All I'm gonna say about that is...

I'm sad for former colleagues, especially one in particular...

-and-

105.7 is no longer an acceptable number on my dial.

'nuff said.

Live shows AND THE NEW CD!!!!

Hey there, Hi there, Ho there! :-D

First, the sad news... I'm not going to be playing in Hudsonville in December. :-( It's my own fault - I didn't get things in motion in time. So, apologies to all my Hudsonville peeps. Tell ya what - if you're a Hudsonville fan, and take the time to drive to one of my shows in Grand Rapids, (or even the one in Holland for that matter...) we'll give you a special price on the new CD. (not going to mention what it is, 'cause I haven't talked it over with The Boss yet... :-D But you know Vicki - she'll make it worth your while...)

The good news is, there are 4 places where I WILL be playing this month...

SOLO CHRISTMAS SHOWS:

Saturday, December 8th - Dillenbeck's in Grand Rapids
If you've never been to Dilly B's, you really should check it out. It's a lovely place, and a great venue for music, conversation, and relaxation (and they make one of the best mango smoothies in the area!!!). This will be my first "official" release of the new CD, and it will be available for purchase at the show! (hopefully... :-D)

Friday, December 21st - Frenz in Rockford
This is one of my favorite places to play! Not to mention Christmastime in downtown Rockford is amazing! I'll be at Frenz from 7 to 9pm and will be featuring the new CD so come and celebrate the holidays with us!!

RUDOLPH'S RAZZLE DAZZLE CHRISTMAS!!!
When I'm not off toodling my little flutes, I have the privilege of being part of Jeremy Hoekstra's band. This year, Jolly Jeremy and his sister, Cara(ling) are putting together a Christmas extravaganza that you won't want to miss. Check Jeremy's site for the details, and come out for the music, the prizes, and the fun!!!! (not to mention that Cara's voice is worth driving any distance to come and hear!!!!!!)

I'll also be playing some of the tunes from the new CD as part of the show!!!! :-D

Friday, December 14th, 8pm - Lemonjello's in Holland

Saturday, December 15th, 7pm - Four Friends Coffeehouse in Grand Rapids

Finally, THE BIG NEWS!!!!!!!

Say hello to our brand new CD!!! "WhistleWonder: The Carols Of Christmas"
It should be in our hands this week, and we're SO excited! Folks who heard it Sunday night at First Cov said they loved it, and since they put up with my music all the time, they should know!!! 12 songs, including well-known and not-so-well-known carols of Christmas with the sound of whistles, woodwinds and keyboard, all arranged and performed by yours truly. :-D And, I'm joined by a special guest on three of the tracks - Greg George on drums.

How do you add this to your holiday music library? Well...
1) Grab one at a live show (ok - BUY one at a live show)
2) Church folks or CU folks can just let us know - Vicki will have some in her office at C'stone, and First Cov folks can get them delivered direct to your mailboxes at church.
3) Send us an email with your name and address, and we can mail it to you and bill you. We can also accept plastic in person or via PayPal.

HOW MUCH?? We've been thinking about that one... It cost us less to produce this one, so we're going to pass that along...
WhistleWonder: The Carols Of Christmas - $10.00
By the way, if you haven't had a chance to purchase the first CD, Angelica's Waltz, here's a great opportunity for you. Angelica's Waltz sells for $15, but if you purchase it together with WhistleWonder, you can have both CDs for $20.00!!! And, additional copies of either one will be $10 each. Just let us know, and we'll set you up!!

Shotgun update...

This has nothing to do with either a "shotgun wedding" or buying Vicki a gun for Christmas. As I said in an earlier post, I'm not giving her one, since she's WAY too good with it.

No, this is one of those "here's everything all at once" updates, to kind of clear the plate and make a clean start to December...

The Christmas CD: YES! It is finished!! Should be back in our hands by December 6th. I'll post an announcement soon, including the title and so on.

Employment: I am still part-time with CBH Ministries, and am LOVING it! I work in post-production for Down Gilead Lane, and it's really a good fit for me. Vicki is still in Database Services at Cornerstone, which she loves.

Way-late congratulations to my wife who was selected by her peers to be the 2007 Cornerstone University Staff Member Of The Year! As my friend Ruth would put it, I'm so proud of her, I'm bustin' my buttons. (hmmm... that last could also be an after-effect of Thanksgiving...)

The Anla'shok: my beloved bike is a work in progress. Steering and handlebars are still not quite right, and I've fallen off of it a few times, once really hurting my knee. So, we've still got some tweaking to do.

Weight and Health: Not so good. My weight is WAY up - I've been afraid to look at the scale to see if I've actually gotten back to where I started a few years ago. We are in process of getting insurance approval for gastric bypass surgery, but I keep dropping the ball and not completing a couple of tests needed. Things kind of got neglected when we were finishing the CD, so I really need the courage to get back on track.

In the meantime, walking across the room is really hard, standing is impossible, and I feel pretty much like I did before I started this whole thing. Folks at church might have noticed me limping a bit more as I climb down the stairs from the platform on Sunday mornings. And setting up for a gig by myself is almost more than I can do. Unfortunately, that means I have to call Vicki in more than I'd like to help with setup.

My Mom's House: did officially sell, so that's now behind us. We're trying to be wise in using the money, although I've probably not been wise enough. So, we'll do what we can with what we have. It's a great blessing not to have to think about it anymore.

Depression: I'm still taking my "happy pills," but the good news is that since I started working at CBH, I haven't needed to use the sleep meds. I've been falling asleep on my own. I still use a stimulant to help me get going in the morning, but that's alright. It's a real blessing to be able to fall asleep on my own.

Thankfulness: is pretty much where I live these days. God has once again shown His faithfulness, in so many ways, and I'm so undeserving of it. He is good, and I am humbled.

That's a good place to stop, don't ya think? :-D

Lord of all, today (and EVERY day) I give thanks...

For Vicki

For Ezri

For our family

For our church, and our Pastor

For our friends

For our jobs

For creative gifts used to give You glory

For sunshine on Thanksgiving day

For our home (messy as it is)

For the abundance that You give us, that we don't deserve

For things that aren't really necessary (like coffee) but are good

For music

For our country

For the New CD - thanks for helping us complete it!

For all those people You bring to mind on this day, and for what they mean to us

For Your Word

For turkey, potatoes (sweet, mashed, or otherwise), stuffing, pumpkin pie, and all those things we will consume today

For antacids, Pepto Bismol, Alka Seltzer, and all other things we may consume later today

For football, marching bands, and other festive things

For quiet, to take us away from all those distractions

For rest, for relaxation, for a break from routine (at least for some of us)

For those who work today so others can take a break

For Yourself, best gift of all

Lord of all, to Thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise!

The sound of silence...

Not much to say right now... because we're trying to finish up the Christmas CD and get it off to the plant for mastering and duplication. So, pardon my silence. Lots going on - just no time to tell you about it. :-D