Hi everyone,
It’s been an interesting week. Things are always super crazy busy around ETown and this week was no exception. I don’t know about you, but the older I get, the trickier it gets to keep it all going and to keep on track of everything. Those of you who know me well, know me to be a multitasker extraordinaire. But lately I find that a lot of stuff slips through the cracks without me even realizing it. How about you?
Still, I’m counting my blessings. My parents used to always tell me, “If you have your health, you have everything you need. Everything else will fall into place as it’s meant to.” Three things remind me of that this week.
First is the fact that, as some of you know, up until recently I’ve had to deal with daily, chronic pain. For over two decades it has been relentless and non-stop. It’s taught me patience, acceptance . . it’s also caused me to despair at times. But recently, through a friend, I found a wonderful doctor who specializes in pain issues. She has really rocked my world and changed my life! I’m so much better than I’ve been in years. So much less pain, so much more active, so many more options! What a complete blessing and joy (for those of you who have not had a similar problem, be it pain or illness, I know its hard to imagine what the heck I’m even talking about . . but those of you who have, I know you totally get it).
Second, a dear friend of mine has recently been really, really sick with a mystery virus, for almost seven weeks now. She and I recently spent some time together and we were talking about the fact that she’s had such great health up to now and that this experience has been a tough one for her. It’s ironic that she, who has been one of those friends for me who has seen me through a tremendous amount of discomfort, is struggling now with her own challenge. And she too talks about learning to accept and find the patience she needs to deal with this. That kind of experience also gives you such an appreciation of those times when good health is present; but we generally take that state for granted, and it often takes an experience like hers or mine to make you realize just how right my parents were in saying what they did to me back then. Of course, I was a sweet young thing who had absolutely NO idea of what they were talking about at the time!
Third, I’ve been reading Nick’s grandfather’s health book this week. Henry Forster (what a dear! I got to meet and spend time with him when Nick and I were first dating, and I just loved him) lived to be 100 years old! He enjoyed great health in later life. But when he was 43 years old (in 1932!) he was a mess . . low energy, felt terrible, even thought he had ulcers. Back in those days, one would go to a spa or a sanitarium to recover from poor health, so Henry did that very thing, he went to one of those places to find out how to get healthy. What he learned during his stay there apparently changed both his state of health and his eating habits/lifestyle, the latter he felt very strongly kept him feeling great and enjoying life to its fullest. Henry worked until he was in his mid 90’s, he walked 3 to 5 miles a day, had a memory like a 18 year old and was really, really cool. He wrote this book in the late 1970’s or early 80’s I believe, when few were talking about such things. And it’s interesting that the stuff the folks at the sanitarium told him back then are things taken almost for granted today: limit red meat, do not eat white sugar or white flour, eat things as fresh and as unaltered as possible. Pretty cool.
I believe the arts in general are a big part of what gives life its zest; and among the arts, music is a big factor in our health and welfare. And of course, friendship plays an important role too. With that in mind, let me tell you about some musical friends who are featured on the air in this week’s broadcast of Etown. We welcome Calexico to Etown in this rebroadcast episode. These Tucson-based eclectic rockers, led by Joey Burns and John Convertino, deliver songs influenced by spaghetti westerns, surf, twang and 50’s jazz, sprinkled with just the right amount of southwestern spice.

Dave Alvin
Plus, Nick and I and The ETones take the stage with the man with the extraordinary voice, Dave Alvin, as he swings back to Etown to play some songs with us from his CD called “West of the West, Songs from California Songwriters.” He took songs by writers as different as Jackson Browne, Kate Wolf, and Brian Wilson, and put his own unique spin on them, giving them a unique sound that only Dave can create. That’s this week’s broadcast of Etown, bringing you another fine hour of great music and engaging conversation, along with an amazing E-Chievement Award story. I hope you will join us.
Until next week, have a good week, and for tonight, sleep tight,
Helen