The Bottle Flu & Near ~ Two songs by John S. Crocker

Thanks John for the lively entertainment at our fifth community vegan/vegetarian potluck. I uploaded my first YouTube upload. **giggling** We managed to get about five or six videos on our little Sony point and shoot camera. I am surprised how good they are. When I sent John's wife Mary a Facebook message telling her I was posting it on, the phone rang immediately. It was John and I was afraid he disapproved. He just wanted me to include his middle initial because there are so many John Crockers. :-)

Moonshadow ~ Cat Stevens

Jorma Kaukonen - Song for the north star

Saturday Winterfolk Surprise

Winterfolk 23, Portland, OR

As I left the office Friday, I mentioned I had no plans for the weekend other than do some cooking, reading, and relaxing. If it was dry at all, I'd get some work done out in the garden.  I received an email Friday afternoon informing me I had won a couple tickets to Winterfolk in Portland from KBOO Friday evening. That was a very nice surprise.  I entered a comment on their Facebook page for a drawing early Friday morning.  I didn't even remember doing it as I have done that so many times before without expecting to win. Now we had some plans. We headed to Portland in the afternoon Saturday. I got a chance to hit the Peoples Co-op and stock up on some needed items like vanilla beans, fresh tempeh, pure maple syrup, and some bulk grains and nuts. There are so many nice items in People's that I can buy in bulk that I either can't get in town or they are much more expensive.

We arrived at the theater about an hour before the show. There's a little bar and cafe next door with an entrance to the theater. We had a nice meal for about $25 and headed into the show. For people who had no plans, it turned out to be a lovely evening for the both of us. We bought a raffle ticket for the cause, and a chance to win a nice guitar.  The whole date was $35. 

I love folk music and I really like the Aladdin theater. It's small and accessible, never a problem parking, and it's a good place to go hear live music. We've seen a lot of musicians there. We've seen some famous people who've been writing music and singing their songs some as far back as the 50's. Many have been performing for 30-40 years. It's nice to hear them now and to hear the stories they tell about how the songs came to be written and what the motivations were at the time. It's a reminder to me that even with so much change, so many things remain the same. This night the performers were young and old, I believe Joe Hickerson may have been in his late seventies. He, we all, sang "Where have all the flowers Gone" and he's been singing his own version with three added verses since it was originally written. Many of the musicians Saturday night played songs written or performed by artists we've seen at the Aladdin, Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Cassidy, and Joan Baez. Winterfolk is an annual benefit for the Sisters of The Road Cafe. 

There were lots of wonderful musicians, three sessions with two different sets of performers each session.  The MC even got in a few songs. We heard: Tracy Grammer, Beth Wood, Dncan Phiilips with Kate MacLeod, Doug Wintch & Gigi Love, Tom May, Joe Hickerson, Chris Kokesh & Lincoln Crockett, and one of my favorites, Doug Smith.  His guitar sent me off to wonderful places.

Then and Now

I get to go back in time this weekend with some other 'children under 60'. Going to go see Al Stewart.

I saw this tour in the Bay Area in 1977, I think in San Fransisco. I probably thought the piano player was pretty hot. :0)



This is what we'll see this weekend, What FUN!



Love the acoustic version.

Bob Weir w Kingfish - San Gregorio 1989

While looking around for sites this morning for my blog I found a video from a benefit concert behind the San Gregorio store in may 1989.  We were there. I made about 50 gallons of my vegetarian chili and ran a booth selling tie dyed shirts.  Shirts my friends and I stayed up many nights dying ourselves. Scott was somewhere in this crowd as were many of our close friends. Our Marty was just two and Bob was eight at the time.  He was climbing the hills on the outer edge of the field with the other children. We gave him a bright red tie dyed shirt so we could spot him from a distance.  It was a fun day. This was in May 1989.  It was our last summer in California.  We moved to the northwest in October which has been home ever since.

So this is Christmas - John Lennon

A Favorite of mine.

The Uppity Blues Women - Bald Headed Blues

Felt like some Uppity Blues Women this evening.  Found this.....

Harvest Moon - Autumn Equinox at Once, a Rare and Beautiful Occurence

Super Harvest Moon

The moon was especially beautiful last night.

The Harvest Moon gets its name from agriculture. In the days before electric lights, farmers depended on bright moonlight to extend the workday beyond sunset. It was the only way they could gather their ripening crops in time for market. The full Moon closest to the autumnal equinox became "the Harvest Moon," and it was always a welcome sight.

