Help Me Choose My Songs! (Enriching the YOU)

A few years ago, around this time I believe (the pagan "new year"), I made a resolution to live my musical life more deeply. I've said before, music is such a strong part of my spiritual sense of Self; it's primordial to the core of ME. How sad that I would have let something so essential wane.

Last year I performed in public for the first time in years. It was scary and exhilarating and FUN. I was so fortunate to have such fabulous friends come out to support me.

It's time for me to suck in a deep breath and do it again.

Next Friday, November 8th, I'll be singing at JustUs! on Spring Garden between 7-8:30pm.

I have a confession though, I'm having a bit of trouble with my set list. It's just I have over 3 hours of songs in my repertoire... and I basically LOVE THEM ALL. (a bit of bias there). I just can't choose what to leave out and what to include. Weirdly, Andrew hasn't been that helpful... maybe it's because he's spent the last seven years listening to me sing...

That's where YOU come in. I need your help! Following are the list of songs that I'm considering. I would be ever so grateful if you would leave your top 5 (in order) that you would enjoy hearing in the comments section. Seriously, your input will help immensely!

MERCI!!!

(If you're in the 'fax next weekend, maybe you can pop in for your favourite song!)

Luka- Suzanne Vega
Hard to Make a Stand- Sheryl Crow
Secret Heart- Feist
Delicate- Damian Rice
Basement Apartment- Sarah Harmer
Hasn't Hit Me Yet- Blue Rodeo
Closer to Fine- The Indigo Girls
Have You Ever Seen the Rain- CCR
Don't Stop Believing- Journey
Somebody I used to know- Gotye
Right Through You- Alanis Morissette

Femmes-Action! Singing My Yoga

Typically not a fan of resolutions, (and I am definitely not a fan of 'The Secret') I do happen to love it when secret resolutions are accomplished.

This year my goal was to perform. I am so happy to say tomorrow will be my second performance in six months!

(me at JustUs! last summer!)

Last summer I performed at JustUs! Coffee House for two hours... it was fun and I had fabulous friends there to support me.

Tomorrow evening, in celebration of International Women's Day, I'll be performing in FRENCH for 20minutes as the closing act for 'Femmes-Actions'... Woo!

(Mon deuxième amour... ma guitare)

(le premier étant Andrew, of course!)

Alors, si vous êtes dans les alentours, venez participer dans une soirée 'pre-ECMA' au Carrefour à Dartmouth! Il y aurait des concours d'artistes francophones, des présentations ET une fabuleuse finale par moi- vingt minutes de chants en français :) Oh, j'étis dit que c'est gratuit?? 18h30 à 20h30 (spectacle de 20h00 à 20h30!).

Why Abba Had It Right: Songza

You know that Abba song- "Thank you for the music?" (yeah, I went there). Well... as sad as it sounds that is one song that I can completely relate. Every single lyric resonates, makes me happy in a strange and guilty way.

(ok, and now it's stuck in my head... great).

I need music. I start to get pretty cranky without it. I imagine that my soul starts to look like a dried, cracked, crumbly clay stone (kinda what I imagine Medusa's victims to look like). I absolutely have zero ability to relate to people who don't really care about music. What kind of person is ambiguous about music?? It's almost monstrous.

I don't really care what your tastes are. In fact, I happen to like almost every single type of music. From Krishna Das to Tool to Maroon 5 (don't judge- Roseanne also likes Maroon 5. And yes I just called her out on it).

Up until now my go-to for random listening to music for a) cooking b) reading c) working and d) fun times with friends has been a mish mash of cbc radio jazz or radio 3, and randomly downloading youtube videos... since I really don't have the energy to make specific playlists.

And like magic, (or with the help of our genius friends Steph and Matt), I now have access to the most fabulous playlist creator of all.....

Songza.

It's kinda like "Hahzah!" but for songs.

Don't believe me? Here's a few reasons why Songza rocks the beesknees:

• Songza has playlists for every imaginable event or activity and style. You get to choose what you want, click play and no longer worry about it. Awesome.
• There's several "yoga" style options. Need I say more?
• It's free. Yes!
• The BEST part is the website design and programming...

The "Music Concierge"
M. le concierge asks you (politely) every login what type of activity you'd like for your music listening pleasure. Depending on the time of day it can range from "work-no lyrics" to "Saving the World" (my personal favourite), "cooking" or "looking at pictures of your ex".

