The Inspired Mic – Resurrected!!

Posted on by April 18, 2022
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Easter Sunday it poured rain while I, Becky Magnolia (Pourchot) sat at a cafe table across from Michael Ray King, his new wife beside me. Thunder boomed as the cars outside on Palm Coast Parkway negotiated the ever-growing puddles.  

An electric excitement coursed between us as Mike and I reminisced about the Inspired Mic and all our friends who helped make the event what it had become over the past years. The two-year absence of The Inspired Mic had been two years too long, we agreed.

Mike has been busy, running the Honey Baked Ham Cafe, and enjoying life with his lovely new bride Natasha. And me?  Well, I’ve been on adventures of my own and now, we agreed, it was time. 

“I’m willing to do what it takes to get this thing going,” I said to Mike and I saw that spark in his eye, the familiar joy of an old friend who missed doing what he loves.

And so, we give you – The Inspired Mic, Resurrected!.  

Our first event will be Tuesday, June 7 at 6 pm (doors open at 5:30) at The Hammock Wine and Cheese, 5368 North Oceanshore Blvd Palm Coast  32137  They’ve got a great little stage, good wine and food, and a gorgeous outdoor seating area under the old oaks. 

So pull out your dusty poems, your old guitars, your magic tricks, your newly published books, and come join us for a night of creativity and inspiration.

Tickets are just $10. You can order them in advance or buy them at the door. If you would like to perform, send me your bio and what you plan to offer and I’ll get you on the roster. My email is: magnoliamoonrise@gmail.com

From Michael:

Speaking with Becky and reminiscing about the many incredible moments through seven years’ worth of Inspired Mic events, I could not help but get excited about bringing it back! I’m looking forward to connecting with many past presenters as well as meeting new creative hearts and minds. 
Join us on June 7th as we reinvigorate our creative endeavors. 😃

The Inspired Mic Recap

Posted on by January 7, 2020
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December’s Inspired Mic possessed a buzz, an energy. The room pushed capacity limits. Everyone appeared upbeat and excited. Yes, Christmas day stood less than a week away. Typically, over the past six years, the proximity to Christmas caused attendance to wane a bit. Not this night.

Our presenters lunged out of the gate with material which brought loads of laughter and not a few tears. Singers pushed themselves to drive power into their song. Storytellers reached for the words, not only necessary, but critically important for the laugh or the poignant thought.

I experienced the pleasure of meeting a gentleman, Randall Crosby, through Toastmasters. I’m going to use four short video clips of Randall, which he graciously shared with me, to give you a sense of the evening.

I met Randall through a series of referrals from Toastmasters I barely know. They knew of me, though, and Randall sought me out in late June of 2019. You see, Randall is blind. He needed a ride to Tallahassee for Toastmaster Officer Training. I happened to be going since I had missed the closer training location dates in Orlando and Jacksonville.

I agreed to pick him up. We enjoyed wonderful conversation to and from the training. I also got to see how this man handled himself in a “seeing” person’s world. He is nothing short of amazing.

I told him about The Inspired Mic. He expressed interest. I forgot all about it until he contacted me around the first of December to see if he could be a presenter. I assured him we would be honored!

The following 53 second clip is his opening. The video is courtesy of his lovely wife.

Randall Crosby begins his presentation

Randall establishes he’s blind with wonderful humor. He also sets up the context of his presentation – an advertisement for a Help Wanted position.

Randall held up a sign which read, “Help Wanted – Blinds Salesman”

Needless to say, when he held up the sign, the room burst out in laughter. He’d kept us in the dark about the interview until he walked up to the lady at the business and stated, “I wish to apply for your advertised job for a blinds salesman. I have over 20 years experience! I’m perfect for this job!

As Randall winds down his presentation, he still tosses us some humor…

At this point, Randall has won all of us over. This was his first time presenting at The Inspired Mic, and we hope he will return for more!

Randall closes and enjoys an appreciative response from the audience.

The Inspired Mic is only a few months away from completing our 7th year. That comprises over 80 events including special events like “In the Prose of Passion” a steamy romance writer-driven event, and Pen Meets Brush at Salvo Art where J. J. Graham interpreted ten presenters’ work through paint on a massive canvas.

