mindy and me

Last Saturday night I had a "scoop of vanilla ice cream in a strawberry soda." That's because I got to hear Mindy sing. And that's how one person described her voice.

photo credit: justin hackworth

Mr. Fish and I,  and our friends D&C, headed over to Cedar City, sat outside in the perfect fall air, ate caramel Kettle corn, and got to listen to this:



And see this:

photo credit: justin hackworth

photo credit: justin hackworth

photo credit: holly coombs

What is it that draws you to a particular musical artist? 

I thought about what I like and then evaluated how Mindy Gledhill stacks up.

own personal style. CHECK
dreamy voice.  CHECK
beauty. CHECK
humor.  CHECK
heart.  CHECK
charm. CHECK
inspiration.  CHECK
authenticity.  CHECK
accessibility.  CHECK
great shoes.  CHECK
band members with cool hair. CHECK
bejeweled antique mannequins that display fan clothing.  CHECK
likes to twirl: CHECK
plays the guitar: WELL, SORTA. That gets a half - CHE

What about things you don't like? Here's my list and, again, how Mindy stacks up:

arrogance.  NOPE
lyrics about trucks and drunks. NOPE
stays an octave above middle C: NOPE
screaming guitars. NOPE
screaming voice.  NOPE
screaming admission price. NOPE


Alrighty then. See what I mean. How could you NOT love Mindy G? Her concert was great, great! I swayed and sang and smiled the whole time. Her music is original, uncomplicated yet profound, and inspiring without being unctious (I've been dying to use that word in a sentence). Her voice is silky and smooth and could melt the wool right off a baby lamb. Not that Mindy would ever do that. She's too nice. And I'm not saying that just because she put a picture of me on her blog.

photo credit: holly coombs. notice the mannequin behind Mindy...

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You can get Mindy's new Anchor CD here. Or, if you want to see her in person AND buy her CD, come see her live in St. George, UT on Oct 16, 2010 at Jazzy Java Coffee Shop. You won't be sorry. It's true Charlie.

it is almost here....can you taste it?

WE ALL KNOW that Labor Day sets it in motion. Once we wash the sand from under our fingernails after the Labor Day fun, Christmas is only three house payments away.

Every year, I tell myself that THIS year, I will be Ms. Org A. Nized...that THIS year will be a stress-free holiday. THIS year....by the time the week before the night before Christmas Eve rolls around, my house will be spotless, presents all wrapped, and our family photo & newsletter decorating fridge doors everywhere. I will be lounging on the couch, sipping homemade hot cocoa, watching Elf, and sampling my homemade caramels to make sure they still taste as good as they did 20 minutes ago. Oh, and the freezer will be full of sugar cookie dough, just in case.

Now, Christmas is breathing down our necks and here I am...doing it again: making a pact about stress and the holidays. Only this time, I've had a real honest-to-goodness epiphany. I've decided not to change a thing. After much thought, I realize that my tried-n-true methods work. There hasn't been a single year yet that Santa has left a note in our stockings explaining he needs two more days and will come on the 27th.

I will do my shopping on Dec 20, like I usually do, which, as it turns out, is a real time and money saver. Whatever I want will be available, except in the size I need, and in no other color except fluorescent orange. This will force me to re-think. I call it my guess you won't be getting that for Christmas money-saving trick.

Let's consider all of the tasks I try to cram in during the week before Christmas. Actually, let's not consider them. It's exhausting. But just know that procrastination pushes me to be ultra-productive. Plus, think of all the time I haven't wasted in the weeks leading up to Christmas on stuff that I can get done in one week. The biggest bonus is the wonderful thrill of giving in to utter exhaustion by collapsing into bed on Christmas Eve and savoring every single sedentary minute of Christmas Day.

It's true, this method won't allow for a Heston Blumenthal Christmas Eve feast. But, my family will be together. We'll gorge on roasted turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, homemade rolls, carrot souffle,  and seven-layer salad, sing and read the Christmas story from Luke. It is those small and simple traditions that forgive the road you took to get there or how organized your pantry is at that moment.

It is those small and simple traditions which mean the most.

how is that for reverse psychology?

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Check out the launch of a brand-spankin' new substance & style magazine called Anthology. I'm sure they'll have lots of great holiday ideas, just in case you don't subscribe to my method of madness....

carpe dead'em

On Wednesday, Sept 8, our one and only house pet seized {up} the day. RedLips, as he is affectionately called, swam on over to fishy heaven where he will now spend his days playing the carpsichord and gilling the lily. RedLips is survived in death by flora and a 1/2 used bottle of macro nutrients. He had no squiblings or squids. RedLips lived most of his three years in a fishbowl stationed in our watercloset where, unfortunately, he was frequently exposed to sharking images, brief nudity, and vain intentions. And yet, you can betta that RedLips lived a happy, non-productive three years, serving as a confidante for Daisy and herring scaly secrets of all kinds.  In lieu of flowers, codolences are being accepted in the form of checks, cash, money orders, Hot Tamales, fresh peach pie or fish sticks.