JOAN BAEZ!!!

Well, I came as close to a lifelong idol of mine last night as I guess I will ever be.

Rich and I went to the Denver Botanical Gardens and saw Joan Baez in concert. JOAN BAEZ!!!

I have listened to her and loved her and her music as far back as I remember listening to music... in fact, her album, The First Ten Years, is the one I remember from when I was around 3 or 4 years old. It's the first music I remember listening to and knowing.
And so it feels like it has always been a part of me somehow.

And of course, way back, when Rich and I were first getting to know one another, he sent me a CD in the mail- Joan Baez. The CD was Any Day Now- Baez sings Dylan. In his note accompanying the CD Rich wrote: "... it doesn't get any better than this". And he is so right.

There was a HUGE line to get in and so we ended up having to see Joan mostly from the back (that is a dumb setup if you ask me), but we were pretty close and she was great about turning around occasionally and acknowledging us back there... ;)

Her band is great, and I feel lucky to have seen her son, Gabriel Harris, on stage with her too. What a treat! They did a good mix of old and new stuff. Joan didn't take a break at all, instead performing just with her guitar during the time the band took a break. First she sang "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" for Odetta, and she talked about meeting Odetta for the first time. Joan's voice is just as beautiful and strong as it always was.

She spoke about and sang for the people in Iran who are on the cusp of great change. Joan is still speaking out for those who need extra voices and it is amazing to think of what she has done in her lifetime, both through her music and her actions.

Later, she sang a Dylan song, Don't Think Twice, It's Alright- and did a PERFECT Dylan imitation towards the end of the song, it was so cool and fun.

She is just a tiny thing, not too tall, slim, elegantly dressed- and she has this light about her. I was honestly just in awe, being in her presence. When she smiled, you could just see her glow.

The tickets had clearly stated that there were to be NO photos or video and so I didn't bring a camera. But people were taking photos all over the place and they weren't stopped by anyone. So I did attempt to get a couple on my phone. They are poor quality, but better than nothing I suppose.

When I got home, I hastily did a sketch in my quilt journal and wrote down some details I will need- seeing her, a wall hanging came to my mind. I have to document this momentous occasion!

I never in a million years thought I would get an opportunity such as this- and seeing this wonderful woman in concert was definitely something that was a dream come true for me.

Quilters!!!

Last night, my friend Elizabeth and I went to see the musical, "Quilters" at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. We just LOVED every minute of the show and I am SO happy I didn't miss out seeing it!

This play originated in Denver more than 25 years ago and has enjoyed great successes. There is a synopsis of the play on the Denver Center for the Performing Arts website: (here is the link in case you want to check it out: http://www.denvercenter.org/shows-and-events/Shows/Quilters/Synopsis.aspx)

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love that particular period in history and I have read many books about it. But I still learned things, and these actresses really brought the joy and the sorrow of that time to life. I cried when they did- and felt the happiness they showed over the little things.

I think the hardest part of pioneering women's lives must have been children. Miscarriage and still births were common, but more dangerous was the sheer number of pregnancies most women endured in their lifetimes. I knew that these women must have felt- but had never read about in any detail- the fear and struggle over getting pregnant yet again, the worry they had of not surviving another pregnancy or birth, and leaving behind many helpless children. Some risked asking a doctor to help them- some resorted to homemade folk remedies to terminate the pregnancies. How horrible it must have been to know that you are expecting another mouth to feed when maybe you can't feed the ones already around your dinner table, or knowing that the last time around you nearly didn't survive, or were laid up for a long time, putting much stress and strain on your husband and family, but having no choice whatsoever in the matter.

Hands down, the best part of not only this play, but of pioneering women, was their spirit. Life was unfair and hard and sometimes downright cruel, but they endured. Not only did they brave through it all, but they managed to do it with a fierce spirit and joyful heart, creating homes for their families and art through the quilts that told the stories of their lives.

Made me want to come home and go straight into my quilt studio!!!

Catching up

We have been home from Portugal for 3 full days now, and I am finally feeling myself again.

Traveling overseas is very tiring! It took us 19 hours to get there and 24 hours to get back- that is real hours, not time change stuff. That time zone thing is very strange. No matter how I look at it, it mixes me up. I understand it in principle, just not beyond that.

We did as suggested and tried to assimilate our schedules to where we were/are as quickly as possible and I think that was good. We were able to fully enjoy our two weeks in Portugal- and we had the weekend at home to get back into the swing of things slowly before Rich had to go to work.

Yesterday I spent almost all day outside, weeding my vegetable garden, cleaning the patio, trimming hedges, and preparing another bed for planting- I am hoping this will work as a perennial herb garden... we shall see.

I will have to take some photos of my little garden today. I know that the soil has not been amended enough to yield anything beyond a few dinners here and there, but I will work on that this fall now that I have figured a few things out.

For today, here are a few vacation photos. The top photo is me at the highest point of a Moorish Castle in Sintra, with the Palacio Nacional da Pena in the background (we went there next); the middle photo is Rich and me at the Roman ruins in Conimbriga; the third photo is a view from the top of the castle we stayed in our first night, in Obidos. It was a fantastic trip!

I have started a new blog about our trip if you would like to see a few more pictures, the link is: http://happytravelergurl.blogspot.com/

It was hard to choose just ten photos of each day- we did and saw so much- and I took more than 2300 photos. I am currently trying to figure out what to do with them all... lol

Small update from Portugal!

Look where we are tonight!!!

Can't seem to upload much, our Internet connections are not like at home- but I will do a blog about this wonderful trip when we get home!

Now I understand what John Denver meant...

I have honestly felt like my life has turned into a John Denver song; I could quote you so many things from his songs that describe my new reality... but I digress.

After leaving the Pawnee Buttes, resolving to return properly equipped for a great hike, we stopped and had dinner in Fort Morgan.

We opted to take the scenic drive west home instead of highway the whole time. And boy, oh boy, what a drive it was.

In the song "Rocky Mountain High", John Denver says this: The Colorado Rocky Mountain high, I've seen it raining fire in the sky...

Well, if these sunset photos didn't show exactly that, I don't know what would. It had been a drizzly sort of day, so as we drove into the sunset, there were clouds in the sky with the light burning through. I have to tell you, it was an awe-inspiring sight. I know the photos at this size don't do it justice, but if you can view them larger, you might see what I mean. Especially the bottom photo. I am planning to enlarge this for our wall- it really looked like fire.

And now I know what John Denver meant. In more ways than one.

p.s. I will post the rest of the photos in an album on Webshots and my fb page