MY FRONT ROW

Last night I played a major role in the fashion show at the sorority fall salad supper. I was a spider...as in the itsy bitsy spider. I, with Spout, Rain and Sun, preformed a fantastic rendition of "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" in front a large group of darling older ladies. I have been teaching BB this song all weekend so I was quite good, thank you very much.

When I read this* today, my life felt so big. My life is so big. Not to everyone, I realize but to me, my family and those who love me....it's huge. Maybe I spent Monday night covered in homemade spider legs at the Church of The Nazarene in Dumas, Texas. Maybe I'm no Neil Diamond but as I picture myself on stage looking out upon my front row, I see that every seat is taken. There's Justin and BB and my parents and Charles and Mattie and the list goes on. They're all waving and clapping and cheering and doing the Itsy Bitsy Spider.

*An excerpt from my mother's blog "Pura Vida" after seeing Neil Diamond this weekend:

Well…Holly Holy!

Holly Holy…is the way we he started out his concert. Our seats were just above the stage and far enough behind him to watch him interact with the fans that were front row- up close- personal-DE-VO-TED. We blended in with the crowd around us…some 70+, some young like Brian who didn’t have a clue who ND was, and more than likely got dragged there by some insistent person such as myself and BFF Denise. But somewhere during the concert, I began to realize what an incredible.INCREDIBLE, and I do mean INCREDIBLE…gift this man had been given and how at the age of 67, he was still sharing it. "I am a man of faith…I am a man of God…I am a man of song…" and it hit me…

We all have been filled with an incredible gift. We all have a stage that rotates. We all have a back up band. We all have an audience and our very own sphere of influence. We all have fans who walk 3 miles in 3-inch heels to see us. We all have those who go without supper to come listen to us instead.

We all have those who have paid a huge price to sit on our front row.

What do we do with our gift however humble it may be? How do we use it to reach out to those reaching out to us? Those who will benefit from our integrity. Our dance. Our song. Our life. What music do we write each day of our lives that plays a message loud and clear to those who are placed in our path by God’s divine and perfect plan? What will those people walk away from our concert knowing for certain?

I may not be Neil Diamond and after his concert believe there are none like him…but I left being significantly touched by a simple man from Brooklyn, who has spent a lifetime giving others incredible joy, doing a thing that comes easy for him…

"…And I can, yes I can be a man of peace

Plant it like a tiny seed

It grows a little when you give

And gives you back when you're in need …"

BRUSHFIRE FAIRY TALES

I have been so reluctant to post this blog as I am terrified that bragging is an inevitable floodgate to disappointment but what the hey! Here goes....

Our child is:

A.)SMART AS A DANG WHIP- Evidence?
1. She counts. You say 1. She says Twooo....THREE!!!!
2. She licks her fingers when she turns the page of a book.
3. She turns the pages of books. She looks at every single picture
and pretends to read every single page.
4. She knows how to get off of the couch. She doesn't just bail. She turns
over on her tummy and safely crawls off.
5. She doesn't just speak goo-goo gaa-gaa. She speaks in full sentences.
None of it makes sense of course but when it does become words she
could possibly say, "Hello Mother, I have been waiting ages to speak
you."
B.)SWEET AS PIE- Evidence?
1. She pats things. She pats her dolls and her dad and her tummy very softly
and very slowly. As if to say, "Oh, sweet baby."
2. Yesterday I was feeding her yogurt for breakfast and she kept cocking
hear head weird. I held the container close to her face to get a bite in
and she kissed the container. Smithfield's has a little baby on their
packaging and BB wanted to give her a smackaroo. She especially
kisses scary things i.e. my mom's monster wine glass and the ghost
hanging on her front porch.
3. She snuggles. She snuggles. She snuggles.
She's quiet and happy and generous and loving for the most part. Now, don't get me wrong, I know things can change. She may end up a Holy Terror as her Grandmer says but for now, I feel like the luckiest mama in the whole wide world.

WILDFLOWERS

The Tony Llamas are officially retired. Let's face it. I have outgrown the snakeskin and settled into something a little more.....normal? I remember the old days. It couldn't have felt better to slap on a pair of boots, a short jean skirt and jump on stage playing my imaginary fiddle. But these days, I prefer something a little less bold, a little more snug and lot more comfortable. Don't get me wrong the Bandito stitching rocks! Thank you, Justin for ordering exactly what I would have picked out myself. The subtle hint of orange is right up my alley and the pointy toe could not kill a cockroach in a corner. I love them and I have decided to pass the TLs down to Mattie. She can surely find some dust to kick up down in College Station.

Having a child changes lots of things. There is still a wild spirit inside of me. I am still a gypsy and a coo-coo bird, but I am not doing fly-bys at Mach10 with my hair on fire anymore. I am comfortable in my own skin. I have my love on my arm. I am deeply happy and I feel free.

Tom Petty said it best:

You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
Sail away, kill off the hours
You belong somewhere you feel free

Run away, find you a lover
Go away somewhere bright and new
I have seen no other
Who compares with you

You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
You belong with your love on your arm
You belong somewhere you feel free

Run away, go find a lover
Run away, let your heart be your guide
You deserve the deepest of cover
You belong in that home by and by

You belong among the wildflowers
You belong somewhere close to me
Far away from your trouble and worry
You belong somewhere you feel free
You belong somewhere you feel free

HEAVEN????

Thank you Santa Fe for hosting one of the grandest wine shindigs on the face of the planet and ON MY BIRTHDAY WEEKEND. It went something like this....

A crisp autumn afternoon nestled up in the mountains right behind the Santa Fe Opera House. Justin and I feasted our eyes upon every fine eatery and winery imaginable. Tapas galore were prepared: ceviche from Mariscos, scallops from Luminaria, salmon from La Boca. All of the goodness your little tastebuds could ask for and then..... Then, you ask? Then there was wine. Jordan, Justin, Silver Oak, Grgich Hills, Heitz Wine Cellars, Moet & Chandon. Hundreds of the best of the best all gathered under one clear blue sky to stuff us full of deliciousness. The best part? The best part was just when you thought you couldn't take one more pour, one more slice of cheese, one more burst of the palate, it was all over. A perfect little three hour afternoon with a nap on top.