Tamara Unleashed

This household has been balancing the pre-election anxiety with getting Craig ready for his Songwriter Round with Natalie on October 24th. We are less than 36 hours for the event. Last week he decided he needed to do an Open Mic in the venue where the Round with Natalie will be to get familiar with the stage – how it sounds to him and the lights.

Last Thursday we went for the Open Mic. He signed up at 530 PM and we watched 5 Rounds of songwriters before the Open Mic. Craig was the only one that signed up so it was just him on stage. The audience had been pretty attentive during the Rounds but did not appear to be expecting any more performers so Craig started playing to a lot of noise and movement. He was told he would play one song and then when he finished, it was announced he could play a second song but it was difficult for him to hear the instruction. He did his second song. I recorded it. He did just fine.

He came off of the stage convinced he was horrible and announced that he needed to do an open mic every night for the next week. After he watched the video he was able to admit he was not horrible. The Open Mic the next night (Friday) was run by a different organizer. The audience was bigger and there were a dozen songwriters signed up for the Open Mic. Craig was in the middle group of 4 and it was a much better experience. He was more relaxed and felt better about his performance. He got one audible shout out from an enthusiastic audience member. He felt good enough about this performance that he posted it on You Tube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JateFBWp_F8

He crashed (slept all day) Saturday and did not have energy for another Open Mic. He called it being “lazy” or perhaps a virus. I called it recharging his introvert batteries. He felt more energetic Sunday and I recharged my introvert batteries sleeping through football games.

Monday we were back to normal and we went to Nashville for a rehearsal with Natalie. She will be singing the female part in his song Misty Morning and harmonies on his other songs and adding some fiddle. It was amazing to watch a professional at work.

Last night Craig went back and did his 3rd and last Open Mic. He was on stage with 4 young songwriters. He played first in the round. He played 2 different songs – one about his grandparents and the audience was silent and attentive. A couple of women told him after that the song made them cry. The second song was about the factory worker/songwriter that longed to play in Nashville. He got several loud whoops from the audience after this one. He asked me if he looked like he was having a good time on stage and it was really hard to see his face under his cowboy hat that he wore working on his grandfather’s ranch.

I got asked for his Instagram account and a lovely couple from Dayton wanted to know where they could go to listen to his music. They were VERY disappointed that he did not yet have this available. He felt MUCH better and his overriding fear that he would embarrass Natalie during their joint Round on Thursday has been pretty much put to rest.

Does anyone get their big break in Nashville in their mid-70’s?????

I voted early yesterday. It would have taken about 7 minutes except that the printer jammed and my ballot did not print. So the printer had to be unjammed. I learned there are 2 different compartments and 2 different keys. Only the precinct lead had the key to the area the ballots were printed. My ballot was ruined during removal so they had to print another ballot for me. I wondered if they needed to make a notation as to why 2 ballots were being printed for me for auditing purposes or perhaps that is not necessary since only one ballot was scanned.

I voted for US President, US Senator, US House Representative, TN House Representative and a local initiative to support Nashville Metro Public Transportation which is sorely needed with the growth in the population.

I thought about waiting to Election Day in hopes of standing in long lines and getting a more viseral feel for our fragile democracy. I have done over 200 postcards and am going to move on to phone banking for the last two weeks. I have not totally ruled out going to North Carolina for the last few days.

The garbage disposal at the Condo stopped working. In oder for Craig to show me how to use the “magic tool” on the bottom of the disposal to help free the blades, I had to lay down in front of him on the floor and peer under the sink. It was quite comical so I decided to take a picture. Now I know how to take care of it if it happens again.

During our “virtual” courtship in the summer of ’23, Craig sent me one of the songs that he had recorded – Misty Morning. He had put it on YouTube. I was mesmerized by his voice and listened to it several times a day. After we met and he played for me in person, I couldn’t understand why he wasn’t performing and sharing his talent. I got to hear him perform in his living room with his friend James Peters and his joy was apparent. He has written several songs and he gradually shared them with me over time. His songs tell relatable stories. He has performed for many friends and family and he is a natural performer. He started playing in bands when he was 15 and over the years, has been on small stages at various times and spent a lot of time playing with friends around campfires and on back porches.

Craig retired to Tennessee to be in the environment of songwriting and performing a decade ago but far a variety of reasons his performances remained mainly in his living room and back deck. The last time I heard James Peters and Craig play together, as James was leaving, he said to me “I hope you will support and encourage Craig’s music.”. Apparently previous partners were not supportive.

Unfortunately James unexpectedly died two weeks later and Craig did not pick up his guitar for about 3 months. What he enjoyed most was playing with others. In a part of the country literally covered with singers and songwriters, it is not necessarily easy to find someone to collaborate with. We started exploring Songwriter Rounds in May and he has been gradually working up to participating. It has been clear to me that he as good as or better than most we have seen. It was tricky to figure out how to be supportive but not pushy – after all, it is not me getting up on stage. Songwriter’s Rounds are organized by an individual in various venues around Nashville. Rounds are typically 30- 60 minute blocks. 1- 4 individuals may be booked during each block. More well-know writers get more time.

