Lu Mitchell News & Notes 2003-2004 Archives Where's Lu? More Photos Lu Remembers Quotes about Lu Saturday, February 15, 2003 - Just got back from a gig in Pampa, Texas, in time to go downtown and be on stage for a song with the protesters at Dealy Plaza today. It's ironic that I sang at that same location over 30 years ago when we were protesting the Vietnam War. Exact same location. Amazing! Click here for Dealey Plaza photos. Monday, March 31, 2003 - The concert at LaMesa Presbyt. Church in Albuquerque went great. Trey Hammond feels I am building an audience there just as I did at Uncle Calvin's here 20 years ago, and he hopes to create a concert series there in time. Perhaps it could be called Uncle Calvin's West. Sales of CDs were exceptional. I must have cataract surgery in May... and I am dealing with an eye allergy as well. So the next week I'll be seeing doctors about all this. Thursday, May 8, 2003 - Here is a bit of good news. Kelly (Sean's wife) has been awarded a Knight Fellowship at Stanford for the upcoming school year. The whole family' will move up to Palo Alto and they are all excited about it, even the children. By coincidence, Charlie King recommended me to a house concert venue in Berkeley. Mostly senior audience. So, I said yes, since I can visit Sean and Kelly while they are in the Bay area and play the concert too. I'm sure Faith Petric would come. The exact date is not set yet. But I am really excited. Wow...Berkeley....shades of Malvina! Tuesday, May 13, 2003 - Tomorrow I get the eye surgery necessary before they can do cataract removal. I am definitely not looking forward to this procedure. If I have to wear an eye patch, I am certainly going to find one with sequins on it. Monday, July 28, 2003 - A gay-lesbian TV program (done locally) happened upon my website and was eager for me to do a couple of numbers on the show. Apparently the show has been picked up by many stations across the country...however, it has few viewers in Dallas. In wanting to add humor and give it more pizzazz, they hoped I would agree to help. The show is going to a cable channel in Canada. I am going to tape some songs on August 16. What do you think of the whole thing? They would link to my website and to many other stations. I might get orders. Saturday, August 2, 2003 - So much is happening and I could use a little help. A woman wants to do a documentary film of my music and me and it's just another thing that is taking up my time. Then, there's a song contest I want to enter, but the paper work involved in the rules is over-whelming... Sunday, August 3, 2003 - I just came in from doing a guest set for Marj Troyer who was playing at Shiney's over there at Greenville and Walnut. They want me to play an evening there but I can't take the smoke and I just don't like singing in a bar. Monday, August 18, 2003 - Spent six hours at the studio yesterday. It was chaotic; it was hot; but it was fun. These folks are really trying to make it with their funky show. Jack Jett interviewed me on camera, then I did three songs. Actually it went quite well....and the crew seemed to really like my songs. Iwas treated like royalty. They will send me a copy of the show... I doubt it will ever make me a star, but I enjoyed the experience. Wednesday, September 3, 2003 - Bill and I will leave at noon tomorrow for the SW Folk Alliance Conference in Austin. Malvina's is sending me so that I might pick up some good information on maximizing our audiences and getting the best publicity in the media, etc. We will drive back late Saturday night. Tuesday, September 9, 2003 - I'm back from the Folk Alliance Conference in Austin. It was really informative and I made a lot of good contacts there. Met Sonny Ochs (Phil's sister), who was a panelist for one of the sessions. She had heard of me through Faith Petric, and will play my songs on her radio station in New York... I'm hopelessly behind in paper work and rehearsals for the Sept. 24th gig. Some new songs to bring up to prime time quality. Tuesday, September 16, 2003 - Back from the Unitarians at Lufkin, who seemed to like my songs. Unfortunately I forgot to bring my CDs and lost some sales. Oh well, maybe some will order from the flyer. I tried out "The Zipper" on them... they absolutely loved it. This one is a winner. A luncheon gig tomorrow and then Saturday night I'm taking the trio (Catch-23) to an RV gathering near Perrin, Texas. This is an audience of 200 and hopefully will