J~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~J O R O C K Y M O U N T A I N H I G H O H =============================================== H N The John Denver Internet Fan Club N D D E M O N T H L Y N E W S L E T T E R E N N V * * * J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 0 * * * V E E R Emily Parris emily@sky.net http://www.sky.net/~emily R ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Table of Contents January 2000 * Issue #69 John Denver Events & TV Listings..........................1 John Denver Stories: "John Lives in the Songs" by Shelley Potter-Abrahamsen...................2 Andrea Adams...........................................3 Poetry Corner: "To John Denver, Wherever You Are" by Erin McCarty......4 "One Remarkable Man" by Carole Romanowski...............5 John Denver Notes.........................................5 For Sale-Want Ads.........................................6 "Broccoli Mountain High"..................................8 ==================================== J O H N D E N V E R E V E N T S ==================================== JD on Television: Jan 12, 2000 "John Denver: True Hollywood Story" 9:00pm E! Jan 13, 2000 "JD: True Hollywood Story" 10:00am & 4:00pm E! Jan 16, 2000 "Let This Be A Voice" 8:00 pm PBS Jan 21, 2000 "Oh, God!" 7:20am Cinemax #2 JD Events: Jan 29, 2000 JD Gathering in Prairie Village, KS 5:00 pm More info: Jan Ebelke Feb 4, 2000 Phil Christie at the Coffee Gallery in Altadena, CA (626) 398-7917 http://home.earthlink.net/~pchristie/ Feb 19, 2000 JD Gathering in Tampa, FL; Charlie Zahm will be singing John's songs. Pat (302) 239-5907 June 16-18, 2000 WI Friends of JD Camping Trip Devil's Lake State Park / Baraboo, WI Info: Linda Pierson ============================================== J O H N D E N V E R S T O R I E S ============================================== "JOHN LIVES IN THE SONGS THAT SING IN OUR HEART" by Shelley Potter-Abrahamsen Reprinted from the "Hearts in Harmony" Newsletter It happened in the spring of 1992. I was on my way to a retreat in the woods in Northwestern New Jersey. I was leaving behind my family (just for the weekend!), and the church I was pastoring at the time. For many reasons I was exhausted spiritually and emotionally, in some ways more than I had ever been before. I needed this retreat. On the three hour drive I listened to John Denver tapes and talked to God. "God, you know I am hitting a dark and painful bottom - how can I minister to anyone when I am falling apart? God, there is just no way I can help anyone. Please God, I have nothing left to give." Then I would listen to more of John's songs. Friday afternoon and evening I began to relax. I met some old friends, we had a good deal of singing, and a very good service. I went to bed early and slept a good solid eight hours. Saturday morning I really wanted some quiet, so I went for a walk alone in the woods along the lake. The chapel in the woods by the lake was just a platform near the shore, with logs going up the side of the hill for people to sit on. The railing on the side of the platform had a "window" sitting on it. This "window" was made up of a rectangular frame of wood, with a wooden cross in the middle, and this sat on the railing. So the "window" sat in a "wall" which wasn't there. A see-through wall if you will. Sitting in the middle of the platform, facing the lake gave a wonderful view. Through the "wall" and the "window" I could see the trees in full leaf, then just behind the trees came the lake with small waves sparkling and rippling over the dark blue of the water. There was a good breeze and the white puffy clouds were moving across the light blue of the sky. All of this beauty in nature was peaceful to my soul and healing to my heart. I felt like I was looking through the window of God's heart at the serenity of God's day. "You can see me in singing skies and dancing waters, laughing children, growing old; and in the heart and in the spirit, and in the truth when it is told." For an hour I sat quietly, seeing before me the song which sang over and over in my heart. God's healing touch was coming once again through a song from John. I stood up to walk on, and behind me, on the first row of logs sat two women, deep in conversation. I remembered seeing them the night before. I started to walk down the path, but the healing of the words of the song had been so profound I felt compelled to share it. Turning back, I went to the women saying..."I'm sorry to interrupt, but there is something I would like to show you." I felt a little foolish, but both women willingly followed me up on the platform. "You see this view with the rippling water, and the clouds moving? It is beautiful, and yet it touched me even more because of a song John Denver sings; would you like to hear the