The L.O.L. Tour

Don        -        Ben        -        Randy

L.O.L. = Laugh Out Loud

My good friend, Pastor Randy Christensen, puts together a group of performers just about every year, and does a 7-10 day tour with the show.

This year, Randy, along with his son, Ben, came up with the "Laugh Out Loud" concept and decided that it described the elements of the individual shows that all three of us do.  Hence, the L.O.L. Tour was begun.

Our first show was in Brainerd, Minnesota, as a "FUN-raiser" for the Youth for Christ group in Brainerd.

We rehearsed 3 or 4 times over the last year, deciding which segments of our own individual shows should be included, as well as what new ideas we could work on as a group and incorporate into the show.

Ben Christensen, a student at North Central University, now performs throughout the Summer, and can juggle the diabolo amazingly. He did some of his hat & cane juggling, a newer tennis ball routine as well as his diabolo routine that boggles my eyes just to watch.

Randy, who can do just about anything performance related, did a couple of mime pieces, including his full William Tell routine (very creative) with an audience volunteer, and a fun ventriloquism act.

I did my favorite rope routine (the one people ask about after almost every show), the newer bowling ball act, and my unicycles.

For the finale, we revised the full 12 minute kitchen scene from the "Cirque Imaginings" show we toured with 2 years ago.  We expanded the club juggling portion, and finished with Randy's tension building 6-high chair stacking bit (scares me every time).

The show ended with a standing ovation from the audience, so they really liked it.

In August, we will be touring around Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois for two weeks with the show.  As soon as I have specific dates and locations, I will post them on my website (www.donbministries.com/dates.php).

If you or your church is interested in booking the LOL Show, go HERE and submit your information to Randy.  He can contact you with the details.

See you on the road...

DonB!

Music Boat 2009 - Summary

From what I've told you about this cruise, you may ask how in the world did I get to be a part of this.  Well, I ask myself that same question every single day.

Initially I was invited by Robert T., the guy that is famous for all of the BibleMan videos.  Thanks to the Premier people, I have now been privileged to take part in 6 of their cruises over the last 3 years.

At our dinner table each night were some great people, including Kurt Heinecke and his 2 boys (Kurt writes most of the music for Veggie Tales productions)and Jason McLeod, star of "Facing the Giants" and "Fireproof".  Needless to say, we had a blast at dinner each night.

Finally, when heading back to my room after my show in the Atrium, a guy from Altered (Memphis Jones) said that he "heard that I rocked!"  I asked him, "Who told you that?!?!"  Two doors down the hallway, a young man poked his head out and answered, "I did!"  It was Altered's bass player, Mike Stoker. You guys rock, too!

Whether I rocked or not, everyone we talked with and performed for really enjoyed their time on the Music Boat cruise.  They also gave us some great comments about the shows and close-up magic Bruce & I performed throughout the entire cruise.

To see many more pictures from the cruise, click HERE.

God is good, all the time.

Amen.

Music Boat 2009 - Saturday

This was to be our last day in Florida, so we decided to do a few touristy things.  We hit 2 flea markets, looking for bargains, and then headed up to Daytona Beach for some sun and swimming.

The weather on this entire trip was beautiful, and this day was no exception.  The waves were crashing at about 4 feet, and we jumped and played for 4 hours.

We then met one of my best friends, Kevin, and his son, Joseph, for a 36-hole game of miniature golf.  No matter how hard we tried, Kevin beat us pretty badly.  It sure was great to see him again after a year apart.  I just wish his wife and daughter could have come also, but too much work for school to be done.  Oh well, next time then.

To finish off our trip, we boarded the plane at 7 AM on Sunday, and were back in Minnesota by 11 in the morning.

Home sweet home.

Music Boat 2009 - Friday

We made port at 8 AM back in Port Canaveral, Florida, but our day was only beginning.

Bruce had met a family, that had met a lady, Jennifer, that worked at Disney's Magic Kingdom.  When she found out that it was Bruce's birthday on Friday, she met us at Disney's Hollywood Studios and signed us in for a free day of fun and playing.

