My dear friend Michael stopped by on Christmas Eve,
to share a little cheer...
He showed me some awesome Hot Wheels
model cars he found at a local market.
He is a race car enthusiast.
Just seeing that logo brought to mind one Christmas,
long ago, when me and my 3 sisters were little girls.
It was pretty near to Christmas,
and one of my sisters got very curious
as to what could be hiding in the closet, wrapped up.
I said "No, don't go there!"
But 2 were for, 2 against.
So I said, "OK, but whatever you do, make sure you wrap it back up so you can't notice it's been opened!"
So my sister opened the package, which contained an awesome Hot Wheels "Daredevil" set; loop de loop track,
and some great model cars.
My 2 "daredevil" sisters put the track together
and were having some pre-Christmas fun,
when me, the oldest, and my youngest sister, Bonnie, were against this...
"OK, preview's over, I said. Pack it up, and put it back, before our mother gets home!"
So, the Hot Wheels got wrapped up once again,
retaped, bows in place, back in the closet...
Christmas Eve, and out of nowhere
we all heard my mother's voice coming out of the general
vicinity of her closet :
"What the hell is this!?"
Busted.
Although the package was replaced, & rewrapped,
my sister made the fatal error of leaving the instructions out!
Shit hit the fan, bigtime.
My mother was pissed!
She worked very hard to present this,
and her surprise had been spoiled...
Christmas was doghouse central for the lot of us...
We did not tell on each other,
we all suffered it together,
and that is what I remember most.
Right or wrong, us 4 girls were in it together.
Today, I miss them so...
And although we have our own families now, and are miles apart,
we are still those little girls...
The Secret of Christmas - Shirley Horn Winter Wonderland - Shirley Horn, Roy Hargrove Xmas in February - Lou Reed The Dust Blows Forward 'N The Dust Blows Back - Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band Trop Bonne Pour Toi (Le Clip) - Simone et Pop-Hip Thunder Road - Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry - Wynton Marsalis Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis - Tom Waits Rainy, Rainy Day - Brownie McGhee Pale Blue Eyes - Lou Reed Minnie The Mermaid - Bernie Cummings and his Hotel New Yorker Orchestra What Shall I Say? - Billie Holiday with The Teddy Wilson Orchestra A Child Is Born - Oscar Peterson Sunday, Monday, or Always - Jimmy Rowles White Christmas - Béla Fleck
I got some pics from the Lumiere event from last month.
It was a great party, international food, Indonesia dance, Ikebana and Etegami exhibitions,
and music...
This was my bit...
I did two numbers. Paul Simon's "Gone At Last"
in my own style; The Blues!
Keisuke Wada joined me on electric guitar, adding some nice riffs...
The second song was a slow,
beautiful song from Kris Kristofferson :
"Help Me Make It Through The Night".
Everyone coupled up for this-
Even little ones were dancing!
I came back on the bandstand at the end,
without my guitar,
to sing the finale, "Proud Mary"...
Everyone was dancing!
It was a great party....
Congratulations to Tom Waits, The Alice Cooper Band, Dr. John, Leon Russell, Darlene Love, & Neil Diamond,
on getting inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2011!
My dear friend Jimmie Smith will work his magic on the drums; playing a concert with Teddy Kinjo and his Quintet.
I met Teddy when I first came to Tokyo in January 1991...
A Jazz pianist, he is giving his "farewell" performance tonight- He is losing his site, due to diabetes.
My 12-2010 iPod update :
Winter Wonderland - The Eurythmics Snowflakes - Kitaro Darktown Strutters Ball - Alberta Hunter Song of the Seas - Vangelis Eternity - Vangelis Fragile - Sting The Ball Game - Sister Wynona Carr Stuff Like That There (For The Boys) - Bette Midler Dust on the Moon - Eddy Duchin & His Orchestra O Tannenbaum - Vince Guaraldi Trio I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm - Billie Holiday and her Orchestra Waltz of the Snowflakes (The Nutcracker) - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky You've Got A Friend - James Taylor Catching Snowflakes On Your Tongue - Mannheim Steamroller A Thousand Kisses Deep - Chris Botti Oíche Chiúin ( Silent Night ) - Enya Joy To the World - Aretha Franklin
'Saying a prayer for the Queen of Soul; Aretha Franklin, diagnosed with cancer...
Photo: Michio Yves Ueda
