Journal August 2004

August 31, 2004

Terri Fickel sent us a card from Ohio and told us that the Clearwater house survived the last hurricane. She is encouraging me to write a book so I can support all of us in a life of comfort on the beach. It sounds good to me. I could probably write a story of my life as long as I changed the names to protect the guilty.
I sense the approach of winter already in the shortened days and the brisk mornings. The full moon seemed to wrestle with the overcast sky as I stood on the porch last night. I pondered the future, the past and the night air. I listened to the quiet and thought of how life is a moment, or a series of moments. We get one at a time, lined up end to end until we reach the end. It is amazing how many special moments we get or how few depending on your perspective. Andie once told me on a particularly good day (I believe we were on Lopez Island with the kids) we are making memories. Jumping off rocks into the sound. Snorkeling along the rocky shore. Laughing in the morning sun. Doing improvisational theater "a la Murat." Having tickle festivals. So many special moments. It seems like only a moment ago when all these grown ups were just babies. Moments. Like the song says, "Some of it's magic. Some of it's tragic, but I had a good life all the way." Breathe in and breathe out and try not to miss a moment.

August 30, 2004

There was a good recording session with Mike and Jimmy at Studio 04 last night. Mike is very encouraging to get me finished with the band CD. They both may be doing shows with The Jimmy Wright Band and Jimmy may also sign on for shows with The Penguins. He said they are sounding real good now and don't drink on the job. I think it is cool. Mike has a lot of free time and Jimmy wants to play as much as possible. I wish I had more hours in the day to spend working on the band. It is always a blast when we play together. Mike has his drums sounding world class, big, fat and beautiful. It will be a great CD.

Since Andie and I have come to realize we can't just pack and move to Florida without a better plan, and since there is so much going on here, we have begun the process of home improvement prior to facing another Northwest winter. There is so much to do. It will keep us busy through the fall while we plan our next get away. I hope that will be some time in January. Traveling is my favorite recreation with Andie. We are also going to get some trainer kites to prepare for kite surfing. It is a lovely day in the Northwest today. I saw Chani and she is looking good. She is thinking of going to Alaska for a while since she isn't pleased with the speed of her training at her current place of employment. And so it goes for the Murat's for another day.

August 29, 2004

We had a family meeting today to try to determine if there is a way we can get more life and less work out of our days. We didn't come up with an immediate solution. Andie commented that it is always we need more and more. I guess I came to the conclusion that for the moment enough is enough until I feel more free and clear. The studio has proved to be a sense of frustration because of some of the people I chose to work with. It is all a part of going to the school of life. You make a choice. You get a result. You evaluate and hopefully make a few notes so you don't find yourself repeatedly standing in the same muck and mire if that happens to be the result. Right now I am going to wash my shoes, make some notes and move on.

August 28, 2004

It was another memorable evening at Cafe de Paris. Such wonderful food comes out of that kitchen. I enjoyed the company of Kay and some of her family after I finished my performance, talk about full of life. I got to taste some new dishes since they are used to sharing their food. I got several good marketing tips, like giving away CD's is not a very profitable approach to building a business. Oops. I have begun to reach out more at the Cafe and it is paying off in response. I chose to be invisible for a long time but that doesn't work for me or the people who are dining. I have come to love performing there. Crystal, Collette and Nicole are becoming more comfortable with me and I believe they may have decided I am not that bad to have around. It is truly a fine place to dine if you haven't been, try it. The address and phone number are on my schedule page.

Johnny(Josh) is supposed to come over today and help me with some chores but I haven't heard anything as yet. We have a lot of clean up to do so I can get on with the work of recording my acoustic CD. Yea. Better get to it.

