Beautiful things happen when we choose right. To act the right way,  re -act the right way, eat right, take care of ourselves right, and  do  right. Before you know it, you're looking at an ocean reflecting the sunshine, standing next to the person you love, thinking, "How did I get  here ?" " There's a ripple effect, In all that we do. What you do touches me, What I do touches you." -Author Unknown

Me and my dad on my wedding day In honor of my dad's birthday today, I thought I'd post the song, "A Builder." I wrote this song for my dad back in 2009, and it will be on my upcoming album,  Silk in the Sky  releasing in April of this year. But you can hear the finished product right now! He is, as you may have guessed, a builder. He founded his own construction business and worked tirelessly for years while I was growing up to make it a success. He no longer builds for a living, but it still remains one of his passions. Try passing a building without him critiquing the structural engineering of it! Happy birthday, dad! Love you!

Searching for a new run route, I set off towards a park I knew was nearby. I ran through neighborhoods, up hills, and all around town trying to find my way into the entrance of the park I just  knew  was around here somewhere. Finally, I decided I must either ask someone, or head home. I scanned the streets for someone to approach. My eyes landed on an older gentleman standing in his driveway. His white hair was mostly covered by a hat and his hands were shoved deep in the pockets of his jacket. But he stood as content as can be, next to a parked car. The backseat door was wide open, and he stared inside with an admiring smile on his face, as if he were  completely  mesmerized and enthralled with what he saw.  I called down the long driveway from the sidewalk, "Excuse me sir, do you know how to get to the park entrance from here?" "Sure!" He yelled back without glancing up at me. His eyes remained locked on the backseat of the car. "Come and meet my grandson!...

One of the perks about living in New Jersey, is being able to have the best of 2 worlds. The opportunities, culture, and excitement of New York City, and the suburb comfort of New Jersey. The option to see a world-renown performance on a first class stage, or the simple freedom of being able to drive to a movie and park in a parking lot. This area is still very much new and foreign for me, a midwest girl. And I've often struggled with our future here. Will we move? Will we stay? I can't see into the future, and that can be frustrating. But one thing I do know, is that  today , I can see for a loooong time. And that provide some clarity. These photos were taken in South Orange, NJ, 20 miles away from the Empire State Building you see in the center. ~~~ Love/Hate Top of the Rock

After an intense week as a participant in the  Musician's Mentorship Program  with Canada's National Ballet School in Toronto, I am back in the good ol' US of A. The trip was a success, not only did I learn a TON in the program, but I got to see Canada for the first time, increasing my number of countries visited to 3! (Mexico and South Korea, if you're wondering about the other 2). I was surrounded by incredibly talented musicians who didn't hesitate to dish out their best advice, tips, and secrets to me. In addition, I was surrounded by some beautiful scenery and amazing sights. The trip got even better when Eddie flew out to meet me half way through the week, and even BETTER when I was able to meet up with a friend, known only through the blogosphere until now. Yes ladies and gentlemen,  Hilary of The Smitten Image  herself happens to live only minutes from where I resided in Toronto. I admit, it was a little like meeting a celebrity. I first "met" Hi...

My parents made the trek across country to visit Eddie and I. We were thrilled to have them and I was ecstatic when they were able to come see and hear me play at the Bernards Inn.  It was a fairly slow night, so I just played all my favorites (and my parents favorites). One of them, was this rendition of "Midnight Train to Georgia." No, there are no Pips to back me up (and I botched the beginning), but if you listen at 3:06, you'll hear a lively guest in the audience give me a, "Woo woo!" Enjoy! Ps: I'm headed to the Great White North today! I'm so excited for my first trip EVER to Canada. I'll be a bit out of the loop until next week as I attend a Ballet Accompanist Mentorship Program with  Canada's National Ballet School .

The 9/11 Memorial held its' Grand Opening September 11, 2011. For the first time, I went with my family to see the completed project. It consists of 2 giant water falls, each flowing into a reflective pool. And each one lies in the foot print of where the North and South towers once stood.  The Museum is still under construction, but there is a small visitor's center with artifacts from the wreckage. This particular display touched me the most. The 2 waterfalls and reflective pools lie at the base of the One World Trade Center that is currently under construction (notice the people below for scale). ~~~ One World Trade Center Up

Driving along the stretched out country roads of Texas, I did a double take when I saw shetland ponies and sheep sharing the same pasture! I made Eddie do a u-turn so I could take a few shots and share them with you all. Is there anything more adorable than shetland ponies?! 

Today was another milestone in this year and a half long journey to record an album of my very own. The first hard copies were completed! I had listened to the finished digital recordings hundreds of times on my iPod, but today was the first time I could put a tangible, physical version into my CD player and listen the whole way through. I must say, it was an incredible feeling! The release date is set for April 10th. Until then, you can hear a few samples on my website, www.elizabethgrimesmusic.com . 

"Corky" There was more black than white in his black and white view. And more scents to smell than he ever knew. His paws on the floor made a light pitter-pat. While the high-heels around him went "clackity-clack." He wandered through the strangers than filled his home, And though many pet him, he still felt alone. At last he made his way to his chair. Familiar and safe, his master would be there. But when he jumped up, he was met with surprise By a red-headed girl with tears in her eyes. There's not much English that he understands, "Sit," "Stay," and a few other commands. But he knew when she said, so warm in her tone, "I'm sorry, boy. He's not coming home." ~~~ Eddie's Granddaddy,  Jackie Howell  (right) January 24, 1937 - January 1, 2012 Eddie, our nephew Jack, and Granddaddy's dog, Corky.

