What I am listening to...

iTunes has a new feature on the iTunes Radio, first play. You can listen to an entire album before it is released. I listen to an album one week not realizing when I'd go back to listen again the next day it would be gone due to the release date. That's how I learned what all this was about. Now I wish I knew the name of that album. I really liked it. 

So often now I check to see what albums are on first play. 

Last weeks was Eric Clapton's new album, 

 Eric Clapton's & Friends, The Breeze

An Appreciation of JJ Cale

Call Me the Breeze
Rock and Roll Records (w/Tom Petty)
Someday (w/Mark Knopfler)
Lies (John Mayer)
Sensitive Kind (Don White)
Cajun Moon
Magnolia (John Mayer)
I Got the Same Old Blues (Tom Petty)
Songbird (Willie Nelson)
Since You Said Goodbye
I'll Be There (Don White)
The Old Man and Me (Tom Petty)
The Train to Nowhere (Mark Knopfler and Don White)
Starbound (Willie Nelson & Derek Trucks)
Don't Wait (John Mayer)
Crying Eyes (Christine Lakeland & Derek Trucks)

Let's just say, I really enjoyed hearing this new album, such rich history. It's release date was just in time for the remembrance of JJ Cale one year anniversary since his death. The album is a great tribute honoring JJ. The vocals are out stands along with the instruments. A true enjoyment!

The pre-order date was July 29th.

VH1 Classic to Premiere Full Documentary for The Breeze-An Appreciation of JJ Cale starting July 25th with an additional air time schedule. You can check the listing on JJ Cale website HERE.

Do you utilize first play on iTunes?

Are you an Eric Clapton fan?

What about JJ Cale fan?

Listen to the words...

Do you ever truly
sit listening to the words
of a song or do you go just
for the sound, the beat!?

I'd say I do both from time to time.
When I listen to the words,
I strongly hold on to them.

It might be a few words,
the chorus or a mix of words
through out that I might
compile in my own
way!

Today while cleaning (serving)
my daughters 

book case out
(she's on a mission trip,
chi alpha), I turned 

her radio on and 

listened to klove.

Christian music artist 

Meredith Andrews 

was a guest 

on the air today.

So of course 

they played 

her songs. The one that 

stuck out to me was 

"Pieces"

I didn't know the 

name of the song 

at the time. 

The words that stuck 

out were, don't hide 

who you are.

So I googled 

those words with 

Meredith's name. 

"Pieces" 

came up. 

So rather than 

sharing a video with 

the music and all 

I thought I'd 

share the 

words 

with 

you.

See what 

grabs at your 

eyes...

Pieces by Meredith Andrews

Verse:- 1

It's a complex puzzle you call your life

It's an uphill climb, it's a constant fight

And it wears you down

Feeling like you're alone, like you don't belong

And you won't be loved if you don't measure up

And you wear your scars

Like they're who you are

[Chorus]

Give Him your wounds, your bruised and broken pieces

All your questions, all your secrets

You don't have to hide who you are

You belong to someone greater

Than all your past mistakes and failures

Rested who He is

He knows how to make your pieces fit

Verse:- 2

He's the light on the road when you're lost in the dark

And He won't run away if you show your heart

Wants you to believe it

You can taste that freedom

[Chorus]

When you give Him your wounds, your bruised and broken pieces

All your questions, all your secrets

You don't have to hide who you are

You belong to someone greater

Than all your past mistakes and failures

Rested who He is

He knows how to make your pieces fit

Bridge:-

You are completely known

You are completely loved

This is where you belong

[Chorus]

Give Him your wounds, your bruised and broken pieces

All your questions, all your secrets

You don't have to hide who you are

You belong to someone greater

Than all your past mistakes and failures

Rested who He is

He knows how to make your pieces fit

Pieces

For those of you who have read Daddy's Briefcase

may remember Banee. Banee, who was 13 at the time was my back seat DJ

back in the day -highschool- when my car only had am radio.

Banee recently requested a painting, "animal print" she said!