You click on the general activity option with the fun stick figures, and it proceeds to give you another five options of genres to choose from. THEN it goes along to give you another three options of playlists with descriptions of why you should love them.

Le contended sigh.

So, for your next funky friend gathering, or your next yoga class, check out Songza as an easy and free music option (who wouldn't want to practice yoga with a soundtrack meant for saving the world??)

Taking a Leap of Music

I always said I'd never become one of those people who "didn't have time for music" when I "grew up".

For the past four years I've become one of those people.

It's true, I don't have 45minutes a day to practice the piano, another 40min of vocal warmups. Plus, there's the added embarrassment that my apartment building neighbours will hear the terrible AH-EH-EE-OH-OU warmups along with the annoying piano scales. I didn't recognize how different it would be working full time, living in an apartment building, having friends (ok, elementary and high school was rough for me) and being in charge of making my own meals when teenage me made that vow.

It had been four years since I'd written ANYTHING.

This year, I made the vow to write lyrics at least once a week- even if they never turned into a song. Six months later and I've written two songs in the past three weeks. One of them is actually decent. ROCK ON.

Another step back onto the path of my music life is to take a deep breath and beg local coffee shops to let me play. This is scary because a) I haven't performed in four years and b) I'm 30 and c) the Halifax music scene is not an easy place for newcomers.

It's happening!

On Friday, July 27th, I will be singing and playing at JustUs! Spring Garden from 7pm-9pm... Holy Goddess. 

(My set list and songs on my guitar- with Asteya monitoring- wee!)

It's a trifecta, music, yoga and Green- JustUs! offers locally roasted, fair trade organic coffee and teas that taste delicious, actively offer their beverages in for-here mugs FIRST and have a great recycling/composting program set up in the coffee shop. So environmental angle- covered.

Leaping back into music is an important part of my emotional and spiritual growth as well, which plays directly into my yoga practice. I will most certainly be frantically trying to use pranayama calming and grounding techniques so I won't be vomiting in a little brown bag before I start up. Deep breathing and meditation all.the.way.

Have you leapt into anything lately?

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Yoga isn't filling the Creative Space

I started writing songs again.

The gap? about 4 years.

For the past 9 months I've been putting in lyric writing time every weekend at a local coffee shop. For the past 4 months or so it's been only in French. Just for sh%ts and giggles ya know? To see if I could.

I can.

I wrote a song in Acadian French. My first one ever. I transcribed it lovingly in my songbook. A small book that holds all the songs I've written since grade 10. Dated, with chords. I'm not really a computer song storage kinda gal.

I'd show you evidence but....

I lost my songbook.

It's like it never existed. Poof.

Thank goodness I recorded a few of my songs and was forced to type and print out a few of my favourites.

The Acadian song? Not so lucky.

One day (when we move) the songbook Troll will hopefully give it up from her clutches.

I'm actually wondering if this should be an opportunity to invest in a new (larger) songbook and to start fresh. To really give'er on the song writing front. Not to get a record deal, or become famous, just to fill a need. A creativity hole Yoga isn't solid enough to fill.

My tarot confirms what I already knew:

I've got way better songs waiting to be made.

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Singing for Dr. Jay

Taking a deep breath, upon request by Dr. Jay...

This song is La Corrida by Francis Cabrel. I don't do it justice, but it's a seriously beautiful and haunting song about the Spanish bull fighting (La Corrida) from the Bull's perspective... My favourite part:
"Je ne savais pas qu'on puisse autant amuser autour d'une tombe" (I didn't know you could celebrate around a tomb) and the chorus: "Est-ce que ce monde est sérieux?" (kinda like 'are you kidding me?' but in a tragic way).

The first time I heard this song was sitting in JEAN-PIERRE's (yes his name deserves majescules), hair stylist chair, he was ouuu-ing and ahh-ing over my hair, drinking wine and informed me 'Zat you MUST lizin to zis song!' and cranked it to near ear drum blowing decibel. Love at first listen (too bad my hair cut by JEAN-PIERRE was more of a bowl cut....).

I hope you enjoy it :)

Acadian Yo: Music Jam!

A little doodiddly for you, my readers...

I'm almost embarrassed to post it here, as it doesn't exactly showcase my voice OR my guitar skills.

