Rum!

Today has been great. Late this afternoon Kinky called me to invite me to go on a hike with him and The Friedmans.

When I arrived at Kinky's Lodge he asked me to come into his office, because he and wanted me to listen to the new song that he and our good friend, Sean Rima, have written.

I sat down next to his desk. Then I listened to Kinky play his beautiful, Guild guitar and sing the beautiful song and it blew me away and I told him so. So, he sang it again for me to my delight.

I would tell you more about Sean's and Kinky's co-written song, but right now it is a secret and not for me tell.

Kinky, The Friedmans and I went on another thirty-minute hike and it was a lot of fun. During our hike we went into the woods and then followed a difficult path, with sliding rocks, back to The Lodge. And all I can say is that I am glad that I didn't stumble and fall.

After our fun hike, we went inside the Lodge and continued to visit for awhile.

I just got back home and am fixin' to start cleaning The Cabin, because tomorrow morning our friends/volunteers are coming out early to help us cook our dog's their annual (People's) Thanksgiving dinner. And I don't want our trailer to look like we live here, so I have a lot of tidying up to do before morning.

I am already charging my camera, so I can take a lot of pictures tomorrow and I will post them tomorrow night, if I am not too tired.

Tony, Roy, Belle, Beau, Little Debbie, Big (Al)ice and I want to wish all of y'all the best Thanksgiving Day ever!

P.S. I told my sister all about my egg nog fiasco and she laughed, and then she told me that Mom & Dad used rum in theirs.

Y'all have a great evening!

Cabin #45! or Burrito! or Hi!

Today has been great and so was my trip. While I was in Terlingua I wrote, wrote, wrote and I am very thrilled about how much I accomplished. Seriously, I think my book is ten times funnier that it was before Chet and I took off for Terlingua.

For the past several months I have been wanting to take a few days off and go somewhere, so I could focus entirely on my book. So, early last week when Chet told us that he had four-back-to-back gigs to play, in Terlingua, Tony suggested that I ask Chet if I could carpool with him, so I could work on my novella.

After we got out there Chet and I basically went our own separate ways. While he was busy playing his gigs or out visiting with his friends, I stayed put, inside my cabin, either writing or dictating to my computer.

Saturday night was the only time that I wasn't writing, because I went with Chet, to the famous Starlight Theatre Bar and Grill, in the ghost town, because Jim Keaveny had asked Chet to play with him and his awesome band.

It was an awesome night of incredibly great music. In fact, it was an evening that I will never forget, because they had the place rocking' with Country, Americana, Blues, Blue Grass, etc. music.

A couple of funny things did happen on our Terlingua trip though. Late Sunday afternoon I took a short break from my writing and I went down to the Bad Rabbit Cafe to grab a fast bite to eat, because I could not wait to get back to my writing.

After I ate, I was walking back to my cabin and I was so focused on what I was going to write next, I did the dumbest thing. When I got to my cabin I walked up the steps and tried to put my key in to unlock the door, but the key wouldn't open the door. So I tried a couple of more times and then gave up.

When I started to walk back down the steps, to go to the Office, I saw there were three more cabins down the hill and it didn't make any sense to me, because my cabin #45 was at the end of the row of cabins, that all looked exactly alike.

Then it hit me like a brick! I realized that I was at the wrong cabin. Mine was three buildings down. I felt so stupid and vowed not to tell anyone, especially Tony or Chet, because I knew that they would tease me. I was thankful that no one had seen me do such a stupid thing, because they would have thought that I was trying to break into a cabin. And I was also glad that no one had been occupying the cabin that I was trying to get into.

On our way back yesterday we made a quick pit stop, in Sonora, to fill up the car and grab something  that we could eat on the road. When I was paying for my food I thought I heard Chet say, "I'm going to get a burrito," as he left the store.

So I asked the clerk, "Did that man just say, "I'm going to get a burrito?" Then the woman gave me the funniest look, like I was crazy or something. So I went back to our white car and got inside.

