one week

One week from tonight we'll be in our cabin in the North Ga. Mountains for 7 nights - maybe I'll have time to Blog!!!!

today

I am going to paint today
I am going to paint today
I am going to paint today
I am going to paint today .........get the picture????

Once in a Lifetime Night

Mother and Me waiting to go in to see Liza....

Yes, it was. Mother suprised me Tuesday morning calling and asking if I could come up on Wednesday. She was taking me to see LIZA at the Peace Center in Greenville. I knew she was coming but didn't have a clue I would get to see her. Not only that, we had seats 7 rows back and I could see her every expression! It was Magic. A little background -I had always been a huge Judy Garland fan since childhood and the first time I saw Liza in a movie I loved her and her look. Then, in the 70's a movie called New York, New York came out and I was on the road with my sales job and went to see it in Indianapolis with a girlfriend. I came out of that movie totally entralled with Liza and her music. NOW, not that I wanted to sing - I just loved her music and bought the "Tape". On the road driving for hours and hours I listened to that tape - wore it out and DID sing along as loud as I could driving down the road in my Black Thunderbird! In the late 70's she came to Atlanta to perform at the Fox and I sent in for tickets right away. I think they were $25 back then - HA - and went we arrived at the Fox her light man has set his equipment up on our seats - I thought oh no, but then they escorted us to the second row - right behind the Mayor and guests. THAT time I saw the sweat and the eyelashes and the tears and she totally had me. AGAIN, singing had never crossed my mind - I was super business woman! And still a blonde!! You know the rest of the story, turned 30, had this crazy notion to write songs - got invited to get up and sing at a Steak and Ale and the rest is history. I HAD to try it for just a little while - 6 months is what I told my parents just to get it out of my system. After all, my dream since childhood was to be a New York Rockette and this was close! 30 years later almost to the day I saw Liza last night. I have sung her songs all these years and loved her music and her talent. I know all about the wild times for her - haven't we all been there a little bit - but how many could have lived the life she did? Believe me, I've read everything about her and her Mother and the "Taker's" in their lives. She's 64 years old, looks beautiful and still belts them out. Maybe not in the same key - maybe not holding that note as long (I never could hold them as long as she could) but most of all she made you feel like you were in her living room and just hanging out with a friend. You just don't see that in entertainer's anymore. Now, it's all about production, dancers, lights, pyro-tech's and smoke and mirrors. You really don't know if they are really even singing. Believe me, Liza was singing and when she did you could hear a pin drop with 2500 people listening. All I can say is It really was Magic. All these years people have told me - you look like Liza - you perform like Liza - you sound like Liza - you coulda been Liza - well, no one can be Liza but I thank her for her inspiration, her love of the stage, her music, her laughter and her tears. You are a legend and I do feel a kinship with you. Our stars have crossed somewhere in time and I just think you are THE BEST...........

I made it almost to the end of her show and when the first notes of NY NY began I grabbed my Mother's hand the tears begin to roll down my face. We held hands thru the songs then rose to our feet for a standing ovation. She told me going to the car arm in arm that I was just as good as Liza, of course, that's my Mother. We went for an after show dinner then home. 60 years old and 85 years old - THAT was a girl's night out!!!! And I thank my Mother for just letting me be me.... and I Love her. The tears are rolling down my face right now and I know the "Magic" is will be with me always and I've never forget this night as long as I live.......

Labor Day

Well, we certainly "Labored" today - we wanted to try and finish some projects that put on hold all summer because Kenny has been so sick. We did get a lot done but not finished. He's cleaning out the music room to make more room for some files and I swear more stuff keeps piling up in my studio!! He did make some progress but still a long way to go. 'Of course, we always get a late start - about 2 pm but we just chilled last night and watche "Shutter Island" which turns out is a great movie. We watched Crazy Heart tonight - no the most orginal story but Jeff Bridges sure did deserve the oscar - he was great. I did take down the old swing and put the old wooden one back up. I like it so much better and cleaned our my "Secret Garden" downstairs and it's much nicer. It was hot but later I started pulling up the dead plants in my garden and couldn't stop so I got all that done too. I helped Kenny clean his bass drumn - re-inforced a book shelf and even built a tray in my shop. While doing all of this I cooked a potroast on top of the stove with carrots, onions, and potatoes and cornbread -it was sooooo good. To top that off my neighbor brought us two pieces of her "homemade carrot cake" - I mean she shredded the carrots - toasted the walnuts, etc - it was just too good. After a hot bath we watched the movie but not getting much knitting done - Kenny likes it dark and I'm not nearly that good to knit in the dark. Still working on a man's scarf for one of our "fans" in Columbus this weekend - and it's gotta be a big scarf - he weighs about 300 pounds but soooo sweet so I hope I can finish it. Matilda and Tatiana loved that we were downstairs all day - of course, they think we should spend the whole time playing with them which I did do some of that too. All in all, it was a good day - we are tired but it felt good to just hang around the house and do "stuff" - there's still a lot of "stuff" to do so we'll keep chipping away at it. Errands tomorrow and laundry! Sure would like to paint this week but we'll see. Less than three weeks til V-time (vacation). The evenings are getting so nice and cool but still in the 90's this week in the daytime. Come ON FALL I mean REALLY FAll which is 60's and low 50's at night. This really has been the hottest damn summer I've ever seen and I'm ready for it to be OVER. Could be worse - it was 112 degrees in Vegar yesterday! Hope everyone else had a great Labor Day - next holiday - Thanksgiving yeah - my favorite!

The Boots

Above is the picture of the $6.60 Bran New Boots I got at Goodwill last week. Wore them on stage last weekend and could dance like a mother!!!! Love them.....

Getting There

At least it's 7:39 pm and I am sitting on the deck - it's ONLY 81 degrees - still WAY too hot for me but bearable. I just did my nails and it's nice to sit on the deck again. I'll just be glad when I can have a fire in my chimnea WHILE sitting on the cool deck. I really need to go cut the grass and if it stays light enough I will after my nails dry! Finished a couple of knitting projects and have a couple of birthdays I need to knit for. I'm going to knit my first men's scarf - for a friend in Columbus - and hope it turns out. Men are too hard to knit for. I love the arm warmers that match my hat and vest. Can't wait to wear all this stuff. We got the Belloo's commercial up on you tube and now I have an account! I need to find the babies snow video - it's somewhere on the other computer and I can't find it. For anyone who didn't see the page go to youtube.com and type in claibornescorner - the commercial and me messing around with a song is on there. It's fun. We're going to have to re-shoot because of the sound (bummer) but Spiro worked magic on the camera except I look so old! Wait I am old - 28 more days until the big 60.....and we'll be at the cabin hopefully with sweatsuits on and a fire. I think I will go cut grass now then cast on the scarf!