Meditation Song...

Here is a photo, courtesy of Kevin, of Bill singing the meditation song Precious Lord Lead Me On. He was accompanied by Cathy, me and not pictured cousin Doug on keys. I think there were quite a few tears shed during this, I know all my kids cried.

Got the first video from the Monday night practice posted to youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/theolderyouwillget

Only about half the final choir is present so you know it sounded twice as good the next day.

Choir of Cousins...

Cathy put together what was being call a "choir of cousins" for the celebration of Karl Dutt's funeral Mass. Here is a picture of some of the cousins at a practice the night before. Also included here are quite a few Wallaces. This group was augmented the next day by about 4 or 5 more and if I tried to name those names I would get them wrong. Any way it was all old Catholic greatest hits so everyone knew the material well and the singing was great.

In this picture from the Monday practice front row you have Rose, Cousin David (from Austin), Mary, Katie, and Cathy. Back row is Morgan, Cousin Michael ( from San Fran Bay area), me, Cousin Patrick (from Spring) and cousin Doug (from Boston). I think some of the others that joined the next day came from Pittsburgh. Shameless plug check Doug's web site, the Classmates Band, on the side bar.

Another shot of Morgan, Cathy, Michael, Patrick and me.
















Cathy and her Pop working on his solo "Precious Lord Lead Me On" for the meditation.















Me, Cathy and all the kids along with Juan and Travis stayed at Sycamore Heights, a Bed and Breakfast run by a couple of friends of Joe and Karl. Great place only a few blocks from the church in the old Heights neighborhood. This is a back yard shot, very well fitted and furnished, inside and out.

I get a chance I'll get a couple of video clips of the practice up on youtube. Nothing ground breaking music wise, you may hear a few clams, but it was really wonderful how the family came together and celebrated Karl's life.

Happier Photos...

Here we all are last weekend at the LHS band banquet. Left to right, me Cathy, Mary's boy friend Miguel, Mary, Katie and her boyfriend Travis and Morgan. It was a Hawaiian themed affair and no I did not play the tuba.
Nice back drops for photos.
Some of the other geezers at the banquet, on the left and right are a couple of guys I was in band with in high school, Ernie and Ken respectively. Sleeping off this year's senior cruise to Mexico in the middle is the high school director, Mr. Williams. He was in the Longview band in high school, graduating the same year as I did so that made us district competitors. Later he attended Kilgore College, as I was to do and we actually were in the SFA band together for about a year. I don't remember him, he was a trumpet player and sat way up front. Tubas sit in back and that's the way I like it.

Thanks for the Prayers...

Karl passed last night. Thanks for any prayers you said for him and Joe.

Funeral next Tuesday in Houston 10am.

Here's a better picture than I posted yesterday, Joe on the right, Karl on the left having fun at Rose and Juan's wedding a few years ago.

Prayers for a Friend...

Most family who read this page know by now that a close friend of Cathy's family has entered hospice care. Karl, who has been Uncle Joe's partner for the last 28 years has terminal cancer. That's Uncle Joe with Karl on the right.

The picture was made last Christmas. I have better pictures of Karl, but I though I would use the most recent I had.

Keep them in your prayers please.

Busy Weekend...

May take all week to get the pictures from this weekend up. Here's fishing on Saturday with me, Mary, Cathy, Morgan, Katie and Travis.

That's Mary with the big fish of the day. How come some folks have on coats, long sleeves and some are nearly naked?
It's man against beast, or is this little girl pulling something in the boat or keeping something from getting in the boat.
The tub shot. Total was 31 catfish that made 6lbs of filets.
The odd man out, one of a kind. Morgan bags a gasper gou. Back in the lake he goes, good camp meat if eaten fresh, freeze them and then try to cook, they are like rubber.

Drum and Tuba...

Spring band concert, me and about 12 other geezers , graduates of the Lufkin High School Band got to perform 4 numbers with the Symphonic Band at last night's concert. I think we had folks from the 50s, 70s and 80s take up their horns for this gig.

Here's me and Mary striking a pose in the band hall before the gig. Naturally the graduating seniors broke into the unoffical fight song, an old tune we played at football games and which was actually played at the old Dunbar high school in the days of segreation, "Striving."

Mary grabbed a set of cymbals and we both stood on chairs to jam together on that old spirit stirring song. My mother was there. She left quickly, claimed she did not see us doing that.

Anyway it was a lot of fun. I think me and Mary were both a little keyed up after the gig. We went and got yougerts, no sugar added for me, and I went home and wrote patient notes from the home health treatment I had done that afternoon and washed the dishes. Seems like not too many years ago I would have stayed up for two or three days after a night of playing on someone's front porch.

Guess you gotta go pro sometime.

Tribal Catfish...

Picked up a couple of these decals on ebay for one of the Cathy week presents.

Thought we might stick one on each side of the boat to sort of announce of presence on the lake as some kind of nu-catfishers, different from those that are buying fish accessories from wal-mart or some place like that.

How About This On Your Wall...

Spotted this work of art in a vendor booth at the Jazz Fest last weekend.
When I saw the price tag, just $3000, I almost plopped down the credit card.

It would have had to be a credit card, since I am not normally in the habit of having that kind of folding dough on me, bad manners in the digital paypal age you know.

Speaking of bad manners I guess I should not have made a picture of it because it is someone's creation and I am stealing it for my own use.

It does combine many things I like, fishing, guitar and I would love to have it hanging in my house but it just does not go with the wall paper. In fact I bet I could spend more than $3000 just making a fitting area to display this fine work.

Let's see, I think I bought a jazz funeral print for $20 in Jackson Square the last time I was in N.O. Signed by the artist himself. Never have got that up. It don't really match the wall paper either.

Got Up Some Jazz Fest Pictures...

This will keep you busy for a few days, I posted 150 New Orleans Jazz Fest pictures to my photo site. About half of the photos I made down there.

All kinds of music is represented, jazz, rock, blues, gospel. You will see pictures of Randy Newman, lots of tubas, accordions and a very long shot of Cathy's cousin Errol on stage playing guitar in Stevie Wonder's band.

http://www.pbase.com/wallace_6/jazz_fest_new_orleans&page=all

Happy Birthday Cathy...

You know this is Cathy week. Birthday, Mother's Day, National Nurse Week, the pressure I am under around here is incredible.

Here is a picture of the cake I had to bake.





And of course there was that birthday party some call Jazz Fest I threw in New Orleans last weekend.

JazzFest 2008...

Spent last Thursday and Friday at the 2008 jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans. Had a great time, lots of music, food and fun. Here is a self portrait made at the fairgrounds.
This photo was made at quite some distance, but it's Cathy's cousin Errol, he plays guitar in Stevie Wonder's band. It's tough to see the big name acts, the viewing can be crowded. Lot easier to see the small weird stuff we like.

Currently working on a photo hosting page with all photos from the fest and a blow by blow account of the music. Keep tuned in for a link in the near future.

Juan's Graduation...

Our son in law Juan Ramirez graduated from Brazosport Junior College Police Academy last Saturday night. Here is Rose, Juan, his sister Vanessa and her husband Joseph.





Juan received and award for perfect attendance, the first time in the history of the academy any one had accomplished this. Good job Juan, he also worked full time while attending school.


Presented an award to another graduate.
Shows off the goods.