words?" Both women nodded. I stood there in the middle of the woods with two strangers and sang the chorus of the second verse - "I am with you in singing skies and dancing waters, laughing children, growing old, and in the heart and in the spirit, and in the truth when it is told." The words came quietly to an end. The older woman turned to the younger woman. "Oh," she said, and feel into the other woman's arms with tears streaming down her face. My mind was racing, "What have I done?," but before the words were barely through my mind, the woman was saying to me, "It's okay, really, thank you, thank you." A few tears fell from her watery eyes as she held her friend. These two strangers who became my friends, had also come to the woods with heavy hearts. They knew each other from a support group for families who had lost loved ones through suicide. The older woman's son had killed himself in the winter of that same year. She was still grieving the loss, and was still hurting from knowing he had been in so much emotional pain but hadn't told her. She was still hurting from not being able to say good-bye from having the loss be so sudden. The two friends had come to sit on the log, and the older woman had said to her younger friend, "I would feel so much better if there was just some way he could let me know he is all right now. He seems so lost to me. I just wish he could speak to me one more time. I know it's not possible, but it would help." Right then is when this unsuspecting stranger interrupted them to give her the message in a song. That is the story of a song. A song given to the world by a poet, a singer. A song used to touch a mother's grieving heart with the love of a son who has died. A song which was sung by someone who had nothing left to give, and yet gave the gift needed the most: God's love and healing found once again in a song by John Denver. This is the story of a song. Listen! In your heart you can hear John singing, "You can see me in singing skies and dancing waters, laughing children, growing old, and in the heart and in the spirit, and in the truth when it is told." God's gift of the singer and the songs still goes on... John sang of God, "He lives in the love that lives in our heart." I would add, "John lives in the songs that sing in our heart." *_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_* Andrea Life does have its little rewards. At the end of this long week my two daughters and I were leaving a swimming practice in a very tired and worn out state. The older one asks, "Mom, can we just listen to John Denver, the nice soft ones?" So I put "Fly Away" on, but I still 'don't get it' at this point. I got behind someone who was obviously lost on our dark country roads and traveling 15 mph. For 5 minutes I tailgate and attempt to pass.....but then the light goes on. 'You nut, just sit and relax and LISTEN. The fact that this person is driving so slowly is actually a gift; more time for you to listen to the music and wind down.' We all returned home feeling great! So the next time you get behind the same person I did, put the "soft ones" on and enjoy the ride! ====================================== P O E T R Y C O R N E R ====================================== To John Denver, Wherever You Are by Erin McCarty The Colorado Rockies aren't feeling quite so high. The eagle and the hawk let out a mournful cry. The whistling of the wind through the blue and cloudless air Is so much less invigorating because you are not there. Your guitar lies all alone, and silently it weeps. Your face fills your daughter's dreams as she drifts off to sleep. Why were you taken from us with so much more to give? You loved life so much...why were you not allowed to live? Yet your kind and gentle spirit is a gift that will always last, Overshadowing the dark, unpleasant moments in your past. It was fitting that your life on Earth should end above the sea As you raced the wind and felt that you were completely free. Your music will stay ever in our hearts and souls, dear John, And the message that it brings will continue to live on. And we also know that somewhere, where the horses freely roam And rainbows paint the golden sky, you have found a happy home. Copyright 1998-1999 Erin McCarty From the http://www.about.com Tribute to John Denver * * * "One Remarkable Man" by Carole Romanowski There once was a child, an ordinary child Who grew into one remarkable man He learned early to beautifully play his guitar And sing songs he hoped we'd understand. He cried for the hungry, taught us to feed them Through example and by singing a song. He despised war and its weapons, its cruelty and pain And sang how all destruction was wrong. He felt love for all nature - the mountains, the trees And preserved them for his children and mine. And he respected wild creatures on the land, in the sea And the brotherhood of life for all time. And some wouldn't hear, said he's too ideal And coldly they just looked away. But others took heed, knew this man was real, Played his music and learned to obey He gave us the recipe, lighted our way And hoped some of us would carry on Because he left us too soon without a goodbye, One remarkable man called John ======================================= J O H N D E N V E R N O T E S ======================================= Jim and Denise Horn are the proud parents of a bouncing baby girl! Josephine (Josie) Maxwell Horn * December 21, 1999 7 lbs 3 ounces 2:14 pm * http://www.jimhorn.