the Cute one (the baby seal this time -- not Paul)

 

March 2, 2006 

Sneakers on the red carpet

 

I love the fact that Paul McCartney can rock the red carpet in his sneakers.   

Larry King and the Beatles

 

Larry King passed away over the weekend.  He was a well-respected man and his show on CNN was well-loved.   I personally did not care for his gruff way of talking to those he interviewed, but that didn't stop me from watching his show when he was talking to someone I was interested in. 

The decade of the 2000s was Larry King's time to shine when it came to the Beatles.   He interviewed Paul and his then-wife, Heather Mills several times in the early 2000s.     They spoke about landmines and seals.   

In 2007, Larry spoke with Paul, Ringo, Yoko, and Olivia about the one year anniversary of the Love show in Vegas and was there for the unveiling of the George and John portraits that are in the lobby. This is the famous interview when Larry called Ringo by the name of George.  

Then in 2008, Ringo gave Larry a hard time for mentioning how old he was (68) on his birthday during a segment about saying peace and love at noon. 

  

The IMAX Experience

November 23, 1999 -- Yes, I am going to go there.   It was 20 years ago that Paul McCartney was first photographed together with Heather Mills, who would be his 2nd wife a few years later. 

Happy Mother's Day to the Beatle wives

Yoko with Sean and Kyoko

Linda and James

Cynthia and Julian

Olivia and Dhani

Nancy and Arlen

Heather and Bea

Maureen and Zak, Jason & Lee

Linda with Heather, Mary & Stella 

Barbara and Francesca and Gianni

The Mills-McCartney Family

The 2nd wive's club

No more Landmines

I think this is a cute photograph with the kids around Paul.   It looks like they did some artwork for the Landmines charity.  

Paul McARTney

I know, I know---many people want to erase this time in Paul's life and I had these photos floating around to post for over a year and debated if I should post them.  However---I really like these photos.  I love Paul meeting the kids from the Children's art competition.   And Paul looks good wearing a purple tie.

A Life in Parts: A book review

Heather Mills, Loretta Goebel and her daughter, Alyssa

Paul and Loretta Goebel after Paul's concert in Chicago in 2002.

For the past month or so, there has been a bit of a buzz around my town about this book called A Life in Parts and the local girl who is featured in the book.  Everyone here in the St. Louis metro area on the "east side" seems to have read the book, heard of the book, or has been talking about it. When I found out that this book was about a woman who met Paul McCartney, I was interested.  But the book isn't really about a Beatles meeting.

A Life in Parts by Vicki Bennington and Daniel Brannon is the story of Loretta Goebel, who one day hit her hand on the banister in her home.  As a result, she got something called strep toxic shock syndrome, and after almost losing her life, she had to have both of her legs, one full hand, and part of another hand amputated.  During her recovery and while she was trying to make sense of everything that happened, Heather Mills contacted her.  Loretta and Heather formed a bond, and Heather was very helpful to Loretta in dealing with the emotional handling she was going through, as well as telling her about getting a prosthetic leg that looked more natural and would fit her better than the big clunky one she had.  

When Paul's 2002 tour came to Chicago, Heather invited Loretta to go backstage and meet her famous husband.  Loretta kept in touch with Heather and Paul, and when she went to England to receive her nice, new prosthetic leg, she even went over to their London home (which I assumed was Cavendish) and tells in the book how the hand-written lyrics to "Yesterday" are framed and hanging over Paul's piano in the house.  How cool!!!  

Paul has given this quote used to promote the book:

"Loretta has such a positive attitude.  I'm proud of how she handled all the obstacles she had to overcome and the way she reaches out to help others."

 One thing I gained from reading this book is a new understanding and respect for Heather Mills (who wrote the forward for this book). It seems like because of the things that went on during their divorce, it is the popular thing for a Beatles fan to hate Heather Mills.  But this book really showed her compassion and her big heart.  These must have been the things that Paul saw in Heather in the first place. Paul and Heather currently seem to have a good relationship as parents of Beatrice, and I think it is time for us as fans to move on.  The jokes and unkind words towards her aren't putting us fans of the Beatles in a good light.  Heather has done more good for people than she has done harm.

Anyhow, as well as having a very nice Paul McCartney connection, A Life in Parts is a very good book that really shows that you can do anything in spite of your disability or circumstances. Loretta is a woman who has so much courage and strength and is truly admirable. It is a quick read and is well worth reading.

I emailed Loretta yesterday asking for her permission to post her photos and write a little about her story, and she was very kind to give me permission. So, a big thank you goes out to her!


The link below is the affiliate link to Amazon, where you can purchase this book.  I get a small percentage of anything purchased through this link.  Money made from the Amazon Afflication is used to pay the annual fee to keep this site online.  Thank you for your support.  Sara

https://amzn.to/3wKD2pT

The ex wife

Here is Paul's 2nd wife (the one that history seems to be trying to forget), Heather Mills along with their child, Beatrice signing an autograph for a fan on a softball.

In a New York Minute...

