I like to drive. Few things relax me and put me in the zone faster than a back road that runs for miles without seeming destination. It allows me to deep think and create. Before cell phones I kept a small voice recorder on my passenger seat and would Freeform as thoughts hit me. My cell phone is a constant companion on these drives, allowing me to dictate lyrics as they flow. You see, inspiration doesn’t always strike within the confines of a studio or in the middle of a bustling city. Sometimes, it lies hidden among winding roads, faded barns, and quiet stretches of countryside. Driving back roads becomes more than a scenic detour—it transforms into a creative ritual, a way to reconnect with raw emotion, personal memories, and the quiet stories waiting to be heard.

Back roads offer a slower pace, one that allows a songwriter to truly listen—to the wind in the trees, the hum of tires on gravel, or the silence between towns. These routes are less traveled and, in many ways, less distracted. There are no glaring billboards, no constant traffic, and no blaring horns. In this stillness, a songwriter can think clearly, feel deeply, and allow lyrics to rise from the quiet corners of their mind. The natural rhythm of the drive, the gentle curve of the road, and the ever-changing scenery all work together like verses in a song.

Every mile on a back road tells a story. A rusted truck abandoned in a field might spark a lyric about loss or resilience. A sunlit church steeple might inspire a verse about hope or redemption. These quiet symbols of everyday life can become the heartbeat of a song, giving it authenticity and soul. Unlike the polished glamour of city life, back roads offer an unfiltered view of real people, real struggles, and genuine joy—rich material for any songwriter searching for depth and truth.

Driving alone also provides a much-needed escape from routine and expectation. With no destination in mind, a songwriter can explore thoughts and emotions without pressure. Melodies form in the hum of the engine, while lyrics are scribbled down at roadside diners or gas station stops. The journey becomes as important as the destination, each turn feeding the creative fire.

In an age where speed and noise often dominate, the solitude of the back roads serves as a quiet muse. For the songwriter, these roads are more than a means of travel—they are winding paths to inspiration, self-discovery, and connection. Whether it's the dusty charm of an old southern road or a foggy mountain pass at dawn, each drive brings with it the promise of a song not yet written.

Last year I had the privilege of a co-write with two amazing Nashville ladies, who are quite a bit higher on the ladder than me. We came up with this story about a  and his longing for Christmas with his family. It’s my hope that you will enjoy it and share it  of the military this Christmas season.

Once upon a time I was  cowgirl living in the West. A life of horses and desert vistas, skies bluer than a Cowboy’s eyes. I always look forward most to Fall. There is a time in the desert where you survive summer and then one day there is a palpable snap, a change in the humidity I suppose, but you know that Fall has arrived even before the cooler temperatures do.

Back in Arizona my favorite holiday was Thanksgiving. Every year I looked forward to that day most knowing that it would be one filled with horses and dogs, good food, and friends. We used to celebrate Friendsgiving at Terry’s ranch. He had about 10 acres up north that he had subdivided to put rentals on it, little duplexes with corrals attached for his horse loving tenants. My friend Bobby was one of those. She would organize the event every year, a wonderful potluck with her amazing cakes and pies for dessert. Our contribution was always a turkey smoked in our Weber, that I stuffed with oranges and sage, rubbed with butter and Billy Ruiz’ Cowboy Rub. We would have a beautiful bonfire and talk the night away telling stories of old Cowboys and new world problems while the dogs waited for food to drop off our plates while coyotes howled,horses neighed and owls whoo. You never saw as many stars as on that night, a backdrop to the saguaro cactus and sky, high campfire.

It was a wonderful time of my life, one that I’ll always remember and had to give up for a new life. It’s not always easy to leave behind friends and memories, but sometimes we have to do that to find happiness. Thanksgiving now is often now one of gratitude and a solitary plate shared with my dog, but I will always remember my wonderful Thanksgiving’s in the West.

I love to travel, how about you? Whether it’s a day trip to my next town or a road trip across the country I’m down for it. As a songwriters, inspiration often strikes when I step away from my daily routine. Travel—whether it’s a cross-country road trip or just a short visit to a nearby town—can reset our creativity, spark fresh ideas, and help us see the world (and our own lives) from a new perspective. Here’s how you can turn your journeys into songs.

