Art In Pastel

Mermaids are Just Fish with Hair

2011-05-23T14:17:00.002-07:00

maighdean mhara -Maid of the Sea

It is May and yet the wind blows as if March were puffing and pulling uphill to gain distance from the cold of winter. Dragging its feet, the sun hides behind huge pillows of mist and darkness. An occasional glimpse emerges only to remind of what the sun is capable..

"It is too complicated."says the mermaid...."I am unable to continue life upon the unrelenting land. I need the comfort found in the arms of the sea to bring me peace, to ease my pain."

The maid of the sea struggled to return to former years where songs and words brought empty shells of joy, but what once was disguised as warmth, revealed itself as but cool memories and longing. Even as she mourns the loss of those she loves she knows the gentle waves upon the tide will bring her kindness and relief.

"I cannot jump over nor even see my shadow upon the waters of the sea!" she says. "The way I feel, the life I have is not a script; performance to be played upon earths' stage, cues coming from men within its bowels and presented as a sign from heaven. I am what I am, and sink or swim, I belong to the sea." With one last look upon the shore, she says

"After all, mermaids are just fish with hair."

Yawn!

2010-12-16T15:30:00.001-07:00

I only wanted to plunge into the depths of sleep, but the sea was shallow and muddled with thoughts of worries and sadness; so the soft warm down cover became my shroud.

As I lie there in the wake of time I desperately longed for the quiet rhythm and the sound of breath, but the thunder of my vociferous mind was more percussive, more pronounced.

....and so I became a wall...and just let the sounds bounce with the persistence of a child's ball....and now, by day, I sit and yawn and can't remember what all the noise was about.

Holder of Memories

2010-12-13T14:04:00.001-07:00

It is late on a warm summer afternoon. He has read the paper and has had his tea. He relaxes in the garden while smoking his cigar, elegantly moving his hand to and from his mouth as if dancing a slow waltz in the air. The birds, ignore the lounging cats next to his chair and sing joyously as he gathers mental wool.

Years of memories flood each daydream moment because he, alone, is the proprietor of these stories. All the secrets of his past belong to him. Most don't even recognize the significance of this property. To them he is the kind, gentle man living amongst the lime trees at the end of the lane. They are not aware of his unusual talent to remember in detail what would only be vague recollections in their minds. His ability to summon images of days gone by have remained his secret for the duration of his life. Generous as he is, this is one treasure he has only rarely shared with others.

Something, though, is about to happen. Tomorrow he will open many of the chapters of this intangible property retained within him and release the floodgates of past events

He will begin to precisely write them down and share his inheritance with those coming and they will become sharers in his trust.

The writing of memoirs may seem inconsequential at times, but recording your story can bring about cause and effect that is life changing. Why? Because the written word clarifies. The documented account forms order amongst confusion. The repeated assessment of situations occurred in the "before" brings clarity to the equation of the "present". It explains stigmas and dogmas. It elucidates intentions; sheds light on; and demystifies the past.

Spicy, Garlicky Brussels Sprouts For the Soul

2010-11-16T12:39:00.000-07:00

Take 1 1/2 lbs of sprouts, halved and put them in a pot with salted boiling water. Cook until bright green, which is about 2-3 minutes, and then drain and pat them dry with a paper towel.

Heat 3 tbsp of olive oil in a large deep skillet...get it to start shimmering, but before it starts to smoke...then add 2 large garlic cloves, smashed, and the sprouts...let cook over high heat for about a minute without stirring. Add 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper, season with salt, and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until they are browned and tender...usually about 3 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl. And serve warm. This recipe is for 6...or if you really like sprouts, for 2...maybe for one.

So why do I have this recipe on my blog, you ask? Silly question! Because eating delicious things is not only physically satisfying but it soothes the mind. Comfort food, no less.

I recall reading something that Oscar Wilde said, "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." I liked that quote because it made me aware that I need not try to fit myself into someone else's mold. To quote another, a very dear friend: "I am adult with a logical and emotional thinking mind, please let me use it and don't treat me like a brainless idiot." .....Ah, yes, that means if something can be stated without evidence, if it is presented without clarity and logic and reason, I am allowed to dismiss it without reproof and be done with it....forever. Good. Done.

MacDonald's Happy Meals have been banned in San Francisco out of fear they may encourage unhealthful eating....But my own form of "happy meals" are not banned....I will not force-feed you broccoli or Brussels sprouts if you come to my table...nor will I try to change you into someone you are not. I promise not to treat you like an idiot, but if you would like some Spicy, Garlicky Brussels Sprouts For the Soul, I will share mine with you.

A Chance

2010-09-16T10:01:00.002-07:00

Here are some song lyrics I wrote a while back. Working on the music now. Haven't figured out what is easier, write the melody then the lyrics or lyrics and add music. Think I will stick to painting pictures. Much easier.

1.You tell me all the clouds are gone

The weather will be clear

You say the sun is shining now

That spring and love are near

You pour the wine to celebrate

We all should laugh and dance

My steps though make me stumble dear

Oh, I think I’ve lost my balance here

Am I confused? I am , I fear

I may have missed my chance.

(chorus)

A chance for love

A chance I’ve never had before

I wait for sunshine from above

To shine on me

Because there’s still a cloud up high

And rain pours down on me

I stand beneath a different sky

Than the one you seem to see

I turn and turn in every way

Am I just in a trance?

It’s really, really raining here

I’m sure I’ve lost my balance dear

Can’t see my way ‘cos of the tears

So scared I missed the chance.

(chorus)

A chance for love

One chance I’ve never had before

I wait for sunshine from above

To shine on me

You cover me with all your love

My eyes dried with your kiss

You say you will look after me

Not let the cloud persist

You hold me close and lead me now

Down a path you call romance.

And so I will not stumble here

I’ll never lose my balance dear

Because my lover holds me near

And won’t let me miss this chance.

(chorus)

A chance for love

A chance I’ve never had before

Now sunshine from above

Will shine on me.

copyright, 2010

Steps to Completion

2010-08-30T18:40:00.000-07:00

I started this pastel a few weeks ago and decided to post the various steps. In this first photo you can see the areas blocked out with color as I plan out the layout of the picture.

Step two is more defined and the colors are intensified. In particular, you see the darker colors are chalked in. It becomes a bit more clear what is being depicted.

The third picture shows the finer details and the highlighted areas are painted in.

Finally, I edit on my computer by using various filters.

Things have changed a lot since we were young

2010-04-22T14:01:00.008-07:00

Things have changed a lot since we were young. Today I almost said I would like to go back to the time of my youth…almost.

Changed my mind though because I suddenly realized there are quite a few things I like and would have to do without (since the ‘60’s):

Fiber tip pens, Videos and DVDs, Acrylic paint, Permanent press fabric, CDs, PCs, MS Windows, Calculators, Integrated circuits, the internet, ATMs, debit cards, barcode scanners, LCDs, Ethernet, Post- its, Laser printer/ink jet printer, wireless, Cell phones, digital cameras, digital cell phones with cameras, iTunes and youtube, cordless drills, microwave ovens, , gel nails, power mowers, checking my balance and paying bills online, my ipod, solar panels, hybrid cars, Email, Fax machines, blogs, google and facebook, Valium……and on and on.

Okay, I agree, a lot of these things actually make life more complicated, more removed from the natural and less communal, but they are interesting, enjoyable and provide some form comfort. No, I don’t want to go back…only in a couple of aspects…just one or two things I would change if I had the chance.

………………………………………………………………………………………

So my father wants me to tell the story of how I was arrested in Hamburg Germany back in the ‘60’s…he wants to include this tale in his memoirs. I decided to put it on my blog so he can have a copy. Here goes. Are you ready for this?

1964, Kaiserslautern American HighSchool in Germany, and as I recall, we had just received our report cards. Shirley Findlay, good friend and fellow classmate, fearful of the response she would get from her father regarding some unfavorable grades in a few of her classes, decides she needs to get away from home rather than take the punishment she is sure to get. Being her “good friend” and somewhat of a sucker for adventure, (besides being extremely naïve), I volunteer to help her out by going with her. After all, she can’t speak German, doesn’t know her way around the country and has no friends outside of the Americans on the military base….but I do.

The Vagrant -Read the rest of the Story Here

Pattern of Pears

2010-04-09T15:28:00.001-07:00

Fangs

2010-04-08T11:31:00.003-07:00

Allegory of the Mill

2010-04-08T11:07:00.002-07:00

Gibson Mill...my oil painting, with surroundings somewhat transformed in Photoshop.

Chick Corea, Gary Burton - La Fiesta

2010-04-08T10:31:00.003-07:00

Juggling Matters of Life

2010-03-30T12:46:00.006-07:00

Without a doubt, I have had to learn to juggle.. I had hoped to keep every part of my life in motion,...balanced...secured. Whether it had to do with time, money, spirituality, pleasure, loyalty or love, I felt I had to have it all under control and managed. Yet, this was very short-sighted. There were no guarantees that I would be able to maintain the equilibrium necessary to keep it up forever. No one could possibly prepare me for when the ball drops.

The Path

2010-03-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

charcoal and pastel and then Photoshop CS2

Everybody's Talking

2010-03-09T16:32:00.001-07:00

Lonnie Johnson, 1963....Gosh I Love the Blues

2010-02-25T09:24:00.000-07:00

Another Night To Cry

Pasta alla Cacio e Pepe

2010-02-09T10:35:00.000-07:00

Want a delicious quick pasta dish that just gives you that warm all over feeling? Here is a recipe for Spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and Black Pepper. It is just the right thing to sink your teeth into when you are in a slump, feeling low and need a pick me up....can also be turned into a nice romantic candlelight meal...add some salad and a bottle of 2001 Barolo Corino vigneto Arborina Red Wine.....or, you know what, even a good Chardonnay will do.
Ingredients are:
6 oz Pecorino Romano Cheese...2 cups should be finely grated and 1 cup grated coursely.
1 lb. spaghetti
table salt
2 tbsp heavy cream
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil (I use Bertolli)
1 1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper

Place finely grated Pecorino Romano in medium bowl.
Set colander inside large bowl.

Bring 2 quarts water to boil in a large Dutch oven. Add pasta and the salt; cook, stirring frequently until al dente. Drain pasta into colander, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water....discard the rest. Return the pasta into the now empty large bowl.

Slowly whisk 1 cup of reserved pasta water into the finely grated Pecorino until smooth Whisk in the cream, oil and black pepper. Gradually pour this mixture over the pasta, tossing to coat. Then let the pasta rest for 1 or 2 minutes, tossing it frequently.

Finally toss again and add the remaining 1/2 cup of pasta water. Serve, passing the remaining coursely grated Pecorino separately. Serves 4 to 6.

Enjoy.

PS...I found this recipe listed in Cook's Illustrated. Easy, delightful, tasty!!!

The Maze

2010-01-27T15:32:00.001-07:00

Pencil and Photoshop

Out Of This World

2010-01-26T15:54:00.001-07:00

What I do While Watching TV

2010-01-25T15:05:00.000-07:00

In Harmony With the Universe

2010-01-25T14:07:00.003-07:00

Even the Stones Cry Out (pencil and colored ink)

According to quantum physics, our thoughts can influence and even alter the actions of the quantum particles around us. These particles make up the building blocks of our universe. Suffice it to say, we ourselves are made up of these quantum particles.

Not surprisingly then, we are each creators of our own realities and it is important to recognize that everything we do, every thought we have, affects our health, our relationships, our life, our very being.

We send out vibrations, thereby instigating cause and effect and manipulating our very existence. It behooves us then to focus on what really matters in the scope of things around us.

Since we are all made of energy (some days I would beg to differ with this fact) , I make it my goal to send out positive thoughts. I want a release from destructive and negative emotions and replace them with feelings that are healthy, loving and responsible. I do not disregard the pain and trauma we all experience, but I choose to consider them as tools for learning how to deal with the circumstances of life.

If, though, I become my own worst enemy by repeating self-destructive behaviors, then it is also up to me ....up to my own source of energy...to turn around from thinking in limited equations and restore, and readjust "my mind" to be in alignment with "my life". In turn, the quantum particles I release into the universe will resonate constructively for all.

A Fractured Life

2010-01-18T11:44:00.008-07:00

"Fracture" A Pencil and Marker drawing...then finished on the computer

"The question is and will continue to be 'where do I go from here?'"

There are so many options in life, so many ways to turn......numerous choices available to each of us.Yet, have you noticed that whatever path you follow....you are led to just another fork in the road?

Feel like giving up because you can't find the answer to this question? Is it because the answer does not seem to exist....at least not until after you have made the next step and continued on your journey?. ....and then it only takes you to a subsequent possibility. Each determination followed by yet another need to cast lots....another necessity to investigate, inquire or ponder "which way do I go?".

Obviously making a decision is not always a cognitive process. It is not black or white (no matter what people say)...not outlined for us...nor underlined in red. We choose directions (career, relationships, what books to read, what songs to sing, what pictures to paint....breakfast ,yes or no?) some that seem quite uneventful until suddenly we are going down a road opposite to where we expected to be headed. (ie: This morning I made the decision not to eat any junk today. It was a decision....but I regret to say the outcome was not as planned.)

We are not able to foresee the end result of actions before we have taken them...Well, we know what we expect to have happen.... what we would prefer..... but there are no guarantees.

So as we proceed along in this life (as we know it, as we live it), and accept the days as they are served us, we prepare for the fractures that our steps will cause.

The fault lines may bring pain and agony...but they also expose many interesting doorways...breaks in routine...treasures revealed as new outlooks...adventures previously hidden or unknown.

Each decision we make, whatever happens, every fracture on our personal road....makes us.

So, I accept my fractured life....

because I love the road I'm on........

although I don't quite know the outcome yet.

Twisted

2010-01-12T10:32:00.002-07:00

Your Music Strikes a Soothing Chord

2010-01-07T14:22:00.007-07:00

Your music strikes a soothing chord
Your voice is reassuring balm
Repairs the insecurities and doubts I have
‘Tis a balsam, an emollient calm.

Twisted is the mind of one in fear and worry
Easily torn asunder by a single blow
It takes not ten, nor five, not even two, I hear
But one lone strike can start the flow.

As the tears begin to gather ‘neath dark lashes
And the swell grows like rising dough
The cause is not a steady stream, nor trickle
But an aftermath of woe.

