Sunday, October 31, 2010

Weekend of music

What a fun music-filled weekend. Last Friday, Jackie Greene played at the Old Rock House (where they have been having some pretty interesting shows lately). The actor Jeff Daniels  is playing there tomorrow night. Who knew Jeff Daniels was a musician? I sure didn't. Below is a short clip from Jackie Greene's show.


Jackie Greene
On Saturday, The Incurables followed by Chuck Prophet played at Off Broadway. Both artists were great. I've seen The Incurables a couple times before and always love 'em but I was especially impressed with seeing Chuck Prophet for the first time. He's got a great stage presence and seems to genuinely enjoy himself and his audience.

The Incurables performing their song "Anytime Soon".

The Incurables
Jimmy Griffin of The Incurables...and Jake
Chuck Prophet
Chuck Prophet...and Mark
The short video below is a song by Chuck Prophet that drats! I couldn't finish due to my camera's memory running out.


To hear Chuck's song from the movie P.S., I Love You, click here:
Links:
St. Louis Old Rock House http://oldrockhouse.com/
Off Broadway http://offbroadwaystl.com/

a nice Autumn day

Fall is upon us. I like fall with all its orange, red, and brown colors. I like hearing and feeling the winds blow and watching the leaves twirl down to the ground. I like long drives in the fall; well, actually I like long drives period. But there's something about a good drive in the fall that just . . . feels good. Last Saturday, Mark and I drove to Cedar Lake Cellars in Wright City, MO, a beautiful place to go and enjoy a nice autumn day.   http://cedarlakewinery.com/








Monday, October 25, 2010

5 days with Jude

After spending 5 fun-filled days with Jude last week, I think I just may have the best grandson in the world. Not that I'm a little prejudiced or anything. :-)

Thursday, October 21, 2010

My baby's 30 today

Happy Birthday to my darling daughter Mandy who 30 years ago today made her way into this world and instantly brightened mine. What can I say about my first born child? My ever so serious baby who froze in fright whenever lifted up in the air. My fearful kindergartner who clung to my leg and looked up at me with big brown eyes that said "please take me home." My tenacious teenager who pushed herself to overcome inherent shyness. My so-much-braver-than-I daughter who moved away after college to a strange place, made a good life for herself, and never looked back. What can I say about Mandy? So many things. I can say that I'll never forget the first time I saw her scrunched up red face and thought she was the most beautiful baby in the world. I can say I'll never forget the feeling of reaching out to touch her for the first time. I can say that in all the years since then she has grown into a wonderful and caring person. I can say so many things about my daughter but most of all I can say that I love her from the very bottom of to the utmost tip of my heart. Happy 30TH Birthday Mandy!!!

Click to play this Smilebox greeting

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Happy dance

Oh yeah, granny's doin the happy dance. It's been a long time since I've stayed home to care for a baby, a really long time. But I'm happy and excited to be doing just that this week to spend some one on one time with my grandson Jude. It's gonna be great!

Saturday, October 16, 2010

A little visitor

Today I had a little visitor...a sleeping beauty, my grandson Jude. Just looking at him sleep makes me happy.


Friday, October 15, 2010

No worry wart here

I had a mini-conversation with my daughter the other day in which I told her I’m working on worrying less. “You are!!?? she said. “Yes!!!” I said, to which she sarcastically replied “so, are you worried about that?” I said “huh”? She said the way I answered “Yes!” sounded to her like I was worried about worrying less . . .or something like that. I don’t know; she lost me there somewhere...smartalec. I know I worry too much. No need for her to rub it in. I worry about my house. I worry about my yard. I worry about my pets. I worry about spiders. I worry about lost boots. I worry about my TV. I worry about my mom. I used to worry terribly about my dad. I worry about work. I worry about the economy. I worry about things that probably won't happen. I worry about things that can't happen. But my biggest worry of all, the gargantuan of all my worries, is about my kids (even though they're not "kids" anymore). I’ve worried about them all their lives. I’ll never completely stop worrying about them because that's what parents do. They worry. But with practice I can lessen the amount of it. Yes, I can. Hear me Emily? Yes, I can.

