Writers' Retreat

On Sunday, May 17th Jim dropped me off at Roberta's home in Wilder and she and I headed southeast to the Gathering in Greenbo State Park. The anticipation and wondering filled me with adrenaline and the three hour drive seemed half that long. We arrived around noon and went straight to the first workshop. When we entered the room Kate Larkin hugged me like we had been friends for years. I hope now that we will be. She is full of energy and happiness that is infectious. We settled in for her songwriting workshop and I was in awe! The room was filled with writers, poets and songwriters. Many of the attendees were all three. After her workshop we took a hike to a small graveyard then Roberta and I hiked one of the paths. ("Now don't worry Liz, its only one real tiny tick" Orange Cocoa Cake by Lou & Peter Berryman) Another workshop before dinner than a concert by Kate after. The group then brought out guitars, dulicmers, mandolins and libation and we had a "Swarp". Much like a ceilidh, we swapped songs until the wee hours.
On Monday we repeated this schedule of workshops, concerts and a swarp but included were readings during meals. Silas House, Anne Shelby and Jason Howard were among the writers who read stories while we quietly nibbled at our food, not wanting to make any noise that would interrupt the beautiful stories. In the late afternoon we recorded an open mike session in which I played Cadillac. Roberta did her famous underpants song and many of the other attendees read their poems and essays.
On Tuesday we had one more workshop, a concert and then said our goodbyes. It was my first and hopefully not last writers retreat!

Ohio River Valley Folk Festival - Get Outta Here

On Friday, May 15th Jim and I left our offices around 3 pm and headed west to Madison, Indiana. We had a bit of time so we took Route 42 and went along the river to Markland Dam and crossed over to Indiana. The ride was pleasant and the time passed quickly. Papa Joe called as we were leaving town to say he was there and settled in and would walk around the city and get the lay of the land. A call to Lenny and Linda revealed them just a mile behind so. We caught up in Madison and continued on to Clifty Falls where we pitched our tents then headed back to town for the Festival. It was drizzling but not heavy rain. Paul Burch and the WPA were performing when we arrived but soon after a few lightening flashes stopped the music for about a half hour. We took shelter from the brief pocket of rain then loaded up with plates of delicious pulled pork, green beans and buttery potatoes. Settled into our seats we enjoyed the remainder of Paul's set. With a brief change over we had our drinks of choice and awaited Richard Shindell. I had heard his music for years but had not seen him live. His songs painted pictures that brought us to tears and then laughter. Another change over and we were rocked by the Kennedys. Again I had listened to their sweet harmonies on WNKU but I was not aware of Pete Kennedy's amazing guitar work. Maura sang like an angel, played ferociously and didn't stop dancing and sending out energy for two straight hours. It was amazing!

During one of the breaks Jim bought me a lovely shawl made by a woman in Cambodia. Another tent provided us a chance to refresh our supply of homemade soap.

In the final minutes of Friday, we wandered back to our tents at Clifty Falls and enjoyed nature's concert of rolling thunder and an amazing light show as the rain pounded percussion above us.

Saturday morning was a bit drizzly but not enough to deter us from making a big campground breakfast. With full bellies we headed back to the festival for the workshops. First up, Katherine Wheatley, a beautiful musician from Canada, led us in a ceilidh-like play and singalong session. A family of talented brothers joined her on stage with mandolin, banjo and guitar. Each played Katherine as if they had met her before and had time to learn the original songs she threw at them.

Next up, Richard Shindell, looking like he was not a morning person, gave a true workshop on songwriting. His suggestions made sense and his method made me feel like I was doing something right. I wrote down his suggestions and how to incorporate some to my own process.

Without a break the amazing Tim O'Brien took the small stage and the tent filled to capacity. He explained mandolins and bouzoukis and we were able to hear a few songs before we slipped out to head to our next event....my cousin's wedding three hours east of where we sat.

We unanimously agreed that this is a Get Outta Here that needs to be on our calendars for next year!

Writers Road Block

I knew from an early age that I was destined to be a writer. From the first rough, thick lined pencil pads to the smooth, shiny white college-rule in elementary school, I ached to put words on a page. When school supplies were purchased and stacked on my bed, I’d rush to open the package of pencils and remove the plastic wrap from my school paper.

Then I would sit and stare at the shiny page, pencil tapping teeth, waiting for the words to come.

More than 40 years later, I still sat and waited.

Mother had always lectured not to waste our supplies before school began but she really didn’t have to worry. My writer's road block remained. With my lifetime case of short term memory, I never got the thoughts written fast enough with paper and pen before they flew away. It wasn’t until I bought a computer that the words could be captured, straight from my head to my hands to the keys. It is the speed of brain to fingers that has enabled me to write. I have had songs die in the aborning just because I couldn’t write them down as fast as the muse would sing them in my head. But ahhh, technology. Give me a dictaphone and computer keyboard and they live.

Each morning and late evening, I push the “on” button and wait for the blue screen to roll to white. Sitting and staring at the shiny page I write. Words appear, sentences grow and a story dances upon the page.

I am a writer.

Retreat

I am on retreat! Roberta and I drove windy, rural roads to find Greenbo State Park in Northeast Kentucky. Billed as a Gathering of Writers, it lived up to its name. The room is filled with 30+ people who share information and comments and create. Sunday was a long day with travel, hiking, workshops and a SWARP. Its pretty much a ceilidh but SWARP is an Appalachian term. We shared songs until 1 am and then tried to sleep with song and poems ideas dancing in our heads.

More later!

