November to Remember...

Hey Everybody! 

Not much news in our corner of the world. I'm still working through the tasks, and doing my best to stay upbeat. I'm available for gigs, musical or non musical. I have managed to pick up a multitude of useful skills throughout the years. 

Speaking of skills, I'm making another attempt to teach myself to play guitar well enough to accompany myself at a songwriting showcase. We'll see how that goes!

MMLLK has our regular monthly gig, November 14th, 4 - 8 pm at The Saloon, 1232 Grant Avenue, San Francisco, CA 

Band lineup on this one:  

Dave Powell on guitar, Arne Frager on bass, Richard Wood on keys, and Roy Blumenfeld on the drum throne. Myself on vocals, as usual. 

Hope to see you soon! Sending love, and please vote responsibly. 

Ox,

Mari 

Pumpkins Carved!

Hey Everybody, 

Hope this email finds you well. Since this bug is less severe than it was this past Saturday, I visited the kids and we carved some pumpkins last night.  Photo is a bit blurry, but it's better than nothing. 

I'm grateful for this little family and the traditions that have helped turn my Octobers from sadness to joy. 

I wish you joyful thoughts and actions, which become joyful memories. 

Ox, 

Mari 

Stay Calm, Play Music

Hey Everybody! 

There's a nasty bug going around. I think I caught it at the pumpkin patch from a very sneezy little girl who was sitting in a wheelbarrow a bit too close to me. Oh well, an opportunity to build up my immune system. 

I have a meeting with a local nonprofit soon, we are going to chat about an auction (or raffle) item.  More on that later. No gigs this week. Good thing, because my singing voice has left the building, thanks to the cold previously mentioned. 

Extremely disappointed in the Google folks, who reportedly cut down 400,000 trees in Finland, allegedly illegally, to build a data center. I'm rethinking my whole digital existence as a result. I don't want to contribute to that destruction. 

Next gig is 11/14 at The Saloon. 

Hope to see you soon. 

Ox, 

Mari 

p.s. If you want to support a search engine that plants trees instead of cutting them down, check out Ecosia, by visiting this link. 

voted

Stay Hopeful

Stay hopeful. 

Follow your heart. 

Ox, 

Mari 

Monday Morning Musings for 10-19-2026

We visited a pumpkin patch this past weekend. The day was a bit hotter than we had hoped, but the hugs from the gkids were worth the trip. So many little kids all over the place, saw some sisters wearing "boo buns" and matching kitty cat dresses - so sweet.  

Always a bit of a white knuckle ride for me out that way, because although Arne navigates them skillfully,

the road has lots of twists and turns. Or maybe my anxiety has more to do with my not being in the driver's seat, some trust issue stemming from childhood. 

Also this past week, we spent about an hour or so researching candidates and propositions, and dropped our ballots off early. Already received a text that it was received. I have full confidence in our local Elections Dept., as I met them when I ran for Supervisor ten years ago. What a bunch of kind, dedicated public servants.  Honesty still exists in most places, you just have to know where to look. Start where you are and look in the mirror. 

No gigs this weekend, but we have a few already on the books for 2027. Hope to see you soon. 

Ox, 

Mari 

Monday Morning Musings 10/12/26

Feeling grateful for life, this all too temporary, sometimes heartbreaking, always worth the effort life. If I could wave a magic wand and take away all the suffering in this world, I would. 

That said, I'm thankful for any opportunity to brighten someone's day, even if it is for a few hours on the second Saturday, once a month at The Saloon, or a small gesture or a kind word. Sometimes listening is the greatest gift we can give to someone who needs an empathetic ear, and sometimes speaking out against injustice is what's needed. 

We are all here for a short while. Let's do what we can to make a positive difference. 

Ox, 

Mari 

Thursday Thoughts! 10/8/26

Hey Everybody! 

Did you notice I messed up the date in my last post? I did! Fixed it, though. We are all a work in progress. 

Tonight, 10/8/26, The Saloon celebrates 165 years of business! Interesting history, that place. The stories those walls could tell! 

Speaking of The Saloon, we are playing some soulful blues this Saturday, 10/10/26, from 4 - 8pm, and will continue the celebration - so, if you are near, stop by! 

Ox, 

Mari 

P.s. I did the flyer for the party.