tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33827772008-07-21T23:30:05.496-05:00Panchonoreply@blogger.comBlogger1023125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-32382402874627512862008-07-20T23:02:00.006-05:002008-07-21T23:30:05.513-05:00

This Saturday, July 26th, I will be in the HEB parking lot high atop some sort of unsafe contraption that Jimmy Patterson has arranged for in order to help a very worthy cause, Midland Fair Havens. We will be blogging for Fair Havens in an effort to raise $10,000 to help with operating costs for this very worthwhile and needed non-profit organization. Along with Jimmy and a host of other famous

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-80518133588501183092008-07-18T22:30:00.000-05:002008-07-18T23:17:57.994-05:00

Some slam down guitar from a friend's son, Ryan Bell.

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-37763160163154792962008-07-12T17:53:00.003-05:002008-07-12T18:05:21.949-05:00

Our good friend and spokesperson for The Springboard Center, Jeanne Cooper of "The Young and the Restless"! Jeanne was awarded the 2008 "best actress" in a daytime drama for her role as Catherine Chancellor, a role she's been playing since 1973.

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-5973079807982928972008-07-10T20:58:00.006-05:002008-07-10T21:47:03.700-05:00

Dollye Neal Ballinger was a remarkable, giving woman and one who keeps on giving even after her passing. While she was alive her charities included a lasting music program at the First United Methodist Church and the beautiful chapel on the campus of Midland College. Upon her death the bulk of her estate was put under the care of the Permian Basin Area Foundation to fund projects and programs

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-57843682415899223182008-06-30T01:10:00.004-05:002008-07-03T10:00:48.761-05:00

Who ever thought I'd be onstage with Willie Nelson? Certainly not me, but courtesy of his ex wife and my friend Connie Nelson....here I am onstage with Willie

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-25141966946003335262008-06-26T22:20:00.004-05:002008-06-26T22:32:28.488-05:00

It's reunion time! Two classes from Midland High, two classes from Lee High School. I won't devulge what years these are other than to say that I graduated in the last century. Several of us at various points around Texas have been working on this for six months. Sometimes working a whole lot. But it should be worth the effort with probably 450+ attending. Friday night is an event I organized

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-28521249197472979772008-06-24T14:55:00.002-05:002008-06-24T14:59:20.919-05:00

God Bless George Carlin, 1937-2008

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-77849003558989502352008-06-12T20:26:00.003-05:002008-06-13T01:11:48.313-05:00

In September of 1995 Willie Nelson performed in Midland at a very nice, relatively small outdoor show on the Courthouse lawn. My Dad was a golfing partner of the father of the show's promoter and so became the recepient of a backstage pass to the show. Graciously, he bestowed the pass on me. Backstage, in this case, meant sitting on the back of the lowrise temporary platform that Willie performed

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-73261778172696158442008-06-05T14:20:00.010-05:002008-06-05T15:09:05.192-05:00

Steamboat, with our two Army Club Tropic Lightning outriggers at Waikiki Without friends in Hawaii anymore, I hadn't heard the news, two years old, that an old friend of mine had passed away. Sam Mokuahi was a legend in the islands. His dad had been one of the original Waikiki beachboys and Sam Jr. followed in his dad's footsteps. Sam's Newspaper story..Sam, or just Steamboat, was the guy who

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-56824870431297434192008-05-26T00:00:00.004-05:002008-05-27T09:45:16.053-05:00

The Greatest Generation.....my greatest hero Wally Craig, Sgt. 179th Inf. 45 Inf Div Anzio, Italian Campaign, Invasion of Southern France, Vosge Mountains Campaign

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-39610479469782923982008-05-22T22:04:00.011-05:002008-05-23T19:04:32.518-05:00

What do you say to a handsome, and young, 23 year old soldier who has recently lost both legs in Iraq when you are sitting with him and looking him right in the eye? As hard as it was, I said what I had come to say to all these soldiers, "This isn't much but I want you to know that I appreciate the sacrifices you've made for us and your country. And if there's anything I can ever do for you.....

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-65907702385195886142008-05-14T22:15:00.003-05:002008-05-14T22:29:12.248-05:00

What other way to show your gratitude to the people who saved your brother's life than to pick up the phone and just say, "Thanks". That's what I did this afternoon, reaching Dr. Amy Marvin in Houston. Amy gave my brother CPR while her husband assisted and then administered the defibrillator which shocked him back to life. Amy, and I, were close to tears as she recounted the event, "he was gone

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-85673111082714331442008-05-13T10:15:00.008-05:002008-05-13T11:30:28.176-05:00

My brother, Mark, has had his name in the Houston paper before in his capacity as a deputy director of NASA. But I doubt that he has ever been on the front page of the paper as he is today. And I doubt that he wants to repeat the events that got him there. The newspaper article tells the story as one of luck, serendipity and good planning. Sometimes though, I think there is no explanation other

