Hey friends, back on track. The summer has been totally fast forward with not enough hours in a day to get everything done. So I apologize that I haven’t posted in awhile.  Just to give a quick over view from where I left off, May was filled with Mother’s Day events and our annual “Free to Be Me” women’s workshop. We had a great time with great people and gained a wealth of information. June started a lot of the outdoor events. The first was at a new venue, Caribou Coffee House in Boardman, Ohio. A little rain didn’t scare anyone away…LOL. Along with the regular events I also was asked to sing the “National Anthem” at the Scrappers baseball game in Niles, Ohio. I had so much fun with the Metro Monthly folks and of course enjoyed a great game.  On a sad note my very good friend Chris Domhoff moved to Hawaii for good. I am happy for her being able to retire but will miss her immensely. (Perhaps I can figure out this Skype thing :/)

I must mention that I got an education on blues music. I have a total respect for the legends and artist that keep this genre alive.  A friend took me to the Canton Blues Festival, The Sharon Blues Fest (both of which are free) and the Youngstown Blues Fest.  We had a great time and yes, loved the music.

Along with the regular events for July we also had the TopHat Productions Summer Kid’s theater Workshops start. Brian and I sang for the Youngstown State University Summer Arts Festival and I sang for the first Selah Alley Party of the summer. Did I mention I love singing outside!

August at this point has been the busiest month. Some days there were two events the same day! It seemed all the street outreaches were planned for this particular month.  I want to thank Jerry Thornton and Dave Quigley for helping to get the Jericho trailer ready. Top Hat wrapped up the kid’s workshop with their production at Fairview Arts and Outreach Center then they started remodeling the stage for the next big production. Also I was invited to sing for the Faith Fest in Garrettsville,Ohio and met some very nice people and reconnected with some old friends. The next day was our annual Jammin for Jesus event. It was supposed to be held outdoors but the rain prevented that. We held it indoors at Fairview and had a very nice turnout. The music got off to a late start due to the sound company not arriving on time but the artists were all very accommodating.  (Lesson learned for next year!)

Only five dates for September, I welcomed a much needed rest and definitely had to clean the house…LOL. The 25^th I celebrated my birthday with a lifelong friend and enjoyed the beauty of the Millcreek Parkrose gardens. If you have never been there make plans to go, it is well worth the trip.