One Hour

"Dude, suckin' at something is the first step to being sorta good at something"

A timely quote for me as I've started guitar lessons and at the moment it's not pretty.  It's something I've always wanted to do, and I've had a couple of false starts but I'm now determined to learn to play something that my husband recognises!

I love music but I have no idea how to read music.  How it's all put together. I'm starting at the very basics, learning about music notation, tablature, and how to hold the guitar as if I know what I'm doing.

My music teacher is very patient, and doesn't flinch when I play a twangy note. I have such a deep appreciation for those who can play the guitar, because really, it's not easy.  I'm left handed so I get the strings mixed up and my hands are small so it's hard to get those chords right.......I really should stop making excuses and just go with it!

I'm doing ok.  I'm improving every lesson.

This one hour every week is all mine, I have no thoughts about my job, or housework or what activities the kids have that day.  I have one hour to focus on me, to concentrate and to learn, and I come away feeling inspired every single time.

And that's a great feeling.

Always the King

On this day 34 years ago, the world lost an icon..my beloved Elvis Presley.

I am not forward in saying he was "my Elvis". I grew up with his music, our family loved him, my mother was crazy for him and my uncle reminds me of him!

My childhood was filled with family get togethers, where my cousins and I would be sent to bed (where we proceeded to have pillow fights) while the grown ups danced and rocknrolled to his music.

I have such a cool family! I am sure this is why I love music so much.

Elvis reminds me of the South, of the musical era and the times of the 50's and 60's which I love, and a time that just feels free.

As an Australian, my obsession with everything American is longstanding, so it wasn't a surprise when my trip to the US incorporated a visit to Graceland, not only for me, but for my Mother.

I remember phoning her from Graceland, allowing her a connection to her Elvis through me. She, and I were thrilled.

He was such a beautiful man, so spiritual, so charismatic....those eyes, those lips. Those cheekbones....

That voice.

His death was such a tragedy, for someone so talented and giving to die so young.

I wanted to share one music video, but how do I choose just one......

How sexy........is this.



And my favourite song..



This. Gives me shivers...

Sir Cliff Richard and The Shadows

I just had the most amazing experience. On Thursday, my mum in law and I travelled to Brisbane to see this show... You may remember I wrote about it here.Sir Cliff Richard and The Shadows were truly amazing. I remember listening to The Shadows when I was little, as they were my dads favourite band. I can still remember Hank Marvins glasses and the fact that they didn't sing. Much.

Thursday nights concert was overwhelmingly good. They did play Wonderful Land and Atlantis, the two songs that we played at dads funeral and I can tell you, the lump in my throat and the tears in my eyes took me back to when I was a child listening to these songs with dad.

The funny thing is, I didn't really know alot about Sir Cliff Richard, only that he was a singer of ballads and I didn't really equate him with The Shadows. BUT now I realise what a rocker he was. He was wonderful. He came on first in a pink jacket, and four more costume changes led him to a gorgeous white suit. He really surprised me.

The Entertainment Centre was sold out, and The Hubbster made several jokes that I would be the youngest person there....he wasn't far off the mark. Remember, these guys are in their late 60's...

The thing I loved about the concert was that they enjoyed themselves, and it showed. After each song, Hank Marvin would throw his head back and laugh, and they smiled and smiled and had a blast. They talked to the audience, joked about their age and their hair colour and interacted with the crowd which made us love them even more.

They have nothing to prove. They are here for a good time. They have done the hard yards, and now they reap the awards. They are here to entertain. And they have taken me back to my childhood and to my father and to the memories that are etched in my heart.

Giveaway

Free to good home. Annoying, untrained IPod. Will deliver.

NEED SLEEP

I'm still working on the freakin Ipod so I'm giving up for tonight. I'm tired. Probably to do with the fact I don't meet my bed until well past 11pm most nights.

I imagine myself looking like this:-

But I probably look more like this:-

Boxing Day Random...

1. If only I could figure out how to download songs from my Itunes to Miss D's new Ipod, I would be a happy camper. It's shitting me really. I'm intelligent, I can do things, I filled my Ipod with hundreds of songs (and proceeded to wipe them all - we won't go there) before re-downloading them all again, so I should be able to manage this.

