Younger Than Me

 Last night,

we had a picnic before a concert.
{in Dallas at the Opera House}

It was a damp evening, but it was not raining.

Larry and I sat, talking, laughing
 and
 having a wonderful evening.

That was BEFORE the concert!

We had ham and cheese sandwiches, chips, donuts and Champagne.

I could have come home after the picnic but....

we had tickets for...

The concert was absolutely amazing.

The time flew by.

I do not know if I will ever see two such great talents together 

in my lifetime.

{yes, I did see Henry Mancini & Johnny Mathis together

one night in the 1980's in Dallas!}

I suppose that I am feeling old today.

I hope that you are feeling a

lot younger than me.

It is Friday.

Love you.

Me

Putting The Champagne Back

I have looked forward to today for about 3 months.

Tickets were bought and a picnic planned.

You would have found us at the Dallas Arboretum at sunset.

The Journey cover band would be performing.

But, Larry has to work.

Not really work, he has a business dinner.

I feel frustrated and unhappy.

Do you need our tickets?

Email me at robin@robintolbert.com

I will  put the Champagne back

and 

save it for a later time.

This rough patch cannot last forever, right?

Love you.

Me

Finally, Peter Cetera

It was Early September in 1995 when Larry came to me

and said: come with me..we are off to buy tickets.

Mother had died about 3 weeks earlier.

Happy moments were at a premium in our lives

 and Larry discovered that Peter Cetera would be preforming in Dallas.

{my FAVORITE! Peter Cetera}

In 1995, Dillards was the place to buy tickets for concerts.

You could end up waiting in line for hours.

We were lucky that day. Five people were in line.

{and were were waiting for the the box office to open}

As we waited, Larry & I discussed family things.

Dealing with so much that summer.

My heart was broken. My best friend had just died.

Then the nicest thing happened.

The man first in line, came back to me.

He said that he had been listening to our discussion

and

would like me to be first to buy tickets.

I said, thank you, but no.

He insisted. I MEAN insisted.

He was so sweet. I will never forget how he whispered to me,

I lost my Mom and miss her so much too.

Larry and I bought our tickets.

First row, Smack dab in the middle.

I hugged the kind man, Thank you sir.

***

I was so excited. It was something to look forward to.

Until Mr Cetera cancelled the concert.

{news came to us about 4 weeks after buying the tickets}

I have been MAD at him all of these years.

Till, last week, Larry said, look what I have,

then handed me two tickets for Peter Cetera.

After 15 years.

Mr Cetera was not what I expected.

He was handsome, self confident, funny

and

his voice was still perfection.

25 or 6 to 4 was my favorite song of the night...

well not really.

The evening was total perfection.

Thank you Larry....there is something wonderful

about life going full circle.

So much has happened in the time since we bought the tickets

in 1995.

I am smiling.

Love you.

Me

Ode To Van Morrison

Dear Mr Morrison,

You are ill? You are tired?

Your Texas fans are worried about you.

Rest, focus and be well.

Good thoughts and many good wishes are coming to you.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a fan.

I always check to see if you are playing in Europe while we are there.

We have missed you (by only days while on holiday) in,

Bercy, Amsterdam and Paris.

Not to mention last year in Dallas.

This year, when Larry gave me tickets, for January 25th in Dallas,

I was thrilled.

Finally!

Mr Van Morrison.

With the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

Perfection.

Then the letter came, Mr Morrison was tired, and he cancelled his concerts.

I do not have the ability to express how disappointed I am.

Worry overcomes the selfish factor,

wishing only health and happiness for

one of the most amazing talents of our time.

Dear Mr Morrison. Above are our tickets. I suppose this is as close as I will get to hearing you in person. With that said, Rest, enjoy your moments and know that there are fans "out there" who only wish the best for you. Love you beyond the mystic. Me

I am sitting at my desk,

wearing a white terry robe

that was in my hotel room in France, many years ago.

It is a comfort robe.It hugs me while I am ill.

It is thick material,

but worn and soft from many washings.

***

My body has a mind of its own today.

It aches, cannot stop sneezing

and I am sorry to say,

has a temperature that might fry an egg.

I know where I caught this.

She sat next to me at the Valentine concert on Saturday night.

She and her date arrived late.

The Orchestra was seated.

When she sat down she kept talking. Fabulous seats, fabulous Concert Hall, fabulous Valentine Night.

I skootched closer to Larry. Mr Jeff Tyzik arrived. The overture started.

Fabulous!

Miss Sneezy Pants pulled out a hanky. It was a burgundy affair, the size of a small tablecloth.

She sneezed, blew her nose and proceeded to wipe at her nostrils.

I looked at Larry, raising one eyebrow. He gave me that sick grin that means, I am glad that it is you and not me.

Miss Sneezy Pants wore a full bungee skirt. Very elastic and her boots were Russian style, and invading my leg room.

Achoo. The red hanky came out again. I was in trouble, leaving my hands in my lap, trying not to touch anything.

It was then I put her out of my mind. The music of the evening touched me in a wonderful way. We had had a picnic, sent a Valentine balloon off and now enjoying what happens when so many people with talent come together and share. It is always an amazing journey of creativity and inspiration.

Intermission.

Miss Sneezy Pants sat in her seat the entire time,

The music is fabulous, Look at the fabulous audience, wait till you see my fabulous new head shots. Oh. a wanna-be model. I should have known.

