My birthday celebration went well into the night...I think we got home about 1:30am. Not too bad, but certainly not early enough to be productive the next day. Liz, Lainie, & I had predicted this. So we made a plan. A plan for a Very relaxed day.
Tubing.
The three of us and our husbands headed out in the early afternoon to spend a few hours on a river. I think it may have been our best idea ever. :)
Then came Monday. Back to the real world.
Tuesday was my actual birthday. However...our return State Survey showed up at work. That meant work...and lots of it. I came home and napped for a couple of hours in the afternoon, but was back at the office until about 9pm. But hey, we passed, we cleared, and with some luck we won't see them again till next summer.
I don't really remember most of the rest of the week. My husband and father worked on our front porch...it is looking awesome!!!
Friday evening, I left work early. To sit in my hammock chair and read. It was perfect outside.
Following that we had a mini double date with friends, including a bonfire. A perfect Michigan summer evening!
Not a bad week, overall. I would choose it again in a minute, if it were my choice.
So my song for you, for tonight, in memory of an amazing week, is "Chasing the Light" by Mat Kearney.
So, I have long realized that I have amazing friends and family. However, that has become all the more apparent over the past couple of weeks.
I turned 30 this past week, and have been able to experience the best ten days possible. It is far too much to detail in one blog, so bear with me while I work my way through this. :)
To kick it off, my parents, along with myself and my husband, purchased a Groupon for an 11-course French dinner. In a castle (or as close as Michigan comes to castles!).
The food was awesome, the locations beautiful, the service...well, not so great. But I am thrilled that we went and it was a great way to kick off the weekend.
Next came the day to end all days....My birthday bash....
Now, I had entrusted Liz & Lainie to plan the party. All of the details that I was provided with were related to where we were parking, where we were eating dinner, and what I should wear (which was basically not large heels).
However, to prep, the three of us got pedicures and then I got my hair highlighted. A very nice start to a very busy evening!
Next up. Dinner. I had requested a part of the evening to be a smaller group. So Liz and Ryan planned dinner with Jeremy and I. Then I found out that some of my friends, who live on the other side of the state, would be coming...so of course they had to join dinner! We went to an amazing tapas restaurant and had a chance to visit and chat.
We then hung out for a short time, just the seven of us, before everyone else joined us.
Finally, it was time. Time to find out what we were going to be doing for the rest of the night. Turns out, it was a scavenger hunt! We were divided into three groups, each group had to take pictures in 4 locations, and take shots at 4 locations. It was a blast! (And yes, there were paper cutouts of my face for each group to take along)
We ended the night with a party at a local bar. All in all, it was truly a perfect night!
So...in memory of a perfect night...thanks to many phenomenal friends...I have a fun little song for ya...
"My Life Would Suck Without You" by Kelly Clarkson
And yes, I do realize that this is normally about couples, but trust me...it totally works for friends!!
The quality of the music, the performance, the lights, the energy, you name it! It absolutely was amazing.
The show was about an hour and a half. It felt like ten minutes, no more. Time flew. That, to me, is the sign of a perfect show.
The way to determine if it was a good show, is by asking if you would go see them live, again. To Fun., I say YES! Absolutely, without a doubt, no question in my mind...YES!
So check out the pics, please watch the videos, it is worth your time. And if you get a chance to see Fun. perform, I strongly recommend finding a way to make it happen.
And, of course, my song of the day. What else could it be? It is "Some Nights" by Fun. (This was their encore piece!)
And for those wondering, yes, we did make the trip back home that same night. It was a long night, but we made it safe and it was worth every moment!!!!
So, I mentioned a long weekend. I am enjoying my long weekend on a road trip with my Mom. We have traveled to her hometown for a big celebration. Now, when I say "big", that is relative, as the town is 200 people. I always enjoy coming back here. I never lived in this town, but I remember visiting Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and other family here. There is something special about visiting where some of your history comes from.
Of course, no trip to a hometown is complete without visiting all the sights. For us, that means the old church, the farmlands, and the cemetery. We do this every time we visit, and it wouldn't feel right without going to these important places.
Rolling hills of farmland
The Old Country Church
A panoramic view of parts of the cemetery and surrounding farmlands
Even though this is not My home, it is still home. And for me, that means lots of interesting thoughts run through my head. I imagine what it would be like to live here, I imagine what I would be like if I had been raised here, I imagine how different life can be. I mean, I live in a pretty good sized city, though I grew up in a small town. However, my small town upbringing was still much larger than this tiny town. It many times just feels like a different world. People are different, the way time works is different. Everything is just a bit different. Not right, not wrong, not better, not worse. Just different.
I truly value the chance to come back, visit family and friends, and connect to our history. It is something that I should probably do more of. And if this blog is about dreams, I feel that this is a good one to hang onto. Dreams of family, dreams of not losing touch, dreams of knowing what we are connected to.
I was struggling to come up with a song to describe how I am feeling today. So many emotions, so many thoughts. I'm sure the perfect song is out there, but honestly, I am too tired to try and find it today. So, enjoy this song. It is by Katie Herzig, a wonderful musician that opened for one of my favorites a few years back. And while it is not quite perfect for today, it comes close.
So here, for my song of the day, is "Jack and Jill" by Katie Herzig.
