Occurs to me, other than folks close by, haven’t brought anyone up to date on my adventures at Hopkins. There’s been disasters, happenings, drama and trauma far more significant than how steady my heart is ticking. No matter, I’ve been sharing all this stuff up to now, best keep going.
Bottom line, the heart is fine. No blockages reported, they went in through my wrist and took a look around, then sent me home. I’m very lucky in that regard and plan to make good on it with a strengthened determination to living right. Best of all, to balance out the blood pressure, I’m now taking one less pill. Most of us who are taking long-term medications can’t say that and I’ll try to make good on that too.
Obviously, not a lot on my mind these days. Well now, hold on. The mind is still active, just haven’t taken the time to excavate the thoughts. There’s no dry spell, the ideas still pour in. When my buddy Todd sends me a story of his to look at, I’m all over it. Working with Todd on matters relating to words has been ongoing for a number of years. Along with our share of adventures, there’s not a minute to regret. Our collaboration is a most interesting story and perhaps in the coming months I’ll set forth the facts and notions.
Been busy taking care of my ma who has come to stay for a spell. She had a spill getting out of the car at the garage attempting to have air put in the tires. When you break your ankle and you’re 86 years old and a widow, you’re in a pickle. Naturally, ma needs a little help while the bones heal and I’m just the one to do it. The most rewarding thing for both of us is we are able to spend good, quality time with each other. Hopefully, spending time now will help lessen the disappointment of all those times I should have visited her, but didn’t.
Sitting at the dining room table where the wheelchair fits, we’ve talked about raising children. My wife had many questions about the early days, whatever she could find out about my sordid past. Being a good mother, my ma didn’t blurt out all of my shortcomings as a child, although there were many. I always tried to behave, but being a kid meant that wasn’t always important. Making mistakes and getting into trouble were great learning experiences for my mother. I tried to provide her with as many opportunities as I could.
Life wasn’t easy for my mom growing up. Surely wasn’t later on when she and my stepdad were raising me and my siblings. The missus and I have raised four children. We remain busy raising a grandchild, so I can certainly appreciate the hardships and challenges of being a parent. Wasn’t concerned with any of that when I was young, but it’s come full circle now. There’s a deeper appreciation for what my folks went through to get me and my siblings on the road. You tuck away the memories of childhood, but being a parent gets under your skin in more ways than one.
Cold weather creeps into the bones and occupies the mind with thoughts of ice, snow, arctic winds and the like. Still, life rarely affords one the opportunity to effect change whenever we want. Other than helping out where we can with climate change, we’re just not gonna change the weather. Better to simply keep our spirits up and adjust as needed.
Now, the one huge project I’ve been working on has finally come to fruition. Releasing the final volumes of remastered Freedom Alley music has been a rewarding accomplishment. The legacy of Freedom Alley is rich and needs to be shared. Listen to the music. You’ll be rewarded many times over.
Many may want to believe the simple, reality-based story about me and my good friend Mark. We met in college and struck up a musical collaboration that continued after school. The story takes off when Mark introduces his cousins and the four of us begin playing music and drinking beers. No world tours, no appearances at Woodstock, just four guys getting together to hang out and have some fun. That could be the story you believe.
For me, the story set forth in the Freedom Alley section of this broadway extended site is far more credible. Creatively, it is far more enlightening and flat out more interesting than any other rumor or story being spread. Let’s not be delusional, however. Other than the original band members, one or two other folks might be interested in the stories.
The eternal friendships were forged. An incredibly solid body of work will stand as testament that we weren’t just fooling around when we got together. We had vision, but just as often dribble and it’s a wonder how some nights we could even make music. Still, what we brought to the table had a magical way of melding into one, unique sound. It was a sound that many musical groups would envy. Some of the songs sound pretty sloppy, but I’m proud of these recordings. It is my genuine hope you’ll find a track or two that speaks to you.
Besides all of that, being thankful at Thanksgiving was a welcome respite to the drama that goes on around here. Mom and I had a quiet Thanksgiving dinner for two as my wife travelled to her sisters for the day. In all, we had a lot to be thankful for. Reflecting on those less fortunate, one can only hope that America will see its way through the polarized politics, weather, family squabbles, corporate greed, too many television commercials, salmonella outbreaks and all the other impediments to a peaceful and prosperous life. After all, Christmas is coming.
Yes we do grow old and depend on the youngsters to carry the loan. Great grand children are a pleasure to be around. Thanks again for all the days of confinement , could not have done it without your care.
Your ramblings always prove to be a good read. Keep on rambling, Wally 🙂