Riding High with Jewelry, Belfast and Music

I have been riding high on life. So much good is going on that I may actually be glowing. I will recap the last few days so you can have a taste of the sweetness.

• Thursday night, 7/12 good friend Scott King, an amazing musician, came to play a couple of sets at the cafe. He brought his folksy/bluesy music to a head playing some of my favorite tunes that he wrote himself. He stayed late as we laughed and shared beers. (Yes, beers, there can't be any shame in that.)
• Friday the 13th...I ate a lovely breakfast at the restaurant, read some blogs and then hit the road for Whitefield, Maine's own Plenty to Do Farm aka Jes Berry's house. Jes had e-mailed directions re-routing me because of road construction. We were so amazed to discover we are a mere 50 minutes away from one another. WOOO HOOO.

I unloaded my pathetic supply of jewelery making thingy ma bobs, a couple of my own art pieces to share, my LifeWater (pomegrante and cherry, mmmmmm), and the cell unit. After a brief tour of her adorable 1800's farmhouse we sat in the newly added sunroom and got busy.

Let me say that Jes's home is lovely. Very comfy and welcoming. She has a lovely sense of style and a knack for hostessing. I felt very at home not only because of her personality but because her color schemes are exactly what I live(d) in. Mustard, sage, painted wood....ahhhhhhhh. And as I was perusing the place I spotted an original Kelly Rae piece. Art envy ensued. But I digress...

• Jes generously and patiently showed me some of the ins and outs of Diamond Glaze, wire wrapping and jump ring making. I, in return, showered her living room with clippings of wire thrown by my cheesy wire cutters. It was hilarious and a tad dangerous.
• Rudy her lovely aging dog, drooled and teased me all day with an empty water bottle. I think she felt my love of animals. Dakota, Rudy's buddy lay quietly in the corner whilst the kitty, I forget her name rolled around the living space.
• I managed to make this necklace called Laugh. It's heavy and a bit itchy but it was my first and I am proud of it. Thank you so much, Jes!! I headed home at 3:30.

Saturday morning was a beauty so a special friend who I'll call R thought we ought to hit the coast. So off we went to Belfast a beautiful diverse town rated one of the top ten in the country for its culteral options. We first crossed the big bridge into Searsport where we went to Moose Point State Park to walk the trails and beach, then attended a small used book store where I picked up a French and Danish encyclopedia for a friend who is having surgery this week. Odd gift, I know, don't ask (he loved it). Because we didn't have the kids with us we bypassed the famous Perry's Nut House knowing we'd be back another time with them in tow. When we got hungry we pulled into Main Street, Belfast and chose to eat al fresco at Dockside's Restaurant. A nice, family oriented, award winning restaurant with great views of town and the ocean. It was getting late so we headed home so I could help with the dinner rush and close the cafe.

Sunday the 15th...The morning was a little dull. I had a mongo thick feeling in my head from lack of sleep (new moon problem for me) so I took a nap from 1:-3:30. It was deliciously naughty and a total treat to sleep in the midafternoon. Anyway. When I arose I made a yummy potato & asparagus salad with honey-mustard dressing for the evenings festivities.

My chariot arrived at 5:30 with R at the reigns. We were invited to a private house concert. The headliner? Pierce Pettis. Neither of us brought directions. Since R has a way of losing information I carefully removed the written directions from his care two weeks ago. Lo and behold I lost the directions...he he he OOPS. Anyway, Spirit was watching because as we were looking rather foolish on the side of the road wondering which way to go R suggested we just start taking each of the side roads until we found the right house. First road on the left and *BLING* (is that the sound of that magic makes?) there we are, front and center, at the address we needed. JOY!!

The home of the couple sponsoring the concert was so stunning. 100' from the most beautiful lake water stood a massive yet tasteful home. What a blessing. The sausages were grilling, I donated my potato and asparagus salad and cracked open a beer. R and I sunk into being ourselves, no masks, just us at our best.

We took second row seats set for a group of 40 people. Scott King opened with a four song set. As you know, I hear Scott sing alot, but this day he was at the top of his game. I was so happy and proud of him. His wife Shauna was there to share in his glory, too. Scott, who had helped arrange the Pierce Pettis concert then introduced Pierce and the party began.

Picture this: a skinny, nerdy looking guy with glasses and curly salt and pepper hair wearing a Guiness Beer t-shirt under a plaid short sleeved button up with jeans and sneaks. EEEE GADS...can this man reallyl be the magical musical genious I've been told of???? Holy Hannah~when this man started playing his guitar and using his vocalsI could have burst into tears. His story-telling folksy/bluesy style completely knocked my socks off. I found myself swaying to the music, tapping my feet and knocking my fingers around. I couldn't sit still. The beautiful part was the spirituality that seeps into his lyrics. After his first set I looked at R and asked for the money to buy a CD, but he already had his wallet out and was headed to the table.

In between drinking tons of water Pierce enthralled the audience with stories about the songs and their history. He spoke of his Alabama childhood and his current life on the road. He sand a song he wrote for Garth Brooks titled "You Move Me" and there are several other big names that have sung his lyrics that I can't even remember.

The second set of tunes was melancholy. I found myself wanting to sob. He sand "Black Sheep Boy" and images of my 19 year old son went through my head as he warbled "i pray each night for your protection, my black sheep boy." Had Pierce Pettis met my son? And damn him if he didn't go on to sing "My Little Girl" singing how"You dance and twirl and twirl, always remember you are my little girl". I was choking back the tears, today as I remember the words to the songs I can cry, there is no R to watch and wonder.

I said to myself AMEN as Pierce finished the set with an old fast paced blues number that was once done on Bob Dylan's World Gone Wrong album. Pierce was completely taken over by the music. His body shook, his guitar was laughing and bouncing with giddiness and I was nearly taken over with the excitement of the song.

When it was all said and done and Pierce had done two standing ovations I was honored to share my thanks and praise of his music. I aquired an autograph and left the party grinning. During the music I saw a whole collaged piece go through my head, the setting, the music, the scent of the place all done on one big canvas. I hope it comes out as I sketched it in my journal. I will call it Pierce.

So there it is. Life is good. Music. R. Belfast. Jewelry making. There is so much I left out of this post that I can't even put to words about the past weekend I will leave the rest to your own imaginations. I hope I haven't over-shared and at the same time I hope I have inspired you enough to look into the music of Piece Pettis and Scott King, the jewelery making and teaching talents of Jes Berry and the cultural action of Belfast, Maine.

I sit here knowing I've been blessed.