LONNA & ME As I'm sure it did with just about everyone in our age group, 2025 flew by! It's hard to believe 2026 starts next month. YIKES! This year was more focused on local activities than in the past, with less traveling and more attention to events closer to home. The pic is from Lonna's Birthday Dinner on November 2nd. Lonna has completely recovered from her cancer surgery and has tolerated all the radiation treatments very well. Her final treatment was February 25th.   We had a quick coffee celebration at our favorite breakfast place afterward. She is now volunteering at the Spielman Center once a week - the same facility that treated her throughout the process. She's meeting some remarkable people and hearing incredible stories from patients, near and far. In addition to her volunteer work at the Spielman, she continues to volunteer with the Harmony Project, which has also been a real blessing for her. She's become friends with some of the other volunteers and they have gathered outside of Harmony. I continue to be amazed at Lonna's display of kindness toward others. But even as I watch her do this day in and day out, I'm sometimes at a loss for words to describe this wonderful human being that has graced my life for over 30 years. After having coffee with a couple of her friends, one of those friends texted this to her. She was not at a loss for words about Lonna. There is nothing more a husband could ask for than to have someone else write about the remarkable person he married. This is not just what Lonna does, it's who she is. As for me, I contunue to be heavily involved in music, performing with THESE GUYS LIVE and at the Unity Church of Delaware. I've also begun work on a couple of new projects, which I write about further down the page.

 

OUR "OTHER" ANNIVERSARY Our 4th year in retirement! As usual, we celebrated with an early brunch. Last year during this anniversary brunch, we learned that Lonna had breast cancer. This year, a much more pleasant and thankful brunch, to be sure. The pic is from October 27th. (I just realilzed I am wearing the same sweatshirt that I wore in the February 25th pic above.)

 

PERSONAL ANNIVERSARY Last year, I wrote about having a heart ablation on June 26th after experiencing SVT (Supra Ventricular Tachycardia) on June 23rd. Since that time, I have not experienced a single arrhythmia of any kind. Considering that my Atrial Fibrillation events started back in the early 2000s - with me unaware of what was happening at that time - the fact that it's been nearly a year and a half without any events is remarkable. So yes, I celebrated my 1 Year Anniversary from arythmias on June 26th. As always, a special thanks to the Electrophysiology Team at OSU's Ross Heart Hospital!

 

VIENNA, CAMERON, TALYA & ADAM

Adam and Talya celebrated their 14th year of marriage on December 28th. Vienna is now thirteen years old (Sep 28) and Cameron is 12 years old (Christmas Day) WAIT! WHAT? How's that possible? I remember this bedtime video Adam put together when they were only 5 and 4 years old! Vienna is in seventh grade and Cam is now in the sixth grade. Cam graduated from elementary school this year. Although he will be in the same school as Vienna, the "campus" is so large, that there is still a chance he won't see her at all during the school day.

 

CALIFORNIA IN COLUMBUS In July, the "California Crew" came to Columbus for a quick visit. We celebrated Talya's birthday on the 2nd. We took the kids indoor rock climbing at the Adventure Recreation Center, where our nephew Nicholas, is the manager. Left to right: Lonna, Me, Nicholas (in back), Adam, Talya, Vienna and Cameron. We also saw the brand new Superman movie, "Look Up."

 

SUNO-ADAM Over the last nearly 30 years, Adam has written and recorded in some fashion, over 150 songs. Then earlier this year, he discovered SUNO. This app is a generative audio workstation that takes an instrumental idea, or a single line of lyrics, and through AI, is able to turn it into a complete song. In Adam's case, the song is already written and recorded, so he uses SUNO to turn it into a complete production - something that would take thousands of recording studio hours to do for 150+ songs. To be sure, SUNO is not without it's flaws: (1) The tracks are compressed; (2) All the individual instruments sound realistic "enough" that most would not notice the lack of expressive detail as is heard when performed by real musicians; (3) The completed project can often lack the dynamics that are present only in a live recording studio session with a good engineer. All that said, it is certainly a way to expand creativity when a writer or producer has hit a "dry spell" in theirs. Here's a sample of him taking a song he wrote in 2009 and gaving it the SUNO treatment. The goal for this project is to someday put an entire live show together with a full band, including strings, brass and woodwinds, and additonal vocalists. That's a huge undertaking. But if you've read any of the previous Year End Pages, you know this is what Adam does. He goes all out with any project he creates. Personally, if I were to use this app, it would be simply for ideas. I really enjoy actually laying down tracks live, and working with other musicians to come up with creative ways to present a song. It does take much more time to do this, but the end result is usually far better - in my opinion. I guess that qualifies me as "Old School."