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-35229182132342763842008-04-30T17:07:00.003-05:002008-04-30T17:24:18.516-05:00

Last week, a blur now, was spent with Michael Peterson and his Real Life Tour, sponsored by the US Army. What a blast getting to know Michael, his band members, tour group and of course some great folks from the Army. The purpose of the tour was for Michael to speak to teenagers about making the right choices in life. And speak he did to over 2,000 kids at six schools, to large teen groups at

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-60315527380368138022008-04-25T00:00:00.006-05:002008-04-25T00:55:06.440-05:00

Some months ago, through old Army contacts, I was asked to help bring Country and Western artist Michael Peterson and his Real Life Tour to Midland. The tour is sponsored, in part, by the Army and is aimed at reaching teenagers with ways to take responsibility and make correct decisions. I've spent the last three days with Michael and he is the real deal. I don't know that I've ever heard a

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-5317368331761672672008-04-16T20:25:00.012-05:002008-04-18T17:30:53.089-05:00

Faithful readers will recall that last year at this time friends Scott Davis, Terry Johnson and I [along with a lot of help!] staged what we called The West Texas Troop Salute at Rockhounds Stadium. Organized in only 2 months time, the event exceeded our wildest expectations with over 4,000 people showing their gratitude and support for our troops. We had intended to repeat the Troop Salute this

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-20453112411366374842008-04-14T23:59:00.005-05:002008-04-15T00:17:31.600-05:00

I've always liked and been interested in maps. I also love PBS' Antiques Roadshow. Tonight the two converged. I've seen some interesting things on AR over the years that are somewhat related to some of the things I own, like the Whistler lithograph that was appraised last year. Thanks to my grandparents I have a Whistler lithograph. But tonight a 19th century world atlas appeared that was very

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-17146044684045715942008-04-13T22:56:00.003-05:002008-04-13T23:11:33.965-05:00

It's amazing what shows up and where. Somehow on Spike.Com I ran into the uncut version of an interview with Jimmy Patterson at the MRT and My West Texas done with me right after the passing of The Big Gold Dog. I'm glad to find it saved; it sure brought back some memories.

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-57066171566693379652008-04-09T23:15:00.004-05:002008-04-14T00:22:53.680-05:00

The size of my already small family became ever smaller yesterday with the passing of my Mom's older sister. My aunt Kay was a remarkable woman who overcame profound deafness, as a result of a childhood illness, to become a charming Navy wife, a caring mother and grandmother and a professional artist. She read lips so well and spoke so clearly that often we forgot she had almost no hearing. With

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-24944446874798632062008-04-03T20:56:00.005-05:002008-04-03T21:07:31.421-05:00

We'll be having a large native plant sale/fundraiser at the Sibley Nature Center this Saturday, April 5th. We have a large selection of shrubs, ornamentals, grasses and trees that do well in strong sun with low maintenance and water needs. The sale starts at 9 a.m. We expect that the plants will go quickly.....get there early. Our greenhouse is behind the Sibley Center on E. Wadley, adjacent to

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-5306624647770511302008-03-14T15:11:00.002-05:002008-03-14T15:17:07.330-05:00

"For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two edged sword. Her feet go down to death, her steps lay hold of hell". Proverbs 5:3-5 This passage was quoted by Cal Thomas in his column today. I just love it......"bitter as wormwood". That's great....and from Scripture too!

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-44833833340439280022008-03-11T14:40:00.004-05:002008-03-11T14:50:49.330-05:00

From the "Captured Moments" hall of fame, Spanky and Our Gang. For some unknown reason I always really liked this song. Now it brings back memories of driving my college roommates car around San Antonio. My roommate and his brother both had brand new 1968 Buick Gran Sports courtesy of their rich grandfather. Luckily my roommate was very generous with it's use. He had loads of 8 track tapes too.

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-87750530988276170902008-02-26T12:04:00.005-06:002008-02-26T13:55:30.896-06:00

Regular readers and friends might look at the photos above and say, "Cute, more pictures of D. Daphne Dog". I don't blame you...but this isn't D. Daphne. Over the last several years I've gotten linked up informally with other dog owners/lovers in an email network that tries to find homes for needy dogs and the photos above and others came to me this morning. I really couldn't believe my eyes.

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-37600586215091949882008-02-21T23:36:00.001-06:002008-02-21T23:37:26.158-06:00

Do you know the whereabouts of anyone in the Midland High or Lee High classes of '67 and '68? Send them here..... big doings this summer.

Panchonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3382777.post-50304997560313061772008-02-17T00:31:00.005-06:002008-02-17T00:36:16.502-06:00

The sports folks at Midland High seem to want me busy. I started out last year doing the MHS football website and photos. Earlier in the year I picked up the Lady Dawgs basketball assignment and this week was hired to do the MHS boys soccer coverage. I enjoy helping out the old alma mater, meeting new people and it's nice to get paid for doing something so enjoyable. MHS Dawgs Soccer

Panchonoreply@blogger.com