Blue House at Dana Street Roasting Coffee Shop!

Tonight I'm going to Dana St. Roasting Coffee Shop to see Blue House! I love these guys. I discovered them a few years ago at Dana St. Roasting Coffee shop which has been my "magical" go to place for so many years... I always referred to Dana St. Roasting as my "favorite coffee shop" -- a home away from home...my "hangout" place tucked away in downtown Mountain View right across the streets from the bookstores that stay open late and lots of restaurants on the main drag...they roast their own coffee there too and the aroma of freshly roasted coffee always greets you when you walk in. where I met so many awesome, interesting people...and discovered some fabulous music. Blue House was always my fave! Then in 2010 I saw a sign that said "Ukulele Jam Second Monday" when I was just learning to play the ukulele...having NO idea until I arrived that over 75 people would cram into my "favorite coffee shop" with ukuleles for a sing-along jam month after month...even now and that discovering this would literally change my life! 

Blue House at Dana St. Roasting!!! Amy, Marleis and Brian

As far as I'm concerned this is where magic happens, and it's like coming full circle to go back and hear Blue House again. keep live music alive! So there I was sitting there st Dana st roasting with four guys. Who says you're alone when you're single? Not me. I have the best guy friends ever!

First Thomas the fiddler showed up. He's been a fan of blue house even longer than I have. Thomas truly is an amazing fiddler and now a good friend. In my opinion once I look forward to seeing a person yes they are a good friend. Mitch was already hanging with us. He's my next door neighbor. I knew Mitch from another life. He's cool and a very good neighbor. Guess that puts him in good friend status too. Blue house played their beautiful music from originals to the doors even a cure song. Amy and Marilee's have played together since the 70s. Dave and John showed up yay. I met them at the sports page in mountain View where we a sang Beatles songs with no fly list. I hadn't seen Dave in ages since he went and got himself a girlfriend and even moved I. With her. John is now a uke playing fanatic and they were nothing Riley having been to Molly mates right around the corner. John kept shouting that he was tipsy. Luckily his voice faxed into blue house music. I felt fortunate to hang at Dana st roasting with some of my favorite people. And it wasn't even a uke night! And the music was beyond awesome!

Mom..it's been 17 years.

Me with my brother Michael and Mom in her kitchen, thanksgiving 1987, Newport, Oregon. :)

me in Newport, Oregon at Jump Off Joe's with Stevie, Jeremy & Melissa, 1986 or 87?

Mom thought it was hilarious that Michael and I always gave each other a hard time! T-Giving 1987

Dear Mom, it's been 17 years since you slipped away...scattering your ashes into the ocean, your presence known far and wide to those of whose lives you touched. Even now a day never goes by when I don't think about you... you are "with me" constantly, and I can still hear your voice...Can you believe that the 50th Anniversary of the Beatles' arrival on the Ed Sullivan Show is coming up in less than two weeks? Remember how excited we were and how we became instant Beatles fans and how we'd rush out to get all the albums...didn't matter whether they were compilations, albums, whatever..we listened to them all. I especially remember when we walked down Haight St. to that record store called Geological Rock Shop (the shop you and bro Michael thought would sell geological rocks, but it turned out to be a record store and we all laughed and so did the hippies who ran the store)... and we waited in line to purchase Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band, the Beatles' latest album! Mom, they made movies out of all the JRR tolkien books...they're pretty good. I think you'd like them. I am not sure if you'd be horrified or excited by how The Hobbit was stretched into three movies! the effects are amazing and the characters are portrayed well...BUT STILL! You'd probably love that movie, Saving Mr. Banks though because it's about one of your favorite authors, P.L. Travers. You would have totally agreed with her...now I understand why you were the only person who got upset when the Disney movie, Mary Poppins came out...

FOUR GENERATIONS - Newport, Oregon 1986. with my Grandma and my Mom and my kids.

ANYWAY, Mom, I still struggle to get places on time, but I'm getting better...and I still haven't unpacked all my boxes, but I don't have as many anymore. and I still have your books...I can never part with those. We never picked up the TV you left us cuz it's a console and I never drove a truck to Jan and Bill's in Oregon. now everyone watches these flat screen thingies. today I will think of you and sing some Beatles songs, our favorites. baby Jeremiah loves to sing them too...then there are those folk songs... oh Mom, please say hi to Pete Seeger who just joined you...I know how much you loved and admired him...especially that he was not afraid to stand up for what he believed in... it seems like just yesterday when you left...know that we love you and will never forget you!