 

GOODBYE, BOO Late this year, the family lost one of their two cats. His name was "Boo." (The other one's name is "Moo.") He and Vienna were so very close and she had a rough time adjusting to "Boo" not being around anymore. They were inseparable. When we learned of "Boo's" passing, we sent her a card, letting her know we were thinking of her. We received a short letter from her on January 5th.

 

ALEENA, GRAYSON, BROOKE & KENNY

Brooke & Kenny have been together nearly nine years. Aleena is 13 years old (December 16th) and Grayson will be 12 years old February 16, 2026. They are now attending the same school. Aleena is a seventh grader and Grayson is one year behind her as a sixth grader. Because their school is much smaller than Vienna and Cameron's, they do see each other during the school day. Both had concerts in the spring and both were held at Dominion Middle School. At this point, Aleena is still in the 6th grade and Grayson is in the 5th, so he is still in elementary school. Much like Cameron, Grayson graduated from elementary school this year as well. Apparently, there are "Camerons" everywhere. Here's one in Grayson's graduating class. We had the opportunity to take the kids to COSI this year. A place they really enjoy. Except, maybe, for the unicycle ride. Grayson did seem a little concerned. Kontras Performance is now in its seventh year, doing well, and expanding. He has no shortage of cars to work on, including this very clean 2014 Chevy Camaro. So what do these five pictures represent? I have a good idea, but here are the "deets" (as is commonly said nowadays.)

 

IN AN INSTANT This year also came with a near-tragedy that no parent wants to experience - the loss of a child. I was performiing at a local neighborhood bar in late September. Kirk, our former next door neighbor and Kenny's auto mechanic mentor, who works for the owner of the bar and for Kenny on occasion, walked up to me as soon as the band completed its first set at 10pm. He pulled me into the office and said, "Kenny's been in a bad motorcycle accident." I'm sure the look on my face was shock and disbelief. The questions started coming rapid fire style: "Is he okay?" "How serious are his injuries?" "Where is he now?" "When did this happen?" "He's been taken to the Riverside Hospital Emergency Room. Lonna already knows and is either there or on her way. If you want, I can drive you down there and get your gear later. Or, if you want to pack up and go, that's fine too." "I need to take a few minutes to process all this. Thanks, Kirk." My experience working in an emergency room years ago told me that nothing definitive would be known for at least two hours. This was confirmed when I spoke with Lonna, who was already there. Kenny was very seriously injured and any conversation with those treating him would not happen until they knew the total extent of his injuries. The band was very accomodating. They went to work immediately trying to figure out how to do the rest of the night without me - which was two more sets. After speaking with Lonna, and knowing that no real news of Kenny's condition would be forthcoming until about midnight, I decided to do the second set with the band, which ended at about 11:30pm, then tear down and go straight to the hospital. As I was packing up, the other four band members were huddled at a table figuring out which songs they could do without me to get through the last set. They started the final set as I was leaving with my gear. I waved at them, mouthing "Thank you!" September 27, 9:30pm. Kenny, three of his closest friends, and his brother, were leaving one of those friends' home on motorcyles. Kenny was behind the three friends, with his brother behind him. Heading east on a small two-lane residential road, Kenny sped up a little to catch up with them. Suddenly, the throttle on his motorcyle got stuck and could not be moved, causing the bike to continue to increase speed. It was all Kenny could do to control the bike and avoid hitting the friends ahead of him. He passed two of them on the left and the third on the right. But even having successfully avoiding these collisions wasn't enough. He didn't see the curb directly ahead and hit it at what he assumes was somewhere around 80-90 mile per hour. The bike went airborne. Kenny - who's had nearly two decades of riding experience - knew to stand up on the bike when this happened. The airborne bike with Kenny still seemingly in control, landed at a second curb. This time, the bike flipped, threw Kenny off, and then hit a low-hanging branch on a tree that was planted just past the curb. The tree branch, although severed from the tree, stopped the bike abruptly but sent Kenny flying. The bike then landed vertically on its rear wheel. Because he was standing, Kenny fell ahead of the bike, thereby avoiding having the bike land on him. This manuever, and the tree, probably saved his life. One of Kenny's friends who was riding with him that evening is an EMT. As soon as Kenny landed on the sidewalk, his friend knew exactly what to do to keep him stablized until the emergency squad arrived. A week or so later, Lonna and I went back to the intersection where the accident occured. Here's a quick video of the path Kenny took that evening.   At the hospital, Brooke never left Kenny's side the entire time he was in the SICU, (Surgical Intensive Care Unit), which was over three weeks. She was and still is his true guardian. Below are pictures of the many devices used to keep Kenny alive and to monitor his progress. There were more than I had ever before seen for one patient, and I worked in an emergency room environment. When Kenny was finally able to speak, the first thing he said was how thankful he was that Brooke was in his life. He was also thankful for the group of friends he made in his childhood years that are still very close with him to this day. During his recovery time - which is still ongoing - those friends made sure that Kontras Performance stayed up and running. Not an easy task with such a highly specialized business. Here's some work they did on a 2007 Subaru while Kenny was recovering. Although Lonna and I had faith that Kenny would make it, we were certainly very concerned in the first 24-48 hours. I've seen patients who were brought into an emergency room with similar injuries from a variety of accidents, and many of them did not make it. Kenny could have easily been one of those patients. His injuries were very severe and included head trauma, which is always difficult to manage and can easily turn things for the worse quickly. The different teams at Riverside Hospital are to be commended for the incredible job they did taking care of him. Lonna and I are both so thankful he is still with us and doing well. We could not imagine how difficult it would have been for Brooke, Aleena and Grayson, had he not survived. Here we all are on December 22nd.

