Summer Songwriting

Yikes, the children will be back in school...much too soon. Once upon a time, summer was a laid-back time of year. Vacation Bible School, summer camp, and life was easy.

Somehow it's graduated to full-tilt insanity, leaving me to greedily snatch moments here and there for songwriting. This photo, taken when temperatures were a bit cooler (and the sugar cane didn't yet peek over the road), represents hope....Hope that life will slow down just a bit, and let me take a few moments to write.

The writing that has been happening lately has been that disjointed "stuff" that keeps showing up. Chord changes. Melodies. Lyrics.

And none of them fit together.

I should be used to this. That's how I write...capture what appears in my brain, and the rest of the song will show up later (unless this is part of something that showed up a while back). Or at least, I hope it will. But lately I've been wondering. Did I sleep through the most recent offering? Did I miss something? Or did I lose it?

Who knows. You can't force the muse, and at times, I want to force the world into realizing that yes, I DO need time to write in order to stay sane. At the moment, it doesn't seem like sanity is in the picture.

And just for the record, that's Chardonnay in the glass. Funny how the setting sun gives it a Zin cast
.

Smells like summer.

Yes. It is indeed summer in the south. If you doubt for a moment, just inhale deeply. Fill your lungs with the heat and the intoxicating sweetness of Confederate Jasmine.

Somewhere in the background of scents, there's mimosa as well, and you can hear the bees buzzing. And the mosquitoes attacking every inch of your exposed skin.

Summer solstice lurks on the calendar. Solstice or no, the season is here, blooming in a frenzied riot of fragrance. It pushes through the doorway of spring, never mind if anyone is ready to receive it.

Meet Jane Jetson

It could be the best Mother's Day gift ever.

There has long been a ban on giving household appliances for things such as Mother's Day, Birthdays, Anniversaries, etc. However, I asked for this one. (OK, well, hinted strongly. I was prepared to beg, but I didn't have to; my daughter campaigned on my behalf).

I'd seen these Roombas--these little floor-cleaning robots--in catalogs. Did they work? Were they worth the money? Were they just another gadget to be used for a while, then left to linger on a shelf?

About a week before Mother's Day, a friend brought his by the house...and left it overnight. By the next day, we were sold. "Lowe's," he said. "99 bucks. I watched it all night last night."

I was delighted when, on Mother's Day morning, my bleary late-gig-the-night-before-eyes beheld this rotund little robot. My hubby said "I even charged it up for you." What a man!

So, Roomie (or Rhonda or Phoebe or whatever we're going to call it) has been chugging away off and on ever since. The cat hasn't quite decided what to make of it, and therefore does the catly thing: Pretends to ignore it.

The best thing is that it actually works!! And I love the fact that I have this robot cleaning my floors. It "learns" where it's been, and where it's "home" (charging station) is. Hopefully I won't come home one day to find that it's organized the toaster, microwave, washer and dryer for a coup.

In the meantime, I feel like Jane Jetson! Now, can I bring my kids to school like George did?

Berry, Berry Honored!

Wow! I am so BERRY honored!

http://berryqueensunite.blogspot.com/

I'll admit I've been a fan of the Sweet Potato Queens' books for years. How can you be a GRITS (Girl Raised In The South) and NOT be? Well, bless your poor little heart if you've never heard of 'em, and hie thyself to thy local bookstore and buy The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love. Yes, you can check it out from the library, but you'll want to own this one, so just call your locally owned bookstore, willya?

I recently met someone who is planning the First O-fficial (not to be confused with "official," OK? BIG dif...) Berry Queen's Ball and Pageant as a fundraiser for the Iberia Habitat for Humanity. I love the idea, and you can find out more at Jerre's blog above. Well, imagine my surprise when I found that BIG OVARIES by Blue Merlot is now one of the O-fficial Mantras of the Berry Queens!

Big hair, lots of bling and attitude.....the Berry Queens are truly women with BIG OVARIES! Kiss kiss!

Ring, ring, ring...

Hmmm....this looks like fun. My friend Ellen @Maxwell the Tattoed Boy sent me this one.....so here goes!

***Fracas created this game, and because only one person gets to play at a time, consider yourself a real fraccer! Here’s what you gotta do. See those 3 asterisks at the start of this paragraph? Copy from there to the three asterisks at the end of the post. Then, add your line and change one word. JUST ONE. It’s like playing the telephone game when we were little. Then tag ONE person and pass it on. If the game gets stalled at someone who doesn’t play, fracas takes it back and sends it on its way again. For playing, you get links… and you get to take this badge and display it with a link back to the telephone page so your readers get to see your contribution!

