A sweet friend recently sent a card in which he shared a sentiment from an old preacher who said “Be kind to everyone, because one way or another everyone is having a tough time” It was a sympathy card.  Yes, I know everyone experiences loss throughout their lives and we’ve certainly had our share this year. Maybe more than some. Who knows. Should we compare? “I’ll see your 3 losses and raise you 2″.  Loss comes in many forms; people, pets, jobs, homes, faith, friendships, marriage and so on. We all deal with it in our own way and, with a great measure of futility, we struggle to understand the inexplicable. But, hey, we’re the lucky ones. Right? I mean, we’re still here … walking this earth and able to decide to be. My mom said something to me the other day  … “would you rather be a human ‘being’ or a human ‘doing’?” Sometimes I want to just BE. Sometimes, I find myself DOing when I want to just BE. Sometimes we have a choice. Sometimes we don’t. Do the leaves have a choice when they’re hanging on for dear life and out of nowhere Mother Nature exhales her voluminous north wind? The cycle of Life, for as long as we’re lucky (or unlucky) enough to have it, always includes death. The process by which we rarely get to choose. And whether that’s the end of the cycle or not … well … just ask the leaves.

Here are just some of the words that came to me after last Saturday night: Gratitude, Love, Exhaustion, Happy, Relief, Overwhelmed, Giddy, Awesome, Stunned, Blessed, Lucky, Friendship, Unbelievable, WOW, Over, Bummed, Bed, Sleep, or… not….

We released a little EP called “Take Me To The Fair” at The Ark on Saturday night. We also celebrated a couple of birthdays (mine and Jason’s) and gathered a bunch of friends together to make some beautiful noises. It was a truly amazing night. I was overcome with gratitude and overwhelmed with the love emanating from all over the room. It’s been two days and that’s too soon for the whole thing to be fading away in the back of my mind. Too soon to be struggling to find it again. Too soon to be sitting here wishing we could do it all over again. But I do.Anyway… onward we go. We’re making this new little EP available to the world now.

Only available here or at our shows.

There aren’t many elements required in my “almost perfect day” and many different factors effect what those elements might be which make up an “almost perfect day” on any given day so it’s pure happenstance that this particular day falls into the “almost perfect day” category. Today’s it’s almost all about the weather- no surprise there – it’s in the 70′s, there’s just a dusting of clouds in the sky, a subtle breeze, and even the drone of the occasional motorcycle careening down M-52 doesn’t interfere with the songs of wild birds, and the accompanying band of various frog species. Well, maybe that one just did … I think it was a Harley. Anyway, Rod’s mom gave us a few outdoor chairs, with cushions, so we finally have a table set up on the otherwise barren deck where I am now sitting with my computer, toggling between typing this post, answering emails and working.

I’m actually thinking about getting back to work and my eyes suddenly come into focus on a tiny little spider weaving her way toward my glasses. I think she freaked out and dropped a stitch, cause she suddenly jumped (or fell) straight down onto my keyboard, between the “X” and “C”.  She no sooner got her bearings when a gust of wind came from the west (okay, it was my mouth) and blew her 18 inches (that’s probably miles to a spider) off the keyboard and onto the table where she scampered off to places unknown. I’ve developed a healthy respect for spiders and this one was even kinda cute. But let’s be clear, once you’ve spotted her, a spider may be out of sight but she is definitely not out of mind.

It’s not the best place to focus on work, especially for someone who is prone to distraction indoors. Still, it is Saturday after all and this kind of weather isn’t really common in Michigan so I’m taking advantage of it. Work can wait.

Later we’ll head to Brighton to play a gig with the charming and talented Joel Palmer. Hey… if you’re not doing anything …

There are a number of things about which I want to bitch these days and I might even have good reasons. However, a few old cliches keep running through my head. You know the ones of which I speak – life is too short, cherish every moment, count your blessings.

Yeah. Those.

The ones that make you want to smack the person who uses them to cheerfully inform you that your whining is not moving them to sympathy. The ones that only serve to make you feel worse for even contemplating the act of bitching about something relatively small and petty, but which none-the-less is eating away at your happiness. There-in lies the rub. The vicious circle. The web of self loathing. You get the idea.

So I say, we all need a good – no GREAT – friend who is that safe place. The one who understands EXACTLY what you’re saying even when you’re not saying it. The one who knows how to respond and NEVER makes you feel worse for taking a moment to wallow in self pity. This friend should also be the mirror in which you see yourself as human, beautiful and loved – because that’s exactly how you see them. And they are indeed a blessing!

What does any of this have to do with the poster embedded herein? Well, nothing really… it was just on my mind and maybe it acts as another reminder that I have many things to be grateful for!

We’re SO excited to be returning to The “glorious” ARK stage for our first single bill show since 2007! Yes, we’ve been lucky enough to perform there a number of times with friends and amazing artists, but we haven’t had our own show since the release of “In This Town”!

I KNOW!  Big deal, right!?

It also happens to be the annual show at which Jason Dennie and I celebrate our shared birthdays. Continue reading →