Beautiful Artist, Beautiful Gift

I believe we all have gifts, some hidden ... and some not so hidden. 

But then, there are people like Sarah, with a gift that we all get to be moved by, enjoy, revel in, 
and be taken to another place by their exquisite gift. 

Good Lord above, thank you for that. 

Enjoy and be thankful.

I saw this version of "Misty," sung with such grace and artistry by Sarah Vaughan, and I just had to share.

Walk my way, and a thousand violins begin to play,
Or it might be the sound of your hello, 

that music I hear,
I get misty, the moment you're near.

... On my own, 

would I wander through this wonderland alone,
Never knowing my right foot from my left, 

my hat from my glove,
I'm too misty, 

and too much in love ...

~lyric by Johnny Burke

Blessings and light

The "Pink Moment": Patience and a piece of Heaven

There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks.

Most of the time we are simply not patient enough, quiet enough,

to pay attention to the story.

~Linda Hogan

from wikipedia ...

"Ojai is situated in a small east-west valley, north of Ventura and east of Santa Barbara. It is approximately 15 miles(24 km) inland from the Pacific coast.

Since Ojai is lined up with an east-west mountain range, it is one of few towns in the world to have a "Pink Moment" occur as the sun is setting, when the fading sunlight creates a brilliant shade of pink for several minutes on the Topatopa Bluffs at the east end of the Ojai Valley, over 6,000 feet (1,800 m) above sea level. Nordhoff Ridge, the western extension of the Topatopa Mountains, towers over the north side of the town and valley at more than 5,000 feet (1,500 m). Sulphur Mountain creates the southern ranges bounding the Ojai Valley, a little under 3,000 feet (910 m) in elevation."

So... on a day when the sky is clear enough (and there are many in Ojai!) just wait patiently for the perfect moment, when the mountains are all aglow in pinks and purples, and you will experience a little slice of heaven. - Even my six year old nephew likes to point out "the pink moment" in all it's glory.

In these shots, I had taken a friend form Los Angeles on a walk, along the horse trail near my parents' place, just above the dry riverbed for a great view of it.

almost ...

here it comes ...

Everything comes gradually and at it's appointed hour.

~Ovid

Amazing right? Hope you enjoyed the pink moment! It's a beautiful way to start a beautiful evening.

Have a beautiful weekend!

Pins and needles ... and John Barry

I love soundtracks. When I want to wake up in the English countryside and imagine for a moment I am Marianne Dashwood, I pop "Sense and Sensibility" into my CD alarm clock. When I am having a glass of red wine and getting ready to go out? A little Nino Rota please. For fantasizing that I am in a riding a train across the Italian countryside? Ennio Morricone.

But it all started with John Barry. It was high school and I would burn candles in my bedroom, pining away for some surfer boy, listening to my 33 of Somewhere in Time on my stereo. (For the youngins, a 33 was a big round black thing with a hole in the middle that we used to use to play music.) I was a hopeless (key word) romantic and I loved it.

College was all about the soundtrack to Out of Africa and part of that was that in 1989 I had gotten to go to Kenya with my family. It was one of the great experiences in my life and that soundtrack reminded me of being in Africa. (And Robert Redford.)

So, last Friday I am lying on a table in the acupuncturist's office, in a little white paper gown listening to "Classical KUSC" on Dr. Yu's boombox. Actually, it sounds more like an old transistor radio since it gets fuzzy every time Dr. Yu walks by. Anyhow, the announcer came on and said, "With the Oscars Sunday we are going to pay tribute to John Barry who passed in January, by playing a medley of his music." Whaaaa? John Barry? Where was I? I had no idea.

Lying there, the music started to play and my eyes welled up, spilling tears into my ears ... the sense memory was overwhelming. Music will do that. There I was, lying on my back, half naked, in my little white paper gown, acupuncture needles quivering, trying not to go into full blown sobs and freak out my sweet and very reserved acupuncturist.

I took deep breaths and let the music (and the memories) wash over me.

Music is an outburst of the soul.

~Frederick Delius

Thank you John Barry!

More Out of Africa

Somewhere in Time

Other Favorite Mostly Instrumental Soundtracks

Passion: Music for the Last Temptation of Christ Peter Gabriel (amazing!)

The Mission Ennio Morricone

Cinema Paradiso Ennio Morricone (all time fave!)

Schindler's List John William's with Itzak Perlman playing

Breakfast at Tiffany's Henry Mancini (fab-u-lous!)

Braveheart James Horner

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon Tan Dun with Yo Yo Ma playing

Seven Years in Tibet John Williams

Powaqqatsi Philip Glass

The Ultimate Best of Fellini & Rota Nino Rota (Any of his scores!)

Il Postino Luis Bacalov

Frida Elliot Goldenthal

Big Night (OK there are vocals on a few, but this is a great one!)

and

Smile from Modern Times by Itzhk Perlman (iTunes)

Obviously there are other amazing film scores like Gone With the Wind but they are so attached to the visuals for me that they just make me want to sit down and watch the movie. Like Star Wars, for instance. :)

Do you have any favorite film scores?

