Fanciful & Free

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” -
  —  Oscar Wilde

Does anyone make new year’s resolutions anymore? When I was younger, making a new year’s resolution was a very important tradition. I had to set a time where I could thoroughly reevaluate the lessons learned from the previous year and consider how I would fix it as to improve the year ahead of me. As I got older, this tradition of mine ceased. Maybe it stopped for fear of disappointing myself… or maybe it stopped because setting time aside for myself has not been a forte of mine. Whatever the reason, I’ve decided to make a new year’s resolution for 2011. You see, 2010 was… special. It was special because I moved in with the love of my life, surrounded myself with a positive group of people and built a home in Providence.  Things were a little hard for a good portion of the last year but … I got through them. I learned from them. That’s kind of a new and fun development to focus on. 

So,  my 2011 resolution is this:

I want to live in 2011.

Not in 1999 or 2000 or even 2010. I want to live in 2011! Shop local, volunteer, travel more and find ways to improve the quality of my life.  Easy enough, right?

2011 Mix:

Anything on 1997s Jock Jams.

I Love The Internet:

(Dedicated to my 1,000,000th Stumble! click while skyping with friends.)

Stumble The World Mix:

Warm Heart of Africa- (featuring Ezra Koenig)- The Very Best
Band Of Horses- Is There A Ghost
Ben Folds- In Between Days
Hermane Dune- I wish that I could see you soon
Ugly Casanova- Things I Don’t Remember
Royksopp- Happy Up Here
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists- Hearts of Oak
M.Ward (featuring Zooey Deschanel)- Rave On
Animal Collective- Summertime Clothes
Atlas Sound- Dovers Jam
People Say- Portugal. The Man.
The Feeling- Sewn
Modest Mouse- Satellite Skin
The Tough Alliance- Something Special

Litany:

You are the bread and the knife,

the crystal goblet and the wine.

You are the dew on the morning grass

and the burning wheel of the sun. You are the white apron of the baker

and the marsh birds suddenly in flight.

However, you are not the wind in the orchard, the plums on the counter, or the house of cards. And you are certainly not the pine-scented air.

There is just no way you are the pine-scented air.

It is possible that you are the fish under the bridge, maybe even the pigeon on the general’s head, but you are not even close

to being the field of cornflowers at dusk.

And a quick look in the mirror will show that you are neither the boots in the corner

nor the boat asleep in its boathouse.

It might interest you to know, speaking of the plentiful imagery of the world,

that I am the sound of rain on the roof.

I also happen to be the shooting star, the evening paper blowing down an alley,

and the basket of chestnuts on the kitchen table.

I am also the moon in the trees and the blind woman’s tea cup. But don’t worry, I am not the bread and the knife. You are still the bread and the knife. You will always be the bread and the knife, not to mention the crystal goblet and—somehow— the wine. -Billy Collins

I had my first Lilith Fair experience a couple of weeks ago and it was AWESOME. I know there are far better ways to articulate just how incredible the festival actually was; However, in Lilith’s case… AWESOME just seems like a perfectly perfect description. Unlike most other festivals, to me, Lilith Fair stands for something way beyond just inspiring musicians.

 It’s safe to say that any one of my friends could easily describe me as a music enthusiast. I went to school for music and generally like to be enveloped in my passion for it. So one could reasonably imagine my happiness upon being invited to Lilith. I was pretty effin’ stoked to see artists like Sarah McLachlan, Tegan & Sara, Sara Bareilles, Cat Power, and other incredible performers. Yes, they were all strong and talented women that took my breath away each time their mouths opened but it wasn’t just the lineup that made being at Lilith such a beautiful experience for myself and other festival goers.

The Lilith Fair music festival was developed by Sarah McLachlin (who by the way, is a goddess live) in 1996. Sarah became fed up with the greater part of music industries (predominantly male) failure to allow two artists who happened to be women to perform one after the other on the radio or in concert.  Her and the fabulous Paula Cole set out in 1997 to create what would be called Lilith Fair after the Jewish folklore tale of Adams first wife, Lilith. Since then, Lilith Fair has not only given it’s attendees the gift of pride in women’s accomplishments in the music industry and feelings of empowerment and unity…. but has raised over $10,000,000 in three years for women’s charities in North America.