A few minutes later, Chet walked out of the store and he was busy reading his text messages.  He went to this white parked car, next to us that looked exactly like ours and he opened the door to get in. And you should have seen the startled look on his face, when he saw the man sitting behind the steering wheel. Then he looked through the car's windows and saw me laughing.

"When Chet got inside our car he was still laughing. "I can't believe that I just did that," he said, while I was still laughing. The man looked up at me and he was smiling at me and all he said was, "Hi." "I was thinking you don't look like Nancy. Where is she and where is my stuff?"

When I quit laughing, I said, "I'm so glad that you did it..." Then I confessed to him about going to the wrong cabin and because I am hard of hearing and asking the cashier if you had said, "I'm going to get a burrito. And her probably thinking that I was crazy."

We laughed at ourselves the rest of the way home. We got back around 6:00 and within ten minutes we had confessed to Tony about the dumb things we had done and he is still teasing us about it.

I am so glad to be back home with Tony, Roy, Belle, Beau, Little Debbie and Big Al(ice) and tonight, after we go over to visit with Kinky, Ruth Buzzi and her husband Kent, Sean Rima and Marcie, I plan to do some more writing. And that's about it for tonight.

Y'all have a great evening!

I Don't Know!

Yesterday and today have been great. Late Saturday afternoon Kinky invited Tony and me to come over, to the Lodge, for two reasons. The first one being that our good friends Sean Rima and Syria, his beautiful, new bride and Chet O'Keefe were over there. The second reason was that he wanted us to come over to listen to the songs he had just recorded, for his soon to be released CD, that our friend Brian Molnar is producing.

We had a hilarious and super fun visit, in Kinky's kitchen, with our friends, while Sean was busy cooking up his famous, homemade Vodka Sauce Pasta dinner, for everyone. While the tasty sauce was simmering, on the stove top, all of us went next door, to the Annex, so we could listen to Kinky's newest recordings.

Before we sat down and started listening, Brian introduced us to Mike, the friendly, technical recording engineer, for the CD and Joe, a super talented musician that plays the guitar, mandolin and violin, on Kinky's songs. Oh my goodness! All of us were blown away with the songs Kinky sang and the fabulous sound quality. And to say the least, I had goose bumps from the beginning of the first song to the ending of the last song we listened to. And I told Kinky and Brian, "I know that I am going to buy at least ten copies of this CD and probably more..."

This afternoon, Tony and I went to Kerrville, to meet Lori and then eat lunch with her. She had called me Saturday morning, while it was still raining outside and told me that she was in Texas, visiting relatives and she wanted to come see our rescue ranch and meet all of us, but because of the weather she asked if maybe she could come out today, instead of Saturday.

After I told her that it would be fine, she said, "I am also a good friend of Bill Christman, in St. Louis. The man that has the most popular bar and music venue, Joe's Cafe Gallery, in St. Louis, where Kinky recently played. Bill told me that he had met you and that I had to come meet you, too. And, I must admit that I also read your blog and I love it and what y'all are doing. I also love dogs and have two of them..."

When Tony and I arrived at the restaurant, there was a young woman, standing in the parking lot, talking on her cell phone, so Tony waved to her and she waved back to him. So I waved to her, and Tony says, "Hi Lori."

The woman then gives Tony and me a funny look, like we're crazy, and says, "I'm not Lori." Then she sort of ran, inside the restaurant, to get away from us.

Then Tony asks me, "What does Lori look like and what kind of car does she drive?" And I started laughing.

"I don't know." Then Tony looks down at the pavement, shakes his head sideways and starts laughing with me. "Maybe she's already here. Let's go inside to see if she's in there."

When we walked inside the restaurant, the place was packed with people and this young waiter comes over to us and asks, "How many?"

"Three," I said. "But she might already be in here." And I already knew what was coming next.

"What does she look like?" The waiter asked.

