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Showing posts from March 5, 2010

Magical Moment 35, "The Line Between Dedicated and Crazy"

I’m running like a mad woman down a mountainside in sweatpants, t-shirt, slippers, and wet hair in 40-degree weather, through mud puddles, gravel, and overgrown brush. Why, you ask? Let me tell you. About once a month, I drive down to the North Carolina Smoky Mountains to visit my husband as he finishes up school. While I’m here, I do much of my correspondence with the New York City music scene by e-mail and phone. I send out resumes, headshots, musical recordings, and videos to possible employers and all but beg them to hire me for an advertised gig that I’ve found online. It’s a taxing life, with little stability, but one that I am willing to give up job security, our four-bedroom house with a yard and a pool, and any sense of a normal life for. Dedicated, or crazy? I applied for an internship several weeks ago with a large New York City record company. I thought, Here is my chance to learn all the ins and outs of the business, make some contacts, and maybe get some discounted stu

Magical Moment 34, "Fly Girls"

There are photos that give me chills when I see them. There is one theme in old photos that still makes my heart race, causes me to swell with pride, and even brings a tear to my eye out of the sheer passion it stands for. I’ve seen them hundreds of times before. You have too. They are black and white, displaying men and women in military uniforms. The style of hair, the dark lipstick, the time frame is clearly World War II. I first saw these kinds of photos as a young girl, 7 or 8, as blown up cardboard cut outs displayed in an exhibit at the WWII Canteen Museum in North Platte, NE. My family went to the museum every summer. And even when I was that little, I remember thinking how beautiful the women were and how amazing it was that they were in military uniforms. I never personally met an actual female in the military until I was well into my teens. My father was in the Army National Guard, along with my older brother and all my uncles and I was proud of them. Fiercely proud of t

Magical Moment 33, "The Four Cats"

There once was an abandoned, run down barn that sat near a beautiful countryside home. The barn was an eye sore for many of the neighbors, but no one took the steps to remove it. Some children dared to go near it, feeling adventurous and seeking out mystery, but all were in trouble when their parents found out. The barn was home to all sorts of critters, including four feral cats. They must have been brothers and sisters as they were all black with white paws and faces. Inside the barn, they trapped and ate their meals, huddled close together during the winter nights, and explored every corner of their home. The cats were thin, for their meals were sparse. Their behavior was skittish when seen, for they rarely encountered humans. Their coats were shabby and dirty, for they lived a difficult life. Yet, they were always together, guarding and helping one another. Hunting meals was a team effort. When one left the barn, the other three followed. If ever only three cats were spotted, it

Magical Moment 32, "Sparrow"

"Sparrow" is a song I wrote last summer to help me with my ridiculous battle with stage fright. I know it seems like a silly thing to worry about, but to me, the fear is sometimes paralyzing. The song reminds me that no fear or problem is too small for God to care about. After all, He cares about the sparrow. To hear a recording go to http://www.myspace.com/maryelizabethgrimes Click on Sparrow in the right hand box and press play. To see a video, scroll down. I hope you enjoy it! Sparrow words and music by Elizabeth Grimes Copyright 2009 I’ve had fear in my heart for way too long. And I’ve convinced myself that it’s not wrong. But, Lord I know that when I’m honest, I read it long ago. It said, “You need not worry, my child, for I watch the sparrow.” I believe that You can calm a raging sea. Lord, I remember all the times you’ve taken care of me. So take this worry and throw it far from my heart. Never to return. Faith like a child. Today it starts. Sparrow! Sparrow! T

Magical Moment 31, "My Haunting"

This is my third visit to North Carolina to see Eddie as he completes his Seasonal Law Enforcement Training Course. The house we stay in is remotely located about 10 minutes up a mountain, isolated in the thick forest.  I noticed a few strange things in the house during my first visit…things like downstairs noises and foot steps when I thought I was alone. I chalked it up to an old house and a windy day. My second visit however, the owner of the house informed me that he believed dead Cherokee Indians haunted his house and property. And on that trip, Eddie and I both heard some strange things. We each thought the other was walking around or moving large objects only to come in the room and find them sound asleep or relaxing quietly on the bed. One day, Eddie came home from class and asked if I wanted to go downstairs to the kitchen with him to cook supper. I told him that I didn’t want to because a friend of the owner was down there and I didn’t want to disturb him. He had been makin

Magical Moment 30, "Dimples and Brown Eyes"

Here I am. Back in North Carolina to see my little "Dimples and Brown Eyes." I wrote this song about my husband before we were together and before I was even sure he returned my feelings. I wrote it while I was on Staff Duty in the Army, probably at 3 am, freezing to death in November  of 2006 while Eddie was at SFAS training (read the Frog and the Owl Valentine's Day blog). I remember how easily the words flowed as I wrote them. And this is one of the few songs I wrote with no instrument. No guitar, no piano to help me. But it's definitely one of my favorites. To hear a recording, please go to http://www.myspace.com/maryelizabethgrimes Click on Dimples and Brown Eyes in the right hand box and press play. I hope you enjoy it! "Dimples and Brown Eyes" words and music by Elizabeth Grimes Copyright 2008 Don’t you wanna keep me warm? I’m pretty sure, I think you do. No one’s cared for me like you. You play a song to see me smile. I’m wishin for you all t

Magical Moment 29, "Life's Like a Run"

This morning on my run, I thought just how much a person can learn from such a simple thing. So much of running (or exercise, or anything that's hard but good for you) can be applied to our daily lives! Put this on a t-shirt (actually it’s probably already on one). Kind of an easy metaphor, but you can’t expect creative genius every day! Life is like a run… You have to go one step at a time. Every now and then, you need a friend to motivate you, yell at you, and get you through the hard parts. Sometimes you don’t wanna, but you gotta ! There obstacles on the path. Avoid ‘em. Crash into ‘em. Or just power through ‘em. If you prepare your mind and your body, you’ll do much better. If you don’t stay disciplined, you’ll slow down. Sometimes if you hurry too much, you miss the beautiful view around you. It’s much better with music! If you’ve given it your all, you feel satisfied and rewarded when it’s over.