We rode the new Toy Story Mania interactive ride, as well as the Rockin' Rollercoaster 5 times, and even the Tower of Terror 5 times.  By 7 PM when the park closed, we were exhausted, and returned to our hotel near the airport for a good night's rest.

Music Boat 2009 - Thursday

Thursday turned out to be our busiest day on the cruise this year.

At 9:30 AM, Bruce and I headed over to the two dining areas where the autograph sessions were to take place.  There were people in line already, so we got right to work performing for all of the families waiting in the lines.  I performed until 11AM, and then headed to the Atrium Stage for my sound check.  After completing that, Bruce & I brought all of my equipment over from the main Premier Theatre that I performed in the night before.

Entertaining for the autograph lines

"Take a card..."

We grabbed a bite to eat (there were 8 places to eat on this ship!), and at 1 PM I did my own show on the Centrum Stage.  It is an interesting set-up, in that I was completely surrounded by people, including 2 glass elevators behind me.  It was funny watching Larry the Cucumber, from Veggie Tales, squeeze out of the glass elevator just prior to my show.

The Centrum stage, with glass elevators in the background.

Starting my show

My favorite, the Egg Bag.

The show went great, and I had many people talk with me afterward about my ministry work around the country, and how they could get me to their own churches and radio stations.

Immediately after the show, there was another autograph session to do close-up magic for, and while that happened Altered and Matthew West did their afternoon concert (I sadly had to miss it).

That night we listened to speaker, David Nasser, and then the music of MercyMe.  What a great night it was, and over $60,000 was donated by the ship guests to help pay for orphanages in Haiti.

The last thing of the night, usically speaking, was the farewell concert in the Atrium.  My personal favorite was The Katinas, with their Samoan/Latin/dance sound.

Music Boat 2009 - Wednesday

I woke up on Wednesday, knowing that it would be a very full day.

We got up early in order to be off the ship by 8 AM when our excursion in Nassau, Bahamas, was leaving.  We opted to go Clear Kayaking.  It was fun, but about 20 minutes into kayaking, the guide asked if we wanted to snorkel instead.  It didn't take us more than 45 seconds to get to the boat, get our gear on and jump back in the water!

Don & Deanna

We purchased 3 bags of fish food and fed the fish as they came right up to us to eat.  Bruce saw a small stingray swim under him.  I saw Dori & Nemo, though they look a lot smaller in real life than they do in "Finding Nemo".

On the way to the snorkeling area we saw what used to be Charlie Chaplin's home, as well as the Michael Jackson Suite in the Atlantis hotel.  Amazing structures they both were.

The Michael Jackson Suite - Atlantis Hotel

We did a little geocaching on Nassau, then headed back onto the boat.

I then started assembling my unicycles for the 2 shows that evening.  I was told that I was opening for illusionist Brock Gill, but what they neglected to tell me was that I was also opening for Toby Mac!  Yes, you read that right: Christian music artist Toby Mac.  And those crowds (I did it twice) were pumped up for a great concert!

Toby Mac, Deanna

(does she look excited?!?!)

Both Brock Gill and Toby Mac were great.  Toby always puts on a great show, as well as inspiring and fun music.

After the Toby Mac concert, we headed up to the Viking Crown Lounge, a piano lounge with a 360 degree view of the ocean at the top of the ship.  Bruce & I started performing magic for the people already there, and we continued on for almost 2.5 hours, as people came and went the entire time.  There were about 8 people that stayed the entire time, and later referred to themselves as our "groupies".  It was very fun, as we tag-teamed back and forth doing routine after routine, trying out new stuff and throwing in the good old stand-bys when needed.

Don, getting a laugh from Won Ya

Viking Crown Lounge

Bruce, trying to glimpse Sarah's card

Viking Crown Lounge

Making coins go right through the glass table top

Viking Crown Lounge

It was another fun day at sea.

Music Boat 2009 - Tuesday

Tuesday, day 2 of the cruise, saw us headed for CoCoCay Island in the Bahamas.  As soon as we arrived on the island we went out geocaching, finding one only 15 feet off of the trail.  Then, it was out in the sun.

Don, geocaching on CoCoCay Island

We used a lot of spray-on sunscreen, and then later learned something about it: you should not apply it in the wind.  If you do, all you get on you is the "glue" substance, and very little of the "screen" part.  All three of us ended up more red than expected (alright, we were burned).

