Kom me naar buiten allemaal
Dan zoeken wij de wielewaal
En vinden wij die muziekant
Dan is zomer weer in’t land!

Dudeldjo klinkt zijn lied
Dudeldjo klinkt zijn lied
Dudeldjo en anders neit.

Oh, it feels like Springtime inside and outside. . . the birds are singing, my heart is expanding out so far I feel like bursting!

I am so excited that Van Jones is now in a position to help to implement some of his green economic policies. He was appointed “Special Advisor for Green Jobs” by Barak Obama on March 16th. Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins is taking over Van Jones’ position leading Green For All. Here they both are talking about the direction of that organization, and now,the direction of our country.

Maybe we really can succeed. Maybe all of what needs to be done can be combined with all of the potential energy that we humans have to solve our problems. We don’t have to languish. We can engage our potential. Check out what is happening! Here is a quote from an article I got from Green For All. The article describes a program called YouthBuild succinctly:

“YouthBuild works with young people who have dropped out of high school – kids without lots of opportunities and without lots of people believing they’ll succeed. These youth learn to build energy efficient homes for low-income families, and earn their GEDs at the same time.”

Here is a report on this program taped by CNN when one hundred involved young people visited Michelle Obama.

I learned from my dear friend Kim today that I may have to forgo my guitar playing for a long while. The joint where my left thumb joins my hand needs lots of time off. I spent a few years playing hard, getting out all of the old feelings and bringing in the new. Now for six months I have avoided the guitar. But my thumb needs a lot more time to heal. I still have more to express. It has gotten to where I love the groove that I find myself in when I am playing, especially when I am performing and it is working well.

I guess I can find that groove without my guitar. Adapt. Go with the flow. Step with the dance.

Here is an interview with Michael Franti. What an inspiring human being he is!

Life is good.

I guess the best things come when you’re not trying too hard. I hope that that will be the case this Saturday when I have to play for a wedding with practically no preparation. Wing it. Wing it with a smile. Well, I’ve got good folks to smile with me as I do less than my perfect ideal.

I saw Trevor Exter perform at the Wildflower Cafe’s fourth anniversary party. He is in the midst of a NY subway musician’s contest called NYC Soundtracks. Check him out.

Upon browsing the site I came upon another musician who I enjoy very much, Balla Tounkara:

It is great to feel real people playing real music.

**
Yeah, right.

I am a reflection of our collective insanity. Or maybe our collective insanity is a reflection of what is inside of me and a lot of other people. My whole life I have wanted to purify myself. Get rid of the “bad” parts. Be perfect. I have been striving for perfection. I have been rejecting myself as I am.

I have been using all of my practices to poke at myself. I have been punishing myself with “spirituality”. I have used my breath to beam into those darkened places in myself not with love, but with an intent to rid myself of that which I don’t accept. No wonder a lot of what I have been expressing in my music has been anguished. I have been doing it to myself.

OK. Again, I begin at the beginning. But maybe I can learn that that is a wonderful place to be. Maybe I can learn that that is all I will ever have. Maybe I will learn that that is actually everything.

I still have something to say that I haven’t said yet. I think I have been avoiding the issue. I think I really do need to find words. There is a lot that comes out in raw emotion through tone and all of the dynamics of sound, but the fact is, my throat chakra continues to be blocked on the left side. I have been working at this now for years. The blockage comes down from the back of my left ear down into my jaw and my neck and shoulder. I think it is something I have to say as a female.

I feel the need to apologize for being so plain in expressing that which may seem strange. This has been the case for me since I can remember. But I am who I am. I think I need to begin to accept that and be who I am without apology. Maybe that is part of what has kept me from speaking. Or writing lyrics. I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. I want people to accept me. But I need to be honest about who I am.

I finally sat down and began to use a method that my dear friend suggested to help me find words in a non-linear, non-reductionist??? way. An expansive way. A way that plops me right down into the ocean and lets the waves throw the words to me. We’ll see. I’ll let you all know.

I am still thinking about giving and taking and how that relates to economy. I am still thinking about how what I do relates to money. Here is Wayne Muller on “Enough is Enough”: