Friday Photo Flashback

A couple days ago, I posted about October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I explained that both my grandmother and mother passed away due to breast cancer. In the comments, my blogger friend, Dana (her blog is: https://regulargirldevos.com/) made a comment led to today’s photo.

Dana’s comment: Thank you for sharing this, Keith. I’m sorry about your mom and grandmother. I do enjoy reading about them when you share your pictures and memories.

This photo of my mom and my grandma (her mom) was taken in Florida. It was taken around 1989. My parents and I went with the high school band on their Florida trip. At the time, my grandmother had moved to Florida with my aunt. I’m not sure how close we were to where they lived, but she was able to meet up with us.

My buddy, Steve, also joined us on this trip. We were “chaperones” believe it or not. We had both graduated and we went off doing our own thing while we were there. I didn’t spend much time with the family on the trip. That, however, is just a small part of a lot of regret.

When my grandma was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was an unruly teen who was doing teen things. It seemed like my buddies and I always had something going on. So, I didn’t see much of my grandma. Naturally I had heard things about cancer, but I guess I thought if I didn’t think about it, it wouldn’t bother me. To a degree, that was true.

I rarely appeared at family functions because I wanted to hang with my friends instead. I don’t recall what the family function was, but my mother had taken pictures at it. When she got the photos back from the store (yes, kids, we often had to wait to see our pictures), she was going through them. There was a photo of my grandmother that shocked me.

She looked so thin and pale. I don’t even know how much chemotherapy she had been through at this time, but it obviously took a toll. She wore a terrycloth hat over her head, which was like a beret. She had lost most of her hair at that time. She was wearing what looked like a blue robe. In that photo, my grandma did not look like my grandma. That photo sealed the deal – I did not want to see my grandma that way. I didn’t see her until after she passed away.

When I think back to the time I could have spent with her, I kick myself. It was unfair to her. It was wrong of me. There were things that were not said that I would like to have shared with her. I missed way too much because I was in my own little world. It is one of my biggest regrets.

I will always remember her as she looked in the above photo.

One of the Best …

I am hoping to see the Detroit Tigers advance in the playoffs. My heart aches at the collapse of the team at the end of the season. To be up 15 games and not show up for the end of the season is just unbelievable.

Instead of thinking about that, I was reminded of a happy Detroit Tiger Memory. Darrell Evans played a huge part on the 1984 team that would go on to win the World Series. He would often play first base, and occasionally he would be in the DH spot.

In 1973, he hit 41 home runs for the Atlanta Braves. At 38 years old, in 1985 Evans led the MLB in home runs with 40. As a matter of fact, it was on this day in 1985 that he hit his 40th home run. By doing so, he became the first in MLB history to have a 40-homer season in both the American and the National Leagues.

Baseball historian Bill James called Evans “the most underrated player in baseball history.” I would agree. He was the 22nd player in MLB history to hit 400 home runs and the second to hit at least 100 home runs with three different teams. His 1,605 walks ranked eighth in MLB history at the time of his retirement, and he drew 90 or more walks in eight separate seasons (reaching 100+ walks five times).

Perhaps featuring a World Series champ today will bring the Tigers luck? One can hope

Welcome October

How is it October already? I swear, I feel like it was just the beginning of summer. October is a month that I love and hate at the same time.

I love October because the fall colors really show. It is high school football games and bonfires. It is trips to the cider mill and Halloween. It is post-season baseball and sweatshirt weather.

My mother and my grandmother both passed away from breast cancer in October, so I hate it for that. I do believe that it is ironic that they passed in October, though. If you were not aware, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Every year I was in radio, I always made sure that I was involved in a Breast Cancer event. It may have been a motorcycle club doing a ride for breast cancer or a classic car show. Sometimes it was at a clinic or hospital where free mammograms were being done.

From breastcancer.org:

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women in the U.S. Each year, about 32% of all newly diagnosed cancers in women are breast cancer.
In 2025, approximately 316,950 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, with 59,080 new cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), which is non-invasive.
About 16% of women with breast cancer are younger than 50 years of age.
About 66% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed at a localized stage — before cancer has spread outside of the breast — when treatments tend to work better.
There are currently more than four million women with a history of breast cancer in the U.S. This includes women currently being treated and women who have finished treatment.
About 42,170 women will die from breast cancer in 2025.
Less than 1% of all breast cancers occur in men.
Approximately 1 in 8 women (13%) in the U.S. will develop invasive breast cancer at some point in their life.

Early detection is so important. If you are a woman, I encourage you to get your yearly mammogram. Please don’t wait.

Tune Tuesday

It was on this day in 1987 that Roy Orbison got some friends together and recorded A Black and White Night. It would air on Cinemax in January of 1988.

The performance was recorded at the Ambassador Hotel’s Coconut Grove nightclub in Los Angeles California. It would include many of Roy’s early hits and, as the title suggests, it was filmed entirely in black and white.

Appearing with Roy or Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, JD Souther, Bonnie Raitt, Jennifer Warnes, and kd Lang. The performance was almost lost.

