The Aftermath–Good and Bad

It seems like just the other day that we went to Chicago for Lollapalooza.  Yet it has already been two weeks.  It was wonderful to get away for a few days and even better to be able to go somewhere where the weather was considerably cooler.  We did have to tend with a bit of humidity but that was just fine.  I truly think it was the first time this summer that we actually spent three entire days outside all day long.  For me that alone was the best thing of the whole long weekend. 

The whole event was a blast.  I will say though since we were there a few years back that the number of people attending seemed to grow considerably.  It was the 20th anniversary so that could have had something to do with it all.  It was sold out all weekend which meant that 300,000 total were present each day, not to count the few that managed to sneak in one way or another.  Despite the crowdedness it was still fun.  The first day was the best as many had not gotten off of work yet and it did not seem to be as hard to find a good spot to just relax and listen to music.  Also of course Muse played Friday evening.  I was bummed as they put Muse and Coldplay up against one another.  Yet in the end my loyalties won out and I was smack in the middle for the Muse concert.  As always they were great and I was not disappointed with my choice at all. 

The rest of the weekend was filled with acts like Flogging Molly, Foo Fighters, Manchester Orchestra, Celo Green, Foster the People, and so many more.  We stayed at the Hard Rock which was nice yet it was also where many of the bands stayed.  Needless to say it was much like grand central station there at times, especially in the evenings.  If I had been a mere 20 years younger I probably would have enjoyed it much more. 

The only downfall of the whole weekend was the morning we came home.  In our drive to the airport of course we were stuck in morning traffic.  I managed to leave my camera in the cabbie when we got out at the airport.  I realized it immediately and we called the Cabbie Co first thing.  Although we made valiant efforts, we did not retrieve it.  I was depressed for days as my camera had become a bit of an appendage for me.  I lost all my photos from the weekend as well as some family photos I had shot before we left.  I will say that I was a bit upset about the honesty of people after it was all over.  We called immediately after we exited.  The cabbie had told us that because of the traffic he would just go down to arrivals at the airport and get his next fare there.  It would have been so easy to retrieve the camera then.  And even if he decided otherwise reporting it found would have likewise been as easy.

Sometimes I feel like I give too much credit to others that I just assume they will do the right thing.  Although also I do not want to become so cynical that I don’t trust anyone and look suspiciously at any who may give me a funny feeling.  I know that we live in rough times these days. Because of that it can lend some to do things that in other situations they may not even consider doing.  I also know that I have to accept that there are some who will do such things despite right or wrong.  I just tell myself that for some reason of which I will never know that maybe he needed it more than I.  Maybe in some way the possession of my Nikon D80 will aid him in a way that it did not not aid me.  I miss the rabbit charm that hung from the handle of my camera case almost as much as the camera.  I had received it from a friend in Ireland.  It was hand made with green stones and a pewter bunny at the end.  It was my good luck charm or at least it was suppose to be.  Yet no use crying over spilt milk.  It is what it is…

 

Mother Moon

Truth #5 - When I Grow Up I Want To.......

Whew… It seems like the last few weeks have been some tough truths. I guess really all of them have the possibility of being hard ones. It all depends on how one looks at the topic in question. That is why this week I decided to look at this one a bit of a different way.

Truth #5 : Something You Hope To Do In Your Life

I have always been a person who believes that ANYTHING is possible. It is just a matter of what one is willing to do to achieve or acquire their wishes. Some years back I made what some would call a bucket list. I developed it a short time after my divorce. On it I listed all the things I wanted to do in my life. In the beginning the items were effortless really. They did not require much out of me to accomplish them. Then I went on to items which required some effort out of me to complete and later I put all the things I wanted to do regardless of the degree of difficulty knowing that a number of them may possibly never be accomplished.

As I reviewed my list recently, I realized that several of the items that I thought were items that may be a bit difficult for me to do I had already accomplished.  I could cross them off my list. This has encouraged me to develop an updated list and to put myself a little further out there. I would like to share a few of the items I accomplished as well as a few new ones that I added to the list.

One of the big items on my to do list was to see a Beatle in concert. I was not blessed to have been of age in the 60’s to experience what was "Beatlemania".  I discovered the fab four in the early 70's.  My best friends dad introduced us to their music and seeing we were the young age of 9 and 10 we did not even realize that we were listening to music that was first recorded in the early 60's.  So in our own way we lived our own Beatlemania in fast forward. 