RIP Pete Seeger...and Life

It's all cuz of Pete Seeger that I'm late for work this morning! sigh... I know this sounds crazy, but when I read the news of his passing, it sunk in but then it's like I saw a post that said it was a hoax and I really hoped it was...and of course it was real. Pete Seeger, an American "Legend" has passed, yet he lived such a long fulfilling life and inspired so many of us through his songs and stories. So I got up super early (for me getting up before 7 is super early!) to take my dog to the pet groomer...then I dashed back home where there was no coffee left, thinking oh I have PLENTY of time now to get ready for work, right? More time than usual, but nooo! I dredged up the guitar and played some songs...somehow I felt I needed to play them on the guitar. Of course Where Have All the Flowers gone and some others...and spent so much time messing around with the music that I was late for work and I forgot my purse. I did, however, remember my backpack, my guitar and my ukulele. I don't even know why I had to bring both of them to work with me today...seriously! it's like I'm in this weird zone, thinking of Pete Seeger and of Faith Petric, another folk music icon...and all those we've lost. the best thing we can do is just keep their spirits alive by playing their music, sharing their stories...which of course also brings me to the Beatles and how CBS will actually air a special show and performance on Sunday, February 9th, 2014 at 7pm WITH Ringo and Paul both performing...even at the same time that famous Ed Sullivan Show aired...other musicians will join them of course in celebrating...and I was thinking, it's more than JUST the Beatles or just Pete Seeger, it's like an institution, a way of life that reminds us of who we are and where we've been... people yearn for that, and every time we hear a song or play a song, we remember and we know.

I need to crash now. I was out way too late tonight... it all started innocent enough when I made an appearance at the San Jose Ukulele Club jam at Denny's on Hillsdale in San Jose! Got there around 7:15 and played a bunch of show tunes from movies that were nominated for academy awards and I brought a Pete Seeger song which I shared for open mic...Where Have All the Flowers Gone. I even brought my guitar! What a concept to bring guitar to a ukulele jam. Hey it all works. So the jam ended... of course no one wanted to end. Ukulele players never want jams to end... especially the more crazy ones. They always end with, "I Love Ukuleles!" perfect song to end on I do believe. But who knew I'd hang out with Lori and this dude named Edward until heaven knows when. The Denny's staff let us hang in the back room as long as we only sat at a certain table. So we played and sang some Beatles songs... and I actually used my tablet to look at the music which was cool. No more lugging music books around with this nifty little tablet, yay! We didn't leave until almost 11pm. The problem is, you don't really know what time it is when you're in Denny's since it never closes... and when I walked outside, I was greeted by dampness.! Oh my gosh, did it really rain? We really need it. I know, I know. Good night!!!

Farewell and Rock On FULL THROTTLE!!!

this little flyer of Full Throttle from back in 2009 still hangs by my desk at work...I will never forget them!

Farewell and rock on to my favorite local classic rock band! I will miss you guys terribly. Thanks for being so wonderful and keeping the spirit of fabulous live classic rock music alive!! Each of you wonderful individually and as a whole. So many wonderful good times and memories with you..I will never forget you..,parviz Phil joe Cory and Greg...rock on and thanks for always doing your rocking renditions of Beatles songs for me and rocking on everything the way only you can. If you decide to reunite lemme know!!

I still have wonderful memories of hanging with Full Throttle over the years. I first saw them at the A La Carte Festival in downtown Mountain View -- I believe it was back in 2006 or so. I just happened to be walking by and heard them play so much awesome music and I was instantly hooked! Started going to their shows at the Fifth Quarter, at the Huddle in Fremont, at St. James Gate and wherever else they played...always loved these guys so much. 

me with my favoriter local classic rock band EVER, Full Throttle!!!!

Ode to the House That Went Tumbling Down the HIll...

Today as I sit here at work I remember how the house my daughter Melissa lived in for so many years went tumbling down the hill in San Francisco on around December 18, 2013 -- She and her roommate were forced to move out about a year ago, and good thing. I don't know what exactly made me think of that cool yet funky house we visited so many times -- up in the Twin Peaks area with a million dollar view of San Francisco. Yes, it was a little rickety and you had to walk down these semi-dangerous steps just to get to the house. Yes, it was smaller than the other houses on the block, but there was something about it. Something about gazing out the window at that fantastic view... something homey about the place...and sometimes, just sometimes life can be like that where things just go tumbling down the hill...and all we can do is be thankful that weren't in the way when it happened, and that nobody got hurt or killed in the process.

