Me and Willie

Today is Willie Nelson's birthday.

He's 83 today.

I have loved Willie Nelson forever.

I've lost track of how many times I've seen him in concert.

Including one crazy weekend in 1983 when he had one of his infamous 4th of July concerts at the Atlanta International Raceway in Hampton, GA.  A crowd of approximately 30,000 got to see Willie, David Allan Coe, The Stay Cats, Linda Ronstadt, Waylon Jennings and Jessie Colter.  There were others, I just don't remember who. 

don't ask.

But.

I do still have my ticket.

And the teeshirt.

I remember when his album Red Headed Stranger was released in the 70s.

I went through some tough times and I was working two jobs, occasionally three. 

Willie helped me through some of those tough times.

The Red Headed Stranger somehow became my Sunday morning ritual. 

Me, my coffee and this album.

A friend would tease me about this and would sometimes call on Sunday mornings and ask if Willie and I were attending church services? Or was I off to attend the Church of Willie.

I haven't listened to this whole album in a long time, but it's keeping me company today while I'm cleaning this little house.

Willie and I are both a little older, but we are, I think, still enjoying the good life.

Happy Birthday, Willie!

Saying Goodbye

This week we've said goodbye to two icons.

David Bowie and Alan Rickman

Did I know them?

Why, no.  Of course not.

But did they manage to touch me in some way?

They did.



Music has always been a very big part of my life.

This started back when I was just a kid growing up in the amazingly quirky Arcade Apartments in Cambridge, MD.

My parents were both lovers of music.

And dancing.

Oh, how they loved to dance.

There weren't many Saturday nights that they weren't out dancing, often bringing the band home with them where they would end up spending the night.  Jamming, singing, laughing.  The band members and their wives or girlfriends were part of a very large extended family that I remember having around the breakfast table with us for a lot of years.

I remember sitting and listening to a lot of jam sessions.  And singing along.

When the bands weren't there, the radio was on.

And I can still hear my dad's voice saying, "C'mon, Hazel, let's dance," as he turned up the radio and swept my mom into a jitterbug in our kitchen.  It was a huge kitchen and was the perfect place for them to spin, spin, spin.  


One of the favorite family vacations would include music on The Steel Pier in Atlantic City, NJ.


There I remember seeing Fabian, Paul Anka, Conway Twitty (when he was doing pop, not country, music), Dion and Frankie Avalon.  And, my favorite, Louie Armstrong.




And because our apartment was directly over the only movie theater in town, I saw a lot of movies.  Formed a lot of crushes on those guys I watched on the big screen.




Things, it seems, change but stay the same.

All night jam sessions seem to have become, somehow, a part of my life even as I grew up and moved away from home.

I remember many of them in various different apartments in Atlanta.

And concerts became a part of my life.


This was when my friend Becky and I were in Underground Atlanta one night, walked into a bar and with serendipity walking along with us happened onto Percy Sledge on a small stage singing "When a Man Loves a Woman."  Pure magic.



Live music.  wow.  There is nothing like it.


I've been lucky enough to see a lot of the great bands and artists I love.  


Beginning, I guess with a Motown concert I sneaked into Baltimore to see.  Telling my parents I was going to a dance in the next small town on Salisbury.  Baltimore was easily on the top of the "You will not do this" list for me when I was in high school.  So driving into Baltimore with friends to see a concert just felt deliciously dangerous to this small town 15 year old girl.

It was worth knowingly breaking that rule to see Otis Redding, Martha & the Vandellas, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles and Mary Wells.

Was I hooked?

Pfft.

What do you think?

Hell, yes, I was hooked!


Getting to see The Temptations and The Four Tops at The University of Delaware when I was at Brandywine College just capped the love this gal now had for live music.

To sit in audience able to watch a favorite artist perform his music moves me in a way I can't express.  So usually, I just cry.  Cry buckets.  And yes, it's embarrassing.  But I can't help it.  Beauty moves me to tears.  Being able to watch someone make music they love, sing the words to a song they wrote - a song that came from their heart.  Man.  Yes.  I'm gonna cry.  I cried so hard at an Eric Clapton concert, poor Donald was afraid the people sitting around us were going to think he had done something awful to me.  Which, of course, he did not.  He just sat there and held my hand.  and he understood.

