Friday 28 September 2012

Lover of the Light - Mumford & Sons

  Another grand finale to a gorgeous week!
  In truth I don't remember where the days began and ended; they all seemed somehow to blur into the next.  It may have been the race to get to try-outs, taking care of the priorities on my list, or the stomach flu that took me out for two days.  It really matters little in the end.  
  This album appeared in my inbox this week! It was so delightfully delicious and anticipated, I got up early to download it!  This selection is my favorite so far, though I have had moments of serious waffling about that, because with each listen I fall more deeply in love! 
  I'm not sure which I love more, the lyrics or their purposeful commitment to filling each song with just the right amount of spirit.  These fellows obviously love what they do, if they didn't their music would fall flat and watching them perform would be lackluster.
  Thankfully their commitment and heart is not something I believe needs to be questioned!  Can you tell I'm smitten?
  I know I ramble on about music likely too much, but this one will have me rambling for a long, long while!
  Each time I hear one of their songs it hits me in a new area, with new purposes and intent, and that isn't even attempting to explain how emotionally carried away and involved I feel.
  This isn't my favorite clip of the song, though it is live and will give you an idea of how passionate and committed their performances are.
  The end cuts off a bit and sadly, as that is my favorite part at the moment, it doesn't give you same climactic finish as others will.  Nonetheless, it's worth a moment of your time, and a revisit after that!
  So now you know I'm helplessly in love, heavily inspired, and feeling in desperate need to move my feet and sing along with abandon as though I were the fifth member of this insanely talented team.  
  My challenge to you is: I dare you to have a listen and feel nothing!
  Good luck with that.....hahahahaha!
  





Wednesday 26 September 2012

Mid-week Confessions

  Let me tell you a story.
  It was early in summer, the sun was already gruelingly hot, so I did my best to keep the boys busy in the morning, so we could hide from the sun during it's peak hours.  It had been a while since I'd seen this particular girlfriend and I thought I'd take the boys on an adventure.
  We set out and quickly covered the .57 miles from our front door to hers.  She lives in a different area of town than we do and for some reason this excited the children.  We'd never brought them there, mostly because they only recently had their first child, and entertaining our boys was a task that their toyless home wasn't up for.
  We had a wonderful visit, and the boys were entertained, which was a great relief.  I had been sharing with her that the summer was difficult for me because there was no real time to sit down and do any productive writing.  That is when she suggested I start a blog.
  I'd never considered it before, and honestly I knew very little about the whole blogosphere.  What did I really have to say that anyone would care about?  That was my question.  She argued I had a lot to say and that our conversation always left her inspired.  It was a great compliment, and it got me thinking.  Maybe I could do it.  It would be a good outlet to write small bits here and there, whenever I felt the chaos of summer slowing carrying me out to sea.
  So I did it.  I spent a day or two doing research, a few more stressing out about what I was doing and why I thought I could do this, or had a voice at all.  And in the end I hit publish on my first offering, realizing it didn't matter if anyone saw it at all, because it was going to fill a whole in my life.
 
  Here's my truth. 
  I don't take beautiful pictures (my technology isn't even up for it).  I don't want to share every recipe I test out at home, though I am excited about each one, and I will admit I am a rather fabulous cook.  I'm not fashionable, and I don't think anyone wants pointed advice, though I have shared what I'm working on in my own life. 
  I'm not a do-it-yourselfer who can't wait to share her projects, though I often have one on the go.  I'm not a self-help guru who wishes to lend the universe my take on keeping-the-balls-in-the-air.  I have no quick fixes to offer you concerning your health woes.
  I'm a woman who loves to write.  I'll say it again, I love to write.  I love floating through new places, creating and getting to know new friends.  I love watching their story evolve, and I love the feeling when the words flow from my fingers so fluidly I can't move them quick enough.  I giggle often during my work, especially when I find a way to work through an obstacle that has been blocking my way, or I find the dialogue clever.
  I love feeling productive while I write.  But summer wasn't a time of productivity for me.  With a continuous flow of activities it was impossible to sit down and set my mind on business.  So this place seemed like the perfect solution.  I could be creative in small doses and not be neglectful of my duties.
  I loved what this home offered me and I hope to continue to evolve and make it more me.  But now that I'm able to focus on the writing that tickles my mind and begs for attention, I'm ready to get back to it.  I have a story in my heart that needs to be told.
  That doesn't mean I'm ready to abandon my own thoughts and the outlet I've found here.  It just means that it might be different.  Then again it might not be?  I guess it will depend on how distracted I become with my BIG project.  Maybe I'll find myself sharing more than just the music from my projects here, I suppose time will tell.

