• “Jersey Boys” and “Love” in Las Vegas beyond expectations. Talk about feel good! #
• Sat on floor of Barbara Streisand’s bathrm last nt listening to albums she’d done with Richard that even her hubby hadn’t heard. Stunning! #

It’s been six weeks since my knee replacement surgery and I’m doing remarkably well although the last 4 days I’ve been a slacker about doing my physical therapy. That’s because I went to Las Vegas with Richard, Troy and Simone (my son and daughter-in-law) to see “Jersey Boys” and “Love.” Both shows were remarkable, feel-good experiences. Troy and I have never been big fans of Vegas. I got married there the first time around. My husband gambled all night and I slept with his mother. I lived in Caesar’s Palace for many months while filming “Electric Horseman” with Bob Redford. I hated walking through the sounds, smells and just plain tawdriness of the casino to get to my room every night. The best part was taking ballet classes in some inconspicuous, back-alley studio with a lot of the showgirls–all scrubbed and normal looking.

So this time was a treat because we had fun, the shows alone were worth it and we had some great meals–especially at Botero in the Encore Hotel where we stayed. My brother, Peter, even showed up the last night with a slew of friends. The downside–a whoooole lot of walking on marble floors. Not great for a new knee.

Last night we had dinner at Barbra Streisand’s home. I’m tempted to say her “new home” cause she got it since I last went to a home of hers, but she’s had it for more than a dozen years and, like all her previous places, it has her unique stamp of perfection, coziness, enormous architectural detail and originality–all her doing. She designs and decorates just about as brilliantly as she performs. I had never met her husband, James Brolin, and it was wonderful seeing what a down-to-earth, good person he is–and gorgeous to boot. The President of Berklee College of Music, Roger Brown, and I enjoyed finding out about the place that seems to teach and train a huge swath of the most talented people in all (and I mean All) branches of music. I also met Samantha, Barbra’s Coton de Tulear. It’s because of Barbra bringing her pooch onto Oprah’s show that inspired me to get my Tulea. Sam has all the endearing qualities of Tulea (almost) but her hair is curly.

The end of the evening found us all sitting on the floor Barbra’s bathroom listening to a few cuts from her soon-to-be-released album (Diana Krall produced) and some songs from albums she and Richard did years ago that James had never heard.

I have just arrived at my ranch in New Mexico. I haven’t been here since Christmas. I’ve never been away this long. It’s because of the play, the surgery and then Richard.

Tulea will be waiting for me and she’ll make all her most happy-to-see-you-mama little whimpers and barks. Vanessa and my grandkids are here as well so it will be a fun 3 weeks. My major challenge is to get back to work on my book and the ranch is where I do my best writing. There are also lots of hills to climb and a gym and a pool so, in no time, my knee will be good as new–well, no, it IS new. Better to say, “good as old.”

Let’s see…what else? Guess I’ll write more tomorrow and show some of Vanessa’s ranch photos.

See you next time.

“Nothing worth doing can be achieved in a lifetime; therefore, we must be saved by hope. Nothing that is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith. Nothing that we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore, we must be saved by love.”
Reinhold Neibhur

Well, last night I experienced something new. Clive Davis invited 300 or so people from the music industry to listen to Whitney Houston’s new album. Clive stood on a stage in the Beverly Hilton and talked about what led to the creation of the album, the choice of each song, how Whitney felt about each song, and then the song would play. We heard nine songs. They were exciting. Clearly Whitney’s voice remains strong. I learned a lot about what goes into putting it all together. I met some of the people who wrote the songs. Stevie Wonder was there and Penny Marshall who directed Whitney in the film, “The Preacher’s Wife,” Whitney’s daughter and brother (from Atlanta, like me), Halle Berry, Suzanne de Passe, and many others. When we’d heard all the songs, Clive brought Whitney on stage. She looked terrific. I was quite stunned when, after calling Stevie Wonder to the stage to receive a hug from her, she then called me for a hug. Maybe it’s the Atlanta connection. Who knows. But I was surprised and honored.

I was photographed afterwards with Stevie and Whitney and Clive—a non-music person in a music world.

Then Richard and I got together after dinner with Lionel Ritchie and Suzanne de Passe (who, by the way, first signed the Jackson Fives to the Motown label when she was right hand to Barry Gordy) . I learned even more about what makes a hit song.

Tonight, The musical play that Richard has been working on, “Baby It’s You,” has it’s first premiere.

And I am just about walking without any limp. So there!

See you next time.

Nazi Leader Herman Goering, interviewed by Gustave Gilbert during the Easter recess of the Nuremberg trails, 1946 April 18, quoted in Gilbert’s book, Nuremberg Diary:

Goering, “Naturally the common people don’t want war… but it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship.”

Gilbert: “There is one difference. In a democracy the people have some say in the matter through their elected representatives, and in the United States only Congress can declare wars.”

Goering: “Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the biding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.”

• http://twitpic.com/b1y37 – Troy’s BBQ – Left to right is Film producer (Traffic, Che, Fur etc etc) Laura Bickford, Krista Smith, west co … #
• http://twitpic.com/b1ykd – Troys barbecue – Left to right is Film producer (Traffic, Che, Fur etc etc) Laura Bickford, Krista Smith, wes … #