One side effect of worrying is giving advice. Yep, unwanted advice and plenty of it. My kids don't like it when I worry about them and they especially don't like it when I give them advice -- which they don't understand I only do because I worry about them. Some day they'll understand. Some day they too will feel the adrenalin rush of waking to a 2 AM phone call from their own child. Some day they'll be the one on the receiving end hoping and praying that everything is ok. Yessiree Bob, worrying is a vicious cycle and giving advice is sort of like spittin in the wind; it just blows back in your face. The four short sentences below (copied from a handy dandy self help book) hit it right on the nail. It gives the following tips to any parent considering giving advice to their adult children: 1) They Don’t Want It; 2) They Don’t Hear It; 3) They Resent It; 4) Don’t Give It.

How true, how true. Over the years my sage advice has gotten me more queer looks and eye rolls than I care to recall. Still it's hard to keep my two cents to myself; especially when I am, after all, the older and wiser one (my kids just think I'm old...and not all that wise). Stifling my advice and trusting their instincts isn't easy though. It's also not easy knowing they don't need me as much and I’m no longer the center of their universe even though in my heart they’re still the center of mine. I suppose that means they've truly grown up. It also means I can now worry less about them. I can let them live their own lives. And if they don't call often or make an effort to "keep me in the loop", I needn't worry. I have to remember I have good kids who will usually try and do the right thing ("usually" because, like me, they're not perfect). But they are good and I am proud of them and it's time I stop being a worry wart and concentrate on that. (Now if I could just stop worrying about spiders and stuff).

The following is an excerpt from an article I read recently. It basically says live your own life, not anyone else’s, including your children’s. It makes perfect sense to me. Wish I had written it myself.

Learning to let your grown children go. 
  1. Learn to listen to their problems without offering suggestions - unless nearly begged for information. And even then leave the ball in their court.
  2. Don't offer safety tips that you know work, because sometimes they don't work when they are done without faith.
  3. Allow them to bang their heads. Don't try to run ahead of them and take the blows of life's lessons.
  4. Accept their beliefs because they are theirs. Don't offer books for them to read. Instead, read the books and smile, knowing they will want to know why.
  5. Don't be available every time they need you.
  6. Feel as if they are on their journey, as you are on yours.
  7. Finally accept that they came through you and are really not yours to own. Don't feel responsible for their choices, be they the ones you would choose or not.
  8. Wake up not feeling any fear of accidents or trauma. You are now only a loving bystander.
  9. Still call just to say "hi" during a rainstorm. It makes you feel good to know if they are all safely in their homes. But if not, you are still okay.
Now, there's some sage advice.
*

Monday, October 11, 2010

Rest in peace Solomon Burke

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101011/ap_on_en_mu/eu_obit_solomon_burke_20


Valley of Tears
Song performed by Solomon Burke, David Rawlings, and Gillian Welch
(Thanks, Mark)


Everybody Needs Somebody to Love
Song written and performed by larger than life Solomon Burke and the Stones. (Mick wasn't quite sure what to do with the cloak)


Up to the Mountain
Beautiful and fitting song, written by Patty Griffin and performed by Solomon Burke

Friday, October 8, 2010

Elton sang it right

Sad songs do say so much.
Someone I know occasionally complains about my obsessive love for sad songs (as if that’s a bad thing?). ha! So what if I love what some refer to as depressing music? Sad songs allow us to express all kinds of human emotions: love, fear, grief, hope, desire, dreams, heartache, etc. What other type of songs can depict so much? In a way sad songs make me feel good. I know that probably sounds strange but maybe sometimes I need to feel a little down to feel up. Maybe there should be a little sadness now and then to make us notice and appreciate the happy times. Whatever the case, the list below includes some of my favorite "cheerless" songs. And, sorry Emily. No shake your booty music here. ;-)

Number 1 sad song
I Can’t Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt

Anyone who has ever loved and not been loved in return can painfully relate to this song.

Number 1 sad instrumental song
Midnight Cowboy Theme by John Barry

Maybe it's just the movie that makes this song seem so sad but whenever I hear it, it takes me back to Midnight Cowboy and the tragic characters of Joe Buck (Jon Voight) and his dying friend "Ratso" (Dustin Hoffman). They're finally escaping their dismal life in New York City by taking a long bus journey together to Florida. Ratso never makes it and when Joe notices his dear friend has died in his seat next to him he places his arm protectively around him and numbly stares out the window as row after row of palm trees go by. Haunting and heartbreaking.

