It must be a world-wide beautiful day today, at least in the northeast of the US anyway. It was a perfect Saturday to sit under a tree with my husband and dog, and just hang out for an afternoon. Here is another video from the Play Me, I'm Yours project on a day very similar to today. The weather was gorgeous, the sun was shining, and I discovered a gorgeous, small park in upper Manhattan called Harlem Art Park. The name certainly suited the piano that sat on the cobblestone courtyard, as it was brightly painted with New York City landmarks. Under the shade of picturesque trees, in a tucked away sanctuary in New York, seated at a vibrant piano, what else could I play, but "What a Wonderful World?" To see more photos from the Play Me, I'm Yours project, click here . To see more videos, click here .

The last time I attempted to paint anything, was when I tackled the white walls of the guest bedroom in our old house, which looked...ok I guess, but upon closer inspection, were sloppy edges, chipped paint, and brown drips on the white carpet. Today while Eddie shopped for finishing varnish to apply to his completed paintings, I browsed through Michael's and discovered a Donna Dewberry paint kit. Donna Dewberry  (for those of you who do have cable and don't  spend your free time watching PBS) is an artist with a simple style of creating masterpieces with one very effortless brush stroke. The result when this brush stroke is repeated in a variety of shape patterns and color pallets is a remarkable scene of flowers, vines, birds, and butterflies. The technique seemed so easy on TV, that I thought I would buy the kit and give it a try. My surface of choice was a glass vase. After a few practice brush strokes on a white sheet of paper, I decided to dive right in and start on th...

I had a strange, very real feeling dream last night. It may have been from the 6, yes 6 pieces of Pizza Hut pizza I ate, or from the odd movie we watched on instant Netflix, so ridiculous that we turned it off after only 15 minutes. But I have a feeling it had more to do with the hours I’ve spent lately searching for an additional job. Music gigs are irregular and unreliable, as well as the few writing jobs I’ve secured recently. I’ve been sending out resumes in response to everything from personal assistant, to receptionist, to legal office admin. So far, no luck. I guess the economy really is in the toilet. I’ve even gone so far as to consider…CONSIDER…joining the Army Reserves. A thought I was sure would never cross my mind until I was faced with the reality of possibly having to relocate to find decent work. As I walked back home after dropping off my resume to a near by company, the apartment resident manager was out for a walk and struck up a conversation with me. Now well into ...

I spent several hours today in artistic creation, sandwiched between 2 dreadful bus rides and 4 smelly trains. Though the weather is gloomy, windy, and even chilly, it didn’t dampen my spirits for my 5th pre-production meeting. We picked up on “ A Builder ,” still completing the demo recordings for my EP, which the musicians will take their cue from when it comes time to record the actual tracks. Recording musicians are really amazing and talented people. They can come into the studio, listen to a song they’ve never heard before, and in a day, play it to perfection for a permanent, professional recording. My producer explained that guitar, bass, and drums will take slight liberties in their renditions and are encouraged to explore spontaneity and creativity. Often, fresh ideas will flow when artistic minds begin to wander. But strings... strings get printed music and play only the notes that are written. And that’s what we worked on today. A string arrangement for “A Builder.” The st...

He had been watching the darkening sky for an hour now. The wind picked up, giving him haunting chills up and down his arms. He knew the storm would strike at any moment. He gazed out into the chilly water, now brewing uneasily, and prepared himself for a fight. He straightened his back and drew in a deep breath, resolving to combat the elements and save his ship at all cost. That’s when a gust of wind came out of nowhere and like a fist, knocked him off his feet. It had begun. His ship violently rocked from side to side, making it impossible to keep the wheel steady though he gripped with all his might. He had lost his crew in the last storm and now only he remained. Powerful waves crashed upon the deck and swept him across the wooden floor. Just as he braced himself to crash into the wall, an enormous wave tipped the ship just so, threatening to dump him over the side into the vast, unforgiving ocean. At the last second before he was separated from his ship forever, he managed to g...

It's hard to believe that I've gone through another 100 of these things! When I think back to how this blog began and the place I was at in my life, I realize that I've come a long way. It began as a way for me to force myself to look for at least one positive, happy, and beautiful moment a day. Had I not done this and followed through, who knows. Maybe I would be in a darker place right now, or let the weight of the world pull me down even farther. In a business where I've taken self-esteem beatings and rejections almost daily, this blog has been a way for me to outlet some of my thoughts and emotions that I didn't even know I felt until I typed them in black and white. Thank you to those who take the time to read my blog and I sincerely hope and pray that you too have found something positive from it. I hope you'll keep reading as I continue to give it my time, thought, and heart on a daily basis. Below, I've linked some of my personal favorite blogs. If...

Tonight, I had the first 3-hour music set that I’ve had in a looong time. I was booked at a restaurant in Brooklyn called Los Pollitos 2 .   Most gigs I’ve played recently involve only a few songs and usually none of which are my choice. Eddie and I made our way down Manhattan in a torrential rainstorm that added at least an hour’s time to our travel in backed up traffic. Thankfully we arrived on schedule and I set up Ray  (my keyboard) in the tiny corner of the small dining space designated for the musician. Thank goodness Eddie is available and willing to be my “roadie.” I don’t know what I would do if I had to unload and set up all those stands, amps, and cords on my own. Initially, I was a little nervous about the performance, but after a few songs, I really felt at home. I played the same songs I used to play at Lee’s in Lincoln – boogie-woogie, Billy Joel, and other popular standards. At Los Pollitos, I earned a decent amount of tips and an unexpected bonus from the...