my thank you post from facebook...

i love the internet, even facebook ;) because when have we ever been able to so easily wish people happy birthday or any other sweet message we might want to send.

i just went through and liked all my fb happy birthdays, i hadn't planned to do that. i was just going to do this single thank you. but then i noticed there were so many that i hadn't even seen because of the way fb does notifications now all lumped together. so i went through them all, one by one. and it was wonderful. i think there were at last 40 that i didn't see yesterday. wow.

i love that i got wishes from people living right here in my house, close friends nearby and from states far away, old friends from high school, people in the unschooling community all over the world that i've never met and those that i have but rarely see, people i have become friends with online because of mutual interests (usually music) and on other social media sites (like tumblr), and from musicians that i admire from nearby and in other parts of the world whose music i adore.

never has there been a time when that could happen so quickly and effortlessly. some people might say that because it's so easy that it means less than a card in the mail. but i disagree. sure, it doesn't take but a second to wish someone a happy day, but that doesn't make its effect any less significant. they all, every single one, made me smile.

so that is why i will continue to wish people happy birthday on facebook, whether we are family, best friends or even if we aren't super close or don't really know each other...simply because it might just make someone smile.
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AMY STEINBERG

okay, so i haven't blogged in awhile. big surprise. i've got this idea in my head that i need to blog everything in chronological order and so when i get behind...i REALLY get behind!! i don't want to post new stuff because i haven't posted old stuff yet and so it goes. BUT, i've found lately that when doing a facebook status i'm having to delete spaces and exclamation points and WHOLE words to fit in under the 420 word limit. so i'm thinking i probably need to start blogging again just to have space to say all the stuff i want to say. that said, here's a new post!!!

last night, after derby practice, we went to acoustic coffeehouse next door. it was transformed into the church of amy steinberg and we were seriously in need of the gospel according to amy. opening for her was our own teresa robinson! this was her first time playing for a public audience. it was an honor to witness that. she's a tiny girl with a powerful voice that i would've never suspected since she is just so quiet.

when amy took the stage for her soundcheck, i was all ears. i love this woman. she is such an inspiration. her music is soul feeding. and her voice ain't too shabby either. she makes a performance out of her sound check for goodness sakes!!! she moves the audience to participate with singing along and dancing and feeling everything she is putting out there on the stage.

i'm still recovering from the crud we've had around here, so i sat for most of the performance (just doing a little chair dancing) but a few times i was moved to get up and dance. and sing. and shout. i'm sort of paying for it today. but it was totally worth it.

i told amy afterwards that i was thinking about the first time i saw her play. it was almost exactly 3 years ago, at the home of ben and kelly lovejoy. we didn't know anyone there except the jones family we brought with us!! it's amazing to think about that because many of the people that were there that weekend are now some of the most important people in my life. i sat way in the back of the yard that day. last night, i had a front row seat! it felt like she was singing to me all night. of course, it was a small venue so it would've felt that way no matter where i sat. although she did say at one point that she specifically wanted to make love to me...laura bowman...so i'm pretty sure the whole concert was just for my benefit.

we hung out for a little when it was over and helped pick up and pack up. samuel helped up on the stage and i, being the dorky documenting mom i am, had to get a picture...

the kids played with the cool old organ that sits in the back against the wall and said we really needed to get one of those. silas did a little stand up on stage that i didn't know about until he was done because i was talking with amy and ren near the door. i hate that i missed that. and sadie ran around with her posse as usual.

as we were leaving, i could feel the adrenaline rush start to fade and was reminded that i was sick. so after laughing and talking with the kids in the dining room (while scotty was trying to do some homework...oops!) i went to bed and fell asleep with amy's voice in my head...we go round and round and round and round and roooound.

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some of september...

the very first thing i have to say about september 1st was that it was the day we made the final payment on our van!!! almost 2 months early...woo hoo!!!

one of the few pictures taken that day, i think silas took it...

i started quilting my 1st textile piece after i picked up my sewing machine from being repaired...

can't remember what day we saw this, but it was maybe a few days before...this is the caption i put on it for facebook: "we were at earth fare the other day and there was a showing of a local photographer and the kids spotted this in one of his photographs taken at MOTS. it's hard to see in this picture taken with the phone, but there we were in the lower left corner of the picture...on ren's blanket of course!!!"

it was also jake wechgelaer's birthday. but they were in upstate new york at that time and we didn't get to see him until later that month.

sept. 2, woke up around 2:30 and couldn't sleep, mind swirling with ideas of starting a summer camp for unschoolers, so i spent some time doing research and found a lot of information that will be useful. went back to bed...got up later with a desire to work in the garden, planted fall spinach and lettuce...which did not come in at all...i have a lot of work to do on my garden this coming spring...still SO much to learn!! later i scrubbed down the front porch, outside of the house and the windows...nothing like early morning brain storming and then getting a good sleep to really get you going!!

