Monday, December 26, 2011

Time Changes Everything


He brought me a tree
And strung it with lights

He's trying real hard

To make everything right.


My husband and I had lost connection, not affection for each other. So we decided after 5 weeks of separation and just talking and seeing each other rarely, to spend a few days together over the long Christmas weekend.

He surprised me with a little Christmas tree, knowing I love them most as part of Christmas. Love to sit in the dark with no other lights on other than the tree. We decorated it, and I'll enjoy it every day until it comes down.

We talked some, played music and games some, and watched movies. Just had a fun, relaxing time together. We'll see how things progress; so far, so good. Counseling helps; reading helps; time helps.


Till and I ended up in third place in the "Make 'Em Laugh" category of Broadjam.com's contest with our song 'Til I'm 93! We're happy.


So onward to a new year, the symbolism of which is more hopeful this year than others.

My mother would have been 85 today. Happy Birthday, Mama! I love you and still wish you were here.


Monday, November 28, 2011

Twenty's Plenty


TWENTY’S PLENTY.

Today’s the day I stop denying

Knowing love’s been slowly dying.

I’m so done that it ain’t even funny.

Honey, TWENTY'S PLENTY.


This is the chorus to a song I wrote a couple years ago -- when I'd been married about 20 years. I guess my separation has been brewing for some time. Still, after 25 years together, it's a weird, sad, and uncertain thing to not be living with the person you've lived with for so long.

As if I'm the first person to go through it! First time for me, so it's fresh.

Singer-songwriter Till (see prior post) entered our first experimental song in a contest, and we did pretty well! I've finally found someone to write with -- we click and will steam ahead...maybe even 'Til I'm 93! (the name of our song).

Till and Tillie --
T 'n T -- the bomb; dynamite, explosive. What a hoot!

Go to her site and take a look/see/listen: http://www.tillsounds.nl/Home.aspx

And stay tuned; lots of changes in the air.





Sunday, October 30, 2011

Grab for the Gusto


Through every season, turn, turn, turn.

From every lesson, learn, learn, learn.
Everything changes, churn, churn, churn.
But where there is life, burn, baby, burn.

This is fun: I belong to SongU.com as a way to learn more about songwriting, pitch my songs to real industry people, keep me motivated and moving, and taking advantage of fun opportunities that they provide.

Currently, that's called "Over and Under," in which they match you with someone in another country, and you write a song together. By December 15. Long-distance, to say the least.

And I got matched with a cool woman named Till. (Those of you who know one of my nicknames is Tillie may find that amusing.) We have e-mailed and Skyped already.

She's much more accomplished than I; she can do it all -- write lyrics, compose music, and sing. Whew! Lucky for me.


And she's in Amsterdam. Eight-hour difference in time. Good thing I'm an early bird. She caught me this morning on Skype. I told her I'd just gotten up (5:30 a.m.); she said she had too (lunch time!). There's a real musician for you!

Anyway, we will ponder growing old as a theme -- not a new subject to this blogger -- and see what happens. Stand by for a link to another song later this year.

"Mama" is doing great on YouTube! Thank you very much.


Sunday, October 9, 2011

Another Chronological Year Bites the Dust


Monday's child is fair of face,
Tuesday's child is full of grace,
Wednesday's child is full of woe,
Thursday's child has far to go.
Friday's child is loving and giving,
Saturday's child works hard for a living,
But the child born on the Sabbath Day,
Is fair and wise and good in every way.


I was born on a Sunday, 62 years ago today, and I'm heading full tilt into the last 3 decades of my life...god willing and the creek don't rise.


October 9 is Leif Erikson Day. I'm Norwegian on my dad's side -- Frantsen -- born in Minnesota, so it was interesting to just now discover I was born on the day that old Leif actually discovered America.


Forget Columbus. Norwegians were the first Europeans to set foot in the New World. According to Wikipedia, a Norwegian ship named Restauration landed in New York Harbor on October 9, 1825.


Anyway, it's the start of a new world for me, too, what with no dogs and no boy for the first time in 25 years. Exciting, scary, sad, liberating...and definitely a new frontier in my life.


What will I do with it?









Sunday, October 2, 2011

Dear Diary


Dear Diary, Dear Diary,

Dear Abby, Dear Ann,
Please help me think through things
As fast as you can.
Life is not going according to plan.
Dear Diary, Dear Diary,
Dear Abby, Dear Ann.

Nobody told me there'd be days like these. Or years, even. Of course, there have been signs, what with changes coming faster -- and more furiously -- the older I get.

Loss has me reeling emotionally. As well as the hindsight that slaps hard with the realization that I probably should have followed the rules about working for retirement. Now I'll be working instead of retiring.

Time to overcome the stress and paralysis and blog on.

One of my best friends in the world died of cancer at age 54. The last of our most recent four dogs just died. My marriage is dying. And I'm facing middle age alone, sad, and lonely. Who'd-a thunk?

At least I have a job. Hahahaahhahahahaha

This, too, shall pass. But it feels pretty bad right now. Still I know things will change, and I can't wait to see what happens next. I've got one arm up for protection.


Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Mama and Me on YouTube


Write a new song,

Right an old wrong.

I'm determined to get my lyrics noticed...with luck, by someone who will want to record them. I've made 3 demos (with music, so they're songs now, not just lyrics), done the "hunt for publishers" route, and it was all tough.

The music biz is tough, even for those with connections. For the rest of us, it's a pipe dream in dream pipeline. But you never know, and the universe often surprises us.

I can't wait to be surprised.

Please check out my song and video "Mama, What Do You Wish?" here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sJfrr5r6Kk