So many marvelous things occurred in 2004,let's revisit some of the highlights. Many of you attended a great deal of my concerts and that makes it all worthwhile. This is the 4th consecutive " year I'll be appearing at the VA Hospital in Lebanon, Hey veterans I'm coming back again January 19, 2005. If I can help bring a few rays of sunshine into the lives of these guys who have sacrificed for all of us, I gladly will provide song ( and some dance ) . In April I had the privilege of being guest performer at Gettysburg College, for their "Western Night". The theme was chuck wagon/southwestern U.S. cuisine and I was contracted to provide country music while the students had their great evening. My dad was working the soundboard that night as he sometimes does, and he nonchalantly popped the fried rattlesnake appetizer in his mouth, saying that after his 4 years touring through Africa and Asia, as well as previous trips to Europe and Latin America, there wasn't much he wouldn't eat. How many of you guys were at Reinhold’s on June 5, where I was special guest performer for Josh Turner who was on tour following up his blazing hit "Long Black Train". It was a perfectly soaky evening, weather wise, a miserable non-stop drizzle that modulated to a downpour. But my 6 piece band and I persevered, at least we had overhead shelter provided by the bandstand. At times like this, I think a performer has to remind himself, "This is really what I want to do, although on each of us, some rain must fall (haha) " To Kathy and Donnie Boyer, thanks for making the journey from Hegins on a Harley and sitting through the entire performance in your blue rain suits. And of course thanks to my accompanying entourage that day, Bob, Fred, Bill, Charlie, Jon, Kate, Kai, and my folks, Scott and Roxanne. We sorted it all out finally that night at a nearby diner over hot coffee , omelettes , waffles and pancakes as we dried out a little . The day before the Reinholds concert I had just graduated, imagine High School already being in the rear view mirror. The setting outside the school on graduation night, in contrast to the afternoon before, was azure skies surrounded by green rolling hills. The saddest part of that evening was when one of my fellow graduates and I self-accompanied ourselves singing Green Day’s “Time Of Your Life”, inserting our own poem we’d written in honor of a slain classmate, who along with his two sisters, step-father, and two pet dogs had been killed by his handgun - wielding mother. One month before this, I’d been asked to sing at the funeral held for the three siblings. Not only was I friends with Jared, who was destined for art school, but I was also in the drama club along with his one sister, Kirsten, in the production of “Hollywood Hillbillies”. After the final Sunday matinee, there was a cast party at one of the actor’s homes. Why the mother unexpectedly came early to pick up her daughter, we didn’t know. Apparently ,we realize now , she sat through the performance and awaited it’s completion so she could finish her mission ( which was to individually extinguish all her family’s lives) , before turning the gun on herself. This horrific event shocked and numbed our community. Nothing like this was ever anticipated. Thanks to all of you who attended my graduation party in June at Hegins Park. Special thanks to Bill Perkins for all the food he cooked and brought to the party. Bill you should have been a caterer . After the party, three of us recently graduated girls headed for Ocean City in a sleek black Jetta. That was great fun, but we couldn’t stay too long, as the following week they began jobs and I was busy preparing for three performances the following week , starting Monday at Adamstown, MD; Knoebels Amusement Park; and The Lykens (PA) Fireman’s Carnival. Thanks again for so many of you attending these events, especially Knoebels Grove, if you want to have me perform there again, just write a letter to the park , also don’t forget to write to any place you’d like to see me appear. Also thanks for demanding an encore at all these events. It’s one of the most incredible feelings when people shout “one more” or bring photos or CDs for me to autograph. To the fan who threw me the velvet heart on stage at Adamstown, MD, thanks so much, it was good to see you again at the Wrightsville Fire Carnival and also at the Toys for Tots Pig Roast. What a reception at Knoebel’s Amusement Park in Elysburg, PA and thanks to Carol Schwartz, The Conrad’s , Pat Benner and your whole group for attending. Thanks also toTerry and Eileen Erdman ,Tom and Todd Green,my sister Shirlee and Ray who came from Knoxville , TN ,Sherman Drew and Astrid , and Lars from Cranston RI and others ,whose names I’ve forgotten. July we had a dynamic show at the Wrightsville (PA) Fair. The band coming from NYC, had just crossed the PA line, en route to the gig at the Benton Carnival, when we found out the downpour caused it’s cancellation. Don’t worry Benton, Jasmine and band will be appearing Aug. 05, 2005 at your event. It was good to reappear at the Marysville Lions Club Carnival in August (I performed there in 2002), but wow, says the band, some job lugging speakers and instruments up those stairs. The bandstand on the second floor is right above the Lion’s food concession