Happy New Year...2016 - 7 Years.

The Family

Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico

Top Hat Anytime Works

Ramsey (Little Buddy) & Pat

Dear Pat,

Well, it’ll have been 7 years this January 5^th, 2016.    Amazing how time goes by.    And each and every day there is always a reason to think of you.   

This Christmas was in Ojai at Mom’s house…11 humans and 8 dogs.   I think you would have loved it.    Heard a great story from Norman Lang that I hadn’t remembered.  

He remembers a time that you were on a scout and there was a blank wall on one of the sets.   You called the art director over and told him you needed him to put a nail up on the wall, pointing to a specific spot.    The next time you both were on the set, he showed you the nail right where you wanted and asked what it was for thinking it was some lighting thing or something to do with the show but then… you stopped, unzipped your jacket and hung it up on the nail.    Small silly things like that you thought of all the time.   

We went on to tell some more stories about you as we often do.    There are so many worth repeating.    And we laugh.   And laugh.   And we miss you but you’re always there.

The year continued for me working on the documentary, Red Dog & Bates, it’s a whole new world and challenging, lots to do and lot of people to find!    I started working on a show called Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD this summer…it’s been a great show to be on and you’d like the cast and crew.      That’s been what the year has been about with a few adventures along the way.

Mom is happy in Ojai with Ramsey, Belle, Harry, Brie, Johnny and now Natalie.   Laurie is there too and comes to town when she has a job to do.   

Brittany and Bill got married at Snowvillage Inn in September!    We all had the best time with the whole family together on Foss Mountain for the first time in such a long time with so many long time friends too.   Brittany had everything perfectly planned out and they created a most magical day and weekend for all of us.   Your little granddaughter was the most beautiful bride. 

Mom got to see so many of her friends, even got announced that she was coming in Nancy’s column so folks knew…it was a non stop stream of visitors up to the house and the inn.   It was wonderful.

Friends and family walked up to the top of Foss Mountain, it was a beautiful clear day that day.

I just can’t say enough of how much we all loved being up there and together just like the old days.    It was home and we felt you there.  

Brittany and Bill returned to Seattle, Tyler has joined them up there loving the hunting and fishing and he’s doing great.

Connor is a businessman now, starting a new job in January, doing really well.   Tanya and Tom are coming up with a plan to move West…hopefully sooner than later!

Patrick just got a Grip staff job at Fox plus he has so many other cool things he’s been doing, building furniture, photography. 

So the year was a good year…2015 had happy days, adventures and only a little bit of sadness.    We’re all okay.  

Miss you Pat.   I could use your insight on a couple things.   If only you were here to walk on a couple things for me. 

Love,

Xochi

Happy Father's Day 2015

Dear Pat,

Happy Father's Day!  

I hadn't watched this cotton dancing video lately and it made me laugh to see you laughing and dancing.   We sure had our laughs, didn't we?  

Thinking about you a lot.    I've been working on a documentary called "Red Dog & Bates".   A whole new world making one of these.   I'd be happy for some of our talks right about now.  

So many things to tell you - so many people to ask you about...what you'd think...

Mom is good...she's working on getting rid of this and that pain wise but doesn't stop her from much!

Brittany's wedding is coming up in September!   Can you believe it?    Snowvillage Inn, here we come.

Everyone is pretty good for the most part.  

Miss you,  love you lots...

Xochi

Happy Birthday Pat! May 20, 2015 Already.

Happy Birthday Pat!   

Thinking of you today.   Course think about you in one way or the other every day.  

I gotta say, no matter what, I continue to get new stories about you, about how you made your mark on someone and they’ve never forgotten.  

Just last week at the DGA Annual Meeting I met a woman who was an AD on Hard to Kill.   She says that the only way that movie with that actor was bearable for everyone was your positive energy being spread all over the set every day, stronger than the bad energy that was there too.    THAT was definitely a new story from long ago but she told it like it was yesterday.    You also came up in conversation by a producer who doesn't even know you but he knows me and said he knew that you were proud of me as he hoped his dad was of him.    I’m always amazed when people just say things like that out of nowhere, all I had done was say hello!

Also, not long ago Scott Keys reminded me again how much he respected you and of course Jimmy Keys liked to tell me how every day you would say “Hiya Jimmy!” and he in turn would say to me “Hiya Xochi” to carry on the tradition.  I'm sure glad we were in this show biz together.

We all agree that there’s always another story to tell, memory to laugh about and silly or serious thing about you to remember.  

As for me, I’m trying some new projects these days, in my free time – writing, making a documentary and more – wish you were here to walk on some questions I have for you, some challenges I’ve had.  Sure would be helpful. I wonder why wouldn't folks want to see all of us do what we love and succeed.  I try to think “What would Pat say?”   

Mom is furiously writing and busy with all the little buddies and her own bunch of projects.   Everyone else is doing great.   

Oh, and I hope Marge is up there now baking you some cookies and maybe playing some cards with you.  She made it to 99 ½!

Miss you a lot.     Love,   Xochi

What's in Xochi's Hair? - Episode 1

6 Years. Miss you Pat but you're never far from my heart.

Happy New Year Pat!

 It's now 2015, can you believe it?   This last year flew by and lots has happened, good things, mostly good things…a few sad losses, some adventures, some quiet times.  

You would have approved.  :)  

6 Years since we saw you last.   But there's always a reason to think of you.   Whether it's a story some one is telling that reminds me of you or someone I meet that knew you.   That happens all the time.  All the time!     And anytime I meet someone who knows you, it's always with them being happy to have known you.   And they all remember the moments with you so well.   Kind of crazy wonderful.
 

I finally decided to send away this big box of slides I had in my closet, full of past pictures that I couldn't really see as slides but when I got them back last week, there were some pictures that I had never seen before and along with these pictures came memories.     Mom remembers how you used to love to take pictures of her, you loved her and loved taking her picture.    So many great ones.  

Pictures, I love taking pictures.     You'd laugh at all the ways people share pictures now.    But it's fun.   And we all keep in touch better than ever.    I'm glad you took pictures and that there are so many of you.    Each one brings back so much about all of our lives together.   


 I'm not sure what this new year has in store for me, I hope it's something wonderful.   I wish you were here to enjoy it with me and all of us.    But I suppose you are here each time we think of you.  

I love you lots,   Xochi