Category Archives: Music

Takes Me Back

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Walking outside this morning after the long rain last night, I caught a sudden whiff of the ocean, of salty air, of fish.  Yet we are hours away from the sea.  One moment, one smell on the damp air, and I was there at the ocean on a rainy morning.

Hearing “Summer of ’69” by Bryan Adams instantly takes me back to my senior year of high school, when I was in my very first band with some high school mates.  We practiced for weeks, had one gig at a birthday party, and then I had to get my wisdom teeth out and go to college.

Waking up in the dark for any reason instantly puts me back to my childhood vacations, when Dad would pick us up out of bed at 2 or 3 in the morning and carry us to the car where we could continue sleeping (or not :)) in the back of the station wagon till morning.

I am a forward looking person usually; I love planning and looking ahead to the adventures still in store.  But these little instantaneous transports are amazing, and I look forward to the times in my future when some smell or sound or sight will take me back.   Slainte, Lisa

The Foggy Dew

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Beautiful morning….thin transparent clouds touching the ground, creating a hazy misty wonderland of hiddenness.  The sun somewhere behind those low clouds trying to push through, hitting the dew on the grass and making it glitter like wet diamonds under my feet.  As I walked my daughter to the bus stop, I told her we were walking through a cloud, and she kept waving her hand through the air, saying, “I don’t feel it.”  “But look around,” I replied.  “The fog, the low clouds, are all around us.  We see it, but we don’t feel it.”

Thank you God, for the reminder that You are everywhere I see, even when I can’t feel it.  Your clouds came down and kissed the earth this morning and kissed us too, and that’s awesome.  🙂

Here’s a wonderful peaceful rendition of the trad tune, “The Foggy Dew,” for you to chill out to this morning.

Slainte, Lisa

The Art of Busking

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On any given day on Grafton Street in Dublin, if you pay attention, there are talented (and not so talented) street performers, or buskers.  (or in New York, Moscow, and even Charlottesville, VA for that matter)  People who just want to sing, or play, or perform, and they’re not waiting for an inside venue or traditional booking.  They just put themselves out there, play or sing their heart out, and hope for the drop of some money into their cases or hats afterwards.  As a musician, I am fascinated by busking; I’ve always wanted to try it, but have been hesitant.  I mean, what if everyone just walks by and no-one listens?  What does that do to you as a performer?  I think it takes a brave and fearless type person to busk, and I admire them.  🙂

These two pictures show two groups that we saw in Dublin.  The “statue” guys would freeze into a position and hold it as long as it took.  As soon as someone dropped a coin or money into their jar, they would move into their next frozen spot.  People would talk to them and try to get them to laugh or move, but these guys were good.  We watched them a long time, and talked with them when they went on break.  They had worked and backpacked their way all across Europe just by performing their act on the city streets in the country they were in.  Super cool.

BML

This duo called themselves “BML” and performed well-known songs on dual electric fiddles.  They were very accomplished, and sold quite a few of their CD’s in the 15 minutes that we watched them.

So, who knows, one of these days maybe I’ll work up the courage to take myself to the Charlottesville downtown mall, and set up my stuff and sing away.  Or maybe not.  🙂  Slainte, Lisa

Waiting for Mom

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This face says it all.  I had been in this music store in Doolin for over an hour, drooling and looking and generally coveting all the wonderful whistles and music books contained within.  He tried to hang with me for a while, but his seven year old self finally took to the window in a sulk.  My husband captured this wonderful picture for posterity.  🙂

Aren’t pictures great?  They can take you back in time in one instant, just by seeing them.  And think of all the things we have yet to take pictures of, to experience, to delight in God’s stuff…what a wonderful life.  Thankful, Lisa

Every Day

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“One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.”  – Goethe

Well, how about this….

 little song:

 good poem:

“Red, Red Rose” by Robert Burns

O my Luve’s like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my Luve’s like the melodie
That’s sweetly play’d in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I:
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry:

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun:
I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee well, my only Luve
And fare thee well, a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho’ it were ten thousand mile.

a fine picture:

by Leonardo da Vinci

a few reasonable words:

hmmm…I leave that task to greater wits than me.

May this day be blessed.  Slainte, Lisa