SOLD. Inspired by Allen Toussaint, Professor Longhair and Dr. John. The original of Three Piano Men is on permanent display in the Memphis Blues Hall Of Fame. The artwork also was featured in Billboard Magazine in a story about the museum. In the artist’s words: When people ask me ‘How long did it take you […]

SOLD.  Inspired by Sting. Roxanne dances as if no one is watching in this beautiful oil painting by artist Kenny Bridges. As a child, Kenny loved to draw and doodle, but his father believed he should focus his energies toward a more traditional career. Unfortunately for Kenny, a non-violent drug offense led to his incarceration […]

As seen in the movie, “The Best of Me.” Loose painter and environment artist Carol Hallock often can be spotted kayaking through the bayou, with paint and brushes in hand. She says it is the ultimate plein air experience. The award-winning artist’s work also has graced the silver screen. A hand embellished giclee of Geraldine […]

Inspired by the New Orleans Saints. John Doherty, who was reared in Slidell, Louisiana, says he learned to work with steel “the hard way” at Southern Shipbuilding. While he moved to Denver, Colorado, in 1994, he was in Slidell the day before Katrina hit. As residents evacuated the city for Katrina, he headed back home […]

Some hope for the future, Some wait for the call To say that the days ahead Will be the best of all. –Paul McCartney, “Hope for the Future.” While November 1 marked the successful ending of our quests for The Beatles’ autographs, it also meant that we had just a few weeks until the East […]

Listen! Do you want to know a secret? Do you promise not to tell? —The Beatles, “Do You Want to Know a Secret?” October 31 began with the confirmation that the Habitat truck repairs had been completed. The good folks at B.I.R. Truck and Trailer Repair, who had graciously towed it to specialty repair center […]

I’ve got to admit it’s getting better. A little better all the time. –-The Beatles, “Getting Better” It’s amazing how sometimes the most seemingly mundane of events can turn into an adventure. On Day Four, as we eagerly awaited the repair of the Habitat truck so we could return home with the newly autographed Beatles-themed […]

It was sometime between 11 p.m. and midnight that East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity President/CEO Debbie Crouch and I made our way back to our vehicle after the Paul McCartney concert. We were concurrently exhausted and delirious given the extended adventure which had led us to Louisville in the quest for this Holy Grail. […]

It was the answer we had dared to dream: Sir Paul McCartney had agreed to sign the painted Beatles-themed piano, an auction item benefiting East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity. We set out for Louisville, Kentucky, with the top-secret mission of making the dream a reality. As we pulled into the loading dock area of […]

Oh, Murphy’s Law, how we abhor thee. Less than an hour into the second day of our journey toward securing Sir Paul McCartney’s autograph on The Beatles-themed piano, we found ourselves in Franklin, Kentucky, two hours away from our destination of Louisville. As we coasted into B.I.R. Truck and Trailer Repair shop, conveniently located near […]

“Woke up. Fell out of bed. Dragged a comb across my head.” Day Two of our adventure to Louisville to secure Sir Paul McCartney’s autograph on The Beatles-themed piano found us in White House, Tennessee. It was an unanticipated detour due to repeated breakdowns of the East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity truck in which […]

Ever feel like you’re living in a movie of the week? It was with much glee that we celebrated the successful efforts of securing Ringo Starr’s autograph on a Beatles-themed piano benefiting East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity. It was the second of the two-part mission. Meanwhile, part one efforts to convince Sir Paul McCartney […]

Have you ever had one of those moments in which you experience something so profound that your heart skips a beat? You can’t think. You can’t breathe. And words escape you. That was the reaction I had when opening an email with a brief but poignant message. “Ringo has agreed to sign this [piano.] Peace […]

“Open up your heart, let’s come together, Use a little love and we will make it work out better.”                       –Ringo Starr, “It Don’t Come Easy.” The lyrics of one of Ringo Starr’s most popular songs seemed like an apropos intro for today’s blog entry. Because, indeed, for some people, life surely doesn’t come easy. […]

One of the things I most love about our community is how so many people come together to rally for a good cause. Today, my Leadership Northshore colleagues gathered in Olde Towne Slidell for the Pumpkin Fest, an event they founded three years ago. That Leadership team includes East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity President […]

Today’s inspiration comes from my eight year old granddaughter, who peered over my shoulder as I conducted a quick email check. “Nana, what are you doing?” “I’m checking my email for some important news. I’ve been trying to make arrangements for some famous people to sign this piano that Miss Lori created, so we can […]

    On my last post, I spoke of Destiny, and how sometimes the planets and the stars align in such a way that we cannot ignore them. Little did I know that the universe had yet more Starrs to shine: those of Ringo Starr and the All Starr Band, and an upcoming concert on […]

Do you believe in Destiny? Not that whole “princess meets her prince, they fall in love and live happily ever after” fairy tale kind of stuff. More like the little signs, and perhaps the not-so-little signs, that the universe sends us to remind us that oftentimes there are greater powers in charge and we’re just […]