2ND BIRTHDAY T SHIRTS

50th Anniversary Anthology (Dig)

The Four Tops' musical passion captures your ear. Their overflowing joy catches your eye. Their four souls touch yours and you succumb. You smile broadly, sing along, sway your hips and arms from side to side, and you dance that "Four Tops boogaloo" forever. It's been 50 years since Renaldo (Obie) Benson, Abdul (Duke) Fakir, Lawrence Payton and Levi Stubbs first sang together at a weekend party in Detroit's North End in 1954. The party's host asked the four, each from a different group, to sing for the gathering. They liked the results and decided to make things permanent.
* 50 Years Of Hits and Counting.
* Two Career-Spanning CDs Featuring I CAN'T HELP MYSELF, REACH OUT I'LL BE THERE, BABY I NEED YOUR LOVING, WHEN SHE WAS MY GIRL, AIN'T NO WOMAN and Many More.
* Newly Remastered, Great-Sounding Mixes, New Essay and Photos from the Archives!

He was eating dinner
at the counter of the old
Sitton's North Hollywood Diner
on Magnolia in North Hollywood. I was
there with my wife, Leslie, and my always
beamish and delightful son, Joshua Zollo,
who had a hot dog, french fries, a chocolate
milk shake and for dessert, cherry pie. An
essential and iconic American meal it was,
and heaven for a little kid. I had a tuna-melt,
which, while certainly not healthy at all,
was delicious.

I saw Robby from a distance - he had this
great long straggly hair, and was wearing an
earthen brown sweater vest over a white shirt
with a red paisley tie, oddly formal for an Angeleno
diner. He was watching the other patrons, the
waitresses and the prize-fight being broadcast
on the little color TV over the counter.

Though my wife doesn't like it when I
interrupt our familial functions to take somebody's
photo, I couldn't resist - and with my son's
encouragement - he always welcomes my
photographic proclivities - I went over to
Robby, discovered he had great green eyes,
and asked if I could take his photo.

He smiled at me with a bewildered smile,
but rather than ask me what my purpose was,
as people often do,
he simply allowed me to take his picture. Wanting
to know more about him, as is my way, I asked him,
if he was a writer. I didn't think he was,
but asking anybody if they are a writer, actor, model
or musician in L.A. is always a good way to break the
proverbial ice,
and is often answered in the affirmative.

Robby said no, he wasn't a writer. He said he worked
at the St. Paul's Church, which is on Magnolia,
not far from this restaurant. He didn't expand into
details of what he did in the church, and whether it was
even a paying job, or if, perhaps, he considered
prayer and confession a form of work. I know for some it is.

He didn't have much
more to say, but he kept smiling at me warmly,
and somewhat curiously, as if waiting for what was
to happen next.

But I had a family sitting in a naugahyde booth to
return to, so I thanked him, and he thanked me in
return, and kept smiling at me and staring,
and as I tasted Joshie's milkshake, I saw
Robby ever so slowly creep towards the cash
register, where he paid his check, and then almost
hypnotically he sluggishly
sloped towards the door to leave. Before
making his exit, however, he stopped to wave
at us with a flourish,
and I waved back, as did Joshua. And then
Robby stepped out into the evening sunlight, still
bright in this Junetime even at 6:45, and he stopped
outside of the window, fixed his glance on us, and then
waved again before walking off
down Magnolia.

Ayumi requested postal themed blocks for her month of Ringo Pie, which is an amazingly fun and stressful patchwork bee.

After struggling with a postal scale, I adjusted my plans and went with an "airmail" theme. particularly poignant as the gals in this bee are quite geographically diverse.

This block came together a bit more disjointed than I envisioned it, so I wouldn't be offended at all, if you disassemble it and use just the bits you like separately.

The envelope was my favourite bit and when the seam allowance is taken in on the other two sides, I think it will look much better.

Ayumi, when you are ready with a new address, I can send this. I'm also going to include some of the stamp fabric that I bought and hadn't used. You may need it for "filler" in your quilt.