New Harmony Road Ride

Katie and I went for a ride today to New Harmony Baptist Church... it was a great ride and the first good road ride I have had on my new bike. We were trying to beat the rain and managed to just barely do it somehow... Katie is very experienced having done Freewheel several times and she is trying to get me ready in time to do it with her this year. I would like to, I just don't know if it is possible...either way, training for it will do me good. Hours later I still feel a bit taxed from the ride and wonder what it will be like in the morning.

We just managed to get back before the big rain hit and my wonderful sweet husband had to load my bike up for me because I am wearing a heart monitor for a few days and couldn't get it wet. Isn't he wonderful?

Treasure

I was told this was written while they lived in "the yellow house".....

Images of home

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Silly me. I thought I didn't have to worry about this sort of thing with a dog with no testicals. It didn't look like they enjoyed it much.

Bless the bus!

Kenyon went with the school band to Florida and I have been getting texts and phone calls all week to look up all the roller coasters she has ridden on the internet every day.... She has had such a good time... but now is terribly homesick. I got to send her off with a cell phone and a visa debit card for the first time in her life and she really liked it... (They call it a gift card... kind of a rechargable sort of thing for any one else sending a kid on a trip... it works like a regular card and yet your bank account isn't at risk....I call it WONDERFUL)

I caught my Mother blessing the busses with Holy Water and thought some of you would see the humor in it.... She was going to only bless the bus Kenyon was riding on and we gave her a hard time about that so she ended up blessing them both. I cannot tell you how many time the kids and I have been doused before long trips.

Atchi Meow Wood

I took these a few weeks ago.... he was doing his morning thing while I had my cup of tea... he hid in the plant and flirted with me, so I decided to take a few shots of him... I wish I had spent more time doing so, as these were the last pictures of my precious baby boy kitty... he was hit by a car a few days later and we added him to the family pet graveyard.... I really miss his wet pink nose.

Rainbow Rocker

He was a Rainbow Rocker from way back when...

Many of you know the tune and the story of the man behind the song. Andy Rainwater.

A man I never got the chance to know in person, but he lives in bright swirling colors in my mind. A man bigger than life, big enough to write a song about and live forever in music. Every time I twirl in the grass thru space and time to that song, I think of him, and know I would have loved him as a friend... the moment I hear that funky bass line I know what's coming and my shoes instantly come off, no matter if it is a summer festival and my feet are immersed in dewey green grass, or they land under a tent during Ocktoberfest in bitter cold. Most happily the spring loaded wooden dance floor of the Cains Ballroom is where my feet become denuded the moment this song commences. With the almost stern photos of Bob Wills and other Oklahoma music legends looking on to my antics, I dance and twirl to one of my favorite songs ever. No matter, I know they watched him dancing in the same spot and certainly must approve of my personal celebration of his life.

My husband knew Andy well, and I have heard many stories from him, so many that I feel like I knew him back in the day. The Rangers and Medicine Show played many, many shows together and Andy was a huge supporter of the early Red Dirt scene and his presence was as constant as the music itself.

My good friend Lee, who I met thru the Red Dirt Sisterhood, happens to be John Coopers cousin. This is a fact I didn't discover until she spent the night this past weekend. She is a kind soul and a beautiful person. She used to live in the same apartment building in Stillwater as Medicine Show, bless her soul, and somehow she still manages to be friends with the guys. I have heard many stories of Lee showing up in her mud masks at the door of the Medicine Show apartment and asking the guys to "turn it down"....Donnie still feels guilt when he thinks of how they must have tortured her....

Lee is brought into this story because she gave me a special gift, I don't know really how many other people would appreciate this as much as I do.... unless they are Medicine show folks, but I am so very grateful she chose to bestow it upon me. She called a few months ago and asked if I had a Med Show t shirt and I told her I did, but it disappeared a few months back. She said "well I have one for you, and it was a very dear friend's of mine...." I paused for a minute knowing that there was much meaning behind what she was about to say and she said...

"Did you ever know Andy Rainwater?"

No I never got the chance, but I feel like I did...

Well, I want you to have his shirt.....

Are you sure?

Yes, I want you to wear it!

I could never....."

I couldn't believe it then, and still don't to this day and the thing is sitting right next to me. I held it in my hands earlier today and imagined him in it dancing to his song... I wish he had known such a wonderful song was written about him, because I know I certainly would appreciate a good song in my honour and would hope I would get to hear it if I were so lucky. I remember the time Bob Childers dedicated "Red Dirt Girl" to Amy Evans and I one night and I think I lived off that for a month..... so a whole song written about him? Tragic he never heard it.

So now I have the shirt. What to do with it? I called Ben Han and asked him who all wrote the song.. who was THERE? He says Bob and Coop. So I call Coop and leave a message, Bob I get right away. I ask him about the song and he tells me the story. Bob is a storyteller and this would have been a good conversation to record for history's sake, but he tells me how the song was written. He said he had been working on it a while and came to a stopping point, he then called Coop and Said "I have a hit record for you I want you to finish it" so he sent it to the Rangers camp.

I'm going to leave off on Bobs part of the story and go with what Coop had to say when he called me....

He said he had the song for a three weeks and messed with it a little, then Andy was tragically killed on his motorcycle. The next time Bob and John saw each other, they knew that they had been writing that song for Andy all along and it was finished right away.