Each month delivers amazing presentations by people you run into every day. They’re retired. They’re students. They work in businesses around town. But one special night each month, each gets to step out of obscurity, up to the mic, and release their creative labors of love.

We hope to see you at Hidden Treasures Raw Bar and Grill in Flagler Beach on Thursday, January 16th at 6:00pm. 🙂

The Inspired Mic – August 15, 2019

Posted on by August 6, 2019
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Time flies when you’re busy. I know I’m supposed to say “having fun,” but the fact remains, the busier you are the faster time flits away.

Every month I endeavor to post something on The Inspired Mic’s site. Check the archives. I’ve been a bit lax… However, I am on a roll of late!

I will tell you this about the July event, we enjoyed an incredible evening of storytellers! I always find the varying “flavors” of The Inspired Mic interesting. There is truly no way to predict what each presenter will bring to the fore. Even some who consistently walk in with a familiar genre will surprise and bring something completely different.

The creativity of people amazes me. Every person owns their personal brand of creativity. Expressing that inner muse is what this event is all about. In six-and-a-half years, no two Inspired Mics have been the same. Each possessed its own taste, its own chaotic, unplanned themes, and its own special moments.

What will August’s flavor be? Come by and find out! Tickets are available on this site. There, in the header of this page, is a link to “Palm Coast Tickets.” I’m sure I should change that to Flagler County…see? This is why I struggle to post! I always find something else that needs doing! 🙂

Seriously, 6:00 pm at Hidden Treasures Raw Bar and Grill in Flagler Beach, Thursday, August 15th. Come out and partake of the fun!

The Inspired Mic in July!

Posted on by July 2, 2019
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We love to have fun!

The Inspired Mic is going strong in 2019. We’ve had a few more people take the stand-up comedy trail. A couple months ago, Kevin Cox had us all laughing. Last month (June), John Brady tried his hand at funny business and performed admirably.

Our lineups each month vary, as always, by content, age, and genre. When I write genre, it’s more about what entertainment medium. In June, we had two young ladies bring their musical talents to our stage. Marissa sang an original song as she played accompaniment with her guitar and Alyssa played keyboard solos. Each will be returning on July 18th.

Alida Ferrena stopped in and presented some wonderful material. She is moving to NY and will be sorely missed. Without Alida and her brother Ambroz, The Inspired Mic would have ended three years ago.

Angelica Timothy returned last month from over a year’s absence. Angelica was one of many teenagers who graced The Inspired Mic’s stage for years. As they’ve aged up and into jobs, schools, etc, we have missed them dearly. It’s always a pleasure to welcome them back.

Alexandra King brought her dark, brooding fiction to the stage after being away for quite a while. She too, was one of the many teenagers who presented regularly for years.

Becky Pourchot popped back in along with first-time presenter Tony Brown. Becky was the first-ever presenter at The Inspired Mic and she always brings something enticing to the mind and heart and soul. Tony was tremendous in his first ever presentation.

Sean Moylan always pleases. You would swear he must have an eidetic memory, but he assures me its just a matter of working hard at something he loves. He actually gives us tips on how to improve our ability to recite from memory. He brought us a taste of Sun Tzu last month. His diversity is amazing.

Shari Falter brought us some witchiness, which ended up being one of a couple of themes last month. Her compelling reading from her novel was a wonderful addition to the evening.

Kevin Cox brought back his NY City cop story about the funeral parlor incident. If you have not heard or read this account of the macabre, you’re missing out!

Bianca Simone. Bianca writes with power, emotion, and joy. She continues to write, with her next book due out soon. Bianca looks at life through her writing in real, raw terms. The good and the not so good. She is always a delight.

Richard Meo presented last June, much to my enjoyment. Richard is not only one of the brave firemen who risked their lives at 911, he’s also an amazing researcher/historian. His third book in the series, “Fatal Flaws” is in production at the writing of this post. This series chronicles what led up to the 911 attacks, tracing back through the years how everything came to such a cataclysmic event. The intellectual side of life was the other theme of the evening, btw.