Hmmm, animal print "can you show me" something

to go by, an idea!? She mailed me this print out:

Awesome, awesome big bold leopard print, to work

I went. I shaped, I molded each piece...days would come

days would go. I told her it was summer, that it might take

longer. She waited patiently. The further I got with all the shaping

and molding, I begin to think about my life. Each day has been shaped

and molded, so that in the end I can say I did my very best. I have

to remind myself, I didn't just wake up this way!

i attached this on the back of the painting

starting process

see the texture-i heart texture

each textured piece was hand molded

if i was gonna do it, it was gonna be done right-my style

i have to say this is one picture that took me the longest time out of anything else i have painted

my hardest part when i paint a picture is being able to turn loose of it

i so usually can see all my work in my home some where

i usually run from room to room placing it in different places

i wrote this special little letter on the back of the pieces card

attached on the back

A few days after she recieved the painting, I recieved the

sweetest text message. Having the leopard paint in her living area

allows her to have a piece of me in her home. That's sweet stuff there!

Banee will always be my back seat DJ!

Christian music

I remember a time in my life
when someone suggested I listen to a
Christian radio station.

When I tried listening, I just couldn't
make sense of the songs, although I am a Christian.
And ultimately switched back
to my regular schedule program, other stations.

In the last year though, I have switched back to the
Christian radio station and boy have the songs spoke
volumes to me.

So I invite you to listen to the station I listen to,
check out http://www.klove.com/ for you local station.
You will hear such real life things happening on klove.
then listening into the music, where they go behind the scenes
to give details how the song came about, is my fav!

Let's just say if your not into Christian music now, there is hope!!!

A New Hallelujah - Michael W Smith

My oldest daughter took drivers ED this summer, which meant my younger
daughter and I got time to ourselves...

One morning after dropping her off, I turned the radio up,
hearing a sweat little voice on the back sit singing
A New Hallelujah....

priceless

Playlist

My family took a day trip to the Memphis zoo
one Saturday in June. This trip was extra fun!!!

The last time I can remember going to Memphis
was when I was a child, then one time I took a flight
and the first flight stop was Memphis - so actually I was only
at the Memphis airport - which I thought was really nice.

So for this day trip, I googled all the directions, printing them
out placing them in a small black binder-which my husband
completely laughed at. This way my kids were able to see
just what it really takes to even take a day trip, educational.

My binder included directions, zoo hours & prices, zoo rules-which my kids
loved reading-they got a kick out of your under ware could not show. Also
I had a list of the zoo exhibits and the zoo map.

Boy was it hot!

We planned well ahead. My daughter has a roll around cooler- I checked
to see if we could bring, the website said yes. We put drinks, mainly water
and snacks in the cooler. My kids have those water bottles with fans on them,
those really came in handy. We dressed in cool colored clothes,
making this a lasting memorable trip.

For lunch we stopped at Neely's BBQ-from food network.
It was really good!

Off to the Children's Museum of Memphis before we headed home.

The kids absolutely loved it. There were so many hands on things
for them to do:
grocery store-they were able to shop, check themselves out
firetruck-they were able to put fire suits on, sit in
police car- they were able to sit in, turn lights on
air plane-they got to sit in the cockpit

and so so much more!!!

I included information on Neely's and the Museum
in my binder as well. The kids loved looking at the binder
in the car, it gave them alot of insight for what was ahead.

Because this trip was 3 hours one way, I knew
my ipod would need a fast up date. I love new music
and ideas of music. The week before I saw
Keith Urban's Playlist in the July issue of Redbook.

And then Brooke White's, brookiebabble, Summer Playlist
she shared on her facebook page.

Both of these list made it to my ipod, along with
True-Compass-Edward-M-Kennedy-memoir audio.
When I told my sister I was listening to the Kennedy memoir
she huffed at me, he is a liberal Democrat. In my mind,
I just sighed. I was not listening to him because
he is liberal, rather because he sounds interesting
and he died from a brain tumor-cancer-and I wanted
to hear his outlook on cancer. Explaining that to my sister
would have been like explain to the preacher why I farted
in church, I guess. It just seems anyone and everyone linked
to cancer some how, know, know what it's like and someone
someday is gonna get it figured out! But until then, those who
have been down that road of cancer, we all have to stick together
because if you haven't been touch by cancer you don't understand
the fact of what the health care system from that stand point is like.
And believe me there is huge room for improvement!

During those hours of driving, I really enjoyed listening
to the Kennedy memoir over listening to the two actually
playlist. Since then I have listened to the playlist at home
while dressing for the day....it just adds alittle peep to my step!