3 weeks ago Lux (now slightly renamed Luxsy) arrived and has settled in really well. He's a collie / dalmatian cross and a big boy! MuMu let him know who the boss is from the outset, and they are now bosom buddies and although Puff is a little unsure of the newcomer and keeps her distance, she still plays with them but spends most of her time wandering around in her own little Puffworld. We're really pleased how happy they all seem to be. The cats don't give a toss and actually tease Luxsy by walking right by him and giving him a glare!
I mentioned last month about trying to get myself fit for the very busy time coming up from September through to the end of the year. Unfortunately, I have not got off to a great start although I did manage to lose a couple of kilo by having another drastic haircut!
I had some nasty seborrheic keratosis warts on my head removed which now means I can brush my hair without going "ouch" at every other stroke and so we now move on to my umbilical hernia which is being operated on this coming Tuesday (20th August)… nothing else has dropped off so far in the last few weeks so I'm well on my way to getting as fit as possible for the very hectic months ahead.
There's still a lot of preparation to sort out for both the USA Final One Man Show tour and also the Yuletide tour with Adam and Mollie and I am working on some final one man shows for Italy, Hungary and the Czech Republic as well as some other possibilities.
As regards TV and radio, I had a wonderful day recording a Radio 3 programme with Jools Holland. No date for transmission set yet but it was so enjoyable to do and I reckon will make good listening. It's part of a series that I think is perfect for radio.
I'm going to be recovering from the operation for the rest of the month so am hoping that Nurse Rachel is prepared for a very grumpy and needy convalescing patient!!
A few upcoming events to be aware of, (well I need to be aware of them anyway)!!!... Wednesday 11th of September a concert at The Shanklin Theatre on the Isle of Wight which also means I can visit Friends of the Animals of which I am a proud patron.
On the 14th, Rachel flies to Bosnia as a patron of Saving Strays to visit the shelter there and help out for a few days and whilst there, I will be looking after the doggies and pussy cats with my mother-in-law and spending a lot of time playing the piano.
Then on the 19th, 20th and 21st I have piano concerts in Italy… more details in the September Ramblings.
There are many more "irons in the fire" as the expression goes and I'm hoping that most of them will reach fruition but I will know for sure before I leave for America on October 1st.
Finally, I have to say how wonderful it was to perform Journey at the Cropredy festival. I know I'm biased but the band were magnificent. Who'd have ever thought a couple of years ago that I'd have 4 girl singers on stage and all so talented. More praise for son Adam, (who saved my musical life on stage on many occasions), Dave Colquhoun as brilliant as ever, Adam Falkner, what a talent and Matt Pegg stepped in on bass as if he had always been there. There were loads of photos taken of the band both on and off stage, but as seems to be the norm, I never get to see any of them!!!
Cheers Rick