Monday, May 30, 2011

Crashville...

When I moved to Nashville I knew that to stay here I would have to have family here, my own or start a new one.  I had been here a while.  I can't even begin to tell the things I have been through since arriving here in 2002 (spiritual and otherwise) with cd in hand, except to say that I am a different person than when I arrived.  The worst of times led me to the best thing I have ever done, which was turn over my life to Jesus in a car after church one Sunday.  I couldn't control my life any more (evidently wasn't doing a very good job anyway) and I gave up and gave in to God's will.   Not that anything became easier after that!  But that was the start.

Let's just say, the business of music is not easy.  Ask me sometime and I'll tell you, too much to mention here... But when I wrote the song "Love & Roses" I felt like I was dying.  I literally felt like I had depleted all my resources within my body and around me.  With a broken band, broken friendships, a broken house and a broken heart, I gave up on Nashville.

I sold my house (the DAY before the flood), put everything I owned in storage.   I was supposed to move into another house and that didn't work out.  So I was going to take a month off and then start renting a house and that didn't work out.  Then I got a job in Atlanta, so I took it.  I didn't really know what I was going to do.  I told God I'd do whatever He wanted me to if He would just speak loud enough for me to hear. 

I was working at a clothing store in Virginia Highlands, I told myself it would be great experience if I ever decided to open a store.  But it was just a job.  I was awake in the middle of the night, sleeping on my parents couch, and I started praying.  I raised my hands and asked God to give me work for my hands, I don't know exactly why I prayed this, except for feeling that I wanted to find my life's work!!  If it's not music, SHOW ME what it is?  The next MORNING at 11 am, my friend called me from Nashville with a job offer.  It was a great job, part time flexible hours, so I could still write and pursue music.  (It was her old job and she had just got offered a job as the assistant to a pastor at a big church in Nashville).  If I wanted the job I had to move back and start in 2 weeks.  The job? (and remember my prayer for "work for my hands") Cleaning!!!!!!!  Ha!  Don't tell me God doesn't have a sense of humor... And also shopping, organizing, working with landcapers, computer people, decorating, cooking, buying his Christmas tree, decorating it, taking dog to the vet, anything the doctor wants me to do... The job is "house manager" for a doctor.  Anyway, every time I'm cleaning I have to laugh at that.  And that I told God I would do anything He asked me to do.  I think He was testing me, but I'm not going to let Him down.

So I interviewed with the doctor, got the job, and moved back to Nashville last October.

Why did God bring me back here?  I don't know.  I'm just showing up, suiting up and waiting...  I think God wants to teach me about patience as well, I never was good at that. 

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Guilty pleasure? or best show on TV...

Why Dancing With the Stars is the best show on TV

10. It reminds me of the family TV shows of yesteryear, when there was only ABC, CBS and NBC
9. (connected to 10) I know I will remember watching these shows when I'm 80... looking back...
8. Any age group can watch
7. They put on a GREAT show... Amazing dancing, Singers (Opera, Rock, R&B, Pop, Country) The guest judge from England said "Nobody does it (puts on a show) like the Americans"
6. I ususally cry at least ONCE every show
5. (connected to 6) Watching bodies move so beautifully to music and to the absolute limit of what they are capable of moves me
4. You see people transform by the beginning of the show to the end, not only psysically, emotionally... personally
3. The goal is to let it all hang out and leave it all on the floor... you won't win holding anything back and the energy they exude is incredible
2. You see extremely talented people from all different genres pushing themselves in ways they have never done before, you watch them step up... and they inspire you
1. Stevie Nicks just sang Landslide live

Monday, May 2, 2011

"New" quilts... just aren't the same are they

like love, they get more beautiful in time...


i feel like a patchwork quilt
like my grandma use to make
i don't have a lot of frills
one side's torn
and one side's stained
i've spent so much time
trying to hide these tattered colors
but when you came along
all that changed...








A few of my favorite things:
my grandmother's quilt and
my Bug Bella...
my <3
all wrapped up in one comfy, warm, chunky, little brindle package