By the time it happened again at the Don Williams concert in Asheville, NC he saw it coming and quietly handed me tissues he had thought to bring.


So yes, David Bowie's death affected me.




And then Alan Rickman.




Who didn't love Alan Rickman?


Wasn't he everyone's secret crush?


Who else could have been Professor Snape?


To those of us already captured by the magic of Harry Potter, watching the actors chosen to bring the characters to life through the movies were captivated and enchanted once again.  And felt as though we knew these people.  They became more than fictional characters to us - and none more so than Alan Rickman's Professor Snape.


No, I didn't know him.  Not really.  But don't we all feel like we kinda do?  Don't we feel like we'd enjoy having dinner with a particular celebrity and hear him tell stories that we can just sit back and relish?  Watch his face become animated and hear him laugh?  Alan Rickman seemed to possess a wicked and sly and intelligent sense of humor.  I am always a sucker for a man with a wry and dry sense of humor.  



Last night I watched the Willie Nelson tribute concert for being awarded The Gershwin Prize.


And I cried.


The artists performing Willie's music did a fantastic job.


And then Willlie performed.


And he looked every one of his 82 years.  and I cried.


Watched him make music with his two sons.


and I cried.



I've seen Willie Nelson in concert maybe 15 or more times over the years.


If there's a celebrity icon out there that has touched me more than anyone else, it's Willie.


I have no explanation.


Why should I?



I've read some snide comments on Facebook this week ridiculing people who have expressed sadness at the deaths of celebrities.


These people, I believe, must be hard, unfeeling people.


So, I stopped reading those comments, instead focusing on the words of people who reacted with honest sadness.


One of those was Samantha Bennett who writes poetry that resonates with me.


Here's what she wrote this week - - - 

For the Shape Shifters 


You knew that life was a limited-time offer.
Luckily, you could see through walls 
and veils 
and minds. 
Silly you thought that everybody had x-ray vision 
But we don't. 
So we were always so surprised by what you perceived. 
Perception. Perspective. Perspicacious. 
Purr Purr Purr 
You could talk to the animals and they talked right back. 
In your silence we saw stars. 
You were not here for our entertainment. 
You were here for our illumination. 
Thank you for the light. 

And now, for your final trick 
You have disappeared. 
And we're still here believing that
time is real and 
money matters 
and that you were ever really here to begin with
or that you have truly gone. 

©2016 Samantha Bennett 
Created with love for:

1/7: Richard Libertini, 82, actor
1/8: Brian Bedford, 80, actor
1/10: David Bowie, 69, force of nature
1/12: C.D. Wright, 67, poet
1/13: Lois Weisberg, 90, Commissioner of Cultural Affairs for Chicago, IL.
1/14: Alan Rickman, 69, actor 


Share your work, people. We're not here forever.

Yours,
Sam

And, here's an excellent article which talks about "Why We Grieve The Loss of Cultural Icons."  It makes perfect sense to me.  You may enjoy it.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/david-bowie-alan-rickman-grief_5697d1cde4b0b4eb759d7102

Happy 28th Anniversary!

On May 11th, Donald and I celebrated our 28th wedding anniversary.

Happy, wonderful years that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

On the 10th of May Harley and Donald and I went to Greensboro, NC

An odd place to go to celebrate?

Probably.

Except.

We got to attend a Willie Nelson/Alison Krauss concert.

And honestly?

I cannot think of a better way to celebrate than sitting outside on a cool spring evening listening to music from some great musicians.

And I do love Willie Nelson to the moon and back.

It was the first time I had seen Alison Krauss live, and she is so wonderfully talented she takes my breath away.

So.
Now for the rest of the story . . . 
Here's a photo of my constant companion for the next two weeks.
Its name is "The King of Hearts." (seriously, that's really its name).

What I didn't tell you about our anniversary celebration is that the day before we went to see Willie Nelson I had a passing out episode at the gym.  This was the second incident.

The first happened several weeks ago - also after working out - and I've undergone a whole battery of tests with everything checking out fine.



