me and my brother Todd, Mom

I've been sorting through things with my mom, revisiting old poems of hers, reading the ones she's working on now. Every once in a while I'll grab one of the books in her collection down, and open randomly. Yesterday, I couldn't stop reading, and re-reading this one.

It's from a book called, The Will to Change.  The poem is:

"November 1968"

 Stripped

you're beginning to float free

up through the smoke of brushfires

and incinerators

the unleafed branches won't hold you

nor the radar aerials

You're what the autumn knew would happen

after the last collapse

of primary color

once the last absolutes were torn to pieces

you could begin

How you broke open, what sheathed you

until this moment

I know nothing about it

my ignorance of you amazes me

now that I watch you

starting to give yourself away

to the wind

1968    Adrienne Rich

Well, it has been a little hectic. I visited the beloved WUMB last Friday and had a pretty stellar time with John Laurenti. We talked about my sexy band a lot in preparation for our big Scullers debut.

And, indeed, Scullers was a joy. The intimacy really made for a spontaneous combustion of everything AND the kitchen sink. We even did a little a cappella "room in my heart" with the whole audience for our pal Ethan, who called out to make sure we knew he was in the HOUSE!!

Then the weekend brought another food summit with some friends.

Giuseppe, Brian and Luis, the three chefs boy oh boy and a big black truffle!!!

Oh my, yellowtail to die for.

the lovely Dana with the second course, polpo with avacado, cilantro....and some secret stuff.

Risotto with porcini mushrooms and black truffle.

and just when you thought it was safe to breathe....pork oh my my my.

Right back to the glamorous music business!

Joe Sample and I got back to work on our songs for our musical called QUADROON. There's nothing like late nights in a really dodgy hotel room!

We even had a window.

And then, nothing mattered but the music (I've been watching "The Red Shoes" with my mother. Lermentov the ballet impressario keeps harping on Moira Shearer's character Vicki, "nothing matters but the music" and... "why do you want to dance?"  Vicki: "why do you want to live?")

We recorded three new songs yesterday at Avatar. (that's where we recorded "The Works" oh so long ago. That's Tim Luntzel on bass,

Lewis Nash on drums in the distance... me in the reflection in the vocal cage.

Tyley Ross came in and knocked a really poignant pivotal song out of the PARK!!

Joe, Tyley and Jo

Marc Anthony Thompson came by too and rocked up our pimp song.

Ok so there's a love triangle, of course! pimp, priest, nun, and of course God is in the mix. So I guess maybe it's a love square!

More very soon.

I've been back in Boston a little early to see my mom, and took the time to drive by the house where I grew up.

This photo was taken in the back yard. I remember this dumb nylon shirt. I thought I would be so cool, I even had the light blue Levi's corduroys that went with it. But when I got to school, the mean girls had boobs and hirachis and perfect gros grain matching hair bands and fair isles sweaters. I just couldn't keep up.

Except.... I had a TREE HOUSE that my dad built.

and a trapeze bar

and an old jungle gym. I was even master of the tetherball.

Well, sadly, my old circus ring is gone, my treehouse torn down. The houses and street seem strangely small now. There's a ball of sadness in the pit of my stomach.

I recently heard some wonderful stories about my dad from a friend who came to the show in Bethlehem, New Hampshire. So when I found all these pictures...

This is my dad receiving a journalism award. In the front is David Brinkley. Kinda cool!

My mom reminded me yesterday, "He was a good man." He really was.

SCULLERS tomorrow with the sexy band!!!! Last gig for a while.... Just Sayin'

Song School THANK YOU. My heart was blown wide open. Every single person there brought such honesty, bravery, integrity and joy to the goings on. Every day was different, every class brought new revelations and surprises. I learned soooooo much.

And then, to top it all off, I got to be a goober fan for once. I just don't get a chance to see my peeps play that often, so when they're all mushed into a perfect, sublime setting, and playing in proximity? Heaven.

Darrell Scott and Joe Craven. Ridiculous.

JB: "sniffle, he's so dreamy..."

Amy: "sniffle, oh my god, he just did that."

Vance: "sniffle... I quit."

David, swoon, Wilcox. That's what the lonely is for....

Doris, from Girlyman.... she sang "in the Gloaming" with me on the last open mic night. Sweet.

ca

Ty from Girlyman, mad hot.

Nate from Girlyman, with the strap-on of the century. And the most amazing fuschia eye shadow.

Christmas Tricia, one of the kindred red-heads that seemed to dominate (in a lovely way)  the landscape in Lyons. She gave me the beautiful necklace in the photo.

Meghan, who won the troubadour contest. YAY, Cindy and JB. MORE red hair.

a

Songwriter, upright bass, drums, ukelele... is there anything this red head can't do??

Umm, separated at birth?

And then, when I thought it couldn't get any more strangely blissful, a little angel came out dressed as Dorothy and rocked "somewhere over the rainbow." not a flinch, pitch perfect.

Life IS good.

My husband has his pilot's license and flew me up to Boston this week.

so

It sure is beautiful up there.

Westchester just after take off.

I was playing in my old stomping grounds this week.

Totally brought me back to my New England days. Check out one old Saybrook fan!!

I forgot to get her name, but she fully embraced the Guthrie lyrics from "All You Gotta Do is Touch me." I mean, she REALLY embraced them!!! (oh yeah, go SOX)

 I fully aim...

I am the works....LOVE it.

Steady feet. All I can say is, "OW."

In other news, Paul met his match, aka "shrimp" in Bethlehem NH.

I met a little Alpaca named Sophie at the Bethlehem farmer's market, and of course, went home with some of her wool...

She lives at Foggy Bottom Ranch! I also found some yummy Ayurvedic home made lemon & lavender cream from the Balanced Health Center. Heaven. And the local blueberries? Off the hook!

Last night in Pittsfield, i got to play an 1894 Hamburg Steinway piano. Oh my!

The theatre is STUNNING, so lovingly restored.

I was sorry to have missed "MENOPAUSE, the MUSICAL" though.

Onward to the Rockies. Folks Fest here we go!!