The Little House That Was!!

It's the dream to live in San Francisco, one that cannot be obtained by all because now it's so expensive to live there. It's a shame because there is no city like San Francisco. 

So today I will remember the house that was...and just a few beautiful memories.

All In One Day...

Happy Tuesday!! Headed to the dentist to get my bridge today!! Two and a half hours in the chair fun!!! But soo excited I'm finally able to make this happen!!! Maxing out on insurance flex spending and discovering care credit! But worth it this time! C u on the other side of dental land!

Out of dental chair finally! Got a temp tooth! The bridge will be awesome! Dream come true for

Me to finally do something about this. Hard to explain...the worst part was when the dentist had to pull a part of an old tooth extraction that had been sitting in my gum for over 10 years!! Probably from that horrible extraction that...okay I'll spare the gory details! But she got it out! Whew! Got they the entire movie despicable me! Hehe

Aaaaaah!!! I got it! It was waiting for me in my chair when I hit to work!! I had preordered via amazon pooling all gift cards together!!! Never expected it to arrive on day of release!!! The us albums!!! It's a great day!! New tooth and now this. I couldn't be more thrilled!! Within reason of course

happily listening to Beatles music while sitting at my desk...but what the heck is up with the EAST COAST? our Philly and NY offices closed due to a huge snow storm! I guess I'm out of touch with reality. So they're sending all of our work to the west coast and there are only three of us that I know of on the entire west coast! but doesn't matter. I'm happy!  I got the Beatles music! I just have no idea when I'm getting outta here tonight!

working til after midnight after a THREE hour mega dental appointment equals insanity! why did there have to be a major snow storm on the east coast today? thank heavens for the BEATLES for coming through for me and keeping me sane yet again...!

The New Neighborhood!

So tonight I walked the dog through my new neighborhood (the "Manufactured Home Community" -- note the proper terminology)...this time as I walked being aware of the twists and turns...I love my neighborhood. It's well lived in -- filled with life. During the day, kids play out in the street, and even at night, I see people outside, walking or riding bikes by...and each home is unique, different, with its own personality reflecting who lives there. I saw more Christmas lights glittering away. some people don't want to let go of the magic of Christmas. The neighborhood is tucked away in an obscure location, its own little world that you might not know about unless you lived there...so far away yet so close. 

As I continued walking, I looked at the pedometer on my phone and wondered if I wanted to make it all the way to 10,000 steps. it had been a long day...but just 2,000 more steps to go...suddenly, out of the blue, the Beatles song, "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" began to randomly play on my phone which was tucked in my pocket...what the heck? I didn't tell my phone to play music, and there it was! come to find out my pedometer app (Pacer) has a setting to find "Power songs" while you're walking! who knew? I didn't! How does the app know what to play? So I kept walking -- faster now, as the songs kept playing, all Beatles songs...I suspect cuz perhaps the app chose songs I listen to most and baby J always wants me to play those good old Beatles songs... Can't Buy Me Love, She Loves You, Eight Days A Week...Hard Day's Night! Now I'm walking down the street singing along...past a group of people standing in front of their home...they waved and laughed, and so did I...for some reason it reminded me of my transistor radio days when I was a kid...always running around San Francisco with my AM transistor radio listening to KFRC San Francisco...  when it was said and done, I had almost 11,000 steps, ohhh yeah! tomorrow morn I'm getting up early to drive all the way to Sebestapol to see my sister Jennifer and Pascale...and my tablet awaits!!  g'nite!!!

The Floyd and Claire Adventure!