sept. 3, SOFH hang out day at carver!! had to have some pal's fries afterwards too!! getting ready for a fun weekend with friends!!

sept. 4, the traaseths came to town and went to first friday with us. we went to mid city grill for the first time after first friday...it's in the old highlander club location and it's really awesome. we all ordered food and fries and when the fries came...we were blown away by the size of the plate...so much yummy goodness!!!! can't wait to go again sometime...ren blogged about it here. and i'm stealing this picture from there too...starving kids waiting for FOOD!!!!...

sept. 5, hanging out, playing games, talking, laughing, drumming. ONE of my facebook statuses for the day: "last night, i was getting restless standing around so i told everyone i was going to walk down the street. ALL the kids came with. at one point abbi says something like "yeah, all the parents are back there just standing around." totally not sure if that's exactly what she said. but i didn't say a word. just smiled to myself."

sadie and saddi...

rummikub!!!

sept. 6, more of the same...fun love fun love happy happy joy joy...

hanging out on the couch...

hanging out on the porch...

and then they left =( and we vegged out on star trek dvds!!

sept. 7, this was another total veg-out with star trek dvds day!!

sept. 8, finished quilting my first textile...titled it "this woman's work" and went to get a frame for it.

also noticed that the biggest watermelon in my garden had been cut out and taken!! wtf!!??

09/09/09, a very cool date!! finished framing my textile piece early in the morning and then spent the rest of the afternoon on the computer...later, sadie, scotty and i went to michael's where i picked up a couple more frames AND ran into one of my best friends from high school!! then we went to mahoney's to get samuel a new sleeping bag for NBTSC. then to redbox to pick up a movie...earth...which was really beautiful to watch. a facebook status on the following day:

"happy studio this morning. last night, after putting a little more paint on my next textile piece, i was ready to go to bed. then i decided to start another fabric painting (to use up the paint on my palette so it wouldn't be wasted). then i decided to work on a new oil pastel. it feels good to actually have this drive again." hoping to get back to that place again soon. i also framed a large mixed-media piece..."this woman's work, study"

sept. 10, finished the oil pastel figure study...not real happy with the head but never got around to fixing it...still not happy with it...

later, we went to ren's house to hang out and meet taylor and karina's mom, eileen. patti and austin dropped by as well. as usual, there was food and lots of talking and laughing. i wish i had taken some pictures!!

sept. 11, noticed that there are less and less commemorative events for this date. got up early and took the car in for an oil change and did a little shopping for samuel's camp trip, then to kinko's to make some business cards to take to ripper arts gallery in kingsport. later the kids and i went there to drop off my artwork. then we went to the original pal's...to celebrate my first work in a gallery in ages...and had our usual toasted cheese (from the "secret menu") and fries!!

we stopped at the thrift store on the way home and got a 4-piece samsonite luggage set for $3!! samuel had been looking for suit jackets, he found one that he liked and got it. then home to practice body painting while scotty and the kids played a steampunk game online.

facebook status the following day: "thinks that body painting is a lot like cooking a big meal. you spend hours making it and within minutes it's gone!! that was the thought i had as i stepped into the shower last night to wash off my "practice piece" and watched as the water washed over it and all the colors ran down the drain."

sept. 12, woke with thoughts of the illustrations i'm supposed to be working on for ren. i was so inspired...still am...but can't seem to wrap my mind around actually doing what's inside of my head!! that was a messed up sentence!!! went to the library and then spent the rest of the day being nervous about the gallery reception at ripper's...finally we were on our way and i wasn't so nervous anymore. we had a great time, my parents came, and we got to listen to some live music by ghosts in the woods.

talina and michael ripper talking with the band

the kids hanging out and being so amazingly awesome while the reception was going on!!

my dad talking with photographer jeffrey stoner

ghosts in the woods

the kids had fun taking some pictures downtown during the reception. there were some really cool ones they took with the phone camera but i have no idea where they are!!

sept. 13, is a blur up until i went to paint ren's body for a photo shoot and to practice for the body art show in october. it took about 3 hours to do just her back!! i was so hungry when i left...scotty and the kids went and had mexican food while i was painting...waaaa!!!

sept. 14, i finished the quilting on my second textile piece..."calendar girl"

spent the rest of the day getting ready for our big 2 week trip to maryland, new york, and vermont!!

as you can probably see i've added facebook as a way of remembering stuff to my usual checkbook, pictures and calendar. i also thought of something else that would be useful but terribly time consuming...email!! i'm sure there are lots of details in some of my emails...okay...now that i've started rhyming, i know it's time to quit for the day!!

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