random thoughts on heat and festivals :)

It’s that time of year, folks.  Summer has arrived in a blazing fury here in Tennessee and along with it is festival season.  We don’t get to attend as many as we’d like, but we always, ALWAYS, go to the ones that fall on the first two weekends in July.  Yes, it is hot then, too.  But here’s the deal – everyone who goes wants to be there – so nobody walks around complaining about the heat.  We all just put up with it in order to celebrate the music that we love.

We (Adam and I and sometimes our good buddy, David) usually just go and play under shade trees and watch the people as they mill about, but this year I have decided that I am going to compete.   Something you should know about me right off is that I am not a competitive person.  Never have been.  So the decision to do this is kind of out of my comfort zone, but here’s the deal.

Do you ever do things just because they aren’t typical to your character type?  Things that you wouldn’t normally ever do, but some silly voice in your silly head urges you on until you’re swinging on a rope over the river and hoping the water is deep enough where you land?  That is the voice that is saying to me, “Go on, girl.  You only live once.  Compete in the contest.”  I have decided to say back to myself, “Self, I think I shall.” (I guess I do talk to myself – I’m ok with it, so you should be, too 🙂

One of the themes in my life is “get really good at the things you don’t do well, Malinda”.  So I figure I can at least try it out.  It isn’t that I’m scared – it’s that I’ve never been in the song loop.  The song loop, as I call it, is knowing the popular tunes or the ones that people like to hear.  This is a big deal in the traditional music world.  Sometimes you want to play obscure tunes and sometimes you want to play familiar tunes.  I am never really good at knowing when to play which songs, but I think I have a decent handle on it these days.  I’ve been researching for years now (along with the Lovin’ Husband) and I know them.  Not all of them, but a good deal of them.  I know them and I can play them.  Furthermore, I think I play them pretty dang well.  I want to see if other people think so too.  So this is my goal for the summer.  Compete twice – see how it goes.

If you’ve never been to an old time/bluegrass festival, you should definitely go.  They’re too much fun.  The heat isn’t really so bad.  You kind of forget about it once you get lost in the music and the atmosphere.

bright, shiny day

Today is a bright, shiny day.  The Tennessee kind of hot that makes you not want to think about what August brings when it is only June.

It’s the kind of day that strikes memories of other bright, shiny, June days.

I’m inside looking out right now and enjoying being in a cool, quiet house and thinking about gardening and enjoying the outside once the day begins to lose it’s heat.  I have some basil to transplant and beds to weed.  There are dogs to play with and instruments to sit on the porch and play.

And flowers to admire…

It is a good day.  I’m thankful to have it all to myself.

 

part of me

There is a part of me that lives in the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina – I feel complete in a strange way when I get to head toward the Smokies – like I’m all put together again.  I can’t quite describe the feeling that I get when they stand tall around me as if to tell me to draw strength from them, but I always try.  Today I am not going to try.  I am just going to say that the mountains make me feel wistful.  They make me want to stand as still as I can for as long as I can and imprint the image of the quilted landscape on my soul.

 

rosemary and frozen chicken (not for supper, though)

This is the poor rosemary plant that I bought this summer.  I have another one down in the garden, but I firmly believe that you can never have too much rosemary growing on your property.  My thinking was – well winter in Tennessee is mild most of the time.  This little guy’ll get goin’ and then if we have prolonged cold weather, he’ll be big enough to handle it.  That is what I get for thinking.  🙂  Soooo – we’ll see if he makes it.  As of right now,  the poor plant is cold.  And brownish – this is never good.  Sure does make a pretty picture all covered in snow, though.

We’ve had this bale of straw out front for a long time.  I’m talkin since mid August.  Adam initially got it for the chickens and BoJangles liked it so much that we just left it there.  Bo sleeps on it while he is outside (which is most of the time).  It doesn’t really look classy, but I’m going for hobby farm-chic anyway – one thing my yard will never be is classy – aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand I like it that way.  🙂

Cold chicken – frozen chicken, really, but  not the kind you eat.  It has been super dark even in the days because of the weather and we haven’t seen an egg in a while.  See how puffed up they are?  They expend a lot of energy just keeping warm.  Right now they are on a full scholarship and not contributing a dang thing, but we are looking forward to longer days and warmer weather so that we will have fresh eggs again…

This concludes the somewhat random and silly tour of my yard.  I didn’t start out with that intent, but it sure did end up that way.  It must be because I haven’t had my coffee yet.  I’m running late.  After four snow days, I’m spoiled and lazy.  Registration for school is today and I’m draggin my feet.  I still don’t care to drive on my icy, curvy back road, but at the same time I’m looking forward to being out and about.  I shall just do it carefully.  🙂

Have a happy day!!