Still... after another visit to Montréal I feel the need to share two of my favourite Acadian songs:

'M'En allant à Saulnierville Station' by Suroît, which is actually a Québécois band (but the song is about Clare Nova Scotia... which is close to my home).

 

Hé Yaille Yaille (also by Suroît): This one's actually written from a Cajun (Louisiana) perspective. I can totally relate, except for the gumbo, cuz I was pretty darn homesick while living in BC and I also 'parle en 'Cadien' or 'Cajun'. (Cajuns are Acadian's distant cousins- we both are descendants of the original Acadians who settled in Acadie. Cajuns are those who were deported to Louisiana, whereas my ancestors hid out with the First Nations Mi'kmaq until the burning and pillaging had subsided. My Acadian village is the oldest still Acadian today, settled in the mid-1600s).

Please disregard the awkward way I'm playing... feels weird to play with a green light rolling lol. Weirdly enough, I'm not really a twangy country music kinda gal... although my voice sure sounds that way here!

Blessings!

article and video copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

The Yoga-Music-Enlightenment Triangle

Any musicians out there in internetland, you'll know what I'm talking about- Music=Yoga=Spirituality. Not as a then-then-therefore type connection, but more of a triangularity of Music intersects with Yoga and I would argue enlightenment (or connecting with the Divine).

(me and my new Larrivé guitar at our old apartment a few years ago- I am very happy.)

When I was taking classical piano and voice lessons the whole losing myself in music wasn't really present. I practiced my scales (major, minor, dominant, augmented... you classicists got me), 45 minutes of classical piano practice and 30 minutes of voice every day. Although hugely beneficial, this practice didn't even compare to how my 3am piano-singing sessions, wrapped in my grandmère's quilt in my pyjamas  made me feel. Or when I got to belt it out while singing alone surrounded by forest, or with my high school band on stage (hello noise induced bilateral sensorineural hearing loss with a dose of tinnitus).

Yoga sometimes makes me feel that way. Not during a teacher led class, or while practicing with friends or during yogaglo. It's those yoga moments outside, on the beach or alone in the apartment just flowing where I feel connected.

But... yoga is even better with the right music and doesn't even compare to how I feel when I sing and play guitar. I honestly don't feel that without music I wouldn't have coped as well during difficult parts of my life.

A beautiful song, especially spiritual music (even Christian hymns and choir music, which do not fit within my own religious beliefs as a Goddessian) often move me to tears.

The Music-Yoga-Spirituality Triangle. Should be tacked on every yogi(ni)s wall. Ya know?

article and photograph copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Rediscovering Passion: Creativity, music and yoga

"I will never give up music"

I remember saying/thinking that in high school. I couldn't imagine what life would be like if I didn't play/sing every single day. I found time after school every day... other people (I would add [older] in there) just weren't committed or passionate enough.

I kept it up pretty well during university, even played a few open mics. Montreal was essential for music playing in my room or at the park. I wrote lyrics every where I went, on pads of paper, in my note book. Scribbles and thoughts jotted down. Some of them made it to songs, most didn't.

Something happened when I started my "big girl" job. I stopped playing/writing/singing. Oh I had a good summer one year in Vernon, even played at a coffee shop a few times. But I could sense a change.

These past two years in Halifax have been the worse yet. I go weeks without playing, I haven't written hardly any lyrics and not one noteworthy song. I'm tired at the end of the day, I feel drained of creativity. I either have time for yoga, or time for music.

Not fair- one shouldn't have to exclude the other.

Today as I was walking to work after a very interesting workshop on Cleft Palate SLP assessment, I had an urge. To create. To sit outside near the ocean, feeling the wind whip through my hair and over my face and to just WRITE. It was almost physical. Even now, home from a particularly emotional afternoon at work, I look out my window and I *wish*.

I think part of the decrease has been energy, but another huge part has been Andrew. I love him, with all my heart, which is the problem- I'm happy. I am much more creative when I'm full of angst (which I wouldn't want to actually be again, so no regrets!). From a practical perspective, I play and create more often when I am alone. Rarely am I alone now while at home. I love spending time with Andrew, but perhaps I should carve out more "alone" time specifically.

Tonight is friend yoga night- and we were going to watch the political debate afterward (Elizabeth May should have been included!!). After that I will write.

I'm ready. It's time for some renewal, it is spring after all.