So, my love, your music strikes a soothing chord
Your voice is reassuring balm
Repairs the insecurities and doubts I have
It is a balsam, an emollient calm.
Micki 2010

There's No Dancing Without Music

2009-12-21T12:41:00.013-07:00

My friend Susan presented me with a gift certificate for Barnes and Noble upon completion of my week of classes at the Library Institute in June. I have been hanging on to it for a while. It is difficult for me to decide what to buy in a book store...too many books that I would like to read but not enough of them would I want to buy and put in my collection. I am picky about that. So this past Saturday I chose to purchase a CD instead and bought Al Jarreau's new The Very Best Of: An Excellent Adventure.

This YouTube clip is from a long time ago, but I still enjoy listening. Al has the ability to truly use his voice in such a magnificent way....he can sing the most romantic songs and then turn right around and get funky while having fun....Yes, one of my favorites. Al Jarreau is such a great performer...have never seen him in concert. Hope to do so one day.

Al with another great...George Benson. Oh, and check it out...Jill Scott and others....even Paul McCartney on this clip.

An Encounter Along the Way

2009-11-18T13:41:00.010-07:00

I recently met a tree with a story to tell. It had already lived a long life and was yet not done with living. Its roots were gnarled and misshapen, but the trunk stretched upward, straight and longingly towards the sky. Branches lifted to greet the sun each morning and it enjoyed association with like companions on all sides. The tree knew its destiny was to rise above the clamour found upon the ground.

“Unlike you”, the tree said, “I know my direction in life. You race around in circles, looking for miracles, always using someone else’s map….why do you not follow your own path?” he asked me.

I struggled with the answer. “I don’t always know where I am going”, I said. “I just wish to get somewhere better than the place I have started from, and there is no linear path…no straight up for me", I said, tears welling from self pity.

The tree shook its leaves in disbelief and counseled, “You need not make your life a project…just live it to the full and let each single day be your guide. Strip away distractions and what is left is “you”…not what others ‘say about you’ or ‘do to you’ or ‘think of you’….the simple answer is, you will know your way in life if you allow your heart to direct your steps.”

I suddenly realized my direction had been framed in by my personality and driven by my ego. The “past” had trained my habits and wrapped me in a blanket of hurt, mistrust, suspicion and insecurity, pulling me along as does the wake behind a boat. Now I could see the need to follow the wave as it spread to infinity…filling the universe outward. That was to be my way in life.

And so I promised I would no longer censor the navigation from within. I would remove the irrelevant barriers and reach beyond myself to follow my course without reservation.

The tree nodded with approval and all his companions stretched their limbs as if to applaud my decision.

The Life and Times of an On the Road Musician's Wife

2009-10-27T08:54:00.005-07:00

1966 - I am 18 years old, married, 6 months pregnant and very naive. A call from Bielefeld - "lots of gigs here", Mike Warner says....but they don't happen like planned. Earnings are swallowed up by the need to pay the weekly rate for the boarding house. One room, where I boil water without a stove, using a strange electrical device that you place inside the water. Hungry at night-dreaming about fried pork chops and desserts dripping with sugar and chocolate (why does one dwell on unhealthy fare when starving?)

He makes enough to cover the rent but almost passes out while counting out the bills to the landlandy. I come down the stairs from our room and she turns and spits angry words at me for not giving him anything to eat while she is feeding him a ham sandwich. I stand there watching, not looking hungry at all in my pretty black and white checkered maternity dress and a huge belly filled with Leslie. Pregnant women are not looked upon favorably.

We share a german meatball in a pub while watching the world cup. England beats Germany 4 to 2. I cheer. It was a good game.

Lothar Apel, keyboarder, musician in the band, shows up with a taxi from Wiesbaden. No, he hasn't hired the cab, rather, he is working for the taxi service, "in the interim" he says. He somehow manipulates the kilometers he drives to fetch us so as not to have to pay his boss for the distance. Lothar has put the music equipment in hock for the down payment of a flat. If we want the equipment back, we have to move in and come up with the rent.

Again, not much food -rent must come first. Must have a roof over our heads, afterall, and more importantly, get the amps, speakers, mics, etc. from the landlord. The flat is a kitchen and bedroom with 2 twin beds on either side of the room. Furnished, with pieces left behind from former tenants. I itch at night, not sure if things are crawling on me or if it is my imagination. In the daylight, I search, find nothing and see no marks on myself.

Friendly neighbors, single, middle aged women mostly, divorcees, struggling to survive, but not knowing it. Their lives having been much worse when they were married to their alcoholic husbands. I spend my days trying to manage my new home, compensating for my drab surroundings with colorful doilies and knick knacks. I look at the silver forks, knives and spoons my grandmother gave me. I place them lovingly back in the box. Not to be used now, not here.

7 months pregnant by now. I am the lookout in the potato field across the road from the flat. It is dark and he digs up the potatoes while I watch for the owner of the field. Cars and trucks pass by and each time I dive down to the ground, so as not to be seen. It gets more and more difficult as the weeks go by - can't get down or back up as fast with my unborn child in the way.

Potatoes, three times a day and for dessert. I make them fried, baked and mashed. They are grilled and scalloped. Potato salads become masterpieces. Proud of myself - couldn't even boil a potato when first married. Now I become a master of the spud.....Irish - move over!

He does floor shows with Pete Lancaster in France, Africa, all over Germany. We go to Pete Lancaster's house where a welcoming stew is always found on the gypsy family's stove. It is available to anyone who comes by. I eat and long for Mom's cooking.

8 months pregnant - I read up on how to deliver a baby, just in case. I am apprehensive. Have not even seen a doctor yet. No prenatal care for me. Wouldn't know a braxton hicks contracton from Adam. Hoping everything is the way it should be - wouldn't know if it wasn't. I am the child - playing with the baby things given me by others as if they were doll clothes.

My parents come and bring us home to Ramstein Air Base. I cry because I feel safer now. Back in my old bedroom.

9 months -Can't give birth in the military hospital and local German Hospital has some kind of rampant infection among patients. I go to a midwife (still haven't seen a doctor).
"Call me" she says, "when you go into labor." "How will I know?", I ask. "Oh, you will know" , she tells me.

November 17, 1966 - We go to see the Everly Brothers perform on the airbase in the NCO club. No place to sit - standing room only. I stand for two hours -very pregnant.
November 18, 1966 - Early morning. I lose my water and the labor (yes, I knew it) begins. The midwife comes. She makes him hold my head in his arms. My parents in the other room. I am scared. No one prepared me for this. 2 1/2 hours later, Leslie is here, with a full head of hair. She is beautiful. The midwife has delivered her 200th baby, she says.

I sleep, I rest, I sleep. Baby by my side in a basinette. I look at her frequently. Nursing, loving this tiny person who came from within me.....all without a doctor's help. Up the next morning and doing what Mom's do. Midwife comes and determines everything is well taken dare of. I never see her again. Delivery was only about $150 in cash......but cost me a lot more in other ways.....

On Being Affectionate

2009-10-23T08:57:00.005-07:00

The Gibson Mill, an oil painting in progress. Above the canvas is the photo I am attempting to recreate in oil

I recently read that clinical psychologist Claude Steiner concluded from his research that verbal and physical encouragement are absolutely essential for our well-being. Expressions of affection including "touch" make a tremendous difference in peoples lives.

I remember a distant relative telling me that when she visited an orphanage in Romania several years ago, she was shocked at the circumstances. Romania had been through some difficult times and the number of children left behind without parents was staggering... As it turned out, the children were missing out on, "some much needed" hugs and kisses and were literally dieing from lack of affection!

My dear friends, sincere and appropriate expressions of affection are of great help to someone who is worried, depressed, in pain or just plain insecure. The comfort found in a simple, compassionate and loving hug or a kiss brings "oh so much" physical and emotional satisfaction. "Affectionate" communication is the key to opening up to a loved one...it even makes us grow in our own humanity. Without love, compassion, generosity, tender hugs and kisses, a touch, stroke on the cheek, a loving smile, we lose our sense of who and what we are on this planet. We need each other and we need to reach out to the ones we love.

Not to forget that affection is a simple, non-pharmaceutical way to reduce stress. It is a known fact that highly affectionate people tend to have better mental health because they react to stress better. What is really great is that the giver benefits as much as the receiver of verbal and physical expressions of love.

Never assume the people you care about know how you feel about them. Everyone wants to hear it, wants to feel it. It is natural to desire fondness or tenderness through words and touch. Yes, I want to be told that you love me, if you do...and I want to be told often! I want to experience the emotional euphoria found in those three little words..... "I love you".

The Woman Did Tequila Drink

2009-10-15T08:01:00.008-07:00

I read this in a book and love the way the author uses language to "paint his point across".

"Now Tequila may be the favored beverage of outlaws, but that doesn't mean it gives them preferential treatment. In fact, Tequila probably has betrayed as many outlaws as has the central nervous system and dissatisfied wives.

Tequila, scorpion honey, harsh dew of the doglands, essence of Aztec, crema de cacti; Tequila, oily and thermal like the sun in solution; Tequila, liquid geometry of passion; Tequila, the buzzard god who copulates in midair with ascending souls of dying virgins; Tequila, firebug in the house of good taste; O Tequila, savage water of sorcery, what confusion and mischief your sly, rebellious drops do generate!"

Visual prose as "margins of the land melted like raw sugar into the steeping tea of night" make "the mouth of my soul water".

Okay enough of that.

This is what happens when I don't sleep. By 2 or 3 in the morning I give up the struggle and give in to the mind. At this time of day (or night), it is easy to allow thoughts to darken the hues of gloom. So, I read or re-read some of my books and then in the wee hours, with a cup of tea in hand, I begin to analyze. No I don't have too much time on my hands...but it is a matter of "the sky being more impersonal than the sea"....and it is a"flooding of the silence of dawn with comforting murmurs so as to not feel so alone".

I Am Running Out of the Box

2009-10-08T08:18:00.004-07:00

Out of the Box, Pencil drawing

While working on this piece I realized that what started as a traditional scene, contained within a rectangle, was emerging into something quite different.

What was happening on paper, is also evident within me. Previously encased concepts are discarded and I am no longer confined to those carefully compartmentalized perceptions considered "normal" by my peers.

Unbelievably, my somewhat conventional "self" has developed quite an abstract view of things and I am finding tremendous pleasure in peeling away layers and years of insulation, allowing my person to flow freely right off the page...allowing it to run out of the box.

Metaphor of Sorts

2009-09-30T09:19:00.011-07:00

The Raven Feather - pencil drawing 2003

On my walk this morning I stooped to pick up treasure. It was a perfect raven feather, left behind by a winged guardian in my canyon. One of many feathers I have found throughout the years, but this particular one was magic. It caught my eye because it glowed as shiny black ore, an Apache tear upon the red earth. I reached for it and it jumped into my hand as a puff of wind lifted it to embrace me.

Ravens fly across my sky quite regularly....they land on the large dead tree next to my house. At one time there were 30-40 raven holding court, watching in that tree...waiting, what for I know not ...maybe they were "waiting for a dead man's shoes" or maybe just "waiting in the wings"? They were all quite patient, these custodians of the ravine,...only one venturing out occasionally to patrol the scene while allowing a current to carry him on unseen cushions of air.

I too am presently "playing a waiting game". Yet, I am holding my breath, hoping I am not "an accident waiting to happen". I am wanting to experience "the moment everyone is waiting for". At times, I "feel like a penny waiting for change", the ravens have taught me that. In order to stay ahead of this "game" I must bide my time. As the saying goes, "all good things come to those who wait".

So, the raven left me a gift this morning...the treasure I found was not the feather, but an endowment of insight that I must continue to be patient, composed, persistent, yet restrained for a time.

I can do that. I must. It is my future.

My Life is in a Hidden Folder

2009-09-19T14:12:00.004-07:00

It is a closed captioned program, subtitled, where only certain viewers are provided additional or interpretive information. These are the viewers who see the captions and observe a slightly more or less “edited” tableau. They are able to perceive a transcription of sorts as my life is exhibited to the public eye.

No real exposure takes place of course. The range of content is limited, restricted by the relative position of the observer. Not wishing to be analyzed or interpreted, I provide content that is significant for the person, time and place. Grounds for additional data may include conviction that the viewer already has access to my Arcanum.

Of course, if you know the password all filters are removed and raw data is then allowed to flow….careful, it may be a maelstrom or torrent….a riptide.

Holiday in September

2009-09-10T13:32:00.008-07:00

Our trip to California to see Chick Corea, Stanley Clark and Lenny White performing with Jean Luc Ponty and Chaka Khan was a lot of fun. Ray stayed at Mike's house and I stayed with my friend Rachel. Why did we stay in different places, you ask? Well, I needed to spend some time with Rachel and just reminisce about old times...
would not have had the time to do that otherwise. My good friend Rachel.... have been friends for 39 years.
We spent one day just shopping and talking.

I have to say, the smoke, due to the fires in California was quite noticeable and the air pollution was terrible. We are so spoiled living in Northern Arizona where the air is clean and fresh. At night, the moon was bright orange from the smoke, and of course you couldn't see the stars like we do here in AZ.
Here I am ready to go to the concert.

Wednesday we drove to Hollywood...parked in the parking garage right by Grauman's Chinese Theater and then made our way to the Hollywood Bowl. It was quite interesting to see many of the new stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They add new stars every year....wonder when they will run out of space to do that. Michael Jackson's star was surrounded by flowers and other items in his honor, and people were avidly photographing it.

While Ray and Mike were out finding some food...(sadly, they came back with some really nasty polish dogs...ugh!), I sat waiting at the depot for the trolley to the Hollywood Bowl. It was quite a surprise to see Alan Holdsworth walk up to ride the trolley with us. I had never met him before but recognized who he was right off. What a nice fellow! Fantastic guitar player. If you are not familiar with him, check out his website and read his bio and history. Very impressive...http://www.therealallanholdsworth.com/Alan Holdsworth, a very friendly and modest man.

This is just a sampling of his music style...very fusion-y....

I told Alan that my friend Roger Davis had sent a recording he made of him playing guitar in his living room (Roger's that is) in 1967. He is quite shy and apologized for the clip...assuming it wasn't very good (it wasn't the greatest). It made me laugh. He wanted to know how I knew Roger and we had a wonderful visit and I found out he had never been to the Grand Canyon and really wanted to go...possibly hike there some day. Ray also spent quite some time talking to him about guitars and music in general.