Happy 17th Anniversary

17th years ago Jim and I were married at Alms Park in Cincinnati. It had rained for days and I was a nervous wreck. Jim was confident that it would be a beautiful day so we did not have a back up plan. Just as he predicted, the sun came out and we had a wonderful wedding day. For our honeymoon, the rain resumed and we spent a week in the Smoky Mountains, camping in a light but comfortable rain.

We enjoyed this wedding anniversary camping in the rain. I have to admit that last night it was hard rain with much thunder and lightening but safe within our tent it was lovely to experience. We woke, cooked breakfast in the rain, went to a couple of workshops (more on this later) and then headed off to Kentucky for my cousin's wedding. She, too, had planned an outside wedding on May 16th. When we arrived with a car full of sound equipment we were apprehensive about set up mikes and speakers in the rain. However, we slugged through the soggy, marsh that surrounded the stage and provided sound for the musician and the vows.

As Brittany and her father drove up to the wedding spot in a vintage, orange Corvette, the blue sky appeared and the wedding was lovely.

During the ceremony Jim and I looked down at our muddy feet and had a laugh. We seem to celebrate our wedding anniversary with muddy feet. So therefore, here is our official 17th anniversary photograph!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSAY

We've piled up the camping gear in the living room. Tomorrow I will load the car, hoping not to forget too much. Its supposed to rain this weekend so our wedding anniversary will be celebrated much like our honeymoon. We'll be camping and it will be raining. We didn't mind at all 17 years ago. Let's hope our weary bones don't mind too much this time.

Blog 5/13/09

I couldn't decide what to name this blog because so many ideas came to mind. Most of them were the usual cliches, Be Careful What You Wish For...You Can't Have It All, just to name two. Therefore, I just gave it a date. When I did, I noted that its the 13th and I came from a very, very superstitious family. My sister died when she was thirteen days old, my mother died on the 13th of September and so forth and so on. To carry on this family tradition, I woke up this morning with a migraine, mad at the world and feeling deep, dark and blue. That's where the cliches came into consideration.

I have overwhelmed myself because I wished to be busy and I am. I wanted to have it all and I do. I spent so many years in my mid-life at home with no friends and nothing to do but clean house and I wished for all I didn't have. Now I have all I ever wanted, family, friends and acquaintances and I'm exhausted trying to spend time enjoying all of them. I know I've complained about this before but as a mother and grandmother I sat myself down and said "Stop whining and fix it". Therefore I am fixing it. Last night I wanted to go to the studio to watch Tim mix his new CD but instead I went to my grandson, Chase's, baseball game. Nick was umping so I was able to take photos of both of them at the same game. We then came home and had dinner together. It was wonderful. I actually got the kitchen floor mopped. Last Friday night instead of going out to hear music, I babysat Kalee so their family could go out. It was relaxing. Over the weekend Nick and I worked on his bedroom, turning it into a true teenage musician's space. It was fulfilling.

Therefore as the mother I have grounded myself. After this weekend of the Ohio River Valley Folk Festival and the Writer's Retreat, I'm gonna spend more time at home. I will honor the commitments I have already made but with all my power I will try to say "no" and work on my house and spend more time with my family. Its noticeable that I haven't posted any updates on my kitchen...that's because there are none. We have the materials, including my new counter top, but we haven't had the time.

I get exhausted just looking at my schedule but my date book isn't half as full as my daughter's. I hope she doesn't wear herself out! On Mother's Day we had a nice family dinner but still had to find time to coordinate our busy calendars.

This summer, I hope to invite friends to my house to sit on my back deck and enjoy some music and a cold beer or two and RELAX. I want to be accessible if my friends or family need me.

To wrap up this babbling...I am so blessed with family, friends and acquaintances and I will therefore spend time with them...in that order. I feel compelled to go hear fellow musicians as often as possible and there are very few that I haven't heard multiple times. I still love their music and want to support them but I have to set my priorities. I'm actually missing my cousin's wedding this Saturday. Like most weekends, we had five things to chose from. It's also our 17th wedding anniversary and Jim and I love to camp on that special date. We combined camping and music with the folk festival and the wedding just didn't work into the plans. Yes, I feel really, really bad about not being with my family and therefore the blues have set in. I hope I get these conflicts worked out better in the coming months.

Wish me luck

Four Corners of Folk

Our music community is a subject I love to write about. Every weekend and on most days of the week, its a hard choice of who to hear. Last Saturday, May 2nd, it was the reunion of the Four Corners of Folk. Chris Collier, Ashley Peacock, Greg Mahan and Ryan Adcock had gone on tour about five years ago, traveling in a van, driving to the northeast. They came together again at College Hill Coffee and took turns performing their songs. At the end of the evening they joined for "If I Had a Hammer". Jim and I enjoyed the night with our friend, Carol Mahan, who I actuall met through Greg!

Grunt Hat (shirt?)

Jim and I were up at the crack of dawn on Sunday, May 3rd. For the 5th or 6th time (yes, its too hard to keep count anymore) we volunteered at Water Station #17 for the Flying Pig Marathon. Another Fairfax mother and I had gone to a meeting years back and were allowed to host the water station. It brings in money for the Fairfax Elementary PTA and brings the community out for a good cause. These days my daughter, Chandra, has taken over the event and has made it into a fun time for us and the runners. She and a few others moms really get into it. A friend's mother created a flying pig outfit for Chandra but as usual, Julie, who came in hot pink from head to toe, had the craziest costume. Costumes are not a requirement as you can see from Jim and me in our Grunt shirts. However, the runners get a kick out of seeing water stations having such a good time.

Julie and Chandra were hysterical!