August 27, 2004

Last night I played at a birthday party for Karen, of Karen & Greg, and I met some very special people. I played on the lawn overlooking the Lake in Ballinger. Dark threatening clouds gathered overhead and Karen mentioned she had been praying that it wouldn't rain. I joined her in that prayer. It turned out to be a lovely evening. We were blessed with a beautiful rainbow and the sky cleared and the moon came out and shone down on the lake. Greg called Karen over and they both watched the moon in awe of its beauty. From where I was standing I could see it peeking through the Cedar bows. I had met Greg and Karen at Cafe de Paris last Saturday night when they were having Karen's real birthday dinner. I noticed them when I was playing because of their obvious affection for one another. It made me smile. At the end of the evening they invited me to play at Karen's party and I was honored. It was a gathering of warm hearted people in celebration. Later I told Andie that I realize sometimes what I do best is provide ambiance. It's much different than when I play a concert, but I am just involved with the people, only in a different way. I get a sense of what to play and when to play it from a feeling of connection with the people. It is always good for my heart when people come up and tell me I played something they wanted to hear or that the music added so much to event. I also get the chance to chat with remarkable people. I especially enjoyed talking to Bill and to Karen's sister Charlotte (please pray for her son's safety in Iraq). Music has been God's greatest gift in my life. There was a time when it felt like something other than a gift because I hadn't learned to direct where it took me. Thank God that has changed, and thank God for Andie for helping me learn to use my gift the way that it was intended. Happy birthday Karen and thank you both so much.

August 26, 2004

  Yesterday was a busy day. I had a long session with Bill Spies, lots of editing, I spent about 12 hours on his project this week. It is coming along nicely. I am also excited this morning because I got my first CD order form the website. I will get right on that when I get home. I am looking into setting up PayPal for the CD page. Thank you!
Rob dropped by for a visit and to discuss doing some mixing at Silent T Studios. I got credits on the Flow Motion CD and the Joules CD, that's nice and it constitutes what was paid for their sessions. Thank God for a job and the fact I do all this recording for Love or I would be in trouble. It's all good though. I will be working on my CD from here out with little exception.
  I've gotten a few nice e-mails from Liz's new interest, Andrey. I really enjoy hearing from him and the comments he has made about the web site and music. He is a likable fellow and I am happy for Liz, she is a gem. He is charming, courteous and intelligent: some good things for a father to see in someone who is interested in his daughter.
  Andie was busy painting the living room and kitchen last night while we were having a session. She is the best. I am worried today since she bonked her head while painting the back studio. She said she saw stars. I can't leave her alone for a second. Just kidding. We are doing the purge so can streamline the house and make more room for art and music. It is amazing all the junk one can collect if you stay still long enough. It is fun to thin it out. I am thankful for another day here and another chance to live and thank God for it all, good and bad.

August 25, 2004

What is the balance between work and play? I find myself ready for sleep so many times when I come home. I have so much to do. Last night we were going to track one of my new tunes and I just spaced out around the house. I couldn't really sleep and I wasn't much good for anything else. I did talk to Scott MacGougan and his wife Debbie yesterday. Debbie gave me a phone number to apply for a sales position with Tacoma Guitars in Pullyap. I mentioned that that is a bit of a commute from our house. They both laughed because they are encouraging us to move south to Gig Harbor. Musicians spread from Whidbey Island, Camano Island to Gig Harbor make getting the band together quite a challenge. I have a session tonight with Bill and I will be having Ammishaddai play some flute on another of his songs. I seem able to kick into gear on everyone's music but my own.
I've been thinking about Terri and Randy and how quickly we all fall back into our routines after vacations. I love hearing from Sharon and Clay. It reminds me to pay attention to the other things in life besides duty. It reminds me of the joy of being away from all this day to day and really reveling in life and man do I love to revel.

August 24, 2004

I worked with Sarah mixing her song last night. It was fun. I am looking forward to doing the final mix with her when she gets her multi-layered harmonies complete. She works so hard at improving her life and her art. I am very proud of her.
I feel like I am coming out of a down cycle. I feel more energy and I am getting more excited about recording new songs. Mike is really coming along with Studio 04 and I think we will do a lot of work together: tracking mostly there at Studio 04 and mastering at Silent T. I need to coordinate with Mark Dodge and see what space he has for working on the CD.
Liz is really excited this week as she has gone to a Christian Youth Camp that is in a beautiful home on Whidbey Island. She called just to tell us that they have an elevator to the beach. Camping has come along way since I was a kid.

We are still trying to figure out what is making Andie's tummy hurt. I think we should launch a campaign against Everett General Hospital and a few of the doctors involved with her care, because they did any thing but make it better. Thank you to all the people who have prayed for Andie. She is the greatest and it would sure be nice to have her all better and pain free. When I ask her how she is doing it is always " Fine." May it just be true. We are going to get her kite surfing pretty quick now. Dale is going to teach us how to fly his two hand kite to get us ready. I can hardly wait. I can just picture Andie skating across the sound with the wind in her hair and a big smile on her face. Won't that be grand!
Wish you all well this day and always. Thanks for the visit and God Bless.