As of tonight I will strive to:

- play my guitar and sing at least once a week.

- purchase a cute (eco) booklet to encourage lyric writing, and keep it with me wherever I go.

- play and sing outside at the park at least once this summer.

- move beyond this recent yoga-cynicism that has enveloped my practice. 

What about you? Has your creativity/passion changed recently? 

article and photograph copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Unexpected Bliss... Music

Fun News!!
I wrote a guest post for Christine over at BlissChick a few weeks ago for her to post while she's recovering from her fantastic Kripalu DANCE experience (Yoga Dance- how cool is THAT?).

It's posted today!! A hint.... who knew Michael Jackson would grace my guitar?

Personal Practice: Admitting Insecurity

I gotta admit, Eco Yogi/ni's, I've been feeling some all around pressure lately. Pressure to be more "green" for sure, but mostly pressure to be more Yogic. I got it in my head for a few weeks that my three yoga asana practices a week just wasn't enough. It didn't measure up to say... other daily practitioners. Where yoga is their LIFE, it's what they do and think and breathe... it's who they are.

Key word- "they". Yoga is definitely an important part of my life, but I have to admit that it isn't My Life, capital letters. Today when the thought of an asana practice made me feel heavy and sad... well that should be a sign right? That even though I still have my own little "me vs they" when it comes to yoga, I should let it go before my personal practice turns into something Else. Ever have those moments?

After all this reading about what yoga should and shouldn't be, or discussions about it's history etc, I've realized that there is definitely something different about how I view yoga and how others do. I always prided myself in viewing it as more than asana, more than the physical. Which I still do. But yoga isn't and never was my faith. Discussions on the Divine, on our divinity, mention of Hindu gods and goddesses leave me feeling disconnected. My faith isn't yoga.

Which perhaps as a result has left me feeling less affected or offended (well, except for my feminist soap boxes of course!) regarding the should's and shouldn'ts or the accuracies and "facts". Perhaps because paganism is "new" AND "old", similarly to yoga, that historical implications have no true sway. I've adjusted quite well to the concept that age or history doesn't affect or lessen my faith.

My Personal Practice tonight has been acceptance of my Authentic Self. Which is to stop pretending to be "all yogi" and to accept that I am "part-yogi" and part-feminist-Goddessian-singer-sensitive-sci-fi lovin' (yep that includes Star Trek)-fantasy reading extraordinaire. Who likes chocolate. Especially fair trade dark chocolate. And coffee. Yum.

Instead of practicing yoga tonight, I played some guitar. After a few songs, halfheartedly sung, I realized that I needed to simply *play*. With that thought, a free-flow melody strummed out... simple and easy. Repetitive, then a switch and a change in feel. A meditative, healing "song" with no end, no lyrics, no thoughts. Just the harmonics, the open chords that brought vibrations through my body and quieted my mind. A few major chords, their related minor chords (thank you classical training) and a feeling of openness.

Healing.

That was my Personal Practice tonight.

I hope yours was as revealing. :)

Blessings Eco-Yogi/nis!

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Stepping back

I have this weird trend where I post every second or third day. This is the type A in me popping up for a visit (HI HI!!!). It keeps me motivated, I get little butterflies after I hit "post" and for the next few days I get excited with every single comment I receive. Weird?? Yes. I like Mel's "Blogging without Obligation"... but I also know that I need this routine to stay on track. However, there are times when I have a zillion ideas swimming around in my cerebral cortex, but the energy of a little puddle. Today is one of those days; five clients, two phone consultations, charting, home programming, no time to breathe and headache. My last client left late and I missed the yoga class I wanted to attend (108 Yoga!).

Tonight I could have blogged about how I received an email back from JustUs! Coffee about their "compostable" (but not accepted by HRM's Organics system) cups.... but since that would involve some research and more thought than this liquidy puddle of a vibe I got going, I am going to take a step back from obligation.

I am going to unplug and reconnect with myself. There's been a lot of passionate talk in the yoga-blog world about consumerism, culture, and branding of yoga. It's been a powerful and interesting discussion, but it's made me want to take a step away from this computer. I miss my guitar. So tonight, I will play my favourite songs, belt out the lyrics while sitting on the floor in front of the couch. My papers spread all around, the window opened up and my voice and the guitar drowning out all other sounds and thoughts.

