Around the holidays I was frantically trying to get our guest house above my shop transformed from a horrible mess to a safe place for my daughter , so in law and three grandsons ( middle is on the spectrum and a future escape artist ). I was panicking thinking I wouldn’t even have the plumbing finish in time. I finally installed a stereo setup and listened to a playlist of songs for Bosch the tv show. Full of great jazz. It really helped me calm down. A few hours before the arrived from a long drive from Texas to Alabama I put on the Alabama song on repeat and wept until I could do no more. It was their first visit and my first time to see my grandsons other than our FaceTime call on Fridays. There is nothing like great music.
It was great to see you singing with your sister. If a friend of mine hadn’t played at a festival ahead of Shelby, I would never have been curious enough to investigate who she was and then later discover you! Although it might just be that I had seen you on the Transatlantic Sessions. Well I‘ll blame her! 😂❤️
Oh Allison, your words today made me feel emotional. Deep down emotional. No amount of exercise that I faithfully tend to, relieves the fear of being hurt. But like Beethoven (reference to your question re 7 thousand) I do hear the music and understand that I want to lean fully into life. The 5th season where only color remains. And where love is more important than fear, with the help, as you said, of willful blindness. As Nepo wrote, the work of being human.
Your words read like jazz music today. Funny how the 2 coincide. You’re such a tremendous writer. And I appreciate you taking the time and gathering your thoughts to share with us every Sunday.
Thank you for the word of the week. And using it in a sentence. It does help. The picture of JH accompanying the definition helps me to remember it too. Hope you enjoy great weather next weekend & your visit with JH. I’m sure he’s excited to see you ☺️
Your new art is beautiful and I enjoy looking at the intricacies in the piece. The handmade paper you use is very very nice.
I had to look up talisman. I’m sure the S ring holds special spiritual meaning
I read about Shelby’s new manager. I’m sure she’ll hold Shelby safely, and put her best interests first.
As I read Seven Thousand Ways To Listen, I'm hyper-aware that my listening skills need developing. I swim against a cultural tide. My mom is Armenian and Armenians interrupt each other and get louder and louder to make a point. That fosters the bad habit of planning what you're going to say in your head. I'm working on truly listening and not worrying about what I will say. It will take time.
The concert clips were magical and I can’t wait until I see you guys perform together again. I agree with your summation of The Swans and the plodding, muddled last episode. It was more than time to say goodbye, but it was a slick production overall with an excellent cast. Don’t forget to wave hello when you arrive in NYC, hopefully without another travel horror story!
Allison, you should make your Autotelic into a book. I'm always deeply moved by your Sunday Lists. And your Q &A this week is excellent. I agree on Nepo, to where I am unable to get very far into it, because I'm savoring and processing it. It's so good. What you said in this entry brought tears to my eyes, as you described so well what I'm feeling, too. Painful and beautiful. Working myself out of pain, getting past the fear. Those "reels" of you and Ashley singing with Shelby blew me away, and I can't wait to hear more. I love her soul. And your painting is a story, like a Native American totem, in your own way, a chakra, with colors of earth, sky and water. And thank you for the new word, which I didn't know existed, describing one of the great sound pleasures in my life, psithurism. I am happy to learn it. When you wrote of Something to think about, you hit it on the nose, for me, and the last two sentences show how hard you try. I've been trying for years, with all my heart, too. Faith is what holds me together. Thank you.
Whew. I had to think on the Nepo book before commenting. I’m not quite finished, but it is marked up, coffee and tear stained, depending on the day I am reading. As a child of the Bible Belt, I was taught to listen and read with intent. Fortunately I was taught to seek other texts in addition to “the official” for insight and inspiration. I’m so grateful for my parents instilling that.
In one of the earlier chapters of “Listen,” I put a big yellow circle around the story of William Edmundson and “the improbable path of yes”
I’m learning to listen, and also to speak “yes” more often.
I’m also loving Lyn Slater’s “How to be Old” this week. When people see the jacket and title they either smile or grimace. It’s a conversation starter!
I also love reading and writing with jazz on the radio or turntable. My first high school crush was the trombone player in our jazz ensemble. I think he’s now a producer and studio person in Nashville.
He was a “yes” guy ;)
This group has such wonderful insight. Thanks for allowing us to be your chorus every week.
