Grateful for the time spent together!

December 24, 2021

My sister Sheryl telephoned me in the afternoon: I was watching the movie, "Bell, Book & Candle" and reported that to her in answering the phone. Her voice broke as she asked me to turn it off and I knew it was because our sister Sandy had passed.  They didn't know exactly when as she lived alone, but it was within the last four days. The woman who buys her groceries discovered she had left. Not sure if she was making an exit plan, but she asked us (including my brother) if there was anything of hers that we wanted... she missed my parents and had always spent Christmas with them so she was able to do that this year!

August 8, 2017

An former beau passed away recently and I guess I had tried to "cure myself of his curse" by peeking in on his FuzzyBook page on occasion, reassuring myself that he had turned into someone I would not want to be w/ after all--a "sour grapes" thing...then I saw a mutual friend's post and I had to conjure up his ghost again:

Broken Hearts and Matching Tatoos

I was madly in love: Out on a "date" with Miss Molly who asked me, “Haven’t you learned your lesson?  He’s a guitar player.”  I knew it was hopeless, but I was madly in love, and resisted: “But he’s different.”

Must have had something to do with that color of blue in his eyes.  I was certain we were meant for each other.  That time at one of his band’s first gigs, at Rockefeller’s--we were split up, but I was still madly in love… My friend who went with me, BR, went up to talk with him and told him I was there and I was thrilled he sat with me for the headliner, Dale Watson. Felt this energy connection between us and saw a ghostly link from my heart to his!  Must have been that tatoo:

One weekend we stayed over in Galveston and he was all excited—our “Mexican Honeymoon,” he called it, and wanted us to get matching tattoos.  Went to Electric Ladyland and spent a long while picking out a design.  I finally decided on a freestyle--a blue heart with a lightning bolt going through it, just like the bolt he had on his shoulder.  Also, his initials and two teensy hearts on either side.  They started working on me and man, that hurt!  They were clowning around a bit, “Hey, women have children—y’all can take the pain!”  When I thought E. was still picking out his design, he was just sitting there watching and he did not get one!  Driving home, I exclaimed, “What did I just do?  I can take off a ring!”

Lips & The Trips used to play this club on Market Square, The Market Square Brew Pub.  It was at the beginning of Craft Beer-dom and they also made their own Cherry Wine, which was probably “white lightning” because couples would make out on the floor and end up passed out there—--we loved it!  I remember one time sitting with him and Carolyn, as he had a glass of that cherry wine, musing, “I would want this at my wedding.”  Of course, I got excited over that comment! 

I met his folks at his sister’s house at Easter-time.  On the way home I said I was fixin’ to come to the end of my child-bearing years (at 40-ish), and he said, “We better hurry up!”  Of course, I got excited over that, too.

Can’t recall when I first set eyes on him—maybe the wedding reception where I was impressed that a hometown boy could match licks with Dave Alvin—cool!  My guitarist and I had gone together on a lark as a “date.”  It was goofy fun and not getting off the subject, I remember another heartsick homeboy in attendance, W.S., hanging on, puppy-dog-like to J.H., as she continued to snuggle up to Alvin… (she eventually made W. marry her when he got transferred to Paris with his job at Shell—she wasn’t going to let him go there without her where they teach the local language in bed! Happy hearts there...)

The first time I set my sights for him was at Miss Molly’s Birthday Party—used to be a big Extravaganza in August (yes, of course, she is a Leo!) that Dickie Malone would set up.  That year it was at that huge place up the hill from Allen Parkway, where Keith York got married to Terry. 

A bunch of bands, big deal, big party.  (The year I moved Dickie Malone called to ask us to play—great timing!  I guess I got a bit of a charge snubbing him, but it was more fun when we actually played the bash the year before at Rockefeller's--the Fire Dept. shut it down--too many tickets!)  

The Rounders played this year, 1994.  I was heartsick from my marriage and had Big Blues—(he had moved out earlier that Summer in order, I thought for us to “figure this out” but it turns out he thought it was for good--we just did not communicate!)   

After their set, I remember seeing all the band members all goofy and happy at the bar and I bought them shots, dancing with E.L.D.  It was the first fun I’d had in a while and I was hooked. 

Next, I stayed after one of their gigs at The Satellite Lounge:  Karen and I were there and we took E.L.D. with us in her little car along with his cool amplifier, which I got to watch for him by putting my feet on it while he “shot rats” (imitated shooting a rifle) and extricated himself from T.H. (“I was depressed and got drunk and went home with her and did a bunch of Cocaine”).  I remember delightedly yelling to Barfield as we were driving away, “I’m taking him home with me!”  We overslept for work the next morning, Karen yelling through the curtain at us!  That’s how it all started.  I went after my man and I wasn’t letting go!

He got me to appreciate and eventually love Jimmie Vaughan, of which I am ever-grateful!  We all (me, E., Mike & Yvonne) went to see Jimmie play at that former theater in Montrose.  Beforehand, ate at that Mexican restaurant right there on Montrose Ave.—(don’t remember the name—never ate there--I liked El Paraiso a few doors down at Fairview, on Crockett Street, much more.)

On April 25, 1995, we attended the Art Car Ball together.  My pal from Enron, Karen’s pal, Bill drove us in his convertible.  The photos show two young folks—one looking like a movie star, the other like a C&W star, out.  I have some other pix of myself that night—like w/Comedian/Musician Ron Crick and I am wondering if E.L.D. went home early???…I don’t remember us having a big bunch of “fun” there.  Just remember when we arrived, going in and the lady that booked the Satellite walked in with us and she said hello to him.  I remember feeling unappreciated and ignored that he didn’t introduce me…

He started the Hollisters and that was the end of us.  Or really it started earlier.  When he blasted out of the Piney Woods from Alto, Texas.  And never wanted to stop.