CoCoCay Beach

We swam, touched jellyfish, saw fish jumping right out of the water next to us, and Deanna even found a large shark's tooth.

That night we saw 33 Miles, Jars of Clay, Audio Talks (formerly Audio Adrenaline), 321 Improv, Pillar and illusionist Brock Gill.

While standing at the back waiting for the next concert to start, a man in a ball cap walked up and introduced himself.  He was Bello Nock, star of the Ringling Brothers Circus back in 2008.  The next night, I had the honor of introducing him to the folks on the cruise during my 2nd show of the evening.

Bruce, Bello, Don

MusicBoat 2009 - Monday

On May 3rd I had the wonderful privilege of working on my 6th Premier Christian Music Cruise.  Here's the basics of the trip:

The plan was to have my wife, Debbie, go on the trip with me, but due to her school schedule she could not go.  So our daughter, Deanna, as well as one of my magician friends, Bruce Kilber, went with me.

Bruce, Deanna, Don

We flew to Florida on Sunday morning, landing in Orlando around noon.

On Monday, we hopped on the air conditioned bus, heading to Port Canaveral where the ship was docked.  On board the bus, we ended up riding with The Katinas and some of their family members.  One of those boys, Eli, actually knew some magic tricks, so we spent the 45 minute trip sharing magic effects with hum and the rest of the Katina crew.  If you ever want to hear some music that will definitely make you get up and dance, it is The Katinas.  Check them out on the web, as well as as your Christian music outlet.

 

Don, Eli, Bruce

When we arrived at the port, most of the people were already on board the ship, so we didn't do much performing in the terminal, but when we got onboard we found plenty of people to perform for.

Don in the lobby

While walking around the ship, I was able to listen to a few songs by First Day, an acappella group made up of guys from all walks of life.

On Monday night we enjoyed the concerts of FEE and the David Crowder Band.  Both were really fun concerts, and it was obvious that the musicians in both groups really enjoy the music they make.

After those concerts, we headed up to the outdoor stage to listen to the Katinas.  They really know how to get everyone moving, despite the interesting set-up of the stage (overlooking the swimming pool!).

 

The Katinas

We then headed indoors to hear one of my favorites, NewSong, including "Defining Moment" and "Arise My Love".  Both songs have such great lyrics and melodies.

Bruce, Deanna & I then had our first of way too many trips to the 24 hour ice cream machine.  We then headed back to our room to laugh, tell jokes, recite limericks, and continue laughing until 2 AM, when none of us could take any more.

Bruce, getting soft serve cone #1 (of over 40)

And that was the end of Day 1.

Found another DonB! picture on the Web

Found this photo of me from last Summer.  I was doing strolling entertainment on my stilts at the Twin City Polo Classic in Independence, MN.

Due to copyright, click HERE to view it.

DonB!

DonB! Juggling DVD is here!

After teaching juggling to at least 700 people over the last 20 years, and being asked multiple times, "Why don't you just put out a DVD?", I've finally done it.

This DVD includes the entire step-by-step lessons I use to teach others to juggle.  It includes tips on learning other juggling equipment, such as balls, clubs, rings, spinning plates, etc.  It includes over 5 minutes of funny outtakes.  And the BEST PART is that it comes with a nice, quality set of juggling scarves.  You don't have to go out and buy ANYTHING; it's all here in one package.

Right now you can get them by either emailing me or calling my office (320-679-0060).

Price for the DVD and the set of quality juggling scarves is only $15.00. And I'll pay the postage within the United States.

If you've always wanted to learn to juggle, this may be your answer.

Stay tuned, because my other DVD is about ready too...

Summer has arrived. Finally.

Well, after a busy Spring, filled with show stuff, family stuff and of course, Easter, Summer is here.

----------1---------

The "Sens de Vie" show here in Mora was a success.  The 300+ people that came to the theatre for it all said it was a great show.  I loved it, and felt even more energy than usual, probably because of all the people I knew in the audience. 

Thanks to Harris III and his wife, Katie, for their willingness to put on the entire BIG show, regardless of how little money they would make.