So far, I've added half of my playlist to her Ipod, to which she replies "I don't want THAT crap" on my Ipod.

Miss D wants music by Taylor Swift, Lady Ga Ga *shudder*, Katy Perry, Brandi Carlile (my fav singer) and God forbid Hannah Montana...and perhaps the music from Hairspray. I'll have another try tommorrow, and if all else fails I'll ring my computer savvy brother.

2. This was the 10th Christmas without my Dad and the 1st without my Beagles. Yes, I had moments of despair this week.

3. Tommorrow, I officially give up drinking. There. It's in bold so it is official. I'm just sick of it, my mind and body can do without. Jan 1st I start my health kick again, so it's nadda to alcohol....a healthy and hot bod....here I come!!!

4. I rang about sewing courses and they start in January. So I will learn how to drive a sewing machine and sew a straight line. I suppose not long after that I'll be able to handmake a wedding dress...I'll be that good.

5. I think I solved the ant problem we have had in the kitchen. Pesky little buggers they are. The advice said that the ant population would increase before it decreases. Well, I thought we were being taken over judging by the amount on the bench two days ago. Now if only I could do the same for cane toads and telemarketers.....

Sexy music

I'm thinking there is something seriously sexy about this song..... Just close your eyes and don't watch the video....

coffee and tv

aReva Durchi | MySpace Video

About last night

About last nights concert. It was amazing and excellent. Ian Moss was supported by Wes Carr who was the one I was looking forward to seeing. Wes won Australian Idol last year, and he is brilliant. He was so friendly after the show, signing autographs and I gave him a big hug and he gave me some guitar picks, to help me play better. If I could play guitar like he does, I would be more than happy.

Here's Wes and I, and he gives the best hugs....I thought "I'm there!".

Ian Moss, well couldn't HE play guitar! It brought home to me once again, how much I enjoy live music, remembering that I am seeing The Shadows play in February 2010.

Here's Ian Moss, from the legendary Aussie band Cold Chisel....and me!!!

Dentist Visit

I have had one of those days today when I have been super excited about something. But to get to this "something" I have had to pay penance first. It's kind of like when you are a child and you can't wait to eat the icecream, but first, you have to eat the brocoli.

The super thing is tonights concert I am going to. And the penance is the dentist. Yes I finally did it. I kept rescheduling my appointment by coming up with the following reasons:-

* hello, I have to reschedule because I have been so stressed about the dentist, that I now have a cold sore.

* hello, my cold sore still hasn't gone, so I will have to reschedule.

* hello, I forgot it was school holidays so I will have to reschedule.

* hello, my husband is working and I need a babysitter, so i will have to reschedule.

* hello, there was an earthquake in Vanuatu, and we are now expecting a Tsunami, so I will have to reschedule.

So today there was no holiday, or cold sore, or Tsunami and I had a babysitter so I went to the appointment. And I have a new dentist and he is awesome and the visit was not so bad afterall.

Instead of the dreaded root canal *shudder* treatment I was going to have, I am now having my problem tooth extracted *fucking shudder* and a tooth implant put in.

So does this mean I will have a bionic tooth able to chew through the toughest of steaks? Noooooooo, but at least I won't have a gap in my palate. It's actually a top tooth along the side, and when I smile you can just see it but as I am kind of vain and don't want a gappy smile, I am having an implant.

Apparently they are all the rage. So my next big issue was whether to have it pulled out in the dentist chair or in hospital. Local or general anesthetic? I had a horrific tooth extraction experience with my wisdom teeth that I just DO NOT WANT TO REVISIT.

I had the bottom two out in hospital, but the first one was extracted in the dentist chair, and I will never forget it. The lovely but possibly psychotic nurse held my head while the dentist pulled my tooth out, not unlike a scene from the movie "Saw".

So you can see my hesitation. But I have decided to brave it and just have it out with the dentist. And if he hurts me, I may well have it out with him for real.

Apparently as well as having the usual local needle to numb my mouth, I can have the laughing gas, so I shouldn't have a care in the world. Great. It sounds like a party.