Photos from the NYC concert in Oct 2001

At the PETE awards on Sept 8, 2001

I guess I should have posted this yesterday, but I was watching some of the 9-11 specials on TV and never go around to it. I found this story in the Winter 2002 issue of DayTrippin' magazine. I thought it was well worth repeating in memory of those who were in John Lennon's beloved New York City on September 11, 2001 and lost their lives on that day. It is not only a story of some Beatle fans who met McCartney but also what they saw and did on that tragic day in history. It was written by Shelley Germeaux.

Two of the most devoted Macca fans got a whole lot more than they bargained for during their recent trip to New York City. After a glamorous night at the PETA gala, their vacation ended with them trying to escape from lower Manhattan when the World Trade Center Towers exploded. These two women graciously agreed to share with me how their light-hearted weekend of Paul-watching in NYC suddenly turned into horror on the morning of September 11.

Tessa Reichlin and Casey McKenna faithfully flew from Seattle to NYC for the annual PETA event, that they attend each year, to see Paul McCartney. This year, PETA's 21st anniversary party was on September 8, and tickets were $500 apiece. The event was held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, in midtown Manhattan. However, because of a great deal on hotel prices, Tessa and Casey stayed at the Millennium Hilton, which is located right across the street from the World Trade Center.

Their plan was to stay a few more days after the gala and check out the possibility of moving to NYC with their Espresso business. They currently own and operate an espresso drive-through shop in Seattle called "The Daily Devil" on Sandpoint Way. It does a fantastic business, but they wanted a bit more "excitement." And excitement they got!

Around 5pm on September 8th, they arrived at the Waldorf-Astoria for the PETA dinner. Dressed for an elegant evening, they were greeted by cocktails and vegan h'ord'ouerves, which were served at both VIP and regular receptions. Despite everyone hoping to see Paul and Heather arrive at the reception to mingle, that was not the case. Paul and Heather arrived instead around 8:30, a half hour after the grand ballroom opened.

Tessa and Casey were disappointed that Paul did not make it to the reception, but they did bump into him in a very interesting place, so to speak, to their surprise. Casey remembers, "We were standing in the hall with some women from our table. Our backs were to the wall, or so we thought. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder and heard, 'Excuse me,' and turning around, I said, 'Oh, sure,' before I realized who it was --double take!! It was Paul coming out of the men's room! Tessa laughed and said hello. Paul was just as surprised to see us! 'Oh, hi girls!', he said, and held out his hand to us. He was very sweet as he shook our hands, and he also extended his hand to the women who were there with us.

With the exciting "Paul moment" over, everyone went to their seats. Paul and Heather were seated at a front table. Former Pretender, Chrissie Hynde, a regular attendee and good friend of the McCartneys was seated with them, as well as actress Charlize Theoron, who was to be presented with an award during the evening. Paul was given a humanitarian award. He then presented the Linda McCartney Memorial Award to Chrissie. Stella McCartney was also granted a humanitarian award but was not present. While everyone enjoyed this award ceremony, a vegan dinner was served of salad, rolls, soup, pot pie, and wine, as well as a large dessert buffet.

PETA had not said who was going to perform at the gala, only that "it will be a spectacular evening complete with a star-studded entertainment." Of course, everyone hoped to see Paul perform that night, but as it turned out, he did not. The only act was Chrissie Hynde, who sang just one number, "I'll Stand by You," holding a mic, to taped accompaniment.

After Chrissie gave her brief performance, there was an intermission during which most guests vacated the event, including Paul and Heather. A rockabilly group continued the entertainment for the rest of the evening, and managed to persuade remaining guests to get up on the dance floor.

With the lackluster PETE evening over with (other than getting to bump into Paul!) Tessa and Casey continued their business pursuits around NYC, checking out neighborhoods, shops for lease, etc. Tessa remembers having a strange feeling, though, on the 10th that she couldn't really put her finger on. "I just felt like I didn't want to get on the subway, something felt unsafe in general. So I made us take taxis, but the feeling wouldn't go away." She was about to figure out why.

On the next morning, the 11th, relaxation and fun turning into sudden panic and shock. Just before 9am, Tessa and Casey were awoken in their hotel room by a terrifying explosion. Dazed, and still half asleep, they jumped over to the window where they saw the first World Trade Center tower exploding into flames just across the street. Not having seen the plane fly into it, they weren't sure if it was a bomb or a horrible accident.

Quickly dressing, and hearts pounding, Tessa grabbed her purse as they dashed out of the room and onto an elevator, where only one other person calmly got on with them. Running outside, debris form the explosion rained form the sky all around them like confetti. Chunks of drywall were on the pavement. This seemed slightly dangerous, so they actually went back up to their room, thinking it might be safer inside.

Once their, they looked outside the window again to see the grim reality of the people jumping from fire-emblazoned windows. The terrible sight was too much, and they looked away, feeling sick. They needed to get their wits about them and decide what to do.

Suddenly the next explosion hit the second tower,. They said, "the entire hotel shook. We thought our hotel was coming down!" Since they had turned away from the window, they did not see the second plane hit the building. But they realized now it was no accident. Knowing they were obviously in great danger, they left this time for good, leaving all their belongings -- 16 days worth of clothes, camera, goodies from PETE -- behind except Tessa's purse.

