☮a good day

I had such an awesome, uplifting, and busy (in the super good way) kind of day today, so I never got a chance to post on here.  I have been "reconstructing" my day-to-day agenda because of the recent changes - both good and bad - that have been going on in my life lately.

I would be lying if I said I was sailing smooth seas ALL of the time, but it isn't a lie when I tell you that the power of God is, indeed, almighty.  He aligned the stars for me in such simple yet marvelous ways.  I wish I could explain it in a way that you might understand, but the bottom line is that I am restored with hope and I am very much surrounded by love and inspiration. 

I'll elaborate on that more when it's not past my bed-time because I can't wait to tell you about my day today (or yesterday now - ha!) 

I got to spend it with one of those friends that are what I consider a rare-gem, a gift, a blessing, and I was once again reminded that family and friendships and faith are the only things that matter in life - as long as you are spending it with the right people.

And that's what I did today. 

But I'll tell you about it tomorrow.

I just wanted to tell all my bloggie friends that I love them and that I hope the Lord blesses you in many ways... and if you ever feel like hope is not within reach, I urge you to look in the most peculiar and mysterious places and there it will be - plain as day - GOD'S AMAZING LOVE! 

For me today, I found his love in a soul-sister type friend. A vegan lunch. A story on a canvas. A worship song. A mural. A random page in my devotional. In a hydrangea bush.

He is all around me, and I am going to be ok.

peace and love

baily

goodnight

☮

☮ vinyl records = peace and love ☮

Hello Wildflower Friends!

If you know me or have been reading my blog long enough - you probably know that I have a love for vinyl records.  I've always had a love for old things. 

Ya gotta love The Best Of The Doobies and Grateful Dead's Shakedown Street.

I sure as heck do! :)

Some of my favorite memories as a child are about family history and my personal and Southern heritage - whether it be looking through my grandparents' keepsakes and asking questions about my heritage and the memorabilia they saved for us or reading the old letters and Bible notes in their former books and diaries. I never just wanted to know names of the people in my genogram,or just basic info like their ages at death, where they lived, or how I was related to them. I was always the little girl who was more interested in their personal stories. I remember a large amount of my childhood was spent wishing I could know the people in the previous decades.  Countless hours of my youth went by with me reminiscing with older generation relatives that could recall some of the stories I wanted to know. Like, seriously, one of my favorite things to do was visit the "family cemetary" where many people of my geneology are laid to rest. Creepy? Maybe... but, I respect the past.  I respect the stories. I respect the things that statues, memorials, antiques, and classics respresent.  I'd wander antique shops with anyone who would accept the so-called "boredom" of my slow browse through any dusty, old, store of "junk" (not to me) but what that they called it. Most of my loved ones and close friends usually oblige to my love for vintage shopping and antique browsing and cemetary visiting because of the excitement & passion I have about all things historical. 

The vintage cassete case Daddy also had. 

I love it, too!

I mean, every single person and every single thing has a story.  Every generation.  Every era. Every culture. Every group.  And for a music lover, every song tells a multitude of stories that send a message to the people who will listen. Now, don't get me wrong, I am aware that not all music is about peace, love, and happiness.  But my music is.  Well, sometimes it is about broken-hearts and gettin' whiskey-bent and hell-bound but what's more real than love, heartache,loss, and Southern pride?  I say, "Keep on sangin' Willie, Waylon & Hank!" Even country music was way better back in the record playin' days...

Country boys CAN survive! 

Alabama Mountain Music; Hank Williams, Jr. Habits Old and New; Waylon & Willie's Album

SOLID. COUNTRY. GOLD.

Honestly, no one will ever convice me that there was a time in music history that was better than the vinyl record era.  Before video killed the radio star and before MP3s made browing record stores a "waste of time" to most people.  Back then, music was still an art - it was sometimes even a strong political message (and we see that happening now too.) Songs, bands, and musicians were worshipped (in that secular way) because a social movement - powered by music - was changing (and did change) the world.  I see my generation carrying the torch for this sort of environmental, musical, social change movement.

And I DIG it.

