Valentine's Day and other news

Dick is still fighting a bad chest cold. Taking OTC stuff, drinking tea with honey, sleeping a LOT. Very disappointed that he was unable to sing with his BBS quartet; they sing love songs, present a long-stemmed red silk rose, take a picture with the recipient. The money earned goes towards local scholarships.

Once he recovers, I get to collect on his Valentine's Day promise of dinner out at Abuelo's in Roanoke.

Last night, I went to hear Paddy Dougherty and her small band at SMAC's coffeehouse, held at Trinity Ecumenical at SML. She was terrific! She sang many of her own compositions, played a killer guitar and keyboard, laughed and joked in between songs. She lives in Lynchburg, so I know we'll have her back in the area. The room was packed with SMAC members but also with nonmembers, at a reasonable cost. Coffee and wonderful desserts were there. (Paddy said we surely were into desserts!).

Her musicians were also incredible. One fellow on two different keyboards was outstanding; he also played the sax. Another guitarist (electric) and a very talented drummer rounded out the group. Paddy played and sang with Alison Krause at one point in NYC, a bit of a fluke as she tells the story.

One of our SMAC board members had heard her in Bedford, said: "WOW!" and booked her for the coffeehouse. She has two CDs out, which I now own, and is working on the music for another.