 

Monday 24 September 2012

Sara Bareilles performs Uncharted in the PST Live Lounge


Hello there!

A new week, (sigh)!
  I think I'm going to mix up the routine this week.  I've got so many bits and bites racing through my jumbled mind that I don't really feel like making a solid decision at the moment.  So, I'm going to send you to music-ville later this week rather than today!
  How was the weekend?  
  I thought it couldn't have been better.  The colors that have sprung forth in the last week are beautiful, the sun has imparted warmth; enough to ward off severe chill, and I have felt like getting stuff done.
  All those bitsy things that were neglected through the summer because I was out taking advantage of the heat and enjoying all opportunity to savor a freezie, race through the sprinkler, and dig in my garden.  Things like washing the windows, cleaning out closets and hauling seasonal necessities to and fro, here and there, and from box to box.
  I've been slowly purging rooms.  It's amazing what that task can do to make you feel lighter.  I love looking into my closet and seeing a rainbow of color hanging neatly, the drawers and shelves stacked neatly and all those clothes that were relegated to the bottom of the pile tossed onto another pile to be taken away.  
  In the midst of the external tidy, do you ever wonder how you would look on the inside if you took a bit of time to examine the mess and clean it out there as well? I'll start with the easy ones-here are a few examples: that friend you owe an apology to, the coworker you need to ask forgiveness of, the habit you know is killing you that you really need to cut from your life.
  I've been doing some sweeping up on the inside, and I'll confess that it is not always easy to do these things.  The thing is, when it's done, when you've opened your hands and thrown that issue into the air, the fresh and new comes in and it's better.  So very much better!
  There are so many things I hold on to that hinder who I could be and the road I could be heading towards.  I don't want to fear my faults and forever drag around the messes I've made.  I want to clean it out, sweep it out so that the dust from the ugly bits don't stop me from really shining.  I want to be better, and the funny thing is, I know with a little work-I absolutely will be better.
  Oh man, I'm certainly no preacher...but I do know that a good thorough cleaning can truly change your perspective...and as perspective is something I've been pondering recently, I invite the challenge and I'm ready to tear away the bars that have got me trapped.
 Hmm, maybe there is a song for this after all!

Enjoy the challenge, and thanks for all your encouraging comments and emails.  They are much appreciated and ever humbling!



Friday 21 September 2012

Friday.....Friday.....Friday

   Do you remember the days when Friday meant fun, no more responsibility, friends, staying up late and sleeping even later the next day?
   Wow, do times change.
   The build up to Friday has changed...or has it?
   My favorite thing about Friday these days, in an ideal circumstance, is sitting down, enjoying a meal, having a glass of wine, and going to bed early.
   It looks drastically different from five years ago, ten years ago, fifteen years ago, and CRINGE, twenty.
   The funny thing is, though the plan has changed, the fundamentals have not.
   I still look forward to Friday and the end of a school week.
   I still look forward to less pressure Saturday morning.
   I still exhale deeply at 3:30 when school lets out.

