an interesting and entertaining day, overall.
right about 2pm, i took off and set a goal that i would not return home until at least 11pm. it was a good choice. i started with a nice late lunch at the local diner/foodery and then, wandered the tiny craftsman’s mall to which it was attached.
i found a bead shop. hah. for those of you who don’t know, i have a very hard time with jewelry overall because my body is damn picky about what it will permit to be upon it. i can’t wear costume jewelry whatever, as my skin and sweat will (quite literally) eat anything that isn’t pure.
dross is not a thing my body will tolerate. i find that amusing for several reasons, not the least of which is the manner in which my body mirrors my mind. wry grin here, for many reasons. anyway… over years, i’ve desiccated any number of pieces given me by friends or my children. these days, if it shows up in a box, i smile and thank them and place it away… ruefully.
pretty much the only thing i’ve worn ‘jewelry wise’ for the last 20 or so years has been the phoenix/owl talisman and the titanium watch (solar powered, as i seem to have a silly habit of destroying batteries and electrical things if they spend too much time near me. it took about oh, five computers for me to figure that out and start putting the boxes AWAY from my body).
stones, semi-precious or otherwise, seem to be acceptable. so i adore beads, but rarely find anything i like.
that changed today! there is a bead shop in the local community mall. string your own. beautiful things from around the world. hand-blown glass beads, crystal beads, earthen beads, you name it. i couldn’t afford to really do much there, but i did have my wrist mala re-strung (did it myself actually, materials cost = $.25, very nice!).
i also picked out beads and jade bits to make a new ‘formal’ mala, since the one i received seems to have been misplaced (i fear it may have been stolen by someone on the rare occasion i had company… which makes me sad). i was so engrossed in clucking over beads that i didn’t even notice the shop had closed. i took my tray to the counter to ask a question and the clerk, very kindly, mind you, told me perhaps i could do more tomorrow.
hah. talk about being mortified! i put a slip in the tray with my name and left it there for tomorrow. a beautiful jade bead and pearl mala waits for me and i’ll make it myself, which makes me smile.
from there, i took myself to the local coffeeshop and enjoyed a “bowl” of coffee (heh) and a pastry and did a spot of extemporaneous composition in the spiral bound notebook. i hadn’t written anything by hand in ages, and was a bit worried about trying to hold a pen/pencil for any length of time as the arthritis has made such a thing pretty impossible. but i found a curious little pen a few weeks back that is ‘ergonomic’ (and was like, $1!) and decided to give it a try.
it writes like a dream. for the first time in years, i could actually sit somewhere and write about the things happening around me, the people, the conversations, and the random thoughts… like i used to.
very enjoyable, indeed.
this kept me busy until roughly 8:00pm, at which point i hustled over to the local venue for the concert. upon arrival, i realized something i had not while perusing the concert… ‘women’s music’ seems to be code for ‘lesbian music’. i laughed for it, because music doesn’t know orientation, or care. but to be sure, i was the only straight female at this line waiting to get in. it made me laugh as i filed in with the others and settled in to see what might be seen.
it’s been a while since i’ve enjoyed small venue concerts. i had forgotten how cozy and casual they are… there were several points in the night when the artist was just… talking to the crowd. describing thoughts or experiences behind a particular song, going into some rather deep, personal detail… really sharing a sense of it being more than ‘you’re the audience, i’m the artist, so sit there and be quiet while i perform at you.’
i enjoyed it. a few of the songs moved me to tears. a few were over-done and seemed deliberately dramatic. it’s all view, so none of that matters… but i had forgotten that the “professionalism” tends to much more sharply delineate things and i rather enjoyed not having it in place/play tonight. the songs that seemed over-done were kind of beautiful in their own way because they weren’t perfect or “professional”… because they were an expression of the artist and their personal choices and preferences. no interest or direction toward commercialism or popularity, just being honest with it. i really admired it.
they allowed cameras, so i got some good shots and some pretty good video. the artist name is Cris Williamson and i suspect she’s classified as ‘folk’ for the most part, though i found her borderline country and occasionally leaning into blues.
apparently, she’s been at it for quite a while and has something of a reputation as a leader in women’s independent music. i can’t say i’ve kept up with the music industry, so my ignorance is just something i’m going to have to live with, i’m thinking.
the two on stage with her were dynamos in their own right, Teresa Tull and Julie Wolf. i got the distinct impression (judging from the sharing of the spotlight) that they really were/are just good friends who happen to share an interest in music. the entire night was like having a really fun jam session at a friends house. now how often can you say that these days?
the lyrics were largely well done and at times, quite insightful. i found myself smiling for certain themes and symbols that hold meaning here as well. interconnectedness, you know. i see it everywhere…. but sometimes am not sure if that means it really is there or if i am just seeing it. heh. i’m not sure it matters, but i mention it for honesty’s sake.
i bought three CDs. i shouldn’t have, but i wanted them. no regrets. one song in particular ripped me up… i haven’t found the lyrics online so i bought the damned cd so i could get them. i intend to post them here, eventually.
all in all, a very good and very enjoyable day and night. tomorrow is a haircut and the grocery store and laundry. i’m studiously avoiding reminding myself that i’m smack dab in the midst of weird week… but i suspect that is likely obvious to anyone reading here regularly. heh. this too shall pass, and seems to have in large degree tonight. but maybe i just managed to distract myself nicely.
they allowed cameras and i did get both photos and video, but in reviewing them, they just do not do justice to the theme, mood, and enjoyment. so i’ll not be posting them. suffice to say, this artist is going into my play rotation.