Well HELLO friends!
How is everyone doing this NEW YEAR? We recently got back from NOT sunny California just last week. We needed a few days to recover, whew! Lots of driving! California needs so much rain; we really didn’t mind that it just poured while we were there. The Sun would peep out for short spurts and we were off to walk the dog and get our much needed exercise.
We had 3 shows to play and a host of people to see, mainly Mo’s family. She (Mo) was suppose to write this blog and in fact DID. The topic was going to be “roll-reversal” but after constructing 3 pages her words got stolen by the cyber space thieves and the document was “corrupt” in translation. (Don’t you just hate when that happens?) So Mo is pretty disgusted with computers right now and I’m stepping up to keep you informed about what is going on in our little part of the universe. Hopefully, I will be able get Mo to say a few words about visiting her cute little home town.
I have to say, it is wonderful to travel and explore but it is even MORE wonderful to come home again! Ha! It was a long time on the road (almost 2 complete weeks)! We had a wonderful time but it felt SO good to return to our own “mess”. Ha! I had a renewed appreciation for our little home and an even greater appreciation for the peace and quiet.
I realized the value of silence on this trip. Mainly due to the fact that there was a lot of noise (people talking and the TV blaring in the background). Wow. I never knew how much I needed silence. I remember growing up my mother always had the TV on. I thought nothing of it mostly. It was all I knew. She would have the news on and get all “revved” up about something political and we kids just got the hell out of there. Ha! Probably more than you wanted to know about me, but truly, TV has its place but it can drive me bonky! It’s constant static.
So let me tell you a story about our travels in Tahoe. I got the bajebees scared out of me due to the road conditions. I consider myself to be a pretty good driver but how good can you be on ice? Ha! The road conditions for the whole trip were pretty good. We had some fog on the way over and snow at the top of Donner Pass, but for the most part, it was fine.
However, when we rolled into Tahoe, it was icy. I have a Mercury Mountaineer all wheel drive and it’s a GREAT rig! But you know…California drivers like to drive right up your tail pipe! Around the lake was o.k. but as we went up hill (very STEEP I might add) to get through the residential section which is where we were staying for the night…crazy conditions! I put it in 1st gear low and my truck went up it fine.
What goes up must come down. Ha! We went to meet our host that evening and I knew we were going to have to come down that very steep incline and make a right onto a two lane highway in which traffic averaged 45 mph (over icy conditions). So I CRAWLED down the hill. Inching ever so slowly slipping the whole way down! These conditions created rut and no matter where you turned you were on a “fast track” out in traffic! Think of it as being on a ride in Disney Land, no control.
Needless to say, we slipped and slid and I said a few choice words. Osa licked my face to calm me down. I kept thinking there is NO GIG worth any of this! Fortunately the stars aligned and we didn’t slide into traffic.
We met our host and the next day, thanks to technology, I jumped on Google Maps and found an alternate route. I thought to myself, “The locals HAVE to have another way down this hill because the plow trucks are not attending to this or putting sand on it”. Sure enough there was an alternate route. But that whole incident stressed me enough to make me want to run from Tahoe! Ha!
As it turns out, we will be heading BACK to Tahoe to play for someone’s special birthday from the group we met in January. Funny how that happens!
So I DID get Mo to share a bit and here is what she wrote:
*****
So, to catch you up a bit on our most recent travels, we were on a hiatus in between shows for almost a week in California, hosted by family in a quiet little town outside of Petaluma. We played for my dad’s 81st birthday on 1/9, then spent the rest of the week exploring sleepy little Bodega Bay, Guerneville, Sebastopol, and Calistoga. We watched the ocean waves bash the craggy shores, walked among the towering redwood forests at Armstrong Park, and tooled around the small shops and business, making friends where ever we went. We soaked in the mineral pools in Calistoga, did some wine tasting, and toured a replica of a 13th century Tuscany castle called “Castello De Amoroso” Castle of Love. It took this gentleman 15 years to build; it’s made out of materials from all over the world and even has a torture chamber. This winery is completely self contained (they do everything on-site, even labeling) and we enjoyed a tour of its beautiful 145,000 square feet, 90,000 of which is under the main floor where they store their oak barrels full of the luscious goodness. It was super fun and creepy! You could so easily get lost in there.
Our other book end show was 1/17 in Lake Tahoe at the Center for Spiritual Living. We met lots of nice folks and most appeared very moved by our music. One enthusiastic gal, who was the sister of the woman hosting us wants us to come play for her birthday in early April. And so divine intervention occurred and we are headed back that way to help her celebrate another beautiful trip around the Sun!
1600 miles round trip and 92.9 gallons of gas later we arrived home, most grateful for this incredible place that we live with such beautiful people. I’ve had folks visiting say “this city (Boise) is awesome, it’s like coming to a town of golden retrievers; everyone’s so happy, and smiling and wagging their tails!” I can’t think of a better compliment.
So here’s a waggy tail for all of you! May you be well, may you enjoy the special precious moments, and may the things that you most love always be there to bless your life and your journey. Till next time friends!
*****
Radiant love!
(me again…aka-Niccole)
Mp3: You will note our featured song, “There is a Place”, Mo is being highlighted singing a song by Cinde Boupe and Beth Pederson (of Sandpoint Idaho, Cinde passedin ’88).
This is a funny story. We’ve ALWAYS loved this song and we decided to sing it at CSL in Boise for their service. I didn’t learn it on guitar because it’s a piano song and Rex Miller, the director of music at CSL plays the piano wonderfully. So I sent him the song, he learned it. We go to rehearse (20 min. before we play for service) and he plays it in a key that I tried to sing lead and it is WAY too high. But Mo starts singing and it all became clear to me….this is a Mo song!
I looked at her and said, “You are going to lead and I will harmonize to you!” Her eyes got big and I laughed and said, “this is going to be fun!” And it WAS!!! So we’ve never practiced this before and this is the first and probably only time you will hear it because neither of us play piano. I’m super proud of Mo (and my on the fly harmonies aren’t bad either)! It was fun to change it up and I think her voice serves this song in such a great way.
We hope you like it! Thanks for checking in~!
Enjoy!