Happy Holidays from our home to yours.

Generally, I’m not much for the whole ‘Christmas’ thing - I’m really more about the season.

The season of giving, loving, hoping, sharing. Frankly, that kinda stuff could go on all year long and that’d be fine with me. So… here we are at the holidays. Those days when we’re courteous to other drivers, helpful at the checkout lanes, polite to strangers and more tolerant of everything and everyone. These are all good things—and we would do well as a society on whole if we all did a little more helping and a lot less hurting.

Recent events have caused me to pause and take stock of all I have to be thankful for...

I’m blessed with a loving family with whom I grow more and more close to each passing year. I'm blessed with a beautiful soul with whom I share my life. I’m blessed with a bounty of friends with whom I’ve shared my life in one way or the other. Friends new and old come in and out of my life in one way or another - some I see on a daily basis, some I don’t see nearly as often as I’d like, still others that I’m fortunate enough to see maybe every few years. And, then there’s those whom I’ll never see again - and they will truly be missed.

To all of you, my family & friends, I want to say, Thank You.
Thank You for sharing your life with me. Thank you for all the days we‘ve had and the days we’ve yet to share together and know that even when we’re apart - I think of you. I will always remember our times together and I will always carry you with me in my heart.

To everyone I wish you and yours a happy and healthy holiday, a bright solstice and a joyous new year!

peace on everybody, Lojo

Went to Florida for the Holidays and played a new bar called FLY.
... and, man, it was.

This place was gorgeous, cool, hip, well... fly?!
(And, you'd be surprised how many people aren't into eating leftover turkey on Friday.) The staff rocked and I had to by a t-shirt - - they glow in the dark! :)

I also caught up with some friends that I hadn't seen a a long while - it was good to see Liza and Misti again. I know Liza from way back at the MN Renaissance Festival. She's a fine performer in her own right and now she's happily married to one of Sarasota's best rock guitarists. Misti performs as a vocalist, floutist and whatever else trips her trigger in a very cool world band called Blue Muse Trio.

I also got to visit my good friend Mark Doran, another folk artist/artist friend from my MRF days. He's working on his 4th CD. When he's not creating beautiful folk music he's creating beautiful dreamcatchers, scented oils and my latest favorite, The Emergency Pagan Kit" complete with broom, crystal and hammer to break the glass :) His studio is called Wood, Willow and Whatnot.

With a little help from my friends I'll be back to Florida to play some northern music to some southern folks.

Ok the triptophan haze has finally wore off, the relatives are safely tucked back into their far-away homes and I'm ready to tell you about my trip to O--H? I--OO!!!
Oh did we have some fun in Ohio...

First stop Yellow Springs, OH
Gotta tell you that YS has got to be one of the coolest little towns there is. About 4 square blocks of; cafe, book store, imports, cafe, bookstore, artisan shop, cafe... you get the idea. And the focus of the night?
Peach's Bar & Grill!

Katie Reider was the headliner (yeah, she's cool like that) so I had plenty of time to ang out with the friendly folks of Ohio after my set.

The next night found me 200 miles away and in Cleveland.I had some time to kill so off to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Janis Joplin's porsche, Jimi Hendrix's Boy Scout uniform, Jonathan Edward's guitar, (you know, the guy who sang, "sunshine go away today, I don't feel much like laughing...") and of course, the piece that I actually drooled on... Jerry Garcia's guitars. Along with some wonderful footage, memorabilia and musical sensory overload it was well worth the $20 entrance fee. Though, I never did see Buddy Holly's glasses..?

That night was spent playing at my favorite house concert: Tirabassi Kin.
Lisa and Mina do a great job of getting out the word, bringing in the folks and hosting a very fine concert series. It's always a pleasure to play for these ladies and they know how to make a wandering minstrel feel right at home - thanks ladies!