After months of practicing on a performance stage in our atrium, the idea emerged to do his first Songwriter’s Round on the anniversary of James Peters passing. This led to a conversation with Natalie where she agreed to sing the female part of his duet and then to perform some of her own songs that she has never performed at a Round. with Craig. With a specific goal in mind – a round with Natalie on October 24th, Craig went about making it happen. While the venues were already booked on October 24th, he got the Commodore Grille to give them a Round at 530 PM – ahead of the already scheduled rounds starting at 600 PM. Performing with Natalie certainly helped make this happen. They will each get to play 3 or so songs.

Hopefully he will have a GREAT experience and this will lead to getting booked in future Rounds on a regular basis which will lead to meeting individuals he can collaborate with. I would love to see the music studio on the 3rd floor get a lot of use.

In the meantime, I am making slow progress on the bass guitar. I have 4 songs now that I can play – one of them is Craig’s.

Here are the first 25 of the 175 postcards I intend to mail. I am finishing my 5th batch of 25 today. These are all for down ballots in various states. There are many organizations that organize writing of postcards but none have been for the presidential election. I have been told that the more they look like done by real people (use crayons) the better. I am using a purple felt pen and no longer worry about making mistakes.

Craig and I have planned on going to a Swing State to help Harris/Walz but it ti hard to figure out where to go and how to make sure we are making an impact. A family member who has significant experience in democratic politics has suggested we can be most effective by staying home, writing postcards, phone banking and sending the money we would have spent going somewhere to the key Senate races.

Given our proximity to southwest North Caroline that was ravaged by Helene, I feel like there could be a real need there. We still have a bit of time to figure it out.

The other night we went to the Songwriter’s Rounds at the Commodore Grill in Nashville. We have been going to these over the past 6 months while Craig was working through his nerves about getting up on stage again. He played a lot as a teen and young adult in front of audiences and then mainly with friends. He moved from Prescott AZ to Nashville because of opportunity to be around and play with great musicians.

Thursday night was the first night I heard someone perform at these venues that I was like I HAVE to hear her again – Valierie Ellis-Hawkins (her first name is not misspelled). She is native to Nashville. Her husband Joe Hawkins is also a singer songwriter. His performance was excellent but there was something about Valierie that “spoke” to me. Because of the unusual spelling of her name, I was unable to find her online so I was forced to step outside of my comfort zone and meet her. I spoke with a friend that was with her first as Valierie was speaking to someone else and she told me how to spell her name. I joined Instagram so I could follow her.

To be clear, I have been a groupie for over 20 years for Natalie and for over a year for my man Craig but this is a total stranger. A new experience. I hope to see her again soon in a venue where she plays more than 3 songs.

While I was a surgeon, I don’t think I ever cut myself in the OR, but I not infrequently cut myself in the kitchen. Generally not too bad and pressure and a well placed band aid or two are enough. With one cut, I should have gone to get it sutured (and knew it) but decided not to. I ended up with having to have it area cauterized (which is no fun). So I learned a “bit” of a lesson.

Monday night I was trying to clean up the kitchen after a long day of painting while preparing 3 different dishes on the stove and lost track of one of the knives. I generally, wash and rinse knives without leaving them in the sink to prevent exactly what happened. The sharp knife I use the most was laid in the rinse sink. I didn’t see it (as it was on end with sharp side up) until I had sliced my right index finger very near the nail. I knew it was a deep cut and I should go get stitches but….

After my last misadventure, I went to CVS to improve our first aid supplies and I saw this kit. I wasn’t exactly sure what it was but thought it might be worth the $18. Fortunately, after I cut myself Monday, I remembered this kit. Opening it and reading the instructions while keeping pressure on the finger tip was a bit tricky. Fortunately Craig was here to help. Between his big fingers on the little pieces for wound closure and the rapid bleeding it was almost comical. We got one to stick enough; the second in place (sort of) and then quickly wrapped it with paper tape to help keep it from bleeding. I tried not to wrap it tight enough to cut off blood supply to the finger. The tape seemed to stop the bleeding.

I then dished up dinner and we ate and watched football. There were no signs of bleeding and while I could feel pressure from the tape, I did not have pain. After going to bed, the finger started throbbing so I knew I needed to release some of the pressure. I took off the top layer of tape and was relieved when there was no bleeding.

The next morning, I knew I needed to see what was going on under the tape and likely get stitches so I went to a Vanderbilt Walk-In Clinic after I finished my work at Tools for Schools. They had be soak off the dressing and I told the nurse I was worried that it would really bleed when the dressing came off. After it soaked awhile, there was no indication that it was going to “soak off” so I gingerly started to unravel the tape.

As I got closer and closer, relieving all of the pressure, I noted there was no bleeding. When I took off the bandage the little things to secure the edges of the wound came off as well. Much to my amazement and the physician who came in, the wound was completely sealed and in fact it was a bit hard to see the actual cut. She soaked in antibiotic solution and but a liquid bandage on it.