The following day in Los Angeles an earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale hit the Los Angeles area. The earthquake caused some of the chandeliers to fall on the master video that recorded the entire evening. Thankfully, after they went in to clear the debris, they found that no damage had been done to the recording. It remains one of the last, if not the last, of Roy’s performances as he passed away about 14 months later.

One of the things I love to see in this performance, is the respect and awe that the other performers felt. You can see that especially When Roy performs Ooby-Dooby. Bruce Springsteen for example not only looks like he’s having fun, but he almost can’t believe he’s performing with Roy Orbison.

The Monday Blues

I recently found out that a gal I dated years back passed away. We remained friends long after the break up. We’d catch up on the phone when we could and often send each other text messages. Our last text exchange was on her birthday in June.

I’ve stated before that the older we get, the more we ponder our mortality. My friend was only 52 years old. When friends younger than me start to pass away, I wake up thankful for another day.

Doyle Bramhall wrote a song called “Life By The Drop.” It was recorded by Stevie Ray Vaughn and appeared on his last album “The Sky Is Crying.”. While some think the song was written because Bramhall was jealous of Vaughn’s success, Bramhall ‘s widow says otherwise. She states that it is about “living life one drop at a time.”

Stevie Ray and Doyle grew up together. They played music together in Dallas as well. They remained friends until Stevie’s tragic death. Bramhall also co-wrote Vaughn’s hits “The House Is Rockin'” and “Tightrope.”

I find myself today living every day as if it was my last. Living life “one drop at a time.”

I love the vocal on this, but also love the guitar sound. It’s one of my favorites from SRV.

Life By the Drop

Hello there, my old friend
Not so long ago it was til the end
We played outside in the pouring rain
On our way up the road we started over again

You’re living our dream oh you on top
my mind is aching, ‘ Lord it won’t stop
That’s how it happens living life by the drop

Up and down the road in our worn down shoes
Talking about good things and singing the blues
you went your way and I stayed behind
We both knew it was just a matter of time

You’re living our dream oh, you on top
my mind is aching, ‘ Lord it won’t stop
That’s how it happens living life by the drop

No wasted time, we’re alive today
Churning up the past, there’s no easier way
Time’s been between us, a means to an end
God it’s good to be here walking together my friend

We’re living our dreams my mind’s stopped aching, ‘
That’s how it happened living life by the drop
That’s how it happened living life by the drop
That’s how it happened living life by the drop

Hoco 2025

I didn’t get a chance to blog yesterday. I’ve been on the go since Friday.

I took the day off on Friday so I could walk with Ella in the homecoming parade. After the Grand Marshall and Alumni Couple of the Year, the Kindergarten classes from the district were featured together. They walked behind a banner that said “Our Youngest Students – Class of 2038!”

Andrew and Ella hung out before we split up. He went with my wife to watch the parade (and catch candy), while Ella and I went to the staging area.

It was sunny and hot. The teachers did a good job keeping them focused for the 45 minutes we waited for everything to start. They played “telephone” and sang songs to pass the time.

Once the parade got going, we waved and tossed candy to spectators. The cars that had the Grand Marshall and the Alumni Couple were starting to break ahead of us. We certainly weren’t walking slow. They were going a bit fast.

So basically you had:

Alumni – space – half of kindergarten – space – rest of kindergarten – group behind them.

At one point, Ella and I, the principal and a couple others were stuck walking in the middle of the space. 10-15 feet of pavement in front of us and 10-15 feet pavement behind us. We couldn’t stand out any more!

I cracked jokes to the folks watching our little group along the route. “We’re pacing ourselves.” “Did you happen to see the front of the parade, we seem to have lost them.” “Wasn’t that invisible float in front of us fantastic?”

Ella, of course, took the opportunity to let the spotlight shine on her.

After about a quarter of the walk, she got tired and she wound up on my shoulders. I got quite the workout the rest of the way.

After the parade, the kids went home with Nana and Pa and I stayed for the football game. As you would expect, I was focused on the marching band.

The home team was up 21-0 at halftime. I was excited for the halftime show. The theme was “Black Widow.”. They had spider web things on the field and every band member changed from their standard uniforms into a spider designed outfit. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen a band do a show not in uniform.

It was a long day/night but it was a homecoming win – 42-8 was the final score. We got home pretty late and Andrew just slept in his clothes because he was fast asleep.

Yesterday morning was soccer time for Ella. We were there early for pictures. The game followed. At one point Ella was a goalie. Apparently this meant standing in front of the net with both arms stretched across the top of it.

Aunt Margaret came to the game and took the kids to lunch afterwards. They love her. She brought them some books and some fun sensory toys.

I love when we are able to get together, even if it was just for a short time. I’m so blessed with her friendship.

Friday Photo Flashback

Here’s a photo I forgot about. It’s probably late 1970 or early 1971.

That, my friend, is yours truly.

There’s not much to the photo. However, it is obvious that I have looked cute in a beret since I was young.

The thing that really stands out here is the gold couch that I have mentioned before. Take a look at that ridiculous pattern. I don’t understand the appeal of it. It is so gaudy. If this was the best looking piece, I can only imagine what else was in the showroom.