Vacation "At Home" with Kaylee

I've been on vacation at home the last week enjoying the company of my six year old granddaughter.  We've made lots of good memories and I have lots of blogging material.  I just haven't had the time to sit down and do it.  I said aloud to my husband, that I was amazed at women who work and have small children to raise.  I even said "How do they do it?"  Oh yeah, I did that,duh!  Guess we just forget very quickly how much energy it takes.

I take a vacation 'at home' thinking I'll have some restful days of not getting up early and racing out of the house each morning.  I think I almost always work harder when I do this than go on a vacation adventure away from home.  I was actually looking forward to getting to work today to do some mind work and not move around so much.  Last week, besides learning how to live with a small child around, I canned and froze 27 lb of cherries, sweet red and Rainier, a flat of strawberries, a flat and a half of raspberries, a flat of blueberries, put away a pint of garlic cloves in olive oil, (the garlic is from the garden), and made some lavender oil for the first time.  All of these grown by local farmers and gardeners.  I picked the lavender myself in Port Angeles and Sequim.  I also put some herbs and onions to dry so I can use them during the cold weather when the garden is sleeping.

We started the vacation adventures on Friday with a few hours sleep, left at three a.m. driving three hours north to pick up our granddaughter.  We had an ETA of 6:00 a.m. so we could see her mom before she went to work.  We made it at 6:30 a.m., then on to the Edmonds Ferry to Kingston, and another hour or so drive to Sequim where we met up with Uncle Bill.  On the way to Sequim we stopped to take a short walk and stretch.  Kaylee was ready with her camera "let's go on a nature walk grandpa."  We were happy to oblige.  We weren't very far on our walk when we realized we were in an old private cemetery.  It was a very beautiful spot.  Very original, no two graves were alike.  This was a very special and beautiful spot. It was also at this place that it occurred to me that we had not been on a weekend trip together that didn't involve going to a penal institution since we were in Sequim in December. I was pointing out to Kaylee how a flower pod spreads it seeds with the help of the wind to plant more flowers in the forest when a sudden gush of love just rushed through me.  I almost lost my breath when I figured out where I was and what I was doing.  What a great way to start the weekend!

After a stop for a late breakfast and stroll through the farmer's market we were off to Port Angeles for a restful three days away from it all.  Our friend's up there have a very nice private spot on a hill overlooking the Straight of Juan de Fuca with plenty of room for Kaylee to run.  They've built a chicken coop and a pen for the rooster since we've been there last.  Kaylee had a great time running around with the chickens and she learned a thing or two about roosters.  He tends to chase children, she learned the word 'aggressive' rather quickly.  They got along well as long as he was in his pen.

Priscilla—"Queen" of Pristine Farms

Some of the younger girls

The older women have their own yard

I had free rein of the kitchen and the garden.  I so love just going up there and staying.  The guys go to the bay and fetch some fresh crab, I brought all the vegetables I had along with supplies I like to have when I cook.  I think the guys we visit, Ken, Allan, and Bill look forward to my strange and healthy way of preparing meals.  I always try to create something new for them to try.  After all, I get to go there and be comfortable in an atmosphere of love and beauty for nothing.  I don't mind cooking for everyone at all, in fact, I love it. I've been cooking with and for Bill and Scott for over 28 years now. We all used to be roommates in California.  Scott and Bill have been friends and brothers for over 45 years now. He is our family and I don't feel like 'company' up there. For those of us who share their love with food, at least I'm learning to do it in a healthy way.

Gotta have my favorite items to cook with

After the four hour drive home Monday, we were at the garden checking out the growth over the weekend.  Wednesday we went to a concert at the Zoo, a band from Africa.  That was something!  The music was good and very lively, but I think we came very close to group child abuse.  Just think, there were probably over 500 small children at the show and none of them got to go see animals.  It was a common question being asked by many short people, including the one we brought, as we left the zoo:  "Mommy, where were the animals, I wanted to see animals" Oops

Thursday night was music again at our local summer concert at the lake.  I was happy to hear Kaylee ask to just stay home this weekend.  We just about did that from Friday to Sunday except for our daily trips to the garden to weed and water. By the way, for those of you wondering what I feed her because we eat mostly vegan, I haven't changed anything because she is here.  She hasn't complained about anything we have offered her except one dish I made a little too spicy.  She has eaten the many raw or cooked fruit and veggies we eat daily and drank our nondairy milk and seems to like it as much as we do. I haven't turned on a television since she's been here either and she hasn't seemed to miss that either. I hope that doesn't change too soon.

Here she is  with a stewed cherry shortcake smile.