Floyd, Caroline, Claire and me

Yesterday I drove to Berkeley to spend the afternoon and evening with my wonderful friends Floyd and Claire, as well as Geoff and Caroline and the awesome people from the "Expressions Gallery." Floyd was the star reader of the day for this lovely little event...and of course he amazed us with his fabulous poetry and has recently just published a book for Kindle! I'm like, oh my gosh, 

Floyd reads his poetry

Claire reads her poetry

I have to get a Kindle because now both Floyd and Claire have awesome books on there..and for once, *I* needed to get with the times! anyway, it was really wonderful -- but I was surprised and completely unprepared when asked to sign up for the "open mic" readings of our writings. I hadn't printed anything out nor did I have any idea we'd get a chance to read...everyone had read such lovely poetry, including Floyd and Claire and Caroline... and here I was with only an iPhone and access to my blog site! So I pulled up a random piece and started to read fast since it was prose and not poetry...but Floyd said, "Slow down" so I did...it happened to be about playing ukuleles at Battery Crosby and a memory of the Beatles! not surprising...Beatles music has enveloped and surrounded me all weekend...so why should this random thing be any different? Or that we were told after I read that there was an amazing Beatles exhibit at their gallery along with a Beatles Yellow submarine Night!  Then we all went over to Floyd & Claire's for libations, sharing stories and great fun. 

Yes, I missed a ukulele jam at the Actual Cafe in Oakland (sorry John!)...but my writer friends already think that ukuleles have taken over my life to great proportions and I don't get to see Floyd and Claire that much anymore it seems. It was a wonderful evening!!! thank you Floyd, Claire, Geoff, Caroline and the lovely ladies from Expressions -- you are all fabulous and inspirational...I even got my ukulele and played a few songs and we all sang! Caroline would've played if she had a piano. she's very good...Even Floyd sang! he especially loved Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds! we all sang that! Claire requested Rocky Raccoon and Eleanor Rigby! Luckily we're all going back over in a couple of weeks to celebrate Floyd's 83rd b-day! YAAAYYY!!!  good times! — in Berkeley, CA.

The Fabulous Beatles Adventure!

The magical Beatles adventure yesterday was beyond fabulous reminding me of my wonderful friends and just how fortunate I am...as I stood on that lit up stage with Cynthia Lin and uke Lenny describing where I was 50 years ago when the Beatles entered my life and playing those songs I fought back tears as I remembered my mom and all of our good times growing up in San Francisco and how we'd scream when we heard the Beatles or saw them on TV and dash to the record store to get their latest album... and how the Beatles got me and my family through so many hard times...yes the spirit is alive and well..I felt it in Pacifica at the chit chat cafe where I hit to okay with the amazing Jeanine and gang who had dedicated herself to keeping the Beatles music alive...then dashing off to the pa'ina lounge where I was warmly greeted by so many of my awesome uke playing friends and by Cynthia Lin and ukelenny!!! They played the Beatles music with so much heart...I like to think that maybe my moms spirit was there with us...truly a fabulous adventure. Thank you for allowing me to be a Beatles music fanatic!!!

The Insane Music and Rehearsal Class!

SOOO...I signed up for this "Music Performance and Rehearsal" class at DeAnza since I cannot take my screenplay writing class this quarter (only offered during the day)...thinking, okay, this will be cool...right? I'll be honest. I'm kind of freaked out! I received an email from the instructor who sent me a link to the piece we'll be working on -- it's a Handel piece and there are like 15 different parts that include flutes and bassoons and violins and violas and stuff like that! Seriously...she said in the email, "Find your part." WHAT IS MY PART? I don't see guitar or ukulele in there! I did reply that I only played guitar and ukulele...and she said guitar was fine...whew! but now I'm very afraid of this class...! are you kidding me??!!! AAAHHH!!! and here I was gonna walk in with my ukulele and Beatles song packets! guess that won't fly in this class! but see, some day the Beatles will be like, Beethoven or Handel -- Their music will be part of the classical music regime. Actually, it already is!

Well, I survived my first night of "Rehearsal and Performance' class...whew! that was pretty heavy duty and my mind is still spinning...people with violins, violas, at least one flute player, someone on piano...I think there was an oboel and definitely clarinet...and ONE person with a guitar and ukulele -- yep that would be me! after we determined that no, I don't "read" bass clef well -- classical guitar is generally not played that way... then things went marginally better and I at least had a fighting chance! at first I thought, ohhh man, I am S.O.L.!! but then things got better when the teacher said he wants me to play chords for some of this music and at least one piece will "allow" me to utilize my ukulele too!! I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, okay...I can do that! I hope! I'm trying to convince this very "classical musicish" dude that the 8-string ukulele would fit in very well...it is sort of like a lute and we all know the lute was a baroque instrument played back in the olden days... so it should be cool, right? and he said we could pick out ONE modern piece that isn't like Handel or Carulli, and of course I "mentioned" the Beatles, also stating that some day people will play and study Beatles music like BACH and Beethoven!  seems like a stretch, but I truly believe in my heart it will happen! and the teacher also was thrilled to have me in the class since for some reason the enrollment wasn't high and he needs people...I don't know if I'll be more of a help or a hindrance for the class!  hehehe! we shall see!