Ray and Alan

The concert was a real treat...especially Jean Luc Ponty...my absolute favorite Jazz violinist. As a surprise, Stevie Wonder came out towards the end and played his harmonica and keyboards and he sang with Chaka Khan.

Hollywood Bowl

Jean Luc Ponty with the threesome

Stanley Clark at the mic

Chaka Khan on stage

Stevie Wonder.....This takes a while to load, but you may enjoy it.

Calm Your Mind

2009-08-26T09:38:00.003-07:00

A friend sent this to me. Try it. I felt it worked for me. Just close your eyes and focus on the sound. Best when using headphones so you have no distractions. Mind you, I did not experience an AP....didn't expect to either, but it was very calming, soothing.

I Paint With Words

2009-08-20T08:59:00.009-07:00

I paint with words -
Abstract designs of foreign colors,
Powerful moods that are contained
In dreams and patterns
Of my mind.

I paint with words-
The steps my feet dare not to trod.
A pathway singled out for me alone
As the mourning dove sounds in rhythm
It's melancholy song.

I paint with words-
What dare not be discharged on canvas.
Unseen it must be lest it cause pain.
Eyes not able to behold the sketching, retching,
Depth of sorrow.

I paint with words-
Each moment of this distant truth
Of times, events, of avalanches unforeseen.
My oil paint laden brush not touching down.
Therefore, I paint with words---

M. Schiffgen 2009

Weekend Work

2009-08-11T09:00:00.004-07:00

Finished this over the weekend. Took this photo with a flash and so the colors are not as vibrant in the picture as they actually are. Used both soft and hard pastels.

Eyes of Empathy

2009-08-05T15:31:00.006-07:00

It is said that eyes are the windows to the soul...that others can see what is going on inside of your head. "You can tell who someone is by looking in their eyes", they say. "You can see how they feel about something." "His eyes are so cold" or "she has so much compassion in her eyes."

I don't believe that is always the case.

There are of course exceptions, but in my observations I have found that eyes are much more like mirrors that perceive the emotions of the one looking in. Give it a try and closely observe the eyes of the one you are speaking to. Don't you see their eyes reflecting your own feelings? Perhaps the look you are getting from someone is based upon a sensation you yourself are imposing upon them.

A dear friend of mine has said, on numerous occasions, that she has a hard time looking into my eyes. She always wants to cry when she does. This friend has been going through some very difficult times during the last few years. She has pent up feelings that are almost impossible for her to express. I have the tendency to look directly at the person speaking to me, so while she is skirting the issues relating to her problems, she sees her own feelings stream forth in these mirrors on my face....making her cry.

So think about it, while the eyes may indeed express emotion, they may not be that of the owner, but the sentiment of the one peering in.

Description Of A Creative Process

2009-07-28T13:07:00.004-07:00

Started on another pastel this morning...about 5AM. Couldn't sleep. Walked over to the studio to express my thoughts on canvas. I feel so energized when I can work out my emotions or concerns in chalk.

How does this process work? I sit in front of an empty canvas and allow the feeling to take over...I take a piece of charcoal and let my hand take whatever course it chooses. Amazingly, I manage to sketch out something that appeases. It is my desire to create a physical expression of my sensations..... it is a gut feeling...an instinct, that takes over spontaneously rather than through conscious effort.

After I have worked out the overall concept, I apply the pastels. Pastels give me a distinct physical sensation...I can feel the colors as I put them on the canvas...they are like mood enhancers. The chalk, unfolds smoothly, gently onto the surface...I rarely use the rough pastel paper for my work...I have to touch the canvas with my hands. I like the soft or ever so lightly sanded texture under my fingertips as I blend the various hues.

I work fast....letting the perception continue to develop until the foundation is committed. I repeat this for the various layers...each layer accomplishing further distinction to the composition. When I am satisfied with the overall "feel", I begin to work on the details using harder pastels or charcoal. Eventually I stop, knowing that more is less and that I need to let it go.

I may not even like what I have finished...but the emotion that went into the creative process has brought fulfillment to the senses...

Pouring Out the Soul

2009-07-23T10:40:00.004-07:00

Do you ever feel like you want to take all the feelings weighing you down and confide in someone who will really listen and understand? I certainly do and I think everyone must find it necessary, at times, to express that which is buried deep within. How fortunate we are if we have that "someone" who will let us pour out our souls to them. They do not judge. They bring the necessary balance...harmony back into our lives.

Dealing With My Face

2009-07-13T10:43:00.005-07:00

This is the real me...exposed....

I almost didn't post this because I feel it is a very selfish narrative. After a nights debating with myself, I decided that it is afterall, my blog and I use it to express my thoughts...so here you have it despite reservations.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I love portraits. I have always felt that the face mirrors the character of the subject.
For expediency, I frequently use myself as a test model when working with my Adobe Photoshop and Painter software. I am the handiest person around…I don’t complain about having to get ready for a photo shoot and I don’t whine about the amount of time I must sit and pose for the camera…of course this is because I don’t need to get ready for a shot…I can take the picture at will…and I certainly don’t actually pose…… “Oh look, here I am, dressed, makeup on, hair is combed”…click…done. It is convenient having a model any time I need one….so I can then dive right in and experiment with different filters, colors, brushes and effects to use when needed for my graphic art.

It used to be so easy.

Only things have changed. What is so very disconcerting at present, about being the model, is that I am getting more and more dissatisfied with my own image…

I remember when filters meant that I wanted to experiment with or learn a specific method for some other project I was working on. Now I find that I am using these filters to alter or obscure my own features because I am no longer pleased with them….

I don’t remember when this started. Some time ago, I am sure. These days, when looking at my photograph I find myself thinking….

“Face, you are no longer desirable…Your eyes have too many shadows and the lids have become heavy…and what happened to those eyelashes that used to brush against your glasses? Also , what is with the pores…way too big…and what about the lines and wrinkles, when did they start to appear? Your curly hair seems even more unmanageable since the auburn tone has faded…and the teeth are not as white, nor as straight. Oh, and lets not forget the sagging around the mouth and under the chin.”

I scrutinize each photo with the same result…

As an artist, I am drawn to things that I find appealing. My face no longer has appeal.

What a sad thing, though, to realize that I can be so dissatisfied with myself based upon a mere photograph (taken with poor lighting by the way). For Pete’s sake, how shallow am I!!! Why can’t I deal with the fact that I no longer have the face of a younger woman? …..Did I not state that the face mirrors the ”character” of the subject?

So what am I saying about my character if I can’t even look at myself without being tempted to fix what I see with the technology found on my laptop? And what does that mean for the rest of me? From the shoulders down, I doubt it can get any better.....( will not even go there.) It is time for me to accept a few things about myself. I am 62 years old. “Life” has left its mark on me and despite my struggle to accept the face in the mirror (or photograph), I need to learn to like the person I see……… because of the person I am…

Dancing on the Edge

2009-07-13T10:34:00.002-07:00

Lyrics and music by Ray Schiffgen copyright June 1998, Arrakis Studio

Written in the key of G minor
Most of us have been there at one time or another

So, what’s the use, crying about your life?
Are you confused about who’s running it?
What’s your excuse for slowly going mad?
And always blaming someone else for it…
You play with life as if it were a toy.
Don’t you know it’s just a lie?

That colored candy comes in handy ”for a time”.
Helps with illusions…
Lets you forget the past…

You’ve made the pleasure hunt.
You’ve found the magic wand.
You think that you’re so cool….
Baby, you are such a fool!

You’ll love yourself to death,
Kill others in your path.
Your kindness is a hedge.
Don’t make that final pledge....
Just keep on dancing
on the edge.

So what will you do, when your trip is done?
You never listened, you had too much fun.
Now you’re reaching out, but no one really cares.
You want to touch, but no one truly dares.

That colored candy comes in handy “for a time”.
Helps with illusions…
Lets you forget the past…

You’ve made the pleasure hunt.
You’ve found the magic wand.
You think that you’re so cool….
Baby, you are such a fool!

You’ll love yourself to death,
Kill others in your path.
Your kindness is a hedge.

Monday Morning Blues

2009-07-06T11:57:00.005-07:00

Haven't blogged for a while...well I must tell you that it has to do with the fact that a hummingbird weighs less than a penny. It has a body temperature of 111 degrees and beats its wings 75+ (200 for the ruby-throated hummingbird) times per second. It is the only bird that can fly backward!

What does that have to do with me and the reason I have not posted anything for weeks, you ask?

Well, lately I have felt very lightheaded...sure to rival the weight of the hummingbird....my temperature is much higher than it usually is, and although I have no wings, I feel my heart is racing many beats a second and I know very well that I am not standing on the ground...I am soaring way above the clouds.

Alas, I also feel like I am drifting backwards as the hummingbird can fly...I wish it meant getting younger...instead I believe it means I am getting older...and thinking about some missed opportunities...but despite that fact....like the hummingbird...although small, I will continue to move on and make my way...hoping to find that perfect nectar in life.

Modern Mona Lisa

2009-06-29T10:44:00.003-07:00

Did this photo of LaValle a few months ago and worked on it this weekend. She is absolutely gorgeous...classic beauty. I was so glad she let me work on this project. Just used photoshop CS2.

My Work on a Weekend

2009-06-22T09:01:00.003-07:00

Painter X and Photoshop CS2

Pastel titled "Guilty as Charged".. some Painter X and Photoshop CS2

Pastel and Mixed media...This is called "Addiction"

Pastel...I call this one "Afterwards the Sorrow"

Why Jazz? – A Yearning for Freedom of the Mind

2009-06-15T16:04:00.003-07:00

For me jazz is a release…

Freedom…don’t we all desire it, in one form or another? Isn’t that what artists and musicians want, to have a franchise…or a condition of freedom…. the right or privilege to choose a specific direction for their art and music? In fact, some may even go to the extreme and say they want complete autonomy (independent self-rule free from all outside influence), but really now, when it comes to the arts and music that kind of liberty is not necessarily ideal. In reality, each of us is somewhat limited by our milieu…if we want to present our craft, do we not have to find a willing recipient of our gift? Or maybe not….

It has been said that jazz originated in this country…possibly a result of various cultures expressing their plight. While the rhythmic development may well be of African and Latin origins, it would be better, perhaps, to look at jazz as a “world music”. Although the term may have originated in the USA, the tremendous variety in style, sound and improvisations are undeniably cosmic. Even what may be considered classical music has “jazz elements”. Symphonic music, in structure, certainly displays an aura of jazz.

The innovative musician tries to break out of a conventional schematic program and jazz is the music that lends itself to this ultimate musical experimentation. Unfortunately, the hearer is frequently stifled by his own understanding or concept of music….

Granted, even among jazz lovers, there are traditionalists who rely on the same basic elements of this music and call themselves purists. By so doing they box themselves in and their music remains on a level that actually confines them to this “tradition”…..this box.

The listening masses are bombarded with a commercial (record companies promote what sells) perception of music and art, so that there is little freedom. ….they say ”we like what we know.” They remain in the box, and it allows for just enough elbow room to be comfortable….like prisoners eating the food prescribed.

The jazz ear perceives music as true freedom of expression and individualism. I see it as a melting or merging of the world! No boundaries, no limitations…freeing the mind of the cultural clutter. I enjoy that freedom…

So when someone asks ….. “why jazz”….I say why not?

Patrick and Kris

2009-06-10T09:22:00.004-07:00

I somehow missed putting this picture in with the other family photos in my post the other day about the anniversary. So I am adding it separately. This gives me the opportunity to say I am so very proud of Patrick. Words can not express the many different ways I appreciate him. I know he is the son every mother would wish for herself. Besides that, he married a most loving and beautiful woman, which means he is pretty smart besides being a good catch himself.

Kris is my favorite (okay, "only") daughter-in-law. Their anniversary is coming up soon. What is it... 21 years I believe. Anyway, I love them both very much.

Anniversary Party - 43 Years

2009-06-08T14:40:00.008-07:00

I Here are 3 of the men in my life...son Patrick in the middle, Ray and Michael, Leslie's husband.

This has absolutely nothing to do with the anniversary but I accidently uploaded it so here is is a picture of my studio where I do my art work for anyone who is interested.

The Schiffgen Boys l-r Kurt, Blake and Alex

Ray with his boys l-r Nathan, Alex, Kurt, Ray, Evan, Blake, Logan

Ray and his Fender

Relaxing on the couch after dinner

My boys are playing games

Kris did all the cooking, it was delicious, Patrick checking out the beverages.

My keyboard, also an accidental upload, but this is where I sit when I play music with Ray.

Patrick tuning a guitar

Logan and Kurt

Logan, Leslie's youngest.

Leslie and her boys, Logan Evan and Nathan

This was on another occasion but I thought I would throw it in. Leslie on a library visit

Kris and her boys

Kris, the chef

My grandsons (and yes, they are that tall)

Blake, the youngest grandson

Alex, Patrick's oldest son

Nathan, Leslie's oldest and Kurt, Patrick's middle son

Leslie's husband, Michael and Katie

Having fun. They have for the most part grown up together and are close.

Father and son

I was so happy that they had all come over and spent the day with us. Thanks to my family for making this a special day for us.

Cafe Stadt Wien in Kaiserslautern

2009-06-02T22:44:00.014-07:00

I am really glad I blog...

Roger standing in front of, what I believe, was Cafe Stadt Wien...a little club in downtown Kaiserslautern, Germany. At this time he was with a group called Chad Wayne and the Chessmen.

Roger with the band performing in Freiburg Germany.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I was contacted recently by Roger P. Davis, a friend from long ago (about 45 years). He located my whereabouts maybe..... through this blog, or possibly through the library website...I'm not sure which. You can imagine what a surprise that was!

And get this, just a few weeks earlier Ray was contacted by Beny (Bernhard), a musician he worked with way back when...also at least 45 years ago (Bernhard and his wife even came out to visit us on the ranch)....

Silver Strings with Scotty (singer), Ray on guitar, Billy played rhythm, Kelly on drums and Beny is the bass player... They also played in the Cafe Stadt Wien..which is where I met Ray

Well, as I was saying...... out of the blue, I hear from my friend Roger. I was delighted to be contacted by him.

Roger performed on stage until about 10 years ago. Now, he and his son Mark have a successful agency, where they represent other performers throughout Britain.

