Eddie and I on our first  visit to the Statue of Liberty 11/09 One year ago, Eddie and I pulled into a northern New Jersey town with a U-haul truck of our belongings. We were exhausted from packing, loading, and driving 12 hours and had un- loading and un- packing to look forward to (thankfully we ended up having amazing neighbors who helped immensely). My old, faithful dog, Duchess, was in the back seat, and Emily the cat was cuddled on Eddie’s lap. We were unemployed, knew no one in the area, and had absolutely zero clue what would be in store for us. We were brand new civilians, just out of the Army, and both beginning new careers. I hoped I would be a musician. And Eddie hoped he would be a Park Ranger. In these 12 months, I struggled with finding work, getting rejections, and learning about the business. I played for free, played for tips, and played for idiots. I spent 3 months alone here while Eddie completed his Park Ranger training in North Carolina, and learned thro...

It's been a while since I posted my progress of recording an EP/album with Modern Vintage Recordings . Today I would use one word to describe today's meeting...amazing. We recorded the strings and bass for "A Builder," and when we played it back, I actually got chills. The song now has life and magic oozing out of it. It will truly be one of the most powerful tracks on the EP. This day is what every songwriter dreams of. The day when their "creation" comes alive...like Frankenstein. I wrote this song with just piano and only imagined the strings and other instruments in my mind. It's a relief to have wonderful producers who understand what I describe, and then make it happen. Now all the power, emotion, and beauty I dreamed for this track is well in place. Here is a short video. First you'll see my producer, Eshy, tracking the bass. Then you'll hear just the strings play back. Again with the disclaimer - final vocal track is still a ways down t...

Me dying a slow death at the Giants stadium 12/09. Cowboys lost. It’s pretty safe to assume that if I’m writing about a sport …I may have writer’s block. Nevertheless, I suppose the Baseball World Series is a fairly huge and relevant national event right now and it has inevitably seeped its way into my generally sports-free home. I’m not sure how or why I’ve developed such distaste for most, if not all sports, but somehow I have. Ever since Wednesday night T-ball at children’s church, I sensed that I didn’t belong. I never gained an interest or understanding for the purpose or rules of the game. In high school when I went out for that one year of cheerleading, our coach had to hold up a sign from the stands that said either “D” or “O” so we would know whether to do a defense or offense cheer. And even as a UNL student and now alumni, I’ve never necessarily looked forward to going to or watching the Husker games. I more or less do it out of obligation (don’t tell Nebraska I said tha...

Photography by  Frank Ekeler Today I unwrapped a cardboard box filled with packing peanuts and tissue paper. I dumped it all over my carpet, fishing for the one thing I knew would be in there...my wedding shoes. When I got married 3 1/2 years ago in Lincoln, NE, I left my dress and shoes with my parents while I continued to travel all over the country with the Soldier Show after the wedding. Only recently, my mother has finally gotten around to digging them out of her closet and shipping them to me. While most women who get married are stoked about their dress, my favorite thing about my wardrobe that day was my shoes. Because I was touring with the Soldier Show while planning my wedding, I had little to no free time to shop around for a dress. One day, the director of the show announced that he was making a run to a near by mall in Virginia, so I hopped on board. Amazingly enough, I found a formal wear store and tried on 2 or 3 dresses until I found one that fit. It wasn't e...

" A Brave Leaf"  by Elizabeth Grimes A little boy walked home from school. Summer was gone, the air was cool. The leaves were still green though, all but one. Its vibrant color stood out like the sun. He waived goodbye to his friends at the door, Then remembered with guilt what happened before. They’d teased another, called him some names. Now all alone, he felt so ashamed. He knew it was wrong, but what could he do? If he walked away, he’d be laughed at too. But he made a choice right there in his room That starting tomorrow, a new him would bloom. He was kind to that boy, stood by his side. And together a fortress in which to confide. Soon others took notice, and joined the two. Now there were many against mean crew. Walking home, the boy noticed the trees. There weren’t just one, but dozens of bright leaves! The boy thought, “Hmm. Isn’t that strange? It only took one for that whole tree to change.” Photo from  http://thesmittenimage.blogspot.com/

I went back and listened to this 4-month old video from the Play Me, I'm Yours Project in Queens, and although I like this song, all I could hear was an out of tune piano! Beautifully painted however and it was a lovely day, so I guess that adds some cheeriness to the video. I wrote this song, " You Want Me ," oh who knows? Maybe 2004 or 2005? Thought it was catchy so I hung onto it. Hope you enjoy the video! To see photos from the Play Me, I'm Yours Project, click here . To see more videos click here . "You Want Me" words and music by Elizabeth Grimes, Copyright 2009

Early this morning, Eddie and I took our place behind orange road cones and waited for the words, “Runners take your marks, get set…GO!” We attended the 5k at Llewellyn Park in West Orange, NJ, a gorgeous, historical gated residential community and former home of Thomas Edison. I went with little motivation, expecting nothing more than a leisurely jog through the beautiful, autumn scenery. But no sooner than the first corner, I discovered this would be more difficult than anticipated. Almost immediately, the route took us to a near 45-degree hill that stretched for at least half a mile, something I was not prepared for. It was then that I had to decide to either tackle it and give it my all, or simply run with little effort, as originally intended. I decided to go for it. After the first hill, I reasoned there would be more, and began mentally preparing for them. They could come at any second, just around the next turn. Hills have a way of either crushing a runner’s spirit, or prop...