Sunshine and Rain

Last week, there was an anniversary dinner...

a doggie swimming lesson...

a showcase in the city with a great band, awesome vocalists and lovely friends...

with John and Chevonne

with Chioma

I TRIED to have a photo shoot with Sadie and Bentley, but they weren't exactly cooperative...

Then it rained on my head.  Hard.

I was reminded that challenges will come to all of us.  

"Many a man curses the rain that falls upon his head, 

and knows not that it brings abundance 

to drive away hunger."

- Saint Basil

As the songs of last week still echo in my head (Full Force released their music video for "I Feel Good, I Look Good, I'm God Good") and a Joan Rivers special plays on television at this very moment, I look at shining examples of how meeting up with life's challenges can bring us strength and unique Blessings.           

"When we meet real tragedy in life, we can react in two ways

 - either by losing hope and falling into self-destructive habits, 

or by using the challenge to find our inner strength."

- Dalai Lama

"Happiness is not something ready made.  It comes from your own actions."

- Dalai Lama

Okay.  How do we do it?  How can we invite a miracle and turn water to wine - or rain into sunshine?  It seems to me that gratitude must play a major role.

"Happiness cannot be traveled to, 

owned, earned, worn or consumed.  

Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute 

with love, grace and gratitude."

- Denis Waitley

"Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, 

we can never do anything wise in this world."

- Helen Keller

Alright then.  Keep close to the gratitude and love, and away from the self-pity.  Got it.

As soon as I came back in the house, the rain stopped and the sun was blinding...

I remembered that sunshine always follows the rain and that if we zoom out a little, we can see the bigger picture...

My new bracelet

Have a Blessed week!

Namaste,

T

Keeping it Real

"Sometimes life can bring you joy..."

These are the first words of the lyrics I sang with Paul Anthony and Bowlegged Lou (of Full Force) from their new single "I Feel Good, I Look Good, I'm God Good" last week in Washington, DC.

I LOVED IT!

with Bowlegged Lou and Paul Anthony of Full Force

First of all - I was honored beyond belief when they asked me if I was available to do the shows.  It was the week of their new album release and I was to sing with them for two performances.  We were going to do two songs (both duets), and the recording artists on the actual record, whose parts I'd be singing, were Faith Evans and Tisha Campbell.

(Stop. Breathe. Jump up and down. OMG! OMG! Stop. Breathe. Calm down. You can do this.)

with Bowlegged Lou and Paul Anthony of Full Force

You see...

Once upon a time, there was a young female singer/songwriter who moved to the NYC area from Buffalo, NY when key members of her band left to tour with Rick James.  She didn't really know anyone there in NYC but was determined to make it on her own.  One day she nervously dialed the number on a card she received from a team of producers she had met earlier that year at a music conference.  To her surprise, she was met with a warm friendly voice and an invitation to their office/studio.  She went on to record and write songs there.  They were supportive and encouraging and even came down to The Apollo Theater when she competed on Amateur Night.  It was Paul Anthony who suggested the song she sing on "Showtime at the Apollo," which brought her a first place win.

Looking back, it wasn't just all of those specific things that proved most valuable for me.  It was the overall feeling that they believed in me.  I can't even measure how far that went toward my confidence as a vocalist and as a songwriter and I can not thank them enough.

I am blown away and so proud to be a co-writer on one of the songs on their new album!

As time passed and projects led everyone down their own paths, we spoke less often.  It had been a while since we had been in touch when their name came up in the studio as Russell, Joey and I were recording about a year ago.  Joey recalled seeing an episode of Unsung which featured them.  It was Joey who told me that Paul had cancer.

That's when everything at the studio came to a screeching halt as I looked up the episode online and saw for myself...

click here for "Unsung" excerpt... "Paul Anthony's Revelation"

The message I sent, to a number I had no idea whether or not was still working, was immediately returned with the same friendly spirit that greeted me all that time ago when I had first moved to NYC.  It was amazing and truly heart-warming.

The story of Full Force and Paul Anthony's journey is inspirational beyond description.  Now, with the release of their new album, words can not express how happy I am for them.  I was absolutely thrilled to see them again and it was like a dream come true to perform with them.

click here to view Fox 5 interview and performance of "I Feel Good, I Look Good, I'm God Good" with Paul Anthony, Bowlegged Lou, Tanya Diona

When I returned home on Wednesday, I was loving life and got straight to work with a spring in my step.  (I booked two shows before I even switched trains!)

The momentum continued through the weekend.  Saturday was the wedding reception of two wonderfully beautiful friends.  They were positively BEAMING with joy, and their warmth and love radiated through all of us who were present.  Everyone I spoke to shared that sentiment.  As we all laughed and smiled and cried tears of joy for them during the most amazing impromptu speeches EVER, it seemed obvious that this is the kind of pure happiness that God intends for us.  It's just simply the way things are supposed to be.  Nothing else matters.  It was perfect beauty to behold.

Jaynell and Coyote

As we were hugging goodbye, I remember saying, "Hold on to this joy.  It's the only thing that's real."

I believe it.

I'm going to live it - this week especially - and for as long as I possibly can.

Have a Joyous week y'all.

Namaste
T

Sometimes life can bring you joy

Sometimes life can take it away

That's why I stay lifted

and God Good everyday

So let no one steal your joy

no matter what the reason

Know in your heart HE walks with you

step into your season...

- From Full Force's 

"I Feel Good, I Look Good, I'm God Good"

Ice Ice Baby

I began the week with a pretty good idea of what the schedule would be.  Of course, that was before it completely changed.

