Time with Rod

When you get a letter from One2One Network and Capitol Records, ladies you sit up and take notice!  I was given the opportunity to spend time with Rod Stewarts new release, Time.   It is classic Rod.  Soft  gruffness that gets you swinging your hips and bopping your toe.  A vintage sound for his older listeners, and yet has a folksy bluesy John Mayerish descriptiveness to his lyrics.  He brings real life (RL) into action in his own RL singing about emails and Starbucks.  So, now we know Rod emails and goes to Starbucks.......good to know.  He still has his bad boy somewhat seductive lyrics that secure his "can we really sing about that" reigning championship.  I think he is reflective about his life, his loves, and God.  The fact he is walking on the beach away from the camera perhaps showing off his best feature......his backside.  I will admit, it has made him a great deal of money, fame and notoriety.  He is up there with Mick Jaggar, Tom Jones and Elvis.


Its relaxed album sharing bits and tracks from a slice of time in his life.  It has the Rod beat that is classic Rod Stewart followed by the voice that is so distinctive and truly his.  You can tell "living the life you love and loving the life you live" is a common lyric thread throughout Time.  I love all the basic instrumentals, harmonica and tambourine filled empty spaces keeping time and Time on the "now beat".

Even though his face is not really there......you know its Rod!

The day after I received it he was on The Voice.  They can't stop him now.  Rejected from record companies in his early years, he had a point to prove and said the tide is turning as he sings "I'm gonna make you proud".   You wonder who it is he is making proud again with Time.  He thanks them with lots of sweet words of affirmations.

Needless to say I was not a big Rod Stewart fan growing up.  His big hits I liked alright, but this new album, Time has won me over.

 I participated in this campaign for One2One Network. I received a free copy of the CD to facilitate my review. By posting, I am eligible for incentives. All opinions stated are my own.

A Heart for Moms

My son in law Kyle, walking me down the isle as mother of the bride two years ago.  Two days before I started chemo.

There is a storm across the canyon.  The wind is picking up, lightening strikes and lights the sky silhouette.  Bring on the rain.  As storm approaches my thoughts are with my children.  Each one has had to face many challenges and have succeeded in overcoming a great deal for such young women.  I consider my sons in law family as well.  My thoughts tonight are with you Capt. Ellis.  You are a brave man.  My prayer for you is that you be ahead of the storms with guarded fierceness none has ever known.  Semper Fi Kyle.  Its what you told me two years ago and here I am and there you go.  I pray a hedge of protection around you at all times and gladness in your heart for all you put your hands towards.  For your service to us this Nation, under God.  I pray liberty for the people wherever your feet trod.  Safety and trust be with you.  We love you so much and thank you for your service as Captain.  Well done!  We'll meet you back here down by the fishin hole and go get us some hogs.  With a little Rudi's BBQ on the side and a piece of my pecan pie......its a date.  I love you, Madre†

Life seems to have me all over the globe.  If I am not here doing the track deal for my high schooler or the chemo deal or breast reconstruction, I am off to graduations, University track meets, helping people move, weddings, helping others drive with babies to move home for a stay while her hubby is off fighting a war.  That was my tribute letter to him before he left for Afghanistan. Even though its a new month and spring is in the air and time is of the essence for cleaning and planting,  I feel as if I am all over the place.  You would think accomplishing all that would be hard, but I love it at the same time.  A new month, a new calendar view, a pressing onward and a time for looking back.  Plans for summer, making ready the arrival of daughter and grand daughter, to the planting of garden delights or making our garage apartment a home away from home. Never a dull moment.   

Busy decluttering, a never ending task it seems, clawing away the piles of just stuff.  Yesterday I actually sold some of it and it felt really good and freeing to send it on.  I have been decluttering for two years inside and out.  Two YEARS?  Goodness gracious that is a lot of stuff.  I have two boxes that are nothing but stuff I cleaned off my desk two Christmas' in a row.  I just wiped the slate clean and put it in a box to deal with later.  I certainly don't want my children to have to deal with it. So I press on.  I think I can really live the life I am intended to live when the "stuff" as George Carlin calls it, gets dealt with, disposed of and/or placed where it needs to be placed.  When I sold some of my bead business stuff yesterday I as embarrassed the people had to see how much stuff we have accumulated through two parents dying and holding stuff for children who are still not settled into permanent homes.  They didn't seem to mind.  In fact they started asking about some of the other "stuff".   Score!  Can't wait to have a garage sale.

This purging of "stuff" makes me think of the mothers in Haiti who have nothing sometimes, who can't give or get for their children and how living with and amongst the junk or stuff is an every day thing for them.  They collect metal drums, car hoods and other scraps so they can create more stuff.  More beautiful stuff.   Stuff that I don't necessarily need, but love having around because of the women it reminds me to pray for, to pay attention to, to understand and to look at.   The difference also, is their stuff creates hope and a way to help their situation whereas mine not so much.  Its just stuff that I can't seem to part with or can't, cause its not  all mine.  Do I like it, do I want to keep it?  Yes and No.  Yes because I know it will bless and no cause I am tired of dealing with it.  Its a constant shifting around, from one child to the next or one wedding or event to the next. And at the same time I gladly hang on to it for its value, its meaning and its legacy.  At some point I know I will want to torch it, but for now I am willing to porch it until further notice.  Stuff is beginning to take on a new meaning in my life.

My heart is for this world.  My heart is for all Moms who found a way to deal with the "stuff" in their lives in a productive way that generates hope.  My heart is for us as people to live for God, the One true God, His Son Jesus and His Spirit.  To see the times when God speaks to us directly, like a story, and we get to live it.  My heart is for the women in Haiti, who are working through projects to clean up the mess, the "stuff", that actually makes money for them.  I am proud of the women and the help they've received from different groups now developing and producing business relations.
Income from this gift enhances an artisan family's nutrition, educates children, and brings access to healthcare and dignity.  "Connecting cultures through business, art and understanding".  A partnership with Macy's and FairwindsTrading.