August 23, 2004

I remember a time we went rafting on the Snohomish river one hot summer afternoon. I believe it was Liz, Hope, Chani, Josh, Andie and I. At one point the kids lost their oars. They were in a separate inflatable raft. We were in a fairly shallow part of the river but the water was churning rapidly. We were all passing under a low overhanging tree whose branches made a little tunnel. Then the kids yelled in fear because they had dropped their oars. Andie leapt into the water. The water was icy, flowing fast and just above her waist. I don't think I have ever seen anyone move so fast on dry land, much less in water. She cut through that river like a hot knife through butter. Her determination to protect those young people was as fierce as that of a lioness. She caught hold of the raft and held on while I gabbed the oars and paddled up to where she was holding onto their raft. They took their oars from me, Andie climbed back in the raft and off we went again as if nothing had happened. We had a laugh about it later at just how quickly things can change from fun to frightening. I know that Andie never gave a thought for her own safety when she jumped into the river. She thought only of protecting the kids. We were headed towards a much faster section of the river and they would have had no way to steer their raft. The sense of caring she displayed comes from her heart and soul and it's one of the many reasons I love her. In the end, the trip turned out to be another fun adventure (thank you God) and the only thing that was lost was a pair of sun glasses my mother had given to me.

August 22, 2004

While everyone is still sleeping I am listening to the tracks we cut yesterday of Mish playing flute on Bill Spies song Eternal Love. It is very beautiful and nice music to start the day. My "To Do" list did not get done. While I was tracking yesterday I was glancing at a book Andie got me called BE HAPPY DAMMIT. It was funny because there is a section dedicated to an "undo list". You make a list of all the negative thoughts and messages you give yourself and you set out to undo it. An example was rich people are jerks, therefore if I get rich I'll be a jerk. Some of the concepts are so very simple but so on the money.
Today is a rainy Washington day and I have come to love the rain. All my yard work has been curtailed. It is a great day to spend in the studio, but I have got to make a run to the dump, one of my least favorite chores. How can I put that in a be happy context? Gosh, I get to go for a nice country drive this morning and contribute to the household by making room for more garbage. As you can see I have a lot of work to do on the be happy concept. Better get to it.

August 21, 2004

Summer moves on and we have raced through August. It has been a full summer with Mexico, Arizona, Florida travels. We have had some memorable concerts and performances. The household has shifted like the San Andreas Fault. The much coming and going of family has subsided quite a bit. I am looking forward to scheduling sessions for the acoustic album. So I sip this coffee and think of all I have to do. It is tough to kick start this engine. It is so good to be home and the studio is calling, "Come and play with us. Come and play with us!" Maybe I will make a late night of it tonight and have Andie do some engineering. Since Johnny is here I hope to cut some tracks on the acoustic CD and have him play some guitar. This chore list won't stop nagging me so I better get with it. I am trying to lose that old philosophy of "Don't put off until tomorrow what you can put off until the day after."
August 20, 2004

It has been a busy week. I forgot to mention that Dale (Shaker Boy) made the night on Saturday at Provinces. Having the shaker really helps the feel of the Latin flavored tunes. Doug Williams stepped up and talked to the sound people at the Taste of Edmonds and saved our sound for the show. Thanks.

I also got an e-mail reply from Anastasia of Anastasia and John. They are a great musical duo out of California, just click on their names to visit their website. I can picture recording some songs with Jimmy on bass and John Matthews on percussion. I love the simplicity of the arrangements and the fact that the duo nature of the group is what is emphasized: acoustic guitar and vocals.
We have a crisis going on at Studio 04 because I removed a hard drive while the computer was on and we are playing hide and go seek with several songs and tracks. Oops. I felt so bad. We will get it back though.

Now begins the week end and the I shift into guitarist mode. I am barely home before I head out to play at Cafe de Paris. It is a good place to be. It is healing to sit and play instrumentals. Tonight I feel like doing some singing.
My son, Josh is still here. He says he finished a new song last night. I can't wait to hear it. He gets better by the day. I hope I can play like that when I grow up.

Big news is Liz got her drivers license today. They just moved her to the front of the line, put her in the car and she was done: a licensed driver. I met her new friend Andrey yesterday. She asked me what I thought of him. I said he is almost handsome enough for my daughter. She laughed. She met him in her scuba class. He seems like a charming and very ambitious young man. He is articulate and engaging in conversation and he doesn't have a wimpy handshake: all good signs. He appears to be for real although, as a father, I am always looking for the Eddy Haskel behind the behavior. Andie is much less skeptical. For now I will say, so far so good.