I had not intended this to be a recap of June, but the event was so awesome, I fell into doing so without noticing – until now. Each month is like this. We hope to see you this month, July 18th, at Hidden Treasures in Flagler Beach!

Here’s the link to get tickets! The Inspired Mic

Here’s the link to our Facebook page! The Inspired Mic Facebook Page

6th Anniversary Inspired Mic Thursday, May 16th!

Posted on by May 14, 2019
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In two days, we will gather at Hidden Treasures Raw Bar and Grill in Flagler Beach and embark on another year. Hidden Treasures is our 4th venue over the years. We will be welcoming two of the owners of past venues on this special night.

The Inspired Mic celebrates its six-year anniversary this Thursday. We’ve had our stage graced by over 1000, YES! ONE THOUSAND presentations! How amazing! Extraordinary! Delightful!

Not only will Carol Fisher and Alida Ferrena be in attendance, each will also have a presentation! Carol, of course, helped get this whole thing started when she and her husband Jeff agreed to host our fledgling Inspired Mic on May 13, 2013. Alida and her brother Ambroz saved The Inspired Mic three years ago when we abruptly lost the Cypress Knoll Country Club as a venue. Without these two fine ladies, The inspired Mic would not be here today.

So please, come out Thursday evening, join in the fun of an Inspired Mic and the excellent food and service from Hidden Treasures. Here is a link to the Ticket Purchase page: Inspired Mic Tickets.

Remember, we will have a raffle at the end of the evening! We look forward to seeing you there!

Skye Taylor – Inspired Mic Spotlight November 8, 2018

Posted on by November 5, 2018
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SKYE TAYLOR

“Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body. But rather, to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming …. WOW what a ride.”  ― Mark Frost, The Match: The Day the Game of Golf Changed Forever

With this as her guiding mantra, Skye Taylor has done her best to answer the door and step boldly through it whenever adventure knocks. Along the way, she’s raised four kids, coached gymnastics, and dressed up in period costume to saunter down St George Street in historic St Augustine. She learned how to jump out of perfectly good airplanes and joined the Peace Corps in her 50s, and has so far traveled through 26 states (lived in 8) and 16 countries where she’s enjoyed such adventurous pursuits as hiking on glaciers in New Zealand, swimming with humpback whales and into underwater caves in the South Pacific, climbing volcanic mountains and lounging in hot springs fed by those volcanoes in Niua Fo’ou, Tonga. She’s explored 2000 year old ruins in Thailand and Vietnam and dozens of castles in Europe, and ridden in everything from Thai Tuktuks and elephants, helicopters and two seater airplanes, and kayaks and blue water sailboats. Her biggest problem now is the realization that her bucket list is so long she’ll surely run out of time to check everything off.

When she’s not off adventuring, Skye’s either walking the beach, trying to keep her to-be-read pile from taking over the house or busy writing her own novels. She is an award-winning author published in non-fiction, romance, mainstream and short stories. You can check out one of her short stories, Saving Just One, as well as essays about her life in the Peace Corps on her website at www.Skye-writer.com. Her most recent release is Keeping His Promise (https://amzn.to/2JDYkMl), the fifth book in her contemporary romance series, The Camerons of Tide’s Way (http://amzn.to/2kNIF0p) . All her books are featured on her website and can be purchased through Amazon.com in print and Kindle and all other e-book platforms.

Her Amazon Central page: https://www.amazon.com/Skye-Taylor/e/B008BT8ZNG/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1541444416&sr=1-2

Facebook: skyewriter2

Twitter: @skyewriter22

All Author: https://allauthor.com/profile/skyewriter/

On Thursday at the Inspired Mic, Skye will be sharing the adventure that inspired her historical novel, Iain’s Plaid (http://amzn.to/2q3TI3C) which will be on sale for anyone who wishes to find out how it ends.

Some Days Simply Surprise You…

Posted on by October 31, 2018
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The night of October 11th delivered quite the special evening at The Inspired Mic. I’m just now compiling some of the video from various sources. This one came in as a complete surprise. Mystic Mel is not only a gracious and amazing performer, writer, and magician, I count Mel as a dear friend. Despite dyslexia, Mel wrote a wonderful book titled, “Behind the Eight Ball – The Misadventures of Mystic Mel.”

