Texas, Texas in the summertime

i was in texas last week playing a few shows. the weather was a dream. wildflowers following you everywhere you went. saw my good friends cary cooper and tom prasada-rao in dallas. played paul barker's house show in austin and was surprised by a few friends who had driven so far to be there. i even got to play a sunday fireside to 200 kids and have a chance to share my story. got to visit my lovely family who lives in austin. and did i tell you that i am making a short film about the making of this album and what my life looks like? well, i am. my amazingly talented friend jed wells flew to austin to take some awesome footage. if you want a copy of this dvd...just pre-order the album here!

being in texas makes me think of kerrville.

last year i was a finalist in the kerrville folk festival newfolk contest
i had dreamed of being part of that festival since i was in 8th grade.
my grandparents live near kerrville on the guadelupe river.my family
spent part of our summers on that river. staying up late. falling in love.
going to rodeos. fishing. swimming. and singing. always singing and guitars.

my cousin fran and my sister kate and i would lead the family in singing cover songs late into the night. brown eyed girl. closer to fine. helplessly hoping. angel from montgomery. the nightly sing alongs fueled the fire in my heart. they made me feel a kind of joy you can't take too lightly in this life. the way i felt on the guadelupe river, singing good songs with the harmony of my family filling in the gaps, i remember that i wanted to feel that again. honestly, i feel more joy in singing good songs with people i care about, than i feel in most other areas of my life. i take that joy seriously. i want more of it. to me it feels like a confirmation of what i am supposed to be doing on this earth.

we are entering the summer months again. we are entering the season where on the guadelupe river a 12 year old can feel a hint of a really big dream and believe that someday it will come true.

so did i tell you that i am going to england and scotland? yep, it's true, i leave tomorrow.
not a music trip, but i plan to be inspired while visiting the lake district where many writers have been inspired...
including william wordsworth who wrote 'i wondered lonely as a cloud...'
and beatrix potter had the her charming books take place in the lake district...



xoxo,

s