stand. I had three other return performances in August. Again thanks to all my fans of Ashland’s (PA) Pioneer Day. It was my 3rd consecutive performance there. I thank so many of my fans for sitting there in raincoats and under umbrellas, it’s always a pleasure to sing for you people. Also, I returned to The Lions “Movie In the Park”at Bubeck Park in Schuylkill Haven for the 2nd time. Thanks to Jack Dudley for always thinking about having me sing there. Hey Jack, I’m glad after the first two rainouts we finally got the performance in. Yea 2004 was a rainy year. Also returning to the Toys For Tots Pig Roast this summer at Columbia, PA. Thanks again to Bill Perkins who gives so much of his time organizing the event and selflessly giving his time all year to such a worthwhile charity. Thanks also, to my awesome agent Fred Clousher, of Clousher Productions for also lining up Gary Campbell, for the event, a recording artist for Banner Records, who is right now at the cutting edge of nationwide recognition. NJ is not the 1st state to pop into my mind when I think about agricultural fairs, but man, there is this garden spot called Ringoes, NJ, where is held the Hunterdon Co. Fair. Now that was a great afternoon/evening of fun where I think I gained some new fans and friends. Also, before my performance, agent Fred and I were recruited to judge a “lip-sync-ing” contest. The performance went off very well, and the crowd demanded an encore. It’s such a pleasure having those great musicians backing me. We answered the crowds’ request for “one more” with the yodeling tune I love , “Cowboy’s Sweetheart”. Brian Clayton, our band leader counted it off at a really “up” tempo. The pedal steel has a prominent role, but Bob Miano, (steel player), flawlessly executed his solo passages at breakneck speed,. Mike Zak was also “smoking’” on the lead guitar. Teenagers and senior citizens alike got up and started dancing on that tune , a four year old girl got up to dance with her dad even!. Our band is rounded out by band leader, Brian Clayton on rhythm guitar, and a fabulous rhythm section: Jeff Gray on bass, Bob Masucci on drums, and John McDonough on keyboards. You guys are enormously talented, always so easy- going and supportive, it’s fantastic working with you, and when I sometimes forget that this is supposed to be fun, not work,(and it usually is fun) you guys lighten the load. September we moved indoors to do two performances at the Borders Bookstores in Harrisburg and Camphill. This was just after I started my work toward achieving a degree in Music Business as a freshman at Lebanon Valley College, in Annville, PA. Gee, it’s a lot of freedom being on campus compared to living in my parent’s house. But I try not to party too much.!!!! ???? Incidentally , we had “Christmas at the Valley”, a festive Christmas Choral Concert in the massive chapel at LVC in December. I was among the sopranos of course. Sometimes nothing will go as planned , I was privileged to entertain the York Co. Women’s 600 Bowling Association at their annual banquet in November . As we left a Chinese Buffet at Harrisburg en route to the job at York the one tire was obviously flat . My dad jacked up the car and removed the faulty tire only to find the spare had no air in it . We ended up calling Fred , my agent, who came and we transferred the equipment to his SUV . After all that late arrival and setup I can’t believe we were only 15 minutes late to start.Those ladies made it all worthwhile , some of them being septagenarians made no difference , they were there to have a good time , they loudly applauded(that’s a good thing ) and frequently got up at their tables to dance or cheer the others on . Everyone was in stitches as I had some volunteers follow me on “Conga” , dancing in a conga line that snaked amidst and around the banquet tables.Well I believe that bowlers must be pretty sociable people . Amen We ended 2004 with an afternoon show at the Claremont nursing home in Carlisle. I sure hope it brought some sunlight into all the attendees’lives. Then it was on to the square in Carlisle to set up at the first Presbyterian church where I sang for three shows. My brother Kai came along and I understand he was busy going to other concerts like Beatlemania, but especially to be hypnotized, during which time, I’m told he had the audience in stitches! We just couldn’t get him interested in taking over for our light tech Charlie, that night. By the way Charlie, thanks for lugging that light equipment to the choir loft and keeping the spotlight on me for three shows. The turnout was good and the pews, upstairs and down, were mostly filled for all three shows. 2002 was the last I’d performed at Carlisle’s “First Night”. My photographer, Bob Delong, was also there. Thank God, he’s alright and recuperating from a recent accident where another motorist ran a stop light and collided with him, cracking some of Bob’s ribs and grazing a lung. We’re all thankful you’re ok Bob. Anyway, about the time we got all our equipment out, that balmy New Year’s Eve (it must’ve been 50 degrees), the fireworks were taking place overhead in Carlisle. This is to wish all of you good health and a prosperous year 2005. Thanks for keeping in touch and as always, we hope to see you at the gig. With all my love, Jasmine