This picture is 48 hours after the injury. Yesterday (4 days after the injury), I caulked and painted and used the finger as I normally would and the wound is almost not noticeable today.

I thought I would not be able to practice my bass guitar for a week or so, but I will get started tomorrow.

I highly recommend having one of these kits in every home.

I am still amazed by this.

A 1971 Chevy Impala in my condo parking lot.

We are now free of brown paint on walls and trim in the house. It has been an amazing transformation and like many small projects (“let’s pain the brown wall white”) it evolved into a much bigger project. All that is left is a second coat of white paint on the brown trim on the second floor (which is visible from the first floor).

The brown wall is white, the trim is all white, some trim boards along stairs and between living room ceiling and atrium (that were the same wood as the rails and different widths) are now the same width and white. The look is much cleaner. The front wall is now “aristocratic” blue. Craig and I disagreed on the color selection for this wall. I thought a shade of green framing the trees outside would look awesome but green is not a tolerable color for Craig (something to do with his years in the army). So we got rid of all of the brown for me and he has his blue wall. After we had the blue wall, he decided the door needed to be blue as well. I was less clear about how that would look but I like it. It is very nice to have our living space mostly cleaned up.

The 2 pictures above are what the space looked like for the past 3 weeks.

We have been discussing how to make better use of the space that is currently the kitchen, laundry room and unnecessary space wasting hallway and this morning, I finally visualized it and my visualization was pretty close to Craig’s thoughts after our multiple discussions over the past year. We will gain an entry (at numeral 1 – upper left) into a “mudroom” so when we are dirty we do not have to enter into the living room and a walk in pantry for kitchen and storage in the mudroom/laundry room for all of our outdoor coats and shoes. . I am so EXCITED Below is a rough drawing that will get more specific over next few weeks.

The best part of today is that Craig now has his practice area set up again so he can start preparing to play at a songwriters round in the very near future. We have been preparing for this for past 6 months and I am thrilled that he is gradually getting over his reluctance. From what I have seen he is far better than many of those that routinely play at the songwriters rounds. I might be a little biased but not that much.

Stay tuned.

I was aware of Hurricane Helene. I wondered what its path would be across land. Thursday morning I decided to look at the prediction. S___T! The path was predicted to go directly across this area – with us in the center of the path. We were NOT ready for heavy rain.

After completion of the big terrace the end of June, we had been putting off further work on rain water diversion until it got cooler instead focusing on painting over the brown wall and trim in the main living area. We were psyched to complete it on Thursday as we were tired of the painting clutter/chaos.

However, we changed gears and went into full water diversion mode. Since we built the terrace we had a couple of heavy rains that suggested that we needed to divert water flowing through the magic forest and down the top of the driveway. To attack this we needed LONG straight pieces of wood. We looked for 20-25 foot telephone poles but there were none within 100 miles. As there were several down cedar trees in the magic forest, Craig decided we should just repurpose those instead of using telephone poles.

Craig started doing measurements, deciding which trees we should use where and removing branches. in the meantime I was digging 4 inch trenches where we wanted to lay the logs. Two of the logs needed to be on our side of the fence which meant maneuvering the trucks through the gate. It could’have been easy if we could use Katie to lift them over the fence but there were trees along the fence preventing the easy way.

While I was digging trenches and breaking up roots, I kept wondering how Craig was planning on getting the long trucks through the hole in the fence. By mid afternoon, Craig turned over the branch removal on the last trunk to me while he got ready to move the trunks. It was around 5 when we were ready to move the trunks. Fortunately the rain originally predicted for 5 held off until 8 PM. It is amazing what Craig can do with a small tractor, a hook and a lot of ingenuity. We used Katie to position the trunks through the gate at just the right angle and maneuvered it forward (from behind) as far as he could. He then moved Katie and pulled it into place.

It was dark as we were getting last trunk in place and the ground was too low in the center so water could go underneath. There was no time to fix it as it was dark and the rain was almost here so I laid some smaller limbs in the low area hoping they would combine to help divert/slow down the water. I stopped at 730 PM while Craig worked another 30 minutes to get a better “fit” on the main trunk inside the gate.

While I thought I was keeping up on fluids during the day, I was not. I was so sore I could barely go up and down the steps. I forced fluids, gatorade and took Motrin and was not all that stiff on Friday but we were both really WIPED OUT. It rained steady for about 40 hours – most was moderately heavy. We did not have that much wind. From what we could see from indoors yesterday, it looked like there was much less water running down the top of the driveway. We were hopeful there would be less washout of the driveway.

Late this morning, after the rain had stopped, I went out to explore and was so excited to see that the area that in the past would have been a canyon was just a gully. The driveway was intact. We were lucky that the path of the storm was more to the east so we were at the edge rather than in the center of the path.

We still have two more logs to move in place one at the top of the driveway and one just below where we built the terrace and then we can start bringing in some soil to replace what has been lost and use berms, retaining walls and plants to help retain our soil.

We will repair the driveway again – with much more confidence that it will not wash out in a major way again.