mean good product sales. Monday, September 22, 2003 - Unfortunately, all of my old files in the other computer are gone, gone, gone, so all I have is what's in this machine and what is online... Monday, September 29, 2003 - My life is a circus. Already today I've lost my airline ticket and a phone number of a woman who thinks our Christmas show is at Theatre Three each year!!!! She wants to bring her church group from Tyler. I guess I just can't wear all the hats in this business successfully. Bill means well, but he is limited in what he can do. So, I can say only that my head is bloody but unbowed... Warren Jinks spent six hours with me yesterday trying to set up the navigational unit for my car. We had to download tons of maps and all kinds of stuff and then got stuck. So, he'll come back tomorrow and we'll call the company... Thursday morning we leave for San Antonio and Kerrville....back the following Monday... I'm going to spend the rest of this evening updating the Dubya song. That will be time well spent and it will give me great joy. Thursday, October 30, 2003 - When the dust settled on the various offers I've had for an 80th birthday party, I chose a simple wine and cheese thing in a private room (free) at LaMadeleine's on Beltline Road on Dec. 26th, my actual birthday. Sean and his family will be here then. Because of the peculiar date of my birth, I never had a birthday party--never wanted one--never cared. But it looks like I can't avoid it... so let's do it. Nancy Monson wants to do the invitation and bring a birthday cake... Guests will be asked to bring, instead of gifts, a poem, a song, an instrument or a favorite Lu story... I will not be capable of any rational thinking on that day, I'm sure. Sunday, November 9, 2003 - My band and I have been invited to perform at the N. Texas Irish Festival at Fair Park next March 5, 6, 7. This has been a dream of mine for years. I am so lucky. Tuesday, November 11, 2003 - Finished "Kitchen Privileges" (by Mary Higgins Clark). It was great bedtime reading. I still am amazed at the similarity of this woman's life and mine. Of course, she remained a devout Catholic and became a famous writer; and I am an agnostic and still tilting at windmills. But I am happy with myself and my life. Wednesday, November 12, 2003 - Kirk Edens has been diagnosed with inoperable liver cancer and has only a few weeks to live... He frequently did sound for me, produced my last four albums and always appeared in my Christmas shows. He is one of the most handsome men I have ever met, a fine musician and an all around great guy. I am devastated. Thursday, November 13, 2003 - I got up early and baked a batch of oatmeal-raisin cookies for John. The painters are almost finished with their job on the outside of the house to the tune of $2500. It is looking quite beautiful, but having these workmen here and my having to make three trips to Home Depot has given me a headache...certainly not conducive to writing bios or songs. Sunday, November 30, 2003 - I do feel my age and sometimes my body seems to want to self destruct. None of my friends or family know that I have really bad back pain most of every day. Doctor will allow me only one pill for every 24 hours. The pill lasts about eight hours... However, I do try to sublimate the feeling of pain as I keep busy with my music and household chores and try not to burden my friends with complaining. I'm getting pretty good at that. I refuse to sink into depression, which would be very easy to do... Today I have to rehearse with the Red Hat women at 4 pm. Bill has been helping me put up Christmas decorations....gotta get this stuff out of the way in preparation for the invasion of my grankids on Dec. 20. It will be a great experience, and I am so excited. Thursday, December 18, 2003 - I think I'll ask Bill to go to Port Arthur with me. I am frantically getting this place ready for Christmas. I'm going to let Tom Thumb do the turkey. Tonight I hope to wrap presents as Bill is stuck in his apartment without a car, since he bashed it in last week. December 26, 2003 - (Lu's 80th birthday! Click here for photos. We may add text and more images later.) Monday, January 5, 2004 - Due to surgery for the skin cancer, I had to cancel my children's program at Horizon Church on Feb. 22... Dave Duncan will give me a slot at the Bathhouse Cultural Center. I'm thinking of an all women's songwriters evening. I'm thinking of Emilie, me and one or two