Christmas Books to Add to My to Be Read Pile! Oh Boy!

So as we start 2013 let’s take a look at the boat load of wonderful books that I received for Christmas! First there’s the book I received from my daughter Elizabeth, that I am currently reading The Boy in the Suit Case by Lene Kaaberboll and Agnete Frillis. This is the first book in a planned three book series featuring Red Cross worker Nina Borg. Elizabeth picked the book because, I told her after I picked up book two of the series a month or so ago for her at the library, that it said on the cover “Fans of Nordic crime fiction rejoice”,and that I was a fan of Nordic crime fiction, so the book sounded good to me! So far I was right! Read More

An Evening with Halestorm and Andrew – 12/28/12!

Yes a Halestorm hit Philly yesterday, well at least The Electric Factory, as Lzzy and Arejay Hale along with Joe Hottinger and Josh Smith thrilled a sold out house! My son Andrew called yesterday afternoon and told me they were playing and asked if I wanted to go (all you boomers who would go to a concert with their Dad raise your hand, hum, mine’s down) but things have change and I’m thankful for it and, of course, said yes! If you’ve read this blog before you’ll know that I am in the process of re-discovering rock and ProgRock and first gave Halestorm a listen a couple of months ago and really enjoyed their music! Andrew has seen them a couple of times before at smaller venues so this is the first time they headlined at The Electric Factory and the night was billed as An Evening with Halestorm” so there was no opening act! (Andrew said it would be an early night, wrong!) Halestorm became their own opening act. I knew things were going to be a little different when Lzzy appeared on stage in a white evening gown and her band mates were likewise dressed in white! Lzzy went over to the piano and started the night with a ballad “Rose in December” after which the band played an hour or so acoustic sent full of ballads and some rocking songs like a cover of AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long”. Most  of the songs were from either of the two Halestorm albums but there were also covers of songs by Heart and Fleetwood Mac. What the set really did was showcase Lzzy great voice and poignant songwriting ability, that was hidden until on drunken night when she recorded “Hate It When You See Me Cry” into her phone and sent it to her record company and their response back was Wow! we want more like that! She performed it last night the way she recorded it that fateful night! Read More

Happy Thanksgiving to All!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Let’s all take time today to reflect on those things that for which we are thankful. For me that includes my family, my wife and children and their wives, boyfriend, and friends. While our family has grown smaller this year with the passing of my mother, it also has grown larger as Meaghan and her family have joined us on life’s journey. We welcome her and her family and wish Andrew and her the best as the set sail on their journey. Read More

Today in My History – Happy Birthday, Elizabeth!!

So today is one of those days  when you feel older and it’s not your birthday. See today is my youngest child Elizabeth’s twenty-second birthday! Seems like only yesterday my wife was pleading for drugs during labor! Then Edward got in trouble  because he was afraid to hold her! So tiny, so fragile!  Here’s one of my favorite pictures with Nick holding Lizzie the next morning, and Andrew right behind him! Read More

Murder at the Burlington County Jail – well in 1920!!

So on November 5, 1920 a  murder was committed at the Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly, NJ. The victims were the Warden Harry King and an inmate Charles Vernon Bartlett. They were blugdeoned to death by inmate Harry Asay. Asay was serving a 90 day sentence for a drunk and disorderly arrest. It was his second time serving time. The previous time he had served his complete sentence, this time he made it one day!! My wife is third cousins twice removed with both Bartlett the victim and Asay the murderer, which is why we were at the Warden’s Office tonight for a lecture about the murder! Read More