They were stunned that the hotel was not being evacuated. When they got outside, they actually had to push through crowds of people who were simply staring in shock, up at the WTC towers in flames.

Casey recalled, "It seemed no one was moving, we couldn't believe it. They were all just standing there looking. They must have been in shock, as we were, but it still seemed strange that we were nearly the only ones who were leaving the area."

"Fighter jets suddenly screamed over us, " Casey continued, "and we didn't know whether they were American or not! We thought we were going to die. Then we heard the buildings fall. We didn't know exactly what had happened, because we were too far away by then. But we heard them ... these tremendous, slow, loud explosions. We were terrified. We keep thinking about all those people that wouldn't' move with us. Many of them might have been killed, we don't know. It It's awful to think about. We eventually found a bus and jumped on it."

"The bus was crowded. Most people were in silent shock. There were two young women who were quietly crying. One of their boyfriends worked in the Trade Center and the other one had many friends who worked in the towers. There was a lady who was listening to the radio on her walkman and was keeping us all updated on what was going on. That was how we learned that the Pentagon had been hit. There was also one woman who was freaking out and telling everyone that this was only the beginning and that they would probably be dropping bombs all over Manhattan, possibly even a nuclear bomb. The bus grew especially tense as it was stuck in northbound traffic right next to the United Nations Building!"

They finally got off the bus at 85th Street by a friend's relatives place. That was when they learned this was a terrorist attack, and that air space had been shut down all over the country. Their flight wasn't scheduled to leave for a few days anyway, but they knew that it was going to be a mess, with long delays, and didn't want to wait around New York any longer than they had to.

They decided to take a train home, not knowing when a flight would become available. Before they left, they took time to visit Strawberry Fields and Central Park the next day to sit at the Imagine Circle, the memorial tribute to John Lennon across from the Dakota apartments. "We had been walking through Central Park and we thought it would be the perfect place to visit after witnessing such a violent attack on the city --somewhere where we could just sit and make some kind of sense of all we were feeling at the time. It was very peaceful there."

With the credit cards and cash Tessa had in her purse, they were able to buy Amtrak tickets, and got on the train back to Seattle. They spent the rest of the "exciting vacation," three and half long, lumbering days on the train, with no luggage, no change of clothing, nothing. It was not exactly an enjoyable ride - but they were grateful to finally get home safely. Tessa remarked, "Of course there were a gazillion messages on our machine when we got home. Everybody was worried about us." And as if they hadn't been in enough harm's way, they discovered their Espresso shop had been vandalized in their absence!

And what happened to Paul and Heather, we were all asking? Their plane had been on the tarmac, about to return to England, when the disaster occurred. They were luckily stopped in time, and stayed in Long Island, where Paul made plans for the tribute concert at Madison Square Garden held on October 20.

Tessa and Casey have recovered well, emotionally, since they have returned home, and for the time being are going to stay put in Seattle. They have contacted the hotel, who promised to send their things back -- someday. They have also learned that the hotel suffered a great deal more damage after they fled. "Metal and concrete reached our hotel at some point, probably when the towers collapsed, because many of the hotel windows were broken out, and the lobby was filled with debris. Luckily we were gone by then and have only seen the destruction on TV."

But the horror they witnessed, and the trauma they experienced, not to mention the sense of overwhelm and fatigue, was still evident on their faces and in their eyes a week after returning home. It made me realize that their first hand story was important to share. It was part of America's vow to "never forget" what happened that day,k and how much it has already changed the way we live.

This is certainly an account we will remember. Tessa and Casey's live have been changed forever by what they experienced, and we are grateful for their willingness to let us print their story.

I asked her how they felt now, about fate or luck, how this event has affected their views on life. Tessa said, "WE haven't fully processed it yet. I don't think. But we do have a weird feeling we were meant to be there. We know now that you can't take anything for granted. You have to take each day as it comes, instead of saying 'oh, we'll do that tomorrow' or something. We're very aware now that life is , well, ha, I guess, like John said, 'life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans'. I guess it's true, very true.

The Beatle sneak

We have seen this type of Beatles fan photo before. The Beatles fan tries to sneak his/her way into the photograph without it being obvious that he/she is trying to be photographed with a Beatle. We see her a nice young man at what appears to be a fancy event. He is all smiles for the camera of his friend, but who do we see right behind him? Oh yeah...that would be Paul McCartney! Sneaky Sneaky....well done!

Here's your autograph....

I like this series of Paul McCartne photos because they tell the story of Paul autographing something for a fan and then handing it to the fan. I think it is neat!

Fans meeting unpopular wives

Someone once said that Heather Mills is the best thing that could ever have happened to Yoko Ono. And in a way that is so true. Yoko has gotten so much more respect as a "Beatle wife" since Paul married and divorced Heather. But still...I would guess that the two most unpopular Beatles wife / ex-wife would be Heather Mills followed by Yoko Ono. I would be excited to meet Yoko especially because she was there during the Beatles time and even sings on some Beatles songs! I would want a photo with Heather Mills, because she WAS married to a Beatle and has an adorable child with him, but it wouldn't excite me too much.....