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I’ll write more soon (but this got away from me, so I’ll write some here!)

I just wrote and performed a Western Swing tune for a great friend’s funeral that really was the best celebration I’ve been to under those circumstances. He was a big, tall man (old family New Mexican - Anglo/Hispanic born and raised in Old Town - spoke 4 languages and a great dancer). His Celebration was in-person and online and brought in hundreds of people from 5 countries. Doug was epic.

The song is “There’s Gotta Be a Dancehall in Heaven” - (‘cause if there ain’t, then I don’t wanna go!). We’re taking it to the studio in a couple of weeks.

Don’t fall! More about that - but we’re good. Well, we’re healed! That’s better than “saved” at our ages.

Mice: We had one time up in Cuba where there were so many nice, one night the traps sounded like someone was making popcorn. I think chipmunks evict mice and packrats evict chipmunks. Thank goodness they’ve all decided somewhere else is more hospitable. I worry the drought has gotten to them. We’ll see when spring comes, I guess.

Nice red guitar. The things that are joys are so precious. Doug’s widow (Apache/Chicana) had the 2 women, Bruce, and me over for dinner the other night to thank us for writing and singing the song. We got started laughing and belly laughed for 2 hours. I hadn’t done that in years. It’s real medicine. We had our instruments, but were too busy laughing.

My mom used to say what seemed like the meanest thing. “Life is for the living.” Her last words were even more profound, “Americans are so stupid.” Doug loved a good story (my mom gave us many) and he really fought to stay here. He and his wife, Betty, showed us all a lot about living and dying. If you saw the video for “Fancy Red Boots” - they are the ones dancing in front of their garage during the verse.

Here’s the final verse of Dancehall:

We’ve got a friend who’ll be there,

you can’t miss him.

Grabbing tables and chattin’ up the bands.

He’ll be the one bringin’ everyone together

And teachin’ all the angels how to dance!

Hang in there. Humor is a superpower. ♥️

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