 

NICK & LINDA Nick and Linda are doing well. We enjoyed dinner with them in August. Unfortunately, I was not able to get a picture of the four of us, so here's a fairly recent picture of them from one of their camping trips. They make a few trips a year to Southern Ohio to visit Linda's grandson, Holden. On January 2, 2026, we had the opportunity to have brunch with Nick's oldest daughter, Andrea. This was a first for all of us. The "Tour" is heading into it's fourth year, and rolling right along...at the same location every month. It's easier that way. We don't need a GPS to find the place. Besides, we're "Rock Stars" at this particular Panera Bread Cafe in Hilliard. Here we are in May. Once again, Nick shows off his amazingly accurate parking skills.   As for his truck, I'm fairly certain he is secretly working on a world record in the Guiness Book for the number of post-factory accessories you can put on a Chevy Silverado. (Sunglasses don't count.) Nick and I had a chance to watch an OSU Football game together for the first time in a long time. It was against UCLA, but hey, it was af football game. Sort of... "You're five years away from being an Octogenarian!" On November 25th, at about 10pm, my brother Nick called to wish me a Happy Birthday. But in true "Nick" fashion, he said it as only he could. (Understand that he is typically in bed by this time.) "Hey there. It's a little late for you isn't it?" "Actually, I'm in bed now, but I thought I'd give you a call." "Okay..." "I just wanted to tell you that you are officially five years away from being an Octogenarian." "Is this you wishing me a happy birthday?" "Well hell yes! What else would it be?" And that's how the conversation started.

 

RENEE & AARON My sister Renee and her husband Aaron, continue to work their butts off at the bar. We met with them for dinner in March. And, as usual, spent about two hours with them. We've already planned our next dinner together for January, 2026.

 

DAVID & BETH David and Beth are second year grandparents. As far as I know, there isn't another one on the way. That's a little surprising, since they do have six kids! This is a picture of them in Greece this summer. One of their sons - my nephew Jacob - is now married to a girl named Kayley Duncan. Apparently this happened last year (2024) but there was no ceremony. The day after Christmas, our nephew Nicholas invited his siblings to his place of work, The Adventure Recreation Center (ARC) at Ohio State. He asked Lonna and I to stop by unannounced to surprise everyone. So we did! Left to right: Charles (Carly's boyfriend for the last 6 years), Carly, Grace, Macie (Billy's girlfriend for the last 4 years), Billy, Meghan (our Goddaughter), Me, Lonna and Nicholas. The little guy in front is Xavier, Billy and Macie's son. Jacob, the 6th sibiling, was not able to attend. Here's a few candid shots taken by Nicholas and Lonna.