For anyone who has been touched by music in the deepest part of their soul like I have... I bet you respect this kind of music and it's place in music history. In my personal opinion, the mid-60s to early-to-mid-70s was the musical era that touched the heart and was about soul and passion. It was before technology "enhanced" it and made it unreal... instead, it was the era when music was made raw and real... at it's best! And best heard on a record player.

Rolling Stones Made In The Shade

Luckily for me, I have a pretty groovy player. Even if it is a replica of what a Crosley wooden record player was like - I love it because it representative of what it looked like back then. And, I love the fact that it only looks 60 years old but has a little better quality than that of an actual one from the 1960s.

I just truly dig it - it is a "belonging" of mine that portrays me and my personality in more ways than one. It says more about me than just this: I'm a weirdo who buys and uses music technology from 60 years ago.

My Confession: I don't own an iPod. I have had an iPod once - but never used it. I am blessed to have the type of Dad who likes to buy my sister and my mom and I nice things for Christmas and Easter and Birthdays. He's probably the best gift-giver in the world.(Can't say that about 85% of men.)  So, the year that the iPod was introduced and was all the craze, my sister and I were naturally knew that we would probably be getting one... and we did - the Pink Mini iPod. The very first one made! (do you remember it?)  Obviously, I am showing how far back this was because I still liked PINK, I guess. You do know that I absolutely do not dig pink very much, right? Well, this iPod had a black and white screen with a nice, frosty,and very pink outside casing. Just funny that it was considered the "mini" but it's size is more resemblant of the iPad now. (It's definitely the Zach Morris cell phone version of the iPod now, haha!)

I had lost several vinyl records and CD's in the fire last year, so I didn't feel guilty for long about claiming the iPod. Even though it wasn't used, it still was ruined in the fire and was on the insurance claim. Plus, I lost a Mac computer AND a HewlettPackard computer that both had a butt-load of songs on them.  The "mysteriously vanishing boyfriend act" was supposed to give me his iPod since he no longer used it, and I actually went ahead and paid him for it (I should have kept a tab for all the things I did for that kid) - but he never gave the iPod to me.(Shoulda been a red flag of his scumminess but oh well!) So, I was still without an iPod almost a year after the fire, but because of my love for vinyl I didn't really care and wasn't missing an iPod much since I never was a huge user of one.  Well, I lost my cell phone a couple of weekends ago (RIP CrackBerry) and I'm a faithful Verizon customer, so I was pumped that I could now purchase an iPhone and knock two birds out with one stone since it serves as an iPod also. These days I am an iPhoner and I LOVE it... even after all those mean things I said when I was on Team CrackBerry!  I take it all back and since I am a trator and joined the iPhone family, I can now say I have an iPod as well. 

Except... do you think I've set up my iTunes account on this phone yet? Hell no. That's a good job for one of my tech-savvy guy friends to do for me.  

AND DO YOU WANT TO KNOW THE BEST PART ABOUT IT? Before the Mysteriously Vanishing Boyfriend act, one of the last convos I had with him was about me sending him his external hard-drive that has about 8,000 songs on it.  (If you can remember - back in the relationship days - I blogged about how excited I was that he let me borrow this hard-drive that was jam-packed full of groovy rock, reggae, psychadelic, and jam music.  I had hit musical jackpot!  We shared the same taste in music, so it was like this pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  I had been so distraught over losing all of my iTunes from the fire (which I hate to say were mostly pirated and illegally downloaded - except at the time I didn't know the server was illegal... deleted now!)- and I felt so blessed that he had let me "borrow" that external hard-drive.  Well, let's just say this - he ain't gettin' it back.  Not after the way I've been treated, and not if he wants me to write up an invoice of all the money he owes ME.  Hahaha, that'd take a while, wouldn't it "Mystery Man?"

Oh. My. Goodness. 

My own little vinyl heaven :)

So, NO WONDER why I was so stoked when I got to rummage through the rest of Daddy's old records that he kept for me. It's pretty IRONIC though. When Santa brought me my record player for Christmas 2009, Daddy got his two big boxes of vinyls down from storage and let me take a few of them with me back to school.

"Only take a few with you and I promise I will give you the rest of them when you graduate," he said.  "It's not that I don't trust you with them, I just don't want them to get stolen if y'all get broken into or God forbid if a fire happened."

Yes, he said that. God forbid if a fire happened.