"I don't know," I said, as Tony started chuckling. "Tony, I'm going outside to call her." But I didn't get very far, because Lori walked right up to me, stuck out her hand to shake mine, and said, "Hi Cousin Nancy...."

We had a really fun lunch with Lori and then she followed us out to the rescue ranch, so we could give her a grand tour and visit with her some more.

While Lori was out here, I drove her over to the Lodge, in Kermit, so she could meet Kinky, The Friedmans, Chet, Brian, Mike and Joe. After a short, fun visit with them, we came back over here and had a great visit, in Outer Space, with our new friend, from St. Louis.

And Little Debbie really liked Lori too and she spent almost all of the time that Lori was here, sleeping peacefully, on her lap. And here is a picture that I took of Lori, from St. Louis, so you'll finally know what she looks like, too. Mystery solved.

Y'all have a great evening!

Chocolate Raspberry Grand Mariner Mousse!

Friday, Saturday and today have been great, because they have been quiet and peaceful out here. I've needed the peace and quiet, because leading up to Christmas day it was a lot of fun, but was also pretty hectic to say the least.

Basically, I've spent the past few days resting, writing, taking long naps cuddling with our dogs, reading and listening to music, if I wasn't over at the Lodge visiting with Kinky and The Friedmans or over here making delicious, healthy juices for Chet, Tony and me to try.

Speaking of juicing, I pretty much "fell off of the wagon" this past week, because of all of the holiday treats presented to us. Seriously, Tony and I have had our fill of delicious sugary cookies, cakes and pies and my now tight-fitting 501 Levis can vouch for that, too.

I don't regret eating any of those tasty treats and desserts and I am glad that I did. But starting January 1st I plan to jump-start the new year by doing a 3 - 5 days raw fruits and vegetables only fast. And I am seriously looking forward to doing it, because it is so easy to do.

Last month when I did my very first fast ever, I did those 6 days of eating raw fruits and vegetables only and I was never hungry and I was so full of energy. The reason that I am waiting to start my super healthy fast on New Year's day is because New Year's Eve Tony and I are going to The Hunt Store's New Year's Eve dinner show, which includes entertainment by Kinky, Little Jewford, Chet O'Keefe and Sean Rima, with Big G being the host of the early dinner show.

After Kinky telling us several times how delicious the food will be at the dinner show and then reading Donna Hatch's great article, in The Kerrville Daily Times, about The Hunt Store's chef and his planned menu for New Year's Eve is the other reason that I am waiting to start my fast, because the menu already has my mouth watering.

In case you missed reading Donna's article, earlier this week, on the 24th, about Chef Blas Gonzalez, The Hunt Store Cafe's fabulous executive chef, I have cut and pasted it here for you to read. Or you can click here to read The Kerrville Daily Times.

The Hunt Store Café chef promises feast for the senses

Blas Gonzalez creates special New Year’s Eve buffet menu

By Donna Gable Hatch

Features Editor

donna.hatch@dailytimes.com

HUNT — Chef Blas Gonzalez, executive chef at Hunt Store Café, said he’s created a menu for the restaurant’s New Year’s Eve celebration that brings to the table something for every taste and sensibility — from savory to sweet and everything in between.

     Gonzalez’s love of all things culinary — and all things Texas — sets the stage for a New Year’s Eve feast that includes wild axis fingers, wild boar longanisa stuffed pork tenderloin and more.

     The menu is part of an evening extravaganza that includes entertainment by singer-songwriters Kinky Friedman and Chet O’Keefe, Texas outlaw poet Sean Rima and Jeff Shelby — aka Little Jewford, an accomplished concert pianist and comedian who has been described as “a Liberace and Victor Borge cocktail, with a twist of the Marx Brothers.”

     The dinner concert, which is from 6 to 9:30 p.m., is hosted by radio host Gordon“Big G” Ames of radio station KERV-AM 1230. 

     A late show follows with entertainment by Josh Murley and Someone Like You.

     Tickets are $100 per person for the dinner and late shows or $35 per person for the late show only.

