J-Town

Saturday night was amazing. I went to an intimate house concert at my friend Tom's incredible hillside home to hear Claire Holley play. She did the original music for one of the Nibroc Trilogy shows that I was in and she's just lovely. She's a down-to-earth Mississippi transplant with a sweet unassuming air and one of the most soothing voices I've ever heard. Truth be told, if I could be someone else, she'd be on my short list. Jason Harrod also sang and was a cool new discovery for me. He seemed to be singing to Joanna, who came along with me. Um, yeah. He soooooooo dug her, which is no surprise because she is a tall, gorgeous self-assured woman. I think the lady who liked ladies sitting next to her was also smitten, but the singer beat her to the punch and arranged to see J again. Kudos to him for engaging in the pursuit of a woman that any man would be crazy fortunate to attain. Right on!

I felt led to do something yesterday and either I'm nutty or obedient. I took my niece to a Japanese Festival in Little Tokyo with my friend Rita and her little sister. My niece adores all things Japanese and once told me she wished she could live in Japan. So, in the car I proposed this: If she gets all A's and B's until she turns 16, misses no more than 3 days per year, and agrees to go to a youth group once a month, I said I'd take her to Japan for a week. Did I really just say that? Yowza. Japan = $$$$$$. But my gut is that this is an investment in a life, in a girl who needs a goal and needs encouragement. It will be up to her whether or not she wants it badly enough to do what she needs to do and shift her thinking/priorities. I told her I think she's worth it and that I know she can do it and if so, we will have a special experience together that we'll remember for a lifetime. I hope and pray she makes it...

I got to do a little brush painting. This says "eternity".