JulieNachtwey.Blog

Our vivacious neighbor, Hilary Perkins, says she always loved to sing…in the shower, at church and even in her pickup truck without a radio.  Because her family has lived in rural Alabama for many generations, her life has been steeped in old country music. But several years ago, she got totally hooked while singing a favorite song to her husband at a family gathering.  When her husband, Skip Battle, stood up to help her finish the song, she realized singing was her passion.  Next thing they knew, she started a band.  (left) photo by another close neighbor, Bob Blackburn, lawyer turned photographer www.rparkerblackburn.com/

“I named my band after my grandmother, Nell Robinson,” said Hilary. “It provides me some sense of connection to family:  my mother has a beautiful voice and loved to sing in church, Uncle Carroll could sing like Hank Snow, and Great Uncle Milton played the banjo and sang.”

Now Hilary is writing her own songs, some based on family stories.  Her debut bluegrass and country album just came out:

“Nell Robinson in Loango” www.CDBaby.com/nellrobinson 

We loved hearing Nell Robinson not long ago at Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse in Berkeley www.thefreight.org  Many of Hilary’s friends and neighbors were there to enjoy every song.

You’re invited to hear her and her fantastic band sing and play once more in a few weeks …

It’s a celebration of the debut of her BLUEGRASS & COUNTRY ALBUM!  It’s almost too much fun!

Friday, March 19 at 8:15 pm
SF Live Arts Music Series at Noe Valley Ministry
1021 Sanchez Street, San Francisco
http://www.noevalleyministry.org/sflive
Tickets sold at the door or www.tickets.com

Matt Mitchell is among my favorite neighbors. He lives across the street and I often see him on long walks around town. He has lived in the same house for 45 years with his late wife Mia, where they raised two children now grown.  Everyone in the family liked to read – and read aloud – and be read to.  So he accumulated many, many books on almost every subject. However, Matt reached the tipping point when he realized that all 18 bookshelves in his home were crammed and overflowing.

So Matt did something uncharacteristic.  He threw a party.  It was a book party full of conversation, cookies, wine and cheese…and the party favors were books.  Neighbors enjoyed picking and choosing while Matt supervised and poured the wine: (from left) Fred Nachtwey, and Janet White with daughter Melina, a senior at College Preparatory School.
To get the book party off the ground, Matt sent out personal invitations to all his neighbors, young and old.  It was a happening, as people browsed through the carefully organized boxes of books.  When more than one person wanted the same book, Matt brought out a deck of playing cards.  Everyone gathered around.  Whoever drew the highest card got first choice! Books that remain will be donated to the Berkeley Public Library which accepts donations of books that it resells to raise money for its operations: Friends of the Library, 510-981-6211

http://www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/about_the_library/support_the_library.php 

In the book drawings, Zoe Carr kept drawing aces and emerged the Big Winner.  Zoe just turned ten and wants to be an author.  Matt has degrees from Cal in both economics and from the University’s law school, then called Boalt Hall. He practiced law for many years in SF before trying his hand as an inventor and researcher for the Government’s Missile Defense Agency. Over his career as inventor, he acquired fourteen patents. Now retired, he’s a volunteer for several neighborhood groups and chairs Berkeley’s Disaster and Fire Safety Commission.