August 19, 2004

Ask me a question, I'm awake. At least that is what I tell myself after getting a very few hours of sleep. Johnny Suede showed up at 11 PM last night. That was a surprise. I just talked to his brother Aaron yesterday. Aaron is working construction and has a routine he says he is enjoying. He will head up this way in the fall for a tour down the coast with the Freedom Band. Johnny doesn't know if he will be playing more music with them. They each tell me they are waiting for the other one to be ready. Life is like that some times. We wait. A couple waits for each to see the other's point of view. A child waits for a parent to understand the feelings that they are not expressing. Husbands and wives wait expectantly to have their minds read and have feelings that aren't even clear to them understood by their partner. The young boy or girl waits for their true love to notice they are alive but they never even introduce themselves. People wait their whole lives to do what they want, or even discover what that is. What is my take. Don't wait. Make peace with yourself, with God and with the people in your life. Let the people in your life know how you feel. Be careful crossing the street, but for God's sake, cross if where you are headed is on the other side. Now my Uncle Frank waited till the end, because he was a waiter (one who waits) but he skated into heaven by turning his life over to the Lord just before he crossed over. He didn't wait too long, but he sure cut it close.

August 18, 2004

Andie and I had a lovely evening last night at Anthony's dining in the sunshine looking out over the water. I love the smell of the Puget Sound. Later I watched her talking to a kite surfer and she was so beautiful with her tanned face, lovely smile, her little sun glasses and my leather coat. I was thinking, man, I am a lucky guy. Ain't it the truth.
Last night we were talking last night about our friends Randy and Terri, Clan and Sharon and how life sweeps you right back into the pace when you return from vacation. It isn't just the friends from afar but also the friends who are not so far like Jim and Penni, Kathy and Dale, and so many others that we don't get to see very often because we are all so involved in this crazy race we are running. I am looking forward to some more diversion like kite surfing. I guess one more thing to do won't help the limited time we have with friends, but it will sure knock some of the stress off of our shoulders.

Liz completed her first class in scuba diving so I guess we will have to be getting back under water again soon as well. When she was about 9 years old I took her snorkeling off Lopez Island but using a regulator to breath through. She kept pointing towards the bottom and saying "I want to go down there!" We told her she'd have to wait till she was 12. Twelve came and went and she had lost interest, but it has returned. Scuba diving is a great sport and I am glad she has taken the interest again.

I am happy for my dad who has finally found love after all these years. We can't wait to meet Judith. I have been so thankful for the closeness that has developed between my father and I over these last several years. It is so un-murat. God is great! And life goes on.

August 16, 2004

All this time passes, some things don't change. There are patterns that play out in life over and over, even from generation to generation. There have been so many times in the history of our family that one person is on the outside of the circle and the rest are in. For the most part, we have tried to avoid those conflicts in our immediate household family. I think of the traditions and community in Hispanic and Filipino families I know. They have several generations of family sharing the same dwelling place. In our society that doesn't seem to work all that well. Yet we have done just that in our home and it makes me feel good. It was a lesson in caring and giving that was very valuable. There is so much emotion that comes into play in a full household. It is hard, when work takes so much of our time, to have quality time with the people under your own roof. I think I learned something in the last week. Whatever concerns I have with people are best shared with them or with Andie and no one else, until I work through them. Statements to others can be manipulated intentionally, by accident, or simply misquoted. Andie has told me this time and again. I just read it in the book "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff With Your Family". I need to use the same philosophy I use in business: if you have an issue with someone, take it to that person. And if I just want to vent, Andie will let me so I can get it out of my system, where it belongs. It is better to build strong relationships and for trust, to follow the philosophy of Bambi's friend Thumper, "If you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all."