Take a music bath

once or twice a week for a few seasons.

You will find it is to the soul

what water bath is to the body.

~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Inspiring Friends ~ Leslie Cours Mather

Storms make trees take deeper roots.

~Dolly Parton

We met my first day of acting class in West Hollywood (over a liquor store!) near the corner of La Cienega and Santa Monica Blvd. I don't remember being nervous but I must have been, it was my first acting class since moving to Los Angeles from San Diego. Leslie and I hit it off immediately. She'd been there for a while and was so open and welcoming. She was my first friend in L.A. We started going to the famed Barney's Beanery after class as well as the drag queen cafe down the street for coffee and fries with our fellow actors. We had "music nights" where we'd all gather around Leslie at the piano and sing as she played our favorite Broadway showtunes and standards.

In 1996 I flew to Cincinnati to be a bridesmaid in her wedding and since then she has had three beautiful children. She's always been an amazing songwriter and after going through challenges no Mom should go through she has channeled this gift into a new album.

From her website ...

Singer-songwriter Leslie Cours Mather has certainly endured some dark times recently. At the age of four her daughter Stefani was diagnosed with leukemia. Thankfully, Stefani, now eight, has been treated and is doing just fine. But it was a tough patch there for a bit. Out of it all, however, came an added bonus. As she and her family passed through this emotionally wrenching period, Leslie found solace and release in writing songs. Several of these songs are found on For My Children, her astonishing new album.

This song is the heart of a parent: limitless, sacrificial and persistent. I wrote it while watching my daughter endure Chemotherapy at the precious age of four, but I believe I would have written it for any of my children.

~Leslie

50% of each CD purchase ($5.00) will be donated to a childhood Leukemia research consortium named TACL (Therapeutic Advances in Childhood Leukemia & Lymphoma). Help us discover a cure for childhood Leukemia. Check out www.tacl.us for more information.

Interested in Leslie's beautiful CD? Click here!

I am so inspired when someone takes what are life's most difficult challenges and turns them into something beautiful and inspiring.

I am so proud of you Leslie!

Where words fail.

Music speaks.

~Hans Christian Anderson

Sundays in Fall

I love Sundays. As a kid, I didn't much like Sundays.  I let the fact that I had school the next day taint most of my entire day. The funny thing is that I loved Fridays even though I had school. I loved the anticipation of the weekend! Over the years I have finally learned to be much more in the present moment and enjoy ... especially on Sundays.

Right now, I am enjoying the marigolds on my dining table and listening to John Boswell, "The Painter." Whenever I hear it, I am instantly back in San Diego at The Nature Company with my Dad. He'd come to visit me when I was going to school down there. We walked in the store and heard this beautiful piano music playing and he bought the cassette for both of us.  The music always reminds me of my him.

Do you remember The Nature Comapany?  I loved that store.  When you walked in, there was always a water feature and beautiful music playing ... they sold fossils and geodes and telescopes, and those leaves dipped in silver and gold at Christmastime. Everything was so beautifully merchandised in beautiful wooden cabinetry.  I worked at a Gap in a San Diego mall at the time and could always decompress by walking into The Nature Company.  It was so peaceful ... in a mall! 

John Boswell?  You can now get on iTunes.  His Christmas CD is Beautiful too ... It's called "Festival of the Heart."

"What brings you comfort?

What makes you feel safe, cozy, warm, loved?

What places?  What people?  What events?  

Learn to comfort yourself.

Learn to accept comfort, and learn to give it.

Go to that special place of comfort whenever you need to.  

Stay as long as you wish.

The healing power of comfort will make life better."

~Melody Beattie

Journey to the Heart

Out of the mouths of babes ...

I have never posted a YouTube video on my blog but this was a must! It is such a beautiful song and I didn't think I could possibly love it more. I love how into it they are! I think even Stevie Nicks must be pretty moved.

Music Al Fresco!

My friend Amanda always has a way of bringing music into her life and her home. (We lovingly refer to it as "the Magic Cottage.") On Sunday she invited over a few friends and neighbors for a lovely end of summer evening of wine and music. Some of my favorite moments in Los Angeles have been manifested and created by Amanda and I am forever grateful for those memories.

One of the musicians was Rick Jaques (below in the second shot) who is a Hotel Cafe guy ... and the other was his current writing partner Paul Sikes who is here for a couple months before heading home to Nashville. He's playing at Molly Malone's on Fairfax this Thursday if you are around the L.A. area and are looking for something to do! They are both definitely worth checking out.

Believe it or not this is actually outside!

After 10pm one of the neighbors wasn't too happy with our outdoor concert so ... the few of us left moved it inside for a bit of a sing-a-long. (Love a sing-a-long.)

I always plan to take off at reasonable hour but somehow I am often the last to leave. I just can't help myself. As was the case on Sunday.

Be happy now.

Enjoy the creative process-

the process of creating you life,

yourself,

and the project you're working on - today.

Don't wait for those finishing moments

to take pleasure in your work and your life.

Find joy all along the way.

~Melody Beattie