I didn't argue with him, but I did want to stress the fact that I didn't think anything like that was going to happen.  I'd been up at school for four years and nothing like that had happened to me, personally so I just let it be but wished I could assure him that I'd take good care of his old records from the 60s and 70s.  But I couldn't have.  Only four months later a fire would come and melt some of those vinyls into big black globs of nothing.  It made some of the albums' cover-art look like roasted marshmallows. All I could think about when we cleaned out that horrific aftermath was "damn, Daddy knew best."

The Best of The Guess Who; Fleetwood Mac Rumors;

Eagles Hotel California; Aerosmith Toys in the Attic; BeeGees Main Course

I had forgotten what wonderful records he had waiting for me when I returned home. Home to a place where house fires don't haunt me and my thoughts, as much, and where random college-aged people don't enter and exit my residence everyday like they used to in my Bama dwellings. Plus, he's got this groovy little cleaning kit that I'm going to polish my records with. :)

If you want to know what I have been doing this evening... take a guess!!! 
Correct answer: JAMMING MY FACE OFF TO THESE AWESOME VINTAGE RECORDS & NOT THINKING ABOUT ANYTHING STRESSFUL & THANKING THE LORD FOR MUSIC THAT HEALS THE SOUL. Duh. 

This. This is what makes me happy.  Being at home - my real home.  Sitting in my re-decorated and re-arranged childhood bedroom, blogging to my wonderful readers, and listening to the music that has spiritually, emotionally, and mentally aided me in this recovery process.  

Just recently began listening to this one tonight (Goose Creek Sympony Words of Earnest).

Then I freaked out when I heard this ensemble cover a Janis Joplin song, Mercedes Benz.

Perf.

I hope I am or can become more like a vinyl record - not considered worthless but considered valuable and artistic and able to leave my own little sport in history.  I hope I am rare, but timeless. Respected by the ones that value things with "a past" and am taken extra special care of. Imperfect - with scratches, pops, cracks, and white noise.  Fireproof - because I nor most of my records were destroyed in last April's fire mayhem. Vintage but classic & cool. And most of all, full of positive messages, realness,talent, uniqueness, and inner-beauty. To me, that is what these vinyls represent when I listen to them and I hope I represent these same things in some ways, too!  

 

All I can say is, thank God for music - especially on Mondays.  Rainy Mondays. And THANK YOU TO DADDY for saving these pieces of music history to pass on to me. People tell me I belong in the 60s or 70s by the way I dress and my open-minded, free-spirited thinking.  I just go back to that decade by dropping the needle and letting those records spin.  I'll never cease in my collecting of vinyl and I'll never lose my love for the style of music I listen to on that very special record player of mine.

Do any of you collect vinyl records or have some from the past?? 

Tell me some of your favs! Tell me some "must gets"..

 and fill me in on any other record lover's news that you may know of! 

I bet you can  guess what my favorite or most cherished album is? They're all actually my favorites... but this one means a lot to me - - -

Janis Joplin's post-humous Pearl

*peace and love*

and good music

☮

baily  

<and Mildred Jean>

She is exactly one month away from turning 2!  

PRAY THAT PRECIOUS LITTLE PUPS LIKE THIS CUTIE DON'T GET THE TERRIBLE 2's.

No way... look at that face! She's the love of my life.



thursday's thoughts

I'm at work and I'm full of good anxiety because I'm stoked about this weekend.

It is the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 Round....

and my Heels are there.  But so are my nemesises: Duke and Florida. 

I'm actually going to hang out with Gator friends tonight to watch their game against BYU - and to be honest, I will be pulling (controllably, without making a rowdy scene) for Brigham-Young.  I won't cause any fights or fits with my passionate Florida friends, but I can't stand the fact that they are in the tournament - and in the easiest bracket of all.  Just sayin'.

Tomorrow night the Heels play Marquette and I probably won't sleep much tonight because I am a high-anxiety, crazy, psycho Carolina fan and I just don't do well during March.

There are reasons it's called MARCH MADNESS, ya know...

Anyways, aside from being a big basketball junkie lately I have also been spending some quality time with my Mom, hanging with my awesome friends, and working more hours this week than I have since I started my new job. I am loving it, though - the people I work with make me smile and are full of funny, happy, uplifting stories. 