1. Capture the Sounds Around You

Travel heightens your senses. The clatter of a train, the laughter in a café, or the rhythm of street performers can all spark rhythm and melody ideas.

• Use your phone’s voice memo app to record ambient sounds.
• Hum melodies or jot down rhythms that pop into your head on the spot.
• Revisit these snippets later when you’re back in your creative space.

2. Keep a Travel Journal

Instead of just documenting places, focus on the details that inspire:

• Overheard phrases or snippets of dialogue.
• Vivid descriptions of settings, moods, and emotions.
• Personal reflections triggered by the journey.

These fragments can become lyrical hooks, verses, or imagery for your songs.

3. Reflect on Emotions in New Environments

Being away from your routine gives you space to think differently. Try this exercise:

• At the end of each day, write down one strong emotion you felt and the image or event that triggered it.
• Later, pair these notes with chord progressions or melodies you’ve been exploring.

4. Explore Local Music Scenes

Music is everywhere, and every culture has its own unique flavor. While traveling:

• Attend an open mic or a local show.
• Browse a record shop or street performance.
• Strike up conversations with musicians—you may uncover new influences.

These experiences can spark fresh ideas for both lyrics and arrangements.

5. Redefine “Travel”

You don’t need a plane ticket to benefit from new environments. Inspiration can come from:

• Walking through a neighborhood you’ve never visited.
• Spending an afternoon in a new park or café.
• Taking a different route home just to notice something new.

Final Note

Travel isn’t just about escape—it’s about expansion. By recording sounds, journaling, reflecting, and seeking out local music, you can turn any journey into a source of songs. 

✍️ Your Turn: Where was the last place you traveled that sparked a lyric, melody, or idea? Share it in the comments—I’d love to hear your stories.

I’m constantly exhausted, what about you? Between researching venues to play at, learning cover songs, writing my own songs and the various other things I need to do to just keep my life going it is a constant battle to find the energy to do everything. Fatigue is one of the greatest challenges artists face, often creeping in during long hours of creative work. Whether it stems from physical tiredness, creative burnout, or emotional exhaustion, finding ways to fight fatigue is essential to sustaining artistic growth. Fortunately, there are many creative strategies that can help artists recharge while staying connected to their craft.

One effective approach is to switch mediums. If I have been working on a cover song and I keep making mistakes, I will regroup. I love junk journaling, so I will work on a little pocket for a journal or actually write in mine. Doodling on my iPad often relaxes me enough to go back to the song and play error free. This change keeps the creative mind active without the pressure of producing a polished piece. By exploring unfamiliar tools, the artist shifts focus and often rediscovers excitement. Similarly, engaging in a different art form like listening to music, dancing, or creative writing—can spark at the store of new ideas while resting the overworked parts of the brain.

Another powerful method is incorporating movement into the creative routine. Short walks, stretches, or even dancing in the studio can counteract fatigue caused by sitting for long periods. My dog is a godsend for movement. He often reminds me that it’s time to go outside for a bit or even just bringing me a toy and wanting to play is enough of a distraction to get me off my seat and moving around a bit. Movement not only restores energy but also stimulates blood flow, which enhances focus. Some artists also practice mindfulness or meditation, allowing the mind to slow down and reset before diving back into work.

Collaboration can also break fatigue. Nothing excites me more than a good co-write. Sharing a studio session with a friend or participating in group challenges introduces fresh perspectives and a sense of play. The energy of others can be contagious, transforming a solitary, tiring task into a motivating experience.

Finally, intentional rest is just as important as creative work. Simple practices like scheduling regular breaks, creating rituals around tea or music, or stepping away to enjoy nature can prevent burnout. By embracing these creative strategies, artists can transform fatigue into fuel, sustaining both their productivity and their passion for making art.

How do you battle fatigue? Do you take proactive steps to keep moving and motivated or do you give into the exhaustion? Tell me what your favorite ways to keep going are.

I have been so fortunate to be a regular feature at Art & Soul Nashville’s quarterly creative shares. Art & Soul is a community creative space providing a safe place to create  in mediums ranging from painting to poetry. 