Thanks to Emmanuel Baptist Church for helping cover the advertising costs, and for putting up posters all around the community and neighboring cities. 

Thanks to the folks that helped unload and re-load the truck, even into the late hours of the night.

Thanks to Danny & Matt for working so hard making us performers look great.  You guys ROCK!

Thanks to KBEK and WCMP radio stations for going the extra mile on interviews and radio spots.

Thanks to Kanabec Publications for putting together such a nice looking ad in the paper.

Really, thank you to all of the people that gave of their time, their finances and their resources to make it possible.  Without all of you, there would have been no show.

----------2---------

As I look at my calendar, I see that things are a bit slimmer this year, but by the grace of God, the phone still rings, and churches still invite me to be a part of the outreach to their communities.

As for calendars, my laptop hard drive took a nose dive 2 weeks ago, but the Apple care center took care of everything for me.  No cost, but I got a new hard drive installed.  And thankfully I was smart enough to back everything up onto an external drive that I had just purchased two days prior.  The only thing I haven't been able to completely restore is my calendar.  I am sorting through everything in my office making sure that I don't neglect showing up for a show this month.

----------3---------

Both of our kids, Dale & Deanna, have their birthdays in March.  Instead of buying expensive toys that break, or electronic gizmos that wear out, we did something completely different: We took a family trip.

We loaded up our car and headed to Chicago.  We had made reservations at a 4-star hotel (that we got for a 2-star price) right on the waterway of Chicago.  We were on the 17th floor, so we had a beautiful view of the Chicago skyline.

We purchased a $5 all-you-can-travel pass and toured around Chicago, including the Federal Reserve building, the Navy Pier and up & down the Magnificent Mile shopping area.  Most everything was too expensive for us, but we did find the Lego store, a huge Borders Bookstore and some coffee!

The finale of the trip was on Friday evening, when we dressed up and hopped on the e-train.  We arrived at the theatre, just in time to go see the Disney production of "Mary Poppins".  It was amazing!  The sets all folded out like large pop-up books.  Thanks to an illusionist I read about, many impossible things happened onstage that would be impossible otherwise, such as Mary pulling large things out of a small carpet bag and a human-sized doll coming to life from a tiny dollhouse.  We had a supercalifr......

We had a supercalifragile.....

We had a supercalifragilistic ex....

We had a great time.  The entire trip was a memory that no gizmo nor gadget could replace.

----------4---------

Well, I have to go outside and pack for my show tomorrow in Rochester, MN, at Evangel United Methodist Church.  It is my 6th appearance there over the years, and I look forward to seeing all of the great people there again.

May all your days be circus days...but without the sneezing.

DonB!

April 5th "Sens de Vie" Show in Mora, MN

It is official: the national touring show, "Sens de Vie", that I worked with last Fall is coming to the Mora High School Auditorium. 

April 5th, 2009

6 PM.

Featuring

Illusionist Harris III

Recording Artist Breanna Duren

Physical Comedian DonB!

For tickets call the national ticket line: 

(877) 720-8282

$8 - Adults

$6 - Kids under 12

I hope to see you all there.

DonB!

Busy Weekend

Busy Weekend PART 1

It is Sunday morning, March 1st. I am writing this while I fly to Fort Wayne, Indiana, at the beginning of the busiest period of time I've seen in over a year.

Friday night I performed at Camp Lebanon, near Upsala, Minnesota, for their Mega-Fun 2 event for 4th-6th graders. What a great bunch of kids and leaders! This was my 44th appearance at Camp Lebanon, and that is thanks to "Bobber Bill", the director of the camp for many years.

Over the years that I have been going there, I have watched their kids be born, grow up, and now 2 of them are off to college. It's hard to believe that I have been doing ministry entertainment for so long. This is the beginning of my 20th year. Wow. And I feel barely over 25. :)

Last night, with the help of my wife, Debbie, and our son, Dale, I did my biggest show, "Evan-tastic", in Milaca, Minnesota. Milaca Free Church, with the guidance of Tom Krauel, organized this night as an outreach event for the local community. They hung up posters, invited people by word of mouth and did radio advertising (I even did a 15-minute radio interview, topped off by performing a short magic illusion over the radio waves). It was a free event, and therefore had no idea if 20 or 200 people would show up. With the show starting at 7 PM, they were going to open the doors at 6:30, but there were already enough people waiting to get it that they opened the doors then. As I sat talking with the pastor prior to the show, people kept coming and coming and coming. By the time the show started the bleachers were 3/4 filled. The final count was over 300 people, and they were a GREAT audience. They laughed easily. They clapped enthusiastically. They participated graciously. All of these factors made my job really easy and enjoyable.

