This is my favorite time of year, this season, all seasons. The year is 2008.I have lived and traveled this Earth almost 56 years, on Sept.28th...oh Lord have mercy. I am Mom to one child - 18, and as of last Friday, June 6, 2008, Taylor graduated from high school with his very proud parents, Kacy and Christine watching. Brother John drove down from Portland, was wonderful to have him there. Sister Julie sent her well wishes...we'll just have to stock up on hugs next time we see one another. The reunion of Kacy, Christine, Taylor was nice. Time does heal a whole heckavalot....so does growing up. There really was/is such an ease and THANK GOD for that. The sassy, saucy, sarcastic, naughty humor still intact...you all have to know that Kacy and I come from the early Renaissance Pleasure Faires of California from the 70's onward...met Kacy around 1986-ish. Hey Kacy, when did you start the faire, cannot remember. Parents cannot last at all night graduation party that lasts until 7am the next day, so Kacy and I went back to my house. My heart is basking in warmth, no kidding...such relief, such contentment that father and son got to spend hours together. It was not long enough...we'll all make plans for Taylor to spend time with his father. Thank you Kacy for coming up from California.
Taylor continues plays flute, tenor saxaphone, bass guitar, and regular guitar. Kacy gave a beaut graduation present of a new bass guitar to our son. Due to lack of money, bass guitar lessons are on hold but the practicing is still happening. We have been honored to have Jerry Zybach who is the lead for the group The Stagehogs assist with lessons, as well as Lee "Pappy" Boynton of The Porch Dawgs. T last couple dozen lessons were with Todd Barnes of Zulu Dragon...Todd has since moved out of town.I was born in the east side of Hollywood, California, and four years later my sister Julie Anne "Jules" was born, and seven years later after I was born our brother John Luke was born. Before bro was born sis and I lived with our parents in Berkeley, California in a big corner red house, which we later revisited in the mid 70's when she was a student in Santa Cruz. When bro was born we had already moved to another corner house in Richmond, California. In the early summer of '64 we all moved to West Los Angeles, to another corner house. Brother lives with his wife and two children in Oregon and Sis lives with her daughter in the big Spanish house. When our parents passed on, we weren't ready to bid farewell to the house so sis bought my share and bro's share out and she has done some gorgeous remodeling. My neice and two nephews are such a joy, we just don't see them enough.
As children, we had the honor and pleasure of travelling to various parts of the world. We lived in England and Australia, where Dad and Mom were born and raised. We lived in Washington DC for a summer...that was when we drove from Richmond to DC...what a challenge, but we did get to see and experience so much. Coming back from England we did it on The Queen Mary, docked in New York (which is the only time I have been there,too crowded). We have been to France, Canada, Figi and Hawaii.
Mom and Dad both were in World War II and the stories that they shared still touch my heart.
Dad was a Professor of Industrial Relations, was a political diplomat, and has written countless newspaper and magazine articles, along with a book called The Imperfect Union (about Labor Unions). He was also a speaker for his friend, Lech Walesa, at the opening of the Solardarity Union in Poland in Gdansk. He was made the first and only honorary American member of the Solaridarity Union.
Mom dedicated her life to raise us children, but did eventually go back to work when we were all teens. She managed a property management company, she opened her own job placement agency at the very same time she opened a Montessouri school in Santa Monica, California (her business partner ripped her off), and she worked in Parks and Recreation. Before I was born she was an English teacher.
Both parents were of the thought and instilled in us that "Be of good spirit, all will be well." This is something both of their parents instilled in them. I miss them more than any and all words can ever say. I still feel them and I am so grateful that were who they were.