Words Aloud is the venue for the poets, the writers and the songwriters, and I get to sing a couple songs at each event. This coming event is in conjunction with the annual open house and silent auction.

I hope you’ll join me to celebrate all of the wonderful creatives participating in this evening . I will be singing two of my originals,. Maybe I’m Just A Woman and Tullahoma to Tupelo.

There will be refreshments and some nice original art along with services auctioned off to benefit this community. I hope you’ll join us.

It’s bonfire season and you’re the guy or a girl with the guitar so what are you gonna do?

A fire in the backyard or in the campground and music go hand-in-hand and I’m a big fan of easy campfire songs that will make your evening memorable for both you and your friends, but what to play?

 Here is a list of 10 songs that are mostly four chords or less and just classic enough for everyone to sing along:

• Brown Eyed Girl
• Wagon Wheel
• Free Fallin’
• Chicken Fried
• Sweet Home Alabama
• Stand By Me
• Take Me Home Country Roads
• Ring Of Fire
• Sweet Caroline
• Hotel California 

What are your favorite songs to play with your friends? Will you share with me  the comments below? Love to hear what you like best.

What do you carry in your gig bag? Are you prepared for all the little things that could happen during a set? Being prepared is an integral part of being a professional whether you are like me just doing open mics and entertaining friends, out on the restaurant circuit or even bigger.

I use soft cases for my guitars and ukulele. I am pretty careful with my equipment so I’m comfortable using those instead of hard cases. The trade-off of my equipment being extra safe for the convenience of having all of the big pockets and keeping everything in one place is well worth it to me. I keep what I jokingly call my survival kit, a cosmetic size bag in every case with duplicate items so that I can say yes to almost any situation. I also keep one in my Jeep. Why so many? Very simply, I don’t want to get caught short just because I forgot to move the bag. I consider it an investment in peace of mind.

So, what do I carry? Only the kitchen sink, lol. From marketing materials to tools to hygiene essentials I am prepared and it all fits in a small zippered bag.this is what I can't live without… I’d love to know what you carry so please let me know in the comments.

Tools:  one full set strings, pro winder, capo, picks, tuner

Marketing: business cards, sharpie

Personal: cold shower cooling wipes, lip balm, tooth flossers, mini tooth brush, nail clippers and file, liquid bandage, singer spray, Tylenol, eyeglass repair kit, tic tacs, energy bar

In addition, I always carry a spare cable.

I know, it’s a crazy amount of stuff, but it really does all fit in that small bag and it’s amazing how much use I have gotten  it.  Not only getting me out of binds, but it has provided with networking opportunities. Forgot your capo? Sure, you can borrow mine. Headache? Yeah, I’ve got some Tylenol. Broke a string? Here’s a winder, that should speed things up. Am I trying to  win most votes for  Miss Congeniality? You bet I am. Getting referrals isn’t always just because you’re the best musician, often it’s also because you’re known to be dependable in any situation.

I might be the queen of overkill, but I am sure glad that my past experience as a wedding photographer taught me that two duplicates are one and one is none. It’s reassuring to always be prepared.

So Valentine’s Day is coming up and you’re racking your brain trying to figure out how to wow that special guy or gal? Well, maybe I’m just a little bit weird, but if you wanna get me to gush, sing me a love song.

I am all about the KISS method, so here 10+ songs that are mostly four chords and easy. All of them are fun and all of them are guaranteed to bring a smile to your favorite person‘s face.

• You’re Still The One, Shania Twain. D G A Em
• When You Say Nothing At All, Alison Krauss. D A G
• Our Song, Taylor Swift. D Em G A
• Wonderful Tonight, Eric Clapton  G Em C D
• Photograph, Ed Sheeran  D Bm A G
• You’re Beautiful, James Blunt  C G Am F
• Bless The Broken Road, Rascal Flatts. C G Am F
• Love You Anyway, Luke Combs  C F G Am
• Tennessee Waltz, Patsy Cline  C G F E
• She’s Everything, Brad Paisley  C F Am G
• Check  Yes Or No, George Strait  D A G Bm
• Hey Good Lookin’, Hank Williams  C D G7 F
• In Case You Didn’t Know, Brett Young  G D C Am Em
• All Of Me, John Legend. Em C G D Am

How many of these are your favorite love songs Got a favorite to share? Tell me in the comments below.