Who knows, if I hadn't put my life out on the web, I'd still be asking "I wonder whatever happened to.....".

Three Poems taken from Rays Book, "DANCING ON THE EDGE"

2009-06-01T20:25:00.008-07:00

Here are some samples of Ray's book of poetry and lyrics. I will include the foreward because Ray makes an interesting statement regarding "taste".

Foreward

The taste in music or poetry is directly related to the concept and structure of rhythm and harmony, as perceived through experience and understanding. The degree of such perception may enhance or limit progressive artistic expression.

Ray Schiffgen
copyright 2002

The Last Call!
Ray Schiffgen
Written for all those who, like me, regret the inevitable

The phone that rang

Son picked it up
Dad on the line
The voice so thin, hardly could define!

“I need some help
And feel real bad
Don’t know where else to go!”

“But Dad, I have a family
A demanding job to do
I can’t just leave all things behind
To take care of you.
Maybe in a day or two
I’ll see what I can do!”

Perceived,
The voice faintly came back,
“I’m sorry to have bothered you.”

The phone went dead
The silence grew…
“I’ll see you in a few…”

The old man died
In the alley behind the old brick wall

They found him two days later—
Answering his call.

copyright Oct 28, 2002

Let’s Rid Ourselves

Ray Schiffgen

Let’s rid ourselves of bums like these,
Who do not work and take their ease.
Who take a workman’s hard earned goods.
And when caught
Say “Oh how unfair this is to me,
Whose only means of maintenance is,
To take from these.
Why should I work? Why should I toil?

Their possessions are my spoil.
I will not work.
I’ll take my ease.”

Let’s rid ourselves of bums like these.
Copyright October 2002

RECOVERY
Ray Schiffgen dedicated to Leslie

When gentle breezes dry your tears,

And future hope will still your fears.

When love has grown a tiny sprout,

And kindness will remove your doubt….

Then sadness is a fleeting notion,

And peace will set your mind at ease.

It will erase all sad emotion,

To heal the pain, the hurt of yore

And open with the break of dawn

A brand new life

A brand new door.
copyright 2002

2009 June Gallery - Mark B

2009-06-01T20:17:00.004-07:00

The model for this pastel has such penetrating eyes...and unbelievably blue. I just fell in love with the depths of expression this child has. If you click on the picture you will see it enlarged to the size I painted it.

Ray and Dr. Carter

2009-05-25T09:25:00.003-07:00

This is Ray with his cardiologist about a year ago while he had a procedure in the hospital. I love this picture... Dr. Carter is one of the top cardiologists in this area and a great jazz lover too...

Natives

2009-05-25T09:21:00.001-07:00

A Nice Evening

2009-05-25T08:45:00.006-07:00

After a week of stress and the culmination of a successful 20th Anniversary Party for the library I was looking forward to having a quiet weekend with friends. So I cooked and baked Saturday, chicken soup with rice, pork schnitzel with buttered potatoes and green salad, fresh fruit tart for dessert as well as tortilla chips and a warm bean and avocado dip. Wine with dinner and tequila for after. It was really nice. Enjoyed Lourdes and Bordens visit. It was good relaxation even though I could not imbibe due to being on antibiotics...(sigh)

Rain all weekend, but today glorious sunshine and everything looks green (unusual for the desert).

My creekbed after a good rain.

Gallery- Belinda

2009-05-22T14:57:00.004-07:00

This beautiful young mom is my daughter-in-laws best friend, Belinda and her family. Finally getting around to posting this.

Third Pastel In The Fusion Series

2009-05-18T08:50:00.004-07:00

This is "Cobham", the 3rd piece of this series. I worked on it all last week and for some of the weekend. I had difficulty with getting the colors as vibrant as I usually like, eventually I worked through it and it turned out better than I thought it would. I am not sure if I will go on to do more in this direction or stop at three. I have the desire to do a portrait now so we will see. Whatever moves me at the time.

By the way, as is evident to those of you who read my blog, I changed my picture.

Leslie, my "to the point of always being painfully honest daughter" told me I look awfully old on my photo. Well, I thought it gave me the "sage" look and that suited me just fine. She, though, requested I change the photo to something that was not quite as stark. So I asked Ray what photo of me would be best (gave him several options) and he chose the one you now see. He likes my mouth.

My mouth......that works, blogging is, in a sense, talking. Right?

As Years Go By

2009-05-15T09:17:00.007-07:00

Maybe there are things that I miss about the past that leave me wanting a chance to re-live...re-do, maybe these things can even bring me to tears (if I allow it), or they can hold me in a kind of stasis... motionless.

Melancholy does that. It comes like a thief, robbing me of the "now" because I long for that which was or could have been. It "makes" me aware of years gone by and how the challenges of becoming seasoned in the art of life force me to open new and different chapters of my existance.

But, being the "martyr" that I am, I actually relish that life's challenges draw elements out of me ...strengths of which I had not been aware of before.

So here it is, I am seeing myself age through the eyes of my children and in a sense am enjoying it. A good example is my grandson Evan. He is 19 years old (I remember being 19, how it felt, the newness of things, fears, joys, the anticipation).

It seems not so long ago that I held him in my arms as a toddler. (I was already librarian in Ash Fork at this time).
I don't remember the years going by so fast. Yet, Evan has grown into a man and is moving on with his life as an adult, as did his mother.....as did I. So he and Nathan are flying to Oregon this month to visit with Amanda and her family. (Amanda being the beautiful young woman on the picture with Evan).

Time goes by and we either grow old or we grow into the moment and appreciate what we have learned along the way.

A Very Busy Morning

2009-05-13T12:17:00.008-07:00

Yes, I admit, I sat up too long last night watching TV.......Thereafter I couldn't sleep because I kept thinking about the paintings as well as photographs of my mother, grandmother and other family members that were disposed of by a certain "unmentionable person". Actually, I was told by neighbors that"they" just gave the photos away to anyone who took them, or they landed in the trash. Very hurtful indeed. It is a sad state of affairs. How cliche that sounds.

So there are different ways of looking at this I suppose.

One, I could be angry and vengeful...this is not like me. I am much more apt to withdraw when I am angry, I am not the retaliatory type...although do not ever surmise that I am wimpy!

Two, I could just attempt to erase the "cause" of the injury from my mind (Oh, what was the name?).

So with heavy heart I am going to do the second and just attempt to forget about it.....all of it! I feel thankful that I have some of my Mom's paintings hanging in the library and I do have lots of nice photos of her and my grandmother and family in Germany. Besides, what would I do with all those photo's and paintings anyway. They are gone, basta, finis, fuer immer weg.

Ray and Mom (she was the best)

So back to the original theme of this post: I get up later than usual, make coffee, go to my studio and work on #3 of my series for a short while, Ray is getting ready to go to the Grand Canyon and I make lunches. Get myself ready in a hurry, water the plants, feed Katie, make the bed and I hear Ray's voice...we have a flat tire!

Oh no, I am already running late. Ray calls Jim to let him know he is not going anywhere and I change clothes to help him with the tire. First time changing the tire in the new Jeep. Okay, where is the jack? Must move the car to even ground so it is level. Where are the rest of the tools needed? How do you get this spare out? Ray, due to his bad back is struggling with this, I don't have the necessary strength in my hands. After almost an hour, the spare is on. I decide to go back in the house to wash up and change back into my other clothes.

Oops! The house doors are all locked. Of course, we were leaving and had locked up already...keys and purse are inside. I climb in the bedroom window, unlock the doors, change and leave for work. Really late now. Lots to do at work. Ray stays at home and continues with the work on our house.

I check my email and find a message from a long lost friend from England. How cool is that! He sends a picture of me from many years ago. Was I ever that young? More about that later. Anyway, I am on lunch break.

May Gallery - Fusion By Jazz Two

2009-05-07T09:23:00.005-07:00

Second one in the series. Pastel. This one is titled "Stanley C."

APRIL GALLERY - BIRTH OF A SERIES

2009-04-28T09:29:00.006-07:00

This is the first of a series of pastels I am doing that are inspired by music. This particular one has been given the name "Holdsworth". It is done in graphite and soft pastel 11x18. Not yet framed because I want to get them all completed before I choose the appropriate framing for them.

Spyro Gyra - New Release

2009-04-24T06:24:00.003-07:00

Ray and I went to Spyro Gyra's 25th Anniversary Concert several years ago...It was a great experience. The next few concerts were not as good...and we refrained from buying any of their CDs for a while. But with this new release coming out this month, I am sure we will again be "Spyro Gyra" awed just as we have been for 30+ years now. The title of their new CD is Down the Wire and is a set of 11 new songs composed by members of the group. I've got mine on order.

Drummer "Bonny B" Bonaparte is new and wrote "Ice Mountain," fusion ala Weather Report. The other tracks cross several genres including funk, blues, Latin, straight jazz and instrumental pop.

Jay Beckenstein is, as always, leading the way with Tom Schuman, on the keyboard, playing some up-tempo, old-school jazz on "The Tipping Point", co-written by the two. It is said that Beckenstein's tenor solo on this cut ranks among one of his best.
The title song is written by funky bass player, Scott Ambush.

John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension

2009-04-22T13:06:00.001-07:00

Watched McLaughlin last night with his group "the 4th Dimension"...Live @ Belgrade, a very well done recording by Radio Television Serbia. Both sound and camerawork are exceptional. The group is comprised of Gary Husband (keys and drums), Dominique di Piazza replaced Hadrien Feraud on bass due to an injury, and drummer Mark Mondesir.

I can't help but be astounded time and again by the ability of these musical heavy-weights. Don't they ever run out of steam? The skill they demonstrate with each performance is phenomenal.

John McLaughlin, the guitar dignitary, gave each of the band members lots of room to stretch out and do their thing. I enjoyed each track, some from McLaughlin's 2008 "Floating Point" CD all the way back to "Electric Dreams" from 1978. Notably, I was drawn to the energetic "Five Peace Band" and to the slightly funky "Maharina".

"Sully", the only track not written by McLaughlin, but an original from Gary Husband was amazing. I am going to have to get "Hotwired", a recording with his new group "Drive" and I will also need to check out "Princess Sita" by di Piazza. I can't believe I had not heard of him before.

I also heard that the group will do another round of tours....North America and Europe in 2010. May they come to Phoenix? I hope so, Ray and I would definitely go.

No Absolute Time -Jean-Luc Ponty

2009-02-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

It was many years ago, that I first heard this song. It has been a favorite ever since. My daughter, Leslie, also loves this piece of fantastic fusion jazz. Jean-Luc Ponty is my all-time favorite fusion master of the violin. He brings a tremendous amount of class to the music. Today I asked Patrick to put it on my phone as a ringtone.

2007 - Jean Luc was awarded the 2007 Jazz Trophy by the magazine "Jazz Zeitung" in Germany.

Currently, the "JLP Band" consists of Jean Luc Ponty performing with William Lecomte (keyboards), Guy Nsangué Akwa (bass), Damien Schmitt (drums).

Born in 1942 in Avranches, France, to musical parents, (they were both teachers of classical music), he eventually attended the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, graduating two years later with the highest award the institution hands out to their students. He played in a classical orchestra for a while, but after hearing musicians like Miles Davis and John Coltrane he was drawn to Jazz and eventually made the decision to make jazz his career genre. It was Jean-Luc's powerful sound and punchy style that took the violin out of the classical venue and gave it a legitimate place in the jazz vocabulary. Critics said then that he was the first jazz violinist to be as exciting as a saxophonist.

His first U.S. appearance (1967) was at the Monterey Jazz Festival and led to thunderous applause and a recording contract. He later signed on with Atlantic Records.

In August 2001, Jean-Luc Ponty released his new studio CD Life Enigma on his own label (J.L.P. Productions, Inc.), a return to his concept from the 70s with a very modern production. Ponty played all the instruments on some tracks and was joined by his band members for superb performances on other tracks: William Lecomte (keyboards), Guy Nsangué Akwa (bass), Thierry Arpino (drums) and Moustapha Cissé (percussion), (the clip above is from this album and concert tour).

Jean-Luc Ponty usually performs with 5-string electric violins with a lower C string. This has been his practice since 1977. Sometimes he also uses a 6-string electric violin called the Violectra, with low C and F strings (not to be confused with the violectra he played from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s which had 4 strings, but tuned an octave lower). It is said that Ponty was among the first to combine the violin with MIDI, distortion boxes, phase shifters, and wah-wah pedals. This resulted in his signature, almost synthesizer-like sound.

I love the sound of electric violins, they can be both edgy and soothing. Jerry Goodman, who played with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, being another favorite of mine

Jean-Luc Ponty is married and has one daughter, Clara Ponty who is a successful pianist.

February Gallery - A Variety of Creative Expressions

2009-02-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

I may have posted some of these already. I can't remember and didn't feel like going back to look.

Handmade Paper

Bottle Toppers I made with clay

and painted

Is He Singing About Me?

2009-02-09T17:37:00.000-07:00

Winter Weather

2009-01-08T07:31:00.000-07:00

Ray has been down with the flu....bronchitis..... pneumonia....all of the above, for the past month and I think it is really getting to him. That, and the cold weather have been a real pain. He was sitting at the table this morning doing a crossword puzzle and having coffee...but he is not himself and he was feeling down. Mike Warner wants him to record his guitar on a song for a CD he is doing and Ray doesn't even feel well enough right now. We need some sunshine and he will get better soon. I know I get very depressed when the weather is bad. Of course, all you need to do is look at our roads to the ranch....TERRIBLE! That is the most depressing thing of all. If only the roads were a little better.

This is a video I made a few years ago of the usually dry creekbed that surrounds our house on 3 sides....This flash flood crosses our driveway, twice!!! The road and our driveway right now are blanketed with snow and ice, but the warmer days are melting the snow and so now our road (well the 3 miles of dirt road) are more mud than anything.
Anyway, as much as I love living here, with the isolation and all, it does have it's downside. Especially if you have to go somewhere. We have lived here almost 20 years now...we should be used to it.

Beginnings

2009-01-06T16:02:00.000-07:00

The snow this weekend took us by surprise

Yes, even Arizona has snow

It was good to be a little snowed in...gave me time to reflect on some important issues.

Time is moving very quickly,
Time is moving very fast
Time is moving ever onward
And I don't want to be last...

This was a little song we used to sing when the kids were little and we were getting ready for a meeting or on the way to one....