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Karolin On "Win Ben Stein's Money" on Comedy Central (12-3-99) one of the questions was, "What Rocky Mountain High singer died in a plane crash in 1997?" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Christine Moon The UK "Friends of JD" is hoping to establish a Woodland Grove here in the U.K. It will be a living memorial to John and a place of tranquility to visit and spend time remembering him. More info: http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~moonstar/fojd.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - G. Nunley Just returned from the National FFA Convention in Louisville, KY where my son was performing in the National FFA Band (quite an honor as he was 1 of 100 chosen to play from across the nation). The FFA Choir, to my surprise, sang 2 of John's songs, "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" and "Country Roads". When they broke into "Thank God I'm A Country Boy", 45,000 FFA kids stood up and started singing with them. It was an unbelievable sight. It did my heart good to see so many of today's youth come together as a group and participate in an organization that helps young men and women grow into outstanding and responsible adults. John would be proud of them. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - David Gorell John is on an album called "Country Christmas" - no, not John's album, but a compilation of many country artists. Track 3 was John's "Christmas Like A Lullaby". - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - David Stemple Jim Horn was on the next to last Primetime Country show in September. The show was going off the air after 3 years on the TNN network. Jim Horn played the tenor and soprano saxes on the show. Jim was introduced as an international saxophone superstar and at the end of the show Gary Chapman, the host, mentioned Jim Horn's two current CD's "Hit List" and "A Tribute to John Denver", another of the great, great artists that Jim has worked with. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pam Beasley and others in North Texas scheduled a JD Birthday Party/New Year's Eve Party. They had horses for riding, 4-wheeler rides and nature walks with the party running from early Dec. 31 to January 1st at noon. They also had a campfire with hot dogs and marshmallows for roasting. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Cindy Doughterty John's Eyes "I think my favorite thing about John was his eyes! They speak so much! I never got to meet him but I watch the videos and I find I often am watching his eyes. They smile, they mourn, they admire..you can read him completely from his eyes!! I think that is partly why people who never met him can feel like they are friends with him - his beautiful contagious laugh and smile and his talking eyes! (From: RMH Guestbook) =================================================== JOHN DENVER W A N T A D S / F O R S A L E =================================================== Donna Pinto Video of the 10/10/99 "Hearts in Harmony" musical event at the Inn At Aspen available as charity benefit. email me for details. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - Sunny Waters has recorded the song "Yellowstone Coming Home" and is working on getting permission from John's office to include it on an upcoming album. If you would like to help Sunny in this project please send faxes to Hal Thau's office at (203) 226-8408 or write to Milt Okun / Cherry Lane Music / 6 East 32nd Street / 11th Floor / New York, NY 10016 to say that you want to see "Yellowstone Coming Home" on the album. Sunny's email address: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Shawn Wells If anyone can help me obtain a copy of John's Funeral Service, I would love to hear from you. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Lynn Toennessen I am looking for anyone who has copies of any of the Muppet Shows and Specials with JD on VHS video. I'm also looking for other specials on VHS too. 409 16th St. Bellingham, WA 98225 Phone: (360) 647-8354 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Charlene Finney I am the director of the Myra Gainer Gift of Music. I was one of the guest speakers at "Let This Be A Voice" in Aspen, CO. One of the programs we will sponsor is the JD Memorial Fund, based in Denver, CO, along with assisting to put Music Instruments in the schools. I'm looking for items to auction off; Arts items, small collectables, and music items. Myra Gainer Gift of Music / c/o Charlene Finney / 417 W. 2nd St / Salida, CO 81201 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Carla Hirzel The John Denver Summer Celebration committee still has T-shirts available from the 1999 event. Our theme this year was "Plant A Seed" and they have four hands holding a seedling. $20.00 per shirt + s/h. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Susan Gilles I am looking to purchase the children's book "Alfie, The Christmas Tree." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Dave We have JD posters and artifacts in stock at http://www.concertposters.com/artifact.htm Type "John Denver" in the top box and click on "GO" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sue Twist Are there any JD groups in Washington State or anyone willing to help start one? With the idea of arranging meetings to chat about John and keep his music and memory alive. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mary Ledford The husband of one of our presenters (Charlene Finney of the Myra Gaynor Music Foundation) is a voting member of the Grammies and will be nominating John for a Lifetime Achievement Award to be presented in 2001. We can help John WIN it! So start writing letters now. Send them to: Charlene Finney / 417 W. 2nd St / Salida, CO 81201 and she will send them to the right people. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Gregory Neal <> Int'l Disk is offering rare 16-page movie programs of "Oh, God". These magazine sized booklets feature lots of color and b/w out-takes of John in the film. $59.00 800-280-2990 We also have videos of "Live at Newcastle 1994", "The Christmas Gift", and "Higher Ground" which are also rare as well as a video of "Lady Liberty-Musical Salute to America". - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - John If you would like a copy of the show Hal Thau and I did on John's birthday, the last Power!Talk Radio of the century, send $15.00 check or money order to Power!Talk Radio / 604 Ludington St / Escanaba, MI 49829 Please make all checks payable to WDBC Radio. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Margaret Moores <75210.645@compuserve.com> I'm working on organizing a JD group in the Midwest - IL, IN, WI, MN and OH - to be called "Friends of John Denver-Chicago-Midwest". Email or write to me at Box 3732 / Oak Park, IL 60302 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Emily We now have a "Talk" feature on the RMH Home Page. It is near the top of the page. I'll try to sign on each night at 10:00 pm CST. So you can sign on and talk to me. http://www.sky.net/~emily Direct link to it... http://www.sky.net/~emily/talk.html = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = "BROCCOLI MOUNTAIN HIGH" from the recipe book "Crazy Plates" "Broccoli Mountain High" "Shout it from the top: This broccoli coleslaw is full of crunch and full of flavor! Just be careful not to cause an avalanche. Sure to cause an avalanche. Sure to peak your interest, it's worth climbing the highest mountain for. 1/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise 2 tbsp white vinegar 1 tbsp. sugar 1/2 tsp. celery seed 6 cups broccoli slaw mix (grated broccoli stems) 1 large red apple, unpeeled, cored, and diced 1 cup grated carrots 4 slices turkey bacon, cooked and chopped into small pieces In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, and celery seed. Refrigerate until ready to use. In a large bowl, toss together broccoli slaw mix, apple, carrots, and cooked bacon. Add dressing and mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. ** Sent in by Jan Wintonyk ** = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = WWW PAGES with Information about John Denver: * John Denver Memorial Bench at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary http://members.aol.com/tybrenn/hawkmtn/hawkmtn.html For more info: (610) 371-9122 * Report about a JD Gathering in Rantoul, IL http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Andes/6633/rantoul.html * A Coffee House Christmas Special: John Denver Holiday Radio Show - from 1984 (41 minutes) http://musicsojourn.com/Playlists/Specialty/ MS_SPC_Playlist_Index.htm ************************************************************* Rocky Mountain High: The John Denver Internet Fan Club emily@sky.net http://www.sky.net/~emily January 2000 * Issue #69 * Editor: Emily M. Parris *************************************************************