     “When I first me Blas, he turned me onto his fried axis tenders, and they are still my favorite,” owner John Dunn said. “We source our game locally from Broken Arrow Ranch, so it is the freshest available. We tenderize it and marinate overnight in Blas’ special buttermilk mixture, and it is always melt-in-your-mouth tender.”

     The evening begins with an hors d’oeuvres and cocktail reception.

     “The menu Chef Blas has created for New Year’s Eve offers a wonderful mix of his regional wild game classic,” Dunn said.

The buffet also includes:

• Lobster bisque

• Lolla rosa radicchio salad made with green and red butter lettuce mix, candy pecans, honey baked pears and balsamic reduction

• Chateaubriand with a béarnaise sauce served with garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables

• Wild boar longanisa stuffed pork tenderloin with mango jalapeno sauce served with wild rice and sauté fresh seasonal vegetables

•  Macadamia nut-crusted mahi mahi, served with wild rice and sautéed fresh vegetables, drizzled with pineapple sauce and dotted with fresno chili puree. 

The meal is topped off with chocolate raspberry grand mariner mousse.

Add ambition and stir

     Born and raised in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, Gonzalez hadn’t planned to spend his life creating memorable meals, but it was in his blood.

     “I didn’t intend to be a chef, I just loved to cook,” Gonzalez said. “I came from a family where my mother and my grandmother loved to cook. One of the first food I remembered that I helped cook was the traditional Mexican mole sauce.”

     In 1980, Gonzalez emigrated from Mexico and found work at Olive’s Pizza Restaurant in Plano.

     Five years later, he relocated to Austin, where he worked at the Austin Courtyard Restaurant under the tutelage of chef-owner Guert Rush. There, he worked at nearly every station in the kitchen, from a steward to cooking on the line and pantry station. 

     “In the year 1989, I went to work at Hudson’s on the Bend, also in Austin, where I worked alongside chef-owner Jeff Blank. This is where I learned the art of cowboy cuisine.”

For 15 years, Gonzalez honed his skills and rose the kitchen ranks from pantry cook to executive sous chef. 

     “I started working first in the pantry making salads, dressings, plating up desserts, cold plate presentations and smoking of the entire specialty item that we had on the menu from lobster, shrimp, scallops, duck, quail, venison and buffalo,” Gonzalez said. “Then I moved to the sauté station, where I learned the art of sautéing, flambéing and cooking food in high heat with little oil and pan frying perfecting such food dishes as escargots with a lemon beurre blanc, pan seared ahi tuna with lime cilantro oil, wild boar schnitzel with apple presidente glaze and Southwest flavored seafood pasta.”

     In 2004, Gonzalez accepted the position of chef de cuisine at another Texas landmark, Ocotillo Restaurant at the Lajitas Resort and Spa. 

     In 2007, he was named executive chef. During his tenure, both Gonzalez and Ocotillo were recognized with the Four Diamond Award for three consecutive years.

     Four years later, prominent Houston businessman Tom Fatjo Jr. recruited Gonzalez to launch a new restaurant at his luxury development, Stablewood Springs Resort in Hunt. The resort’s Antler Grill restaurant closed in 2013, but Gonzalez quickly found a new home where  he could work his culinary magic — The Hunt Store Café, 1634 Texas 39.

     “I’ve known Chef Blas since he launched Antler Grill in 2011 and have been one of his biggest fans ever since,” Dunn said. “Bringing him to The Hunt Store was a no-brainer and allows us to continue to improve and grow our food service.  

     Dunn said bringing Gonzalez on board has allowed the café to  expand its menu, “as well as our event catering business. We have already done several large private events and look forward to growing this part of the business even more in 2015.”

     In addition, the café also packages and sells Gonzalez’s most popular sauces, including his Pecan Praline Sauce, Mango Serrano Sauce, among others.

     “These sauces will be available in the store and online at the beginning of the year,” Dunn said.

