Least anyone want to report John's or Ariana's parents to child protective services, the JW picture was based upon a suggestion that John's parents follow an Irish tradition of rubbing a little whiskey on a baby's gums in order to alleviate teething pain. Ariana, in turn, was simply sitting on a counter top and grabed the nearest thing to gnaw on in order to alleviate her teething pain. Some family traditions are hard to break.
Faithful readers of John's blog have come to understand the power of music for both John and his family, especially with respect to how certain music can heal the soul. One of the earliest blog posts served to highlight this healing power as well as an individual who especially understands the role that music can play; specifically, Vin Scelsa, a New York-based DJ whom John's dad & mom have been listening to since before John was born. Other blog posts have also addressed the special power of certain music. As can be readily seen here, here, and here, Vin is often a part of the story. Additional posts deal with one of John's favorite artists and how it is through the power of certain music that John's continued presence can be experienced by family and friends alike such as here, here and here.
Last month, the healing power of music once again came into the life of John's family and friends yet one more time, and Vin played an indirect role. About 18 months ago, Vin had on his show an exciting new artist whom John's mom and dad had never heard of but whose music they immediately fell in love with. Emily Arin is her name and she hails from the Finger Lakes area of New York, not too far from where John's sister Jes has been attending Grad School for the past few years. Invariably, when John's mom and dad would visit Ithaca, they would look to see if Emily was playing nearby, but more often than not, if she was playing it would be in Brooklyn or someplace along those lines. Thus, we never got to see her on her home turf.
This summer, Emily launched a tour and asked if fans in certain places would be willing to host a home concert. After several email exchanges, John's dad came home and asked John's mom if she wanted to go to an Emily Arin concert. When asked where, John's dad replied "here". John's mom said, "you mean here in the DC area"? "No, here." "You mean St. Mary's County?" "No, here here, right in our own home" replied John's dad. Of course, John's mom was delighted at the prospect.
Emily and her friend and accompanist Jason, arrived on a hot, humid summer afternoon. After rest and a good meal, close to 30 of John's parent's friends arrived for a concert on the back deck overlooking St. Clements Bay. Emily opened up the concert by referencing a three-way email exchange between John's dad, Vin and Emily from about a year ago regarding how John's dad was particularly moved by the healing power of Emily's music one particular evening while listening to Vin's show when he played "When You Knew Me When" back to back. Emily then proceeded to open (and by special request, close) her concert overlooking St. Clements Bay with that very song. Snippets of a truly memorable evening can be seen on the You Tube postings below. You will note that while the first set of the concert was held outdoors on the deck, summer evening thunderstorms forced the second set indoors. You'll also notice John's niece, Ariana, in one of the videos enjoying Emily's music. Ariana got her own "shout out" in Emily's newsletter from the road (click on image to the right to enlarge) as being her youngest fan to date. It turns out that Emily is already succeeding in building a fan base that will last into the 22nd Century.
John's mom and dad just spent a month living in a furnished apartment in the District. For John's dad it was a vacation from commuting. For John's mom it was an opportunity to visit museums and entertain friends "in town." For both, it was an opportunity to see a lot of movies and eat out at some great restaurants.
Living in a furnished apartment in the District for the summer was an adventure that was originally planned for the Summer of '07. That year, which was to be John's dad's last working in Washington since he was to retire later that year, found both John and Mike living in DC. That summer was to be an opportunity for all the family to hang out together in "the city," especially in view of the fact that Jes was heading off to grad school that year. Of course, that was a summer that wasn't to be. Of all the Leonard children, John is most closely identified with the District. He lived at 10th and L, NW for a while before finally buying his own place, a condo in Adams Morgan, a truly unique and special part of the city. He was so proud of his condo and had such great plans for it, even though as it turns out, he bought it at the height of the real estate bubble. Personal finances was never John's strong point.
Because DC was "John's Town," it was impossible to spend the month there without being encountered with a John memory almost at every turn. Whether it was eating in a restaurant in which good food and great conversation was shared, or going to a movie theater where extraordinary films were experienced together, or walking on the Mall where many an eventful kickball game was played (after which plenty of beer and wings was consumed), or even going to a mindless movie and listening to the laugh of a young man sitting behind who had the identical laugh and sense of humor as John, the District is a fount of found memories of John.
An example of one such memory was when John's mom and dad were walking down the street past a panhandler, with Ariana in the stroller. John's dad almost invariably never gives money under such circumstances; John invariably always did - in fact, he always made sure he had singles in his pocket for such occasions. As such, as John's mom and dad walked past the panhandler, together they could almost hear John saying not to be such a cheapskate. So his dad took out some money and gave it to the man, "for John."
usic they immediately fell in love with. Emily Arin is her name and she hails from the Finger Lakes area of New York, not too far from where John's sister Jes has been attending Grad School for the past few years. Invariably, when John's mom and dad would visit Ithaca, they would look to see if Emily was playing nearby, but more often than not, if she was playing it would be in Brooklyn or someplace along those lines. Thus, we never got to see her on her home turf.
ntertain friends "in town." For both, it was an opportunity to see a lot of movies and eat out at some great restaurants.
red with a John memory almost at every turn. Whether it was eating in a restaurant in which good food and great conversation was shared, or going to a movie theater where extraordinary films were experienced together, or walking on the Mall where many an eventful kickball game was played (after which plenty of beer and wings was consumed), or even going to a mindless movie and listening to the laugh of a young man sitting behind who had the identical laugh and sense of humor as John, the District is a fount of found memories of John.
ever gives money under such circumstances; John invariably always did - in fact, he always made sure he had singles in his pocket for such occasions. As such, as John's mom and dad walked past the panhandler, together they could almost hear John saying not to be such a cheapskate. So his dad took out some money and gave it to the man, "for John."