I tried to "get him back" a couple of times.  Almost worked, too.  Don't want to say how, but it involved my backyard swimming pool.  He said, “Let’s just do this and enjoy each other’s company without saying we are boyfriend/girlfriend.”

One of those times, this cute guy I had gone out with, Scott stopped by.  He looked so handsome and I know now that he would never have left me (lives with his Mom in a big house in the ‘Burbs now—they have dogs and a backyard swimming pool).  I embarrassed him, “What are you doing here?”  I was trying to downplay it to E.L.D.  I remember phoning him later when it was clear E.L.D. didn’t want to have anything to do with me—explaining I was trying to get back with my former boyfriend.  Scott didn't return my phone call, we are “Friends” on FuzzyBook, so I think he’s forgiven me.

I still had a broken heart when I finally made the move in September of 1996 to New Orleans.  I returned to Houston to go to Bill Van Ravenswaay’s wedding about one month later and stayed with my brother and his wife Jerilynn.  They took me out to eat at their neighborhood Mexican place.  There, I told Robert that I just wanted E.L.D. to come after me and Robert said, not unsympathetically, “That’s not going to happen.”

Somewhere around 1998, when the Hollisters headlined at the Shim-Sham Club in the French Quarter in New Orleans, I went over there after my gig at the Tricou House on Bourbon Street.  I was living with Charles because I remember seeing the poster outside our place on Magazine Street—Kim Carson had set up the gig, her band opened for them.

I was wearing my pink slip, I remember, which was one of my usual costumes for my gigs at 711 Bourbon Street.  I saw E.L.D. at the bar and he brought me upstairs, backstage, with the guys: “She played on Bourbon Street,” he said, kind of comically, like he was embarrassed I was wearing a slip.  I still remember my heart pounding so hard as I was walking up the stairs behind him.  I guess I was still madly in love.

He never said anything about being married, but while they played I noticed a gleam, a reflection from the finger of his left hand--a wedding ring!?  After the show, I exclaimed in disbelief and delight, “Eddie Dale, you got married!”  He didn’t say anything about being delighted, happy or the “Luckiest Man on Earth,” just emitted a big sigh and said, “Yeah, and we are going to have to move to Seattle and break up the band.” !!!!!!!

When I told Bobette later, she said, “Aren’t you glad you aren’t the woman he isn’t proud to be married to?”  I certainly was.  I spent the remainder of the night drinking at the bar and talking with Kim Carson’s guitar player who I eventually tried to hire for my band, but his wife thought my e-mails were too forward and forbade him to play with me after we’d had quite a few practices and I had paid Pete Alba to show him my songs...

I remember how sweet of a heart he had, tender, really.  I guess that is why I was hooked.  I remember when my sister telephoned to tell me know that my dear Uncle Tito had finally succumbed to cancer.  That teensy apartment on Woodhead where the phone was about 10 feet from the mattress on the floor where he & I lay.  After the message, he held me and said he was sorry, he knew I was close to my uncle.  That was when he said, “If I had my way, no-one’s heart would ever break.”  That line made it to the song I wrote about him  called “Hearts." Wrote another one, too, not so happy.

Looking back I am glad it all worked out this way as I moved to New Orleans and met My True Heart and Soul-Mate... 

I kept thinking it was him, but he had to find his own True Heart. 

I thought one day I would talk to him again, but that never happened.  JG's post was that he had passed away.  I sent a note asking if he was he sick? He drank himself to death basically and passed away from a “Bad Liver and a Broken Heart,” he reported.

Did I mention that after he and his wife, B., moved back from Seattle, they had gone to Hawaii in early 2009?  While they were swimming in Maui, she had a heart attack and passed away.  Just like that.  Another broken heart... GOD BLESS!

THE MAN WHO GAVE ME MY NAME:

L.R. Fox--

L.R. Fox, my former boss at Book Sales (please see "Lips, Is Lips your Real Name?") 

January 10, 1948 - September 5, 2015

Bestowed upon me my name and I.D., D.LipShus, ever-grateful.  Camy & Family, love you!

THE MAN WHO GAVE ME A LIVING IN NEW ORLEANS:

Mr. James Taylor--

Mr. Jim Taylor came to see us at the Palmer Park Art Market, playing air guitar with me on his cane, December--brrrrrr

Jim gave me a job when I first moved to New Orleans in 1996.  Wonderful guy, great employer, good friend, music-lover, author of New Orleans on the Half-Shell, miss you muches & bunches.  Thanks for everything!!!!  Dottie and family, love you!

PflashJett, The Wonderful Wonder Kitty--

Came a visitor to M.'s batchelor-pad on 6th St. & left a member of the Family.  Evacuated with us to Houston:  PflashJett, R.I.P. 1/21/11 

Al Broussard, Jr.! 

Played before us at the Tricou House--Great player, entertainer & guy--actually played in Storyville Back in The Day!  Fred Hendrix said you lived long because you (1) only dated younger women, (2) only drank good liquor (Johnny Walker Black) and (3) never had any trouble on your mind.  

Tommy, 711 Bourbon St. Barkeep--Sweet guy.  We miss you, My Friend!

Freak! Barkeep Extraordinaire at the Tricou House! Also worked at Fritzell's and Harry's.  Good guy -- never would tell me how he got his nickname.  

Long Live Our Friend!!