Ray Lamontagne, the album: Trouble
I found this fellow from a fantastic Paste Magazine article where you meet a quiet New Englander, husband, father erstwhile factory worker who taught himself the guitar and how to sing to stave off boredom-wrought insanity on the assembly line. The music is part classic rock, part folkie acoustic singer-songwriter, part blues with a slice of pop to give it that addictive edibility. There are songs with focused frustration and quiet anger. Most the songs are simply love songs of fidelity and devotion. I listen to this album twice a day.
Benny Goodman, album: Greatest Hits RCA/VictorJust good fun big band stuff, who knew you could "rock out" with a clarinet? Besides, it reminds me of my Grandma who loved Goodman and Tommy Dorsey and Glen Miller.
Yo Yo Ma playing Bach, album: Bach Sonatas for Viola De Gamba and Harpsichord
Cheerful celloist...perfect nap music for Atticus
Gillian Welch, album: Soul Journey
1930's-style folk-country
Thanks, Leah, for letting us borrow your jumper!!! Atticus has a new favorite past-time (-:!
Well, this week the small groups in our new church begin meeting for the first time. I am so thankful for the few couples we know will be in our new group. But I must admit that I am sad to be letting go of the little trio of couples we have been getting together with weekly for the last year. Leah, Eric and Calvin Miller and Joe and Anne Golliher have been our closest friends this first year of marriage. Leah even went with Brad to pick out my engagement ring. She walked and talked me through my pregnancy with Atticus and I've enjoyed our walks and lingering in the park to let Cal swing and play. Leah and Eric got Brad and me hooked on Boggle and (in an earlier phase) Quiddler and have been the kind of friends you can hang out with when all four of you are in bad moods and end up having a great evening together despite it all.
Anne has been my right-hand girl designing and printing my wedding invitations and programs and Atticus' birth announcements. We've shared recipes and excitement over paper and colors and clothes and the same design magazines. She and Joe gave us our first ever Wine Sampler and Tutorial (-: Anne was the girl who prayed with me and struggled alongside me as I worked (thrashed) through whether to marry Brad or not. Her honesty, her openess in prayer -- in sharing her spiritual sorrows, battles, joys have been very very sweet to me. For some years it is difficult for me to pray with anyone but Anne and Leah have been a safe and real place to learn this all over again. Thank you both.
It isn't as if any of us has died or even moved out of the neighborhood but I will miss seeing you every week the way we have. I am so glad we had this past year together. Love, Sarah
