And a Happy New Year

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We Never Forget Those We Love

one foot in front of the other

1 Corinthians 13:12

"For now we see through a glass, darkly,

but then face to face: now I know in part,

but then shall I know even as also I am known."

Finding My(self and my instrument)

{Can you find me in the crowd?? I'm the one in blue and yellow via beportland}

Last night I saw Bowerbirds at the Doug Fir here in Portland, and they were amazing. If you haven't heard of them you should. I remember when one of my dear friends introduced me to them in college and then told me they were coming to Portland and that I should go, but I didn't have anyone to go with and immediately regretted missing it.

I love that they played a good mix of their older songs (and that I can tell you exactly what they played since I snagged one of their handwritten set lists!) and their new songs sounded even better live.

I also enjoyed how multi-instrumental the whole band is, although their musical talent has thrown me into a bit of a crisis. It started during "Walk the Furrows" when the drummer started playing the castanets and I couldn't stop thinking "Why don't I play the castanets?" then they whipped out a melodica and I felt an urge to play the melodica too. I also keep thinking about the Sharon Van Etten concert I went to a couple weeks ago where Sharon played an autoharp, the autoharp is so cool, PJ Harvey plays an autoharp too. And what about the accordion?

So now I am dreaming of a new instrument to call my own, any suggestions? My dad says he can hear the oboe calling to me, maybe I will start out small with those castanets.

I will leave you with a song from the new Bowerbirds album, The Clearing.

A Leap Day in the Life

My leap day started out well with some major flakeage on the way to work, where we got a nice break to watch the Occupy Portland protest at 1, always a treat and this time they had matching yellow umbrellas. And the police were out in full force; there were police on bikes, motorcycles, horses, and in patrol cars.

The weather had me regretting my choice of footwear, nevertheless I trudged my little foot Popsicles up to Powell's on my lunch break.

I especially enjoyed the cover of Indie magazine this month...

And on the way back to work I saw some lovely horse manure left behind from the police at the protest.

Happy Leap Day.