Now, you can imagine what I did during the 1960's and '70's. I will condense it just by saying, I was wild, attended so many concerts, dropped out of more college classes than I passed, and travelled. At 21, I settled down with a lovely man, Brian Douglas Shadowens who was a year older and built helicopters for Hughes Aircraft. Our relationship was no more by our mid 20's. I have always wondered what happened to him. I know he has a daughter, Misty Dawn Shadowens, probably now 26-ish. From 1971 to now, I have been a Shakespeare performer. I have done the California and Oregon Renaissance Faires. The Agoura Renaissance Pleasure Faire is where I met my son's father, Kacy Clyde Blazer. What joy to have Kacy hang out for a few days here for our son's graduation...long time coming, very thankful. Currently, my son and I are involved in a Guild with The Shrewsbury Renaissance Faire, a lot of fun, and hard dirty work. I am involved with the Rainy Day Blues Society and I'm the Coordinator for building and implementing a Blues In The Schools program. As of January/February 2007 decision was made to not to be putting my hat in the ring for Board renewal for RDBS...time for new blood. And the paces of some projects were rubbing against the grain of some people, including myself. The BITS program, which is joyfully presented by many people throughout the world continues, and with all due respect, RDBS will do their BITS and I will do mine and perhaps GOD WILLING we will work together again. I am also on the Board of Directors - guess "Second in Command" since the co-creator backed out and I stepped in as the third on Board - of a 501c3 called Musicians Emergency Medical Association (memafund.org). As of March 2007 we have had three events and more are in the planning stages now. This organization has seasonal benefit concerts to raise monies for the fund that assists musicians in a medical crisis and who have exhausted all financial resources...addendum of Winter 2007 finally getting around to adding the news that I am no longer taking part on the Board of MEMA, due to creative differences, don't know if I will want to/will return. Long, rather interesting story.Keep an eye out for them, they will continue to try and do good.CHRISTMAS UPDATE 2008,TO SATISFY A WOMAN WHO GOT A BUG UP HER BUTT BECAUSE I HAD NOT UPDATED M Y PROFILE...GOSH, THIS MONTH I AM RECUPPERATING FROM WHAT COULD OF BEEN A DEATH EXPERIENCE, I NOW WILL PACIFY THE GAL WHO HAS NOTHING BETTER TO DO THAN TO SEND ME A POST TO DELETE MY FORMER BOARD POSITION W/ Mema ...consider it done, thank GOD.(interesting politicsw/in dah' minds of others
Our house is full of love and a zoo (of sorts)...we have our thre year old Golden Retriever "PreciousHope", and our almost 6 year old brother cats "Sapphire" and "Night". As of April 2006 we adopted a gorgeous affectionate cat, long long black hair we named Helenahey. She was hit by a vehicle, we found her, cleaned her, took her to the vet, she recupperated and is now a healthy 3 year old. We named her her name because HELL for what she had gone through, LEAN because the split second I picked her up she purred...and by the way she purrs like a herd of Harleys...purred the whole hour solid it took for us to clean the embedded gravel,infection and other crud off her, and HEY because hey she says you gave me another chance on life. She went from a calcified jaw and 4-1/2 pounds, to one who now opens her slightly misaligned jaw (we shaved down a few canines so she could close her mouth completely) all the way, now weighing 10 pounds and her dreadlocked hair of then is now mile long smooth and fluffy, full coat.
Obviously, there is much more in my 55 years to share but it is now the time of day when the sun is beginning to set. Time to put on some BLUES music and put some finishing touches on some of the songs I have written.
One of the most tragic times of this year was the passing of our "Blues Buddha" Paul Delay. The tribute that was held in Portland was a beautiful gathering, full of love, laughter, tears and hugs. This beautiful woman and I, along with my son, struck up a wonderful conversation and several minutes later, we introduced ourselves...she was/IS Paul deLay's daughter.
There has been such traveling this year with cha-cha-changes, ya know the good bad ugly, becoming all the more aware of certain paths certain people take and sometimes us having to take a side step and sometimes simply walk away...but through it all, the goal for all is to retain one's integrity. Hint: Ya all will be hearing some fun-tabulous events coming up...of course involving music and children and I hope many of you....many of whom are on board already.
One of the highlights this year was seeing my son on one of the stages at The Waterfront Blues Festival, thanks to The Rices, and Lynn Ann Hyde (a great harmonica performer). T continues in his marching band and three music classes at school...just wait until Christmas when we get together with family. You will hear the rocking and shaking and bluesin all the way to where YOU ARE.
As of late November 2007 I have started a new organization: Embrace Of Warmth Blanket Drive. You can read about it in the Bulletins and Blog areas. It is to provide events that will also include live music of all genres (maybe even a blues history workshop or history lesson of jazz or rock or celtic or reggae), to raise monies to help the homeless and children stuck in the hospital. This entity will acquire blankets to issue to the homeless which will include driving around to deliver them because as many of us know many people do not feel comfortable in going to family shelters or missions because they are asked to attend religious services. The first event is March 15, 2008 Sat from 3 to 6 with more to come, and talks of having one in Bend is already under way, another location will be Portland. The business account is official at: Liberty Bank (of Oregon). A 501c3 status will be acquired as ByLaws and Policy standards are completed. Please come take part in keeping our fellow citizens warm.
Keep BLUESIN. Hugs from Mama CAMERICA WAKE UP
