hi hi everybody! so i realize my last blog had a little bit of a sad edge to it... i was feeling pretty strange at that point. however, i'm doing much better now! it's hot again (and when i say hot, i mean that if one were to stand in the sun on a metal plate, one would melt like a stick of butter in no time at all). we're in atlanta, just did a show in the park for an absolutely wonderful audience. peachy peaches, i love atlanta. currently a little confused on time.. i played a few songs at a lovely birthday party last night (i think it was last night?) and then hopped on the plane overnight to get here. disoriented, but all is good.
i had the most spectacular dream last night (two nights ago? last night i didn't dream at all, i just . i dreamt i was at some sort of university (a very very old one). i walked through the library and found an old and strange piano. it had two tiers, like an organ, and the keys were in a different order than the typical structure. each key was labeled, and there was an H note. i couldn't play it very well, but i wanted to learn so badly. it sounded heavenly. as i was sitting there, trying to work it out, the camera in my head lifted high to the ceiling (so i was watching myself play) and descended upon a man in a powdered wig with a pen and a piece of paper. he was writing furiously. suddenly, he and i and a few other young people i didn't know were walking across the greenest grass ever and up a hill. the university sprawled out in front of us. this man, who i believe was some incredibly revered composer from another time, like beethoven or mozart, was auditioning us for a show he was putting together. the first girl was a ballet dancer. she was dressed in street clothes but when she danced, she was like a gazelle. this man took me away from the crowd and brought me to a children's cafeteria. all the chairs were very small and it was terribly noisy. there, in front of me, was a child sized piano. he told me to play. i sat down on one of the little chairs and then i woke up. what a nice dream.
i've really been working on beating the blues. positivity is the name of the game. my spirits shift to the melancholic side of things all too easily, so i'm making a conscious effort to think happy thoughts and smile at strangers even more than usual. here are some things that make me happy. listing them makes me happy. what makes you happy?
me-
cranberries and apples in salads (or sandwiches, yummy with turkey)
the sight of a rabbit hopping away in a field, its little tail bopping up and down
walking around any sort of body of water (so calming)
tea dates with friends
whimsical art (odd pieces with birds, squirrels, deer, owls, children's illustrations, etc)
reading a good book on a lawn chair in the (not too roasting) sun
riding my bike!
my sweet little dog, gosh he's cute.. such a pure, open, gorgeous little heart he has.
good movies (i like woody allen films, the older ones, classic films from the 70s and 80s like gregory's girl and pretty in pink, indies, romantic comedies, foreign films, planet earth, etc)
kisses
hugs
laughter
watching babies figure things out
playing music (duh)
listening to good music (currently: belle and sebastian, camera obscura, death cab, bright eyes, ray lamontagne, kings of convenience, the new coldplay, the new sigur ros, the decemberists, johnny cash, the mamas and papas, nick drake, etc.)
fresh flowers
fresh fruit. mangos, papayas, apples (as previously mentioned), apricots, green grapes (oh yes!), honeydew melon... bananas... etc.
watching people rock out in their cars to music, seeing couples in love, watching elderly couples sit together in parks...

if you've got the blues, don't fret, it happens to the best of us. make a list of the things that make you happy, maybe. and then go do some of them.

wishing you joy, love and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,
ali