Flanfire

January has come and gone - and at long last I am back with time to write. Caleb has learned to crawl, and his mommy is back in college full time - while his daddy got a promotion at work. His aunt Payton in Florida got a new job, but will still be coming with her whole family to the big Melody-Ryan marriage celebration on March 25. So will Caleb's aunt Genevieve and her hubbie who live in Arizona. Our family is soooooo scattered but sooooo close! Caleb's great-grandma had a great time during his visit to her three weeks ago - and so did several of her friends, who came by to bless and behold the child!

Now to the music. Tonight we stopped by Ruta Maya to pay our respects to the memory of Michael David Fuller - whom Austin knew as Blaze Foley. The music we heard was wonderful, especially Mandy Mercier's set during which she talked about her days as Blaze's girlfriend and benefactress. We had to leave just before Gurf Morlix came on, and there was a lot more great music still to be played, but the place was packed and the love was flowing. Filmmaker Kevin Triplett, who is doing a documentary on Foley's life and times, was hosting the show, and we learned from the Statesman today that the son of legendary filmmaker Gordon Parks (Shaft, for one) has written a script with the working title, "If Only I Could Fly" - after one of Blaze's most often recorded songs.

Mandy was also the star of the show last Monday at Threadgill's World HQ, where she formed a faux version of Big Brother and the Holding Company and did her own best impersonation of Janis Joplin, belting out hit after hit while Marvin Dykhuis and an all-star band (from Love Janis and Always Patsy Cline) rocked the house. The only wrong thing about the show was the absence of thousands of Austin music lovers who could have been elevated by hearing this former Threadgill's Troubadour but who have forgotten (or never even knew) just what a treat it is to hear Mandy sing when she is ON!

The previous Saturday I had the opportunity to hear David Hamburger's new band - the bluegrass group that calls itself the Grassy Knoll Boys (that's www.grassyknollboys.com to the computer literate). They were playing outside at Mother Egan's while the Brennen Leigh Band was playing inside (OK, the club double booked!). Brennen, BTW, along with Nacogdoches native Sheila Marshall (also living in Austin these days), will be competing in Nashville later this month to become a housemate during the Nashville Star competition that once again will have our own Charlie Robison as one of the judges. Word is that one lucky contestant may get to do a duet with Willie Nelson. Watch for the show on USA Network!

And did I mention that South Austin favorite Steve Ulrich is back in town for a while? The author of such unforgettable songs as Salamanderman and Westernman just returned from Guatemala, where his son Quin got married to a local beauty. Steve has a bucketload of new songs, and a forthcoming website that will focus on his subatomic particles for peace campaign. OK, our personal favorite is still Swedes from Minnesota!

Finally, one has to brag about being invited to the PARTY OF THE YEAR! The Michael John Jackson 33-1/3 birthday bash at the home of a famous South Austin musician and his fabulous dancer wife. Not only did the daring duo and Jackson himself hook up to perform as the Minor Miracles (stepping lively to a Smokey Robinson tune), the dance contests (including the Freeze) featured some of Austin's loveliest songbirds. We cannot mention any names (to protect the fun-loving), but suffice it to say that a lot of great bands were not working that evening. You can hear Jackson every Friday (with Leeann Atherton) at Maria's Taco X-Press and Wednesdays (for a while, at least) at some club downtown. For details, go to www.aberknows.com.

The Deep Thought of the Day -- Just read the Sermon on the Mount -- and study the meaning of Matthew 5:25-34. The secret of life (in part) is revealed here - that God has provided all of our needs if we are able to hear His voice by living according to the Spirit. And that requires dying to our own selves and living to serve the needs of others. Of course, while the plate is set for us, we have to eat what is put in front of us.

My friend Malcolm Welbourne the other day provided his own version of this truth - He said that he is trying to teach his children that striving after success is not the path to success, but rather those who take care of their primary responsibilities will find that their fondest dreams can and will come true.