I don't know if anyone else occasionally feels like the rug is being pulled out from under them, but that is how I perceive my days lately...too many things going on..... too many things to do....too many questions....too many aches and pains....too many obligations....
It seems like time is moving at an accelerated rate and I really need to start focusing a bit more on what is most important.

We are always told to simplify, simplify, simplify. Okay, I will try to do that as of right now. We are going to go to Charlotte and Bob's house this evening and relax for a few hours. Thanks, Charlotte, for calling me to have us come over...I need it!!!

Took some pictures of Katie this weekend. She has a very funny personality. Here she looks as if her head is too heavy and she needs a place to rest it. The coffee table was just made for her...

December Gallery - Bold Colors

2008-11-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Abstract Point of View

Capture Before the Storm

Digi Vase

Whoooo?

Another Norbert (bottle I made)

Leaves (Bud Vase I made)

Pools

Flowers of the Sun

Showing Teeth

Nathan

Pears

Red Hot Pepper Jar

Synergy (a copy of someones work for sure, not

something I thought up)

Breakfast with Julia

I may have posted some of these pictures before, didn't feel like going back and looking. It is raining outside and that depresses me totally!!

Patterns in Painter X

2008-11-17T10:38:00.000-07:00

A Summer Salad

Shattered Lives

Hawaiian Dandilions

Birth of Cabbage

November-Different Dissimilar Divergent

2008-11-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

Just a pencil drawing that I did for an Art Card exchange project. Members of the art guild I belong to all drew or painted a picture on a the back of their business card and exchanged them with other guild members. It was fun.

I found this spider web and decided to photograph it. Of course spiders are very artistic and masters of design. But being phobic about spiders, I had to kill the artist.

A computer graphic...I was trying to portray a feeling of softness. Did it work?

This is a computer graphic I did of Leslie.

Another computer graphic I did just for fun.

October Gallery - Variety

2008-10-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

Scratchboard

Wildflowers in oil

Canyon in Pastel

Ship in Pastel

Ducks in the water - colored pencil

Danndilyonmuffinbear - pencil drawing

Pastel Lighthouse

Pastel

Pastel

Pastel

Charcoal

Pastel

Charcoal

Water color

Pastel

Pastel

Pastel

Larry Graham - One of My Favorite Bass Players

2008-10-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, Jaco is the best, I know! But I always loved the funky sound of Sly and the Family Stone!
Larry Graham, their bass player, was largely responsible for originating the slap and pluck sound on the bass, the percussive groove which typified the progressive funk of the 1970s.
H was born on August 14, 1946 in Beaumont, Texas and raised in Oakland, California. By the time he was in his teens he not only played bass but was also very adept at playing the guitar, harmonica and drums, and at the age of 15 began performing with the Dell Graham Trio, his mother's lounge act. While attending college, he served as a supporting musician with the likes of John Lee Hooker, Jackie Wilson, Jimmy Reed and the Drifters; in 1968 he joined Sly and the Family Stone. He performed on such classic albums as Stand! and There's a Riot Goin' On, as well as smash singles like "Dance to the Music" and "Everybody Is a Star," both of which prominently feature Graham's unbelievable baritone in addition to his enormously influential thumping bass style.

Here is a little sample of his funky playing style.

After leaving Sly he eventually joined a group that was renamed Graham Central Station.
Several big hits later he decided to venture out on his own. In the early 1980's One in a Million You became a Top Ten hit. 1981's Just Be My Lady yielded another hit as did Sooner or Later.

One of his most vocal supporters remains Prince who readily acknowledged the influence of Graham not only on his music but also on his flamboyant stage show. Oh and by the way, Larry Graham is a Jehovah's Witnessed and his experience was featured in an Awake Magazine several years ago.

What time is it?

2008-09-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

Click here to get more mini-SharkBreak widgets - http://www.sharkbreak.com/redirect-sharkbreak.php

You Can Buy a Piece of Arizona…… and Get Your Kicks on Route 66

2008-09-15T14:22:00.000-07:00

Ash Fork from Double A Ranch Road

Double A Ranch Road towards the property

Rainbow over Ash Fork

Yes, it is true, we are selling some property just 5 miles north of Ash Fork, Arizona!

Several years ago we thought about moving a little closer to town. (Our current ranch is about 10 miles out of the village and on a rough road) In the meantime, though, we have decided to stay where we are despite the bad road conditions. Guess we just don’t want to go through the moving process anymore.

So let me tell you a little about this land we want to sell. It is 2.7+ acres of heavily treed land. The trees are shaggy mountain juniper (make your own gin anyone?). Juniper Berries

What drew us to this property in the first place was the view. It had to be a western view so we could catch the sunset because Arizona sunsets are among the most breathtaking in the world.

Sunset over Ash Fork

Cumberland Road This is how you drive to get to the property.

The property is slightly sloped towards the west, so we decided the house would be best on top of the slope, which is where we had the foundation set. We were going to put a mobile home on there, but someone could site-build if they wanted to. Either way, I pictured myself sitting on our deck at night observing the splendor of the Milky Way…which is so vivid here in this area that you feel as if you could reach up and grab the stars. No conflict with city lights.

This is a corner property with maintained dirt roads.

This is the prepped site for the house

Now remember, it is raw land….so there is nothing here except trees and bushes, wildflowers and animals that naturally live in this part of the country…..and, of course, the improvements we have already made to make it quite liveable. We had culverts installed to provide for water runoff and also put in a cindered driveway. Electricity is already almost there, but one could install solar instead (We like solar…no electric bills and it saves the environment). We had a water tank sunk underground (everyone on most northern Arizona rural lands has to either haul their water to their tank or have it delivered).
Dainty Visitors on some rocks

Water here is relatively inexpensive and not a big deal to get it delivered. It affords you the luxury of having running water just like in the big city, yet living in this fantastic setting. You could have a wood stove/fireplace or heat with either electric or propane. (Electric or propane for cooking also.)

A view to the west

Lots of Juniper Trees on the property

Because this area is away from city plumbing, we installed a brand new septic system. Whoever buys this property will practically just have to put their house here and move in. Almost all of the prep work has been done.

Looking east on the property

There are neighbors bordering 2 sides…but they are not so close that you would lose your privacy.

As I said in the beginning, it is only 5 miles into the village of Ash Fork. Ash Fork is an original town of the American West. It used to be a gambling center of Arizona back in the time of the wild west. The Burlington/Santa Fe Railroad comes through here (years ago there was even a Harvey House, The Hotel Escalante). There is so much interesting history in this area. The Ash Fork cemetery is the resting place of some cowboys who’s last view was looking down the end of a gun barrel.

Settlers Cemetery

Vigil Plaza in Ash Fork, we call it the Alamo

On top of all that, Ash Fork is right on Route 66. Travelers from all over the world come through Ash Fork just to experience the nostalgia of this famous road. Visit the Ash Fork Museum on Historic Route 66. It is well worth the time.

You will enjoy the wonderful weather on the Kaibab plateau…Ash Fork is about 5100+ feet above sea level…four seasons, yet none extreme…no pollution, no industry.

Ash Fork Museum display

It is only an hour drive to Prescott or Flagstaff …makes a great shopping excursion. If you are a hunter, it is the perfect place for a hunting cabin, if you like to fish, there are lakes in driving distance…Are you an explorer, check out the famous Beale Wagon Trail, hike the Grand Canyon or hike down to the Havasupai Indian Village north of Peach Springs and enjoy the water falls.

Sedona is close by as are the Navajo and other Indian Reservations. If you have big city withdrawals and need some night life you can drive to Las Vegas or to Bull Head City for the weekend.

I can not list all of the benefits of living in this area.

It could be yours… For just $75,000. you could be a member of this historic community. Besides........ we have a great library!

If you are interested in some additional information, email me at marion.schiffgen@gmail.com.

September Gallery - Painting with Water and Color

2008-09-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

I enjoy color, bright and bold.
Here are just a few samples of paintings I did using watercolor (not really my medium, but I like trying all kinds of things).

The colors run together and make the most delightful blends of light and shadow.

I especially like the fact that the watercolor painting takes on a mind of its own. I feel like I am not really creating anything, rather, I let the brush guide me.

In Chinese and Japanese painting watercolor has been the dominant medium.

I enjoyed this clip. Watch Warrick Holfeld produce his watercolor painting in timelapse. It actually took him about 30 hours to complete this piece.

The Grand Canyon - My View

2008-09-05T08:44:00.000-07:00

Click on any of the pictures below to enlarge them...it will be a much better view

We often go to the Grand Canyon since we live so nearby and here are a few of the pictures I took while hiking around the rim.

It really is impossible to feel the depth and width of the Canyon without actually being there. The canyon is 277 miles (446 km) long, ranges in width from 4 to 18 miles (6.4 to 29 km) and attains a depth of more than a mile (1.6 km). The Grand Canyon is a massive rift in the Colorado Plateau with unmatched vistas .

The Grand Canyon is one of the most studied geologic landscapes in the world with a rich and diverse fossil record, a vast array of geologic features and rock types, and numerous caves with extensive and significant geological, paleontological, archeological and biological resources.

It is home to numerous rare, endemic (found only at Grand Canyon), and specially protected (threatened/endangered) plant and animal species. Over 1,500 plant, 355 bird, 89 mammalian, 47 reptile, 9 amphibian, and 17 fish species are found in the park.

For the artists eye, it delivers a view like no other, it actually teaches you how to see light and design in a whole new way.

The north rim, 215 miles away by road, is much more remote and high enough in elevation to be closed during the winter months by snow, but fewer people mean more peace and tranquility and the views are just as good if not better. Ray has hiked from the North Rim down to the campground in the bottom of the canyon and back up on the South Side as well as many times the south rim down and up.

I feel privileged that we can live in an area where we can experience such breathtaking beauty of creation. Although we are somewhat remote and live off the grid, the benefits of being here far outweigh any of the negatives.

Chapter Five - Rhythm – Expression of Music in Terms of Time

2008-09-03T10:36:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately I don’t recall very much at all around the time after the Ebonys disbanded.

I therefore think it is as good a time as any to interject an anecdote here.

The band (could be The Soul) was playing in a club somewhere close to Ramstein, a forested area. One night we on the spur of the moment decided (?) to go deer hunting. One of the guys had a rifle and I doubt that we really expected to find any deer. Surprisingly enough, as we drove into the forest we saw a "car-light startled doe" in the distance. I took aim and downed it in one shot. Excellent, we thought, we had accomplished what we came for....So now came the predicament...the fact is, we were on tour and residing in a hotel. So, we wrapped the poor animal in a blanket and proceeded to smuggle it up to our room unseen. We hung the carcass on the closet door and after it had bled out in a pail, proceeded to butcher it with razor blades. Not an easy task, might I mention.

We split up the meat and each of us took it to wherever to have it prepared. I took mine to Micki's house. Her grandmother was visiting them and she knew how to prepare it. It was delicious, but Micki's father was justifiably upset with me because we had been poaching. He enjoyed his meal though and never spoke of it to me again. Actually, I do wonder what the maid in the hotel thought after we left. We did throw the offal out, but I am sure we made a mess anyway. Not very nice of us at all.

Here I am with Micki in Berchtesgaden

.............................................................

I know I was playing with Gerd Komm on bass and Lothar Apel on keyboard. (More on Lothar later). We also had a female singer from England who did a lot of Dusty Springfield stuff. As I recall we were frequently changing drummers, we even had a big band drummer for a time. Yet none of them were able to play rhythm and blues or the soul patterns we wanted.

Smith Barracks in Baumholder

Our band was playing in Baumholder at the time. I remember it was a huge American Club. We were under contract with an agency supplying bands for US clubs. It was May of 1966.

HISTORY OF BAUMHOLDER POST
Baumholder post was constructed in 1937 as a result of German rear armament. The Third Reich was looking for an area with appropriate terrain to be a large military training area and Baumholder was the choice. The government appropriated over 22,000 acres, displacing about 842 families from 14 different villages around Baumholder, and resettled these families in the surrounding areas. After the resettlement of families was completed, construction began immediately.
Three thousand laborers worked rapidly and by 1938, 20 houses, an Officer's camp with post headquarters, a quartermaster depot and separate barracks for each company were completed. Large numbers of German and Austrian units were trained in Baumholder after WWII began in 1939. The year 1944 brought allied bombing raids on the post, in which several buildings and the rail yards were badly damaged. Baumholder surrendered to the Americans in March 1945 without a fight, after abandoning previous plans for defense. From July 1945 until 1951, French military units occupied the area.
In 1951, Americans took over the larger part of the post and with the help of German workers erected dwellings for American families. Schools, clubs, and warehouses were also built at this time. Today, Baumholder is the home for the largest concentration of combat soldiers outside the U. S., populated by more than 13,000 American soldiers, airmen, civilians and family members.

This is the Golden Angel restaurant in Baumholder 1944....can you see who's photo is hanging on the wall

Interesting Nazi postcard of baumholder

On May 31, 1966, Micki and I got married on the American Airbase in Ramstein and also by a Justice of the Peace in the village of Ramstein, Germany.

Wedding pictures

Our wedding was a small one, only some family members and friends of Micki’s parents attended. Afterwards, we had some coffee and cake and that same evening Micki's Dad drove us to Baumholder for the bands last night there. After saying heart felt good bye's to her family, Micki spent the next 6 hours sitting in the club in her wedding dress, waiting for closing time.

Immediately after our performance, the band packed up the equipment and took off for Ulm , our next gig. This city is in Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. In 2006 population was estimated at 120,000. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and traditions. Ulm was a former Free Imperial City (freie Reichsstadt). Today, it is an economic centre due to its varied industries, and it is the seat of a university (University of Ulm, founded in 1967). Internationally, Ulm is primarily known for its Gothic minster (Ulm Minster) and as the birthplace of Albert Einstein.

Market place in Ulm of today with the unusual library building in the background

We arrived there on June 1st, no sleep yet. Our singer went on to another band, as she was under contract with a different agent. In Ulm our agency sent us Sylvia, a nightclub performer from England because the GI’s always liked a female on the stage, whether they could sing or not. Sylvia was pretty good, but I remember one girl who was so bad, we sent her packing. She couldn't sing a lick, and I had to fill in for the high notes because she always sang flat. There were so many different people I worked with during this time that my mind refuses to bring any semblance of order to the sequence of things. I did not realize how difficult it is to recapture the past until attempting to write things down.