   So what has changed?
   Me.
   Weekends in my mind have always been about recharging.  I don't mean laziness, lolling around in pajamas the entire time, but rather, having a less hectic, less immediate timetable to follow.
   I'm not one of those parents who believe programming my children to death is the answer. I'm the opposite actually, though I do find myself racing them around more than I'd like.  I also have to acknowledge that I was once a kid and always wanted something to do.  And if my memory serves me correctly, I was one of those kids that always had an event on the calendar.
   I know, and have been told countless times, that this season of life is short.  That I understand.  I'm able to look back and see how quickly my children have grown, how rapidly twenty years passes by.  I'm fully and on occasion painfully aware.  The thing is, I'm not sure the best way to weather the season I'm in.  I know some day soon, I won't get snuggles when I drop my kids off, they'll likely want me to drop them at the door and drive away quickly, so the association between us is minimized.  We've all been in that moment and the reality, though harsh, is nearly on my door step.
   I guess what I'm saying is, how do I keep my head above water, when lolling around in my pajamas or oh so comfy sweats, is simply not an option.
   How do I recharge and prepare for another week that has a packed schedule and is too often double booked?   
   How do I care for myself, when it is my primary job to care for everyone else?
   Is this a question that every mother asks?
  I'll acknowledge and openly confess, I'm terrible at caring for myself.  I sacrifice and volunteer myself until I think I may explode, and that moment is not pretty.  I feel guilty when I can't do it all for everyone, and at the same time I am upset with myself for believing I have to at all cost.  And that cost is almost always me. 
   I don't know if any of you out there find yourself in the same spinning boat as me, but if you are, I'm sorry, I understand your feelings. I want to say-give yourself a break, though it's never that easy.
   The best thing you can do for you, and for your family is take time for yourself.  
    A dear, sweet, and always knowledgeable friend shouted at me (with a flare of colorful language only she could pull off) through the telephone line this week.  She said nothing I hadn't heard before, but it was good to hear and the perfect timing of her words were effective.  (Thank you, lovely lady.  We must speak more often!)
   
   Okay, I need to wrap this up.
   I don't have the answers, obviously!  I probably won't find any way to minimize my over-scheduled life in the coming days, weeks, or months.  I'll survive.  I know this because I have been.
Sometimes we don't need things to change, we just need to know we're not the only one with the feelings.
Sometimes it's okay to say, "I can't" or "sorry, no", other times it's acceptable to cancel or reschedule.  
It's also more than alright, to sit quietly in the corner, to avoid the conversations buzzing around, if it means you can center yourself in the midst of the crazy-business that is your life.

   Hmm, so it's not a top ten and maybe it's all too much to start your weekend with, but it is what it is!  This weekend, I'm going to look for the simple in the crazy.  Maybe that means having a family sing along as we shuttle our young kings wherever they need to be, or a robot-dance-off, which isn't uncommon in Crazyville.  Next week, I'm going to skip out on my mother duties and treat myself to some time with my ladies.  
   I'm going to do my best to remind myself, I'm important too. 

Happy Happy Friday!
 

   

Wednesday 19 September 2012

Mid-Week Confessions

   I love sweatpants.
   Shocking I know!  Or if you know me, maybe not so much!
   I especially love my really old, worn in and stained grey pair.  They have long since been retired from being my "go to" pair, but there is just something about them that has me digging them up when I'm in the mood.  They don't flatter my figure, they definitely should not be worn out of the house, but bottom line....I don't care.
   It's a miserable day in my corner of the world.  The wind has the leaves swirling, the rain brought a chill that is unrelenting, and the grey of the clouds above have me seeking comfort and warmth.
   Hence, the sweatpants.  When you're chilled to the bone, you don't have a fireplace, you refuse to tear apart the closets in search of last winter's heating pad, and a mean stubborn streak won't relent and allow you to turn on the furnace, what else is left?
   I've wrapped myself in a pair sweatpants that is held together by shredded threads, a sweatshirt I couldn't part myself with 15 years ago when it went out of style, and a steaming cup of tea.
   I'm chilled through, yet I'm warmed by nostalgia; by the intangible moments my sentimental self clings.
   When I'm wrapped up in the goodness these old tattered pieces, I'm sure of a few things: I'm warm, I'm blessed, and I'm reminded of all the heaps of blessing God has placed in my life.
   The journey isn't always warm and fluffy.  There will be dark and miserable days, memories eye won't always bring to mind the good times, or highlights from your glory days.  
  Regardless of how many sequential days the rain falls and the cold descends, there is always beauty to be found.
   These sweatpants in themselves are no prize, they have long since stopped being special in any way, but what they bring me, fills me up.  Tell me they're not worth holding on to a while longer!
   Will you catch me wearing these sweats to pick up milk?  Not likely, I think I'll keep them as my own little secret, but the smile you see on my face may have come from those ugly threads.
   There is simple pleasures, reminders of the good, diamonds in the rough, beauty in the ashes, and on and on and on in every circumstance.  Dig a little....you'll find it!

