"The Elephant Diet" Day # 110 Alterations

I sent a file of vocals to my producer early this morning for his approval or rejection.  I'm thankful to work with someone who can make up his mind pretty quick!  Hopefully I'll hear back soon.

I also dropped off one of my dresses to be altered by a friend who sews.  I'm hoping she can add sleeves to the sleeveless dress I bought for the photo shoot in 3 1/2 weeks.  It's very beautiful and I can't wait to wear it, but a dress without sleeves for Christmas didn't make sense.  Plus, I feel really uncomfortable without sleeves on.  Guess I need to keep up my workouts at the gym.  But until then, we are adding sleeves....as long as she can find material to match the dress.  I know, that's risky.  Trusting that we can make it work.

I had lunch with my Mother and then took her to the doctor.  The Home has decided to raise her level of care from 3 to 4.  We hope this will help prevent her from falling so much and will give her more quality of life.  She continually wishes she could die and go to heaven.  It's part of every conversation I have with her now.  If she would die, that would be a really big alteration to my life.  For now, I'm glad it's just a dress we are adjusting.

"The Elephant Diet" Day # 109 Home from Nashville

WORD Entertainment Group
The site of the conference

We had a great time at the "Get Busy" Conference in Nashville, TN arranged by my producer, Eric Copeland.

There were over 20 artists there, plus about a dozen who attended 'on-line'.  Eric told us that he is currently working on producing 20 projects right now.  I thought I was busy!   One of those 20 is my Christmas CD.

Artists from all over the U.S. gathered to learn more about booking and social media.   We ended the day by having dinner together at "The Row".  

Today I worked on vocals for another one of the songs.  It's supposed to be a holiday today, but Tom is busy in the shop and I have tons to do too, so we will have to take another day as a holiday sometime soon.

"The Elephant Diet" Day 108 Shopping

Yesterday I spent 3 hours with an image consultant here in Nashville who helps you identify the styles you like, what you wear well, what you don't like about your body, and how to prepare for a photo shoot. Ruffles, sparkles, flare, twirls...that's me. Glad to leave the jeans out of this one!

This isn't my first time to work with an image consultant so it felt a little bit easier than my first time. I never feel so self-conscious than when I am going to meet an image consultant for the first time. But she was easygoing and very pleasant to work with. I knew I was in good company when she changed from her high heels to sandals when we went shopping so her feet would be comfortable. It's so nice to have someone hand you stuff to try on and go get other sizes or outfits. I could just stand in the dressing room and wait for more clothes to model! Felt like a princess.

In a very short period of time, we had 3 outfits picked out for my upcoming photo shoot in June. We talked some about the show and what I should maybe consider wearing for that. She encouraged me to wear something different for the show than for the publicity shots. Interesting tidbits to learn about how industry folks think about these things.

We are going for a more elegant look for this project because of the nature of the music. Of course, I have always preferred elegance over casual, though I've learned to be casual. Can't really wear long gowns on motorcycle rides. At least it isn't practical!

Today we head to the Creative Soul Records conference at WORD. I'll get to see my producer and connect with other artists out there doing what I do. That in itself is always helpful.

Better go get dressed for the day!

"The Elephant Diet" Day # 107 Catching Up

I am still here.

Still planning.

Still breathing.

Still eating an elephant.....but trying to catch up.

I have added two more adventures to my life which now take up more of the little amount of time left that I had to spare.  One of them I chose to say yes to, the other I needed to say yes to by nature of my job.

Monday nights I am leading a group of women at my church on a journey of trying to become more healthy in every aspect of our lives.  I have felt compelled for a long time to lead this, but resisted it because of my busy life. Tonight is our third meeting and it's already proving productive!  Maybe I'll write more about that later.  

Another added element to my schedule is a Thursday night music rehearsal for a new service style we started in May at my church.

Last week I attended a National Worship Leader Conference in Lancaster, PA for a couple of days and it was inspiring, but again, took up a big chunk of my time.  As I sat and listened to amazing music with incredible sound and lighting systems, I was reminded of the grandness (is that a word?) of what I am endeavoring to do with a show.  I am seriously pondering the scope of this venture.  I was especially blessed by a musician who simply sat at a keyboard and led us in worship that made me cry.  It certainly doesn't take all the pizzaz to move someone!  I enjoyed another group with lots of bells and whistles.  Both were inspiring.

