Yesterday I performed at a Red Cross benefit here in Austin. Besides singing, I wanted to do something extra for such a great organization. So, I made a heart-shaped homemade banana cake with cream cheese icing in honor of the CPR class I had taken through the Red Cross, and I auctioned it off during my part of the show. My cake brought in $300! Woo-hoo! And they got to keep the multi-striped, happy plate, too!
Thank you to the folks that helped out yesterday, and to all the good volunteers that make the Red Cross emergency teams available (especially now with all the hurricanes...)

I realized the other day I forgot to continue with PART TWO of the musical moment from the last newsletter. Please forgive me! I will include it in this one.

THANK YOUs

My friend, Libby Bell Goff, will be going to Haiti in December. Please visit her site www.som.tulane.edu/march to learn more about this positive movement. To witness the wonder, click "photo presentation" and you can see Libby's amazing photographs. And here I want to say a HUGE thank you to Chuck Brodsky, who has allowed Libby to use his spirit filled song, "We Are Each Others' Angels" during the slide show.

Thanks to Big Red Sun for the fun series we put on for kids the last four Saturday mornings. If you missed out on these, don't fret! I think we are going to do some more soon....

Thanks to Tyler Florence and the terrific crew of "Food 911". We had such a superb time taping the show.
And a rousing round of applause for CATHLEEN SUTHERLAND, who graciously called and asked if I'd be interested. Without her thoughtfulness, we wouldn't have been on the show at all. Thank you, Cathleen!

To all the people who are helping to get information about my music out into the world, I must thank Mike Cogliandro (Unknownart), Cat Reynolds, Dawn Leisch, Teresa Travis, Jann Linder, Wofford Denius and Gene Cowan. All of these folks are behind the scenes helping in numerous ways and I just wanted to say THANK YOU.

And to each of you, thank you, too...it is such a joy to be in this world at this time with you. These are the best of times...

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Sept. 30....Southwest Regional Folk Alliance/10 PM...I play for half an hour in Steve Hopkins room

Oct. 7...Girl Scout Outing...We are visiting a local cemetery to talk about the past and work on our History Patches

Oct. 8...Redirecting Children's Behavior Conference, 8:30 pm performance, Austin, Doubletree Hotel I-35

Oct. 15...University of Texas Fall Party...UT Aerospace Engineering Department, 5-7 pm performance

Oct. 17...I'll be a judge for the Veggie Chili Event at the Austin Zoo, 3:30 pm-5:00 pm

Oct. 19...Call and support KUT Radio! I'll be answering pledge phones!

Oct. 20...Adoption Coalition of Texas, Caswell House, Austin...6:30... Singing three songs to support adoption of foster children

Oct. 23...Pioneer Farms, Austin, TX...This is always fun! Our local pioneer farms are a preserved way of life from the past...learn how to make foods, milk cows, grow corn, blow a jug, kick up your heels...

Oct. 24...Pervasive Powercharge Race, 9:30am...Singing to help raise funds for Girl Scouts! Come on out and run (or support the kids running!)

Oct. 27...I'll be the guest MC in the tophat and tails for Circus Chimera, Austin, TX....7:30 pm...an animal free circus! Come on dowwwwwwn!

Oct. 31...Performing at our awesome Texas Book Festival on the grounds of our state capital. This is a HUGE event...come discover new reads and meet authors from around the world...oh, and there will be music, too...12:30, children's stage....

And November 12 will be the big, big show with Strings Attached. There will be a 7:30 and a 10 pm show. Please come out and support us, if you can...the more people the more energy we can create! Plus, I can give you a holiday hug! Nothing like a holiday hug.
If you can't make it or you're reading this in a far-flung part of the world, you can listen in! KGSR FM will webcast the show. Just listen here with Windows Media Player.

Awards! Awards!

Sara's childrens albums are getting rave reviews from parenting organizations! Here are just a few that have awarded her a seal of approval:

National Parenting Publications Award
for "Big Kid"

Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products
for "Toddler"

Children's Music Web Award
for "Newborn" and "Toddler"

Parent's Choice Foundation
for "Big Kid"

Hungry for your own Texas Tea Party?

You can find the recipes from Tyler and Sara's Food 911 Tea Party on the Food Network website!

• Pancetta, Pear and Parmesan Scones
• Roasted Turkey with Herb Cream Cheese and Strawberries
• Salmon, Avocado, and Bacon with Chili Mayonnaise
• Baked Prosciutto and Brie with Apple Butter
• Cranberry Baba Cakes (mmm... Baba Cakes...)

Need more Sara?

These newsletters aren't enough? You need more, more, more? Hop on over to Sara's weblog, Zen la la! When the muse strikes, you'll be there, ready to read the latest from the mind of Max Pumpkin.

Backstage at Wolftrap is like having your own apartment with lots of comfy, CLEAN sofas. (I empasize clean because if you've ever done a show at Tippatina's in New Orleans, you would appreciate what Wolftrap has provided!) Not only are there lots of places to relax, but there are showers, bathrooms, and tons of food and drink. So, by the time you reach the stage, you're sleepy and full!

On this night, Tish had brought in a band. So, there were lots of musicians meandering the hallways, waiting to get on stage with us. Finally, the moment had arrived.

The audience was hushed and respectful. The house lights went down.
Tish and I appeared on stage, singing songs...chatting...finally, the time was right. I asked Lance to join me on stage to sing "Take Me With You," the song about my grandmother, Martha, dying and my grandfather, Allan, wanting to go with her...Lance and I sang the song, and the room was charged with emotion. The song ended, and before Lance could return to his seat, I asked him to stay...and then I told him, with the audience as our witness, how much my grandparents meant to me. How they had made music together all their lives, and now that Lance and I were singing about them, he and I should go on making music together, too....And then I pulled the little white box out from behind my back and asked if he would marry me....

There was a beautiful gasp from the audience and Lance said "yes" and then it all becomes a blurry blur for me because the house lights came up and I was kissing Lance and there was the roar of hands coming together...

The only other thing I remember about that night is that the ring had to go on Lance's pinky (it was a woman's ring, remember?) and that Peter Zimmerman, who runs Wolftrap, brought us a bottle of champagne to celebrate. Ah, sweet love!

And, there you have it...musical moment #19...So, next newsletter...We will have musical moment #20. The last one. Or should I go on beyond 20....? I will let you decide...

Until then, I wish you well, I wish you love, I wish you all I can...

Sara