Monday 17 September 2012

SavePartOfYourself.mp4



  Ahh, Monday, you've come round again!  Where shall I begin today?  Perhaps a bit about me is necessary today.
  I write.  It's what I want to believe my secondary calling is.  Maybe my third,
but who can keep track of it all!  It's what I do when I have a minute, it's what I think about--most of the time!
 I love, no it's more than love.  I adore my "imaginary" friends.  To me, they are real.  I've birthed them, I know everything there is to know about them, from where they've come, and how far along the journey they truly are.
  Does this make me crazy?   Maybe.  I'm more than alright with that.  Anyway...I'm inspired by everything around me.  What I see, what I listen to, and who I know; these all contributes to what my "friends" become.
  This song has helped me to understand one "friend's" journey.
   It's not always the words of the song that I take literally.  Sometimes it's the tune or what I hear inside of the sound, sometimes a feeling it gives me, sometimes it's memories from my own past that the lyrics bring to mind.  Whatever it is, I find my characters wrapped in a sound track that depicts who I've created them to be.
   Anyway, enough about me and my processes.....this is a good one for whatever reason you'd like to apply. So good I've decided to add a second selection.  This one is extra close to my heart at the moment.
Her soothing and artful voice, her ability to evoke something tangible inside of me, her delivery and the way she makes it look so easy, (though sharing a piece of yourself can be tricky and at times the farthest thing from easy). 
   For whatever the reason you listen to music, enjoy!



  


  

Friday 14 September 2012

Perk me up Friday!
 
 You ever drift through your day feeling as though you’re caught up in a fog? You’re not quite sure how you got from one place to the next, how the list you set out to tackle has grown shorter, and there is no definitive impression as to how or when you actually got those boxes ticked off?
  Well I’ve been feeling that way lately, like crazy. I’ve not been sleeping well, or some nights literally at all, for the past month. Apart from the obvious tired feeling, it’s exhausting to not sleep. My brain refuses to focus, my body feels like a floppy mess, I forget whole conversations, and though my eyes are focused on you when you speak, I’m likely somewhere else altogether.
  It’s a problem!
  I’ve tried as best as I can to stick as close to a daily routine as possible, but that has been a challenge.
  I’ve forced my jumbled, floppy-jalopy bones to exercise, not only to exhaust my weary muscles, but also to clear my overactive mind, and to do something that feels “normal”. To no avail though, my hands continue to wave in front of my face unseen as through a fog. Sleep has escaped my seeking grasp.
  So as a final and exasperated attempt at attaining those precious yet lost hours of floating through oblivion, I’ve gone extreme.
  I’ve tried. I repeat, I’ve tried, and failed miserably at cutting out caffeine.
  There are several “reasons” for this grand failure. Reasons is how I’m choosing to phrase it, because let’s be honest here (that is another thing I’ve been working on!) they’re all just neatly packaged excuses!

