December to Remember at City Jazz at the Grenada National Museum

 Pictures snapped by my friend Jeanette

That December night at the Grenada Museum 2012 was so good I can not find the words to express it. Which is saying a lot for a writer! I had the privilege of meeting Johnny Rhythm and his stage siren Lily who exposed me to world class Jazz.

These two have performed as a unit on stages from Germany to New Orleans, from cruise ships to right back here at home in Grenada.

They had the whole room ablaze with the emotions only music can evoke. As an artist myself I was transfixed and so moved by their team work and passion.

I did grace the stage for a short while to bid farewell to these lovely people. Long time City Jazz supporters who were about to leave our shores for a very very different life. Thanks for being with us Dean & Kathy, I hope my country was good to you and your new chapter is beautiful!

I hope to take a page from their book. To live a long and inspired life always surrounded by music, artistry and people who share a love for creativity and understand the unwritten words said between artists, poets, writers, singers. As the four of us in the picture above (Algernon Belfon, tamer of saxes in the background!) We conversed and came to a conclusion.

'Its like... there is one single thread that weaves its way through all of us, one link that is never broken. So when we meet, we recognise it immediately in each other and because we don't just share the stage we perform on, because we share the stage of life, when we get together, its easy to jam! That's what its like, to be an artists among artists" ~ The Wordy Phoenix

Hey 2013, you ready for us? 

My Plush Palette :: Meet, Greet & Eat!

Had a lovely evening with old and not so old friends the other day, some i've known since my age was in the single digits, others i've only just met in the first years of my twenties. Some who have rooted themselves deeper into this soil of ours and others who have long migrated, are visitors, almost tourist status. Regardless, it's always nice to meet, eat and catch up on how our lives have changed and stayed the same. I'm very grateful that these friendships are still alive. It seriously never stops amazing me what you think you know about a person and what you continue to see as time goes on. Just goes to show that life is a constant learning process and if experience is our greatest teachers, then time must indeed be her T.A.!

We started our evening at the Umbrella Restaurant and Bar. It didn't go too great, service left alot to be desired. Service is always hit and miss with this place, which is sad because we are known world wide and i am told even given awards for our excellent service. Maybe they're only nice to tourists? I don't mean to be harsh, only honest. Regardless, the ambiance is certainly welcoming and one of a kind and the food is usually very good so we tried to have a good time.

Milkshakes and sandwiches, my favorite thing! Except for the rum and coke, that's our visiting local foreigner. Have i mentions i don't drink?  I prerefer chocolate over everything thanks.  Then, in a moment of spontaneity we moved on to The Owl. The service was certainly better. We bought hot wings but i forgot to take pictures of them sorry, how unblogger of me! Though i've reached that point where my none blogger friends are starting to get used to me taking pictures of their food, grudgingly as it might have been i was told "You've got TWO minutes, no more." To which i happily went to work as they licked their lips with baited breath! What do you think will happen when i finally get myself a chunky DSLR and start shoving it at their plates? ;)

 

We spent the rest of our night playing/learning to play pool, having teamed up and somehow managing to get very competitive. All in all it was a great late night adventure in local entertainment, company and food. It's unfortunate i continue to be disappointed by so many places lack of proper service attitude. I swear i've run into so many jerks who act like they're doing you a favour by serving you your own paid for food its shameful! However, this is not meant to be a rant or maybe I'll share a particular encounter at another time, if you're interested? This is just meant to be a recount of a good night, with good food and good friends that have stood the test of time.

Onward to 2013!

Musing :: NOTD : Gift Wrapping Paper Nails!

In the busies of the Christmas season, scurrying about, grabbing things, doing dish after dish after dish in preparation for the big day and so many dishes after, my nails were half chipped off by Christmas morning....

Which was ok really, i didn't like them as much as i had originally hoped to, especially the red tipped ocean avenue ones. They'd come about because i was ill and not had enough energy to be as creative as i'd liked. So i did them over! Now i am thrilled with them. They're dotty atop a silver shade. Don't they remind you of pretty gift wrapping paper?

I love them! I mentioned how much i love wrapping gifts didn't i? When i look at them they give me a little bit of the same feeling :)

On the down side, now my computer monitor is behaving wonky, Started halfway through Christmas day! So forgive me if my posts begin being slow as i attempt to rectify this technical difficulty :(

What do you think of this nail look?

Musing :: Mind : The Gift

I had a good un elaborate Christmas. In fact if I told you just how un elaborate it was, it might be too much and shock you into next year! (See what I did tried there?) I honestly found it to be a lesson in it self. How funny that  I just mentioned how traditions are important to me but this year was a Christmas much unlike my usual. Not my usual friends, not my usual routine, not my usual schedule. This year the usual was unavailable due to the unpredictability of life events. Sometimes the things you think are stationary surprise us..

 Nature itself, keeps surprising you, with her we've learned to expect the unexpected but that only works from memory...that only works after we've been scared, we expect to be burned again in much the same way, expecting the same pain...really not expecting the unexpected at all. Oh the silly humans that we are! This year nature dropped a common cold on me that threw me completely out of wack and all the baking and decorating and events I'd planned to attend were impossible to master. What's interesting is that i still had a great time! In my heart I felt this resounding sense of ...contentment? Happiness! Well...after getting over the cold that is. Nothing was routine about this Christmas, nothing but the feelings I felt. What a lesson!

Gifting was minimal this year, our economy is dead and everybody is broke, especially in my newly uni educating self. However I still found a chance to give something to my mum. Something she wanted very much for a long long time, I got to see her eyes light up and her smile widen as she opened it. I was happy.

Someone gifted me some of my favorite chocolates! Here they are very expensive (over $50!) so they are definitely a huge luxury! I couldn't be more pleased! Such a simplistic present you may say... I will eat it and then it will be gone. Yet I'm so grateful! These are my favorite chocolates! This person went out of their way to get me this gift that cannot last to make me happy. The happiness will last though, the appreciation I feel because of their action will be remembered for so long!

When i attended the Christmas tree lighting, I met a very bright, very friendly 2nd grader. She was so sweet. Her mother was one of the people helping to organize the event. Unfortunately, as her mother organized and got caught up in the hustle and bustle that came with the toy give away, the toy she had set aside for her daughter was pretty much stolen, leaving my new little friend to cry the night away... I felt horrible for her and braved the Christmas eve rush ( which gratefully was not as bad as I expected!) and scooped up a little trinket I hope she likes :) A complete strange, left a tiny footprint on my heart with her big smile, inquisitive eyes and brave sentences.

The ability to give to others really is a gift in itself. What can match the ability to give to others through a simple material gesture? So much of our fears, our pains and our aches are not material, hiding deep inside a place no one can touch. This Christmas I was most grateful for the ability to give happiness and share smiles. It did not go as planned. Is it possible that it went better? It sure did show me that this feeling brought about by this season has little to nothing to do with the influence of the outside world and a whole lot to do with what drives us as individuals. Is it love of material goods...or that special feeling of goodness? I've learned so much this year.

                                                               Peace. Love. Gratitude.

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