Desert Messenger

10 www.DesertMessenger.com May 3, 2017 Traveling with Gypsy Jane I went to hear singer Linda Cotton at the Courtyard Marriott in Albuquer- que, New Mexico. She was even bet- ter than I remembered from 15 years ago. She sang outside in the courtyard (5:30-8:30), the weather was great, and the experience magnifi cent. I was there every Friday as long as I was in Albuquerque. Without thinking too long about it, I would say that Linda Cotton is my favor- ite singer (unless I go into the big-time singers like Lyle Lovett, whom I adore). Not only do I love her singing style, but I love the songs she chooses -- mostly jazzy blues and old favorites to which she applies her own unique styling. She's always adding these little asides to the audience which make us smile, and Linda is smiling as well. When she does, her smile is so big, her eyes disap- pear. She and her band (not always the same members) have been playing to- gether forever; so they anticipate every move and make it seem easy. If they do mess up, they're professional enough to just laugh it off. They don't have to be perfect, another quality which en- dears her to me. Linda has longish, curly hair, and I don't think she wears make-up -- a big plus with me. And she dresses the part of the entertainer: like say, a purple dress with purple shoes to match (she always wears high-heel shoes that are the same exact color of her dress), plus large bracelets and ear- rings. She is defi nitely one of a kind. I went up to her after the fi rst per- formance and told her I remembered her from 15 years ago, and I was so de- lighted to fi nd her again. I told her I had searched for her on the internet, but she wasn't there. Finally, I found a listing in the newspaper entertain- ment section. I asked her if she was busy enough to give up her "day" job, and she replied that she'd never had a "day" job -- that she'd been singing most of her life. After we talked that time, she always remembers me with a big smile and a wave. The last time I saw her and told her I was leaving, she gave me a big hug. Wow! I sure look forward to returning to Albuquerque in a couple of years. Linda is a big rea- son for me to be there, but there are lots of reasons. My friend Dale is a huge fan of Lin- da's. In fact, he's the one who fi rst took me to see her 15 years ago. This year, he told me that Linda was singing at the Hillside Community Church Sun- day at 9:00 a.m. That would still give me time to attend the Unitarian Fel- lowship at 11:00. Since I had just heard Linda sing Friday night, I asked Dale if the church service was worth attend- ing. His answer was an emphatic YES. He said that the service renewed his soul. When someone talks about re- newing his soul, I have to go. I parked my camper at the church at 7:30 a.m.; so I'd have time to watch CBS Sunday Morning (7:30-9:00) be- fore the service. The sign outside the church said the service started at 9:00 by Jane Finley writer * artist * teacher (stretching, exercise, relaxation, meditation) A religious experience 8/11/03 Santa Fe, New Mexico Read Desert MESSENGER ONLINE @ www.MyQuartzsite.com THRIFT STORE Benefitting the La Paz County Animal Shelter in Parker Supported by your generous donations! 455 E. Main St. Quartzsite Open Tues. thru Sat. 9-3 928-927-4223 Quartzsite Beauty Salon Perms, Colors, Haircuts. Men & Women HOURS 9-5 Monday thru Saturday Walk Ins Welcome! 250 E. Main Street Quartzsite, AZ 928-927-6664 Everyone is invited to 88 Shades RV Park activities throughout the summer: Mon & Thurs Karaoke 6:30pm. Monday Jams 6:30pm. Coffee & donuts Mon & Friday at 11am. Saturday Paperbag Bingo. Doors open at 6:30pm Games start at 7pm. Friday Texas Hold 'em, 6:30pm. Check the calendar at the Rec Hall or the offi ce. 360-520-3722. 88 Shades summer events open to public a.m., but the church was completely empty when I arrived fi ve minutes early. Linda wasn't even there, but Dale was. When I inquired, he said, "Yeah, they don't start too promptly." Linda's band was setting up, and they started to play. The woman co-minister arrived about 9:25. From the very beginning, I wasn't sure whether I was at a church service or a taping of Saturday Night Live, es- pecially when the man co-minister be- gan his sermon with about 10 minutes of jokes. Some were even funny. This man was like the Energizer Bunny. He never stopped moving, even when he was sitting down. It was like no church service I had ever seen -- surreal. As I'm writing this, I decided it would really be fun for the Unitarian Fel- lowship to attend the Hillside Church at 9:00 a.m. some Sunday and have a talk-back at their 11:00 o'clock service. They'd have to check with Dale to be sure Linda was singing that Sunday. She's the main reason to be there, but the rest of the show is pretty good too. When the service ended, I leaned over and whispered in Dale's ear, "There's a story here some place." ~*~*~*~*~*~ Well, I went to church last Sunday so I could sing and pray, but something quite unusual happened on that day..... from Lyle Lovett's song "Church" Authors Jane Finley and Jack Wiley, both long-term RVers have teamed up to publish books from Gypsy Jane's discontinued website: WANDERINGS: Living the Ordinary Extraordinarily (Stories from the Road). To order visit amazon.com. THIS EXQUISITE MOMENT Maybe it's sitting in my red folding chair. Maybe it's the cup of green tea. Maybe it's the picturesque view from my campsite. Maybe it's the sound of the river. One or all those things combine to immobilize me. To cast a magic spell. To take over my mind and body. To make it impossible for me to move. I can feel the world disappear. Tomorrow and yesterday fade away. Only this moment, this exquisite moment exists, and I want it to go on forever. Zion National Park, Utah 6/12/09 Poems from the Road

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