Kinder words...

Patty Griffin always has amazing songs. She has one called Long Ride Home. Cameron Crowe used it in his movie Elizabethtown. The song is about a man riding home from his wife's funeral. There's a line in the song... "How hard would it have been to say some kinder words instead." The line reminds us of what we were told as children "If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all." Okay then you grow up and well easier said then done. I've had some harsh things said about me and I've said some harsh things in the heat of the moment that I can never take back. I'm still learning how to live life. After all there is no owners manuel. The habit for me is to say the kinder words. 

When was the last time someone said Kinder words to you? When was the last time you spoke kind words?

Here's what I got recently.. "Angela, you never find ways to stop helping people, do you?." This was spoken to me by a fellow crew member at Ozzfest after offering to print his boarding pass. It took sometime for it to sink in but when it did it really made me smile *Thanks Stew! 

My middle name is Mae.

A kindred spirit

Mesmerized by your strength 

touched by your kindness

You've given us all courage 

Never concerned about your own comfort

Always comforting other you gave

Your heart and soul

Always

Taught us a lesson with our inner child

Keep it Simple

A teacher

A mother

A sister

A wife

"Day at a time"

Just when we think we'll never know happiness again

life comes back -AMH

i wrote that for my mom nine years ago... 

I was 24 when my mother lost her battle with cancer on 9.8.99

She learned in 1978 that she had malanoma.  

For 21 years I had a mother who was a walking miracle

I took that for granted

it's what you do when you are young you disagree 

you tell them how wrong they are and how they don't understand you

then one day...

you wake up and you hear words leave your mouth that are almost a direct quote of that person you swore didn't understand you....

turns out...

they really did know.

My Mother's name was Mae.

Small Town

Nothing like walking out to a garden in the morning and picking some fresh green beans with my daddy. :-) Look how green and fresh! On the lunch menu that day:

Fresh Tomatoes

Fresh Green Beans

Fresh Lettuce...

...No I cannot forget where it is that I come from 

I cannot forget the people who love me

Yeah, I can be myself here in this small town

And people let me be just what I want to be.

-JCM

Not planning

It seems like most of my life I have been told that I must have a plan. A guideline of sort. I'm happy to report that I never  really came up with one. It use to really bother me 5 year plan, 10 year plan... what are you doing with your life... I finally figured it out. 34 years & 9 months... My plan is to live. You might be surprised at how much people don't. It's not always easy. 

You make people nervous...

Today I was standing at the airport in OKC, OK preparing to check on to a flight back to Nashville when I asked the agent... Got anything flying into St. Louis? He said NO. He said that's it what you have in your hand and I repeated... No sir, not nashville. Do you have anything into St. Louis? He looked like I was taking away his birthday... ma'am there are no more flights to... and I looked him in the eyes... he finally made eye contact with me and typed something into the computer. There is a flight leaving at 4:30 it's been delayed. I'll take it. I dialed my cell phone and on the other end my daddy answered the phone in his familer 'hello" Dad I'll be landing at 6:00pm in St. Louis. "good deal he said I'm on my way." An hour and thirty minutes later I was hugging my dad and eating a great meal at O'Charley's. 

Finding happiness is easy if you follow your heart. Dig deep and see what is you really need at that momment. The key here is just that what you need, not everyone else,  just you. For me it was hug from my dad turns out it's just what he needed as well. :-) 

"It's life sometime you fall"

"It's life sometimes you fall" -wise words once spoken to me by a 7 yr old. 

Healthy Obsession

I've been traveling for work so Biggie has been with his dad. (he's a joint custody dog) I picked him up last night actually he picked me up... car battery gone wrong... anyway, I missed him a bunch so I thought I would talk about my Healthy Obsession. Biggie. Yes, I love my big white gassy English Bulldog *giggles* I don't care if you think he is spoiled because he thinks you should share whatever it is you are eating. I mean seriously call the dog whisperer guy on me because he growls at me every night at bedtime when I am helping him into the bed. I mean He's 10 years 4 months aka 72 yrs old. He gets to be grumpy at some point in the day. Biggie came into my life about six months after my mother lost her 21 year battle with malenomia. He has outlasted my marriage and lived in 5 states! If you have had the honor of meeting Biggie you understand why in the photo above I am smiling so "Big".  I love my dog more then most people get over it. What is your healthy obsession?

Kicking & Screaming...

So lately I've been pretty busy working on a couple advances: Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Monsters of Rock, and Ozzfest. It's pretty funny one call I am talking about 3 inches of Blood next call I'm talking about where Santa's going to land. When people ask me what tour I'm on I can't help but say Kicking & Screaming. LOL! So what are you working on? Not that it defines you but as a conversation piece? 

Learning to Listen...

My friend Maggie hooked me up with a wonderful church when I lived in Chicago. I loved the messages, the pastor always made me laugh. I haven't lived in Chicago since 2000. I really haven't taken the time to seek out a church since. My excuse is lame to busy just not enough time. My good friend Snelly made a remark about this pastors blog and how she thought she might want to check out his church. I surprised myself and said what are you doing tomorrow let's go. *steps back* wait did I just volunteer to go to church. The girl who was brought up on Jimmy Swaggart and raised Assembly of God. Who was required to clean her room and go to church on Wednesday and Sunday AM/PM if she wanted to go roller skating on Friday nights. Really just said what what are you doing tomorrow let's go. So...we went to crosspoint and something happened. The pastor made me laugh. (He also made me cry but don't you dare tell anyone that!) The lesson was simple yet complex. He even used a vending machine as prop. (I find myself wanting peanut m&m's) Don't pray like God is a vending machine and pick out what you want and walk away. Learn to Listen. He asked everyone to think of the first word you associate with the word Pray. My word was release. I needed a reminder, I didn't know I was missing anything but I stopped to Listen and guess what... I guess I needed me some God. :) *Thanks Snelly* P.S. I also stopped at the CVS and got me some peanut m&m's.

Avoiding your Destiny 101

I have been running my whole life... I haven't spent more then 2 years in one home. It wasn't always that way I had one house growing up (dad still lives there) At age 17 I left that house and moved to Lumberton, NC to complete my Junior year. I really haven't stopped moving since. I hit the two year mark and off I go. Most people are weary of change and I embrace it. I actually thrive off it. So I find myself looking at October 2008, it marks two years in the 704 square feet mansion I bought in Nashville. So I have started looking at houses in *insert city* as it was time to run. Then I realized something while watching of all things Kung Fu Panda...it was the power of the IMAX effect or something but the wise old turtle Oogway borrows an old french proverb "One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it." jaw to the ground. what. So all this "running" all this time... I turn 35 in October and as gift to myself I will embrace the two year mark feet grounded with a happy heart and a home filled with love.