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Archive for October, 2011

Dogs

Posted in Books, Journaling, Wedding, Country, tagged , , , on October 9, 2011| 1 Comment »

They’re on the road again. “The band’s on the bus… And they’re waiting to go We’ve got to drive all night and do a show in Chicago Or Detroit, I don’t know We do so many shows in a row And these towns all look the same We just pass the time in our hotel rooms And wander ’round backstage Till those lights come up and we hear that crowd And we remember why we came…” …OK, so I have a thing for Jackson Browne, don’t blame me, I just sing that way. Whiny and soulful.

the Bride and the Rocker

I’d like to thank my kind neighbors, Polli, Stacy, Sheila, you know who you are, who endured the Rocker’s teenage years with his first band in our Jersey garage. No one ever called the police or complained about the noise level, even after a noise ordinance was passed by the Borough and I had to write it up in the newspaper. He wasn’t the drummer, he always played guitar and would sing. But for some reason, probably having to do with those kind neighbors, the drums stayed set up in our garage. Almost every day after high school, I’d supply the soda and offer up snacks like bagel dogs and ask them to keep it down to a low roar. Our garage was the last stop for a Heavy Metal angst from neighboring Monmouth schools who played clubs up and down the shoreline.

The new Parlor Mob album “Dogs” comes out on Tuesday, 10/11. They’ll be playing The Horseshoe in West Toronto that night. I’ve already pre-ordered Dogs on iTunes.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/preorder/dogs/id460723913

TPM flew out to LA this past week, packed the Viper Room, sold out shows on the way, rocked radio PR meetings, and will be packing it up for Canada tomorrow. Then they return to play to their hometown fans at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park later this week. Once the record starts selling, I’m pretty sure their Booking Agent will ship them off to Europe again, where they have won over legions with their bluesy/rock hybrid style.

The Mob’s new single “Into the Sun” is available now, and I can guarantee, it’s a far cry from my garage with the beat up sofa and the big American flag hanging over the door.

The boys have grown up and they’ll be back in town again. Maybe I’ll see you on the road? Their show is really something, rousing, raucous and beautiful. I’m proud of you all, love and luck to Mark, Paul, Sam and Tony and to my Rocker, I love you More! Rock ON!! Roadrunner Records has their tour dates here: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/tour/search.aspx?artistID=1137&stateID=0&countryID=0


					
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Druthers

					

					Posted in Books, Journaling, Wedding, Country, tagged , ,  on October 6, 2011|
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“One’s own way, choice, or preference.” This is the Word of the Day on dictionary.com today. I open up this site whenever I sit down to write so that I can effortlessly check spellings or meaning. In the old days I had a huge Oxford English Dictionary by my desk, which sat in a corner of my dining room. Now I can blog (aka write) on a bike at the gym, upload photos, even video, and post (aka publish) all at the same time, while working out, on my iPhone. And for this I have Steve Jobs to thank!


Which brings me back to “druthers.” Everyone knows he was a college drop-out, that he started his own movie company when he was booted from Apple (in part for his “abrasive personality”), and that he continued to design and innovate after a liver transplant and a devastating cancer diagnosis. What rings true to me about Steve, and most other inventors who were told that “it” can’t be done, is they pressed ahead. In some way, sticking to doing something their own way, going against the fold, being abrasively focused on a goal, is what got them to the next big thing.


The iPhone I’m using is my very first Apple product, but it was love from the get-go. Still getting to learn its innermost secrets, it has now, three months later, been replaced by the iPhone 5. But that’s OK, Bob has the older model iPad too, so we are limping toward the technological future together. He can’t skype, but I can do facetime. So if I had my druthers, the word of the day for me is “Intuitive.” I was showing a fellow knitter yesterday how I text my kids on the iPhone, she was worried it would be too hard to learn. I watched as she slid a keyboard out of her phone and went through the next few steps in order to text.


So thank you Steve Jobs, for daring to dream big, for never giving up, for your incredible intuition.


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Early Autumn

					

					Posted in Books, Journaling, Wedding, Country, tagged , ,  on October 4, 2011|
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“When an early autumn walks the land, and chills the breeze…” Oh Ella, you had me on the first note. Deep down, I want to be a torch singer. But for now, I’ll share my six worded memoir of Fall so far:


1) Peaceable       


2) Transitional 


3) Redeemable    


4) Inconceivable     


5) Autumnal  


6) Magical    

					
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More Fiber, Please

					

					Posted in Books, Journaling, Wedding, Country, tagged , ,  on October 2, 2011|
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Bob, our friend Al and I had a great time at Montpelier’s Fall Fiber Festival yesterday. Montpelier is the home of James Madison, situated northeast of us in Orange County. Hands down, this is my favorite festival of the year. http://www.fallfiberfestival.org/sheepdog-trials.htm  Why?


Bob and Al


First: They have Sheep Dog Trials. Yes, shepherds stand in the field and whistle a certain tune to make their dogs herd some sheep. It’s almost like being back in Ireland and watching this happen for real, on my cousin Mary Gilboy’s working farm. If the dog nips at a stray sheep, he’s eliminated. Just watching those crafty black and white dogs crouch down and start running three balls of wool through gates and fences made me think I’ve got to plan more exercise for Ms Bean.




Second: They have Sheep, Goats, Llamas and Alpacas! There were sheep I’d never heard of before, like Scottish Blackface Sheep from Braeburn Farm in Roseland. And oh do they have soulful eyes and the prettiest coats you ever did see! It’s nice to know these animals are living a good life, being bred for their beautiful fiber that is shorn in the Spring. Did you know that cashmere fiber is just the downy undercoat of a certain type of goat? And that it is eight times warmer than wool and one third lighter in weight?




Third: They have All Things to do with Fiber Arts! Weaving, spinning, knitting, crocheting, dyeing, hand-painting, pottery. Sue Henshaw is a potter who makes bowls that will skillfully display your yarn and keep two skeins separate next to your favorite knitting chair: http://www.suehenshawpottery.com


My friend DeeDee Greer’s husband Bill has been making small looms for hand weaving rugs and placemats with their alpaca rovings. I still think their Rivanna River Alpaca yarns are the yummiest.




Bob and Bill


Fourth: They have Kettle Corn! And speaking of munchies and fiber, and thinking of Bob and Al and his newspaper taxi, you probably heard about Cheech and Chong signing on with an ad agency to sell the health benefits of Fiber One brand brownies? No, well here it is Baby Boomers: http://www.fiberone.com/magicbrownie/   You’ve got to admit, this is comic genius.

					
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