     For more information about the New Year’s Eve event and to make reservations, visit http://thehuntstore.com or call 830238-4410.

Chef Blas Gonzales shares his recipe for Southern hot-n-crunchy shrimp:

Southern hot-n-crunchy shrimp

Ingredients

3 jumbo Gulf shrimp (per serving)

6 ounces of The Hunt Store Mango Serrano Sauce

2 ounces ofTexas aioli

3 slices of green tomatoes (per serving)

1/2 ounces jicama, 1/2 ounce tomatillo, 1/2 ounce shredded carrot, 1/2 ounce cilantro

1 ounce of The Hunt Store Honey Ginger Lime Vinaigrette

4 cups of hot-n-crunchy mix

4 cups of regular flour

Egg wash

Ancho aiola, a provençal sauce made of garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, usually egg yolks and seasonings.

  

Directions

Bread the tomatoes, shrimp and place in the fryer (oil temp at 360 degrees).

Make salad with jicama, cilantro, carrot, tomatillo tossed with The Hunt Store Honey Ginger Lime Vinaigrette. Serve the shrimp on top of The Hunt Store Mango Serrano Sauce and garnish with ancho aioli. Serve the tomatoes on top of Texas aioli sauce and garnish with ancho aioli.

 __________________________________________________________

And that is about it for tonight, because there is only one slice of leftover pecan pie, on the kitchen counter, with my name on it and if I don't eat it right now—Tony will, when he comes into the kitchen for a snack. And that's also why my fast starts next year.  :  )

Y'all have a great evening!

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

Today has been more than great, because of our dear friends: Linda Forse, Donna Hatch, The Kerrville Daily Times & Rachel Fitch for helping out our rescue ranch Big Time! This is my cut & paste version of what Donna wrote for The Kerrville Daily Times, in today's newspaper. To view the paper's article click here: http://dailytimes.com/entertainment/  or read my cut & paste version below.

2.57 carat diamond to be sold as fundraiser for animal sanctuary

By Donna Gable Hatch

Features Editor

donna.hatch@dailytimes.com

MEDINA — Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch has a special way to ring in the New Year — with a 2.57-carat diamond ring valued at nearly $20,000 retail.

     The sparkling gem is a gift to the ranch from Brownsville resident Linda Forse, an animal lover-rescuer and supporter of the nonprofit, no-kill animal sanctuary. The ring will be sold through Fitch Estate Sales to raise funds for the ranch. 

     Offers will be accepted through midnight Dec. 31 and will be sold to the highest offer. 

     A reserve price of $7,500 has been set. 

     “I’ve been to the ranch a few times, and I’ve made donations over the years, but I want to make a real a difference, and the dollar value of the ring will be, hopefully, enough to see the ranch through hard times,” said Forse, who rescues greyhounds. “Cousin Nancy and Tony are so dedicated and two of the nicest people you’d ever meet. What they do for the animals is what we all should be doing for humanity: Good hearts in the right places.”

     Cousin Nancy and Tony are Nancy Parker-Simons and her husband, Tony Simons, who founded Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch with their longtime friend, Kinky Friedman, in 1998.

     The five-acre sanctuary is tucked inside the 365-acre Echo Hill Ranch in Medina that has been in the Friedman family for more than 60 years.

     Throughout the years, the rescue ranch has provided sanctuary to thousands of animals, including dogs, cats, pigs, goats, horses, donkeys and turkeys — many of which would have been forgotten and euthanized. They’ve also found loving homes for countless animals.

     Friedman said the ring was unexpected and “very much appreciated.”

     Proceeds will be used to fund ongoing veterinary care and feed the animals. 

     “Cousin Nancy and Tony will be fed, too,” Friedman quipped. “Those two are our only staff, and they are paid a very nominal salary. Cousin Nancy and Tony have devoted their lives to this peaceful kingdom and happy orphanage, and Utopia couldn’t exist without them. Everybody else who helps out are probably the best set of volunteers in the world, along with the Salvation Army, which may be the greatest army in the world.”