I will leave you with two I love to sing and play: Francis Cabrel's La Corrida (about the Bull fighting from the Bull's perspective... beautiful), and zombie.

Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving Weekend my Canadian Eco-Yogi/nis!

Personal Practice Adventure: Transformative (like Autobots, but less awesome)

Personal Practice Adventure check in! I know I promised PPA posts on Moondays.... and I had planned a post about how to make your own sequence complete with some video links... it was going to be great. Then I had a long day and completely punked out of my solitary practice. Instead I decided I was going to RECORD music in garage band!!!! OUUUUU. I know. I also was very excited.

Then I discovered that all my patch cords are not compatible and I seem to have lost my adapters. Also, my beautiful mic is three prong dealys that plug into mic-part amps. Hooookay. Troisième PLAN: I will play into the computer mic and record that way. Three takes later I have a track. WOOT!! Now.... to play another guitar track, but I need the headphones so I can listen to the original... Andrew has his earbuds.

ALRIGHT. Quatrième Plan: I will write a new song. Done! I wrote a new song, I half like it which is a bonus and predictably it's pretty darn sad. Pencil, piece of paper, my guitar and a couple of chords I thought sounded melancholy but funky and strangely the lyrics just sorta flowed out. I originally had a plan for the song; it would be fun and personal and upbeat. It would mention Halifax. Well... it's definitely personal and mentions Halifax, but fun and upbeat?? lol. The weirdest part was singing along the lyrics I wrote while humming the melody in my head, and spontaneously different wordings, better wordings would pop out. Like I had Wernicke's Aphasia and no control (I am such a Speech Pathologist). Mental note: songs cannot abide by a flow-chart.

I had JUST finished it when Andrew came home and felt weirdly embarrassed to play it for him. I forgot that perhaps he might be a little alarmed with how sad it was, and I *think* he teared up... although he would never admit that. After a few hugs with many assurances that my songs are like funnels focusing the energy and mood of the moment into an UBER emotion-bomb + some left over yummy chocolate cake made by Alli and he felt better.

And so did I! So, my personal practice wasn't left behind but transformed. Which is the best part of this Adventure- it can take shape and transform to become what will work best for you in your practice. Be it spiritual, cleansing, emotional, meditative or physical. Yoga is about connection and tonight my Yoga was creating something out of the emotional ball, connecting and releasing (as corny as that sounds).

How have your Adventures been going?

Blessings!


Copyright EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

MeMe Award and Music!

The wonderful Grace over at Graceful Yoga and Simplicity (don't you ADORE her new blog title???) gave me this fun MeMe award. She shared some fun tidbits about herself over at her blog- go check it out! I think kayaking on the west coast next to Killer Whales would be awesome, and I agree that I would also probably pee my pants lol.

I think it's funny that it's called a MeMe award. About a month ago I finally caved and asked Andrew what the heck was this thing called a Meme? Being Francophone I assumed it meant "the same".... um no. Andrew being the patient guy that he is, looked up the official definition of MeMe on Wikipedia and as the nerds that we are we spent a bit of time laughing at previous Meme's of the past. Actually, I'm still not 100% sure what a MeMe is exactly, sadly I am not "hip" in the computer-bloggy lingo.

In any case, this award entitles me to share 7 tidbits about myself with you, my lovely eco-warriors! Although 7 tidbits would be fun, being the "rebel" that I try to be I thought I'd give you one HUGE tidbit. A song. I wrote this one while living in Montreal, the first winter while staring at my computer background that had those yellow tulips. I had been going through a rough patch with my then-boyfriend who was living in Fredericton NB (longdistance was the story of my life for about four years...).

Last night, after watching "Dead Poet's Society" on the outside screen at the Halifax Pier (while the moon rose over the harbour) and having drunk WAY too much red wine, I got Andrew to record me singing. I made myself listen to a few this morning... before grimacing and deleting them all. I thought I sounded WAY better than I did lol. So- I gathered up random bits of courage (I've never exposed my music this way before!) and got him to try again. The lighting is pretty terrible, but actually it makes me feel less exposed... so I'm all for not being able to actually see myself very well!

Now to pass along this award to 7 fun bloggers!