To listen to some of the songs below, click here: http://whippoorwillsinging.blogspot.com/p/nancys-music-room.html)
These Eyes, Guess Who
Easy to Be Hard, Three Dog Night
Pieces of April, Three Dog Night
Hallelujah, Jeff Buckley
Lover You Should Have Come Over, Jeff Buckley
Mother, John Lennon
Hurt, Johnny Cash (Nine Inch Nails cover)
Mad World, Gary Jules
Drive, The Cars
Fast Car, Tracy Chapman
I Taught Myself How to Grow Old, Ryan Adams
Unplayed Piano, Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan
At Seventeen, Janice Ian
Birds, Neil Young (short, sad and sweet)
Colorblind, Counting Crows
Hard to Be, David Bazan
If It's The Beaches, The Avett Brothers
Whimper and Wail, The Wheel
I Feel Too Young To Die, South San Gabriel
Late for the Sky, Jackson Browne
Same Old Lang Syne, Dan Fogelberg
Black, Pearl Jam
Wild Horses, Rolling Stones
Fade Into You, Mazzy Star
Streets of Philadelphia, Bruce Springsteen
Philadelphia, Neil Young
Wise Up, Aimee Mann
Five Days in May, Blue Rodeo
I Can’t Tell You Why, Eagles
I See A Darkness, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
Beware of Darkness, George Harrison
Song for the Magpie, Sea Wolf
Flirted With You All My Life, Vic Chestnut
Crack A Smile, Jeff Tweedy
Who Will, Will Stratton
Headlong, The Frames
Take Me As I Am, Miles of Wire
A Slow Parade, AA Bondy
Famous Flower of Manhattan, The Avett Brothers
Everything Is Okay, The Everybodyfields
Impossible Germany, Wilco
How to Fight Loneliness, Wilco
The Lonely One, Wilco (Jeff Tweedy with Jay Bennett)
The Funeral, Serena Ryder & The Beauties (Band of Horses Cover)
Get Out Get Out Get Out, Jason Molina
[insert any song], Elliott Smith

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Go Rufus, eat that apple!

This is Rufus. He belongs to my nephew Josh. Rufus loves apples. He's got a cool name. I bet he can hear well too.





Monday, October 4, 2010

The National, love 'em or hate 'em

I love The National. I can’t decide which I love most, the slightly monotone/sad baritone voice of Matt Berninger, or his somber but strangely real lyrics. Though they have a lot of fans, The National is an acquired taste. The music they play is not for everyone. Most of their songs are a tad morose. They’re about fears and insecurities in personal relationships and about living in today’s society. Not happy feel good music. It may take listening one, two, or ten times to decide if you love ‘em or hate ‘em. People usually either get ‘em or they don’t. But if their music is given a chance and allowed to get in and simmer just under the skin, that’s all it takes. They’ve got you. Below is a small sampling of the music and fav lyrics that “got me”.

Slow Show

(love the steady drum beat, the piano, and especially the mental image of a man who wants to run home and put on a “slow dumb” show and crack her up… what a man ;))
Standing at the punch table swallowing punch
can’t pay attention to the sound of anyone
a little more stupid, a little more scared
every minute more unprepared

Cardinal Song
(my current fav song…oh the voice in this one, so sad and beautiful)
never tell the one you want that you do
save it for the deathbed
when you know you kept her wanting you

90-Mile Water Wall

(where, oh where is that elusive trap door trigger?)
so how could your hair
have the nerve to dance around like that, blowing
and how could the air
have the nerve to blow your hair around like that

Lucky You

(mistook this for a love song at first; it's not)
you coulda made a safer bet
but what you break is what you get
you wake up in the bed you make
I think you made a big mistake

About Today

(short on words and long on tragic strings)
How close am I to losing you

the man behind the voice, Tom Berninger
 
The National
  The National website: http://www.americanmary.com/

Friday, October 1, 2010

September Recap

The first day of October is here which means it's time for another recap of the month just passed. September highlights include:
  • Mandy's visit home to meet her new nephew
  • Mark's "create your own pizza" party to celebrate the occasion 
  • Mandy's attendance at the Kee family reunion for the first time in seven years
  • Little trip to Springfield with Mark to see a favorite musician, Alejandro Escovedo
  • A Saturday drive along the river road to Grafton's Loading Dock and my favorite spinach salad for lunch
  • Listening to music at the Alton Riverfront Amphitheater on a perfect weather night
  • Babysitting my wonderful grandson Jude, anytime
  • And finally seeing family I hadn't seen in a long time at cousin Binky's wedding reception
All in all, a very good month.


September by Earth, Wind & Fire