Well, rehearsal went well. He took my mic and wouldn't give it back - lol.
First Rehearsal EVER
Then it was a good gig - good times with good people, good friends. (How many times can I say "good" in one sentence?)
With Apollo Joe
A real standout moment was when Zachary turned the wheel of emotions at the children's museum. At first, it landed on "Sad" but, without any prompting from me, he immediately spun it again.
That's right kid. Keep turning the wheel until you land on "Happy." That is the plan and I'm sticking to it. Now let's go get a milkshake! ;)
I'm secretly plotting to run away to a spa somewhere in the Midwest. (Guess that's not so secret anymore - lol.) Actually, I'd be happy with a few good nights' sleep.
We had a very busy week. There was restaurant dining, block building, shopping, dragon watching, car driving, scooter assembly and riding, basketball playing, lawn mowing, tractor riding, horseback riding, animal feeding at the petting zoo, pumpkin selecting, bike riding, neighbor visiting, weed pulling, apple picking, duck watching, car racing, nanny interviewing, and more.
CAN MOMMY GET A NAP???
This was really my one break:
Mommy's Breakfast Get-Away
This week is all about gig preparation and trying to manage. Zachary will have to come with me to rehearsal, so we'll see how THAT goes.
Here's to figuring out where and how to squeeze in some quality time for me without having to get drastic. :)
God Bless mommies everywhere. xoxo
Namaste,
T
PS
RUSS!! When did you say you were coming home again????? #RescueMe #WheresDaddy
This week started with friends, went into the challenge of
dealing with a bully, and then came back around to good times and friendship.
Before the gig
I’m beyond grateful for good people who act as my heroes in
times of need. They’re not superheroes because they swoop in and handle
anything FOR me, but because they are there for me to talk to - and in doing so
they help shift my perspective to a place of empowerment and Love.
After the gig - with John, Chelsea, and Brian
When you are able to “zoom out” or step back, or away from a
bully, things take on a new light. You realize that people who act the way they
do must feel very disempowered at their core. Why else would they try so hard
to take power away from others? They are THAT desperate. In the end – I feel a
little sorry for them. It’s too bad they can’t find a healthy way to feel
empowered for themselves.
"Any person capable of angering you becomes your master;
he can anger you only when you permit yourself to be disturbed by him."
- Epictetus
After my run-in with a bully, I “coincidentally” heard about
a young girl who had an issue herself. It hadn’t taken me long to understand
the dynamic I was dealing with and turn it around, but I have experience. I
don’t envy what a lot of young people have to go through today – and I
certainly wouldn’t want to have live my teenage years again. To all of us
trying to hold on to our sense of self-confidence, here’s what I think we should
remember:
Others do not define us. We define ourselves. NO ONE writes our own narrative for us. It helps to seek out information and support. We
can’t always change our life circumstance, school, or neighborhood to free
ourselves from those who like to intimidate. What we CAN do is change our
perspective. We can learn from others' experience, we can connect with people
who encourage us, and we can step away mentally and come back with a fresh
outlook. This may seem simple, but it’s not always easy. There IS a way though.
There is ALWAYS a way. In those moments before we figure it out, faith has to
carry us. Trust that you WILL come to a place of greater understanding. YOU
WILL.
Here are a couple of articles I’ve found insightful:
I just got home from the airport. It was a whirlwind of a week. There was a last-minute show postponement, redirection of travel plans, and another show.
Before the show. L to R: Walter, Denise, Amelia, Randall, Me, Paul, Tom
You know that saying:
It was in full effect this weekend. The thing about God's plans, though, is that they're always way better than what we draft up ourselves.
It was an awesome time in San Jose with Rick James's Original Stone City Band! Special guest Paul Anthony was in the house at a great event benefitting the Make-A-Wish Foundation!
Whew! It was just about an hour ago that I realized it was Monday again already. I'll have to post more pics directly to my pages as they come in. This week just flew by.
xoxo
Namaste,
T
My new blue hair (Thanks Danielle and Leon Studio One!)
I remember Robbie asking this leading question a long time ago:
"In your perfect world..." (Where would you be in a few years?)
Robbie has been the studio manager at several different locations where I've worked over the years, and remains a studio manager and a good friend (family, really) today. Robbie's question itself makes you define your goals. By answering it, you create the pathway for your dreams and goals to come true. You are saying it out loud, envisioning your future, taking the first step toward realizing those intentions.
Eddie Fluellen, Me, Nate Hughes
Nate Hughes
Me, Amelia Rose, Lanise Hughes, Steve Arrington
Me, Mark Love Gonsalves, Amelia Rose, Randall Bostick
Me, Mark Love Gonsalves
Levi Ruffin, Me
The last couple of weeks have felt like that perfect world for me. First, I performed in Las Vegas as a part of Rick James's Original Stone City Band. Words can scarcely describe how special and poignant that was for me. I started out on the music scene in Buffalo with so many of his musicians as my mentors. I was brought up, so to speak, in the musical family that lived and breathed his sound. It felt like home to be there with his band.
When I arrived back in Buffalo after that show, I was in what feels like my home away from home too. It was the studio - with Robbie, Russ, Joey and Paul. We recorded lead vocals on two tracks for what will be my second album. It was perfect.
Joey Diggs, Me, Paul Anthony, Russ
I'm positively basking in gratitude for all of my musical mentors and the amazing opportunity to work with them. So many people I cherish - all in a couple of weeks.