Photo credit: ID 22931050 © Notweston| Dreamstime.com

We’ve completed our first week of 2025. Did you make resolutions? How are they working for you?

I spent New Year’s with my best friend in Mississippi and I thought about this on the drive home. Every year we set  make or break goals under the guise of resolutions. Most people break every single one of them by Valentine’s Day. I know I am an utter failure at that concept! I have decided for 2025 instead to make intentions.

What is the difference between a resolution and an intention? According to psychologist and author, Diana Raab, an intention is a guide post in a journey as opposed to the make or break goal that defines resolution. It is the beginning of a dream and a declaration of manifestation. Intentions give us a focus point, a touchstone to keep going back to in our journey toward being better every day.

 I am about to hold myself accountable to all of you. Here are my intentions for 2025:

~ I intend to write daily. Whether it is journaling, blogging, or songwriting, the daily practice is both spiritual and practical,  soothing my soul and keeping my  brain active and alive.

~ I intend to be a little bit more active each and every day. Too many of the things that I enjoy involve sitting down and I have realized the past couple of years my ass is on the couch far more than my feet are on the ground moving so this changes as of now.

~ Lastly, this is my most important intention… I intend to be  even more of a Fuck Yeah person than I always have been. I have more years behind me than I have in front of me and I intend to make the most of each moment of life for as long as I can.

What do you think of this change in perspective? Is it something that resonates with you also? Tell me what you think in the comments below.

Lazy late morning Aztec Coffee….

 How do you spend your morning after Thanksgiving? Rushing around in the Black Friday madness? Games with the kids or lazily watching holiday movies?

For me, it’s a traditional breakfast of leftover pumpkin pie (thank you Michelle) and a spicy coffee. Penning a brain dump of all the things that are on my mind in the hope that releasing them on paper will clear me for more creativity. Writing what I’m grateful for.

So often at the Thanksgiving table, it is a requirement to go seat by seat stating something we are appreciative for. But did you know there is brain science to go with that and that gratitude and happiness go hand in hand? 

When we express gratitude, it releases both serotonin and dopamine, the happiness hormones. But a very special thing happens only when we press pen to paper.

The act of writing by hand allows us an emotional processing much deeper than typing or voice to text. This is particularly beneficial for self-reflection and managing emotions. As your hand forms words on paper, your brain more deeply feels the emotional aspects of that being written.

For me, Thanksgiving is every day. Journal in hand I express at least three things I am grateful for. It is a meditation… A contemplative start to each day that guides me in staying grounded and appreciating all that is around me.

A Thanksgiving story of sorts…

Many years ago, I got a call from a young wife who wanted a very special family portrait. You see, she had been diagnosed with cancer and she wanted to make sure her husband had a memory of happier times.

Of course I would do it. Although I normally did not take any new jobs after Halloween so that I could have a pleasant Christmas season myself I agreed to meet them at the Scottsdale Civic Center. When I saw them coming toward me their huge golden retriever bounded toward me with the biggest smile on his face. After a big hug for him and introducing myself to them, we got to work.

She didn’t have much energy and I could see she was already fatiguing after the first few minutes, so I worked as hard and fast as I could to give them images that they could use for Christmas cards and gifts. When I would do a family portrait I would always make sure to zero in on each person‘s face so that there would be added opportunities for other uses. When I zoomed in on their dog, this is what I got.

It’s always better to give than to receive and so for this Christmas season I handed them a disc and wished them well. After a heartfelt thank you from her I never heard from them again, but every time this photo comes up in my memories I think of them and I smile. 

Tonight was neighborhood Opry night, what is become my regular Thursday evening happy place. I didn’t know much about Bluegrass music up until a few weeks ago when I was invited to a circle of musicians that have been meeting regularly for years and years just a five minute drive away from my home. I was accepted immediately, which made my heart full but had not had the courage to even bring a guitar. Tonight I played two of my originals in the round. My music is quite a bit different from the sounds of Appalachia, but I can already tell that this new association is going to influence how I see music and how I create it. I listen to Bluegrass now in the car, trying to learn the songs that I hear during these jam sessions and discovering new to me artists that made their way to heaven or hell sometimes long before I was born.

