Transformation of Fingers

Guitar playing does strange and wonderful things to the fingers. All those years that I wanted long beautiful nails, mine would never grow! Now, it seems they grow an inch every day and I am having to cut them every morning. The tips of my fingers on my left hand now have thick calluses and there is much more strength in my hands. Interesting, exciting, and scary, lots of hard work, quite a few tears, a few days of depression, is it worth it? You bet it is, I just want to become a good solid guitar player, that can keep up at a pickin' party, not embarrass myself or Rick or anyone else that we play with! I am a very long way from flawless, but it is sounding more like music and less like cats mating. Long practice session tonight, and I am a tired camper beginning to see light(or hear music) at the end of the tunnel. Good night and sweet dreams to you all.

Remember, it's never too late to listen to your heart and follow your dreams.

Pathways

Some days I look back at my life, and I am a little amazed at the pathways I have taken. All those paths have shaped me into who I am today. I wonder sometimes how different my life would have been if I had chosen different paths, made different choices. My life has been magical, I have met people, done things, visited places that many only dream about. Many times I am sure that my positive outlook has rubbed folks the wrong way, but I truly believe that we all travel our paths for a reason, no matter how hard or how difficult. Several years ago, I ran into an old friend who made the remark that I must not had endured many hardships because of how I looked and my positive outlook. As we began to talk, about the ups and downs that we both had gone through, hardships and illness and the passing of friends and family, he looked at me and said with amazement, well you have gone through the same things that everyone else has gone through. I laughed and agreed with him, but I proceeded to share with him my thoughts about how we really get out of life what we expect. Everyone has hard times, if we live long enough we all face illness, sadness, and the passing of those we love. But it's how we react to all of those experiences that shape us into who we are. We can let it all destroy us, make us bitter, and beaten or we can look for those fleeting rays of sunlight, hang onto those happy memories, and face each day with gratitude. This life is a journey, that we are to experience and learn from, and hopefully leave a little of ourselves as we pass through. I hope that my pathways have left a trail of compassion, a bit of hope, and a remembrance of love, and a few smiles and that maybe when I am gone, there will be some fond memories of me.

Whine Transformation

Ok, it is June in Alabama, I can now officially began my whine of summer. It is9:46pm, and it is 81 degrees here in Empire, Al. with humidity at around 75%. Yes, everything is green and lush, the flowers are blooming, our garden is thriving, but until you have lived here in June, July, August and usually September, well you have not experienced summer in the south. Today when we walked,

our labs would not even walk with us! The heat, comes on gradually, at first, you walk outside and think, oh it's warm and then, just like Crystal Hot Sauce, it gets warmer and warmer. The first 10 to 15 minutes, it's warm, but tolerable and then the humidity begins to envelope you. You notice there is stillness, no breeze......and then you realize your lungs are straining to get oxygen from the moisture laden air. You're drowning, and you're walking through the woods! So, there is sweat, but it does not evaporate from your skin, then there's the heat, and the gnats, walking becomes quite the adventure. We have had friends from the north, (like Nashville) and beyond who visit once during the summer and tell us they will be back in maybe November. Once we had friends who came to visit one August from New Hampshire, they stayed about an hour and decided to drive north again! So, I think it is fair that I began to whine, and after all it is only a whine that will last about 3 months. Maybe not that long, I am going to Colorado in a few weeks, I hear they have nice summers. Rick may get lucky, my summer whine may go away soon.

Foreign Lands

I have to renew by passport. I keep watching movies about Greece, I think I need to go there.

I love history, and I guess other than Iraq, Greece offers ancient history at its finest(and probably safest). I love rocky coasts, and crashing waves, old ruins, and people who have lived in the same place for centuries. Greece has been a place that I have dreamed of visiting since I was young, tops on that list was Ireland, then Prague, then Greece and Australia. Dreams of Ireland came from

knowing in my heart that was home, the other dreams came because of books and stories that I had read. I read about the sun bleached rocks and shores of the Greek Isles, of the food, and the music. And of course, the myths, and all the stories of Greek Civilization. It seems that the Irish and the Greek people learned their lessons well, that a good story, using your brain would serve you well through the ages. The birthplace of democracy, and the Olympic games, I really would like to go there. And Prague, well I want to go there for Christmas some day. To walk down those streets where beautiful ancient buildings stand, with snow flakes falling all around, to enter some majestic old church for Christmas eve service, that would be quite a Christmas. So if anyone out there would like to have a couple of American singer/songwriters come for a visit to Greece, or Prague, or Australia, just give us a call. As for Ireland, I keep hoping to see our friends there sooner, not later. First thing though, I have to renew my pass port. The first step in any transformation is usually a small one, like getting your pass port.

Transformation Meltdown

No blog entry last night, why? a slight transformation meltdown. I have been practicing guitar, trying to get my playing to the next level. Last night, the only way to describe the sounds coming out of my Taylor guitar, maybe two alley cats, a raccoon and drunk possum trying to get the last sardine out of the trap out back in the chicken house. It was horrible, I just wanted to set my guitar on fire and put it out of its misery! I have gone way past hitting the wall to maybe hitting the

basement floor. Tonight, I am taking a break, will get up early tomorrow and try again. Will keep you posted on my progress, and if you hear strange noises in your neighborhood, keep an eye out for me and my Taylor. It can't get any worse.

Sleep Transformation

Buddy the dog, was sick last night. Buddy didn't sleep, so I didn't sleep. Buddy spent the day napping today, not me. One of the things that I have noticed about not sleeping these days.....it is terrible. I remember a time when I could stay out all night, come home get dressed and go to work. Ha!!!! Those days are long gone. Now a sleepless night, and I am out for the day. I function, but not at 100%, maybe more like 25%. I swear, I almost fell asleep driving home this evening. Those pink pjs are calling out to me right now, Jordan just called and told me good night sweet dreams, so my friends, I am sending the same message to you all, Good night, Sweet Dreams.

Off day Transformation

I am off on Tuesdays. My plan is to always do something productive, and something fun, and to do something just for myself. Why is such a simple plan so hard to do? My off day gets eaten up by trips to the dentist, to the doc, cleaning house, doing laundry, grocery shopping, running errands, etc. This is not off day stuff!!!!! I so naively believed that a day off from work meant just that, that you could spend the day not working. So wrong, so very wrong. I cannot remember the last time I spent the day doing whatever I wanted to. Weekends are the same way, and the fastest 48 hours of the week happens between Saturday and Sunday. I get off on Fridays, close my eyes, and it is Monday all over again. My husband Rick, retired a couple of months ago, I am so envious of him! He stays busy, but it is doing what he wants to do, when he wants to do it. Even if I retired tomorrow, something tells me, I would not have the luxury of spending every day as I pleased. Once a week, I write out a list called What Do I Want, but I have come to realize that much of what is on my list will not be accomplished until 1. I become extremely self-centered and tell the rest of the world to go fly a kite 2. win the lottery 3. hire a maid, cook, driver, maybe a therapist and a cute cabana boy( oh wait I don't have a cabana)

4. quit my job (and have no money) or take it all in stride, forget about shaving my legs or doing my nails, or reading a book .......... and just breathe.