Stockings designed and handmade by my mother for Eddie and I. Too cute, right? With a recent move to a new apartment, and about a million other things happening simultaneously, our box of Christmas decorations got taken to the dark, creepy basement without our realizing it. After a few weeks of unpacking, and only days until Christmas, Eddie and I made an executive decision...no Christmas decorations this year. I knew that was the easy solution, but as Christmas grew closer, I wondered if I could squeeze in the time to search through the junky basement and bring it upstairs. Finally, I let the idea go. When I arrived home from work the other night, Eddie had retrieved the box and filled our apartment with our familiar decorations! He even concocted a Christmas tree from a large potted plant he picked up at Home Depot! It's (finally) beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! ~~~ Allow Eddie and I to serenade you...we recorde...

I feel pretty confident in saying this...without youtube, I wouldn't be able to make a living as a pianist. For any job, I'm given sheet music to learn within a certain amount of time. As a ballet accompanist, often these come from famous ballets like  Sleeping Beauty  and  Raymonda . Other times, people request specific songs for their wedding or special occasion. I'm able to simply type in the title of the song in the search box, and up pops link after link to any and all versions ever recorded of the song in question. Playing primarily by ear, all those tricky rhythms I can't figure out from the sheet music make perfect sense when I hear it. I cringe to think how much money I would be spending if I had to pay for each song I needed to listen to, or worse, live in the days when we had to BUY a whole CD for 1 song! Oh, was I  ever  that young?! Just as easy and effortless, I can then open up a new tab, and search for the chords of a song. About 90% of the work...

That's what I was thinking to myself as I sat in 35F degree weather, fighting off blustery winds. Yes, even my thoughts were stuttering from the cold. The gig was to accompany a singing group of harmonizing ladies as they serenaded the Philadelphia Christmas Village with sweet Christmas music.  Eddie snapped this photo, as he himself froze in the audience. He bought me a cup of hot chocolate, hoping I could wrap my bare, piano playing fingers around it and feel warmth for a moment. But the "hot" chocolate lasted only a sip or 2 before it too succumbed to the cold air. The picture turned out so funny, I had to share. The only thing missing in the photo, is the violent shuddering of my shoulders!

I have to apologize to my readers for being out of the loop for a bit. But I promise I have a good reason! For the last few weeks, I've been working hard with  Modern Vintage  to put the final touches on my album and launch a PR campaign. I'm  very  excited, proud, and relieved to say that today is the beginning of that launch, starting with my brand new website!  The  Outlet Music  did an outstanding job designing the page, and  Mary Hubbard  is responsible for all the amazing photography (to include the photos you see in my blog header!). My album, "Silk in the Sky," is set to be released April 10th, 2012. Until then, you can hear a few samples on the new website. Please take a moment to glance at it, and if you feel led, you can "like" it on facebook by clicking the facebook icon just above the music samples on the lower right. I'm  so  proud of this website, and  so  proud of the album. I can't wait for you to hear i...

The sign in front of the modest, industrial looking building said, "Livingston Rehabilitation and Care." I read it from the drivers seat of my car as I waited for the light to turn green. There was a row of handicap accessible vans lined up in the parking lot, and about a dozen patients waited to board them. They all sat in wheel chairs, while a handful of employees scrambled to organize the transport.  My eyes were drawn to 2 patients, a man and a woman, adorned in typical hospital attire. He was a few feet in front of her, and when he turned his head around and saw her, he reached back his hand. I watched as she began cranking the large wheels on her chair. I glanced at the light, hoping it was still red. She drew closer to him, releasing a wheel and stretching out her arm. The light at the cross intersection turned yellow, then red. I watched the couple with eagerness. " Oh please let me see it, " I said out loud to no one. But my light turned green, and I was ...

Two years ago, we moved to Lodi, NJ to be right along the bus route 163, straight into New York City. Being a Nebraska girl and Texas boy, we overcame the culture shock of living in the country's most densely populated area. We learned to live in a pre-war building without a washer/dryer, air conditioning, or drinkable tap water. I learned how to light the pilot light in the oven without blowing myself up. And after many parking tickets, we finally figured out what alternate side parking means, and all the necessary permits and stickers needed to park on the street outside our apartment.  For the last time, Joy and I will run our normal route by the Shoprite. We'll pass the VFW and the man sitting outside on the porch watching the traffic go by. We'll jog up the hill and past the Visenti Brothers Italian Grocery Store which tells me we just have a few more blocks to go before we're home. We'll stay in New Jersey of course, and we'll still be near the city. Bu...

One of my favorite movies to watch around this time of year is Irvin Berlin's  Holiday Inn . One song in particular is great today because Thanksgiving music is so hard to come by! If you haven't seen the movie, I insist you watch it with a cup of hot chocolate immediately! Here is my take on the catchy tune, and below is Bing's version.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I've got plenty to be thankful for I haven't got a great big yacht To sail from shore to shore Still I've got plenty to be thankful for I've got plenty to be thankful for No private car, no caviar No carpet on my floor Still I've got plenty to be thankful for I've got eyes to see with Ears to hear with Arms to hug with Lips to kiss with Someone to adore How could anybody ask for more? My needs are small, I buy them all At the five and ten cent store Oh, I've got plenty to be thankful for

We all move at our own pace. Some gradual and steady... Others more quickly.  There are times when we bring out the beauty in others. And times when we stand out all on our own. And though sometimes we may feel like we don't fit in, Or look like everyone else, There is something that brings us all together if we focus on what's important.