The holidays get crazy around here. I know, it’s that way for most people. And they sneak in before we have even thought of closing the door on summer. Our local grocery store had Christmas up before watermelons were out of season.They were still selling patio furniture out front. We were in short sleeved shirts, and hadn’t even pulled the summer flowers out of the flower beds in the yard, when candy canes and uber-cinnamony scented pinecones greeted us at the entrance to Smiths. Something happens when those twinkling lights start flashing. The heart starts racing and the “Oh my goodness, I’d better get cracking’ before the jolly old elf makes off with all the goodies” starts haunting the sub-conscious mind. The “CRAZY taser” starts buzzing in my pocket.
Yup, my daily life, at the moment, is crazy! Crazy beautiful, really. The joyful kind of busy. My new album is being replicated right now, and we are in full swing rehearsals for the upcoming concerts. I still pinch myself to think that I get to make music with people like Mark Robinette, Kelly DeHaan, Nicole Pinnell, Merlyn Schofield and my own Christmas child Kate Connors (she was born Dec 21). Nicole told me last night that she turned down a gig with David Archuletta to play in my concert. Kelly will be running from his lead role in Catch Me If You Can at Hale Center Theatre to tickle the ivories and melt us all with his velvet voice. And Mark Robinette is landing between gigs from CA to Florida just to slap that bass (its all about that bass…’bout that bass…no treble). Kate will have just arrived back in Utah after witnessing an official Navajo wedding down in New Mexico, and Merlyn is shifting focus from some of her classwork. And me? Well, I’m just soaking it all in! Mmmm Hmmm…these people are the real deal! Between recording and mixing the album I’ve been doing nothing but music the last while. It’s hard to shift focus. But I’m trying.
Last year I did a crazy thing, I decorated my house for Christmas in early November. I’m not one who generally jumps the gun on holidays. But the way the season goes for a performer it is likely that if I don’t get it up early it doesn’t get up till…say…Christmas Eve. It’s happened before. Sad, I know. So the very same day I took down the Halloween decorations I dragged out some of the Christmas cheer. And now…TA DA – our halls are decked! Well, no tree yet. I have my limits.
These jolly little fellers are huddled together on my fireplace mantle:
They stare at me as I practice, telling me to slow down when I play Gosdpeed and to wake up when the sound of my own voice lulls me to sleep. I pretend they are my audience. Such a happy audience – they all got the memo to wear red!
One week from now I will be dressing my turkeys (we’ll need 2, with roughly 3 dozen people at our tables). Pies will have been baked and will be cooling on the counter. Cranberries will be chilling in the fridge, and my bread will be drying out for the stuffing I’ll be making in the morning while the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade provides white noise in the kitchen. There will hopefully be a large stack of boxes filled with a sweet little CD of lullabies filling the corner of our garage. My fingertips will have the appropriate calluses a guitar player has earned. An occasional phone call will ask if there are any tickets left for the Farmington Concert, and I will appease them by selling them tickets to the Salt Lake City show because that venue is stunningly beautiful and there are still some seats left since it’s 2 1/2 times bigger than Farmington’s Art Center. And besides, we can light real candles in the Presbyterian Church.
All this anticipation keeps me awake at night.
Tomorrow, though, I’m gonna need a nap.
Here’s hoping I’ll see you at one of these concerts. I think you’ll like the new album. At least I hope you will. And if you send your good energy to us on stage, we promise to send it back wrapped is tasty tunes.
Happy Thanksgiving, One and All!
Cori
Want Concert Tickets for Saturday, Nov. 29th? Buy online HERE or call 801-201-2001
Kelly DeHaan
Mark Robinette
Nicole Pinnell