 

WHAT IS UNITY? Unity has been around for well over 100 years but many people do not even know of it's existence. Here are some FAQs about Unity that will give you a basic idea about our beliefs.

 

MAYA ANGELOU & UNITY Speaking with Oprah Winfrey in 2013, Maya Angelou reveals how she discovered Unity and how the knowledge that she is loved can still bring tears to her eyes.

 

This is my 13th year performing at Unity, playing piano and singing once a month and for the past five years or so, handling the live streaming duties once a month. We are a small congregation (20-30 people in attendance and 10-15 online). Our church is a Unity Church, based primarily on the teachings of Jesus. We focus on the New Testament and how to apply what Unity calls "Practical Christianity" to our daily lives. There's no fire and brimstone, talk of us being sinners, or punishment by God, etc. God, in whatever name or form you believe, is the spirit within all of us to do good, not some white-bearded man in the sky judging you when you get to the "pearly gates." We don't believe in Heaven and Hell. We believe that Jesus showed us that we have all the tools we need within us (God) to be the best we can be. Whether we chose to use these tools is up to us. But they (God) are there. Please visit the church's YouTube Channel and view some of Rev. Joanne's messages. They are short, succinct and very beneficial for everyday living. Her husband is Joe Lambert. Together they provide the music on some Sundays and Joe handles the live streaming duties on nearly every Sunday. Sometimes, he has to do both! To learn more, please visit the website. Unity Church of Delaware holds two big musical fundraisers a year. A summer concert, which is usually held outdoors on a large stage, in the back of the church. And a Fall Coffeehouse usually held towards the end of November. Here I am performing a couple of well-known tunes at the Coffeehouse.   The Unity Men continue to have their monthly dinners at various locations throughout Dublin, Columbus & Delaware. Here we are in August. Left to right: (Me), Bill, Paul, Jim, Dick, Dan, Cliff, Dave and Joe.

 

In the fall of 2025, we learned that the owner of the land (10 acres) and our building was selling everything for 2.5M dollars. More about all this here, with pictures of our church.

 

DOUG & CINDY SMITH Lonna and I have known Doug and Cindy Smith for over thirty years. Doug continues to do about 4 gigs a week at elder care facilities around Central Ohio. Cindy continues to work from home and loves her job. This year, Doug deviated a little from writing Christian songs, to write this song about our home state. A very clever tune. You can learn more about Doug's songwriting at songsmithmusic.com.   We had lunch with them on Sunday, August 17th, at our favorite Mexican food restaurant, Los Habaneros. (If I look like I could use a nap, it's because I had an out-of-town gig the night before and was up very early for a performance at church. The nap happened very shortly after we arrived home.) Here's a quick promo for the restaurant, which we highly recommend, if you like authentic mexican food. It's located at 4416 N. High St., Columbus, Ohio.

 

JOHN GARDNER John and I have been friends since September, 2007. He and I worked together at American Commerce Insurance / MAPFRE Insurance. Although I was only there eleven and a half years, he was there for over 50 years! He was 18 years old and just out of high school when he started working for the company. Yes, the stories are endless, which is why we get together for coffee once in a while. With every visit, I learn something new. Here we are in July.

 

JOE SCHUTT A good friend and former co-worker at The Gordon Flesch Company met me for coffee on January 6th. Joe and I saw eye-to-eye on many things related to the business and butted heads on a few things here and there. Through it all, we became good friends and now, having the opportunity to speak freely outside of the work environment, I find that we agree on just about everything. He is still working for the company, and soon will be celebrating 40 years! He's also a very kind person who is heavily involved in the Orthodox Faith. It was good seeing him!

 

DAVID SHOW David was the bassist/vocalist with Reflection from 1975 to 1979. He comes to Columbus once a year for his sister's birthday, so we always manage to get together for lunch. He is still very active in the music business, which is always good to hear. Here we are in June.