1. Dr. Jay over at Yoga for Cynics: for your awesome posts that confuse me and make me think at the same time. Also, I feel smart after reading them and understanding about 80% some days! And the comments that you leave on my blog ALWAYS make me laugh :)

2. Roseanne from It's all yoga baby: I've been enjoying reading your thoughtful and thought provoking posts on yoga and the industry. You always post something fresh and new! Plus you are from Montreal- how I miss that city.

3. Sharper from Rootless Tree: for your honesty and candor in sharing your yoga-newness journey.

4. Caroline from Caroline's Crayons: I adore your art! It is always moving, honest and beautiful.

5. Mandy from Yoga Addicted: cuz you practiced yoga on ROLLERSKATES! So cool.

6. Flo from Southern Yogi: for your bravery and passion in standing up with integrity and grace when a serious "troll" commenter left that negative comment on your beautiful blog. I admire you.

7. To all my readers, really I don't like choosing only a few blogs out of all those that I read. There are such wonderful things about all of them! I give this award to all of you :)

Blessings!

Stop-Scribble-Sing!

**preface: this post isn't really about eco, nor yoga, but mostly music and food :)

Andrew and I make an interesting pair. I am extremely comfortable at adding ingredients willy nilly, cutting veggies and preparing (no-sauce) salads but I'm not super comfy with kitchen gadgets. If it beeps, has wires, or does anything even remotely gadgety- Andrew is IN.

Although our vow to make weekly meal plans lasted one week (...) in the spirit of leftovers, eating healthy and saving money, we bought a pre-cooked ham (not local, not organic, BUT pre-cooked!). I would be the one cooking said ham; as Andrew works until 7pm and when he informed me that his awesome probe-thermometer would do just the trick, I balked. Nope, I was just going to put the ham in the oven and figure it out later as it cooked for a while... (can you tell I'm not very organized?)

I came home today and found this beautiful note stuck to our fridge... lol. We've been playing around with Adobe Illustrator this past weekend after I found this phenomenal invite template and thought: Perfect! I guess Andrew thought it would be fun to create via Adobe Illustrator a nice instruction manual on how to use an oven probe-thermometer. Sigh. :)

While I dawdled, procrastinating from the inevitable interaction with the PROBE (hehe), I had a sudden- I should WRITE MUSIC moment. As there have been a few comments here and there about my song writing I thought I'd just share today's experience. I was much more prolific when I lived alone as I seem to only be able to write and compose in solitary mode. Today wasn't quite ideal, I am exhausted from being sick all last week and I was HUNGRY. Can't focus on lyrics

and chords when my belly made really obnoxious noises! So two pieces of chemical-free toast (local!) with natural organic peanut-butter (mmmm), a guitar, a pen and a piece of paper later and I was ready to go!

Sometimes songwriting is awesomely flow-y, kinda like a vinyasa class with no pauses or uncertainties. I have a bunch of lyrics (poems I guess) pre-written, have some chords in my head and off I go! Those days are beautiful. Today was not one of those... lol. After ten years of composing and not being the best string picker, bar-chord player I have a somewhat limited amount of variations. Today I decided to forego the capo (black dealy that brings the

key up a half step-fret at a time), it's so easy to use as a female singer, but it's kinda like cheating. (If you look closely you can see my war-wound!)

Also, I've been getting pretty darn good at playing the bar-chord for Gminor! With small fingers, I don't quite have the finger strength or length to really play chords where my index finger "bars" an entire fret- so it's always an adventure! It took about 20 minutes of just playing, mumbling a few words, coming out with a few really clear fantastic lyrics and melodies and I was IN the groove. YES. I had something, a little melancholy but I could figure this out. Stop-scribble, play same line a zillion times, NEW LINE- sing sing sing!!! stop-scribble CONTINUE.

Then the phone rang- my mom calling to check up on me. She reads this blog, so I think she was a little concerned. I love my mom. It was a good thing she called too, as you can see my finger wasn't actually pleased with all the Gminor playing. And all of a sudden, Andrew arrived- OMG it's SEVEN!!! ACK. Although neither the rice nor the veggies turned out, an hour and a half later (who knew that it would take SO LONG to cook a pre-cooked ham??) the ham was ready. We each managed to swallow courageously the gooey rice, mushy veggies and have now made organic nachos. And will watch Planet Earth (LOVE). (lyrics to the new song with chords strewn in there and brackets to signify possible chorus, verse, bridges... maybe).

Thank you so much wonderful readers for the kind words of support and light!

Blessings!