a CD release party for a friend, a playdate – we did the following: nothing, nada, zilch. Because when you can’t remember the last time you simply lounged for the lord then the time is ripe. No excuses necessary.

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