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Acoustic Project

I’ve been in the studio playing and recording some acoustic originals.

This is the accumulation of the past year’s playing out at open mics, writing lyrics, composing music, and honing each song. There’s still some work to do before the tracks are ready to master and distribute, but I am and I will be adding tracks up on SoundCloud to preview.

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Donations and Charities

Hi everyone,

This year I’m not able to contribute as I have in the past to the charities I usually support.

I wanted to talk about tithing, which I take pretty seriously. I usually donate 10% of my income, and then at the end of the year donate 10% of my assets, should I have any. When I worked corporate, and even after I left and cashed out my retirement, that actually came out to a good amount in donations.

Sometimes people have asked me where I put my donations.

First, I divide the amount to be donated by 3 – Local, National, International.

Then I pick 1-3 top charities in each category to donate too. Because I’ve moved around a lot, my local donations sometimes go to places I used to live. So, here are some of the charities I care about and have contributed to over the years. Please consider a donation to any, or some, or all of these great places.

Local

High Horses

Vermont – This is a therapeutic riding center. My horse Buddy was donated there prior to my leaving Vermont and he worked there with clients until he retired. They do fantastic work, and could use your support.

Safeline

Vermont – Safeline works to end physical, emotional and sexual violence against women and children through direct service, education, advocacy and social change. 

First Step

Ohio – URGENT – Since 1985, First Step has faithfully provided safety, shelter and services to victims of domestic violence in Sandusky, Seneca, Wood and Wyandot counties. It is the ONLY emergency shelter serving the Sandusky, Seneca and Wyandot areas. First Step is in urgent need of funding to continue operating in Ohio.

Chopin Hall    

Ohio – For 37 years CHOPIN Hall has been on the front lines of getting food into the hands of people in-need in our community.  Our faith-based volunteer-driven organization is able to leverage every dollar donated into many pounds of food.  – They also help with clothes, diapers, furniture, and have a resale shop to help offset costs and provide low cost goods to the community.-

COA

Wisconsin – COA Youth & Family Centers nurtures children, supports families, and builds strong and resilient communities — one child, one family, one community at a time. COA’s programs are designed to meet the needs of Amani, Riverwest, and Harambee families through the advancement of our three core areas of focus: early educationyouth development, and community development.

African American Roundtable

Wisconsin – The African-American Roundtable (AART) is an assembly of partners led by and serving Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s Black community. AART exists to empower and organize our community to transform policies so that Black people can thrive and live at their greatest potential

Community Kitchen

Indiana – At Community Kitchen, our mission is to work alone and in collaboration with others TO ELIMINATE HUNGER in Monroe County and surrounding areas through direct service, education and advocacy. – They were on my list for this year’s donations. –

Middle Way House

Indiana – At Middle Way House, we work to support all survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking and educate the community through outreach and prevention programs.

National

Black Women’s Blueprint

Our mission is to provide services and spaces for healing, reconciliation and human connection with the natural world. Working with land, we bring people together to design and practice strategies for healing, health and reparative economics. ​

Semper Fi

Semper Fi & America’s Fund cares for our nation’s critically wounded, ill, and injured service members, veterans, and military families. Supporting all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, we provide one-on-one case management, connection, and lifetime support. Today. Tomorrow. Together.

Mission 22

Mission 22 provides support to Veterans and their families when they need it most: right now. Through a comprehensive approach of outreach, events, and programs, we’re promoting long-term wellness and sustainable growth.

Guitars 4 Vets

Nearly one million of our Military Veterans are afflicted with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In fact, more soldiers have committed suicide since the Vietnam War than have died in actual battle. But many are finding hope in an unlikely place: behind the wood and strings of an acoustic guitar. The healing power of music helps soldiers cope. That’s why we provide Veterans with guitars and a forum to learn how to play. But we can’t do it without your help. Please read on to learn more about the program and how you can help those who served rediscover their joy through the power of music.

Center for Anti-Racism (I am a founding donor for this organization)

The Boston University Center for Antiracist Research represents a collaborative research and education effort across multiple disciplines to build a world where racial equity and social justice prevail.

International

UN-WRA Decades of support – I assume my ex-husband is still supporting them enough for the both of us – and am including them here because please don’t let the plight of Palestinians be forgotten nor neglected.

UNRWA USA lifts up the voices, experiences, and humanity of Palestine refugees to secure American support for resources essential to every human being, for the promise of a better life.

Doctors Without Borders Decades of Support.

Every day, Doctors Without Borders teams deliver emergency medical aid to people in crisis, with humanitarian projects in more than 70 countries.

Habitat for Humanity On and off support over decades sometimes local and sometimes national

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that helps families build and improve places to call home. We believe affordable housing plays a critical role in strong and stable communities.

I use Charity Navigator to check the accountability of most organizations.

Please consider giving this year.

Thank you.

orange lifebuoy in case
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Updates

Some exciting things have been unfolding, which is why I haven’t been posting much.

My friend and collaborator, Rosalie Robison, came for a week’s visit and we worked on updating some songs off of the Patchwork Blue album, and on three new songs for an upcoming EP! I have been working hard to build upon the basic structure of these three songs.

I found a blank art wall at a local library branch and hung 10 art pieces there where they will hang in public view through the first of January!

I ordered some business cards, and post cards for a book signing I started to organize which has turned into a sort of poetry reading thing called The Word Garden, and I’m not sure what that’s going to end up being like, but I’m really hoping it’s not just me sitting in a room reading poetry aloud to myself while sadly strumming a guitar.

I just sold another book on Amazon today, so that’s very encouraging!!