After the short intermission, I presented my own testimony and the Gospel presentation, and for the next 12 minutes people were coming forward to talk with the pastor, as well as the many folks from Milaca Free Church. There were kids praying, adults praying, and even an entire family praying along with the pastor. The show ran a full 90 minutes, and I was tired.

It always amazes me that God uses the most common of us (meaning ME) in ways that we can never imagine if left up to our own. I always pray that my part of the show will go as perfect as possible, but it also seems that the more troubles I have in a show the better the response to the message is. Well last night I was blessed in both ways: the show went great, and the response to the message was great. A double blessing.

Busy Weekend PART 2

Right after the show, as volunteers helped Debbie take down the curtain and pack the rest of the show, I packed what I needed into 3 suitcases and then drove down to Minneapolis.

I spent the night at my parent's home, and woke up at 5 AM to get ready. My dad drove me over to the airport and I boarded this morning at 7 AM.

I am now sitting in Chicago's famous O'Hare airport, waiting to take my final leg to Fort Wayne, where I will do 2 shows for an Upward Awards night at Fellowship Missionary Church. One show at 3:30 and then another at 6 PM. The weather in Chicago is as cold as it was back in Minnesota: Freezing.

Busy Weekend PART 3
The flight to Fort Wayne from Chicago was a short flight, and very few passengers. This allowed me to move into the exit row and straighten my legs out.

I arrived in Fort Wayne, but only 2 of my 3 suitcases made it with me. After a 30 minute fiasco, I was made aware that my suitcase was NOT in Fort Wayne. Anywhere. So Joe picked me up and we headed over to the church. It has been 2 years since I last performed at Fellowship Missionary Church, but the minute I walked in I remembered what a fun time we had last time (performing for the adult volunteer leaders). This time it was for 250 elementary aged basketball players and their families.

As the first show drew nearer and nearer to starting time, I was very nervous about how to do the show as best I could without the props in that 3rd suitcase. Sadly, that suitcase had parts for all 3 of my unicycles, so I knew I'd be unable to incorporate them at all into the show.

After all of the player introductions and a 10 minute season highlight video, the Upward leader, Robbie Sondag, looked over at me, and I gave him the thumbs up, telling him that I was as ready as I could be.

At that moment, I heard a scuffle behind me in the hallway, and running towards me was Joe and Jim, and they had my suitcase! Thank God for these guys, because as I started performing in front of the curtain, they actually assembled all three unicycles backstage, and as they were together, they would slide them through the curtain near my crates so that I could see that they were ready. About 3 minutes before it was time to start the unicycle routine, all three unicycles were there, assembled and ready for action.

The first show went great, but a little short due to the rest of the equipment still in the suitcase.

When the 2nd show started, I had on my nice pants, nice shirt and my favorite DonB! tie, all of which were in suitcase #3 during the first show.

Robbie told me to take 40 minutes for the 2nd program, so I did the whole show, and the audience was very responsive.

It is days like these that show me over and over again that any "success" from these shows is NOT based on me. God works through the details and makes it works REGARDLESS of me and my equipment. He places the right people, in the right places, at the right time, to hear the right message and respond in the right way.

FINAL NOTE: One guy did not believe that there were guys backstage assembling my unicycles, so he ran back and snapped two cell phone photos. As soon as I have those pics, I will post them here.

Busy Weekend PART 4

I am now in the Fort Wayne airport, waiting for my first connection through Chicago, back to Minneapolis. I had a great night of sleep, and was taken to a great pancake house for breakfast. Which reminds me: when we returned from breakfast, Jim, the guy that assembled my unicycles so quickly backstage, was there fixing the broken handle on my suitcase #3. Amazing guy he is.

