Thank you all SO much for all the wonderful Birthday wishes! I started to
write each and everyone of you indivually, but there are just too many and
not enough time
before Jonifest begins! What a wonderful birthday I had!
Jesse is all settled in college and I am frantically getting reading for 60
crazy Joni fans to descend on my doorstep. But I wanted to take a minute to
tell you a wonderful Joni-related story. While in Boulder, I visited a used
record shop, Bart's CD's. On the wall there was a ton of music memorabillia:
signed Jerry Garcia pictures, very old posters, and a host of other rare
things including a poster of Joni from the Wild Things tour of 1983. I asked
the salesclerk if the pieces on the wall were for sale, and he replied no,
that it was the owner's personal collection. He continued that the owner had
been offered money for items before, but never has sold anything. Not one to
take no for an answer, I asked when the owner would be in. Two days later I
returned to the store, talked to the owner, and he informed me that that the
Joni poster actually belonged to another store owner a block and a half away.
Off I went down the street, only to find the owner of the shop was in New
York city at a gift show. I expained the situation to the young woman who
worked in the shop, and she offered to call her boss in NYC. She asked if
there was a "story" that went along with it, and with ever-so-innocent eyes I
related just how much Joni meant to me, what an influence she had in my life,
and that today was even my BIRTHDAY! (Of course I mentioned the 60 people
from all over the world that would be descending on my house within a weeks
time that would LOVE to see the poster too!) Duly impressed, she made the
call! Her boss explained on the phone how Joni personally gave her that
poster on the stage of Red Rocks when they met during the 1983 concert. After
may "ah hahs" and "uh hums", the salesclerk hung up the phone.
I was *sure* at this point it would be a cold day in hell before "Diana"
would part with a poster that was given to her by Joni. The salesclerk looked
at me and said, "You happened to ask at a good time- she is simplifying her
life and getting rid of many belongings." After about 30 seconds of
negotiating, "Holly" and I were walking back down the street to Bart's to
hand the poster over to me!!
Between all of your wonderful birthday wishes, and this very special find, it
was a truly special birthday!!!
Hugs,
Ashara