Let me tell you local Boone folks, if you're going to pass out, The Wellness Center is probably the best place for this to happen.

This time though, they took me straight to the ER, and ran a bunch of tests - and everything checked out fine (again).

So today I went back to the cardiologist and he sent me home wearing this monitor thingie.

What he "thinks" is happening because both these passing out incidents have happened not while I'm working out, but after, is that my blood pressure is staying stable while I'm sitting or lying down, and then dropping quickly when I stand up. Now we need to find out why.

First step is wearing The King of Hearts for two weeks. If I see that it has recorded anything, I send the recording over the phone to the home system monitor.

Thursday I go for a test that includes strapping me onto a table and get tilted into different positions to see if the passing out thing can be duplicated. If this happens, they should be able to determine why.

And - if necessary, we will continue testing till we've come up with an answer. (cross your fingers that the answers come quickly). The tests could include a heart cath, a nuclear stress test and I don't know what all else.

But that's all I know for now. Except that the doctor truly did not seem overly alarmed, which was a comfort. Now we just find out what's wrong and fix it.

right?

right!

In the meantime, send as many good thoughts as you can spare.

And go hug your loved ones.

On the Road . . . .

I'm not usually one who enjoys being on the road too much.   I am, at heart, a true homebody.

As is Donald.

Harley, however, LOVES a road trip.

And he loves hotel life.














It used to be, owning a pet was a bit problematic when it came time to travel, but now that hotels have become more "dog friendly," Donald and Harley and I are traveling a little more. 

Donald's not much of one for conferences, but he's agreed to go to one or two with me over the next few months. 

So here's where I'm planning on being in upcoming months and I'm looking forward to seeing some of you. 


In February, I'll be in Birmingham, AL at "Mystery in the Magic City."
http://www.murderinthemagiccity2014.com/what-authors-will-be-there/


In May, I'll be in Bethesda, MD at "Malice Domestic."
http://www.malicedomestic.org/

In June, I'll be participating in "The High Country Festival of the Book," right here in Boone!
http://www.highcountryfestivalofthebook.com/

In August, I'll be in Nashville, TN at "Killer Nashville."
http://www.killernashville.com/


And, in September we'll be back on Topsail Island, NC. 

Country Music Awards, Nov. 1, 2012 - Nashville, TN

I've been lucky enough to be able to attend some pretty awesome events.

Oftentimes, events are all about the hype, but I'm a sucker for them anyway.  Love 'em!!!

To experience The Indy 500 a couple times is something I'll never forget. 

The Masters in Augusta left me breathless.  One year we attended the Pro-Am played the day before the tournament and that was cool beyond measure - especially when Arnie Palmer drove right up in his little golf car next to me and my friend Becky for a little chat.  Cool?  Cool!

I was sitting in the Atlanta Stadium when Hank Aaron his Number 755.  Very cool!

I've been to Aspen and kicked out of my ski class for not taking it seriously enough (with friend Becky yet again).  Probably for the best - I don't know the first thing about skiing.  Après-ski was really more my style while we were there.

I've attended a lot of concerts and have loved every one of them - The Willie Nelson 4th of July Picnic in Hampton, GA in 1983 was, without a doubt, one of the more memorable  . . . .

I ADORE Willie Nelson, and have seen him a whole lot of times.  Hoping to see him a whole lot more.


Our latest event was attending the CMAs in Nashville and it was divine!  The cherry on top was a tribute to Willie Nelson.  Cool?  oh, yes.

I had never been to Nashville so being invited by my buddy Maryglenn to not only come see Nashville, but come and go to the CMAs left me speechless - and Donald too.  He was every bit as excited about it as I was.  The trip lived up to our expectations and quite possibly even exceeded them.

The day before the awards show, we spent most of the day on Broadway downtown.  Nashville is a wonderful mix of old and new.  We loved it.

We shopped and acted silly - taking pictures, of course, all along the way.

 

 

Okay - time to get ready for the Big Event - Yayayayayayay!



Harley Approves!!! (and me too!)