So summer keeps rolling forward. I have missed a few of my planned concerts, but as is life. So far only missed 2 Jazz at the Zoo shows (of course that means I have only made it to 2), but it could be worse.
Work has been nuts, home has been nuts, life just gets nuts. All good, just busy.
I had mentioned that I am using Twitter to find new music. Another wonderful aspect is that I also use it to follow artists that I love. Sometimes they just have amusing pictures and things to say, but sometimes they announce new shows, albums, singles, videos, etc. Today was a day where fun things were announced.
In two months, Tyler Hilton & Ryan Cabrera are doing another show nearby. Even better, it is around my birthday and I can use it for a little celebration with one of my best friends. Some may say that I am a dork, some may say that I need to find new music. Oh well, say what you want to say. I enjoyed the last concert that I went to, and am thoroughly looking forward to this one.
That's how dreams work. They don't have to make sense to anyone else. They just have to mean something to you. I love music, I love live shows. I love the feeling that you get, the energy from the crowd, the high that the performer seems to be going off of, the feeling of being part of something larger.
Maybe it's silly. Maybe I should be looking for something greater. But for now, it's what adds to my happiness. And as it is not something dangerous, illegal, or damaging...Why not go for it? What's wrong with searching out your happiness. Nothing...at least that's my opinion.
So say what you want to say...but I am looking forward to adding this to my summer schedule!
Every summer there are things that are a staple in my life. One of those is participating in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. Many people know about this, and many people don't. For those who don't, here is a summary. This is a 24 hour team event. You develop your team, you raise money, and then comes the event. At ours, we are at a city park, teams lined along the track. You decorate according to the theme for that year, and then you walk. As a team, you keep someone on the track for all 24 hours. The idea is that cancer never sleeps, so for one day, neither will we. Lots of other events happen during this 24 hours, including a silent auction, special laps, a survivor ceremony, and a luminaria ceremony.
The luminaria ceremony is the most special time for me, every year. It is when we light luminaries with the names of those who have won the battle against cancer, and those whom we have lost in that battle. It is a time of quiet, of silence, of music, of tears, of memories. Every year it is a new experience, and one that I never forget.
While many tears are shed during that hour, the event also includes laughs and excitement. Below are pictures from this years event. It was a wonderful time, and one that I look forward to again next year.
Our team site. The event theme was games, so we chose CandyLand
Check out the balloon lollipops, we made them!!!
Inside our canopy
Ms Relay is a staple competition at our event
Alec was our Princess Lollipop
Liz, Lainie, & I had amazing glasses for the light up lap
During the luminaria ceremony, the guitarist performed his version of a song. A song which spoke to the pain of losing someone you love. A song about losing someone too early. So today, as I remember Relay, my song of the day is Wesley, Why? by Matt Wertz.
Forewarning....lots of pics and videos to come, but they are so worth your time.
Festival of the Arts is always an interesting time. It is a chance to experience food, music, dance, and art. Downtown is just kind of taken over, and you get to experience people, places, sounds, smells, and tastes. You have to be able to handle crowds, but it is so worth it.
I went downtown for two of the three days. I had bands that I wanted to see both nights. Friday night, I went to see Jukejoint Handmedowns. A local band that I see whenever I can. Before they came on, we got to the see person before them. Her name is Karisa Wilson. She was amazing. Even better, I get to see her again in a few months at a concert series that I help manage.
I strongly encourage you check out her music. She has an incredible voice and is a rockin' performer.
Karisa Wilson at City Stage
Next up was the band we went to see, Jukejoint Handemdowns.
Always a good show. My words are not sufficient to describe their music...so here is their description from their website.
"The Jukejoint Handmedowns were established in 2010 as a
duo act by founding members Nathan James and Tim Foley. They describe
themselves as a 'Big Tent' American Roots group whose eclectic set list
mixes classic country covers, tin pan alley & jazz standards,
'countrified' pop tunes and original material. Expanding to a trio in
2011 with the addition of Paul Harris on steel guitar, and then to a
quartet in 2012 when Craig Van Otteren signed on as Mandolin/3rd
Harmony, this entertaining group continues to provide toe-tappin', honky
tonkin' fun with their unexpected song choices, harmony vocals and
laid-back acoustic instrumental arrangements. They are equally at home
in a rowdy barroom, private party or swanky black tie event."
Jukejoint Handmedowns at City Stage
Saturday night brought a show that I could not wait to see. A band called the Jim Crawford Band. I first saw them perform at Festival many years ago, like 2003 or so.... They rock. Plain and simple. I ended up getting to see them perform many, many times over the next couple of years. Unfortunately they broke up as they went in different directions. The show on Saturday was a reunion show. It was awesome!
Jim Crawford Band at Circle Stage
So, as these bands show, my taste in music varies, but I do firmly believe that live music is best. At least it is if the band is actually any good. :) With that in mind, I had a hard time finding a song of the day. So I have uploaded videos of all three bands, but I am choosing "Stronger" by Karisa Wilson for my song today. Simply put, beautiful message, beautiful song...check it out.
"Stronger" by Karisa Wilson
"Beer City USA" by Jukejoint Handmedowns
"Angel of Mine" & "Sister Wendy" by Jim Crawford Band
I am a wife, daughter, friend. I have more interests than I can concentrate on. I have amazing friends, an awesome family, a rocking job. Life just keeps on rolling...
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