Michelle Shocked

Michelle Shocked performed as the headliner for the Mount Helena Music Festival last night, and I was so excited, since I've been a fan for nearly 20 years.

When she walked into the park with her guitar slung over her shoulder, I said to my sister, "Oh my Gosh, that's Michelle Shocked! She walked right past me!!! If I had the guts, I'd ask her to take a picture with me." My sister responded, "Just ask her," and I said, "Okay!"

Jennifer took this picture of Michelle Shocked an me with my phone. She did several old tunes she learned form her dad growing up in Texas, she did several of her own older ones. Then she did some of her more popular tunes. Then she started singing "Anchorage, Alaska," probably her most well known song. It's a song that captures letters between her and a friend who is "anchored down in Anchorage, Alaska" with her husband Leroy, who sends greetings to her through his wife. It's a great song.

To make it even better last night, Michelle Shocked said she had special guests with her, and she brought the couple on stage! Kelly and Leroy, who have been married for 27 years! They are Montana Blackfeet Indians and they live in Billings, Montana, now. It was pretty cool after spending time over the years picturing what their friendship was like based on that song.

She also did the song about the the struggle of coal miners that says, "The L & N don't stop here any more." She followed that one up, appropriately, with "Paradise" by John Prine.

She did several more of my faves, including "VFD," "Old Woman" and "Memories of East Texas."

Then she ended the night with "Goodnight Irene," a song my grandmother loved. Her name was Irene.

Check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hffcyJ1GAg

Happiness is not so much in having as sharing. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

- Norman MacEwan

Love This

This is what Caroline made for me for Mother's Day.

Embarrassed at the Gym

I've been at this hard-core training now for a few months and it's beginning to show in my strength, but unfortunately not in my butt!

Anyway, my trainer, who is a figure competitor and is totally ripped and has not an ounce of fat on her body was kind enough to give me a pair or weight-lifting gloves as a gift. Very considerate, I know, and also practical, sice I'm developing unsightly callouses on my hands.

Now,I should explain that I am a member of a gym that caters to senior citizens and families with young children. The hard-cores work out in an entirely different gym with state-of-the art equipment and a TV on every cardio machine and a juice bar that boasts a nutritional menu of protein shakes and supplements, etc.

My gym has old equipment, a pool filled with people between 70 and 90 years old, and a play area for kids. I feel more comfortable at my gym. I can look cool without trying too hard.

Then again...

I went to work out last week and brought along my new work-out gloves. Since I make a point to never match when I put on workout clothes and to never look too put-together, because that would be UNcool, I was hesitant to wear my new gloves. Now if I looked like a true body builder, I would also feel like I could pull off the gloves, but with my jiggly backside, I just don't. So I was struggling with donning the new gloves.

Don't you sometimes look at people who are fully outfitted for what they're doing as sort of uncool? My husband certainly does. He makes fun of tourists fishing on the Missouri River in the summers decked out in their brand-new Orvis shirts and hats and rods and reels, looking like they stepped out of a Cabella's catalog, except for they can't cast a fly rod to save their souls. He insists on wearing his Bears jersey and a ball cap when he fishes, and he knows what he's doing.

Anyway, I digress...

I broke down and wore the gloves two times this week. I made sure to wear my Beastie Boys T-shirt and a pair of paint-stained stretch pants, just to be sure! And I went about my weight training as if nothing were out of the ordinary.

Once a little old man approached me while I was doing pull-ups and said, "Pound for pound, you're the toughest guy in here."

Maybe I pulled it off!

Studio

My home studio space has been a complete disaster for months and months and months. I haven't done much in the way of art because the mess became too big for me to even think about. It is the space my husband used to assemble the new ping pong table, which necessitated moving everything aside for space. Then it was the place where my children and their friends have chosen to do some projects of their own...some art, and some not so artistic projects. More like destructive ones.

Well, today, inspired by my artist friend Rinay, I tackled the overwhelming task and conquered it! Aahh...it feels so good. I mean REALLY GOOD.

I can, of course do more detailed organizing, but ....naaahhh. I'd rather do art!

Truth Art

This is my latest piece of art, which was inspired by "The Truth Project." I gave it to my friend Jessie Curtis for her birthday after she went through the study with me.

Pumping It Up

After three months of pumping iron, I was not seeing any difference at all. Oh sure, I could lift more and more weight, but I could not see visual result in my body. so my trainer took some picks of my back while I was doing pull ups. And lo and behold, there is a little bit of definition. I am so proud, I thought I'd share it with you here!