Plus, when I get my pay-checks... I get a Florida Lotto ticket with it.  How cool, I so dig it!

I am really starting to become an even firmer believer in things happening for a reason.  I know that the things that make up my life now are what is meant to be because I am just over-all in a better place mentally, physically, and emotionally.  I think getting this job and having a structure to my day had a lot to do with that.  Whether it can be noticed by those around me or not, there is extreme personal  growth growing on in my heart & soul and I can find a love for myself and a peace of mind from that.  It feels good.  But not enough to subdue the March Madness anxiety. 

Another "feel good" is Momma's rose bush that always blooms so pretty every year.

She let me have one since I have been the official photographer of the blooming pinkness lately :)  I love it.  It looks perfect outside in it's natural place and by my bed - don't you think?

I've been laying out in the sunshine a lot and finally have that "natural white bikini" that I long for all winter long.  I am so glad that I have this home in Florida that the Lord blessed my family with and the ability to spend time outside and enjoy the goodness of being home.  I really do understand a lot more about who I am now that I am here - and I am definitely a North Carolina Cherokee with my fortunately easily tanning skin, and I am definitely this handsome man's daughter - because check out his shades! ;)

Love you, Daddy!

Just wanted to spread some peace & love and send some cheer your way today!

I've been an inconsistent blogger lately but that's because I've been venting and relaxing in other ways... plus, my schedule is a lot different now than it was, well, ever.

It's finally semi-normal.

Semi.

LOVE LOVE LOVE you all!

p&l

b

I STILL FIND EACH DAY TOO SHORT FOR ALL THE THOUGHTS I WANT TO THINK, ALL THE WALKS I WANT TO TAKE, ALL THE BOOKS I WANT TO READ, AND ALL THE FRIENDS I WANT TO SEE.

-JOHN BURROUGHS



#randomlikealways

This week has been about self-forgiveness so far.  After a weekend with friends and family that could have gone better - but due to my "girl cramps" and my most hated nemesis - my depression - things didn't go as smoothly for me, personally, and I'm carrying a lot of burden and grief for letting my own self-issues affect my loved ones and their vacay. Don't think it was a disaster, we had a great time - I just could have coped with some of my moods better, but I was all jacked up on estrogen and not in the best of spirits - despite knowing that I was and am sooooo blessed to have gone to that concert, stayed at such a fun hotel, and got to hang/lay-out & jam with the people I loved the most.  It was a great weekend, in the grand scheme, but I am just an honest and open book and I'm saying that I added a little extra baggage.  It gets old and frustrating, but it's a process and I'm appreciative of all the prayers I have receive that help me when I'm in a slump.  Trust me it/they have worked... because despite how upset I could be about things... I am a smiling little gal still and I hope I can portray that love and heal any hurt I caused when I lost my temper this weekend.  (I love you all, you know that.)

Aaah, little Grayson is in there ^^^

I got to shop for the future nephew this weekend, too.

And yes... I went psycho. Again.

I have an awesome Lord and I know that He has forgiven me because I have spent some quality and truly moving time with Him lately.  I hate that sometimes my true devotion and good intention... and my spritual growth and spiritual maturity, especially... don't get to show because my depression and bad habits and mood swings creep in and win a battle or two.  But, God has told me in many ways that everything will be ok and I need to just forgive myself and grow from my learning experience.  It is like a broken record, this learning the hard way thing... I think He got the memo that I'm into old vintage records.  I get the hint that my song seems to have a lot of pops and cracks in it... but that's the way some of us are, right? ;)

Anyway, I had a good day yesterday and an even better day today... so things in my mind are in a happy place - but unfortunately, they are also in a very grey place.  I don't know how many people know my entire story (soap opera) but I suffer from depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder amongst some other issues, and I have an intense, high-anxiety and completely ridiculous fear of the month of April.  You see, the first person I thought was 'the love of my life' and the one I was never going to spend a day without (dude, I even considered moving to CLEVELAND, OHIO of all places when post-grad opportunity-talk would arise... that's love if I gave up the rest of the world for there. No offense to y'all Cleveland readers... all love..)... anyway, he broke my heart on March 31 and sent me into this downward spiral of depression, detattachment issues, soul-searching, anxiety, fear, loneliness, self-destruction... need we say more? 