Around the holidays I was frantically trying to get our guest house above my shop transformed from a horrible mess to a safe place for my daughter , so in law and three grandsons ( middle is on the spectrum and a future escape artist ). I was panicking thinking I wouldn’t even have the plumbing finish in time. I finally installed a stereo setup and listened to a playlist of songs for Bosch the tv show. Full of great jazz. It really helped me calm down. A few hours before the arrived from a long drive from Texas to Alabama I put on the Alabama song on repeat and wept until I could do no more. It was their first visit and my first time to see my grandsons other than our FaceTime call on Fridays. There is nothing like great music.
It was great to see you singing with your sister. If a friend of mine hadn’t played at a festival ahead of Shelby, I would never have been curious enough to investigate who she was and then later discover you! Although it might just be that I had seen you on the Transatlantic Sessions. Well I‘ll blame her! 😂❤️
Oh Allison, your words today made me feel emotional. Deep down emotional. No amount of exercise that I faithfully tend to, relieves the fear of being hurt. But like Beethoven (reference to your question re 7 thousand) I do hear the music and understand that I want to lean fully into life. The 5th season where only color remains. And where love is more important than fear, with the help, as you said, of willful blindness. As Nepo wrote, the work of being human.
Your words read like jazz music today. Funny how the 2 coincide. You’re such a tremendous writer. And I appreciate you taking the time and gathering your thoughts to share with us every Sunday.
Thank you for the word of the week. And using it in a sentence. It does help. The picture of JH accompanying the definition helps me to remember it too. Hope you enjoy great weather next weekend & your visit with JH. I’m sure he’s excited to see you ☺️
Your new art is beautiful and I enjoy looking at the intricacies in the piece. The handmade paper you use is very very nice.
I had to look up talisman. I’m sure the S ring holds special spiritual meaning
I read about Shelby’s new manager. I’m sure she’ll hold Shelby safely, and put her best interests first.
Have a safe trip to NY.
xo 🌸
As I read Seven Thousand Ways To Listen, I'm hyper-aware that my listening skills need developing. I swim against a cultural tide. My mom is Armenian and Armenians interrupt each other and get louder and louder to make a point. That fosters the bad habit of planning what you're going to say in your head. I'm working on truly listening and not worrying about what I will say. It will take time.
The concert clips were magical and I can’t wait until I see you guys perform together again. I agree with your summation of The Swans and the plodding, muddled last episode. It was more than time to say goodbye, but it was a slick production overall with an excellent cast. Don’t forget to wave hello when you arrive in NYC, hopefully without another travel horror story!
I so enjoy your thoughts and musings. Thanks for sharing with us. Do you know about The Sun Magazine? It has you written all over it.
https://thesunmagazine.org
Cheers!
Deborah B. Franklin, TN
I was just pondering the same thoughts on my walk tonight.
Allison, you should make your Autotelic into a book. I'm always deeply moved by your Sunday Lists. And your Q &A this week is excellent. I agree on Nepo, to where I am unable to get very far into it, because I'm savoring and processing it. It's so good. What you said in this entry brought tears to my eyes, as you described so well what I'm feeling, too. Painful and beautiful. Working myself out of pain, getting past the fear. Those "reels" of you and Ashley singing with Shelby blew me away, and I can't wait to hear more. I love her soul. And your painting is a story, like a Native American totem, in your own way, a chakra, with colors of earth, sky and water. And thank you for the new word, which I didn't know existed, describing one of the great sound pleasures in my life, psithurism. I am happy to learn it. When you wrote of Something to think about, you hit it on the nose, for me, and the last two sentences show how hard you try. I've been trying for years, with all my heart, too. Faith is what holds me together. Thank you.
Whew. I had to think on the Nepo book before commenting. I’m not quite finished, but it is marked up, coffee and tear stained, depending on the day I am reading. As a child of the Bible Belt, I was taught to listen and read with intent. Fortunately I was taught to seek other texts in addition to “the official” for insight and inspiration. I’m so grateful for my parents instilling that.
In one of the earlier chapters of “Listen,” I put a big yellow circle around the story of William Edmundson and “the improbable path of yes”
I’m learning to listen, and also to speak “yes” more often.
I’m also loving Lyn Slater’s “How to be Old” this week. When people see the jacket and title they either smile or grimace. It’s a conversation starter!
I also love reading and writing with jazz on the radio or turntable. My first high school crush was the trombone player in our jazz ensemble. I think he’s now a producer and studio person in Nashville.
He was a “yes” guy ;)
This group has such wonderful insight. Thanks for allowing us to be your chorus every week.