1/25/2

Hi Folks,

Hope your new year is off to a great start.

We’re all fine. Shaking off the last sniffles from the "Cold that Ate Northern Delaware".
If my kids have anything to do with it, those of you who got hurt by the big Enron scam may be able to recoup some of your stock losses by investing in the good people who make Kleenex.

(Although I must confess that I personally am not a big fan of that facial tissue they market for the folks with sore noses, you know,  the kind with the lotion in them … This tissue is a huge favorite of my wife and kids but I think it’s  part of a massive conspiracy by big business to turn us all into sissies. I really dislike this stuff. Not only does it give you the sensation of sneezing into a handful of pudding, but it simply will not stand up to the slightest masculine facial abrasion ... A kisser with ANY kind of beard or five o’clock shadow just shreds the dang stuff, leaving the poor guy with a face full of nano-sized spit balls. Now having a cold is plenty humbling without the added humiliation of catching a glimpse of yourself in the rear view mirror of your minivan and realizing  that you just smiled at the grocery store checkout girl with dozens of moist white paper dots adhering to your glistening,  lotion swathed upper lip.)

I wanted to take a moment to thank Bonnie George and all the faculty and students from Delcroft Elementary School in Folcroft, Pennsylvania. I just finished a three-day Artist in Residence Program at Delcroft, in which I got to meet with each and every class to talk about and demonstrated the writing process. The students were among the best I’ve ever worked with and we even wrote some great songs together. (I think my favorite was the one titled "Stop Shopping At Wal-Mart Mr. Flynn" in which the sixth graders politely pointed out to me that any shirt that comes three to a pack is not necessarily my best fashion choice.)  Singing in elementary schools has always been one of my favorite parts of this job. I truly appreciated the warmth and enthusiasm I experienced at Delcroft.

Hope to see you all soon.

Peace & Laughter!

John