 

MARTY IVANOFF Marty and I attended high school together. We both graduated in 1968. He went on to enlist in the Army and ended up doing a tour in Vietnam. Once he returned, he was not the same. That totally unnecessary war "took" my friend and gave back to me someone who endured so much trauma (now called PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) that it was nearly impossible to have a conversation when he first returned. We lost touch for decades. Then late last year in 2024, Marty saw that I was on Facebook. He sent me a private message which culminated in us getting together for lunch in February, in Lancaster, OH. (He lives not far from there.) Although we were able to have a good conversation, the scars from that war are still prevalent in him. He's very bitter about life. There are no "KumBaYa" moments in life, according to him. He doesn't believe in the idea that people are basically good, but have flaws. I know that I will never understand what he lived through back in '69 and '70, and I was saddened by the man I saw in front of me in February, who was so vibrant in high school and quite the ladies' man as well.

 

 

 

The studio was busier than usual this year. Mostly with my own productions. Two of which were videos of Harmony Project Concerts. More about these down the page. I started the first of two new projects earlier this year called "While I'm Still Here." This project has its own website. The subject is deeply personal to me. Here are couple of quick videos explaining everything.     My first interview was with Jack Widner, a well-known Central Ohio pianist who started playing piano at the age of 3 and retired in 2024 at the age of 87. Here's that interview. I'm ready for my second interview for this project, but I'm not pushing it. I think the next right person and their story will find me. For those who are not familiar with Studio Artists Productions: I've worked with companies and individuals for more than 30 years, producing quality video and audio recordings. In addition to these production services, I provide small website building and maintenance, graphic design, analog-to-digital transfers of reel-to-reel, cassette and VHS tapes as well as vinyl records and photo restorations. Please visit my website at www.StudioArtistsColumbus.com where all the services are discussed as well as prices and testimonials from customers. Feel free to contact me directly: michaelkontras2009@gmail.com or 614-561-8577.

 

EIGHTEEN YEARS AND COUNTING! 2025 marked TGL's 18th year on stage and my 14th year with the band. THESE GUYS LIVE has over 25 dates booked for 2026 (as of December 31st) plus two in 2027! We've averaged over 40 dates annually post COVID and things don't seem to be letting up at all. Come out to one of our shows. We promise, you will not be disappointed. Here's our Schedule. Membership within the band has become very stable and this makes for some great moments on and off the stage. Let's just say that setting up and tearing down are very entertaining to those watching nearby. The Scare At a gig in April, Doc literally lost his voice. It wasn't laryngitus or anything related to the flu, a cold or COVID. This really scared him, to the point where he was planning on exiting the band and helping us find a replacement. We had so many gigs coming up and we did not want to cancel. We adjusted the song list so that Flint and I did all our songs at each performance (we usually rotate them in and out of performances), and had Doc singing as best he could, doing songs that were way below his normally high vocal range. But this was only a temporary fix and we were convinced that the band was going to need a new lead vocalist. Enter the "Voice Gods" After many conversations with other singers and a lot of research, Doc discovered that there was a possible path toward getting his vocal chords working properly again. But it would require some major lifestyle changes. It would also require a disciplined daily ritual of using a nebulizer at least 4 times a day, drinking lots of hot water (8 glasses) throughout each day and on stage, and getting weekly doses of Glutathione administered to him by a doctor. This new routine had to be strictly adhered to if Doc was going to have any chance of being a rock singer again. It worked. He slowly started to recover. It took about two months, but he bounced back, although with some limitations. As of now, he is able to sing a good portion of his repertoire. Here we are at what is becoming our annual pre-holiday lunch. This time, it was on Thursday, November 20th. Left to right in back: Flint Vasher (Bass, Vocals), Michael Doctor (Lead Vocals), Me (Keyboards, Vocals), Marty Brasington (Drums) and in front, Mike Keller (Guitar) Doc discovered Grok.com and texted a 10 second AI generated clip from the picture above of TGL saying "Happy New Year" and sent it to us on December 28th. Naturally, my mind started reeling. I saw endless possibilities with this format, so I created a video that all could watch.