August 14, 2004

It is a quiet morning here at the home front. I am just reflecting on the shows yesterday and how richly blessed I am to have so many great musician friends. I finally got to share the stage with Bob Strickland. Bob brought in his trumpet and it was a blast. The band was right on the money at the Taste and I just wish there was room in Provinces for Mike's drums. What a great bunch of guys. Jimmy and Mike and I have been just romping in joy when we rehearse. It is serious business seeped in silliness. I am really looking forward to throwing down on the new CD's. Mike is excited about the sounds he is getting in Studio 04.
I am thinking a great deal about the hurricanes in Florida and the east coast in general. My heart and prayers go out to the people there. I wonder what Andie thinks now as she watches all that nasty wind where she wants to live. We haven't had much chance to talk about it yet.
I have really enjoyed this weekend. Music brings so many different people together and I love that. It is truly the universal language. So many kind words were spoken last night. It was good to chat with John Matthews. The only time I see John is on stage. I would like to change that. Well, my to do list is gathering dust so I better get with it. Thank God for the wonder of it all.

August 13, 2004
It is time for another wild weekend. I think I am only playing two shows today, the Taste of Edmonds and Provinces. There may be a third show. I may also be at Cafe de Paris somewhere in the middle. I might be getting too old for this schedule.
The stars were beautiful last night and this morning. There is something very peaceful about gazing at the stars. I just sat on the porch and leaned back. There were no shooting stars, just those shining orbs in the night that seem to say God is watching. It is a good time to talk to God, while watching the stars. I was thinking of my mother and Grandmother and missing them, but comforted knowing the trials of this planet are over for them. I think I saw my mom wink in the twinkle of one of the stars. My grandmother was very kind to me when I was little. She used to take me for drives at 4 am, because I couldn't sleep back then either. I guess I used to ramble on and she used to listen. I get a very warm feeling when I think about her taking that time with a little one with so much to say. The stars always remind me of loved ones, those here and those departed. And whenever I take the time to gaze at the heavens and reflect on it all, very quietly in the distance, I hear Jimminy Cricket singing When You Wish Upon A Star, and I am a kid again for just a moment.

August 12, 2004
Liz, Andie and I laid out on the trampoline last night and watched shooting stars. There was supposed to be 70 per hour. We saw some spectacular stars with long trails as they flashed before our eyes. Try to form for me, I fell asleep shortly into the show. We stumbled back into the house after Andie got tired of not seeing any more stars, or it might have been my snoring, I'm not sure which. Earlier I had to get a ladder and turn off one on the house lights that was shining in Andie's eyes. I went into the house to get a flash light and I noticed a sign on Liz's door that said "Body Piercing Saved My Life" and below that "In God We Trust". I came back outside on the war path. I had just visited Chani who is totally into body piercing and tattoos. The sign freaked me out. I said, "What the hell does that mean." In my tactful, very tired way, absolutely expecting to hear about some hidden piercings she had done. She said, "It refers to Jesus Dad." I said," Man, do I feel dumb!" I apologized and proceeded to remove my foot from my mouth. The moral is:
Be careful when you jump to conclusions, you might be embarrassed by where you land. I sure was.

August 10, 2004
Andie and I have decided we need a change and we need it now. We are most happy doing things together and we want to find out what that could be and start doing it. When we are in production mode, making CD's or recording and preparing for shows we are in the groove. I sure miss her when I am setting up at shows, like the winery, just for her company and also for the touch she adds to the display area. She brings her charm and it shines. I am often asked if she will be there at an engagement I am playing, and if she is going to be there, the people asking always show up. She is lovable. We were talking about being nice at work. She said you have to mean it, because no one likes that fake nice. She is real and I love that about her. Maybe a new place would help freshen perspectives and help get us into working our own business in music, graphics and photography. That would be nice, real nice.

August 9, 2004
Hey, we made it through the marathon weekend. I played a total of 16 and a half hours from Friday to Sunday. My hands are emitting strong pain signals with an attached message that reads, "Are you out of your mind?" But it is all good. Andie and Liz were with me at the Winery on Saturday and Andie came back to keep me company of Sunday. It is so much more enjoyable with the family around. Liz is a great sales person too. I said if you sell a CD you can keep the money. Less than five minutes passed before she was stuffing bills into her wallet. She's good.
We topped off the weekend with Jason and Blu at there very beautiful house. We had dinner and shared some wine and their film and stories of Ireland. Ireland looks quite beautiful and Andie mentioned again that she wants to go there soon. That is where her family originated and I think it would be a great adventure to go see her family's homeland. So maybe we can go next year.
I am looking forward to the Taste of Edmonds this weekend. It is always fun to play with the band!
August 4, 2004
My son, who now goes by the name of Johnny Suede, called from Portland to tell me he is playing concerts with Rachel Indigo and will be staying down there for awhile. I was so happy to hear that he is performing. It has taken him awhile to kick in to getting on stage but now that he has I know he will race forward. He has so much style and creativeness in his approach to the guitar and to song writing. Go Johnny.