A slightly skewed Top Ten

Reasons it is hard to cut caffeine

~ holding the mug/paper cup/chilled plastic container in your hand is a treat in itself
~ my eyes don’t like to open in the morning without it
~ I’m making a statement to myself by turning the coffee on in the morning before I do anything else. What is that statement? I know you’re curious, and it is profound! I am important too! -- I’m not just your launderer, your own personal chef, your chauffer, your bank machine. Indeed I do all those things and so much more, but to start my day, though it is an action that will accomplish little, it reminds me that if I do nothing else for myself for the rest of the day, I was important enough to put myself first in that single instant.
~ it’s some sort of right of passage. It is available everywhere you go, and whether it be in a meeting, a casual gathering, while you wait for your oil to be changed, or sitting in the chair at your hairstylists, it is always offered. Can I mention as well how when the person next to you is holding a cup and you’re not, it’s all that you can think about
~ the headache that lingers days after you’ve had your last cup doesn’t seem worth it
~ it’s hot, and if you’ve chosen to live in the climate that I do, sometimes hot is the only thing that helps
~ it really smells good. Comforting, soothing, inviting, and consistent. I wonder if it can be compared to the friend that is always there, never judges, and forever perks you up when you need a bit of a boost
~ it changes with you as your mood desires. I’m a milk or cream kind of gal, but should you desire to spice it up, it’s as easy as a shake of cinnamon, a drop of syrup, or a dollop of whipped cream. The options are an endless and confusing list of choices, all of which likely hit the intended target with a vague perfection
~ I don’t really want to cut out caffeine…..I just want to sleep
~ It is plain and simple, good. It wakes me up and there’s nothing else like it. It’s one of my favorite things

Happy Friday!

Tuesday 11 September 2012

Well hello there!
  
   I feel myself slowly coming back.  It's a good thing, and about time too!  I'm going to brand myself boring with this next statement...I love routine.  More than that, I need it.  Summer schedules, or lack there of are always anticipated, but this creature of extreme habit functions all the better for having one.
   You say boring, I say efficient!  You ask- where's the spontaneity?  I say, I don't really care, it can be overrated!  You say uninspired, I say, No Way! (I'm making a corresponding face to go with that outcry!)   When I know what's coming at me, I know how to prepare, when I know how to prepare and how to budget my time, I am very pleased, which helps me to be on top of everything, ubber inspired, and ultra ready to pick up and do something crazy!
   So here's to inspiration and all the trouble it could get me into, all the joy it fills me with, and all the flexible ways I am able to express myself in...
   Today, people, I feel SO ready to face the world!

   This morning's inspiration smells like a warm and soothing pot of soup.  Fresh leeks, dill and potatoes from the garden looked so gratifying even before I diced, chopped and stirred.
   This afternoon the world is at my finger tips!  A hot cup of tea infused with a sliver of ginger, mint and lemon balm (also from my garden) will perk me up when I feel myself lagging, and hopefully if all goes well, my fingers will fly across the keys to create a new and fantastic world that my imagination cannot contain another minute!  (SIGH...)
Ahhh, routine!  You are my favorite!


Monday 10 September 2012

Kiss Me - Ed Sheeran



 Each week I feel like I'm scrambling to share with you my new favorites, unusual finds, or the latest thing that makes me smile and inspire me.  This guy isn't new anymore, at least not to me, but his brilliance needs to be addressed!
  I've been a huge fan of this kid for what seems like forever, I actually don't remember what music I liked before this guy!  This particular song is one of the highlighted favorites from my most recent project, and because I plan do to another round of editing on that monster piece of work, I thought I would let you in on what is going to help me slide into the mood! Also just so you know, I've never grown tired of his voice even if my play count has well exceed 100 on several tracks.
  Lyrically Ed Sheeran is a magician and I'm not going to lie, I want to dive into his brain and float for a while, get all pruny in the words of his mind . Once I've digested the words, when I feel like I can't soak it up any more, I want to feel the sweet melodies and harmonies he creates to make the words all the more powerful and memorable.  I would love to understand how he melts these two arts together so cohesively so, dare I say, perfectly!  Yep, I'm that much of a fan, and I haven't even mentioned his smooth as honey voice that almost never steps off pitch, how he sounds on his live tracks, or his ridiculous covers. 
  Have a quick listen.  Let these lovely words ease you into a new week and float you through Friday!