When Paul McCartney and Wings toured in the 70’s and 80’s I was either too far away, too poor, or had a family and other things on my mind. John had already passed and George seldom did concerts. Ringo did come near me one time shortly after my divorce yet I was unable to attend. Still I did not give up.  In 2000 Paul announced that he was touring again and I was determined to see him one way or another. I purchased 2 tickets to a show in Vegas with no idea as to how I would get there. At the time he had only announced a few shows and none of them were near me. I felt Vegas was my best bet. Sure enough I managed to get there for a short weekend trip. It was fantastic. His show consisted of mostly Beatle songs and it was the closest thing I knew I would ever get to seeing them. I had finally had my Beatle experience. When I arrived home I learned Paul had announced he would be in Dallas so I splurged and purchased one ticket on a bus of Beatle fans. This second experience was some of the most fun I have ever had. My ticket was right next to the stage on the left side right by all of Paul’s basses… it was heaven for any Beatle fan, young or old.

Another item on my list was traveling to numerous places. The first year I was divorced I went on a trip to Toronto Canada. I was all alone and it was the first time I had ever went anywhere that big and that far away by myself. I was terrified at first yet after the first evening in my hotel room alone I was bound and determined to not remain that way. The next morning I went down and planned me an array of trips including Niagara Falls, A Blue Jays game, The Phathom of the Opera and more. I met all sorts of people and ended up spending much of my time with a family from New Zealand. It was a major turning point in my life for sure.

Now in regards to new things on my list to do: here are just a few that I plan to attempt to tackle in the coming years.

Travel to New Zealand and Australia

Experience Glastonbury in all its glory, especially the music festival

Write and publish my writing

Get a Tattoo (Yea this one is a left over from my old list )

And a few that may take a bit more effort out of me:

Meet and discuss the meaning of life with Matthew Bellamy

Of course Nicolas Cage would do nice also

Skydive ( This was also on my first list and something I was scheduled to do about 15 years ago yet circumstances made me postpone and I have never rescheduled)

Learn to Fly

 (a plane of course - I have always had a strange love for crop dusters)

Travel to Space

(This one will just take an abundance of money)

What would you like to do in your life? Maybe its time you sit down and write a few of those ideas down. Keep it handy and look at it on occasion. You may be surprised just what you are able to do if you put a little effort and thought into it…

Getting Ready For #11 - And Loving Every Minute of It

I have always been a lover of music. From as far back as I can remember it was something that thrilled my soul. Early on it was classic country; Buck Owens, Conway Twitty and so on. My mother also introduced me to Dean Martin who I still swoon over to this day. He has a voice that is ageless and classic. Just the other day I was listening to my ipod when “An Evening in Roma” played. The song is as good today as it was in the 50’s. And yes I still get weak in the knees when I hear him.

Yet these days my taste in music has changed a bit. I listen to alternative and indie rock mostly yet my ipod contains a variety of music from classical to grunge to classic rock. All of it can make me smile; although my smile is never as large as when I’m listening to Muse. For the last 5 years they have been the band that moves me most. Being a tremendous Beatle fan myself I never really expected another band to come along and have such an impact on me. Yet when I first heard Matthew Bellamy’s voice and his skills at the guitar the rest was history.

Tonight I get the pleasure to see them in concert yet again. This will be my 11th time to see them and I can assure you not anywhere close to the last. In the last year I have seen them 3 times and each time was different and unique. They are a band that is consistently evolving into something more. I know that for many of my readers their music may not be what many have a taste for. Yet I am sure that all of you can relate with this fact.

I am sure that each of you has that one certain sound that when you hear it moves you in ways that nothing else can. It inspires you, lifts you and always seems to put a smile on your face. To some of us where music is a deep passion, this intense feeling may be even more. And to those of you who are this way you know exactly what I am speaking of. Well Muse is that to me. I am not sure why they have evolved me so. I only know that they have.

 

So tonight Vincent and I will be with friends enjoying a little slice of life. Yea I know I am a 40 some year old woman but you can be rest assured that I will be dancing up a storm and singing my heart out tonight. Maybe not as hard or loud as some but certainly I know as much as many….

Happy Birthday To You

I would not be the fan I claim to be if I did not wish a big Happy Birthday to Matthew Bellamy. Oh to be 20 years younger... or even 10 for that matter... but alas I will admire him from afar with all the other middle aged women out there.

What Makes Me Happy - You Really Think You Are Ready For This?

Faerwillow over at Serendipity was a dear and gave me this award.  Her blog is always uplifting and full of wonderful things.  With receipt of this award I am to offer up to my readers 10 things that make me really happy.  Have to say there are probably much more than 10 things, yet at the moment this seems to be the things that are on my mind the most..  And Away We Go............

The first thing that comes to my mind when you speak of happiness has got to be my grandbabies.  They are such a big part of my life as well as such a wealth of smiles, love, and laughter.  I still have not figured out the complete secret of being a grandparent yet I know that there is something incredibly special about it.  It give a feeling inside of you that is unique all to its own.  Plus I just love the simple ways of a child.  They are so open to the world and accepting without question.  They have yet to be mucked up by all the sinicism of the world.  It is refreshing and delightful to experience their bare truth of reality.