I asked "him" the next day if it was an April Fool's joke...

Hahahahahaha.... not from him.   Just from life. And hold on tight, Bai, the next three years are a bumpy-ass ride....

So here I am in my little grey world these days because I'm freaking out about April being like, literally, right around the corner.  Don't worry... I'm not only holding on tight... I'm considering a helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, and a mouth guard as my April wardrobe because such absolute shitty things happen to me during that month.  Ya know, like fires, car accidents, break-ups, friends' deaths, and unexpected hospital visits.  Won-der-ful.

Buuuuuttttt..... remember how God is so awesome?  - - - He is going to keep me safe and out of harm's way this APRIL so I won't have to rock the clueless rollerblader's look with all those pads and helmets and stuff, ha...  OH. MY. GOODNESS.  Speaking of roller-blading and all the gear, I think the first uber-traumatic experience of my life as a little hellian was when I lost my PERMANENT teeth in a roller-blading accident... and it was in April.  Holy shheeeeeezzzzz..... just, wow.  I'll save that story for another day - I'm going to confirm when it happened with Mom tomorrow morning.

Oh, on the topic of Mom.... the coolest Mom in the world.  She laid out in the sun with Millie and I today and then we went to a super cool dinner at Orlando's burger joint Graffiti Junktion and we had a perfect little "mom and daughter day" and I loved it. I love you Momma!

I am still in the process of editing the ones from the Kenny Chesney & co. concert, so I'll probably post them tomorrow after work! 

So glad "Michabella" was there with me.

Isn't she the cutest? I hope she knows how much I love her.

Hope your week is full of self progression like mine is and that it brings happy, joyful smiles!

Enjoy this verse... it's like, totally a new fav of mine! :)

PSALM 126:4-6

Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew the desert. Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they renturn with joyful harvest.

PEACE & LOVE

B A I L Y

btw

sorry I'm not sorry for being so random

 it's just the way I am

be as you are

quick little note of love

Is there a blogger award for the "Sketchiest Blogger" because I deserve it!

The funny thing is, my girl Kathleen is laughing right now because freshmen year at BAMA she awarded me the "Sketch of the Year" award multiple times.  I go in and out of hiding within my social group, and I guess I do the same with my blog social world.  Trust me that I mean no harm and also know that I've missed the connection I have to you all... so I am going to be better about staying into my routine. 

I guess when my entire routine sort of switched and fell into a different place (well hell. when my daily life fell into any place at all... ha, but serious) I lost touch with my blogger energy but it's back.

My aura, it's so purple again.

:)

ANYWAYS: I have so much to tell you about.  My fun, music-filled weekend in Tampa Bay seeing Kenny Chesney and Zac Brown Band and Billy Currington and Uncle Kracker. 

And getting to bring my REAL-LIFE BLOG FRIEND along with me.

And seeing my cute, precious, glowing Sissy and shopping for baby clothes for Grayson.

And definitely just wEnT cOaStaL for the weekend - and it was muuuuuch needed.

I'm at work now, and then I have an appointment, but I'll post my pictures ASAP.

And I'll get back to my Blogger "A-game!"

PEACE AND LOVE

BAI

This week has gone by so fast...
I know I have so much to fill you in on but sometimes life runs away with a multitude of stuff we gotta do and, unfortunately, blogging isn't always the top priority.

But right now I am pulling up to Clearwater Beach for a rendezvous with Michelle, my Sissy, my B-I-L, my Momma,and my Daddy. Dad spoiled us with tix to the Goin' Coastal - - the Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band, & Billy Currigton concert!

I can't wait to see Ash's baby bump...
and love all over her and totally creep her out because she isn't the touchy-feely type.

And I can't wait to rock out - in them cowboy boots of mine of course!!!

To make it better, the weather is groovy, the beaches are clean and beautiful, the food is going to be great, and the sunshine is going to brig so much happiness.

Keep you posted! Follow me on twitter for my weekend happenigs! (@bailyjones) I prob won't be blogging much!

