Festival celebrating DEAD Chinese Sunflowers…
- Thomas Tittmann
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Hello! This post was originally part of the one about our son John's current explorations in China and Tibet to continue his studies in traditional Chinese medicine. For much of his life, John has followed paths of healing. Eileen and I have learned much from him and are so grateful.
I decided to "prune the garden" of the original longer post and move these Dead Chinese Sunflowers into this separate "bed"...for the benefit of folks who aren't passionate followers.
"There's a Grateful Dead song for every occasion..."
...So says longtime friend Steve Bermont. We surfed together around the country and was my Volkswagen repair mentor...as he calls it "playing with cars."
In some posts, a particular song emerges as I listen to my Muse and tell the story. In this case, "China Cat Sunflower" provided a lot of the initial motivation to celebrate John's adventures in the Orient...
Not your father's Fillmore...You decide which is real and which is an illusion...
Jacksonville's China Cat Sunflower Festival
Here are stills and footage from this year's festivities:
"What began in 1995 as a heartfelt tribute to Jerry Garcia has grown into a beloved tradition — the China Cat Sunflower Festival — bringing together generations of Deadheads, music lovers, and families for a celebration like no other." (from the documentary's description)
Of course, the tie dye rack featured a sunflower tee:
And the Next Generation of Deadheads:
Meet "B-Star" (Brenda Star Walker) - the amazing leader of the pack for 30 years...
Starting at 55:34, her segment of this documentary includes:
--the Dead and Tibetan Buddhist monk's sharing multiphonic chanting (see more below) Click here for more.
--giving a massage to Mickey Hart
--buying artwork from Jerry
--a time the Dead stayed at her house
--her personal answers to 3 questions about the band that she poses to people:
Do you remember the the first time you saw the Grateful Dead with Jerry?
Do you remember the last time you heard the Dead with Jerry play?
Do you remember where you were when you heard the news that Jerry had died?
She "stole" those earrings... (((:
#John #JohnTittmann #China #Tibet #TraditionalChineseMedicine #GratefulDead #sunflowers #DeadAndCompany #Fillmore #TheSphere #ChinaCatSunflowerFestival #BrendaStarWalker #Buddhism #TibetanMonks #MickeyHart