From Wednesday to Today…Happy Easter/Passover, all!

WEDNESDAY

Flew to Dallas and performed with Kristin at the Center for Spiritual Living’s Peace Concert, a two hour performance of poets, singer/songwriters, choirs and readings, all pertaining to hope and peace. We met amazing, grace filled people, and my favorite part of the evening was the choir’s burst of energy and joy, and Cornell played an Indian wooden flute. The notes penetrated the evening, puncuated by the words of Gandhi and King, and the woodiness of the flute pierced my heart–so throaty, so sad.

Had great conversations about racism, the “n” word, and teenagers with Alva, a smart, sassy woman/mother who works with the Center. She picked us up from and delivered us to the hotel/gig/airport, all while we talked about heady issues and how blacks (from Alva’s experiences as a black woman) view the “n” word and how whites (from my and Kristin’s experieces as white women) view the “n” word, and I was only sorry that this conversation didn’t take place the night before at the concert. It is such a NECESSARY dialogue that needs to be brought out into the human condition—how words do promote peace, or misconceptions, or can invoke violence.

THURSDAY

Met with a young singer/songwriter over lunch after flying in from Dallas. We discussed the music industry and I explained all the plusses/minuses. Tried to share the knowledge I have to help her consider her options/opportunities and to explain general workings of big labels/distribution/touring/indie labels/publicists….

Later, drove over to KNVA to do a taping for “Austin Faith Dialogue” with Sandy Wilder. We talked about my faith as a Christian, we talked about how I feel, just like my bumper sticker states, that “God is too big to fit inside one religion”, which I know can ignite passionate debate with some within the Christian community, but that is how I perceive God’s love.
We talked about how sexuality needs to be discussed in faith -based homes with children, so that kids can have a healthy understanding of their bodies, how things work…we talked about community involvement. Sang a little. I wondered if I talked too much, but Sandy was a quiet, tender guide, so I assumed I was answering in just the ways I was supposed to.
The crew was very nice, too. The show will air next Sunday morning at 8:00 am…

Walked outside, said our goodbyes, and as I got in my car to head home, I noticed a shaggy, long-haired homeless fellow walking with six or seven heavy plastic bags, pulling on his hands, and he actually fell to his knees as I drove by. I turned the car around, pulled up aside him and asked if he needed a ride….His first words to me, as I popped out and came around to help him load up were, “I’m a Christian!” I had to laugh out loud. I said, “I understand…me, too!” I drove him to 7-11 and purchased some cranberry juice and took out some money to share with him….He wanted me to take him to Taco Cabana, where he said he sometimes gets free tortillas if he helps to pick up trash around the building. We sat in the car and talked a bit about his writing, and he said he wanted to leave me with a gift…He pulled out these beautifully multi-colored sheets of paper, all organized with matching paper clips, and gave me an article for the girls, one for Lance, and one for me. I thanked him profusely…Drove home singing a song about Ghangis Khan, the name he had shared with me.

FRIDAY

Met with Chris from Super!Alright to discuss our impending tv pilot for the kids show we are working on, to talk about the script, financers, etc. Chris is one smart cookie. And I like his eyes cuz there seems to be dancing lightbulbs in there. Twinkly eyed man!

Lily went with me to Big Red Sun as my “road manager” and hawked my cds while I did a benefit concert to raise funds/awareness for Primavera Montessori…Alejandro Escovedo came on after me and Kristin…it was FREEZING outside…sang anyway…Maggie and Fred and Victoria and Bob came out, sat right in front…I was weepy on “My Mama’s Hands” because Maggie just lost her mom, and I was wanting to reach out to her through the song…and, also, singing the line “I don’t know all the answers, but I do the best I can” I sang right to Lily across the audience; she was staring right at me, and it was a moment out of time for the two of us, eyes locked, me telling her exactly what I was singing.

Afterwards, Lily and I went to Toys R Us to get io an Easter present, then to Furrs, not to eat, but to play on the claw. At Toys R Us, we both won a toy, and then we were psyced to go across the street to Furrs for the “challenge” of those two claws. That one was a bust…the items were too heavy and the claws too loose. Then she and I hopped in the car and went around the corner to Azul Tequila (?) where I finally had some dinner (9:30). It was half past Lily’s bedtime, but it WAS Friday night, and she WAS my road manager, so we were living it up, rock-n-roll style, me and my first born, chatting and laughing and Lily slurping a Shirley Temple and me and my water/cheese enchiladas. (Lily had eaten earlier, don’t worry! She had a yummy mean from Mr. Natural) As we were getting ready to leave, the mariachi band came over, super bunch of very nice guys, and had our picture taken with them. I was watching them perform and telling Lily, “It has got to be AWESOME to be a man in a mariachi band!” They always look so bonded and to be having the best of times!

SATURDAY

Got to church in time for the annual Easter egg hunt/picnic; saw a lot of church family/friends. Always a blast! This year, it was inside due to the 35 degree wet weather! Ay yi yi!

Came home, ran to the store, made homemade meatloaf, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cornbread and salad for our dear friends, Doug and Jill Bryan, who are here visiting from Dallas. Doug played the lead/electric guitar on “Last Night Was A Big Rain,” so I have known him since…hmm….1988! He used to be in a band called Big Boss Groove. Jill is a wonderful singer, jubilant soul. They are such a great couple..and they brought their daughter, Riley Anna. So, the kids played and had dinner in iolana’s room on their own table (own S&P shakers, own jug of lemonada, own plates and servings and table cloth and yea!) and we big people sat at the dining table and chatted/laughed. Very fun night. I bought watermelon for dessert, but we were all pretty stuffed. Still have watermelon!

SUNDAY

Went to church this morning….Lily was the acolyte…this was, of course, after the girls got up at 6:30 am because the EASTER BUNNY HAD COME TO OUR HOUSE AND IT WAS TIME TO GET UP RIGHT NOW HURRY HURRY!!! so I was up at 6:30 hearing the joyful shouts of, “Oh, look how CUTE! The Easter Bunny is SO NICE! I loooooooooooove it!” or “Lily, look over here!” or
“io, I see something in mom and dad’s room….!” Then breakfast, get dressed, go to church, go to lunch with the Jeansonnes, the Bryans, and now we are home, and I am stopping by to say HELLO and HAPPY EASTER and hope you are being blessed in some mystical, fantastical way today….We will be taking the watermelon next door for, yet, ANOTHER egg hunt/luncheon at Miss Jen’s house.

Time to go put on some jeans and get outta my church clothes. It is brr-brr- cold and my feet are freezing. Why, I can not say. But they FEEL blue. I need some ski socks! I’m such
a lightweight with cold weather!