Be as you are...
Peace & Love
Baily

Giveaway WINNER!!! Other big news :)

The winner of the giveaway is:

Tiffani from Lifes-A-Blog

send me your address so I can get this going to you!

:)

She's my new, sweet blog-friend from Charleston!

 Stop by her blog and say hey!

Speaking of CHARLESTON...

My Sissy and Tyler are on their way to spend the weekend there and they are taking exciting news with them!  Before they left Birmingham for their trip to go see his family, they had a doctor's appointment and Ashley was hell-bent and determined she was going to find out the gender of their baby (even though she was told she would find out at the end of March).  Turns out she didn't have to win-out with her sometimes-stubborn ways to get the doctor to reveal the gender because little Baby Little was moving around so much that they had to go to ultra-sound to get a heartbeat and was able to find out what the sex of her first child was.  (No need to be frightened about them not findinf the heartbeat at first - it was just because the baby was moving around...)

The baby...

my little baby....

n e p h e w

I am so excited!!!

We all are SO excited!

And yes, they have a name already (you have to know my sister, you'd understand)

grayson

coleman

little

I'm sure she will post a blog when she gets to Charleston tonight and settles down before bed.  I know she is so thrilled and will make the best Mommy in the world.  My eyes just fill up with happy, sentimental tears when I think of how awesome Tyler is going to be with a little boy.  He has such a role model as a father and that is already something I am so thankful.  So Tyball, thanks for loving my Sissy so damn much and for already being the most fun and honorable Daddy a little boy could ever ask for.  I'm really proud of you two.

Y'all will be awesome parents to little Grayson! But don't worry... Aunt Baily will show him how to have a little fun too!

peace and love

baily

Giveaway! Oopsie Daisy! Update!

My hiatus is over.

...but, did you miss me?

I know that I did something that I'm sure is a huuuuge blogger no-no!

Not only did I extend my giveaway deadline due to being distracted by my crazy/beautiful life, but then I didn't announce the winner on the new deadline date!!! Sorry, y'all!!! I was still swingin' at curveballs and trying to make lemonade out of these lemons!
I think we hit a couple home-runs and made some pretty awesome lemonade this past week... so forgive me if you can!

Have I won your sympathy yet?!? No, but seriously - I've been a little overwhelmed lately and doing this giveaway and doing it properly would just be wrong right now.

I'm extending it one last time because the third time's a charm!

And since this is an oopsie-daisy on my part

I'm putting together a surprise goody-bag that I think you will dig!

As if a peace owl print isn't awesome enough (thanks rachel)...
I went and got super distracted (like always) & now have an excuse to go buy my favorite readers some groovy things!  

Wooord. Right? ;)

Anyways, another reason I seemed to have been lost in the mystic is because I'm in that loss of technology twilight zone...

I lost my phone when I was out in downtown Orlando with friends on Saturday night.  I went to one of my best friend's birthday party and not only forgot her gift at my house before I walked out the door, but I gave some drunken bar-rat out there, who has no heart by the way, a $250.00 BlackBerry.  Awesome, with a side of complete sarcasm.  And no, I wasn't a drunken bar-rat myself.  I can't even use that as an excuse and blame the phone incident on being drunk. To say I was pisssed off at the world on Saturday night would be the best way to decribe only the beginning to a series of brewing emotions.  Not because it's a lost phone - are you kidding me?  I would tell you how many cell phones I've had in my life but I don't want to make my Mom and Dad sick.

But I was emotional about I hate always feeling like

I can't win for losing.

It was just one more thing I'd have to replace.  All those pictures that were on there when my phone had to serve as my camera until I could get a new one because a fire destroyed it... and everything else.  Those saved messages from people who have sent their support for me during this beautifully transcending phase in my life. 

But then I found a way to laugh it off and just think

isn't it ironic?

Life is, that's for daaaamn sure.

But an over-all great weekend (filled with music) made it possible to let it go and let it be. 

I mean, what can you do? Well, other than call Verizon and shut off your phone and then pray that God convict their heart and do what is right and not do anything mean, malicious, or harmful with the personal information and such that is on that phone?