If you want to be part of it, please leave a comment at the telephone page at fracas and fracas will add you the next time it comes back around to her, but please don’t just start doing it yourself as that will ruin the proper flow.

1. Fracas - http://fracas.wordpress.com writes:
Never continue dating anyone who is rude to the waiter.

2. Mark @ Blogitude - http://www.blogitude.com/ writes:
Never continue dating anyone who is nude to the waiter.

3. Wiggy @ http://damewigginsoflee.wordpress.com writes:
Forever continue dating anyone who is nude to the waiter.

4. Froggy @ The Road Less Traveled - http://froglette79.wordpress.com writes:
Forever continue dating anyone who is nude under the waiter.

5. InTheFastLane@ That’s Life - http://thatslifev2.blogspot.com writes:
Forever continue dating anyone who is nude under the water.

6. Treadmillista @ Just Treadmilling Around - http://treadmillinginplace.blogspot.com/ writes:
Forever continue dating everyone who is nude under the water.

7. Christine @ Watch Me! No, Watch Me! - http://watchmenowatchme.blogspot.com/ writes:
Forever continue watching everyone who is nude under the water.

8. Candace @ not that i don’t love my kids - http://notthatidontlovemykids.blogspot.com/ writes:
Forever continue scratching everyone who is nude under the water.

9. Fracas @ fracas - http://fracas.wordpress.com writes:
Forever avoid scratching everyone who is nude under the water.

10. Bluepaintred @ Bluepaintred - http://www.bluepaintred.com writes:
Never avoid scratching everyone who is nude under the water.

11. Shelli @ Shelli’s Sentiments - http://shellis-sentiments.com writes:
Never avoid kissing everyone who is nude under the water.

12. Judy @ Sugar Queen’s Dream - http://sugar-queens-dream.blogspot.com/ writes:
Never avoid kissing everyone who is nude under the blankets.

13. Trish @ Not Your Typical Granny - http://notagranny.blogspot.com/ writes:
Never avoid spanking everyone who is nude under the blankets.

14. Amy @ Amy’s Musings - http://www.amysmusings.com/ writes:
Never try spanking everyone who is nude under the blankets.

15. Tense @ A Tense Teacher - http://tenseteacher.net/ writes:
Never try shagging everyone who is nude under the blankets.

16. Chili @ The Blue Door - http://theinnerdoor.wordpress.com/ writes:
Certainly try shagging everyone who is nude under the blankets.

17. O’Mama @ Life and Times of Organic Mama - http://thebluetwin.wordpress.com/ writes:
Certainly try shagging everyone who is nude under the bleachers.

18. Grammar Snob @ Grammar Snob - http://amylynn1313.blogspot.com/ writes:
Certainly try judging everyone who is nude under the bleachers.

19. Prof. J. @ Professor J’s Place - http://professorjsplace.blogspot.com/ writes:
Certainly try judging everyone who is rude under the bleachers.

20. Shrieking Lizzy @ Shriekinglizzy’s new digs - http://shriekinglizzy.multiply.com/ writes:
Certainly try juggling everyone who is rude under the bleachers.

21. Fracas @ Fracas - http://fracas.wordpress.com writes:
Certainly try ignoring everyone who is rude under the bleachers.

22. Linda @ At Linda’s - http://atLindas.com writes:
Certainly try ignoring everyone who is shagging under the bleachers.

23. Rotus @ Rotus - http://rotus.wordpress.com writes:
Certainly try joining everyone who is shagging under the bleachers.

24. Linky Love @ Add Your Link - http://www.linkylove.net writes:
Certainly try joining everyone who is linking under the bleachers.

25. Fracas @ Fracas - http://fracas.wordpress.com/read/telephone/ writes:
Certainly try joining everyone who is leaking under the bleachers.

26. JD @ I Do Things - http://idothings.info/ writes:
Certainly try drying everyone who is leaking under the bleachers.

27. Jeff @ View From The Cloud - http://www.viewfromthecloud.com/ writes:
Certainly try drying everyone who is moist under the bleachers.

28. Pat @ Annoyingly Boring - http://patglennon.net/ writes:
Australians try drying everyone who is moist under the bleachers.