In the meantime, last Thursday afternoon we recorded two more of my songs with a band in Nashville (I was there via headphones and texting).  Friday and Saturday I spent most of the day rehearsing songs for a previously scheduled vocal recording session in TN coming up this Thursday.

This week, I am heading to TN Wednesday afternoon for a "Get Busy" conference hosted by WORD and Creative Soul Records - the record label doing my Christmas CD.  I have to laugh at the irony of the title of this conference.  I really don't need anything more in my life, but I do believe what they are offering could be of great help to me on this journey.  Part of it will be focusing on using social media and that's something that I struggle with.  Plus, it's a good way to connect with other artists like myself and start building a relationship with WORD Entertainment Group.

The vocal session is now on hold as we are contemplating the possibility of using my very own studio to record vocals.  It all came about because I sent my producer a sample of what I was working on for the song we were to record this week.  He was so impressed by the work I had done here, that we are now talking about doing them all here.  That would be amazing if it works out.  Though I was really looking forward to working at Phil Naish's studio, I love the idea of having all the time I want to experiment with every single word and note and deliver it exactly as I want it to be without time limitation such as I would have if I do them in Nashville.

Thursday afternoon I'm scheduled to meet with an image consultant to shop for a wardrobe for the photo shoot coming up in June.

So as you can see (or read) I am still working away at the elephant, but I have had to be picky about how I spend my time.  Blogging about what I'm doing had to take a back seat for a week or so.

I hope to start back up with it this week.  Thanks to those who have asked about it.   That tells me that folks are truly reading and interested and that is really special!

My sister is in town right now helping to see that my Mother gets some special care after her recent falls.  She is still not recovering as we would hope and complains of lots of pain.  It is a relief to have someone else caring for her for a few days.  No one cares for family quite like family.  I'm so thankful for siblings that share this road with me.

"The Elephant Diet" Day # 106 Christmas in Black and White

Just when I start wondering if I can really do this thing, I get a song in my 'inbox' to listen to and approve.  It happened again this morning.  I woke up to the song "Christmas in Black and White" in my mailbox.  It is glorious!

The song is an instrumental and is a medley of Silent Night, Angels We Have Heard On High, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and What Child is This.  I arranged it on piano (the black and white ivories...thus the name) with a story in mind.  It starts slowly, demonstrating determination around the holidays to NOT get too busy or stressed THIS year.  But every year, it never seems to fail, the pace picks up and I soon find myself very busy by the time Christmas arrives.  The tempo does the same thing on the piano and moves to a hurried pace by the time we get to the song "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen."  By the time we get to Dec. 25, we are all in need of tidings of comfort and joy.

After the hustle and bustle of God Rest Ye, we slowly move into the song What Child Is This, to remind us to slow down and enjoy the beautiful moments of the season.

The orchestration that Brian Green wrote around my piano parts are gorgeous!  As I listen, I can envision the orchestra on the stage with the grand piano playing this amazing medley.  I can't wait for you to hear it!

It's been a very busy week on top of the fact that my Mother's health has been dancing on the edge of disaster with two falls.  Fortunately, nothing is broken, but she is not able to walk on her own without a lot of pain.  When I go through this with her, it makes me wonder if I truly can sustain this pace of life if something happens to her.  It's the one thing that makes me hesitant to commit to this show.

In the meantime, I have a CD to think about and in two weeks I head to Nashville to start recording vocals.  That means I need to be rehearsing the songs and getting in shape for that.  I'm also trying to arrange a session with an image consultant who will help me pick out a wardrobe for the photo shoot in June.

Tomorrow night I do a concert for a women's event and I really need to get ready for that, plus work on the two songs we'll record in a couple of weeks.

Fortunately, I've been able to get good rest at night, rise around 5:15 a.m. and have plenty of time to start the day with prayer, scripture meditation and exercise.  It helps to keep my life in balance.