I brought some of Sarah's things to her yesterday and was able to see her new living space in Seattle. I think it will be good for her to have a refuge to develop her art and music. I love her sense of humor and how she is using it to make these little pop up cards. You pull the little tabs and out comes comical sayings that go with the pictures she has created. They are hilarious. Maybe she will put some in our on line store when we finish " building" it . I hope we will be able to help her sell her art work.

Being back from the glorious sunshine of Mexico and right into the fray is a mind jogger. Since we are out in the country we have a well and it was broken when we returned and we had no water. There went the last two nights I had planned to spend recording a new acoustic CD. Andie will be engineering and I know it will be a lot of fun. Who needs sleep anyway. I will try to keep up on the site but I may lag a bit on my Flash Poetry because my plate is full and I am spilling stuff on the floor. I could happily hop on a plane today and return. I miss the sun and the waves but I think most of all I miss our friends: Randy & Teri and our new friends Clay & Sharon and Randy & Tracy. Well, when you can't share proximity, you can still keep in touch and besides, good friends are always near in our hearts.

August 3, 2004
I was busy yesterday, working with Don, fixing the pump under the house and working. I missed Andie yesterday. When we are on vacation it is the best. It is not because we are not working so much, it is just that we have all that time together. We are pulled in 50 directions when we are home. When we are away we really enjoy each other's company. It doesn't really matter what we are doing or even if we are doing things at the same time. It is just that we are together. I hear the stories in my children's lives and in the lives of their parents or friends and I am thankful for these times and having this wonderful woman as my partner and friend. I am glad we have learned to be courteous and kind to one another and to extend that to those who come into our house. There is so much chaos that we encounter it is good to have that down time to refocus on our future and where and what that will be. We put the rest of our friends and family in our prayers and humbly let go and trust the One who can actually help do something to help.
I spoke to my father yesterday and he had some great news. He sounds very happy and hopeful in his heart. We are hoping that he and Judith will come visit us soon. I love my father and respect how much he has grown with the powerful help of his faith in Jesus. I know lots of people would love to see him. Kathy and Dale ask about him all the time. I love when he calls and we laugh on the phone. It is a great break in my day. Joy is a good thing. I have this picture in my mind of Sharon from Cabo, she has they warmest smile, especially when she talks about Clay. Speaking of Cabo, Randy and Teri are still there with Aileen. Good times, good sunshine.
Bundle up in those memories until the next time. I am looking forward to playing the winery this weekend.
Cool breeze is calling.

August 1, 2004
We are home and refreshed and hopeful for new changes and clear direction. It was a bit strange to not be journaling while we were in Los Cabos but we had so much fun. We are blessed with our friendship with Terri and Randy. It is so clear that we are all just so comfortable together. They have such great stories. I really think Terri should write a book or books about the Fickel Clan. Like some of our stories, it is possible some of the characters might not be too thrilled to see their stories in print but, oh well.

The last morning at the Regina Resort Andie and I got up at 5:30am and watched what we thought was the sunrise. I then went to work on the flash poem I was writing for Clay and Sharon and then the real sunrise happened. What is that saying, life is what happens while you are making plans. Anyway I got to see the pictures afterwards. It was a beautiful and peaceful time we all shared. I am thinking I need to write a book myself. I might even decide to tell some of the stories I hear on our travels. Of course the names would be changed to protect the guilty.

The house hold is still sleeping. I am anxiously awaiting a politically correct time to call Mike and get my new software so I can spend some time in the studio today before I go back to the busy week that lies ahead. It was so quiet here last night as I stood out on the deck and looked up at the stars. It was hard to sleep without the sound of waves crashing outside and yet it was good to be home and lying in our own bed. The resort was beautiful but I believe they used some of the left over concrete to pour the mattresses. I asked Andie each morning if she beat me with my shoes while I was sleeping, I was so sore from that bed. She insists she didn't. So here we go on this new month, grateful for friends old and new, thankful for family and shelter and love. Thankful the Lord looks over us like He does and our biggest prayer is to honor Him in all we do. That's my story and I am sticking to it.

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Greg Murat (mur-rah)
Singer-Songwriter Guitarist