Gloria's Glorious Day Out. . .

On the second to last day of school at the beginning of June, I was back in the running for Mother of the Year.  We took Gloria and her friends up to Lucky Peak for an afternoon of frolicking in the water.  It was a lovely afternoon and I'm glad we made the time to do it at a time that wasn't the least bit convenient.  This is the good stuff. . .

 

 

 

 

 

Miss. Won't Miss.

So. . . rumor has it that I might be unemployed on October 1st.  By choice.  If you've read my blog since 2007, this probably won't surprise you.  This business is a lot of hard work.  A lot.  And I'm not getting any younger.  And my kids aren't getting any younger.  And I would like my life to revolve around something other than this business.  If anyone is reading this, I can hear you say, "You're just now figuring this out???"  I'm a little slow on the uptake. 

So I've decided to do a series of posts called, "Miss / Won't Miss" as part of my process of letting go.  There are obviously things I will miss about this industry that I've been a part of for 10 plus years.  And there are plenty of things that I will NOT miss.  This should be interesting. . .


I will miss these girls.  They are my favorites.  Plus this event was at a sweet little winery on a beautiful day in May and I didn't have to contribute much.  Plenty to miss about this:

What I will NOT miss is working with "Big Names" for small pay.  Even when the pay isn't small, it's just a very stressful thing (to me) to jump through all the hoops and then feel responsible to all of the people who pay big bucks to come and see a perfect show.  The pressure is REAL! 

 

This is Suzy Bog**uss.  (Her name is not a swear word, this just keeps Google from finding me!).  She was lovely to work with, the room is very familiar since we helped design it, and, all in all, it was a successful evening.  But I will not miss working with Nashville Recording Stars in the least. 

 

 

And, that was helpful!!  And very therapeutic!!  I'll have to do this again for sure!

Gloria's Nose. . .







On Sunday afternoon, I met Gloria and her friend, Dani, and Dani's mom at a Body Art shop in Boise.  The other mom voiced my thoughts:  "I can't decide if I'm a bad mom or a good mom."  I'm going with Good Mom.  It lets me sleep at night. . .

 

 I was impressed with the cleanliness and professionalism we encountered.  Dani volunteered to go first. . .

 It was kind of hard to watch. But I couldn't turn away either!!

 

 

She said it didn't even hurt!!  It gave Gloria false hope. . . 

 

Gloria was nervous but was determined to go through with it. . .  

Dani was there for comfort and encouragement. . .

I think she was trying to decide if I was a good mom or a bad mom. . .

 

Before:



 

After:

Both girls survived and were very happy with the results!!!

It was a busy morning with a church service in the park and an afternoon family picnic so we picked up Megan to keep Gloria company.  I don't know if it was planned or spur of the moment, but the girls decided to go to the mall . . . .

 

To get their ear cartilage pierced. . . .

I'm a good mom.  I'm a good mom.  I'm a good mom.  I'm a good mom.  I'm a good mom.  I'm a good . . .

Promises, Promises. . .

Once again I'm pledging and promising to pay attention to my blog.  This time it might even be for real.  Things are changing, like they always do, only this time the changes are going to be life altering.  And good.  And I have things to look forward to and things to fear but mostly things to remember.  And so I'll spend the next few weeks posting pictures and memories from the last year that I've neglected that have meant something to me and need to be posted for posterity and then I'll go back to posting a picture every day like I originally planned to 6 or 7 years ago.  I promise.  Maybe. . .

Otis. . .

Shelly got a brand new puppy for her birthday!!  I don't think he was even born yet on her birthday but she got to choose the one she wanted in June.  It took them a week or so to figure out what to call him but I think they chose the perfect name.  This is Otis. . .

And Ethan!!

Cherry Festival 2014 Highlights. . .

This was our 5th year (I think) at the Emmett Cherry Festival.  The organizers have become like family and, other than the set up and the tear down, it's pretty enjoyable.  It takes two days to set up and a long, long day to tear down but the in between stuff is good. 

The first day, Wednesday, Gloria and I had a half hour slot.  Rob played for us and we worked up five songs.  It went ok, all things considered. . .

One of the perks to owning the sound system is getting to use it.  Which, interestingly enough, doesn't happen much. . .

It was lovely getting to sing with Gloria.  She has a beautiful voice and can hear and sing harmonies really well.  I hope this is the first of many, many opportunities to sing together. . .

I love this picture of my two dads. . .

Our fan club was in the audience. . .

After we had our 30 minute slot, Dan Costello and The Fabulous Chancellors took their time slots.  I guess you could say we opened for them  :)  

Dan is one of my very favorite local artists.  He does a rendition of Blackbird that is amazing. 

I've gotten to know the Chancellors really well over the years and they have become friends.  This is Joe, Dave and Jamie. . .

 

Jamie. . .

 

Dave.  Cracks me up. . .



Randy, Ross and Jon. . .

The Fabulous Chancellors!!

Over the course of the week, there were many acts, bands and photos.  I'm just posting the ones that stand out to me.  I made an observation recently (not a judgment) that Rob and I approach events much differently.  I remember the hard work, the occasional tears, the people and the individual moments that strike me as good or not so good.  I think Rob remembers the great light show, the moments when a guitar tone sounded amazing through the speakers and the comments received that assure us over and over that we are professionals who do a great job.  When he looks at event pictures, he's hoping to see the speakers, the lights and the set up.  I'm much more likely to take photos of people. 

This is Mike from the Hoochie Coochie Men.  Great guitar player, very nice man. . . 

 

And this is Ken.  Good friend, plays in many bands, funny and odd (in a good way!) and one of the best musicians around.  I love this photo of him. It tells so much about who he is. . .

Another one of my favorite bands that we've worked with over the years:  The Hoochie Coochie Men!

And these are all of the reasons that I will remember The Cherry Festival fondly. . .

The sweet little dancers with their fancy costumes. . .

 

My sidekick, Staci!

 
My kids have both enjoyed hours of fun and carnival wristbands.  Megan has been with us for most of the years we've been on the event.  Love these girls. . .

And last, but certainly not least, this is Dian.  Chamber President, amazing festival organizer and dear, dear friend. 

The end. . .

Dick's Birthday Celebration. . .