 

I really enjoy playing keyboards and singing with THESE GUYS LIVE. People have asked why I am still playing in a band at this time in my life, and I respond the same way everytime. It's not as much about the music, or the venues, as it is about the camaraderie between the five of us. As different as we are, our personalities somehow work well together in this musical environment. We are respectful of each other, even when our individual perspectives are not congruent. What we realize is that we are a part of something bigger than any one of us, and that it takes all of us to make it work. We have as good a working relationship as any band I've ever experienced, and I hope this continues for as long as possible. That said, I am finding that I want to sing more, as a soloist, which takes me to my second new project. Now that I've been doing piano/voice performances in church for a few years, I'm getting past the nervousness of singing with just a piano. It's a big leap for me. I'm feeling less "naked" hearing only my voice and a piano, with no other instruments or voices to "hide" behind. I know it seems hard to believe that this is a new experience for me, but it is. Knowing I had to create something tangible that I could use to promote this new venture, I created this promotional video. Let's see what 2026 has in store for me.

 

As I mentioned earlier, Lonna continues to have her life blessed by being a part of the Harmony Project. She actually goes into withdrawal when the project is not in rehearsals for their next concert. This year marked the 16th year of Harmony's existence. On May 1st, Harmony held its largest concert ever at the Schottenstein Center. Over 7000 people attended. It was called "The Concert for Humanity." Here's Lonna, the day of the concert, feeling emboldened enough to wave to the fans, that haven't shown up yet, except for me... and the stage crew... and the other singers... and the musicians... and the house crew... and, well, you get the picture. She was actually caught on camera during the concert. In addition to the 500 member Harmony Choir, about 150 students, and a few other smaller choirs sang that day, which brought the total to 1000 voices! Imagine how that sounded! I had a great opportunity once again, to capture some highlights. I finished the video in about 48 hours and posted it on YouTube. Then, something magical happened. Peggy Meckling-Baker, the Director of Communications contacted me. Then, a link to the video was a part of the post concert email that thanked everyone who helped make the concert a success. Then, I received a Facebook "Thank You" from David Brown, the director, for creating the video.   Words can't describe how I felt when other people, who didn't know me, recognized my work. For a creator - of anything - that is a big reward. What wasn't known to us on the outside was that 24 hours after the concert, funding for this project was going to be drastically reduced, thanks to the massive cuts made to the National Endowment for the Arts by the current president through an Executive Order. Enough so that any chance of another large concert was out of the question. (This particular concert cost over $500,000.00 to produce.) But this did not deter the David Brown. He and his staff went to work. By November, they had already prepared a new and different approach to bring people together through music with what was called "Beyond The Stage." Here is an excerpts reel of the event, which includes a behind the scenes look at a Harmony rehearsal, where Daivd not only directs, but entertains as well.   A Quick Side-Note One day, shortly before the "Beyond the Stage" event, Lonna and I were dropping off items to the Harmony Project's Headquarters for distribution to those less fortunate. Lonna gave me a tour of the facility. While in the main concert/reheasal area, I saw David Brown (whom I had not met at this point) talking to the Music Director/Drummer, Reggie Jackson. I wanted to introduce myself, knowing that this opportunity would probably not come again anytime soon. I walked up and said, "Hello David, my name is..." He interrupted me saying, "I know who you are. You're Michael Kontras. You created the video of the last concert in May." I was dumbfounded and very flattered at the same time. I can only imagine what my face must have looked like at that moment. Regaining my composure, I thanked him for wanting to use the video and told him that I would try to do the same in the future. He seemed very happy to hear that. For those of you who have not heard of the Harmony Project, please watch this video. You will not regret learning about the director, David Brown, and what he and his staff have done for thousands in our community. The video is CBS Sunday Morning's Jane Pauley interviewing David.