I’ve been doing odd jobs here and there to try and make ends meet while avoiding taking a real job, but I may have to try and get some seasonal work to make it through the next few months. This is frustrating when I feel so close to being able to generate some income from the projects and creative works, but it is a common obstacle when building presence and generating sales on several fronts.

I voted.

I’ve played some open mics.

I’ve written a new single I’m very excited about and trying to finish up the production of that.

November is here and it’s a historically difficult month. This is why I hung my paintings to share out there in the world. Maybe someone else who is having a rough month or two through the holidays will gain some comfort from them. I was surprised how sad I became when I went to leave the library after having hung the paintings on the wall.

Thank you for reading.

Hope your November has some moments of joy and peace.

Appreciate you!

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Update: Falling into Autumn

Last weekend, I had the privilege of working with a sound crew for the Southern Indiana Blues Festival in Bean Blossom, Indiana. Held at the Bill Monroe Music Park and Campground, there were two stages surrounded by beautiful wooded areas with a small lake nestled in the holler between the hills.

I camped for the first time ever – luckily there were vendors there with fair food, but I was able to make a good strong pot of coffee every morning. I got to meet musicians from all over, and I learned a lot about sound. And physics. And metaphysics, because at the junction of audio frequencies, spirit, and music there is a space, an elevation, a connection that brings people to their feet, dancing and moving in time together. What is this?

Also, some other things have clarified for me, such as where will I be living, which is a tough question to have hanging about in the air. I am staying put for now, and with that decision came a small list of home improvement projects, because where and how you live, at least in part, reflects who you are and who you want to become. I added some solar lights, and some blinds because there’s a time to see and a time to refrain from seeing.

Or something.

I have some upcoming decisions to make as well which are of no small significance, some writing to do – pulled out a big project and dusted it off – some practice to make music better and keep improving, and the regular food prep, cash hustle, and where did I put the joy activities.

And naps. Lots of naps to help process the changes within and without.

Art has taken a bit of a breather, but there are pieces available in the Magic Art Shop – see link in header/menu, and prints of some of the artwork available on RedBubble – see the link in the sidebar/bottom of screen.

Hope everyone is doing well as we fall out of summer into autumn. May we land gently on piles of leaves with no hidden branches or garden implements. Apple cider and pumpkin lattes will battle it out every crisp day, whether it be the bright sunny days chilled or the damp, grey-skied rain soaked days biting, they will contend and vie for your taste buds until winter descends and hot cocoa triumphs.

A toast to the quest of the falling leaves and baring branches.

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On Remote Location. Back Soon

I’ve been caretaking a property, so apologies for the lack of regular posts.

Am rethinking how I use this space as well…might make it more of a weekly endeavor rather than shooting for daily.

I played open mics 5/7 days – hit all of the ones in town, so that was fun.

I’ve been out in the wilderness surrounded by plants, pets, and wildlife. It’s been rejuvenating as well as work. 🙂

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Freshly Brewed and an Update

Freshly brewed is now available on Amazon as a Kindle eBook, and paperback.

Free Kindle give-away is from June 14th to June 18th.

I received 10 paperback copies on Sunday. I just stared at them, flipped through one, snapped a photo, and got on with my day.

Such a feat to finish, with times where the manuscript sat there without a thought, then once I had decided to go ahead and publish through Amazon, which I agonized over – weighing options and considering myself, the book, the company, and looking at choices other self-published authors had made.

It feels good to have it out here. Reader feedback has been extremely positive, and I’m excited to share it with a small part of the world.

I’ve had some thing happening – a case of Covid, which hit me pretty hard even though I’d been vaccinated and boosted (3 doses). After that, my ear was clogged up like constant water jostling in my ear every time I moved my head, and it was hard to write, difficult to concentrate, and a challenge to accomplish any work at all. I made an appointment with an ENT and, of course, the symptoms began to clear, but I kept the appointment just in case there was a greater issue and to confirm there was no issue. I had that appointment today.

In addition to all of that, my car has been almost cutting out while I’m driving, and I took it into the shop before I took a trip to visit family. It died once on the way there, but started right back up. Now, I have another appointment to have it looked at yet again, and I believe I asked them to ‘actually look at the problem this time, because anyone who drives it will know there is a problem with the car.’ That’s what you get when you return my afternoon phone call at 8am the next morning before I’ve had coffee, I guess.

In the original appointment they said the diagnostics said there wasn’t a problem with the system, and to bring it back if the warning lights came back on. The warning lights were still on when I picked it up at the end of the day, and they’ve advised me of $1800 worth of work that they say needs immediate attention, which I am taking with a grain of salt until the do right by the original complaint.

I need to find a job since I quit my part time job due to reasons I won’t get into here, but that situation cost me $3000 to fix, and I couldn’t go to claims court for reasons I also won’t get into. This situation has made my financial situation precarious, and I’ve waited to find work until my car gets fixed so that I have reliable transportation.

My hope is to be able to keep writing, and making art, and writing songs, and playing music, but it looks like I will be looking for full time work with benefits, and possible relocation, which is all pretty big change in direction. I am grateful for every moment I have been able to work towards dreams, and it’s difficult to change gears, but I believe my ability to adapt and make a way for myself in this world.

Thank you all for your support through this past year.

May your coffee always be hot unless you like it cold.

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Taking Some Time

I’ll be taking some personal time

Some days off

Some days away

Relaxing and recuperating

Exploring and adventuring

At least a week and maybe two

So the poems may get written

In a notebook or my phone

For sharing at a later date

Thank you for reading

For being here

I look forward to catching up

When I return

person lying on hammock between trees at daytime
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