Happy Birthdays!!

October 19, 2007





Happy Birthdays!!



Greg with his fav present!!

There must be something about October, we seem to be celebrating an abundance of birthdays of late and this week there were a couple more that we are recognizing. First off we want to wish my mother, Marta Blades a very happy birthday! I won’t reveal her actual age, but will offer that she remains one of the most vibrant and energetic people I know of any age and for her birthday present, Kathy & I are flying her down next month to attend the Miami Book Fair with us once again. Happy Birthday Marta!





Trevor & Nadene



Another friend of ours, Greg Elliot also celebrated his birthday this month with a fun party at the upstairs bar at Bagatelle restaurant. It was a fun gathering of friends Greg was reportedly somewhat reluctant to acknowledge his birthday, but it turned out to be a pretty good time and my guess is he appreciated the gathering. We didn’t stay too late (unlike some rumor has it), because we had to be up early the next morning to drive up to Fort Lauderdale to attend a concert.







Sadly the week wasn’t all parties and concerts. On Wednesday, I attended two memorial services for departed friends. I think it is the first time that I’ve ever had a double funeral day and I hope it is the last. The morning found me at a packed St. Paul’s church on Duval Street for the services for Bill Ford who passed away at the age of 93 last week. It was a beautiful religious mass with hundreds gathered to recall the life of one of the icons of Key West. Bill & Fran Ford have served as role models to myself and countless other people concerned about their community and the environment.

The second memorial was held an hour after sunset at Mallory Square for another familiar Key Wester, “Blue” Lou Feinberg. Lou played music here for years, he was here 16 years ago when I arrived and played at many venues including Mallory Square, The Schooner Wolf and Blue Heaven restaurant. (He was the first musician ever booked at Blue Heaven) Lou’s memorial was as totally different from the beautiful, structured ritual that was Bill’s as could possibly be, yet each was incredibly moving representing two sides to the coin that is life in Key West. I’ll miss them both.