Tag Archives: dailyprompt

Americana Music, Community, Gratitude, Joy, Live Concerts

Brandi Carlile by a Mile

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Daily writing prompt
What is the best concert you have been to?
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That is my answer.

My husband and I were at her show in Minneapolis in February of this year.

From start to finish, we were blown away. I was thrilled to hear Brandi and her band play my favorites, like “The Story”, “You and Me on the Rock”, and “The Joke”. I was surprised and delighted when Brandi covered “Uninvited” by Alanis Morrisette, and when she brought out the opening act, an awesome band in its own right, The Head and the Heart, to sing Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida”, to when she told the story of when she met Elton John, after having idolized him since she was a kid.

Brandi shared the impetus for the lyrics in her song “War with Time”. It came from her previous perspective as a young woman leaving the nest for the first time juxtaposed with her perspective as a mom to a daughter in the current who will naturally do the same before she knows it. You know, the emotional push and pull that goes along with all motherhood and daughterhood.

And Sista Strings and the Twins? Putting them all on one stage, complimenting each other’s musical skill sets and working as a team, infused with joy throughout. Chef’s Kiss.

As it was not long after ICE thugs murdered Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis that this show took place, Brandi gave a lot of love to the crowd in appreciation for the courage shown by the citizens of Minneapolis in the face of that. At the end of the show, she invited the Singing Resistance onto the stage who led us all in a song with the rallying cry “It’s Okay to Change Your Mind“, which was what they sang at the ICE officers during Metro Surge as an act of political non-violent activism.

I’ve never been to a concert that felt more like community in my life. Brandi Carlile is not only a gifted, dynamic songwriter, performer and musician, but she is also a builder of community. She is a national treasure.

I’ll sign off with a song of Brandi’s that I love so very much that she didn’t play at this concert. I hope you enjoy!

Adult children, Blogging, Clarity, Dogs, Grandparenting, Intentionality, Lifestyle, Love, Simplicity

Perfect Timing

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Daily writing prompt
What brings you peace?
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Hey, blogger friends, regular friends, and creatives behind the scenes at WordPress 🙂

The timing of this writing prompt is weirdly perfect for me on this calm Tuesday morning here in Minnesconsin.

I haven’t published a blog post in a couple of weeks or so for a million good reasons, none of which are that I haven’t wanted to.

But right now, in this moment, I feel at peace. The house is quiet, the doggies are too (which is liable to change any second now).

The only sound I’m hearing this morning is the soft snoring of the little babe right next to me.

Yes, I’m watching our 6-week-old grandbaby Levi today while his Mommy goes to work (her second day back after maternity leave) and his Daddy attends to some important personal business until later this afternoon.

Watching him is absolutely mesmerizing to me. Those little fluttering eyelids and occasional smiles as he enjoys his sweet baby dreams. The little bit of drool escaping his perfect little rosebud lips. Those soft cheeks that are getting chubbier by the day.

Any thoughts I had upon waking this morning about what needs to get done on my ever-evolving “to-do” list have evaporated. This babe with spit bubbles forming on his lips is all that matters right now, and I’m going to soak up this beautiful peace this morning and let things be.

Childhood, Creative Writing, Fun, Grandparenting

WordPress Prompt: What’s your favorite candy?

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Daily writing prompt
What’s your favorite candy?
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What an un-serious, silly question. It’s today’s WordPress prompt and it’s weirdly perfect for my current mood.

And, well, I love candy. And Valentine’s Day is next week, for which Mr. None of the Above never fails to buy me a huge box of chocolates to express his devotion to me. Next week is also my grandson’s birthday. He loves candy too.

One of my favorite candies (like I can pick just one!) is the underappreciated Almond Joy bar. It’s a favorite of our grandson too, which surprises me, as kids are not supposed to like coconut, right?

My least favorite childhood nickname was “candy queen”. I think it came about when I was the youngest in a long line of cousins on my Mom’s side. In the summers, we’d often drive a few hours to spend time with her side of the family, where in the itsy-bitsy town they lived was a bar/candy store. Well, to me it really was a candy store (with all the candy housed in a glass case by the cash register). One of my older cousins would take me there, and I’d buy all the candy I could with whatever change I had been given by my Mom.

So, I feel pretty qualified to write about the topic of candy. I also have the dental work to show for it. At a recent dental exam, it was noted that I’ve “had a lot of work done” on my teeth. Let’s just say I spent an above-average amount of time at the dentist growing up. Thankfully, I also developed excellent dental hygiene habits as an adult so I’ve still got all my original teeth!

Back to the question at hand.

In no particular order, my favorite candies (besides Almond Joy) are:

  • Licorice: black or red only please. I prefer red, whether it’s Red Vines or Twizzlers
  • Peanut butter Snickers (an old boss of mine used to keep these on her desk during team meetings and I loved her for it)
  • Gummy bears (especially the yellow and orange ones)
  • Apple-flavored Jolly Ranchers
  • Peanut or Peanut Butter M ‘n M’s
  • Salt Water taffy
  • Those black and white (and pink?) licorice flavored taffies from way back in the olden days
  • Take 5 bars
  • Dark chocolate peanut butter cups from Trader Joe’s

There’s no doubt in my mind that I’ve forgotten some of my favorites, but right now…guess what?

I want candy!!!!

Blogging, Celebrate, Dancing, Fun, Happiness, Joy, Laughter, Playlists, Positivity, Spontaneity

8 Things I do for Fun

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List five things you do for fun.

This was the daily prompt from WordPress and I’ve decided to go with it.

I am a fan of having fun. I think putting a pause on our adult responsibilities to be playful is good for our spirits.

Also at play here is that my birthday is coming up very soon and I’m excited to celebrate it with my family. My brain is in party mode!

I’m going to share not just 5, but 8 things that I do for fun. Because 8 is my lucky number, folks.

What do you like to do for fun?

Fun for me is:

  • Playing group board games like “Ransom Notes”, “Apples to Apples”, or “Scrabble” with family and/or friends. This is a guaranteed way to share laughs together. I love the feeling of relaxation in my whole body after some good old fashioned belly laughs.
  • Dance. Sometimes alone in my kitchen. Sometimes with my grandson when he challenges me to “dance-offs”. The more spontaneous the dancing is, the better. That’s where the joy is.
  • Creating music playlists. My method is to think of a mood I want to create or a genre I want to re-visit, then search online for songs under that category. While this is a more introverted way to have fun, often the end result is that I get to share these playlists with the special people in my life.
  • Thrift store shopping. It’s a surprising treasure hunt every time and freeing as well, as it’s guilt-free. I don’t come out of a thrift store with my purchases feeling bad about spending money, because I never spend that much. Even better, the money I spend often goes toward a cause that supports and lifts others up.
  • This. Blogging. Interacting with all of you in the comments.
  • Decorating my house. Using home decor I kept from our previous house in new ways. Finding just the right spot to put that cool piece of pottery I found at a thrift store. It’s a simple and creative activity that just tickles me.
  • Photography. Now, I don’t claim or even aim to be a professional photog necessarily. It’s just fun for me to capture shots in the day to day with my cell phone.
Karl the cat, when he came to visit last week
  • Spending time on the water. Trolling for fish in a boat while the sun warms my skin. Looking forward to doing this on our pontoon (the one we plan to buy in the next few months) this summer!