...This is funny though.  Anyone who ever lived with me in college probably saw me deal with a lost phone, a broken phone, a run over phone, a rained on phone, a phone or two that swam in the toilet, and the one that encouraged us to drink a pitcher of beer faster so that no one had to put their dirty hands in the beer.  That one was stupidly funny. Anyways... all the times other than the last one, my former roomie's would probably tell you that I freak the hell out when I am without a cell phone.  That was even the case before I became a CrackBerry addict. 

But the funny part about this time is that I have ENJOYED the serenity of not having a handheld computer to go with me everywhere.  I realized I crowd my mind with a lot of stuff sometimes and I realized that maybe I shouldn't have Twitter on my phone.  I forget to enjoy the moments around me because I am busy reading about friends & family, celebrities & reality-TV stars, college & pro athletes, and musicians, organizations, and politicians. 

Like, OMG... information overload.  I need some peace of mind. 

I have enough going on in my own life right now and I just can't imagine how much clearer my thoughts would be if I didn't crowd it with so much information news about people that I barely know but just attract media and public attention. 

I think I need a break.

BUT NOT FROM HERE! I'm back, y'all! :)

So thanks for understanding that I have been spending a lot of time in personal thought and quality time with friends and family.  I'm not only trying to organize this chaotic mind of mine, but I am also organizing my rooms and bathrooms so I've been in productive mode.

So enter the giveaway since you still have time!

I'll announce the winner - for real - this Friday afternoon sometime!

So, March 11th!

Leave a comment with this post's link and you can enter to win it again,

even if you've entered one or several times already!

Love y'all... ☮

peace and love

baily

zach deputy show. orlando, fl

Zach Deputy

at

The Plaza Live

The show was unbelievable.

My entire night was, actually. 

Groovy is an understatement when it comes to describing what fun I had and how much joy it brought me to reconnect with an old friend through music.  It is funny - the friendships that are born when two souls share the same respect for beatnik jams.  I don't know, maybe others don't see it in the same way that I do - but it's pretty beautiful.  Music just has a way of speaking to people - that is, if you are really listening.  That is something that I have come to learn in this ever-adventurous musical journey I have found myself on over the past few years.

Maybe that is why I have so much love for the friend that introduced me to this uniquely styled music.  He saw me hurting and in such pain and he knew that music could free me, so he made me listen to Widespread Panic and Phish until I just could not get enough of it.  I still can't... that's why it's so awesome that these bands JUST PLAY MUSIC.  Their song encyclopedias are endless... they could fill an entire iPod's memory space on their own I am sure - they live to play music and they play music to live.

I realized, in the deepest crevice of my depression, that I must have music to live.  

I'm one of those people who just comes to life when the music starts.  I can't sit down at a concert and when I am standing, I am definitely not standing still.  I am a wildflower dancer... a wiggler... a bouncer... a hip-swiveler... a jammer.

So last night, when I met up with an old friend who I reconnected with over our shared music interests, I was delighted to find out that he is a jam-head, too!  We did not stay still the entire night and were in disbelief at how anyone could stand there and not dance to Zach Deputy's stellar performance last night. 

Not sure what's up with my eyes!

It's that weird, theater show lighting! 

(Not the fact that I don't have a soul because truuuuust me, I've got some soul... and Zach Deputy brought it out of me last night!)

So I grooved out with some fellow ecclectics and had such a kick-ass time - and to be honest, I've had a little rhythm in my step all day... I just can't keep from feeling SO GOOD today after I danced all of my worries out last night.  They are gone - Good riddance, anxiety!

The show was also a good excuse to meet new people that shared similar taste in music to me.  I met up with Ryan and a couple of his buddies (one gave us free tickets to the show - score!) and I got to witness the tail end of their own little jam-session in the living room of a UCF student's home.  Even though I don't go/didn't go to UCF, I felt so comfortable and "normal" being on a beer-soaked hand-me-down couch, listening to guy-friends' electric and bass guitars and any other instrumentalists that feel like partaking in the "session."  It's college. 

A normal week-day night for the music lovin' college kid.

Jam a little, catch a live show, and talk about the festivals you plan on attending in the upcoming months.  And that is what we did.  It was perfect!!!

I hope these cool cats invite me along for more shows and living room jam sessions!

Oh yea, did I mention I love music?

You know you want to check out Zach Deputy's blog.

peace and love

bjj