Here I am singing, Sylvia in the background

Anyway, as soon as we got to Ulm, we rented (for a month) a very nice, newly remodeled house for the band. Let the nightmare begin. Each of the musicians had their own room and shared the kitchen and bath. The keyboarder, Lothar, his wife and their toddler (a little girl) moved in to the room next to ours. We drove to the club, set up our equipment, rehearsed with Sylvia, the new arrival and did our first night, exhausted...spent. Micki and I still had not had any time alone together since we said our marriage vows. There was no honeymoon here...it was right back on the road and Micki learned quickly what that meant.

About a week into this gig, it was in the early morning hours, the little girl got up while her parents were sleeping, and somehow got hold of an opened container of tomato paste out of the garbage in the kitchen. Micki and I were the first to get up and walked into the kitchen, only to see the freshly papered walls now smeared bright red with tomato paste. The toddler had managed to paint floor, walls, furnishings, on that morning like Picasso, she herself was covered from head to toe. The new design on the walls was not approved of by the owner of the house. Impossible to clean, we all had to pay a big repair bill.

If that weren’t enough, a few nights later the keyboarder decided to go fishing after the gig. Midmorning I got up to take a shower and here is what I found!

The tub.....full of smelly fish and scales; the window sill was home to jars and jars of living bait...worms, etc. This is not what I wanted to see or smell first thing in the morning. I tore into the room where he and his wife were sleeping and threatened him with bodily harm. I gave him an hour to clean it up. Reluctantly, he did!

I think from Ulm we went to Berchtesgaden, a municipality in the German Bavarian Alps, to play at another American military club.

Berchtesgaden

After a few days there I received an unexpected and vague phone call stating that my mother had died and for me to come home immediately. So we left that same day and Micki and I took a train to Kaiserslautern . From there her mom met us and drove us to my parents home in Wuppertal. ........We were relieved to discover that my mother had not died, although she had a nervous breakdown and was in the hospital. I had left all of my equipment with Lothar and the band. That was not a good idea. Somehow things were just not getting into the right rhythm.

Susan Wagner - Reflection in the Water

2008-08-27T15:13:00.000-07:00

I believe it was 1996 when Susan first walked in the door of our library. I remember feeling an immediate kinship from the first time we talked.

It was as if I could relate to words yet unspoken by her.

Susan took me by surprise when she volunteered back then. I expected her to be very busy with her life (she was just building her house), but she is a very giving person and Susan wanted to give to our community. Although she didn't stay with us long back then, she left a lasting impression and from that very first encounter, she was part of "my team". Years went by and we didn't have an opportunity to speak much except in passing. Susan is a massage therapist, and a very good one. Both Ray and I have benefitted from her expertise. In fact she has had her own business for years, and is quite successful.

Susan's business card

In July of 2007 Susan joined us at the library again! We were very happy to have her back with us. She is a good inspiration to me when it comes to exercising and maintaining a healthy outlook. I really do love having her around. She is a willing and skilled worker in the library.

One thing I like about Susan are her honest and kind eyes. They are like clear pools of water, reflecting an energy from inside.....a love for our Earth, her family and friends....deep concern for the environment and a hope for a better future. She is a pleasure to work with.

Thank you for joining us again as a wonderful volunteer!

Rainbows, Reinhard and Enjoying Bolton -

2008-08-21T10:51:00.000-07:00

This was what I saw a couple of evenings ago on my way home from work.

Can you believe this sky?

Yes, while Ray is doing some major revisions of his memoirs (I think he remembered some things that were not in his original draft), I thought I would spend the time listening to Michael Bolton sing Nessun Dorma. He has a great tenor voice. Guess I will share it with you, maybe you will like it too.

It is interesting how my brain works, I started out listening to Stevie Wonder. He is another one of my favorites, and the next thing I know, Michael Bolten pops into my mind. How did that work?
Well, it is a natural progression...Stevie Wonder sang a song I really liked with Ray Charles called Living For the City....Michael Bolton sang Georgia on My Mind with Charles and..... Bolton sang Nessun Dorma. (Nessun Dorma (None shall sleep tonight is an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot, and is one of the best known tenor arias in all opera.)

It was an obvious forward motion of a logical thought process, an advancement of mentation. One leads to the other, which brings me to a totally different subject...... (Don't ask)

Recently, my cousin Reinhard sent a few pictures of his band. I want to include them here on my blog. I wish I had an mp3 soundclip to include here but I guess they have not been recorded since they do this as a hobby. They must be pretty good though because at a recent party they had everyone dancing. Besides, I think Reinhard looks pretty cool on the stage. Reinhard performing at a party on his terrace

The drummer in Reinhard's band - playing a Pearl no less

Reinhard

Doing some singing (I have no idea what he is singing
Here you see the people dancing and having a great time

Well, Reinhard was supposed to send me some other pictures, but I guess he forgot.

Busy Week

2008-08-15T12:16:00.000-07:00

I have been so busyI have not posted anything all week. I will get back to it next week. Here are really nice pictures Lourdes took in the Williams area.

Chapter Four - Harmonies -Higher and Lower Notes- Sounding in Combination

2008-08-07T15:23:00.000-07:00

Just to get you in the mood for harmonies...

Virtually overnight we had lost our singer. Now what? We had to do some real quick thinking. Although I had done some singing, and enjoyed it, this was my first stab as a real "lead" singer. Mike had performed some Everly Brothers songs with our backing, so we decided to continue doing Everly tunes, which was great for my vocal range.

At this point it might be good to introduce these very versatile musicians. Ron (Reinhard Buchholz), played keyboards as well as guitar sometimes; “Kaeuzchen” as we called him (Gerd Komm)… our bassist; and Detlef Stumpe on drums. I played a Gretch guitar over a Vox AC30, a guitar amplifier manufactured by Vox and known for its "jangly" high-end sound, with a Fender Bassman bottom.

Notable users of the AC30

Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch and Jet Harris of The Shadows, for whom the amplifier was alleged to have been developed
John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison of The Beatles
Keith Richards and Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones
Carl Barat of Dirty Pretty Things (band), formerly the Libertines
Pete Townshend of The Who
Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple
Rory Gallagher
Jeff Beck
Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin
John Scofield, noted jazz/fusion guitarist
Brian May of Queen
The Edge and Bono of U2
Tom Petty and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Peter Buck of R.E.M.
Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and Ed O'Brien of Radiohead
Noel Gallagher of Oasis
Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters

Before long, we were sounding really good. Ron and I harmonized perfectly. Our voices blended exceptionally well. So this is actually where my singing career started. Besides Everly songs, I started singing some rhythm and blues.

Another musician joined us, a rhythm guitarist, who did all of the rhythmical fill-ins, named James Foxton.

James on the left

He was from England and had also worked with Mike Warner before, (If there is anyone who has not played with Mike Warner, please stand up.) We were on a roll and the bands name was changed to the “Ebonys“.

Up to this point, this was one of the most musically interesting groups I had worked with. We were the perfect combination for the sound I sought to achieve. The Ebonys toured many cities and had success in Freiburg (where my extensive record collection was stolen), the City Bar in
Wiesbaden,
the Star Club (where we were featured with Tony Sheridan (http://www.tony-sheridan.de/),

Photo of Pete Best taken by Astrid Kirchherr
(http://www.petebest.com/

The Pete Best Four -his guitar player bought my watch in Hamburg ), Lee Curtis, the Rattles, and many of the popular bands during the early/mid 1960’s.

We performed to huge crowds in the Colliseum in Regensburg, a very beautiful city in Bavaria, where we lived in a hotel above a bakery with cockroaches a lot bigger than our egos.

We were booked in the Jaguar Club, another one of the music hot spots of the time. Here we were listed as guest performers along with many well known groups such as The Cream, The Crusaders, The Drifters, The Faces with Rod Stewart,

Jimi Hendrix Experience,

Bill Haley, Ben E. King,

Casey Jones and the Governors, Manfred Mann, The Mods, The Searchers, Spencer Davis Group, The Tielman Brothers, Spooky Tooth, The Spoons, The Tramps, The Who, etc., etc.

For those of you interested, here is an actual alphabetical list of some of the Featured Bands in the Jaguar Club of that time period reprinted from their site. Maybe you willrecognize some of the names:
Alegoric Almond, The (former Phantom Brothers)
Alexis Korner and his New Blues Group
All, The
Allmights, The mit Little Joey
Anderen, Die mit Jürgen Drews
Anyones, The
Apitz, Bernd
Arrows, The
Bandits, The (später The Jaguars)
Baroques, The
Bats, The
Beat Four, The
Beat Kings, The
Beatcombs, The
Black and Whites, The
Black Four, The
Bond, Isabella and the Tramps
Bonney, Graham
Boots, The
Bunch of Five, The
Burns and Blues, The
Butlers, The
Children, John's
Classix, The
Cliff and the Lights
Competition, The
Cops and Robbers, The
Coronaders, The
Cramer, Billy J.
Craying Rags, The
Cream, The
Creation, The
Crusaders, The
Curtis, Lee and the Allstars
Dämonen, The
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich
Dee, Georgy and the Beatkings
Dekker, Desmond and the Aces
Deutscher, Drafi and his Magics
Drifters, The
Ducks, The
Dynamic, The
Dynamites, The mit Little Lord
Easybeats, The
Ebonys, The
Equals, The
Exceptions, The
Eyes, The
Faces, The mit Rod Steward
Fashion, The
Fats, The
Felgen, Camillo
Fleets, The
Fools, The
Foundation, The
Four Renders, The
Four, The left Feet
Frederic and the Rangers
Frumpy's, The
Garrick, David
Generation, The
Gents, The
German Blue Flames, The
German Bonds, The
Germans, The
Gibson and the Eyes
Gibson and the Giants
Gitta and the Rangers
Go-Go-Girls mit Petra
Goldie and the Gingerband
Green Onions, The
Gun, The
Haley, Bill
Happy Times, The
Hardin & York
Heartstones, The
Hendrix, Jimi Experience
Hep-Stars, The
Herd, The
Herold, Ted
Hi-Balls, The
Hi-Fi's, The
High Fields, The
Hollies, The
Howland, Chris
Hush, The
Ian and the Zodiacs
Intruders, The
Jaguars, The
Jepis, The
Jeronimo, The
Jimi and the Rackets
Jones, Casey and the Governors
Jonny and the Hurricans
Just us
Kettels, The
King Size Taylor and his Dominos
King, Ben E.
King, Roger and the Jets
Klooks Kleek, The
Knife and Forks
Laine, Linda and the Sinners
Light, The
Lions, The
Little Earl and the Saphires
Liverbirds, The
Loadstones, The
Lord Davis and the Hush
Lord Sutch and the Roman Empire
Lords, The
Love Affaire, The
Majo Explosive
Mama Betty's Band
Man, The
Manish Boys, The
Mann, Manfred
Marsden, Beryl
Mensworld, The
Mersyteens, The
MG's, The
Mirage, The
Missus Beastly
Mocking Birds, The
Mods, The
Monks, The
Move, The
Mushrooms, The
Musketiere, The
Nectar, The
New Statesman, The
O'Hara, John and his Playboys mit Barbara Murphy
Ohio Express
Other Five, The
Overlanders, The
Parke Lane, The
Pawns, The
People, The
Percy and the Goalbirds
Petards, The
Peter and the youngsters
Phantom Brothers, The (später Alegoric Almond)
Poor Thinks, The
Pretty Things
Radha Krishna Temple
Raggers, The
Rags, The
Rainbows, The
Rangers, The
Rattles, The
Rattles, The
Remo Four, The (später Ashton, Gardner und Dyke)
Richy and the young a ones
Rickets, The mit Drafi Deutscher
Rivets, The
Rollicks, The
Ron, Ray and the Ebonys
Roosters, The
Rust, The
Scorpions, The
Screamers, The
Screaming Lord Sutch
Seachers, The
Shades, The
Shamrocks, The eng.
Shamrocks, The schwed.
Sheakespeares, The
Sheridan, Tony and the Big Six
Shocking Blue, The
Shondells, The
Shotguns, The
Simon, John Set
Small Faces, The
Smoke, The
Snappers, The
Soul Caravan
Sounders, The
Speeders, The
Spencer Davis Group
Spooky Tooth, The
Spoons, The
Spotnics, The
Status Quo, The
Stones, Gerry and the Wrackers
Strings, The
Summer Set, The
Sweet Berrys, The
Telstars, The
Thunderbird, The
Tielman Brothers, The
To Morrow to
Tonics, The
Traffics, The
Tramps, The
Travellers, The
Tremeloes, The
Troggs, The
Tuxedos, The
Victors, The
Vikings, The
VIP's, The
Viscounts, The
Warner, Mike and the New Stars
Warner, Mike and the Shatters
Washington, Geno and the Ram-Jam-Band
Who, The
Wild Cats, The
WJR
Wonderland, The
Wreckers, The
X-Rays, The
Yankees, The

It was around this time that Micki took off from high school with her friend, Shirley, hitchhiking to the Star-Club in Hamburg. We had just left there for another club so, of course, she didn’t find us. Invited by the Star Club stage manager to an all night club, Micki and Shirley wound up in this place where musicians, performers and night club workers from the Reeperbahn would go after their gigs. (The Reeperbahn is a street in Hamburg's St. Pauli red light district, one of the main centers of Hamburg's nightlife. ) Many performers would hang out there until the sun came up in the morning.
Worried something would happen to them if they tried to hitchhike back home; come daylight, the stage manager took them to the well known “Davids Wache” (the infamous police station on the Reeperbahn), (for their own protection), where they were promptly arrested. Both Micki and Shirley’s parents had notified the military police that their girls had disappeared and there was an alert given to all the police departments throughout the country to find the missing girls. The CID (military equivalent to the CIA) even got involved.

While in Hamburg, Micki was instrumental in busting a drug ring and her experience was heralded in the Stars and Stripes Military Newspaper as well as in several newspapers in the USA. But this is another story, and Micki will have to be the one to tell it.

The band was doing great, the money was good, recording company offers were coming, the future looked good. Everything was in perfect harmony.

Until….

Ron, the keyboarder and my singing partner, started an affair with another musician’s wife. And thereby, without a warning, The Ebonys came to an end.