The title of his book is a hyperlink directly connected to Barnes and Noble’s website where you may purchase a copy. This is a tiny gesture on my part for a life altering gesture on his. Mel recorded the following video which for me stands as one of two instances when I became “spotlighted at The Inspired Mic which have meant the world to me. The other was on my birthday at The Europa when Becky Pourchot presented me with a birthday poem. Unfortunately, I fear Becky’s video is lost forever because I’ve not found a recording of her performance. I had believed my sister’s introduction was not captured on video until Mel sent me this yesterday.

Thank you Mel for exemplifying what being an awesome friend means and thank you sis for the decades we’ve spent lifting each other up. Life is amazing my friends. When we take the time to live life rather than distract ourselves from its beauty, that’s when we come closest to joy.

For those who attended the October 11th Inspired Mic in St. Augustine, what a beautiful evening, eh? Let’s enjoy more of those. I’m looking for a few presenters for November 8th. Please step up and reveal your talent to the world…get on stage and present at The Inspired Mic. Email me at TheInspiredMic@gmail.com

Thank you Nancy… (and Mel) for this…

Bill Cummins at The Inspired Mic – St. Augustine This Thursday!

Posted on by September 26, 2018
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Bill Cummins Story

William A. (Bill) Cummins the Humble Cowboy is a Trick Roper and a Stonecroft.org global ministry speaker. He and his sidekick Ann regularly perform at Stonecroft events throughout Florida. See video clip of his show on website: http://www.caipublishing.net

Bill is known as “America’s First Feed Bucket Philosopher.” His life demonstrates that “WHEN THE DREAM IS BIG ENOUGH THE FACTS DON’T COUNT.” Bill’s early dreams took him from a farm in Ohio to radio and stage as a singing cowboy and a 300 mile trip on horseback when he was 18.

During his teenage years, Bill trained a golden palomino stallion named King to perform on stage and talk to the audience. Bill would then entertain with trick-roping and sing with his western band. He headlined across the Midwest as “Smilin’ Bill and his Wonder Horse King” for several years and has been called a “LIVING LEGEND.”

At age 20 Bill met the Lord, left cowboy showbiz, and 9 years later was registered as a professional engineer. Bill is a Diplomate in the American Association of Environmental Engineers. Millions of people throughout the Midwest are safely drinking water today from the numerous water facilities he designed and managed.

During his career, Bill married, raised a family and filled many pulpits as a Methodist Lay Speaker. He and his wife, Ann, live in Port Orange, Florida and have 5 children, 11 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren. He is an award-winning author, publisher, and enrichment speaker.

Today, Bill brings the allure of trick-roping and the humor of Will Rogers to his shows with ole’ time cowboy yarns and hi-tech stories. Something the whole family can enjoy.

All of Bill’s books are made available worldwide by Ingram distributors:

  1. Bill’s first book, “LIFE IS SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED,” is considered a classic Marriage Handbook that guarantees your marriage will last a lifetime.
  2. His next book, “THE FORGOTTEN,” is filled with true foxhole stories by Korean War Veterans and won a Best Books Award. Bill regarded it so highly that he personally flew to Seoul and presented the first volume to the President of South Korea.
  3. “KING and the COWBOY” describes his complete showbiz act with ‘KING the Wonder Horse.’ It reveals horse training and riding tips never before revealed. One reader said, “Wild Bill, we loved the book and your wonderful insights. You lived and wrote of most every little boys dream.”
  4. “MANNA NOTES” written in 1959 by John Shephard brings you into the sonship of God every soul seeks. It was lived and released by Bill in 2016.
  5. Bill’s latest book, “The Lord’s Prayer Turned Inside Out,” teaches you how to bring the full gospel of Christ into every corner of your life on a daily basis.

Descriptions of Bill and his books are shown on website: http://www.caipublishing.net

The Inspired Mic Has a New Home in Palm Coast!

Posted on by September 23, 2018
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Hidden Treasure Raw Bar and Grill – The Inspired Mic’s new Flagler County Home!

