The way to play it

Tony Rice, son!

Jim Flora

I can look at one of Flora's illustrations all day and never get bored. Do your sense of whimsy a favor and look at this website devoted to his amazing vision. Explore it to see some true wonders of the visual art world. Nobody since has been able to touch him. Here's the site.

If'n you ain't got nuthin' better to do...

Why, then, come on out to the Murdock Theatre on Thursday night and support a good cause: The Kansas Acoustic Arts Association. For only $10 you get to hear singer/songwriter Raleigh Hinman, Karen, Phil Burris and moi (The Crowsons) and this jamgrass conglomeration called Pop and the Boys, in which I get to play electric banjo. And which includes the aforementioned Phil, Ted Farha on mandolin, Dennis Hardin on guitar and the always-cuddly Bob Hamrick on accordion. It'll be the most fun anyone on North Broadway will have all night long, and that's saying something.

Extra credit: Where does the name Pop and the Boys come from???

We've come a ways

Anyone else surprised at the depth of emotion you're feeling right now about this inauguration? As I watched the televised images of the crowds on the National Mall early this morning, saw the joy on their faces and the waving of the small American flags in their hands, tears came. I didn't expect that. I've never cried about such sights before. I wondered where that feeling came from.

Then I remembered. It came from a scene in my Memphis front yard in 1956. It's one of my earliest memories and I am not proud of it. My 4-year-old self stood behind a tree with a neighbor playmate and watched an African American lady walk down the sidewalk. As she passed us we yelled out, "Nigger!"

My parents were prejudiced but they would not have condoned such behavior. They weren't confrontational about their biases. Had they been within earshot of my act they would certainly have shushed me quickly. As it was, it took living through the sixties, education and a modicum of maturity to eventually hush the ugly hate that had been planted in my impressionable psyche almost from birth.

So, no, I'm not proud of what I did to that lady walking down the block of blue-collar white households on that day fifty-some-odd years ago. But I am proud of the fact that I can now feel the joy of this most meaningful moment in my country's recent history. I am proud of the hope I feel for our future. And I'm proud of America. To have seen this country move from a time when an African American couldn't walk down a street without a 4-year-old white child swearing hatefully at them to a day when an African American is sworn in as our nation's president, that is what brings tears.

This year's card

Christmas cards past -- 2007

Back to my tree obsession.

Christmas cards past -- 2006

Bought my beloved 1955 Buick Special that year from pal Mike Berry, and just naturally had to work it into our Christmas card.

Christmas cards past -- 2005

This one's a watercolor.

Christmas cards past -- 2004

Christmas cards past -- 2003

Another of my daughter, Haley's drawings, Photoshopped.

Christmas cards past -- 1999

Photoshop enters the picture, so to speak. This may be my favorite of all our cards. Haley's elf drawing seems to capture the magic of the season in a way no adult's drawing could ever do.

Cristmas cards past -- 1998

Zipping ahead in time, I started incorporating Haley's drawings into the card design. I am totally nuts about those beautiful angels. This was our house in College Hill on North Yale.

Christmas cards past -- 1994

Daughter was 1 years old when this one was sent out.

Christmas cards past -- 1993

In the spirit of the season, nostalgia and all that, I thought I'd post some of the cards I've drawn for my family. This one is from the year our daughter was born. At the time, of course, she hadn't arrived yet. She eventually made her appearance on Christmas Eve at about 11:30 p.m.

A Christmas card for your ears

"Out-Beatled the Beatles???"

That's what the host of this 1966 tv show says about Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs. Very groovy. Wish I could get our band, Pop and the Boys, to work up this kind of choreography. Maybe we could out-split Split Lip! Nah. Never happen.

By the way, Pop and the Boys will be at Rockin' Daddy's this Saturday night from 9:30 on. Come get your groove on with us.

Where are you now, Franz Van?

I'm a bit silly about Christmas. I really enjoy this time of year. Way too much to be a grownup.

One of the things I've always done is collect old magazines. The Christmas issues are my favorite. Somehow in my estate sale combing, I've acquired these old Christmas Ideals magazines. They're full of sentimental over-the-top poems and short essays about the season. But mostly they're full of all sorts of Christmas images. I'm image-oriented, to be sure. Here are 2 of the more intriguing paintings from the inside front and back covers of the 1965 issue. The artist signs it "Franz Van." I love the heavily stylized look of it -- the weirdly tall trees with feathers instead of needles, the fun figures ice skating and the mysterious mountainous setting. It could easily have been a background in Disney's Fantasia. I tried Googling Franz Van with no success. You have to wonder if he may have been an animation artist. Very dream-like image. I wanta go there!

What "liberal media"???

Hank found the Palin vid to be more proof of the liberal media. Says they set up Sarah "You betcha" Palin with the turkey slaughter in the background. I don't buy the "liberal media" line one little bit. Conservative, establishment, big business runs the media in America. The "leftist media" might be the biggest straw man ever erected in the well-plowed fields of American political discourse.