“So wird oft die schoenste stunde in der liebe seelenbunde, durch herbeikunft eines dritten mittendurch und abgeschnitten.”
[“Often the most beauteous hour, in loves soulful bonding power, through arrival of one more, is cut and severed to the core.”” ]
(my translation of Wilhelm Busch’s fitting verse)

What a shame!!!

Carol Foubert - THE GIFT

2008-08-06T10:33:00.000-07:00

"I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks." ~William Shakespeare

Do you ever have a feeling that you have known someone for a long time, even though you haven't? That is how I feel about Carol. She came to us in February of 08. I knew that she and her husband frequented the library on a fairly regular basis, and I liked her smile, so when she submitted her application, I accepted it right away.
Carol moved to Ash Fork in 2005 from Mesa. She has 3 children and 6 grandchildren. She moved here from Mesa.

Her interests are reading , crafts, gardening and Bible study as well as spending time with her family. Carol also loves meeting people and she finds that the library is a great place to do that.

I consider Carol a gift to the library. She brings a wonderful calmness with her when she comes to work, she is a blend of a relaxed ocean breeze and cheerful activity like the buzzing of a bee on a summer day.

From the very first moment, I felt we stood on common ground. Carol is not only a gift for the library but I consider her being here a personal gift, and as GB Stern said "Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone."

So I wish to express my gratitude "to" and "for" another one of my super volunteers. I hope she stays with us for many years.

August Gallery -Colors and Moods

2008-08-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

Watercolor "Perfect Landing Place"

Pastel "Lighthouse at Sunset"

Watercolor "Butterfly on Gray"

Colored Pencil "Cardinal"

Colored Pencil "Bonsai" oops...I didn't do this...Ray did.

Watercolor on textured paper "Raven Heaven"

Pastel "Broken Pots"

Pastel "Clochette" 1903

Pastel "Carnival Ride"

Collage on Wood

Pastel "Summertime"

Pastel "Trained"

Colored Pencil "Atlantis"

CHAPTER THREE -THE BRIDGE - or A Device for Supporting the Strings On a Guitar

2008-07-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

In case you need to work on your guitar bridge, here is a clip that may be of interest.

There were several other brief interludes with bands (they shall remain un-named, because I can’t recall any of them- there are way too many of these unfortunate details erased from my "so-called" memory) .

About this time, along came the “Silver Strings“. They had played in the Mocambo Bar in Wuppertal. The singer was a fellow from Duesseldorf named Helmut Rademacher (aka Scotty Rader). Both Billy and Ronnie had played in the Mocambo with him for a while.
It was late 1962 that Scotty invited me to work with them as lead guitarist.

Yes, I am the one in the middle, and believe it or not, that is my hair

This was a really stressful time, we were constantly on the go, almost always on the road, sleeping in dives….what can I say, the typical life of a musician on the road, wine, women and song.

Scotty had the notion of portraying the two of us as brothers, We were billed as Scotty Hel Rader and Ray Rader, two of the Silver Strings. The rest of the Silver Strings were drummer, Kelly Hill, and bass player, Georg Guild (Grimm) and Billy Robin, rhythm guitar. Of course, we all had to have English sounding names, after all, we played English and American Music. It wouldn’t do to have someone named Rademacher or Schiffgen playing "Shake the Last Dance With Me. "

We had some reasonable success. In fact, we were “Beatles” before the Beatles! For one thing, our hair was quite a bit longer than theirs at the time. They were starting to become very popular in Europe and so we decided to play a few of their songs. Someone dubbed us the “German Beatles” and it stuck. Early 1963, we were featured in movie theatre newsreels (anybody remember those? I guess I am revealing my age), shown throughout Germany as the “German Beatles”. We had cut a record with Phillips Recording Company, and we were all the rage. Magazines, newspapers, etc. featured articles about the Silver Strings. An article in the Bravo Magazine (a popular music magazine) stated that we had more than a thousand fans chase after us down the streets of Kaiserslautern.

This record was re-released a few years ago on CD . This is what the original record cover looked like.

This is the photo from the article in the Bild Zeitung. A well known German newspaper.

The insert of the CD. It shows some of the publicity photos of the day as well as a picture of Scotty (Helmut Rademacher) as he is today. Hel went on to become a well known radio personality and a ranking member of the Elvis Presley Fan Club in Europe.

We were performing in the Café Stadt Wien, a popular club in Kaisersautern at the time. It was spring of 1963. We were rehearsing in the afternoon. Four American girls, students of a nearby US military High School pretended to write a school paper about our band. They asked for an interview. We knew they were just putting us on, but they were cute so we went along with it. This is how I met my future wife, Micki.

Micki, as did the other band members' girfriends, had to deal with the groupies who harassed and threatened her in the various clubs. One threatened her with a knife, another cried at her front door for a whole weekend.

The Silver Strings

L-R

Ray Schiffgen
Scotty, Kelly
Georg and Billy

After Kaiserslautern the “Silver Strings” went to Wiesbaden to play in the City Bar. It was a good sized club. While with the Silver Strings I did mainly background vocals. I found that singing was something I enjoyed. Doing the background vocals helped me train my voice for more singing later on in my career. We were well known and throughout Germany you could hear our record playing in most juke boxes.

Micki visited the City Bar one evening. We were standing outside of the club talking when a group of fans walked by and started singing “She Loves You, yeah, yeah, yeah”. I proposed. She accepted.

L -R Scotty, Kelly, Ray and Billy in front of the City Bar in Wiesbaden

Georg standing in front of what used to be the City Bar today

The gig in Coburg

Playing in Freiburg

After Wiesbaden, we played Coburg, where Micki’s mother and grandmother walked in the club one night to check me out, (we had not yet had the pleaure of meeting). Micki knew nothing about their visit until after the fact. She was upset that they had come to see me without her.

Partial Translation of the magazine article above showing Scotty Hel Rader:
“Rainer Schiffgen (that's me) was a great guitarist, who not only brought the Silver Strings a good piece ahead, but was also an example for Gerd Kreutzer, who developed quite well in his shadow.” The band focused even more on the Beat music. They wore suits similar to Beatles attire and let their hair grow long. To this day, Scotty has the official title of the musician with the longest hair of the Beat era. Etc., etc. "

Although the Silver Strings were quite popular, had a recording contract and lots of fans, I was beginning to get restless again. I guess I just hadn't found my niche and so I felt the music was getting stale. In Freiburg I had an argument with Scotty about something (can’t even remember what) and that gave me the way out.

The next month I started playing with Mike Warner and the Echolettes Mark II, in Hamm in Westfalen.

Mike and I had played together previously in different bands, The Fenders, The Shatters, etc. He had initially grouped Barry Jenkins on drums and Albert Lee on guitar. As I recall, when Al left,I came in to replace him. Soon thereafter, Barry Jenkins left to become the drummer for the Animals. Albert Lee went on to become one of the leading "chicken picking" guitar players in the world. He has played with the Everly Brothers, Emmy Lou Harris, numerous others, etc. Al has also been Playboy Magazines Studio Musician of the year, is featured on one of the Crossroads concerts with Eric Clapton and on and on. If your'e interested, he also has a series of video classes available for those wanting to learn his style.

Mike Warner today with Albert Lee

Another photo of Albert Lee, this one with Vince Gill

Here is a picture of Al with Steve Howe as well as Martin Taylor and Tommy Emanuel

(I included this one for Willow, and she knows why)

Here is a photo of Georg today, our bass guitar player with the Silver Strings, with friend Bill Wyman (Rolling Stones)

a photo of Barry Jenkins during those early years

All the musicians in this band, except Mike, were new to me. After one or two nights, Mike needed to leave suddenly because he had to take care of a family situation.

This is where I crossed the "bridge" to another style of music.

End of chapter three...I want to, again, express my thanks to Georg Grimm for giving me permission to use pictures from his website. Oh and by the way, I added a few more faces to my July Gallery "Faces of Note"...if you want to go back and look..

Just a Quick Word of Appreciation

2008-07-24T08:31:00.000-07:00

I just want to express my appreciation to Georg Grimm, Mike Warner, Rob Terstall and a few others who were some of the talented musicians Ray worked with in Germany. I believe they are all still performing at present.

They either posted pictures or sent them to us so Ray was able to include them in his memoirs. Due to our travels back and forth we lost many of our photographs (in the 1980's I shipped 28 boxes of personal things including many, many photographs from Europe to New York ....only 1 box arrived, and it had been opened...the rest of our belongings disappeared somewhere between the New York Harbor and California, our home at the time...even insurance can not replace pictures of the past). Yet, through the wonders of the internet Ray was able to recreate some of his past with the photos from others.

I have a link on this blog to Georg's site, but here it is again, http://www.lisa-und-georg.de/. His website is probably one of the most extensive that can be found relating to the music business of Germany in the 1960's. Mike Warner can be found at http://www.mikewarner.com/ and Rob Terstall, the guitarist from Holland can be found under his name and the name of the popular band ODIN. He probably has a website also, but I am at a loss right now as to the address. If I hear from Rob again soon, he will hopefully let me know what it is.

CHAPTER TWO - GLISSANDO or A Rapid Series of Notes

2008-07-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

Our first actual "professional" gig was in Bochum, a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area between the cities of Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Herne, Recklinghausen, Dortmund, Witten and Hattingen. Shortly after getting to the club there, I switched to a Fender Jazzmaster guitar. A vintage Jazzmaster could easily be worth between $4000 and $4500 today.

The Fenders in Bochum

Introduced in 1958 as Fender's top of the line model, the Jazzmaster was built for the electric jazz scene. Leo Fender designed the pickups to produce a deeper mellower tone than the popular Stratocaster and Telecaster models. Unfortunately, jazz musicians didn't care for the guitar although it became very popular with the "surf" bands of the 1960's. The Jazzmaster had a contoured body and 2 pickups. Discontinued in 1982 Fender came out with a reissue in 1987.

From Bochum we went to Guetersloh, where we also made our first recording with Ariola Records. Ariola, a German record label is best known today for it's parent company Bertelsmann Music Group or BMG, and sells music worldwide. Some well known artists that have performed on the Ariola label are Eartha Kitt, Boney M, Carly Simon, Nina Hagen, Peter Alexander, NSync, the Pretenders and the list goes on. Anyway, on the "A" side of our record was an instrumental. Rocky was in love with a girl named Eva at the time and, to our dismay, insisted on singing “Eva my darling I love you" (in German) on the "B" side to a Little Richard tune we were doing. These antics caused some tension between Rocky and the rest of us. Needless to say, due to a variety of reasons, we did not sign with the recording company and our record was never publicized.

During these times, you couldn't just go and post your music on the internet and have a huge underground following, selling your music by yourself. No, you were solely reliant on your agent, manager or the record company for promotions. So, obviously……no publicity…no record sales. But we were making quite a name for ourselves in the nightclub scene. The club in Guetersloh was huge, it may have been an old theater at one time and it was always packed. The audience really liked the music and that's what counted.

It was towards the end of 1962, when we went to Remscheid, to play in a club called

the Huette (the Hut in English).

We played daily from 8 PM until 3AM and I rapidly came to realize what it meant to be on the road. Yes, indeed, it meant real work. Enjoyable, but nevertheless, work. We rehearsed daily to add songs to our repertoire, slept for a few hours to get the needed rest, ate in whatever local restaurant we could afford, and played music at night.

I would like to make mention of the fact that musicians “are”.... and particularly of this era...."were" a "different breed".

Mornings, when the "average person" left for work, we were on our way to the hotel to catch a few hours rest. In the evening, when others came home from a hard day and either got ready to settle in for the night or looked for some relaxation and diversion, we tuned in to our creative energy as our "day" began at sundown. We were part of a large group of entertainers who were under contract for one month in any given club. The next month the nightclub entertainers or bar musicians would move on to the next one, rotating from club to club.

During the 60’s most clubs had live entertainment, so there were many bands traveling throughout Europe. Remember, this was before the disco’s. Musicians were perpetually on tour. In fact, I would go so far as to say that because of this, musicians were a completely separate social group. They had very little contact to the rest of the world beyond the club scene...away from home, friends and family, they formed a special bond. They respected each other without the competitiveness that you frequently see today in the music industry.

After a short time, Ronnie Blenheim, one of the nicest guys I had ever worked with, left and his position was taken over by Billy (Gerd Kreuzer). Sadly, we all heard that Ronnie, a depressed young man, committed suicide later on.

Ronnie Blenheim

In 1963, the Fenders were also joined by a singer, Mike Warner.

Mike Warner had a good voice, was very versatile and a great showman. Also, Billy was a really good rhythm guitarist. We were sounding pretty good. And because of our preferred music style and stage presence, the agency we worked for contracted us out mostly to American Military Clubs. The picture above shows us playing at the Rose Barracks in Bad Kreuznach. It was during this time that John F. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated. There was initially some confusion as to who had shot JFK and the musicians were asked to promptly leave the stage as well as the barracks because of some misinformation that indicated a German may have been responsible. Of course this was incorrect and only an expression of everyone's initial shock.

Rose Barracks NCO Club

I really enjoyed playing in the U.S. clubs. The guys that came to hear us appreciated us and were generous with their praise and drinks. Another benefit was that the U.S. clubs were somewhat less rowdy than some of the clubs off base. The soldiers may have gotten into fights off base, but they couldn't get away with it as easily while in a military facility. U.S. clubs were everywhere in those days. The American G.I. was a familiar presence on the streets of Europe, Germany in particular during the 1950’s-‘60’s. They were homesick and wanted to hear sounds from home and we accommodated by playing their music.

The Skies over Ash Fork

2008-07-17T17:53:00.000-07:00

The setting sun over Ash Fork, Arizona

Fire in the sky

I have a thing about the sky...Most of the places I have lived in my life, the sky was usually obscured by (1)buildings, (2)smog, or (3)haze. But here in this part of the world, we have the most beautiful skies I have ever seen. Even when I lived on the Bermuda Islands I don't recall seeing skies quite like the ones we have here. I can't help myself but to stop the car and pull out my camera to snap a few shots of the breathtaking horizons.

I will share some of these snapshots with you. They are a testimony to God's colorful palette and his exquisite design. Can anyone not find delight in seeing such splendor. Most of the following pictures were taken somewhere on our 40 acres. A few may have been taken from the highway on the way home.

Monsoon clouds building up for a little storm

August has the most beautiful colors in the sky

Looking east on an early morning

Driving down the hill from Williams (west)

The intense blue....

Depending on what time of day it is, the colors are spectacular

Each sky enduces a certain mood..what do you feel looking at this picture?

