Another Year to Kiss Goodnight

Hello!

=)

It's Cold



I just got back from Titusville Florida. It was cold there too. But I didn't have to worry about losing parts of my body, and there was a Basset hound to cuddle with. He looks kind of like this:



Only uglier.

Ah, New Years is coming! Gets me to thinking, it does. It's so easy to think back and say- "What a great year" Or- "This year blew" but I think it's more important to learn from everything that happens in a year. So instead of making a resolution this year, I'm going to focus on revelations I have had in the past year. If I could go back and change something, what would it be? And, assuming that I wake up tomorrow, I still can!

My revelation!? I tend to procrastinate. Been doing it for years. Terrible thing. Working on it.

I have had an Amazing year. I have learned so much and overcome so many of the challenges that obscured my light from shining in the past. Much about my life that I had hoped would change has remained the same, but I do not see this as a failure. I am sure that when I am ready for a change, it will occur. That seems to be the way of things.

MUSIC TIME!!!

Last Year two of my Favorite Musicians, Jason Webley and Sxip Shirey wrote a modern day New Years anthem, called Days With You. It's beautiful! Here is the video:



Jason is an amazingly talented lyricist and songwriter, and performs with such pure passion. Sxip composes and performs music with an array of found objects, modified instruments and customized musical equipment, creating sounds you will only hear from him. He doesn't so much play as paint with sound feverishly onstage. You should check them out:

Jason Webley:
http://www.myspace.com/jasonwebley

Sxip Shirey:
www.myspace.com/sxipshirey

In his last mailer, Jason asked that if you like the song, you should help start a new tradition this New Years and play it at your party. It's a beautiful, happy/sad song that makes you feel warm! Here's the download:

http://www.jasonwebley.com/DaysWithYou.mp3

New Years Eve!!

Last year was a hard New Years Eve to top. I went to New York City to see Amanda Palmer & The Danger Ensemble. The Show didn't start until 2am, but there was a pre-show party in one of the most beautiful spaces I have ever seen in my life! It was a wonderful loft completely filled from top to bottom with wonderful art, photographs, antiques, plants and trees, boat's on the ceiling, you name it! for the full story, you can check out Amanda's blog about it here.

At midnight Amanda lead us in a ceremony in which we all wrote down something we would like to let go of on a piece of paper, and all the papers were burned. It was very Beautiful.

The show itself was something I will never forget. It didn't end until six in the morning. Even a year later I can remember every detail. It was a perfect blend of performance art, music, theater, eighties covers, fuckery, and love. Despite the fact that it was past 6, Amanda greeted fans and signed my poster for me. Hardcore!

Thinking back on it, it really gives me hope fot the New Year. If you had told me on December 31st of 2007 that I would be spending the following New Years at a concert in New York City, I would have told you that you were wrong. I would have really wished that you were right, just wouldn't have thought myself capable of such a thing. Change happens slow, but think if you follow the things in this world that truly bring true happiness to your heart, life can flower into countless possibilities.

I wanted to burn away my lack of confidence on that piece of paper. A year later I have to ask- Have I? It's a slow burn, but I do believe in myself much more this year than I did last. I take more chances. I trust myself more. But most importantly, I'm not as afraid of things that do not have power over my life. I don't know what it is about this world that creates these fears, but they get in the way of the light we all have within us. Yeah, I'm still pretty shy, but I think that's just a part of who I am. I'm ok with that, but I don't use it as an excuse not to share what I have to offer as much as I used to in the past.

This year for New Years Eve I'm going to stick with tradition and go see Amanda again. She's playing with the Boston POPS; Not a bad gig! Amazing things will happen. Droves of the most talented people in the arts will be there.

Take a look at all the amazing:



I wish you all the very very best new year you could have!

Love art, life, the flow, and yourself

Love

-Ry