I will be heading back to Indiana this Thursday for two more programs, so I'll see how much fun I can have on that trip.

Stay tuned...

"Sens de Vie" Show coming to Minnesota

Greetings everyone.

Last night, as I sat in on part of our church's board meeting, I was able to present to them some information about the show that I was a part of last Fall, "Sens de Vie", out of Nashville.  It was co-created by illusionist, BJ Harris and "Mark & Will" (of Audio Adrenaline fame).

I am happy to announce that the show will be coming to Mora, Minnesota, on April 5th, in the evening (time to be announced) at Mora High School.

Please pass the word on to everyone that might be interested is attending.  It really is the biggest theatrical-type stage show I have ever been a part of.

If, like last year, I have the same parts in the show, I will be doing 20 minutes prior to the show, as well as 2 of my acts in the show, and playing some parts in the rest of the show.

The beautiful curtain.  The amazing lighting. The cool illusions.  The great people I get to work with.  I think you will agree that it is an amazing show, one NOT to be missed.

I will post more details as soon as I get them.

Stay tuned...

DonB!

 

Back from the Bahamas

First, let me say that I love Minnesota.  I've lived in 4 of the United States, and Minnesota is still my favorite.  No contest.

However, it is REALLY COLD here right now.  It seems even colder due to the fact that I just spent 4 days on the ocean and in the Bahamas, where it averaged 68 degrees each day.

I had the honor of performing on the my 5th cruise with Premier Christian Cruises.  It really is the opportunity to "take a working vacation" that I could never afford to do otherwise.

I worked with Christian artists such as Third Day, Matthew West, Salvador, Nicole C. Mullen, Mandisa, Building 429, Sanctus Real, Brandon Heath, Phil Joel and the Annie Moses Band.  And it was a special reunion of the guys from 4HIM and also DeGarmo & Key.  Both reunion concerts were highlights for me.

I did one show on the cruise, but the highlight for me was doing the strolling entertainment for guests.  If people were waiting in line for autographs, I was there performing for them.  If they were waiting to get into the concert venues, I was there making paper roses for the ladies.  If they were sitting and waiting for concerts to start, I was asking them to "pick a card, any card".  i love the strolling because it gives me the opportunity to really meet the people and talk with them, find out where they are from, if this is their first cruise, etc.

Another thing that I worked harder on this time was the interaction with the wait staff around the ship.  I taught our two waiters some magic tricks they can use to raise better tips.  As I rode the elevator down to the first floor I met a waiter that likes magic, so he stepped off with me.  We stood around for almost 45 minutes talking about magic tricks, Christianity and his own life.

I taught 2 ladies in the Palladium how to make napkin roses for their customers.

One morning, I had planned on meeting our two evening waiters, to teach them a couple of magic tricks.  By the time I was done (about 20 minutes) there were almost 10 waiters around trying out the tricks for themselves.  I would imagine it gets tiring serving people day after day after day, so I only hope that they enjoy being served once in a while.  And I hope they actually use the tricks I taught them to make better tips on their future cruises.

On one of the past cruises, I felt sorry for the lack of business that some of the bartenders had.  I stopped and offered to show then a few magic routines, and by the time I was done 20 minutes later, almost 20 bar staff were standing around laughing and having a good time.

Another great thing about this cruise was that I actually had 9 other people sailing as part of our "group".  My parents came, my uncle was there, 2 great singers from our church, another couple that I've known since I was born, and one other lady friend of ours from Colorado.  The best part: my wife, Debbie, went along too. 

Here is the group photo, that I like to refer to as the DonB! fan club:

And here is the one of my beautiful wife:

Now THAT'S something to celebrate!

I leave you with this comment that one of the guests submitted after the cruise.  I remember this family, if only for the fact that the little girl was hanging a spoon on her nose, and I was jealous.  I've never been able to do it.  Out of sheer determination, I tried it, AND IT WORKED.

Here's the comment in its entirety:

Hello Janet,

My wife, myself and our two daughters most recently sailed on the KLove cruise with much satisfaction.  Thank you for assisting us with our arrangements. We would like to say the music was fantastic and fulfilling.