The golden horizon in the west

Low sun in the sky

If you saw it in a painting you wouldn't believe it could really look like that

Can you believe the colors!

Chapter One - THE FIRST NOTE

2008-07-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

So here is the beginning....

As a young man I sang in the church choir with my father and two brothers.... an agreeable experience, but what I really enjoyed was listening to Elvis, Johnny Ray and other popular groups of that time. I loved the sound of the guitar and the rhythm of the beat, but my true incentive for a life with music began at the public swimming pool.

Ray and nephews Hans and Norbert

During the summer, everyone would go to the public pool and hang out. It was the place for teenage boys to meet up with their peers and check out the girls. On one of these occasions, I met a young guitar player. He wasn't very good, but it seemed that everyone was drawn to him, myself included. Watching him made me realize that I really wanted to learn how to play the guitar. But wanting to play is one thing....having an instrument and the musical ability is another. I asked the kid if he would show me some chords, he knew only three, and that’s how it started.

Wuppertal Cronenberg

In Germany, in the late 1950’s, money was tight. Although, almost 15 years since the end of the WWII, these were still some very hard times. I was born in Cronenberg. This is one of the small towns that make up the city of Wuppertal, a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the Wupper River south of the Ruhr area. The city was formed in 1929 by merging the smaller towns all along this section of the river, Barmen, Elberfeld, Vohwinkel, Ronsdorf, Cronenberg, Langerfeld, and Beyenburg. The name of the city was initially Barmen-Elberfeld, and after 1930 became Wuppertal (means the “Wupper Valley”). The new city was administered within the Prussian Rhine Province. During WWII, it was destroyed to about 40% by the Allies as were many other industrial centres at the time. In fact, I recall as a child, being rushed to the basement during one of the many bombings of our city, only to find out later that my bedroom where I had been sleeping had been struck by a bomb.

One of the city’s greatest attractions is the suspended monorail “ Schwebebahn”, which was established in 1901 and is still in use today as the major local transport system in the city. It is the oldest monorail system in the world.

One of the depots

The suspension railway travels along a route 13.3 kilometres long, about 12 metres above the surface of the ground. Walt Disney, while travelling in Europe, saw the monorail and it gave him the idea for a monorail in Disneyland.

My father, a tool and dye maker as well as a machinist, was a hard worker and as good a provider as was possible for that time, but I knew it would be difficult to come up with the money to buy a guitar. I had gone to a music store in Elberfeld and the owner let me sign for a Framus Billy Lorento, and show it to my parents with the hopes they would agree to let me buy it. It took some doing, but I kept on bugging them until they relented.

Learning chords by ear, listening to records, was quite a difficult task. I sat in my room for hours day after day trying to figure out the chords. By this time I was 18 years old, definitely a late bloomer, but I was determined, and eventually “Peggy Sue” got easy. “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” followed soon after. By the time I knew how to play the chords to “Teddy Bear” and “Love Me Tender”, I needed a band.

A friend of mine, Juergen Wisker, got an upright bass from somewhere. Another fellow named Rocky (Bernd Zimdars), added a drum set to his bongos and we were a trio.

Our first gig was in a place called the Rathskeller in my hometown, Cronenberg. It was a combination restaurant/meeting place for the community. We had the extensive repertoire of 10-15 songs at the most and would repeat with each set. It probably sounded terrible but the people weren’t spoiled and readily applauded our efforts.

I no longer recall if we even had a band name, but the trio did work together for about a year and it gave me the necessary confidence to continue on. Eventually the bass player quit and Rocky and I were joined by a rhythm guitarist, Peter Frohn.

We began playing at a place called the Seemannsheim in Elberfeld. I thought The Kentuckys seemed to be a good band name (this name was adopted by a lot of groups later on), and so we started playing there at least 3 times a week. It was a really rough club, lots of beer with the ultimate consequential fracus which occurred frequently. Opportunities to listen to other bands nearby gave us the needed exposure to learn from them and eventually we really started to get better. And so we played at the Seemannsheim for 6 or 7 months. By now I had graduated to a Fenton Weil guitar. During all this time, Tuesday through Saturday, I worked as a professional hairdresser in the day and at night I would play music. Rocky was a truck driver (big rig). Needless to say, we were wiped out most of the time.

We had an offer to play at a place called the "Loher Ampel", a small club in Wuppertal Barmen, Am Loh (street name). Rocky and I moved on with 2 new band members, Ronnie Blenheim and Georg Grimm.

I had acquired another new guitar for this gig, a Fender Jaguar, and since we all had Fender guitars and our bass player had a Fender bass, we unwittingly became Fender advertisers by calling ourselves (of course) “The Fenders”. One night, it was winter, the floor was wet, we were setting up and I was testing the microphone. All the equipment was set up on a concrete floor. I had my guitar in my hands and touched my lips to the mic. It threw me to the ground. Needless to say, nothing was grounded…. except me of course. This was a lesson learned.

The Fenders with Mike Warner

While playing there one night we were approached by a man who had a fairly large club in Luehnen in Westfalia, open 5 days a week. He told us he wanted us to start right away. It didn’t take us long to think about it, so we quit our jobs, packed our gear and we were well on the way to becoming pros.

After Luehnen we made some real progress musically. We also started playing Ventures and Shadows music. The instrumentals were a big thing at the time. All the band members were German but we played exclusively American or British music, never played any German music at all..... Other German groups did, but we liked this new sound.

Ray Schiffgen Memoirs

2008-07-14T15:31:00.000-07:00

Beginning tomorrow I am going to post a chapter of Ray's memoirs each week. He wrote this ,in particular, for our family, so I hope it will be of interest to some of you.

If not, don't read it.....but I bet you will.

CHORDS FROM THERE TO HERE

1959-2007

48 YEARS OF FEELING THE BEAT

Ray Schiffgen

Ann the Incredible

2008-07-14T14:46:00.000-07:00

It is hard for me to remember how the library was before she got here. Although I had Ronnie and Vern, and some others working in the library with me before she joined us (even my Mom volunteered for a season), Ann has been the most lasting and memorable member of my staff. It seems that as soon as she moved up here from the valley she engulfed Ash Fork with her charming southern air. I know of no one else who could demand such presence with the warmth and hospitality that Ann displays.
I can actually visualize Ann as the young medical office manager she was in her former life (before retirement, before Ash Fork), a pretty young woman…efficient, helpful, routined, dedicated to her doctor….that is how she is to this day in her role as volunteer in the library.

Efficient: In charge on Wednesdays…her day to work in the library. She makes sure everything is in working order for the day, in fact, I believe she is the only one of all the volunteers who checks to see if enough paper is in the copier, printer, FAX before we even open the doors in the morning. I never have to worry when Ann is manning the Circulation Desk, she is thorough in everything she does. From the time she walks in the door at the beginning of the day until it is time to leave and she turns off the lights, sets the alarms and checks to make sure not only the main door is locked, but always checks to see that my office door is secured from the outside, Ann is the most effective person I know.

Helpfulness: The library patrons love her! Ann calls her people on the phone if they have books waiting. Certain patrons call only on Wednesday because they want “her” to place books on hold for them. She will go out of her way to find something for a patron.

Routine oriented: Ann has her “method” for each part of the day , including the fragrant breakfast she starts her day with. She is the facilitator of the book discussion group and always prepared and on top of things. …having the custom to make sure all participants have had the opportunity to read the book and are reminded of the scheduled date.

Dedicated: Ann is loyal, supportive, confident, assertive and very commited to the library, and thereby the community.

Yes, another one of my extraordinary volunteers. Oh, and by the way, she is also the president of the Library Board, she is the director of the Tourist Center and she volunteers in a number of other organizations and groups as well. She is truly, "Ann", the most incredible volunteer.

Computer Art Using Painter X and Photoshop CS2

2008-07-07T13:58:00.000-07:00

I did all of these pictures on my computer using Painter X and Photoshop CS2. Patrick was so kind to put these programs on my computer, and so I am still learning how to use them. Although I have taken college classes in Illustrator CS2, I have not had any formal training in Painter or Photoshop....but I am trying. It is a lot of fun. This is the best therapy! Great for relaxation....unless you accidentally delete something. (I've done that too.)

July Gallery: A Few Faces of Note

2008-07-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

Papa Ray
Brian

Providencia
Alex

Chief Bear Legs, Osage
Jicarilla Apache Girl
Blake

Kurt

Georgia's Grandfather
Carole P

N. H. Knorr
Guitar Man
Guess Who
Logan

Taj Mahal

Sioux Woman
French Trapper
Old Pima Man

Phyllis

Miles Davis

Sometimes I Feel a Burning Inside

2008-06-27T10:03:00.000-07:00

Driving to work this morning, I watched as the person in the truck in front of me casually opened his window and threw a small bag of trash out on the road. He didn't even wait until he was somewhere unseen.

Guess what, I wasn't even shocked. No, not at all........but I did feel a certain burning dismay inside. Here we are, living in such beautiful surroundings, the elk, deer and antelope share this part of earth with us, some of the ground around us may not have been trodden by man since the native American wandered this terrain, and although many are finally coming to the realization that there is a need for conservation and eco-balancing.....which they are calling the Green Movement, the majority JUST DON'T GET IT!!!

It's too late you say? Well if it were solely up to us you are probably right. You see, there are these individuals who seem to be occupying space in this world without any cognizance of the damage they are doing to our home..... this beautiful planet.

I have come to the conclusion that they do not originate from our earth. My theory is that they are evil infiltrators from another dimension, sent here by their leader, to, not only, spy on us, but to ruin us and our place in the universe because they have caused some kind of rift between themselves and the ultimate Grand Creator. Oops, guess that isn't my theory at all, is it? We have already been warned that this would happen ...We have a "wrestling against" these super-human forces and they are.....

"...those ruining the earth..." according to the Book of Revelation.

So, there you have it.

What can we do about it? Susan says "Think positively." Sorry Susan, I still feel that burning sensation inside. But I will continue to do what I can to keep our planet "Green", and wait for the ultimate and impending "sweeping away of undesirable elements" from the earth.

One of My Favorites - Billy Cobham - Fusion Drums

2008-06-25T09:26:00.001-07:00

Performing here with Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter

The legendary Billy Cobham, one of the most skilled drummers in the industry. His talent is matchless and he is an ambitious composer as well as performer.

At the forefront of the jazz electronic music industry, he is not only an award winner, but has created and refined custom designed acoustic and electronic drumsets used by expert drummers worldwide.

Cobham has performed on hundreds of records, either with his own groups or with top artists throughout the world. His trademark? - big energy, fast, explosive drumming.

Billy Cobham has his homes in Zurich and in New York City. He was born in 1944 in Panama.

In 1973 he performed with John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestras (Jan Hammer, Jerry Goodman and Rick Laird). This is when Ray and I saw him in LA. It was one of those jaw dropping experiences. During this time of his illustrious career he also worked on recordings with Freddy Hubbard, George Benson, Milt Jackson, Stanley Turrentine, Esther Phillips, J.J. Johnson, Kenny Burrell, Eumir Deodato, Jackie and Roy, Johnny Hammond Smith, Bob James, Hubert Laws, Ron Carter and Eric Gale.

My "I'll Be There For You" Gal

2008-06-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

A person really ready and willing to do more than her share! That's our Charlene!!! She is a "gift package" filled to the hilt with good will and the sweetest objectives. Out of the box comes this wonderful person who makes you feel like her whole intent is to be there for you when you need her. ("A present? Just for me? Wow!)

Charlene started working with us in 2002 and continued straight up to 2005 when we moved into our new building. Due to some health problems, she had to take a break, but in July of 2007 I managed to convince her that we really needed her back.

Charlene is such a great little "take charge person". If there is anything that needs to be done, she's there to do it. Whether it is to pick up books for the sale in the neighboring town, even taking them home to store at her own house because we have no room for them in the library or volunteering to work extra hours so we are covered when others are on vacation or sick... she is there for us (of course, sometimes she volunteers her husband - David - a really terrific guy, who is also always willing and quite capable in all sorts of handy ways)... In fact, at our last booksale, she and David came in on the weekend and set up the tables and hauled all the books out for the Monday morning crowds of buyers. They have no idea how much I appreciated that!!

I have never known Charlene to be unpleasant, moody or resistant to new things. She is continually fun to be around and I am so thankful to have her working with us. But I can also report with full confidence, that she is likely the one who will get right up in someone's face, if necessary, and put them in their place. Like I always say, "don't mess with the little ones".
So here we are, she has been back this time almost a year already!!! I really don't see how we managed without her for two whole years! She is another one of my "quality crew" here in the Ash Fork Library.
I wonder sometimes, do other libraries have such a well balanced and fantastic bunch of volunteers? I don't think so. In fact I know so.....

June Gallery - Animas Pastelis

2008-06-22T14:34:00.000-07:00

Most of these pastels were done years ago and I am sure "some" of them are made from pictures I found in magazines....therefore, although done by me, they may not be original conceptions. I wish to express credit to the various artists for any compositions or designs that may not be my own.

The Family

2008-06-18T10:36:00.000-07:00

Katie, our boxer. Spoiled, but the best dog around, and smart as can be.

My better half

Mick and Leslie. I am so happy that Mick and Leslie fell in love more than 22 years ago. He is such a great guy. I couldn't ask for a better or more loving son-in-law. Leslie, despite having gone through great health problems, has been able to pick up her life and move on with strength and courage. She is a loving and beautiful daughter, good wife and caring mother. Just love these two!

Their boys, Nathan, Evan and Logan. Three of the finest young men around. They all have a good heart, are highly intelligent, sweet and oh so talented. I can't get enough of them. Good looking too. (Do I sound like a grandmother?) Each one of them is "My favorite grandson" of course.

Patrick and Kris Can we be any more proud of these two? The best son and daughter-in-law anyone could wish for. He is exceptionally talented in just about everything (can't think of anything he can't do) and she is the perfect wife for our son, a great mom and exceptionally beautiful inside and out. We love them both so much!

Their boys, Alex, Kurt and Blake These three young men are so intelligent, talented and good-looking. I am so proud of them, their accomplishments and goals in life. (Now I know I sound like a grandmother)They are each"my favorite grandsons", you know.

Dad, at age 80. Always took care of me when I was little, protected me and gave me the best life as a kid. Love him too! He's my "favorite Dad".