As you may have read in the previous post on this site, The Inspired Mic launched its St. Augustine event on September 13th. Not only in attendance but also presenting were the owners of the past and present homes of The Inspired Mic. Carol Fisher, Alida Ferrena, and Gerry O’Hare all welcomed us into our new digs in St. Augustine.

Yes, we at The Inspired Mic were sad when Alida and Ambroz had to sell the Europa, but good things come with change. The Inspired Mic has been enthusiastically welcomed by Hidden Treasure Raw Bar and Grill just over the bridge in Flagler Beach! Just 5 minutes off I95, plenty of parking, delicious food, wonderful wait staff, and a room all to ourselves, Hidden Treasure looks to be an excellent fit for our event!

The Inspired Mic has added a couple of team members to assist in coordinating and producing this event each month. Liz Bouvia has joined forces with founder Michael Ray King. The two of us are working diligently to produce three events a month, two in St. Augustine and one in Flagler Beach/Palm Coast. As we progress and upgrade The Inspired Mic, new people will be added to the team. They will be highlighted once we have them in place!

Our excitement for the new venue at Hidden Treasure took us by surprise. As much as we loved the Europa (thank you Ambroz and Alida), Candi at Hidden Treasure has made us feel more than welcome and the room we have is more private than any we’ve had in the past.

We invite you to our first event at Hidden Treasure on October 18th at 6:00 pm for an eclectic entertainment event that only The Inspired Mic can pull off! Delicious food, excellent wait staff, enjoyable entertainment, and our end-of-the-evening raffle! Get your tickets today! Seating is limited! Here’s the link! The Inspired Mic Palm Coast Tickets

We will see you there!

 

The Inspired Mic Recap – September 13, 2018

Posted on by September 14, 2018
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Wow!

What a night! Our first foray into St. Augustine’s was a huge hit! We had around 60 people in attendance! For me, as an original founder of The Inspired Mic, I was humbled and honored that the restaurant owners from our past venues not only came to this Grand Opening event, they participated as presenters! Carol Fisher, who gave us our start in Flagler Beach in May of 2013 was there as was Alida Ferrena from the Europa in Palm Coast. Liz and I could not have felt more touched by this.

A wonderful photographer, Suzanne Caperton, shot quite a few pics of the event and shared them with me. I shall now share them with you as I recap the evening!

The Inspired Mic Stage at Borillo’s

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The lovely Liz Bouvia gets the evening started!

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Liz and I going over what The Inspired Mic is all about!

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A extremely accomplished musician, Borillo’s owner Gerry O’Hare kicks of our very first St. Augustine Inspired Mic with an excellent version of Sting’s “Fragile.” He would be the first of three restaurant hosts on the stage this night. The following is a snippet of his performance.

https://www.facebook.com/susanne.caperton/videos/10211697236897752/

 

Carol Fisher, past owner of the Beachhouse Beanery on A1A in Flagler Beach gave The Inspired Mic its first home. This night, as the second presenter of the evening, she presented a “Spoonerism” titled, “The Pea Little Thrigs!” Always an ear-bending experience, Carol’s Spoonerisms have entertained us for years.

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I don’t have a picture of Alida Ferrena on the stage but she is at the first table in this picture watching Mystic Mel do his thing! Alida and her brother Ambroz supported The Inspired Mic so much, I was revitalized by the time we were able to spend there at their restaurant, the Europa. Truly people who support the arts, again, Liz and I are so touched that she came to this inaugural event!

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Steve Boone of Lovin’ Spoonful fame, first came to The Inspired Mic in 2014. He’s been an amazing supporter of our event. For someone whose been on huge stages and hung out with the Beatles and many other rock n rollers, as well as the Lovin’ Spoonful’s 9 top-twenty hits in three years, his support and compliments for The Inspired Mic makes us feel awesome! Steve did a masterful job of telling a story and leaving the stage with an amazing plug for his book, “Hotter Than a Matchhead.” We look forward to hearing more from Steve in the future!

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Laura Schwalm did an tremendous job of “reading” various audience members. As  a Master Psychic Healer, she’s known as a “Pure Energy Hearler.” Laura was dynamic, engaging, and she had us all mesmerized by her energy. She is also a featured presenter for September on this site. Please check the previous post for more information on who she is and what she does!