Andy's presence has been felt many times while performing Rainbow Rocker. Amps have blown up, rainstorms form abruptly and speakers have blown over. His presence was felt by the Rangers in a time of great need for guidance and is given credit for giving hope when it was needed most.... Andy must have been a hell of a man.

So now...My project.... I am waiting for a few more items to make this all complete... Bob is going to write out the lyrics and Coop is going to write whatever he feels should be included with these treasures.... Bob said a long time ago he had some RR posters made up that would work well, but he lost them in the fire.....Does anyone out there still have one? I could really use a photo of Andy so I can make a wonderful framed and matted display that I and Donnie will treasure greatly.....

I am in no hurry, I want to make it right, so let me know if you think you have what I need. Until then, and from now on, understand when you see me dancing like a wild woman in a pasture or dusty field to this wonderful song, that I am celebrating a great mans life, and cherishing my own....

When the cats away, the mice will play!

The sisterhood convened this weekend at my house and we had a wonderful time. I only invited the core group because space was limited even though we had use of the house next door which made it so much easier..... I was able to have 4 people sleep there because my neighbor was out of town and welcomed guests to keep her 6 tiny dogs company so they wouldnt be stressed. Thanks Maggie!

Lana showed up first and I hadn't even taken a shower yet because I was trying to get some rest and a few things done after all the commotion of having a band (Renegade Rail) stay with me the night before and write something up for the website about that gig...So I hurried up and got dressed, and we started getting the food out and the last few things made up. I made some rockin hummus for the first time in my life (after many so so attempts) and some baked pita chips to go with it. I had spent all morning driving around the stores looking for tahini and no one had it, but Sarah brought some of hers... I bought a food processer after THINKING about buying one for a few years and boy oh boy, I should not have put that off. It is so friggin cool. It made all the difference in the world and every time I turned it on a revved up that powerful motor I had to giggle with glee and once again announce to everyone present how cool it was. Pretty soon Monica, Sarah, and Jan show up and things are going well, the kids are running around chatting with everyone and we start to eat. What good food we had. Lana brought her famous chicken enchiladas as well as some cheesy ones for the vegitarians in the tribe, Sarah made lots of good stuff, all organic of course and we can't wait any longer.... we go sit down in the living room to eat and someone else arrived (Katie, Kenyons best friend, my second daughter) and I decide that we should leave the front door open for a little bit for more light. We just put this door and frame in and haven't gotten a storm door on yet and so the breeze just comes on in. Thats nice for all of us until the cat comes in too, I am talking and eating with my friends but something hits me wrong as he slinks on by... Now this is a 20 pound manx with a terrible attitude so you don't just go mess with him any old time, but I put my plate down and go to see whats up. He has a bird. Great. One other thing, this isn't any old bird, it is a live pidgeon. This bird is HUGE! I grab Casey by the scruff of the neck and start to haul him out the door before everyone sees and it's too late... "What is that?" they start yelling and laughing... About this time Casey lets go of the bird and it flys in a great big circle all around the room and goes out the front door leaving hundreds of loose feathers floating across the room and covering everyone and their food. It was quite a sight and almost looked like fireworks.....I still have Casey in my hands by the scruss of the neck and he is left with a huge mouthful of feathers that he is trying to spit out......

After we got that all cleaned up we headed over to Maggies house to tour and decide who wants to sleep in the guest loft upstairs, (A sweet hangout) and let the sisters snoop and see how wonderfully she decorated her home.... While we are over there I notice some older hippie on my porch so I step outside and say "Hi, can I help you?" Turns out he is Jack Wolf who used to play with Donnie on the road with Stoney Larue, so we feed him.

Sometime during this I get a call from Cris Cunningham. He says "Your children are wild in the streets" I of course don't bother to go check because I know they have taken my camera outside and he is laughing when he tells me. I will have photographic evindence of their activities later.

This night happens to be a night of a lunar eclipse so we all go to watch it and on the way home from our vantage point I stop at Robbie Meltons house and remind him that Monica would like to see him and he should bring his guitar... His entire band is there and they are trying out a new mando player... Sweet.... things are looking good.

Lee gets here sometime later and he entire family is there.... the kids dissapear in the bedrooms and play and Lee joins in the front room pick party going on... Things couln't get much better... Monica singing, Jan jazzing, even a reading from Lana the librarian.... I have my drum out, and play softly, but not well... everyone has something and sings along for hours.....

Then a bluegrass band showed up.


My son Thad SLEPT thru this folks.... Cosy in his bed with the door shut, he said he never heard anything.

Also at about the same time Mark Lacy came in as well.....Remember, this is a girl only party, lol ( Donnie is out of town gigging, tee hee)

This video I posted on youtube is kinda the bummer shot, but it is the only one that fits on youtube, the others were well lit and longer, but went way past the 100 meg limit you tube allows... so this is all you get...

Oh, what fun we had.... music until well into the night... we took a few minutes to Watch Ben Sumner on Tv and see Tall Cotton, the musical guest I booked and then the best part... my name in the credits....

The next morning Sarah and I cooked a nice big breakfast and then Kenyon helped Monica create a myspace.....We sat in our jammies until almost 3 and then
Donnie came home from Arkansas and the party broke up from there.....

I hated to see them go, but almost as soon as they left I fell into bed and slept all afternoon. I can't wait to do it again!