The second thing that makes me happy is my Vinnie.  Funny how I have truly been in love with this man since I was 7 years old.  I just wish I had had my pushy ways back when I was younger.  Maybe I would not had to have waited until I was 42 to have married him.  He has brought me more love in the last 5 and half years of being together than I think I have had in all the years before.  He truly is my soulmate and best friend.  My very own Captain Morgan... what else could a girl ask for. 

Music runs a close number three with of course Matthew Bellamy of Muse being at the forefront of that.  I mean really girls the boy believes in fairies.  Music has always been an important attribute to my life.  It inspires, lifts my spirits, makes me cry, and makes me want to dance like a crazed loon.  Yes, I can get down with my bad self, believe it or not.  I think I will have the same feelings as well as the same closet groupie fetishes til the day I die.  From George Harrison of the Beatles to Mattie.... I will "forever" love the boys in the band. 

Friends and family come in next.  Goodness where would we be without this one.  Over the last year I have realized the important of both of these groups.  Whether they are right next door to you or clear across the pond, they still mean as much to you and can have just as much influence and impact on your life.  A true friend is hard to find and sometimes impossible.  I feel that as of late I have been blessed with several.  And that can do nothing but make me happy.

Cooking is another thing that makes me happy.  Let me feed someone and that is my way of telling them I care.  Not sure why I am like that, I think I get it from my mother.  Although since she learned I can cook she doesn't cook for me as much.  Just ask my kids they will tell you that I love nothing more than to shove food down ones throat.  A little melodramatic there... although my daughter swears I fed them too much as kids... Always having cookies and cakes baked.  What can I say... it is one of my many ways of saying I love you.

Full moons and fairies.  Yea I know this is two things yet to me I tie them together often.  I have always loved to gaze at a full round moon as it rises in the sky at night.  To feel its energies pulsating from it.  I have forever been a moonchild and feel extremely close to her.  As for the fairies, the wee folk have always been dear to me.  It saddens me that people truly do not believe in them anymore yet I can understand why.  They represent something that is unseen to most and therefore can be unproven.  Ah to be caught in a world where you can not believe what you can not see.    Something that definitely does not make me smile....

Nature and all her glory of course makes me smile and tremendously happy.  From the strength and wisdom of a tall aged oak to the soft touch of a gentle breeze.  There are so many facets of this area that truly touch my soul.  I have learned so much from the out of doors.  It is what is truly real.  It holds so many secrets for us if we only but listen to her.  Its stories are ageless and offer to us the answers to so many of the questions we often ponder. 

My garden makes me happy.  Over the last several years I have planted and nurtured several flowers, trees, etc.  It is now coming to the stage where it is starting to shine.  It has been a wonderful experience for me to learn.  Although the feel of the earth under my feet or the touch of fresh soil excites me in a way that only another gardener can understand.  The excitement of that little green sprout peeking out of the ground or the first bud on a rose bush makes me beam... I thank my grandma and grandpa for this love of the earth as well as Thelma Pate, a woman who taught me the love of a beautiful flower at a very young age. 

My camera and my love of photography makes me smile.  It goes with me everywhere and has brought me a form of satisfaction I had not experienced before.  It has taught me creativity, uniqueness and the means to accept myself as an artist. 

Lastly what makes me Happy?  Me Myself and I.  I have learned to love myself and who and what I am.  I can laugh at my shortcomings and not be too hard on myself... I love life and all that it has to offer.  I guess in a way Life makes me happy.  Sure it has its pitfalls and such but there truly is always something positive to be gained from everything.  No matter how cliche that sounds.  I have learned to lean towards the positive side of all things and in the end all will be better for it.  Not to dwell on the negative or the trivial as it will only bog you down and keep you from enjoying the goodness that surrounds you.  Now I have to send this on to 10 more people.  First let me say that I am not necessarily a lover of question and answer things such as this yet this one has been a bit of a blessing to me.  It made me focus on a bunch of positive  things and also made me realize that there is much more than just 10 things... In saying this I pass this on to 10 people whom have inspired me with their stories, their teachings and their lives.  People whom have made me happy .  I hope you have as much fun doing this as I have had;  PS:  Lyon, Rue and Mary:  I would send this to you yet see you already had it sent to you.... All three of you have made me smile several times as well as lift my spirits and taught me much... blessing to you. 

So in no specific order:

Tracy from Witch Path to Take

Bridgett from Doug and; Boo Plus 2

Iris from Iris Awakened

Sugar and Spice from Sweet and Sour Witches

Nan from Ole Crows Nest

Dede from Brightest Blessings

Birgit from Swapping Howdies

Bella from Memoirs of A Crazy Witch

Linda from Old Baggs n Stuffed Shirts

Lucy from Secrets for Happyness

Love all of you and Faerwillow, thank you so much for sending this my way.... Blessings to all of you. 

Yummy - Better Than Cake

Undisclosed Desires

MUSE | MySpace Music Videos

Just have to share a little of my favorite music with you all on my birthday.... enjoy......