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Susan Slater first came to The Inspired Mic back in 2014. She has presented numerous times before, and I believe at each one of our hosting venues. Susan’s new book, “Under a Mulberry Moon” just recently came out. The book setting is St. Augustine therefore this venue was an appropriate place to let folks know about her new effort. Susan is always delightful and engaging as a presenter and it was so nice to see her again at The Inspired Mic.

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We switched the lineup and placed John Brady up next so Mystic Mel could assemble his magic show. John always brings his stories, this one about the perfect way to get revenge on his wife of 50 years even though he had never won a single argument in all that time. John loves to play his stories to an audience off-the-cuff which makes the presentation even more inviting.

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Yes, same pic. This is Mystic Mel on the stage telling a story from his excellent book, “Behind the Eight Ball – The Misadventures of Mystic Mel.” Mel loves to incorporate humor into his speaking and magic. He pulled the humor off with practiced expertise and had us all laughing! Mel is always a joy to hear and watch. If you get the chance, you should catch him when he’s out there performing! His book is AWESOME as well!

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Phil King came up next and read from his newest book, “Rising Love: A Spiritual Journey.” Phil is not only a writer but a professional photographer as well. This was his first time presenting on The Inspired Mic stage. We don’t have a picture of him on the stage but you can see him in the picture above on the far left just behind Judy Weber who is wearing the white visor.

I’m going to use the same picture above for Dana Gregory. She is sitting back under the umbrella on the right in the blue blouse. Dana brought many of us to tears with a heart-wrenching description of why she is involved so much with her creativity and the mission she is on.Her presentation grabbed our hearts. Dana exemplified one of the main reasons The Inspired Mic exists and thrives. When people take the vulnerable risk to tell the world their truth, good things happen.

Michelle Emberton took the stage next and reprised a song she sung at August’s Inspired Mic at the Europa in Palm Coast. This is an original song and Michelle is learning to conquer her fear of the stage. Again, Michelle, like Dana, exemplifies the intent and mission of The Inspired Mic. Michelle has a beautiful voice, and the lyrics to this song can bring you to tears. She continues to improve and her voice is beginning to outshine the butterflies. I’m excited to hear her again.

https://www.facebook.com/susanne.caperton/videos/10211696622762399/

Jackie Dobrosky came up next and gave a wonderful speech about “Aging with Passion.” Jackie’s first book, “My Unexpected Journey” has her speaking and exhorting people to recognize that no matter what you’ve been through, if you’re still breathing, there is still something wonderful for your life to accomplish. Reading her book is a picture of incredible hardship, seemingly insurmountable, yet there she is, on The Inspired Mic’s stage, inspiring others to live in the moment.

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Robin Soprano let it out of the bag that I twisted her arm to be a presenter! LOL! Guilty as charged. Since she was coming anyway, I told her this would be a great time to read something from one of her books. She chose “Gypsy’s Gift” which is a touching story about a dog who helps his human friend pass over on his death bed. Robin did a wonderful job of presenting a section of the story without giving away the ending. Robin can be seen looking at the camera just over Phil King’s head.

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I am reticent to include this next photograph, only because it is of me and I cringe at the sight, but I want to give a shout out to Suzanne Caperton who took these wonderful pictures and shared them with me. This shot shows off how talented she is. She also has an incredible singing voice and is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. A very positive lady, The Inspired Mic is grateful for her contribution to our first ever St. Augustine Inspired Mic! This is a night we will never forget. Thanks to Suzanne, we have some wonderful pictorial prompts as well as the two videos she recorded to help us with our memories.

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Our next Inspired Mic at Borillo’s will be Thursday, September 27th at 6:00 pm. If you’re planning to attend, I HIGHLY recommend you consider staying after The Inspired Mic ends at 9:00 pm for the After the Mic Jams. We run this in a true “open mic” format. We had some amazing musicians perform up to 11:00 pm. Here’s one young lady named Brittany who did an incredible version of “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” that rocked my world!

https://www.facebook.com/MichaelRayKing/videos/10156694849607140/