29. Fracas @ Fracas - http://fracas.wordpress.com writes:
Australians try drying everyone who is moist under the barbie.

30. Carrie @ Chocolate The Other white Meat - http://chocolatetheotherwhitemeat.blogspot.com/ writes:
Australians try frying everyone who is moist under the barbie.

31. momhuebert @ Chocolate After Supper - http://chocolateaftersupper.blogspot.com/ writes:
Australians try frying everyone who is caught under the barbie.

32. Fracas @ Fracas - http://fracas.wordpress.com writes:
Paparazzi try frying everyone who is caught under the barbie.

33. Elle @ Maxwell The Tattooed Boy - http://elle3belle.blogspot.com writes:
Paparazzi try frying everyone who is caught under naked barbie.

34. Bren@ Blue Swamp Mama
Paparazzi adore frying everyone who is caught under naked barbie.

Next? Hmmm......let's see now, tag.........

So many strings....

I love these guitars. That bears repeating: I love, love, love these guitars. I love the harmonics that you get with a 12 string. The Ovation is a model 1866 acoustic-electric; the Luna is a solid-body Pandora electric. I also play an Ovation thin-body 6 string acoustic-electric. I like the Ovation shape - it fits my body, is very playable, and the guitars sound great, plugged or unplugged.

the Luna Pandora solid-body 12 string electric is an amazing instrument; lightweight, extremely playable, a great neck size, and a great sound. The sound tends to be very homogenous; it's a really fat sound with just enough of those great 12-string harmonics singing to make it I play it more than the Ovation; it's perfect for gigs. Besides, it's PURPLE!!!

There's something about the sound of these wonderful instruments that seem to inspire new songs, new instrumentals, new musical ideas - especially the Luna. I don't know why, but when I start "noodling," fun things start to happen. Things like that happen when there is an ideal fit between the musician and the instrument, and there is certainly a beautiful fit here.

Funny how some "tools" become the inspiration for your art. So remember that the next time you hear some instrument calling your name......or some new, huge canvas and new brushes... or a new lens for your camera, etc....that it could be the tool is the right inspiration for you as an artist at this time.

Sometimes I try to analyze such concepts. But it's more fun to just sit and play!

Just Ducky!

OK, it's Earth Day. So, I figured I'd post a little environmental news. There's a pond behind my house. I live in the country, where I grew up, and The Pond has always been there, a source of peace, beauty, and fish. Lately, The Pond has turned into a habitat for ducks. Nothing new here, it's happened before; The Pond attracts alligators, turtles and everything (and I do mean everything) in between, including some blue point crabs that moved in after Rita and hung around for quite a while.

But....ducks. The most natural denizens of such an environment. A perfectly placid, peaceful plateau in the pristine pond... (arf. Sorry.)

When MamaDuck moved into The Pond a few months ago, we were all happy to have her here. My brother Greg was inspired to furnish her with a ready-made family, as she didn't have a Romeo Daddy Duck around to actually DO anything about those eggs (quack me, baby!) she insisted on laying. Four ducklings were imported from the local Ducks-R-Us, and housed in the rabbitless rabbit hutch for several weeks so as to keep them safe from roving raccoons and the dogs.

Finally, the Great Duck Day arrived! The ducklings were deemed "Ready to Launch." We all looked forward to having the ducks in The Pond, where we could watch them daily and quack-commune with them.

You've heard of the saying "he took to it like a duck to water?" Yes? Well..... the ducklings were introduced to the pond. Adults and assorted young'uns gathered to watch the Launching of the Ducks! What excitement as the ducks were introduced to their natural habitat! Did they take it it like...uh....well, a duck takes to water?

Each duck took one look at its surroundings, plopped into the water...and RAN OUT.

Now, I've gone swimming in that pond when I was younger and more foolish (and there were no crabs then, just a few water moccasins minding their own business). Yes, it's a bit murky, but it IS fresh, clean water. But how dare these ducks turn up their beaks at this lovely setting! Ingrateful creatures, to web their beaks at the lovely environment (and upbringing) that Greg had so thoughtfully provided for them!

The ducks ran to the corner of The Pond, hiding under the rabbit hutch. We let them be.

About an hour or so later, the ducks had found a new spot. Seems they like chlorine. My grandmother would have called them "high class ducks," as they seem to prefer the pool.....and there they sit, like - you guessed it - sitting ducks.

How this fits in with Earth Day, I'm not sure. But the ducks are happy.