Someone recently sent me a blog post from Lance Wallnau and it was so good - I'd like to close out the week with this.  It's a good word about facing our fears when contemplating something big.

If it scares you, it simply means you are doing something you are not yet comfortable doing. That’s all. It does not mean you will get hurt and it doesn't mean you are not courageous. In fact, nobody is really courageous if they feel no fear. The courageous person is the one who does not let the fear they feel control them. In fact every time you move toward the thing you fear, you expand. Every time you do the thing you need to do in spite of fear, you redefine who you are to the one person whose opinion matters most - YOU. Every barrier you break, every fear you overcome, makes you larger on the inside.

What other people think is of little account as long as you guard the reputation you have with yourself. If the thing you are dancing around is not something that is going to cause you physical harm, you need to ask yourself - who will I become if I do this? Every reward you have in life is attached to your growth and your greatest growth comes when you risk something. And courage is not always a physical test. Some are physically courageous but timid in expressing their feelings or having that courageous conversation they have been avoiding. If it scares you - you should look at it twice and ask, "If I do this thing will it make me larger?" If the answer is yes - do it.

"The Elephant Diet" Day # 105 An Answer from HACC

I heard back from HACC already!  I didn't expect to hear so soon.

If I want the Christian Student Fellowship group to sponsor my event at no cost to me, the students must have a prominent role in the performance.

I've pondered this all day and I have come to the conclusion that I'm not sure that is the direction I want to go.  I'm already juggling a lot of things in my life without adding the complication of involving students I don't know on a professional level, especially since it's not a music or dance club or some kind of specialty club that is used to performing.

I honestly don't think I can manage a CD project, a big show, caring for my mother, working part time at the church, doing concerts and events already scheduled AND bring on a group of students too.  One must draw the line and I have the pencil.  : )

I am so delighted that I have made these contacts however, and you never know what might come of this in the future.  For now, I'm off to a good start with the school and felt warmly received from the very beginning.  I have been impressed with their prompt and professional responses.

I feel like I'm on my way to building a good lasting relationship with this school.  For now, I think I need to let go of the idea of having them sponsor the show.

An update on my mother.......I called the hospital on my way to the church last night (I had a meeting to lead) and they told me that she was about ready to be sent home.  The nurse from the retirement community where she lives called later and left me a message saying that they did x-rays and no bones have been broken or fractured.

Can you hear me sigh a big sigh of relief.   I could use two of me sometimes!  For now, the only one of me that I have is very grateful that she is ok.

Now off to a birthday party.  

"The Elephant Diet" Day # 104 Good News and Bad News

The Rose Lehrman Arts Center at HACC where I met Jean and Travis today.

Good news:   I met with Jean and Travis today at HACC.  They seem excited about the possibility of sponsoring my show and confirmed that if they did, there would certainly be benefits for both of us!  The next step is for them to take this idea to the student government group and a few other people to talk about details and the possibility of a contract so that all involved are clear on the deal.

They weren't sure that I could sell tickets if they sponsor the show, so that is a very important detail, but aside from that, I walked away feeling great about the connection no matter what happens in the end.  It was a profitable meeting and Travis - the new president elect of the Christian Student Fellowship Group - was excited about the possibility and shared that their group has never done something of this size but he liked the idea.  He even asked if we could begin our meeting with prayer.  Of course!!!!

Bad news:  As I walked out of the building to my car and felt my soul elevate to another level, I received a voice message that my Mother (who is 90) fell shortly before they called and they were taking her to the ER.  She was apparently complaining about pain in her left hip which is the hip she broke Feb. 13, 2012.  The doctor was so pleased with her progress at her last check up and told me that many people her age never make it this far.  My soul quickly fell from the elevated state it was just in a moment ago.

As I processed this information, I realized that one of my fears about doing this show is how my Mother will be health-wise. Is it safe for me to commit to such a big adventure at this point in her life? I always want to be available to her if she needs me.  A big show will certainly put a strain on my time with her.

On the drive home, I committed all of this to God, one more time, and asked Him to lead my steps and show me what to do.

I'll have to continue my Christmas shop story another day.....gotta run.