Joy

I love it that the cabbage look like big roses. :-)

I'm waiting anxiously like an excited little kid for my husband to come home in a few minutes so we can get out to the garden.  We didn't go yesterday and it is so funny that I miss it in only one day.  I have lots on my mind today and have wondering what I'd have to blog about.  When I realized the joy I just felt knowing that my best friend will be here soon and we can go do what we love, I figured out what to write about.  Joy!

I've posted this song before, but it is a song that makes me feel happy.  The people on the stage and in the crowd are our friends and family. Check out Mark Binyon on the piano. Whew!  We have danced many a night indoors and out to their music. Pescadero is where we had a son and began our life together. I am the girl at the local restaurantè in the song. It's the only country song they play and it's hard to get them to do it anymore.

Enjoy the day!

Secret Garden

What About Me - Quicksilver Messenger Service (1970)

Written 40 Years ago and relevant today.

The Song of Wandering Aengus

I WENT out to the hazel wood,

Because a fire was in my head,

And cut and peeled a hazel wand,

And hooked a berry to a thread;

And when white moths were on the wing,

And moth-like stars were flickering out,

I dropped the berry in a stream

And caught a little silver trout.

When I had laid it on the floor

I went to blow the fire a-flame,

But something rustled on the floor,

And someone called me by my name:

It had become a glimmering girl

With apple blossom in her hair

Who called me by my name and ran

And faded through the brightening air.

Though I am old with wandering

Through hollow lands and hilly lands,

I will find out where she has gone,

And kiss her lips and take her hands;

And walk among long dappled grass,

And pluck till time and times are done,

The silver apples of the moon,

The golden apples of the sun. 

W.B. Yeats (1865–1939). The Wind Among the Reeds. 1899.

Yep, Life is Good!

Day 1 of vacation is going great. I feel very relaxed right now. I have about a hour of peace and moving slow until I have to finish packing and get ready for the big road trip and this evening.

Last night we had the opportunity to see Mr. Gil Scott-Heron perform his blues-ology. Blues, stories, poetry, and important messages in each tune. Went with some friends who also enjoyed it as much as we did. I couldn't be sitting between anyone more fun for this event than I was, between my husband and my friend, Rachel, who lives and breathes poetry. Her husband was enjoying himself on the right of her, I could hear him say, "Yeah!" a few times. Bill was with us too. Nice to have had music plans in mind when he came to visit. The last two times we have taken people to see musicians we liked, they didn't like it. Both of those people were much younger than us though. It was kind of like going to see your parents' music, I understood. We like older musicians in small clubs. I like to say we go see people "Who used to be someone." Most of the crowd is usually our age with lots of gray ponytails. A good time was had by all. This song is called Winter in America. I liked it very much.

He looks a little different now. He called it "in disquise."

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This morning I started with a deep muscle massage. Yep, life is good. Bill and I had a nice leisurely lunch downtown. Something I don't do much of during the week. I always like to enjoy home on vacation too. We went out to the garden and planted four of the artichokes. I hope it's not too early. Artichokes are pretty hearty. They should do all right.

 

Tonight we have a date to do some more relaxation therapy. We are going to do some water tank therapy in Portland. We've been reading about it and thinking of doing this for awhile. It is supposed to relieve stress in your body by being completely weightless for awhile. This relieves any exertion the body is under including gravity which allows other parts of it to have some healing time. I can use all the help I can get these days. It helps with muscular aches and pains as well as depression. Massage in the a.m. and a good meditation in the evening. We don't have far to travel and relax for the rest of the evening with some tea and love. That should get me relaxed and ready for a week of travel. I leave for Tennessee at 7:00 a.m. I am excited about my trip, but also a little nervous of the world I am about to enter for a week. It will be different, but my sister and I do have fun together. I'll try my best to keep you up on my adventures. Better get finished packing now.  Yep, Life is Good!

Peace Friends!

The Uppity Women Blues Band

 I just got new reading glasses yesterday for the computer, a reminder that some parts are getting a little old. My new and improved bifocals will come sometime this week too. I didn't know I couldn't see well until the eye doctor pointed it out to me. So then, I noticed. It made work last week rather difficult. Maybe now my spelling will improve. I know I put these on and my eyes seemed to relax instantly. Woo Who!

Hot Tuna - Good Shepherd

The Rain Song

It is the springtime of my loving - the second season I am to know You are the sunlight in my growing - so little warmth I've felt before. It isn't hard to feel me glowing - I watched the fire that...

Vincent - Welcoming the day!

There's A Bright Side Somewhere - Hot Tuna