 

75 YEARS. FUNNY THING ABOUT THAT... Traditionally, my family celebrated my birthday on Thanksgiving, because, supposedly, I was born on November 27, 1950, which was 4 days after Thanksgiving that year. Then, there came a time when I needed a copy of my birth certificate. When I received it, it said I was born on November 26, 1950. When I asked my mother why she had the date wrong, she said, "I don't know. All I remember is there was a bunch of snow on the ground and I wanted you out of me." Mom was never one for beating around the bush. (I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and go with her "water" had broken and she needed to get to the hospital asap.) But traveling anywhere on that date proved to be very hazardous. On November 25, 1950 the eastern part of the United States experienced "The Storm of the Century," the day before my birthday and only two days after Thanksgiving. Over 350 people lost their lives. Eastern Ohio experienced 44 inches of snow. Columbus had about 13 inches on the ground on the day of my birth. According to my grandmother, the ambulance almost didn't make it to the house to get mom and then had one hell of time getting to the hospital. But enough about me. This year, I did something that I have never done before in the three quarters of a century I've been on earth: I helped to hand out Thanksgiving dinners to those much less fortunate than me. Words cannot describe the feeling this small gesture created in me. I was overcome with joy. I very much want to do this again next year and beyond, and hopefully more than once each year. Later that evening, after going out for a casual dinner, Lonna prepared a great birthday desert. She made everything from scratch except the whipped cream and the chocolate syrup on the "nice" cream - ice cream made with bananas. And while two of the three items were from plant-based recipes, the two Almond Joy cookies certainly were not. Still, two out of three ain't bad. Here's a couple of very funny birthday cards from Lonna's sister, Lissa, and our friends, Don and Linda. Never to be outdone, my cousin Denise sends me a "Mash-Up." I'm not sure if this particular one is meant for a man, but I'm thankful anyway.

 

TSO FOR THE FIRST TIME They've been around for nearly 30 years, and Lonna and I were finally able to to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra for the first time on Decmber 23rd. It was everything everyone ever told us it would be. The talent was superb and the technology was breathtaking. The concert lasted over two and a half hours and we weren't bored for even a minute of it. Naturally, I shot some video. Did you have any doubt?

 

HARMONY EMBRACES A FRIEND I have known Jesse Powers for nearly 10 years. She and I performed together on a couple of occasions back in 2016 and 2017. Since then, she has gone on to become a very sought-after singer/songwriter whose voice seems almost endless in its range and style. This was taken in 2016. Lonna and I went to see her and her occasional musical partner (whose name is also Jesse) in June at a winery near Delaware, OH. Jesse was the only solo performer at Harmony's "Concert for Humanity" on May 1st. This was a BIG deal for her. She performed in front of 7000 people - her largest audience by far. I recorded all of her performance and posted it on YouTube.   After I did this, I sent her text to let her know. As for her songwriting? Judge for yourself.

 

HUESTON, WE DON'T HAVE PROBLEM We had an opportunity to get away for a couple of days, in early September. We decided to go nearby, to Hueston Woods State Park, in Oxford, Ohio, near Miami University. It was a relaxing couple of days with no set agenda - quite a change of pace for us. Below is obviously a summertime picture, but it does give you an idea of the beautiful surroundings. We revisited Miami University's "downtown" area and ate dinner at one of their well-liked eateries called "Mac & Joe's.' HUGE salads! We remembered this place from when we visited Lonna's niece Abbi, who graduated in 2023 from the university. This is one of my pics. Not bad, huh?

 

THE NEXT GENERATION STEPS UP... MAYBE I met with my cousin Greg Kontras' daughter, Lena, for coffee back in June at the same Panera that Nick and I "tour" once a month. She had questions about The Kontras Family website that I put together primarily for the large Kontras Family Reunion back in 2000. She eventually wants to find someone to take it over since I haven't done anything with it in quite some time. We had a wonderful conversation. She is an absolute delight. My cousin Greg and his wife, Paula (Brooks), should be proud of the daughter they raised.

 

THE LADIES OF THE HILLS Lonna and three of her Harmony Project co-singers decided it was time to get away for a couple of days. They took a trip to Hocking Hills. Left to right: Bev, Lisa and Birdie Personally, I'm not an extreme nature lover, and I am certainly in the minority around Lonna and her friends. They really like hiking and looking at things like this. What I see is a good way to get injured. In the over 30 years Lonna and I have been together, I have never seen that expression on her face.