As I sat, enjoying the remainder of the concert, staying as far away from Miss Sneezy Pants as I could, I tried imagining Valentines Day without a date. That had not happened since 1972. My attitude changed...and I was happy that she had a date and that she came anyway, even IF she was sick.

I am thinking, at least I did not catch this in an airplane, and I can be sick in my own white robe, with my own tea cups, in my own bed. Fabulous!

But, one cannot help but wonder, if Miss Sneezy Pants, kissed her date good night on Saturday night?

Love you,

Me.

Top Of The Second

OK!

Please look closer.

YES!

This is my phone...with the Internet

updating the Phillies game on it.

On Monday night, while waiting

for the concert to begin,

I kept up with MY team,

on my phone!

How amazing is that?

***

It is 6:25 am. and Larry has gone to Ft Worth

for meetings.

This morning, I shall change linens,

Take Libby on her Halloween photo shoot,

paint,

buy fabric to make a skirt

that will match a sweater that I made last spring,

and go to Lauren & Josh's house for dinner.

***

Have you ever noticed that

when you have a list of your

"to do's"

things go smoother?

***

Be happy today.

life is wonderful.

love you.

Me

A Date With Tony Bennett

It is Monday!

I have been waiting for today, for a few weeks.

Tonight, Larry is taking me to see Mr Tony Bennett.

He is performing at the Myerson Symphony Center, in Dallas.

I am thrilled.

For many years wherever anyone asked me of a dream...

I would say , that I would like to sit and watch Mr Tony Bennett

Paint, for one hour.

Well,

tonight is the second best thing to that dream.

A true artist.

Is

one that has to harness talent,

in able to complete the current project.

Canvas, piano, pigment, lyrics.

Love, brushes, music vibrating in your ear.

So much inspiration.

It can take your breath away.

I have planned a picnic.

~~~

Look for us tonight.

Sitting in front of the symphony center,

the picnic basket overflowing with

ham and cheese sandwiches on wheat bread.

potato salad,

cornishons

and Champagne...

oh yes, and fabulous cup cakes for dessert.

Oh Merde.

Getting through today shall take forever.

Thank you for listening to me ramble.

Love you, ME!

PS: I found the above photo and print on Mr Bennett's web site.

Please visit....and remember to breathe.

http://www.benedettoarts.com/intro.html

la Sainte Chapelle.....Concert!

Sainte-Chapelle

(internet photo)

~~~

In Paris, this is the most wonderful space.

Stained glass sends a rainbow of colors,

into your heart.

On some evenings

You can go to a concert.

Classical music in St Chapelle.

Larry has just shared with me....

That he has bought our tickets for this year!

I sigh.

Now I must wait.

~~~

It is beautiful outside today.

My walk was brisk

and I came home to find Jami

here, playing with the dogs.

She has gone to work...

How wonderful today is.

Love you.

Me

The Airing

Larry has a term that he uses with me. It was created 6 months after Mother died, when Lauren was very ill, in the hospital and we were being sued. He says....Robin needs an "Airing". Don't get me wrong. We travel, have the best friends in the world and the family members who are in our lives, are there because they want to be, not because they want something. An Airing means I need something to change my focus, to be carried away by a special moment or event. Well, it seems that Robin needed an airing and Larry bought tickets to one of my favorite performers concerts. Kenny Loggings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My "Airing" was perfection. We sat outside under an autumn sunset. Twilight was almost cool...and concert goers slowly found their seats, sipped beer and got their cameras out.

Do you know that Kenny Loggins sounds exactly the same as he did 25 years ago? His band is amazingly brilliant and Kenny's talent is outshone only by his spirit. What best to remind me how wonderful life truly is, than an evening with Mr Loggins?

This Is It......Celebrate Me Home.......I'm Alright.....to many to mention, but Mr Loggings, please know that each song is being remembered today. Merci for a lovely evening.... It was an "Airing" to remember.

Love you,

Me

Pink Martini~Shaken AND Stirred

It was a year ago, when a good friend of mine and his partner, sent a CD for my birthday. The CD was HEY EUGENE by Pink Martini. The music was a palate of things and I loved it for many reasons, enjoying it throughout the year, thinking of my dear friends in Portland.

In February, Larry saw that Pink Martini was coming to the House of Blues. Tickets were purchased and put away with this years worth of theater tickets. I knew the tickets were there, thinking of them at random moments. Trying to decide if I should pack a picnic and wine for before the concert or eat in town. We opted to eat in town, deciding on Dicks Last Resort, where the bastard waitstaff acts as if they are doing you the favor by serving you. (our waiter invited us to the IMPROV next week as he will be a headliner!) After dinner, we strolled over to the House Of Blues, and found our seats, ( in the front row).

The concert started on time, our seats were perfection. This past year I enjoyed Pink Martini (playing them during dinner parties, etc), but when the music started last night, I got it. I FINALLY got it. Thomas Lauderdale and China Forbes, merci. To all of the other members, your talent surpasses the moon. (that was, in fact, beautiful last night!) After the concert, hating to see it end, Larry and I slowly strolled to the car. We passed Mr Lauderdale as he hung out with fans, snapping photos and smiling. The night was perfection.

Thank you Kevin. Thank you Darren. Last years birthday keeps on giving. We missed you last evening. (next time)

Love you lots,

Me