I PAD. I still struggle with it. WHY? I think the reason may be, I cannot see the screen in the bright sunlight and most times I touch the WRONG button on the screen... drives me crazy some days.
I did not bring my trust worthy old Kodak Digital camera to NZ this year. Why would I if the I PAD has a camera, my cell phone has a camera?
Well, my Vodafone does NOT have a camera. The phone works great, but it does not have many bells, whistles. Main thing: your getting a glimpse of summer from under your toes Feb. 2013.
Talk about summer... there are some great old photos posted on my http://www.brentjohnston.info/ of the quartet when we were playing the MUSIC UNDER THE STARS every Sunday evening from July into August. The six Sunday evenings were magical nights full of moonlight, stars, pine song and laughter.
I will forever love making music with my best friends and seeing people dancing, and mind you some of the couples dancing were amazing! I should have called the talent scouts for DANCING WITH THE STARS!
Lots of nice people simply relaxing in their seats tapping their hands and feet to the beat of the music and some people actually sang the words to many of the songs!
Everything within our life has it's time and season. The years of the MUSIC UNDER THE STARS ended when I simply could not do it any longer. Cooking over a 100 Sunday Brunch meals, then setting up for the concert... then putting energy into a performance and cleaning up after the event it was all so good until my body decided to put the brakes on the entire act.
I had no idea I had cancer... I've learned a big lesson in life: NO MATTER WHAT YOU MAY THINK: YOUR SPACE SUIT WILL DICTATE WHEN, HOW, IF YOU DO CERTAIN THINGS!
Every season always ignites memories of things past. Summer. The years I lived for the summer camping events. The times I spent camping out along the shores of the Great Salt Lake. The summer I spent at Manhattan Beach in California with a person I was madly in love with at the time! The summer I planted a garden beyond belief. The summer I attended the Teton Music Festival in JH WY not ever imagining I would be living there one day! The summers I spent on Antelope Island hiking from the east shore line over the peak to the western shore line...
Years ago I was the musical arranger and director for Ricky Tanner. We had been blest with great success with his first album... A RIVER OF SONG... decided to make a Christmas Album. We did it at Bonneville Recording Studios in SLC, UT in JULY. I would spend all day in the recording studio playing, mixing, splicing, making dramatic changes here and there... walk out of the studio into brilliant hot sunshine at 8 PM... get this: I had been working on Silent Night, Winter Wonderland, Jingle Bells... WHAT? It worked I love this recording. Thousands of people still play it over and over. You can find it on line: RICKY TANNER...
I am effected in summer by the month of July. Most of my dearest friends have died in July.
One person that is very close and dear to me, my brother was born in July. Another man that I adore was born in July yet, I always suffer great loss in July. I thank my lucky stars I have to work my guts out in July! It is the peak of my season at Brenthoven's, The Nordic Inn. We are busy then.
I have proven that WORK can help heal many problems. At times when I become anxious or depressed: I get to work. Do something that needs attending to and if not that then get out and WALK. DON'T TALK just WALK... I always feel good after I get to work or take the big walk.
In about a week we have family coming over all the way from NY and WASHINGTON STATE!
It will be joyous because summer will still be with us. When we return to the states the end of April, autumn and winter are entwined in a most interesting adventure here in NZ. You can wake up to snow. You can wake up to rain. You can awaken to gorgeous autumn light and hot days... just like the northern hemisphere.
I have to get up stairs. I have a meat loaf and scallop potatoes in the oven! I know, we should be eating a salad because it is summer, but comfort food does work. We all need a bit of comfort so after dinner I will watch a favorite movie... read until I drift into dream land and thank the heavens I am where I am and that I well. Summer is heavenly beyond imagination for me...
