guitar

I love my guitar. It is from my dear friends, Mark and Mendy Howe. It has a fantastic sound and feels so comfy in my hands. I am wearing off my finger board and my strings need a change, but it may be my best friend. I lay in bed at night and think about going downstairs to play it. I practice chords and make up little songs that I always forget by morning. I am toying with the idea of keeping it by the bed. Not sure how well that will go over with D. (Not that I could hear myself playing over the sounds of his snores. love you, D)

I remember when I first learned to play. I was living in Bloomington, In with my college roomates ( hi roomies!). It was Thanksgiving and we decided to do a turkey dinner. We had over some neighbor guys to eat and one played guitar. He taught me a "D" chord and how to read a chord chart and I was sold. I knew right then that the guitar was MY instrument. I had played lots of others... violin as a child, Piano for 7 years, clarinet in middle school, basson in orchestra, Mellophone in marching band, trumpet in pep band etc,... but this was different. I started accompaning myself singing campfire type songs and couldn't put it down. I had found my instrument.

I did have a dry spell. After getting pregnant in 1998, I didnt have much to sing about at first and then after I had my precious M, I didn't have time. In Colorado, I did well just to spend time with her and pay the bills. It wasn't until I took the job at the Arts school that I began to play every day again in my spanish/music classroom. I got so much better with all the practice. I learned some new stuff and started giving lessons. It was great. I felt I had my "song" back. I guitared all through my pregnancy with C until the very end when I couldn't reach the neck anymore. Both of my girls love for me to play and sing along.

Playing guitar and singing is the best. I sometimes toy with finding someone to sing with or doing a gig at a coffeeshop or something ( phoebe from "friends"?) But, I am content to sing with classes, my family and friends. I have only written three songs this year, but hope to have some time to write some more. I am thankful to have found the guitar, thankful for God-given talent in music, thankful to my mom for exposing me to music from childhood, thankful to Dane for letting me share it with our family. Melodie...music... yea I guess it is only fitting.