When Russ called one night from Belfast (Northern Ireland), I was asking about his schedule and mentioned that we should coordinate with Jay to record our duet.  The next thing I knew, flights were being redirected, plans were changed, and instead of driving to NYC, I was to remain in the Buffalo area to record on Thursday.

Me, Jay, Joey, Russell

In the middle of it all was the "Ice Bucket Challenge."  Ok Fine...

click here for ALSA.org - It's easy to donate... Just click "donate" and follow instructions

Then came the call for next week's gigs, so there was the scramble to learn songs and get hair done (thank you Leon!!!).  Then there was the gig in Jersey on Saturday and recording on Sunday.  Oh, did I mention that a bat got in the house?

What do I take away from it all?

Go with the flow.

:)

Have a beautifully flowing week.  I hope the water's not too cold.

Namaste,

T

Sweet!

Ahhhh....  The sweet feeling of being at home in the studio...

It's like a deep breath of air - to feel like you're in exactly the right place and doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing.

How I loved to start the week in the studio, recording new songs - and I knew for sure I was in the right place when I saw this:

It was great fun to hold up the screwdriver and pretend like I did all the work of assembling the modular vocal booth...

after Russ, Robbie and Jason had already done it.

Robbie and Russ

I took a wonderful stroll down memory lane when I got to visit with Nan and Keith Hoffman at Nan's library concert!  I used to go hear Nan play when I was a little girl.  Her children's album was the first studio recording I participated on, as a member of the background choir.  It was so great to see them!

with Nan and Keith

Click here for Nan's website

It's always fun to play the role of "oddball" for passersby - as I did on Saturday when I was TRYING to get a picture of what I think was a heron, before he flew away.

And to cap it all off... (drum roll please...)

Wine.

Click here for the Johnson Estate website - "New York's oldest estate winery"

Mom and I went on the "Sunday Morning Vineyard Walk."  What a great way to start the day!!!  The scenery was gorgeous!

We learned a lot about grapes, vineyards and wine.  Then we entered the warehouse... 

FOR BRUNCH!!!  Sweet!

Then THERE WAS WINE TASTING!  (Yes, we had a ride home.)

Did you all ever try Ice Wine?  It's very sweet.  The bartender said that you don't serve it WITH dessert, it IS dessert.

Come to think of it...  a lot of things were sweet last week!

THAT'S the thought I'll hold onto:  Life is Sweet.

 :)

Namaste,

T

"Let us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words"

- Plautus

"Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music" 

- Ronald Reagan

"What I do and what I dream include thee, as the wine must taste of its own grapes"

- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Pieces of Extremity

Last week:  Came out of a building in NYC and saw these two puzzle pieces on the ground...

This week:  Was forty-five miles away from NYC and saw these two puzzle pieces on the ground...

What's THAT all about???

After packing and traveling, I ended this week at the total opposite end of the spectrum from NYC - in Amish country.

Traffic last week:

Traffic this week:

Last week, I had to stop the car for this:

This week, I had to stop the car for this:

But hey, I know how to read the signs...

(Sign from Monday)

(Sign from Saturday)

What do I make of all this?

Though sometimes we can go from one extreme to the other and it may not seem to make any sense, I'll trust that somehow, some way, the pieces will all come together.

Faith.

Have a great week!

Namaste,
T

It's Magic!

I started off my week at THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER!!!!  Does it get any better than that?  No.  No it does not.

To get there I had to walk through "Suess Landing."

GERTRUDE!!!  I haven't been in touch with Gertrude in a long time!  (I played her in a production of Suessical the Musical.)

Then, there I was at Hogwarts!

I drank Butterbeer...

and I made it through to platform 9 and 3/4 and rode the Hogwarts Express!!!

OMG!  OMG!  I went to Diagon Alley!

and Ollivanders!!!  Where A WAND CHOSE ME!  No kidding - it actually leapt off a shelf at me.

I could do magic right away...

IT WAS AWESOME!!!!

On the flight home (I had already booked the muggle transportation), I was looking for something to read and found this:

By the same author of "The Secret"

Click here for "The Magic" (the book's official website)

The gig on Saturday was definitely magical - and unique!  Two brides married each other and both looked positively radiant and utterly joyous!  We were reminded that love is love - plain and simple. The band had fun and so did the guests.  :)

Selfie with Tony Allen 

Selfie with Erich G

THEN... at church on Sunday, the lecturer spoke about Divine ideas and being childlike in our faith: about how we must be confident in our doing and believe in the results.  (Sounds kind of like magic to me!)

Hey - I'm noticing a kind of theme here...

OK!  So this week I'll carry the magic around with me and believe in it.  :)

Namaste

T

(Pilot's "Magic")

(Olivia Newton John's "Magic")

"Magic" 
(Olivia Newton John)

Come take my hand

You should know me

I've always been in your mind

You know I will be kind

I'll be guiding you

Building your dream

Has to start now

There's no other road to take

You won't make a mistake

I'll be guiding you

You have to believe we are magic

Nothin' can stand in our way

You have to believe we are magic

Don't let your aim ever stray

And if all your hopes survive

Your destiny will arrive

I'll bring all your dreams alive

For you

From where I stand

You are home free

The planets align so rare

There's promise in the air

And I'm guiding you

Through every turn I'll be near you

I'll come anytime you call

I'll catch you when you fall

I'll be guiding you

You have to believe we are magic

Nothin' can stand in our way

You have to believe we are magic

Don't let your aim ever stray

And if all your hopes survive

Your destiny will arrive

I'll bring all your dreams alive

For you