This lovely hammered frame is one of two I have received from Heart of Haiti and the Everywhere Team, to share with you, my readers.  Macys.com has a give back attitude and have established trust with Haitians in an American company to actually come through with what they promised.  This is the second of two initiatives, that I know of, that Macy's is involved with.  The other is called Path to Peace where baskets by the Rwandan women are also available at Macys.com.  I accidentally happened on an interview with Christie Crowder and Willa Shalit online talking about this Macy's event with the Rwandan women.  I got involved as an ambassador to the Heart of Haiti after I went to a speaking engagement by Rwandan women at a Macy's in a mall in New Orleans.  It was really fun. They matched women from Katrina with women in Rwanda.  They collaborated together to launch products, but more importantly they launched a working fellowship across continents and this attitude of the gift that gives back. I then went to a GNO party at Stella Jones art gallery downtown NOLA where the women got to meet and talk about the experience of collaboration live stream.  It is where I met the Blogrollers and so many others as social media was in its infancy.  I felt good as another mom that I was helping other moms somewhere in the world.  

May is also a great time for weddings.  My daughter got married in March, so i decided to put a picture of me and my sweet daughters to remind me of who I am as a mom, mother in law and who I am as a woman.  Getting closer to the end of my cancer treatments, I felt really good during the wedding.  So this will be a good reminder of how my girls give me strength to stay ahead of the storms praising God every step of the way.

For more information about Haiti and the Everywhere Team and the Bloggers4Haiti Tour go here

Leticia Barr, Nadia Jones and Kelly Tirman are headed to Haiti with Danica and Kelly of Everywhere for our third Bloggers4Haiti tour! This time the trip will focus on training of artisans in technology.  We’ll also be visiting a school. The artisans have asked that we bring as many supplies as we can carry so if you have access to any school or art supplies and can get them to us before May 23rd, please contact Kelly@beeverywhere.tv. Thanks you! The Everywhere Team

Visit Everywhere at: http://everywheresociety.ning.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

I participated in this campaign for Heart of Haiti. I received a free picture frame to facilitate my review. By posting, I am eligible for incentives. All opinions stated are my own.

A Cookie & Some Bugs

Coming home from the Hye Farmers Market, where consequently I did not sell one Hattie Bag . I did give away one to a very happy 10 year old boy who put his name in my drawing to win for his mom for Mother's Day (so happy he won), and met a ton of great people with lots of great feedback.
When starting a new thing getting feedback is almost payment enough for a while.  I had one photographer tell William, "This lady should not be in Hye, TX.....she should be in NYC"  I was blessed by that comment.  William said she was not your typical photographer.  She was "artsy".  I had many more men think my idea for the hats into purses, imaginative and innovative.  Great, so please buy one for your girl......please.







In Frederiecksburg, every year, a group of Volkswagen Bug and other VW model owners get toether at LBJ park by the airport.  They swap cars, parts, show off thier prize Bugs, tell stories and award prizes.  They also take over the campground and its like a three day Bug fest.  Its very colorful, great cars to photograph and interesting characters that go along with the cars.

The new thing is to put different vintage travel things on top of the Bugs, on luggage or surf racks.  And it was all vintage to match the age of the car as if what they had it on top like they were on their way, back in the day.

So, back at the Farmers Market I bought a dozen chocolate chip cookies from Kadi Bakes and was dying to taste one.  I wanted to stop and shoot with my new camera at the Bug fest so thought that would be a perfect excuse to have a cookie and shoot some pictures.  Nobody cared and welcomed you to shoot pictures, so I parked and walked around a little.  With my cookie in one hand and my camera around my neck.  Just in case.

A self portrait holding the cookie.

One of the owners with his built in alarm system in the back.

Here an owner converses with an onlooker describing the renovation.

Another little self portrait and you can see me holding the cookie.

I took my first bite of the cookie and it was like biting into cookie dough cake.  It was really thick, crispy on the outer layer but soft almost like cake on the inside.  And the chocolate was melting under my fingers.  It was the perfect combination and accompaniment, like coffee and a scone or whatever you put with your Starbs.......I walked around the campground, chewing my liciousness, enjoying the color, sounds and people I saw, watched as the lighting became more and more perfect for capturing the romantic side that has captured the owners.  As the sun went down I felt the cool air after a long day.  It was only about 15 minutes, but it was in those 15 minutes that I saw all this......

This red van is probably my dream car.  Love it.  Was dreaming about how I could convert a lime green one, that was El Camino style, with drop down sides into a mobile kitchen.  That would just be incredible.  

Did you notice in my last shot......no more cookie.   Of course I found a few Love, God photos, but will reveal them after I have them watermarked.  I am learning that my work has value and I should protect it with a signature.  I have the smarts of this lady helping me get my act together, cleaning up my blogs, getting my stuff out there into main stream and taking the next step past the "starting line" as Jon Acuff calls it.  I am devouring his book called START.  A must for people getting going in what they love to do recognizing the steps and editing process that comes with it.  I told someone the other night that the next 10 to 15 years could be my most productive years as far as contributing to the family.  That excites me.  More people between the ages of 54 and 75 have reinvented themselves and have start up businesses than ever before in history.  I can see now more clearly the process I have been going through, I go through every day and the process I will continue to go through.

Most people tell you to stop and smell the roses ( you still need to do that).  
Well I say have a cookie and look at some Bugs.  Enjoy.