The Green River Festival is a Year-Long Labor of Love: Jim Olsen’s Musical Highlights
“It pretty much never ends,” said Jim Olsen, in an interview in his office at Signature Sounds last week, when I asked about the planning and details for this year’s Green River Festival, the 30th since 1986. This will be the third time it’s all being handled by Signature Sounds, who […]
A Great Excuse for a Party in the Backyard!
It’s a rainy Sunday and a rare moment to have a truly relaxing day doing very little. I just don’t give myself enough of these days where I do little or nothing, leaving chores and work in the dust. We had a great time last night getting to know two […]
Steve is Gone: The Continuum and Dull Sadness of Life is the Price for Joy
Steve Szkotak died today at 3:01 pm. I am doing my good work, keeping busy, meeting new people, as my pen-pal has died, slipping away . We have been sharing emails between us for a decade; it’s hard for me to look at email the same way now that Steve […]
Houston’s Restaurant Scene is Exploding
Houston, I’ve been told, is the most diverse city in the United States. More than 170 languages are spoken here, beating even Astoria, Queens as the biggest challenge for translators. This vast city is full of so many immigrants, that naturally, it would also be a top food destination. Last […]
Houston’s a Great Place to See By Bike
There is really no better way to explore a new city than by bicycle. I joined Phil Butcher, owner of Bayou City Bike Tours this morning for a trip around part of downtown Houston, and I was impressed. Before I took off on our ride, some of the people at […]
Steve Szkotak Has Lived a Great Life, and Shared Much of It With Me
Steve Szkotak has had a great run. I write this with great sadness, after hearing from Mandy his wife of nearly 40 years, that he is in hospice care. Like all of us, he’s facing the end, the only difference is that he’s painfully closer, very critical and near death. […]
Snack Toys Replace the Time-Consuming Habits of Kids
Who has time? Even youngsters are all on a schedule these days, it’s time for Johnny’s playdate, oh, we gotta leave now to get to Susie’s soccer practice! Who has time to play games that take as long as 30 minutes? I read a story yesterday by Anne Marie […]
Sheryl Sandberg’s Suggestion Is Good Advice at Bedtime
Sheryl Sandberg is famous for her line that is the title of her book: Lean In. But besides being the CEO of Facebook and a major empowerer of women, she’s someone who has suffered a great loss, and despite vast wealth and power, remains humbled by it. In today’s WSJ, […]