Today,  I sit in awe of how far women have really come since the first wave of the feminist movement in the 18th century. I am astonished by the women before me who dared to stand up against all odds and have a voice.  I believe Lilith Fair is a reminder for women everywhere that you can make a change if you really believe in something.  So, this playlist is dedicated to the women around the world. The women who dare to have a voice… and those who are still struggling to be heard.

We’ve come a long way.

-E.

Playlist:

Aretha Franklin- Respect

Edith Piaf- La vie en rose

Sarah McLachlin- World on Fire

Fiona Apple- Extraordinary Machine

Pat Benetar- Heart Breaker

Bjork- It’s Oh So Quiet

Madonna- Like a Virgin

Stevie Nicks- Landslide

En Vogue- Don’t Let Go

Billie Holiday- Summertime

Blondie- Heart of Glass

Salt N Peppa- Shoop

Whitney Houston- I wanna Dance With Somebody

Janis Joplin- Piece of my Heart

The Supremes- Baby Love

TLC- Unpretty

Joan Jett- Bad Reputation

Patsy Cline- Crazy

The Ronnettes- Baby Love

Mary J. Blige- Stronger

Heart- Barracuda

Gladys Knight- Midnight Train To Georgia

Tegan and Sara- Nineteen

Carly Simon- Nobody Does It Better

Norah Jones- Come Away With Me

Jefferson Airplane- White Rabbit

Mamas and the Papas- Dream a Little Dream

Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Zero

Garbage- Cherry Lips

Joni Mitchell- River

Diana Ross- Chain Reaction

Melissa Etheridge- Come to My Window

Mirah- The Garden

Ani DiFranco- 32 Flavors

Patti Smith- Because the Night

The Pretenders- I’ll Stand By You

Alicia Keys- If I Aint Got You

Neko Case- Hold On, Hold On

Concrete Blonde- Joey

Alanis Morrisette- Thank You

Indigo Girls- Galileo

Nina Simone- Don’t let Me be Misunderstood

The Cranberries- Zombie

Happiness… I’ve got a lot of it these days. Even when I am sore and over stressed with a constant eyelid spasm that I have had for the last three weeks… I am still generally happy.  Yeah, I get frustrated sometimes but, hey, I’m only human and I still know that I am unbelievably lucky. Life is what you make it. So, why not try to make it the best life ever?  A life filled with music, laughter, and happiness is the only life for me. So, yeah- I’ve got a lot of happiness.

Playlist:

My Baby Just Cares For Me- Nina Simone

So wrong- Patsy Cline

Don’t Call Me Whitney, Bobby- Islands

Gravity is Bringing Us Down- Beulah

Same Old Drag- Apples in Stereo

Girl Afraid- The Smiths

Top of the Morning- Marbles

Sad Piano Song- Marshmallow Coast

An Illuminated Array- The Sunshine Fix

Good Girl/ Carrots- Panda Bear

Backfire At The Disco- The Wombats

Ferraby Lionheart- Small Planet

Peter and The Wolf- Chemistry Set

Milk was A Bad Choice- The Crowns

For The Girl- The Fratellis

The Day is Not Today- The Little Flames

Ooh La La- Goldfrapp

Jailbird- M. Ward

Tell Me What to Swallow- Crystal Castles

Your Rocky Spine- Great Lake Swimmers

BILL MURRAY.

THAT IS ALL.

Today, I am writing you about feelings. Everyone seems to have a lot of them lately. It’s not like I don’t have them. I do. Maybe they are just hiding. I believe this to be a good thing. By the time I am done trying to understand everyone’s feelings… I don’t really have the energy to understand my own.  Feelings are exhausting.
Today, I saw this photograph of a soldier playing an old piano in the middle of the woods. I find it  amazing how one can find music in the most desolate of places. This makes me feel happy.