     Parker-Simons said the ranch spends about $400 a month on dog food, “and our veterinary care, even with big discounts, fluctuates from month to month, because every dog that we rescue gets spayed or neutered, given all shots and treated for any ailments.”

     Last month, Parker-Simons received a call about a young female Labrador without tags that had limped onto the caller’s property.

     “He thought the dog had been hit by a car, because she didn’t walk right. He said he could not afford to keep her, because he is losing his battle with cancer,” she said. “The story pulled at my heartstrings.”

     The injured animal, which Parker-Simons had dubbed Bonnie Raitt, was taken to Hoegemeyer Animal Clinic, which works with the rescue ranch to provide affordable veterinary care.

     “The next morning, a vet from the clinic told me that Bonnie had a fractured pelvis and she needed surgery on both hips. In addition, both of her back legs had torn ACL’s needing surgery, too — and the surgeries would cost in the thousands of dollars.”

     With limited funds, Parker-Simons arranged to pay the fee over time.

     “Bonnie has had her first side done, and the surgery was successful on her hip and ACL.”

The dog will recuperate for another month or so and then have the additional surgery. 

     “Bonnie Raitt’s rescue is the most expensive dog rescue that we’ve had in over 16 years of rescuing animals,” Parker-Simons said. “Every time that we rescue a dog, we seldom know in advance what the veterinary cost will be, so we are very grateful that this beautiful ring has been donated to us, because it will certainly help us pay the bills, continue rescuing and help us try to leave the world a better place than we found it.”

About the ring

     The ring was purchased in November 1965 by Forse’s grandfather, David Forse, for his wife, Francis. In its original setting, the ring held a 2.57 carat diamond and an equally large sapphire.

     “My grandparents spent winters in Miami Beach, and Pop was in a jewelry store, and he wanted to buy something for his and Mimi’s 50th anniversary,” Forse said. “As the story goes, Sammy Davis Jr. was also in the store at the time, and he wanted to buy the same ring for his wife, May Britt, a Swedish movie star, because it was their fifth anniversary. Pop and Sammy Davis each said they saw the ring first, so there was some back-and-forth. The jeweler intervened and decided that 50 years trumps five years, and Pop got it. He always playfully boasted about how he bested Sammy Davis Jr.”

     Francis Forse died in 1995, and the ring has been in her granddaughter’s possession since that time.

     Rachel Fitch, an antique appraiser and owner of Fitch Estate Sales, 838 Sidney Baker St., said the sapphire had been scratched and damaged over time, “but the diamond is simply gorgeous. It’s a modified shield cut diamond and is a very unusual. Everybody either gets a round diamond or an emerald-cut diamond.”

     Fitch removed the diamond from the original setting — which “though lovely, was antiquated” — and sent the diamond off to be GIA-certified.

     “It came back as a 2.57 carat, L color, VS1, which is the clarity of the diamond. VS1 is a really great clarity,” Fitch said. “The diamond has really very good symmetry. Everything you want it to have, it has.”

     Fitch is handling the sale of the ring as a holiday gift to Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch, she said.

     “We’re taking written offers, and anyone who wants to see the ring in welcome to come into the store.”

     A current offer of $7,500 is on the table.

     Fitch said she has put the ring is a simple setting — which really sets off the beauty of the gem.

     “The average woman wears 1 carat or less, and this is a 2.57 carat diamond,” Fitch said. “The solitaire diamond, which is so big and looks even bigger in a simple setting, makes it a very unusual engagement ring,” Fitch said. “If you were to go to a big box jewelry store, they would have this ring at $19,000 or $20,000, because that’s what retail is. But the sale of this particular ring is for a good cause — all the proceeds benefit animal rescue — so whoever purchases this particular ring is getting so much more in the bargain. And did I mention it’s tax deductible?”