Writers Workshop

Time again for Mama Kats writers workshop. Great prompts this week, and I have chosen:

4.) Hi, my name is Michelle and I am a wannabe rockstar. I have always been interested in music, how it's made and how it sounds. When The Hubbster and I first started going out, hmm that would be over 20 years ago, we dabbled with the electric guitar. We both had guitars and amps, and took lessons from this ditzy lady who said she was a guitar teacher, but I'm not sure that was the case. As I am left handed, that kinda threw her.

Next I started playing the drums. We bought a huge, noisy drum kit and I took lessons from a guy, who was amazing and who gave me hope and inspiration. I remember sitting at the practice drum kit, while he sat next to me at his, fascinated by how he did those drum solos, just like the professionals. He was great. My drum playing came in handy at my hens party, when full to my eyelids on malibu and coke, I performed amazing drum solos, missing several important sections of the routine. Actually I missed hitting the drums several times. Funnily enough, no one noticed.

When the children were born, we sold the drum kit, as it was just too damn noisy. Which brings me to my latest adventure. Last year I had the pleasure of seeing Brandi Carlile in concert. You can read about my exploits here. She was so amazing and talented, I immediately wanted to learn guitar, again, properly this time, not from some nutter like before.

I happened to mention this to my father in law, a few days before my birthday last year. As a fellow music buff, who plays several different instruments, he most promptly went to down to his local music store and arranged for me to collect a brand new guitar.


Here is my Martinez acoustic/electric left handed cutaway guitar. I instantly fell in love with it, caressed it, kissed it and vowed to play it everyday. I decided against lessons as the internet has some great guitar how to's for the beginner. I started off well, learning some chords and managing to play a couple of tunes. My fingers formed calluses, and I was well on the way to being a wannabe rockstar.


Oh here I am, pretending to know how to play the guitar whilst thinking "how the hell do I play this thing?"

One day I played a song for The Hubbster, to which he responded with "I have no idea what you are playing". My goal in life was to play a song that he could recognise. It was "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison, for God's sake!

We moved to our farm, 10 months ago and my black guitar was stored away with the rest of our things. I have only this week brought it out, dusted it off and tuned it up. Which was tough in itself. I am now back to the beginning, relearning chords, toughing up my fingertips, and hoping like hell my guitar playing doesn't sound like a screeching cat. And my goal is still to play something that The Hubbster recognises. And to perform on Australian Idol. *joke*.

The Shadows

Oh you will laugh at me and I don't care. No I don't. Because next February, I will be grooving along to..... wait..... wait...... wait for it.......

This is really really special to me because my late dad was a huge fan of The Shadows. I would say they were his favourite band. I remember when I was little, dad used to play records of The Shadows and I can remember Hank Marvin and his distinctive glasses, and the guitar sounds. Dad never got to see them play, and now I will. And that makes me sad.

Dad passed away 10 years ago this October, and at his funeral I arranged to have two songs by The Shadows played. He would have jacked up for sure if I had organ music playing, so I chose the songs Wonderful Land and Atlantis. We had one of these songs playing as the funeral started and one at the end when everyone was walking out. I will never, ever forget how I felt this day, and how the music affected me. I will always connect these songs to my dad.

I haven't listened to these two songs since my dads funeral, nearly 10 years ago. I just can't. They bring back too many painful memories. So what did I just do? I decided to get on youtube and listen to them both. Surely I won't get upset after 10 years?

I am now a sad blubbering mess and I feel a physical pain in my heart because:

1 I just watched the music videos to Wonderful Land and Atlantis.

2 They directly take me back to my dads funeral and how I realised that he was gone.

3 It is that time of the month so I am a hormonal witch anyway

4 I now realise that it would have been such a dream of my dads to see this band, and he never got the chance. But now I will.

5 I wish he was here so I could call him and tell him that I have tickets. Well if he WAS here, he would be coming with me. God I miss him.

I suppose I may be a bit emotional during these songs at the concert. I already know I will be. So to calm my nerves, I present for you, and for my dad, The Shadows - Wonderful Land.

I am super excited to be able to see them play live, and along with Cliff Richard, who I am not really a fan, but The Hubbsters mum is, who is coming along with me. We have good seats too. We will fit in some shopping and lunching and it will be fun.

The Shadows - part of my dads world and now part of mine.