others... I'm enjoying my exercise ball--a Christmas gift. It's BIG...26" in diameter. But you can do great things with it. This will help me carry out my New Year's resolution for physical fitness... The skin cancer is another of several I've had over the years. Usually they are removed easily; however, this one is dangerously near my lip and will require a plastic surgeon to do the job. These cancers are called basal cell carcinomas and while not as dangerous as melanoma they must be removed or they can disfigure the area affected. I am apprehensive... but I will tough it out. I have no alternative. Tuesday, January 6, 2004 - Today I received a printout order from my website. Also, a woman booked me for a retirement community in Fort Worth as a result of seeing my website. Friday, January 9, 2004 - Well, yesterday with the realtor was interesting. We looked at townhouses and high rises. This woman is nothing like the real estate lady of my song. A gracious, gentle woman, who is a docent at the Art Museum. Her mother is my age and we got along like gangbusters. Anyway, I don't know if I'll go through with this move, but I did see a place on Turtle Creek Blvd.--a high-rise, but only four stories high. It overlooks Turtle Creek Blvd and The Theatre Center, and is perfectly beautiful. It is $300,000. But, I'm thinking of resale value. That area is like a gold mine....and Sean would reap the benefits when I shuffle off this mortal coil... All services provided including a doorman... A huge community room downstairs where I could host a grandest of all hootenannies. I would feel very special for sure. Getting ready for tomorrow (lunch with book group). I'm pretty well organized and... keeping it simple. I think I'll use both coffeemakers so that we can have plenty for refills. I am so excited. Monday, January 12, 2004 - Ron Shipman (former Rubaiyat manager) will be a guest on my show at Alexander's Hideaway in the East Dallas Christian Church at Peak and Junius on Sat., Feb. 7, 7:30 pm. Thursday, January 15, 2004 - I am busy getting ready for the cruise, which leaves Sunday from Galveston. Having cancelled all dealing with the realtors, I feel free of all commitments that would make me nervous. All would be fine except my sister suffered a relapse of her mental illness Tuesday night and having threatened suicide at her apartment, was taken by the police to Medical City. She is at Green Oaks, the psychiatric unit behind Medical City. I went to her apartment to get some clothes and toiletries and was shocked to see a total disaster area. Posters pulled off the walls, clothes strewn everywhere, dishes in the sink, windows sealed with duct tape, bottles and bottles of over-the- counter medicines, and you name it. CDs and cassettes by TV evangelists all over the place. She had been doing so well for three years or so; but we think she quit taking her medication...thus the relapse. Mental illness is not a pretty sight. This has a history over a period of 30 years. Her three grown children live in the area and will have to stay on top of this. I am off to the Caribbean and will help when I return... I hope to buy a new scanner when I get back... two more jobs for the schedule... typing labels for the postcard mailing for our show at Alexander's Hideaway. I understand there is an ad in The Observer... I have not seen it. Monday, February 16, 2004 - Well, it was quite a week. The gig at The Sheraton Hotel in Jackson (Mississippi) went just great. These people are the ideal audience for my material. Then Bill and I drove to Port Arthur in the swirling snow Saturday morning for another Knife and Forkers job. But we had no problems and the gig went real well once more. However, I'm not sure I want to do much traveling. It is very tiring and it takes me a couple of days to recover. We're rehearsing early this week for the Irish Festival because LaDonna goes off to Hawaii for a 10 day vacation. And life goes on... Friday, February 27, 2004 - The taping ("Women in Music" show for Dallas community TV) went real well. Very knowledgeable technicians and lots of state-ot-the-art equipment to work with. Lorrie is really caught up with the medium and she is good at it. It may mean a whole new career for her. I had a good time and sang about 12 songs (no stopping...all one take) with only a small glitch or two. I ordered a copy for myself. From what I could see, the woman on that screen did not look anywhere near 80. ..a tribute to