Friday 7 September 2012

Ten for the week!

1-Fresh homemade pesto, made from the tender basil sprouts I lovingly coaxed to maturity these past months.
2-School starts today! (I am dancing with pure joy!)
3-iTunes festival-tons of brilliant bands performing at your fingertips!
4-Amazing friends. You should all get superpower t-shirts printed to wear under your every day clothes because you all have remarkable powers!
5-I’m still hopelessly in love with the flag in the yard….can you imagine how many times a day the wind changes direction and how truly fascinating I find it?
6-Pretty shoes. There’s always a reason to adorn your feet!
7-The return of “the schedule”, huge sigh of relief coming from this mom, that’s for sure!
8-New duvet to curl up in when the night grows extra chilly.
9-The sound of rustling leaves and crackling fires!
10-Curry sandwiches. My new fall favorite!

   There you go! I didn’t think I could come up with ten again, I’ve thought that each time actually and it hasn’t been as hard as I anticipated.

   I’m looking forward to the weekend, I have grand plans to tackle a long list of projects that need to be tended before fall has vanished and winter is upon us! Ha! Speaking of…does anyone know how many days until Christmas?!

Happy Friday! Enjoy the Sun and be thankful for the simple!

Thursday 6 September 2012

A Different sort of music!
  
  Did any of you hear it last night or earlier this morning?  The announcement of fall flying overhead heralding it's arrival with it's less than glamorous, though poignantly welcoming HONK.
   That's right!  The geese have proclaimed the inevitable, summer is over!  That's not to say there won't be sun drenching warm days to come, or that you should pack away that itty bitty bikini till next year, but it would be a good idea to dig out your heavier knits and grab a pair of shoes that covers your toes!
   Autumn has always been my favorite, over the years I could tell you many different reasons for that, but more recently, I'll be honest and share with you a not so stealthy secret.  My brain tends to zero in on food, and fall has something on all the other seasons.  In spring I crave lighter fare that is citrusy and light tasting. In summer when it’s hot, I would rather not be bothered and could survive on whatever goodies I pick up from the fruit stand. But fall? It invites me in and asks me to stay a while; to linger and steep myself in its warmth. A deep-dish bowl of curry filled with pumpkin, squash, and zucchini. The colours we trust. The colours of warmth, of shedding leaves, of harvest, and fires in the hearth…..Ah, Autumn how you enchant me!

   You'll be listening for it now.  The simple sound of fall.  Take your cues from the flocks overhead who flee for warmer climate.  There is no better place to warm up your day than the kitchen...and if that's simply not your thing, layer up, grab a scarf, prepare a thermos, and head outside.  Use your senses.  Hear the crunching leaves, see the changes around you, smell the difference in the air!  It's worth the indulgence!
 

Wednesday 5 September 2012


 

 Honesty...

  I’m going to lay it out there, spew some thoughts that have been on the front of my mind recently.  If you had to guess the actual percentage of honesty people share with you, would it be a high percentage?  Somewhere in the middle maybe, or if you are a cynic, the percentage would slide much, much lower.  Who tells the truth?
  I began this lowly space with grand intentions.  The spectrum of what I imagined to share was broad, though I didn’t and still don’t want to follow someone else’s mold.  Mostly, I wanted an outlet to share what was on my mind.  Let me premise though that inside of that optimistic ideal, I never set out to offend, shock, or cause dissension.  Yet saying that causes me to stop my tapping fingers and ask: If I never do any of those things, with or without intention, am I really being honest?  How long can I live in this smoothly spinning sphere without hitting a few bumps, speeding or slowing the spin of my wheels, or heaven forbid having to stop, scrap the whole thing and start over, without being branded a nasty failure.
   Is it possible Simply Me has an alter ego called Nasty Me?  We all have our moments, don’t we?  We can deny it all we want, and though the act of denial doesn’t help us one small bit, it may stave off the wolves long enough for us to sort it all out and get it together.  Or at least that is the ideal we’ve used to convince ourselves.