     The fact that it’s a shield cut diamond — which looks like a Super Man shield — is the perfect way to say “You are the protector of my heart,” Fitch said. “If you factor in that the basis for selling the ring in the first place is to help protect animals, the ring is even more beautiful than its combined cut, clarity and carats. This is a very special ring, and whoever gets it will be getting a remarkable deal.”

     Forse said her grandmother would be pleased.

     “I have no doubt that my grandmother, who was an animal lover, would love that this is going to a good cause,” Forse said. “It’s absolutely the right thing to do. I’m sure I’ll have a dream one night, and Mimi will come to me and say ‘Good job, Linda.’

Above: Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch recently acquired Bonnie Raitt, a stray Labrador pup that was seriously injured. Proceeds from the sale ofthe ring will be used for the dog’s surgery expenses, as well as to fund other needs at the no-kill animal sanctuary.

Above right: In this photo circa 1950 aboard the R.M.S. Queen Elizabeth, David Forse, left, sits with his wife, Francis, and two unidentified friends. The 2.57-carat diamond from a ring given to

Francis by her husband in honor of their 50th wedding anniversary has been donated by their granddaughter, Linda Forse, to Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch.

Sammy Davis Jr. wed Swedish actress Britt May in November1960. Five years later, he visited a Miami Beach jeweler in search of an anniversary ring for his wife. The diamond from that ring has been donated to Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch and will be sold to the highest offer.

What: Fundraiser for Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch

Details: Proceeds from the sale of a 2.57-carat diamond ring will benefit Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch, the nonprofit, no-kill animal sanctuary. Written offers will be accepted through midnight Dec. 31. The ring will be sold to the highest offer. Offers also will be accepted at the Kinky Friedman and Friends New Year’s event at The Hunt Store

Info: For more information, stop by Fitch Estate Sales at 838 Sidney Baker St., or call 257-8482

------------------------------------------------------------

Then Donna wrote this fabulous article, in the paper today about spending New Year's Eve with Kinky & Friends, at The Hunt Store!

Kinky Friedman Headlines New Year's Eve Event

Event at The Hunt Store features Chet O’Keefe, LittleJewford, Sean Rima and Gordon ‘Big G’ Ames

By Donna Gable Hatch

Features Editor

donna.hatch@dailytimes.com

HUNT — The inimitable Kinky Friedman headlines a cavalcade of music, humor, poetry and more at a New Year’s Eve extravaganza at The Hunt Store, 1634 Texas 39.

Joining Friedman on stage are singer-songwriter Chet O’Keefe, Texas outlaw poet Sean Rima and Friedman’s longtime friend Jeff Shelby, aka Little Jewford, an accomplished concert pianist and comedian who has been described as “a Liberace and Victor Borge cocktail, with a twist of the Marx Brothers”

Radio host Gordon “Big G” Ames of radio station KERV-AM 1230 — who is nominated for a 2015 Ameripolitan Music Awards DJ of the Year award — serves as the evening’s host.

“It’s my job to keep these idiots in line,” Ames joked.

The dinner concert, which is from 6 to 9:30 p.m., includes a buffet created especially for the event by The Hunt Store’s Chef Blas Gonzales, formerly of the Antler Grill. 

The menu includes hors d’oeuvres, such as chicken-fried axis tenders and chicken empanadas, wild game, beef, fish and poultry served with starches, vegetables and desserts.

The dinner show will be followed by a late show on the patio featuring entertainment by Josh Murley and Someone Like You — which includes drummer-keyboardist Patrick McCorkindale and bassist Mark Auld — from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. on the patio and includes a champagne toast and midnight brunch by Chef Blas.

“The format for the night is to offer an early dinner show for those that want a nice dinner and entertainment, but may want to be home early and a Late show for those that want to party through midnight and ring in new year with a bang,” said John Dunn, owner of The Hunt Store.

Tickets to the dinner show plus late show are $100 per person. Tickets to the late show-only are $35 per person, Dunn said.