 

CHARLOTTE IN COLUMBUS Our good friends from North Carolina, Don and Linda, came to Columbus for a quick visit. There were three things they wanted to do while they were here: Rock, Jazz and Conservation. Rock 'N' Roll I'm thinking this was more on Don's Bucket List than Linda's, but I could be wrong. Regardless, Lonna and I drove them to Cleveland to the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame. I was there only once before, in 1983, when it first opened. It wasn't much back then, but now, it's a must-see.   The Rabbit Don and Linda are jazz enthusiasts. They wanted to go to a good jazz nightclub. Lonna did a little research and found the "Ginger Rabbit" was considered one of the best around. The club is actually in a basement, but once you walk in, you're in a great environment that is very nicely laid out. To say the musicans and vocalists were excellent would be an understatement. The group performing that night was the Jerry Powell Experience. Here's a quick excerpts reel.   Trains! We visited the Franklin Park Conservatory. Not as interesting to me as it was to others, except for the trains! I was a model electric train "nut" as a kid and I still really enjoy seeing what others have done. These particular trains are part of the Paul Busse Garden Railway.

 

4,000 ACRES IN 1799 Lonna and I purchased the house we live in from my mother in 1997. The house has been in the Kontras Family for 70 years. I was only 4 years old when my mother Viola, my grandmother Despina (Denise) and my brother Nick (3 yrs old) moved into the house in 1955. It was originally my grandmother's purchase, making her the second person to own the home. Buying a house back then required an unbelievable amount of paperwork including what is called an "Abstract" which is basically a history of the land parcel dating back to when it belonged to the United States of America in 1796. Apparently, John Rathbone bought it from the government. That also took nearly a year, beginning in March of 1799, February, 1800 and finalized in March of 1800. There is a street in Clintonville (known as Clinton Township back then) named "Rathbone." The process needed for my grandmother to be able to purchase her two lots with the house on them, took over a year, starting in April, 1954 and finishing in September, 1955. If these walls could talk...

 

JUST IN CASE Not sure that we'll ever need them, but for the next ten years, we can get out of the country if need be. You never know.

 

LONNA MEETS THE GRINCH Lonna, along with her niece, Angie, and Angie's friend, Ashley, decided they wanted to go to the Worthington, Ohio Christmas Tree Lighting on November 30th. It was VERY cold. Angie came prepared to help Lonna put on some headgear that would help her stay warmer than just a scarf. The effort proved challenging.

 

THANKSGIVING THOUGHT A good friend of Lonna's, Sandy, sent us this card at Thankgiving. I love her sense of humor!

 

THE MAN ASLEEP IN THE RECLINER This brought tears to my eyes - literally. I guess I'm becoming an old "softie." When Lonna found this and read it to me, I was really moved. The story is different than our story, but the writing is profound and spot on. Those of us who are getting older, will understand every word.

 

KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS I have completely distanced myself from TV "news." I'm letting others do the talking and staying out of the fray. In the process, I did find this funny tidbit. Many years ago - probably long before some of you were born - there was a TV show hosted by Art Linkletter called "Kids Say the Darndest Things." (It can now be seen on Prime Video) Thus, the reason for the title of this little segment. The clip below of kids talking about our President made me really laugh until the last little girl spoke. She made me HOWL!!!

 

GIVING RATHER THAN GIFTING This year, we decided to give much of what we would normally spend on Christmas gifts to the Harmony Project. We did this by buying tickets to the "Beyond the Stage" fundraiser that I wrote about above. We recieved a "Thank You" letter within a week of the event, signed by David Brown, the Director. (The reason the letter is only addressed to me is because I was the one who purchased the tickets online with our credit card.)

 

FINISH 50, 4 MILER Lonna and two of her friends had the opportunity to be on the 50 yard line at Ohio Stadium this year, after completing their 4 Miler walk. Left to right: Sharon, Trina and Lonna. You can always find one person in the crowd with great sense of humor.

 

 

THANKFUL Lonna says she doesn't like doing these, but she goes along with it for my sake. What she doesn't realize, I think, is her participation is always engaging and often very funny!

 

 

This year, as we've gotten to know Aleena and Grayson much better, they have made us feel like adopted grandparents, so I've included them in this segment with the pic of Vienna and Cameron.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read and watch my year end page. Have a great 2026!

ALL YEAR-END PAGES