Songs for Writers

I like to make soundtracks to big things that I'm doing whether it's traveling down the Mississippi River or my Ladies Luncheons or writing my novel or for things that others are doing: starting a new winery, going to Peru. Inspiration, motivation. I just made one for my writer's retreat on Lake Superior, Songs for Writers.

1. Little Women | Soundtrack from the movie.
I owe a lot to Jo March.

2. Mr Jones | Counting Crows
I want to be a lion
Everybody wants to pass as cats
We all want to be big big stars, but we got different reasons for that

3. Words | Shawn Colvin
I always liked this song just not the BeeGees singing it.

4. The Book of My Life | Sting
It's the book of my days, it's the book of my life
And it's cut like a fruit on the blade of a knife

5. There's a Story in Your Voice | Elvis Costello

6. Shadow Stabbing | Cake
Adjectives on the typewriter
He moves his words like a prize fighter

7. Paperback Writer | Paul McCartney (live)
It's a thousand pages, give or take a few;
I'll be writing more in a week or two.
I can make it longer if you like the style,
I can change it round and I wanna be a
paperback writer.

8. Bedtime Story | Madonna
Today is the last day I'm using words

9. There She Goes, My Beautiful Life | Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Nabakov wrote on index cards, at a lectern, in his socks
St. John of the Cross did his best stuff imprisoned in a box

10. High Hopes | Graham BLVD
I have high hopes.

11. A Quiet Place | Garnet Mimms & the Enchanters
I can't get no sleep in this noisy street.
So every writer wants a clean, well-lighted place and quiet is also a lovely thing.

12. Baby I'm a Star | Prince
Self-explanatory.

You can buy this mix on iMix (iTunes). Look for "Songs for Writers".

Combat Hunter

This is an interesting story about the U.S. military "thinking outside the box" and going back to the basics; combining outdoor hunting skills and street smarts to outwit the enemy:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2008-06-26-combathunter_N.htm

To blog or not to blog

I want to be a lion
Everybody wants to pass as cats
We all want to be big big stars, but we got different reasons for that
— Counting Crows

In May 2007 I wrote a story called "Bonnie Bean's Birthday". Today I got this comment: "It was an unexpected treat to read this story. I am the Bonnie Bean who was involved in the birthday celebration." Amazing for something to come around like that -- I only met her once that night way back in 1980 or so and never saw her again.

Nevertheless, I wonder about blogging and why I do it and should I keep doing it? I don't know. I started out to promote my designs on T-shirts and stuff and to practice writing and that's still what I'm doing. But it's natural to wonder who is reading, how many are reading, what do they think . . . most artists and writers want to be seen and heard but these wishes become longings and ultimately distractions. It's okay to want to be a big, big star but you can't write or paint to that or for that.

I guess I will keep going, keep practicing, keep writing. I would like it to be more of a conversation with feedback and comments. So leave me a message . . .

Dog vomit slime mold

On close inspection, dog vomit is exactly what it looks like. It has appeared in several places in our yard, on mulch, so I figured it was a mold of some sort. It's kind of creepy because it seems to just suddenly appear, like an alien invasion, which firefighters in Dallas took it for in 1973. It's harmless and actually helps the garden as it is decomposing the decomposing mulch. Apparently, in some parts of Mexico, it is scrambled like eggs and called "Caca de luna".

500 year flood

This is a photo of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I used to live here in the 70s and 80s and I grew up in a little town 15 miles to the north called Center Point. I used to brag to my friends in a joking way that Cedar Rapids and Paris were the only two cities to have their city government on an island. Well, the buildings in the center of the photo? City government, under water. 480 blocks, under water. In the downtown, the water is up to the top floors of one story buildings. I cried over New Orleans, too but this is a little more personal.

Apparently the East Coast is to blame: there is a storm system here that refuses to budge, holding the storms in the Midwest . . . We had a mini tornado rip through our backyard, bringing down our neighbor's 120-foot tree which fell on our tree which together fell on a sauna and crushed it. But we were lucky; that's all that was hurt and we only lost power for two days. The little sauna looked straight out of the Wizard of Oz, as if there should be stockings and ruby red slippers poking out underneath.

I haven't written for awhile for two reasons: one, I've been through a few big things and needed to meditate on them and two, I read an article in the New York Times Magazine by an addicted blogger and was completely turned off of the whole thing. But now I'm back.

Just watched Casablanca for the third or fourth time and this line struck me (Humphrey Bogart to Ingrid Bergman):
"I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy mixed up world."