Heavenly, Heavenly Day(s)

I have been taking it easy lately, soaking up every last bit of summery goodness I can. So I haven't blogged, painted, worked new shows, etc- I 've just been taking time to enjoy all the rest my life has to offer. This past weekend I had the joy of visiting and celebrating with a handful of people who mean so much to me. Old friends, new friends, family; time spent with them reminds me of what is important, what I need.
Let me just run through the weekend from start to finish just to share it all with you (and maybe some of you HAVE already shared it with me)! Friday evening Jon and his band, Eastern Block, played at Exit In. They played a tight show, and were supported by fans, friends, and family. It's so good to see people doing and succeeding at what they love. Even after Eastern Block played, I stayed for the WHOLE show. For me, that's almost unheard of! If it's late and I don't feel like sitting through a mediocre band's set, I leave. Not Friday night- the following bands were so good I didn't want to leave, or even sit. All the Relatives rocked, then Star Death and the White Dwarfs did their own bad ass thing.

On Saturday aches, a sore throat, and congestion let me know I was coming down with a cold. Bummer, but it wasn't bad enough to keep me at home. My dear friend Brandi Holley came in from MS for the weekend. Her brother (and his family) also live in Nashville, so lucky me, I get to see her whenever she visits them. Her company feels so comforting; we sat for hours on Bongo Java's porch catching up. She has been a good friend since college- it's one of the oldest friendships I have. Brandi, I hope you know how much I love you! Saturday evening was the wedding of super sweet newer friends Emily Harper and Chuck Beard; the celebration so perfectly suited them, too. They held a small ceremony in the Japanese Gardens at Cheekwood, and then had the BEST reception at Werthan Lofts. Emily was the most beautiful I've ever seen her; she wore the prettiest vintage style gown and a smile that didn't stop! Guests were invited to wear Derby hats to the reception as a nod to Chuck's KY roots. I spotted some killer feathery numbers, but the best were the handmade pieces by Mark Sloniker. All fairy tales and magic, they were the most intricate and imaginative hats you've ever seen. I'm really hoping the photographers got good shots of those; I'll share them if they did. Also, longtime favorite Venus Hum played! Annette sang "Heavenly Day" by Patti Griffin to Emily, and it truly was heavenly. Emily Beard. That's going to take some getting used to. Mad love to newlyweds Emily and Chuck!

Sunday morning I continued to ache and cough, but I was so looking forward to our afternoon plans, I didn't stay in bed. Jon and I drove out to the Jone's for lunch and swimming. They got a brand new pool, perfect for playing around and seeing Blake and Luke's excellent swimming skills. Blake can swim all by himself! Can you believe it?!!!Later that evening I had dinner and some chill hanging out time with Brandi. Hmmm. If only she'd move here...

Monday, thankfully, brought a much less sickly me. Della, her mom, and sister, were in town to do a little dress shopping and stopped to eat lunch with me at the Cheesecake Factory. Yay- for yummy food and for the chance to hang out with those 3 wonderful ladies; I wish that happened more often. Full belly and all, I headed to the pool, where I spent the entire afternoon. I slept, I rested, and I even got to visit with Liz when she came by after work. We talked about art, what we're doing with it, shows, and all kinds of good stuff. It's nice to relate to and bounce ideas off of other artists, and I value her openness toward doing that. She's such a hard worker, too, which brings me to my next point...

I'm over the frustrated/ discouraged slump (for now). I'm officially back from my self- imposed hiatus!