What It's All About...

Day 3 and I love my family more than ever.  I think that the love I have for them grows exponentially.  It is something with which I've been very fortunate.  They are me and I am them...


A bit cryptic, albeit sweet I guess, but it really is a great thing to have, family love.  The more I see them the better I feel about who I am and from where I come.  My parents came and visited today and it was really special.  I guess every time we have the opportunity to visit is special, but this felt new and more vivid for me.  They were here, and they played the roles of parents and grandparents simultaneously.  Their children, grandchild, and even in-laws were all present at the same time.  It truly was one of the happiest days that I'm keeping for me.


We talked about the women that have climbed K2, discussed snow tires for my car, and shared some pepperoni, cheese, avocado, and apple slices.  Mom tended to the baby and we sat around and just talked.  Simple, yes, but it was something that I'm really going to treasure.  A memory for me, and a great one to start this new year.  Needless to say I'm happy to sleeping warm in my bed and I'm counting my blessings.  It could all change in the blink of an eye and I don't want to miss anything.  So, I'm thankful, and humble.  Remember those that are close to you and thank them, for anything, for everything, for nothing at all and know that it too means something in time.

Ciao!

Coming Back To Writing And Sharing...

Wow, it has been a long time since I've written. I'm definitely going to rectify this situation.

Recently I was reading another blog and the subject of "why bad things happen to good people" came up. The blog buddy set forth the idea that our perceptions of "good" and "bad" are thrust upon situations that occur in our lives and we make the determination of what is "good" and "bad" by how we perceive what happens.

A blog comment came forth regarding the murder of a young member of the gay community. This person asked what about that situation, was it good or bad? As I read through the comments, my human side came to bear and I wrote the following:

The world can be a cold and lonely place. At many times it is just that, very cold and very lonely. It is when we are among those with which we can identify, being open minded and truly accepting of all others, will we be close to understanding about what it is to be human in a world that still has a lot of room to grow. It is that progress that we must make together, gay/straight/bi/lesbian/transgendered/and anything else I may have left out. We must unite to ensure that selfish acts of hate, crimes against humanity, crimes against humans, do not prosper. We must join and celebrate our differences, educate those younger than us to be open minded and to be truly accepting of everyone. We must make progress together to co-exist, to thrive, to ensure our very survival as humans who need, most dire, to live together. A murder, especially of someone so young, is one of the most horrifying things that can take place in this world. There is no good to be found in that specific situation as it carries everything bad, evil, twisted, and inhumane found inside we as humans. The good, the resonating and inherent goodness inside all of us, can be sparked from a “wake up call” such as this. Did it have to come to a senseless murder for we as a people to open our eyes, ears, and hearts to a situation that, when put into perspective, is truly an asinine thing to fight about? No. But it did happen. It did take place and we have to live with the fact that part of the continent did wash away and all of Europe as a whole will forever be affected. Sad? Yes. Tragic? Yes. In need of our attention to educate those who need help in making progress towards co-existing? YES.

My love and wishes for a happier world to everyone. I hope we can make progress together. I hope we can become more open minded and accepting than we have been. I hope…

I know that things happen, life happens, and we must be accepting of it all and make due with the cards we've been dealt. Making due, and being accepting is the challenge. Let me know what you think...I'm doing my best to be the most open minded and accepting person I can be.

Ciao!

The Best Days Are Made...

Last night was incredible!!! The concert was a huge success, the guest artists were phenomenal, the crowd was loving it, and the band...the band was in the pocket!  I had such a wonderful time performing.  It's been a while since a jazz band concert made me feel that good about performing.  It felt great, the rush, the life, the music...that's truly what it's all about.  Sharing our music and love of music with the kids who came to participate and displaying what it possible when you work hard and enjoy what you do.

They [the high school and jr high students] had a great time, they all performed well throughout the day and the winning band was very deserved of the top prize.  For a group of high school students to sound as good as they did was incredible special.  They worked hard and it showed!  Congrats to them and all their tireless efforts to come and swing as a band!

The day was long, with 19 bands and long hours of running around, announcing bands, setting up chairs and stands, taking care of judges, and making sure that we were prepared for our own concert...whew!!!  The day ended in quite possibly the best way one can end a day.  Dinner with friends, wonderful guest artists, new acquaintances, lots of laughs and meaningful conversations, great food, and then fall asleep next to someone that means a lot.  Ya, he's pretty awesome!

So, Friday is here, Gershwin awaits us at the lunch hour and Rhapsody knows no stops for the faint of heart.  Music truly is the best thing on this planet.  Synonymous with love and a language all its own, I have been reinspired to progress to the next level.  What is that???  RENO!!!!  Hell ya!!!

Ciao!

Life...

The words on the screen don't mean anything...at least I didn't think they did....

Sometimes things get to us...even me.  I suppose we wouldn't be human if we didn't say something out of turn, or make comments and then end up taking it the wrong way.  I've always felt that if necessary something should be said and I've done my fair share of "speaking".  Sometimes it's been pretty bad...other times its been extremely good.  Trying to find that balance is difficult.  Learning how to deal with it is also hard.

Growing up was hard to do and there are times when I feel like I should never have done it.  Up to a certain point its inevitable that change occurs and people evolve.  I find myself looking back and wondering how I've evolved into who I am now.  I remember that each time I've made a mistake, or worked successfully through something (big problems and small) it has affected me in a positive way.  Each change, each new avenue for learning has helped me grow and become a better person.  Making the climb and moving forward, making progress, is what I know how to do these days.  Working hard and remembering to try and keep that balance is the goal.  The results speak for themselves.  The end result is yet to come, as it is always an uphill motion to make progress.

I can only pass on what I have learned.  I can only deal with what's in front of me right now.  I can only be the best that I can be and expect others to do their best.  My standards are for me and me alone.  My caring comes from the heart and it is expressed in what I say and do, not from my job, or my schooling, or my playing.  My love of music is endless, yes, and I know that it is what I'll be doing forever.  It shouldn't be something from which to shy away, but should be embraced, shared with care, and, at times, taken with a grain of salt.  The world isn't perfect, life isn't always the way we want it to be.  People are human and we do make mistakes...I'll be the first one to raise my hand and say, "Yep, that was me...".

Wherever you are, whatever you might be doing, remember that it's all a progression.  Life is just that, progress for each of us in our own way.  Done with caring and love and some fun, it can be great, but we have to balance that with hard work and determination to be happy.  Happy at what we do, who we are, and with whom we become close.

I hope that we can all share it, together, forever.

Ciao!

The Joys of Being Home...

Days like today are few and far between.  I guess that can be said for everyday as we should try to live them like they were our last.  But, having family in from out of town makes days like these even more special.  The first week in December is already checked off the calendar and the skies shown sunny and clear blue.  Though crisp and clear, the days and nights are still very cold and a foreboding winter is definitely on the horizon.  It is simply amazing that there is still lots of sunshine and warm afternoons to go around this late in the year.

I spent the day visiting with family and enjoying stories and conversations over some fabulous home cooked fare.  It was truly a wonderful day.  Working on computers for my parents, and shuffling music around for my grandparents, spreading the love and enjoying each other is definitely my idea of a good time at home.  I'm really fortunate to have them in my life.  Just knowing that they are there makes my days easier and my soul feel good.

I hope that everyone gets to spend some time at home with family, especially during this holiday season.

Ciao!