On the Open Road

Ever since I was a child I've dreamed of packing up my meager possessions and setting off to see the world in a little gypsy caravan like Mr. Toad. It's been a while since I've been on a road trip, and lately I've been positively itching to be back "on the open road". So you can imagine how excited and delighted I am at the prospect of a month-long excursion across the USA and back again.


I'll be seeing so many wonderful things, Mammoth Cave, Yellowstone, Las Vegas, and so many different landscapes and climates! My family will be leaving on Tuesday (just three days, heavens!) and I will most likely be out of touch the whole time. I'll miss you all!

Then next month I should be back with many wonderful stories and pictures to share!


Until then, why not entertain yourself by checking out http://dubuhdudesigns.typepad.com/ the source of all the lovely images from this entry. There is so much creativity just per square inch there it's amazing, and I'm sure you'll find something to keep you amused.

Hope to see you again soon!

Can you imagine...

... walking through town, going about your business, and suddenly this song, and this scene appears before you? I don't know how I'd be able to leave.

A Two-Hearted Dream

"They say for every high there must be a low
And every sun ascending a lonesome moon will grow
Drive my heart, drive my heart, into the fire of a burning heart's desire
The only spells you'll be seeing, do you hear me coming in my blue dream
Lonely, lonely, lonely, his mother told me
The dream of love is a two-hearted dream
Lonely, lonely, lonely, his mother told me
The dream of love is a two-hearted dream..."

Lately when I close my eyes and open my mind, this song is all I hear.

Ellipse

Along with my upcoming month-long, continent-crossing vacation in September, the one thing I am most stoked about is the release of Imogen Heap's new album, Ellipse. Are any of you familiar with Imogen Heap? She is a brilliant songwriter/musician/singer from the UK, and was formerly part of the awesome band Frou Frou (best known for the utterly glorious song "Let Go".) Her music moves in this endless loop of gorgeous electronic sounds, classical instruments and heavenly vocals and her songs change from whimsical to haunting at a moment's notice. She writes, orchestrates and sings all her own music, and provides most of the sounds herself (whether it involves heading out the park and recording passing jayhawks, or banging on empty carpet tubes with CD cases.) She is ridiculously inspiring, insanely talented and her album Speak for Yourself is one of the few CD's I could take to a deserted island and never get tired of.


Although I've loved Frou Frou forever, it was only about a year and a half ago that I finally tracked down Imogen's solo work. (You could say this is kind of cheating, since coming so late to the party cut down hugely on time spent in impatient "omygosh, when is the new album coming" thumb-twiddling, while the rest of her fans had to wait through the last four years.) However, as she has been sharing tidbits from the new CD via Youtube for quite awhile, I did become very impatient, especially to finally hear the finished version of a little song called "Canvas". Thankfully her newest work is finally all wrapped-up and will finally be released this August. And I could not be more excited. So, I thought I would share some music videos with you ("Headlock" is just lovely, and "Come Here Boy" is one of her best known songs.) Also, a little trailer for her new album!

Summer Days

Today was a little chilly and now that it's dark out the air is quite cold. I'm all snuggled up in a thick, wooly sweater with a cup of hot chocolate to keep me warm. I've had such a lovely day. This morning I got a call from work saying I didn't have to come in because of the cold, so instead I went to the waterpark just for fun. I paddled around the little river on a big yellow life ring, chased waves in the pool and ate a chocolate and peanut butter sundae.



This afternoon I visited the nearby school. My family goes there often (usually when my brothers and father want to play basketball) and it's become one of the things I look forward to most each summer now, because each year the science teacher plants a little garden out behind the building. I'm always curious to see what new flowers have been planted and which old ones are returning, and I'm always on the look out for the pretty little things she hides there: glass marbles, snakeskins, windchimes, and smooth stones.


I brought my camera, and my little ship, and a pair of my favorite earrings that you've never seen. Everything was so pretty, I couldn't resist taking pictures of it all. Then when I was my camera was full of pictures and I was satisfied, I lay down on the grass and watched the clouds until it was time to go home.

The Wind in Her Sails

I found this sweet little ship a few days ago. Isn't it lovely? I don't know what I should name it, though. Any ideas?

Rock a Bye Baby

The randomest, most distant memory just came back to me this evening. I don't know what brought it to mind. I can't even recall the last time I thought about it. But today I remembered it like I was there. I remembered being a little girl, almost three years old, sitting on the edge of my bed with my mother on one side and my younger brother on the other, all three of us clustered together like little birds. I remember the softly glowing night light, and how big my mother's stomach was, and I remember how quiet it was as we all sang "Rock a Bye Baby" to the little baby growing inside her. Even years later, as a little boy, "Rock a Bye Baby" was one of his favorite songs. And even then I wondered if our singing was why.

Photo by http://www.flickr.com/people/milkpockets/