We also feel compelled to mention that the effort of Don B should not go unnoticed.  The man was constantly at work.  He approached us at our table, in line as we waited entry into the Palladium and we could not help but notice him at work inside the Palladium prior to the evening concerts.  Our daughters really enjoyed his performance in the lounge.

Please pass along this info if you think it may help for future events.

Sincerely,

Dr and Mrs Eric Castillo + "The Spoon Girls" Sarah and Brooke

I love my "job".  Blessings to you all.

DonB!

Patron Saint for Magicians?

One of my magician friends here in Minnesota, Geoff Williams, sent out this curious tidbit of information that you may find interesting. (Update note: this information is from Angelo Stagnaro and can be found in his book here).

PATRON SAINT OF MAGIC
There actually is a Catholic saint whose sphere of influence includes stage magic. January 31 is the day set aside on the Catholic liturgical calendar to honor ST. JOHN DON BOSCO ("Don" is simply the Italian honorific for a respected person, equivalent to our "Sir"). He was referred to as Don even during his life by both villagers and the
children for whom he cared.

Many people would wonder how it is that the Catholic Church and magic could get mixed up together. During the latter half of the 19th century, as Europe's poor were suffering from the effects of Industrialization, Don Bosco saw how most of the children in his village remained uneducated and unchurched. After Mass on Sundays, he would round up his little friends and relate the Bible stories he learned in church to them. To keep their attention he would use magic
tricks as he retold these stories.

As a young man, Don Bosco became a priest and directed his ministry solely to poor children. He needed a way to get kids interested in coming to church and to accept the aid he was offering. He used puzzles, riddles and juggling but it was the magic that most quickly caught the kids' attention. Stories that have come down to us from his
contemporaries include some specific tricks he used. He was said to be especially good at tying three ropes together to form one seamless rope in order to explain the mystery of the Christian Trinity. He also would pull coins from ears and change pebbles into money, delighting the children who were under his care. Don Bosco started a community of
Catholic priests, nuns and brothers who still to this day help street kids and youth in gangs throughout the world including New York City.

Catholic magicians in Europe still celebrate this day by performing benefit shows for children.

Off to the Bahamas

It's difficult to leave this neck-deep snow in Minnesota.

It's difficult to leave when the temperature is a balmy -12.

It's difficult to leave when I'm just getting used to 3 layers of clothing.

But someone has to do it!

I leave on Wednesday for my 7th cruise ship gig.  It is the second time I will have gone to Grand Turk in the Bahamas.

I will be working the same ship as Third Day, Matthew West, Building 429, Sanctus Real, Brandon Heath, mandisa, Rush of Fools, Salvador, Nicole C. Mullen, Denver & the Mile High Orchestra, 4HIM, DeGarmo & Key (reuniting on this cruise), illusionist Brock Gill, the 321 Improv Team, and of course Bob & Larry from the Veggie Tales.

It's a tough life, but someone's got to do it.

I'll send a full report when I return.

DonB!

Postcard Idea

So, tell me what you think of this new postcard idea:

Is the "Homer"/Humor shadow too subtle?  Other ideas?

A new "Homer" picture

This is my latest product of Photoshop:

Send me any comments you have.

DonB!

Laughter IS good medicine

The first thing I do when I meet someone with a grouchy attitude is to find myself thinking, "What could have possibly happened that was so bad that they act that way?"

Those that have known me for years know that I used to react in an exaggerated way when things upset me. I got extremely angry and outspoken. It was a terrible thing to be known for.

I would like to think that I now take a different approach to anxiety, frustration and other upsetting circumstances. Due to my own off-center sense of humor I tend to allow things to roll off my back much easier, and go on with life as it should be instead of how I want it to be.

Humor is a life-saver, and here are some great quotes I've found:

Humor is the affectionate communication of insight.
Leo Rosten

If you could choose one characteristic that would get you through life, choose a sense of humor.
Jennifer Jones

A sense of humor... is needed armor. Joy in one's heart and some laughter on one's lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life.
Hugh Sidey

Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it.
E. B. White

Enjoy life and all of the surprises it brings. Many times your two choices are to laugh or cry. Trust me, laughing will take you much further, and give you more, needed relief.

Happy almost New Year.

DonB!