Hopelessly Lost and Confused!

Soo...this morning I was a few minutes late for work because I got hopelessly lost in my neighborhood yet again! You'd think I'd have it all figured out by now right? and if Baby J had been with me, I know I would've found my way back to the house. I decided to take the dog on a short walk...no biggie, right? WRONG! one wrong turn and I'm aimlessly wandering down curvy streets that don't look familiar to me! My phone GPS also had no idea where I was either. As I tromped down the damp streets, I felt more and more frazzled...heck I don't even NEED a GPS in San Francisco, I can get anywhere -- yet I get lost in a "manufactured home community?" (yes I used the proper terminology)...

I ended up having to pretty much walk around the entire park in a giant circle to FINALLY get to the point where I could actually see my house in the distance! and the song that has been running through my head all morning? Let's go fly a kite, up in the air so bright, let's go fly a kite and send it sailing!!!  that dude walking by me as I rushed by with a little while dog singing that song out loud and talking to myself, saying, where the heck am I probably thinks I'm stark raving mad! but I am here! I made it. Oh yeah, I highly recommend the movie, "Saving Mr. Banks!" what a fabulous movie that was...I loved it so much...I had read P.L. Travers' Mary Poppins book and I've seen the Mary Poppins movie many times...which made the movie even more wonderful!

Rockin' New Year So Far!

I'd say the first few days of 2014 rocked! The new year began at the mud puddle with Michael McNevin and the Los Horribles in Niles where we jammed til 130am...

at midnight I had the honor of leading auld Lang syne on uke of course mainly cuz i brought the words to the song! Such fabulous rockin people. Second new year at the mud puddle! 

No new year would be complete without playing uke on the beach in Santa Cruz on Saturday morn with at least 100 other ukers or joining 25 ukers in San Francisco today at uke rebellion...we remembered the Everly brother who passed and played lots of their songs. 

Then time with fabulous friends before the mad dash across the bay bridge down to Niles for the Sunday song swap at the mud puddle yet again where I joined Diane who came for the first time and Margaret! One guy asked if us uke players traveled in packs!!! Hehe. Yep!! What a wonderful jam it was...always awesome to play with Diane..she loved the mud puddle I knew she would..something about it. 

It's gonna be a good year!

Celebrating 2014 in Style!

Happy 2014! In front of the MudPuddle in Niles right after Midnight...Contemplating the mysteries of life...or rather "Auld Lang Syne" in the key of G! Can't think of a better way to spend new year's!

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never bought to mind!" 'Tis a beautiful song, filled with fun and joy because it's what lots of people sing when the new year hits and the ball drops and everyone cheers and hugs and kisses...and fireworks go off. But as I stood outside the Mud Puddle on Niles Blvd. and I strummed and sang Auld Lang Syne, I couldn't help but think of past new years...with my Mom when I was young, with friends, some have come and some have gone...I was surrounded by people yet also strangely alone all at the same time. But it felt okay at that moment on that cool but not too cold new year's morning. Good thing I brought the words to Auld Lang Syne -- and it was honor to be able to lead it -- with Michael McNevin and his entourage and Clancy the Dog -- outside the warm tiny Mud Puddle stuffed with memories, vintage instruments and old-school etch-a-sketches with designs and drawings...a reminder of time gone by. I think that's why people love Niles and the MudPuddle so much -- it's the music that draws them in, but there's something about the present mixed with the past...the reminders of what was mixed with what is happening right then -- of possibilities for songs, for making music and new memories. It was the perfect place to be as new year's eve slipped into the new year...

Believe it or not, even a usually happy-go-lucky ukulele player has her moments...Like Michael McNevin said, don't think about it too much...just do it. and I took that to heart. It was best that I traveled alone to the MudPuddle to clear my head of confusion...

The MudPuddle!!! I'm here!!! 

this is a cool place!

Michael McNevin and Bruce

they keyboard player was awesome. here's he's playing the solo part of In My Life while Josh and I look on.

Making new memories -- at the Mud Puddle where the past meets the present...and I got to strum my ukulele with fabulous people who get it...