Life Fully Loaded with Love and Adventures, Music and Friends and Dogs Dressed In Costumes

Since last entry:

Played Pioneer Farms…gosh, that place is laid back and lovely meadows, old wooden buildings, cow milking, fun sing-a-long and story time with the kids. Had a stupendous time, as always!

That night…walked the runway in clothes by Envie, with iolana dressed in a bright, red satin dress, adorable hat and sparkling black shoes…our dog, Lucky, in a tartan green sweater…all in honor of the Humane Society’s Rags to Wags event. Saw Stephen Moser…he looks great! He had on a smoking jacket. We sat with the effervescent Olga Campos and her two, teenage twin daughters…iolana and I stayed to watch the REAL models work the catwalk…my goodness, they sure seem TALL!!! We had a blast talking about the clothes and shoes and oohing and aahing over the rescued dogs who are being adopted out (we hope!)

Liz, Joan, Jennifer, and several other awesome women and I went to Camp Balcones Springs for a women’s retreat…2 days of pampering…I got a massage with HOT ROCKS and an actual pedicure/manicure. We watched that movie with Dianne Keaton, Keanu Reeves and Jack Nicholson where Dianne leaves Keannu to go to Jack. WHAT? Alright, love is love! And we sat by a campfire and ate s’mores and I did a 1/2 mile zip line over a lake (screamed the entire way) and went HORSEBACK RIDING which I have now decided has replaced bowling as my favorite thing to do. I want to ride more often. My horse’s name was Freckles and he was FIESTY! Read the journal I finally got back from the Crossings class I taught two years back…Wow..It is intensely gorgeous. Wrote in it and have mailed it off to the next person on the list (there are nine of us writing in it…) Ate excellent food and chatted with Leslie (general manager of the camp, and he owned Word Of Mouth catering…totally beautiful human being) and rested (fell asleep in a chair more than once) and laughed my ass off.
Thank you, Liz, for including me in this awesome, restful time of female bonding! Lots of trees and skies…ah. So lovely.

Drove back from Marble Falls and got up the next morning to drive Lily out to Marble Falls for her camp experience with her fifth grade class! They were so excited, the kids in my car….I never did camp growing up, so I think it is waaaaaaaaaaay cool they are having this class experience together….

Went to the WIMPS (Women in Music Professionals) luncheon…saw old friends, made new ones…great experience to be around so many women in music! Wow! Have our numbers grown in the last 17 years!!!

Drove to Fredericksburg with io and Lance to do KFAN/Rebel Radio with Doug Burns…what an educated, articulate and true lover of music this DJ is…a wonderful interview because he did his research/homework before I arrived and asked interesting, leading questions. Man, great DJS are something I hope never completely go away…we need them! They keep communities connected….Also stopped in, afterwards, to the Christmas Store in downtown Fredericksburg…it was already closed, but I saw someone working inside, tapped on the door, and he signaled they were closed. I made a big lip, and he let us in ! We got a private tour of the ENTIRE store…it’s HUGE! So, when you need Christmas items, remember the good folks at The Christmas Store and our good friend, one of the owners, whose name is John (I think…it is not on his card, but I think that was his name.) Thank you, John! We learned a lot about German and Italian handblown glass ornaments, and he gave iolana a wonderful, spooky, shimmery silver skull for Halloween! We support homegrown companies and we love you!

Went to Tequila Mockingbird to audition for three or four different commercials…it is getting confusing, but so much fun to go work on them! Can’t tell you who they were for, but I can hint that they had to do with beer, seatbelts, lotteries and vaccinations…!

Cat and I drove to Seguine to Texas Lutheran University for my performance before there rendition of the live play, “Dead Man Walking”. All the college kids were ultra-cool, and I sang the same songs I have been singing on the “Music For Life” tour…TCDAP had an awesome table set up to talk about why the death penalty doesn’t solve ANYTHING, and there were amazing photos on display of different aspects of how the death penalty affects so many, from inmates to families, protestors, people of faith, the poor…very moving display….

I was honored with an award from the Hope Alliance for my work on speaking out against domestic violence. Lance went with me to the beautiful luncheon tribute to those who have died over the last year from abuse, neglect or violence….and we walked up together to light a candle on behalf of an unknown housewife who had died….and Jody Conradt was the speaker…she was very engaging, warm, smart and funny. And we got to meet her afterwards. Really admire her…Lance told me he photographed her many years ago for UT….

Did an interview with Northern Spirit Radio’s “Song of the Soul”….

Went to Mike and Ginger’s ranch with several other board members from AAIM….gosh, one of my favorite places on earth is their ranch…wide, open, green grass waving…horses, llamas, fishing (catch and release),
a labrynth to walk and meditate on life/to breathe…sky as high as you can imagine, eggshell blue….kind people, great food, soft beds….and a dune buggy that the girls and I go zooming around in…Lily drove this time…she does not zoom, but drives carefully and thoughtfully…good for her, I say!!!

BURUNDI FAMILY
I went yesterday to deliver goods/clothing/ food to some new friends our church has adopted: a family of 14 from Burundi, Africa. They are now legal residents of
the United States, thanks to the hard work of the good folks at Caritas!

Anyway, as you can imagine, their new life here in the U.S. is going to take some getting used to…they speak no English (and we speak no Swahili), and they are in
dire need of many things. I’m not asking those of you far away to do anything except think about those in your own community who are looking for support, and getting
involved with them…

But, for my friends who live here in Austin, and have the capacity to drop stuff off with me, here are things the family needs ASAP:

Ismael (13 years old) desperately needs clothes and
shoes (they said size 7). He is slight/small, but
pants/shirts/ sweatshirts/ underpants/ socks.
They spoke about his needs the most.

I promised them we would get something for Ismael together by Saturday. I am picking up some clothes
from a friend today, but I think they will be too big, so if any of you have friends/family members who are
this age, could you please ask for donations for him

I asked if I could peek in on all the bedrooms, and here’s what they very much need in that department:
Comforters
Blankets
4 twin sheet sets (I’ve already gotten somebody to donate two sets…just need two more!!!)
1 Queen sheet set

Also, the queen bed is on the floor…it has no frame.
(I think my friend, Cat, has one that she is going to donate!! HOORAY!)
Does anyone have a queen bed frame sitting in their
garage that needs a home? They very much want it up off the floor.

Pascal, who is probably around 28 (?) asked for a new photobook. He showed me his
photo collection, and it is barely held together in an old scrapbook. I can tell it is very important to him.

I asked him if they needed a camera, as well? His eyes lighted up…SO…if anyone wants to buy disposable
cameras or has a digital camera they are not using….Here’ s an opportunity to make memories for them
something to keep simply by supplying cameras…Anyone like to supply a photobook? I have one that I
will give them, but I am sure they could use more….

Bras and underpants for the women/girls. ..these are urgently needed…
And I have bought some feminine products for them that I will take over ASAP.

General needs:
More bowls (mixing, serving) and plates
Hand towels for the kitchen
They VERY MUCH want something to wipe off their kitchen table..sponges?
Paper towels/napkins
4 mops/a bucket or two
More silverware/serving ware

I took them some towels, but I think they could use more bath towels.

SHOES…they all need shoes, but we need someone to figure out what sizes they need. Right now, they are
making do with donations… but the have on wacky shoes, some fit, some don’t. We need to help them with
shoes!!!