   What am I talking about…..sometimes I get carried away and forget.

   What is honesty?  It might be easier if I gave you an idea of what honesty isn’t.  And this here I know is everyone’s truth.  Look out folks, Nasty Me is about to be unleashed.
   Honesty isn’t smiling while telling a friend you are fine, when they can clearly see you are not.
   Honesty isn’t sacrificing your own desires and wants for those around you repeatedly and without reciprocation….let’s face it, at some point everyone realized that you’d give in. It’s called being walked all over.
   Honesty is not remaining silent when you know you need to speak up.
   Honesty is not to say you’ll call a friend knowing full well you likely won’t.

    I understand fully that there is a time and place for everything.  I also know that the more you push your own honesty down beneath the surface, the more difficult it becomes to be you.  (I find myself lost in this cycle too often)  I also believe the usual first question we ask, how are you… incites the cycle to continue.  Straight away we put on a face to respond.  So why ask that particular question, especially if you’re addressing a minimal acquaintance.  Do you expect them to lay it all out in the aisle between the peanut butter and snack puddings?  It drives me crazy, yet I ask it too.
   Now, I’m also not saying go spill your guts to the world.  All those little secrets, the truth behind your lies laid out for every self-indulgent, gossipy, sloth to talk over in hushed whispers.  No.  That’s not what I’m saying.
   I’m merely wondering how much topical truth is out there.  The small things we say each day, not the big, dark, daunting skeletons in our closets.
   Jane Austen encompasses this truth so simply, so clearly, and so perfectly correct.  Seldom, very seldom, does complete truth belong to any human disclosure; seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised, or a little mistaken.
   Ahh, now that’s something isn’t it!
   So perhaps after spending an itty bitty chunk of time pondering this, you will put in a dime sized effort to be purposefully honest in your small disclosures.  Maybe you’ll just walk away from the screen believing Nasty Me has indeed lost it, is no longer lighthearted and fun.  Maybe nothing happens.  Maybe Nasty Me needs to come out and play more often?
   I’ll tell you, I’ve been thinking about honesty a lot lately, (and here’s a confession: I have a heap of work to do here too).  So I will do my utmost best to be honest.  Maybe that means deflecting the questions I can’t answer instead of blurring the lines.  Maybe that means avoiding the chatsters at the grocery shop, at school, work, or church.  Maybe that means streamlining what I deem acceptable conversation.  Maybe it means saying; I can’t talk about it, or putting the harsh reality out there by stating -- it’s none of your business.  I may just stand in one spot, look down at my lovely shoes and grin broadly when approached with that dreaded question- how are you?
   People will always want to know, they will always ask, you will find yourself repeatedly in a position to share a partial or lesser truth.  It's what we do.
   I’ve been challenging myself to be more….whatever that means.  I know it’s not a perfect world, and I know I fall so far below that bar that it’s embarrassing, but I won’t give up trying even if the going is insanely slow and painfully awkward.

   Good luck! 

Monday 3 September 2012

Ben Howard covers Call Me Maybe in the Live Lounge




 Hey all!

  I am going to assume that the long weekend has gone over a treat! Now here for your Monday morning listening pleasure is something I Love!
  Whether you want to deny you like the original song or not, this one will hopefully get you moving your head in a more chill, appreciative way!  Ben Howard took the song and made it sound like him, I respect that like crazy, and I think it`s genius!  I especially love the fun he appears to be having doing it!  The quick smirky-smile-laugh at 3:40ish......ah! love it!
  Enjoy! Maybe head over to your regular music page and check out his album....also just....ah!