Our daughter Laura and her husband John are proud new parents again! Their daughter, Chelsea Lynn Richey, was born on December 11, 2003. She weighed 10 pounds, 7 ounces, and was 21" long. She has thick, curly silvery blonde hair, and green eyes. Her brother, Bailey Lane Richey, was born February 7, 2002. He weighed 9 pounds, 11.1 ounces and measured 21 1/2" in length. His thick hair is sandy blonde (like his mom's) and he has dark blue eyes. Bailey and Chelsea have an older brother, Tyler, who is delighted with the new arrival. We are so blessed!
As you can see, the site hasn't been updated in a loooong time. I plan to get in here soon and remedy that. Stay tuned!
What's New?? and Some Old NewsAllen is teaching music full time and has his very own music school! It's located in Hartselle, Alabama, and Allen is very happy to be set up in his own place. He currently has 50 or so students, and teaches banjo, guitar, mandolin, and bass. The name of the place is Allen's Music School.
The Other Guise (Allen and Anne Watkins and Greg Rowell) opened for the legendary Doc Watson at the spring session of the Acoustic Cafe'! There were probably more than 1000 people there for the outdoor festival and the weather was wonderful. I played the first half of the set with Greg and Allen, then I stepped backstage while they performed their special brand of musical magic with their guitars. We had a ton of fun and saw a lot of friends. It was a privilege to share the same stage with Doc, who put on his usual awesome show.
August 2001 update Allen's oral surgery went very well, and thankfully with a normal amount of bleeding. He has since had tests done to determine whether or not he has a Protein S Deficiency, and he does indeed, have the condition. While he's not happy with this diagnosis, at least now he knows for sure what's going on. He will be on blood thinners the rest of his life. Let's hope and pray that those mean old blood clots stay away.
For those who may not have heard, back in mid January 2001, Allen began to experience extreme pain behind his right knee. Due to a misdiagnosis at a hospital that shall remain nameless, he was sent home after being told that he didn't have a blood clot, but instead had a disk problem that was causing the pain. He was prescribed Ibuprofen. Things grew steadily worse, and during the first week of February, he had a sudden attack of shortness of breath and severe heart palpations. After an examination, it was discovered that not only did he have a clot lodged in his lung, but he had two very large blood clots in his right leg. We were told "this is a life-threatening situation" and that Allen was very lucky to have survived the embolism. Later we found out that the damage to his lung was extensive and that a large part of the lung actually 'died'.
He spent a few days in the hospital on complete bedrest and meds, then was allowed to come home. Thanks to a new treatment for blood clots that doesn't require a long hospital stay with the patient tied to IV lines, Allen was released much sooner than we had anticipated. He was prescribed the new medication, which had to be given in twice daily injections, and told to stay off his feet for a few more days. Thankfully, he is doing much better. There is still some swelling in the affected leg, but the doctor has given the okay for travel, so Allen has been on the road again.
Update on Anne's writing: Conure Book News~July, 2003~I am thrilled to announce that I've signed a book contract with Barron's Educational Series, Inc. My book, to be titled The Conure Handbook, is tentatively scheduled for a July 2004 release. I'll post more information as soon as possible.
I've been very busy since I began freelance writing full time, all the way back in 2000. For more information on my work, visit My Writing Corner on the 'Net.
News on the Battleground CD!!
Review and Top 10 Listing of
Battleground: Acoustic Music Inspired by the Civil War
Every year the Chicago Tribune runs Top 10 Lists of new musical releases and re-releases. Here's what David Royko of the Chicago Tribune had to say about Battleground in the 2000 Bluegrass release segment featured in the December 3 issue of the Trib:
"#7. Allen Watkins, "Battleground" (Battleground): "Dark suspicions were raised by two facts about Allen Watkins' "Battleground" CD -- first, that it has a theme, in this case, the Civil War, which could have meant that the music would be forced into a premise; and that Watkins plays virtually all of the instruments himself, which can result in weak links. So much for presumptions. This is a tour de force of writing and playing. The emphasis is on instrumentals, and Watkins is comfortable floating between the bluegrass and new acoustic camps."
Thanks, Dave, for the listing and the review!
News Flash!!!Allen's latest project, Light of the Crescent Moon was named to the 2003 Chicago Tribune Top 10 List!! Thanks again, Dave!
Click on the link to Allen's page for all the information about his musical history, his recorded projects, and what's new. To view the front and back cover and read the song list for his album For My Lady, click here! You will also find ordering information. Information about Battleground is now available, so check it out! You can also order the Battleground CD and Allen's other releases at Battleground Music.
For a bit of fun stuff, be sure to click on the link below to read all about our Bluegrass Parrots, Rio and Pancho.
As always, we hope you enjoy your visit to WatkinsWorld. Before you leave, don't forget to sign our guestbook. We love to see your names and where everbody is visiting from.
Click here to visit our Bluegrass Parrots page!
Click here to see some pictures of our aquariums!
Visit Battleground Collectibles for fine art work by local artist Diane Yarbrough.
Visit Makin' Faces to see some of my very own sculptures!
For wonderful country graphics, be sure to visit this site:
View My Guestbook
Sign My Guestbook
  This Bluegrass / Acoustic Music Web Ring site is owned by Allen Watkins . Want to join The Bluegrass / Acoustic Music Web Ring ? |
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All contents of this website (c) 2000, 2001, 2002 Anne Watkins.