A night of stars

Friedman, who has been called “the Frank Zappa of country music,” is renowned for his satirical country songs. His latest CD, titled “Bi-Polar Tour Live From Woodstock,” kicked off his Bi-Polar World Tour, with dates throughout Scandinavia, England, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium/Holland, Austria and Switzerland.

“I’ll singing, schmoosing and will sign anything except bad legislation,” said Friedman, a best-selling author, humorist, cigar and tequila mogul, sometime politico and animal rescuer. “We’ll have all kinds of things to sign: CDs, books, you name it, including the 997th reprint of ‘Heroes of a Texas Childhood’ with an new cover illustrated by the artist Copper Love — a Hill Country sky with a comet, which is just lovely. 

“Little Jewford — who’s a Jew and owns a Ford — will do his piano stylings of Scott Joplin’s ‘Maple Leaf Rag,’ and he does it as good as anybody since Scott Joplin, another Texan, and that’s been a while,” Friedman said. “The entertainment will be at least as good as the food, and that will be fantastic.”

Originally from the Northwest, O’Keefe — who won the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Song of the Year Award in 2010 — will combine a bit of storytelling with a mix of his brand of acoustic folk, western and jazzy-bluesy music.

O’Keefe spent nine years in Nashville, followed by a short stint in Dallas, and lived for three years in Northern Washington. He has performed with the legendary Bo Diddley, has opened for Nancy Griffith on her tour in Ireland and has toured several times with Friedman.

“Kinky and I have performed together in the past — I’d do my opening set, and he’d do his performance — and it’s always been a lot of fun,” O’Keefe said. “I’ll do some of my old stuff and some new songs — all songs that fit the occasion and are celebratory in nature. I’ve performed once with Little Jewford, and he’s seriously funny. He’s a brilliant pianist, and he tells jokes and does song parodies that are just hysterical. I’ve never performed with Sean, but we hang out a lot, and I know his work, which is not to be missed.”

Rima, a cosmic philosopher and San Antonio-based talk show host, said he’s written a special poem for the evening.

“I’m keeping my theme to the holidays and New Year’s. I try to go funny first and philosophy second,” said Rima, whose “Wild West Show: Selected Poems” is a funny, gritty collection of poems spanning the years 2001-14. “Usually, there’s a few laughs with my poems, but I’m editing the set, so it’s more of a PG-rating of my work. I’m really looking forward to the event.”

Rima said he and Friedman met and became friends through their shared love of writing — and the provocative and politically incorrect satirist has become fodder for Rima’s poems. 

“He’s such an interesting dude. I’ve written a whole series of poems about what it’s like hanging out with him, and I’ll probably read a few of those,” Rima said. 

“Kinky’s idea for the New Year’s eve concert is just a flowing evening of entertainment, and that’s what it will be — just a whole lotta fun and laughs. How can anything be better than that?”

Singer-songwriter Chet O’Keefe, who has toured with humorist and country music singer Kinky Friedman throughout Sweden and Norway, joins him on stage New Year’s Eve at The Hunt Store.

Jeff Shelby, aka Little Jewford, is an accomplished concert pianist and comedian who performs everything from piano rags, classical favorites, all delivered with wit and quips.

 

                                                Sean Rima                          Big G

What: New Year’s Eve bash at The Hunt Store

When: 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Dec. 31

Where:  The Hunt Store, 1634 Texas 39

Details: There are two New Year’s Eve shows at the venue. The dinner show, which features Kinky Friedman, Chet O’Keefe, Little Jewford and Sean Rima with radio host Gordon “Big G” Ames. The event includes a full dinner featuring wild game, beef, fish and poultry served with starches, vegetables and desserts. A late show, which features entertainment by Josh Murley and Someone Like You, follows from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. on the patio and includes a midnight brunch

Tickets: $100 per person for the dinner and late shows, but tickets for the late show only also are available for $35 per person

Info: Visit http://thehuntstore.com or call 830-238-4410

And that's about it for today. 

Y'all have a great evening!