the cameraman. The crew will be taping at the festival, and will make it a point to tape Catch-23 (Lu's band) at one of our two shows. And life goes on. Friday, March 5, 2004 - Cathy Gould just left for home after visiting here for several days. We played catch-up on news and she checked out my computer too. All seems to be well here. I have a couple of changes in my schedule. Monday, March 8, 2004 - We were enthusiastically received at the Irish Festival (March 6). There were no programs like mine, and I worked in many of my own songs among the Irish stuff. I couldn't believe the reaction. I enjoyed the whole festival and even bought a couple of souvenirs plus a T-Shirt. Great experience! I notice the next DFMS (Dallas Folk Music Society meeting is at Paperbacks+ (Dallas). I plan to be there. March 9-12, 2004 - (Broadcast dates for Lu's performance on Lorrie Carter's "Women in Music" series for Dallas Community Television.) Sunday, March 15, 2004 - Best hootenanny that I've been to in years. The setting was comfortable, the mix of folksingers was diverse, and I guess the stars were right for this wonderful evening... Today Bill and I have signed up to be in the Irish Parade downtown. This begins at Trinity Hall Pub after a sumptuous brunch. I hope I am up to it all physically. Saturday, March 20, 2004 - I have just successfully scanned two neat photos in Page Manager. However, I don't know how to email them as an attachment. I can't seem to give the photos a proper file name and extension. I was so near...and yet so far. More later. Monday I get my other cataract removed, which means I'll be wearing a patch like Bill's for two days. Then I hope to get a new prescription for glasses, and voila... I'll be able to read street signs again. Wednesday, March 24, 2004 - I've been sick these last several days. Two nights of walking the floor. Pain, nausea and headache. I cancelled my programs this week... Must get my body back on the track before I can perform. Today I had a sonogram which revealed nothing. Next Monday a colonoscopy. This is the pitts. But, I'm trying to be positive... (Later the same day) Feeling relieved that the sonogram revealed no abnormalities, I've decided to go ahead and do the Cozy Cat gig. I have over a week to recover, and I think I'll be ok. Monday, March 29, 2004 - Good news. The colonoscopy went well. They found several polyps which were removed immediately and will be biopsied. Frankly, I feel they are benign, since there were no signs of bleeding or anything like that. Not to worry. With all those many tests over and the cataracts removed, the prospects look good for a healthy and busy year ahead. My diet will change some, but that's ok... I'll be back singing at Wayne Greene's Cozy Cat Coffeehouse in Plano this Saturday night from 7-9 pm. I hear it's a tiny place, but very nice. Everyone plays acoustically. I will have Steve Brooks and Ron Shipman as my guests. Should be fun... "A Mighty Wind" on TV... It was even better the second time. Friday, April 9, 2004 - In spite of myself, I seem to be writing an autobiography. What's on the website looks quite good, and I am proud of it. Tomorrow I'll be at the Texas Folklore Society Meeting which meets in Allen, Texas, this year. Hope to be home by 9 pm after the banquet. Wednesday, April 14, 2004 - Victory! I finally reduced the image and then turned off the computer. When I restarted the picture was the correct size. By the way, this photo was taken at Farmers Branch Historical Park, where I was performing mostly traditional songs. It was that very day that Drake Rogers and roommate Mike Harris stopped by and we talked about starting a band. And we did. Wednesday - 10:24 PM - April 21, 2004 - I got home from Corpus Christi this afternoon, where I performed as keynote speaker at the Texas Retired Teachers Convention Banquet last night. I had a suite of rooms overlooking the ocean and had the total star treatment. There were 800 people there. I got a standing ovation, and I sold $650. of CDs and Songbooks. I couldn't believe it. Have a doctor's appointment at 10 am tomorrow and an appointment with an accountant who will help me with my Quicken stuff at 1 pm. After that I'll be free for the rest of the day. I just logged onto the songbook and really liked what I saw. There were several people at the convention who said they checked out my website and were really impressed with it. 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