I remember it being really rough when we did sit on it. Maybe that’s why people were thinner in the past – the furniture was so uncomfortable or ugly they never sat down. Just a thought…

What’s Been Going On

This past weekend was a busy one. Once again Ella had soccer. Watching these gals play is so fun. I’m not sure why they all want to be the goalie.

At one point over half the team was in front of the goal. Ella had her back to the other team because she was chatting up the goalie on the field behind them.

Later that evening, my niece was cheerleading for one of the youth football teams. The kids were like 5-7 years old and they were playing tackle football. That was really cool to watch.

The game was at the high school in our district, but my niece was cheering for the visiting team (who won). After watching her cousin, Ella wants to cheer, too.

On Sunday, we finally got out and “Falled up” the yard. Sam had me run up to get hay bales. I took her car and hay was everywhere. Needless to say, I went to the car wash to vacuum it out.

Sam put out the mums that she ordered, had me drag out the pumpkin inflatable, and moved her goose to the front porch. At some point we need to get some corn stalks, but it looks nice.

Our older cat, Maizey, has been scratching a lot. She’s also been licking herself. It’s been so bad that she’s missing hair on her back and the upper part of her tail. She’s also got scabs from where she was scratching.

Monday I took her to the vet. They were running behind because of a new computer system. She waited patiently for the doc.

They think it’s an allergy. They gave her steroids, an antibiotic and her rabies shot. Hopefully, it will get better in a day or two.

Andrew’s teachers are very good about posting pictures on their classroom page. Every now and then one will crack me up. Like this one…

I’m really not sure what he’s doing!

Yesterday, I was on my way to work and bumped into my old morning show partner, Steph. We chatted for about 45 minutes catching up and laughing. That was so nice. I hope it isn’t roo long before we see each other next. It’s always good to laugh!

Book Recommendation – The Woman in the Window

I am really behind the times with the book I just finished. I found out that it came out in 2018, and actually had already been made into a Netflix movie.

The Woman in the Window was recommended to me by the owner of a used book store I frequent. We were talking about our recent reads and she asked if I had read it.

The Author AJ Finn wrote End of Story, which I really enjoyed. The Woman in the Window was his debut novel. Before I offer my thoughts, here is the Goodreads synopsis:

Anna Fox lives alone, a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors.

Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother and their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble and its shocking secrets are laid bare.

What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems.

As I read this book, I kept thinking about Hitchcock’s Rear Window. I suppose that is what the author hoped for in that the main character loved old movies. She references them often throughout the book.

There were quite a few surprises along the way. I really found myself on the edge of my seat a couple times. The end was certainly not what I expected, but in a good way.

Finn does a fantastic job describing the fears of agoraphobia in the main character, Anna. Her character made me think of the main character in Sorry, Wrong Number. At times she is calm, at times she is frantic, and other times she is lost in despair. She is a very complex character and along the way, you find out why.

At one point I remember reading what seemed to be the “wrap up,” but I knew it could be because of how many pages were left. Where the story went from here really had me turning pages.

The Netflix movie stars Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, and Juliette Moore. I’ve heard good and bad about it, so I may or may not decide to see it. As far as the book, it is worth the read.

4 out of 5 stars.

Tune Tuesday

It was on this day in 1967 that the Box Tops started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘The Letter’, a No.5 hit in the UK. The record went on to sell over four million copies and receive two Grammy nominations. It was also a Top Ten hit for Joe Cocker in 1970.

Nashville songwriter Wayne Carson Thompson wrote the song after his father gave him the line, “Give me a ticket for an aeroplane.” Thompson gave the song to The Box Tops on the recommendation of his friend, Chips Moman, who ran ARS Studios. Moman liked the sound of an unnamed band headed by Alex Chilton (who was 16 at the time) who auditioned for him in 1967.

Thompson played guitar on the recording. He didn’t like the singing, believing the lead vocal was too husky, and wasn’t fond of the production either. The addition of the jet sound “didn’t make sense” to him. When producer Dan Penn added the airplane sound to the recording, Wayne Carson Thompson clearly thought that Penn had lost his mind. He hadn’t – several weeks later it became one of the biggest records of the ’60s.

The Box Tops went on to score with a few other Thompson compositions, including their follow-up release, “Neon Rainbow” (#24, 1967), “Soul Deep” (a #18 hit in 1969) and “You Keep Tightening Up On Me” (their last chart hit, which peaked at #74 in 1970). A few years later, Thompson won a Grammy for co-writing the hit “Always On My Mind.”

When the group recorded this they still did not have a name. One band member suggested, “Let’s have a contest and everybody can send in 50 cents and a box top.” Producer Dan Penn then dubbed them The Box Tops.

Fun Fact: At 1:58, the Box Tops’ version of this was the last #1 hit to be shorter than two minutes in length.

Fun Fact #2: The title is never sung in this song: his baby writes him “a letter.”

I always got a kick out of one particular parody of The Letter. “Vanna Pick Me a Letter” is the title of a 1987 single by the artist Dr. Dave (who reminded me of Cheech from Cheech and Chong). It, of course, references Vanna White, Pat Sajak and the game Wheel of Fortune. The phrase itself became an iconic catchphrase associated with the show and White’s role as a letter-turner.