Still acting silly right into the elevator -

Meeting up with friends - - -

and seeing the show -

 

Brad Paisley

Kelly Clarkson and Vince Gill
 

Blake Shelton

Vince Gill, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban

Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Eric Church
 

Kenny Chesney




 

Carrie Underwood


 

Faith Hill and Tim McGraw

Kix Brooks

Willie Nelson Tribute

 

Events.  They may be all about the hype - but, oh wow, to experience all the energy surrounding certain events warrants the hype - every single bit of it. 

Here's to Nashville!  We had a great time and we'll be back.

Happy Birthday, Willie !

Willie Nelson was born April 30, 1933

I've been lucky enough to meet some of my heroes during my life time - but this is one I've missed (so far!).

But I have seen him in concert 10 or 11 times.  The last time was right here in Boone, NC.

and who knows - maybe next time I'll get to shake his hand and tell him how much his music has meant to me over the years.

In the meantime, Happy Birthday, Willie!!!

Fighting Those Ol' Winter Time Blues

This has been a brutal winter. and its really only just begun with another big snow storm due to slam into us tonight and tomorrow. Big plans for cooking up a pot of spaghetti sauce at our house this weekend. If we're going to be snowed in - we're going to eat well. always. It's a rule.

All this has had me thinking back to last winter and what I did to help fight the blues, and found a post here about going to see Willie Nelson in February. Yep. Willie can help fight the blues, for real. He puts on a terrific show and he was just what the doctor ordered.



This year though, Willie's not gonna make it to Boone.

More's the pity.

'Course, even if he did, we're spending so much time being snowed in - or iced in - getting into town to see him might be iffy.





For the most part, we've been able to make it in to work - some days a little later than our normal start time, but we've been there. There were a couple days that we didn't make it, and even a day or two that the University actually closed (VERY unusual). Most of our major problems - including the big power outage that lasted for several days - have been caused by ice.

Feather Photo by Jill Smith
http://jillsmithdesign.blogspot.com/

So. Since Willie isn't planning a trip to Boone this winter, I had to find another way to chase away those Ol' Winter Time Blues.

It started small.

I decided that the prints I bought last May while we were at Topsail Island had languished around the house long enough. Time for a trip to the frameshop. There's some tired old stuff hanging on our walls and it's past time for them to be retired and replaced with some color. These wonderful prints by North Carolina artist Ivey Hayes will be just the thing.
















They'll will come home from the framer's next week with pretty new red wooden frames.

You know what's coming next, don't you? You know how you can not do one thing around the house like this without it leading to something else . . .

And many of you are aware of my love of red. It's all about adding a little red to my life.

Maybe I have cabin fever, but I'm not really sure that's what it is. I'm the original hermit, and could stay in our little house for days and days and days on end without leaving and be perfectly fine with that. It's not at all unusual for me to come home on a Friday after work and not leave again till Monday morning. I love that. As long as Donald and Harley are around. And my books. And if I have email and the internet, I am truly fine. And a phone to check in with my mom. Sadly, I cannot talk the woman into computers and email. Ain't gonna happen.

But the living room started looking as tired and as old as the things hanging on the wall that I'm retiring.

Time for a change!

This chair has been restuffed, reupholstered and re-slip covered more times than I remember. It started out in our apartment in Cambridge when I was a kid. I still love the classic lines, but am over the blue stripes. We had it cleaned not long ago, but it's still kinda dingy. Think it has anything to do with the fact that two cats (George and Martha Ann) once loved and practically lived in it, and now Harley has laid claim to it?





The new look?

Ta DA - - --

here's the fabric I ordered -





And next the loveseat. Gotta go.

It's in pretty good shape, actually, but I'm ready for a change. AND, obviously, in need of some of that red in my life. (Too much red, says Donald. If he's right {as he so often is}, one of these pieces will just have to move to a different room.).




Here's the new loveseat fabric -



So.

What do you think?

I think it'll all look terrific with this chair we bought last year. You can be sure this chair can bear some of the burden of this "Out With The Old!" phase I'm going through 'cause I've been over the moon about it since the day it found its way to our house. It makes me smile, and hopefully, when the other two pieces are re-done they'll all get along famously and I'll be the one smiling like a lunatic.



And next . . . .

hmmmmm . . .

This tired old braided rug will just have to go . . . .

Stay tuned, everyone!