I had such a wonderful time tonight with some of the best Bluegrass players this side of Nashville. So much fun learning Bluegrass songs. Grateful to be accepted into the circle. I may (in my mind) not play guitar good enough to be there, but I can sing.

…and I sang.

I am pleased to announce that I am going to be debuting my original song Tennessee Rye at Art and Soul studio in Nashville on November 15. I am honored to be included in their bi-yearly event celebrating the spoken word through storytelling, poetry and song.

The event starts promptly at 6 PM and I hope to see you there.

I admit it… I am a Duck Duck Jeep junkie. I love surprising other jeep owners as much as I love getting gifted. I end up with far more rubber duckies than any adult should have and sometimes my dashboard looks like I am the cat lady of rubber ducks.

My solution to this is to recycle. Before buying new ducks to gift other jeepsters, I keep a basket in the car filled with the ducks I have tired of and regift when the opportunity arises. I think most of us in the community do this. Either that or some company in China is making handover fist on the people that are trying to bring a smile to their friend’s faces.

So I’m looking at my basket the other day and all of a sudden it hits me that this is the perfect promotion. The jeep community is very laid-back and fun loving, living for good times and that’s part of the reason why we exchange ducks. A simple act to make another person’s day happy. It’s a way of life. Trails, caravans, food, music … music? Hi Ho Sharpie and away I go writing my URL on the bottom of all the ducks.

Now when I bring a smile to a Jeep lovers face, they have the information to check out my music. Score!

Americana (also known as American roots music)[1] is an amalgam of American music formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the musical ethos of the United States of America, with particular emphasis on music historically developed in the American South. - Wikipedia

Americana music is derived from the origins of American folk music, country, blues, bluegrass and gospel. It is a celebration of the music created here in the South during the mid 19th to early 20th century. More than that it’s a lifestyle, a kickback to a softer time of country roads and old pick up trucks, sunrises breaking over tobacco barns but also the sounds of protest of war and racial inequality. It is the song of the United States… it is me.

I am now one of the newest members of the Americana Music Association, a group created to support musicians like myself as well as keeping this melting pot genre of regional music alive and thriving. What’s it for me? The resources that I need to move to the next level performance. Of course there is the discount to AmericanaFest, an annual celebration of music here in Nashville, but more than that a directory of radio stations that might play my music… festival listings making it easier to research where I might be able to perform. I just found out that I have a discount to Bandzoogle which is my website host and I’m sure as I go through the membership information I will find many more benefits. But most of all in purchasing a membership I feel like I’m giving back to an association that has enriched my life. I have now attended three years of AmericanaFest and it’s a beautiful thing. 
 

Someone told me once that if you do something three times it becomes a tradition. Tonight I attended LackeyPalooza, an annual event that unofficially kicks off AmericanaFest here in Nashville. My main excuse to buy a ticket was to see my friend Steve Poltz who was one of the performers at this exclusive house concert.

Just before the show I was glancing at my Facebook memories and shocked to see that two years ago on this day I was getting my usual post concert hug from Steve at The Basement. Eight years before that on this day, I was in his audience at The Rhythm Room in  Phoenix, AZ.

This man’s music gives me so much joy and has been a regular part of my music life for more years than I can remember. I am amazed that September 15 seems to be such a special day for us to reconnect.

 I guess it’s become a tradition.

Boy, this one rings true.

I just had to deal with my first ever bad recommendation. The points were valid. That did not make it sting any less. I hope that I was able to deal with the person’s concerns in a way that satisfied him.

I truly enjoy sharing music whether it’s my own or others. I enjoy sharing the philosophy and joy of this artistic medium.

For those of you that might’ve had similar concerns to this person I believe in transparency. Here it is. I had a really great website that went from free to over $200/year in one fell swoop. It was something that was months in the making. I had to shop not one, two but three ISPs before signing up with Bandzoogle. Starting over isn’t easy. Great company, great customer service but a little bit tricky setting up the site and I’m not quite finished. I also lost my URL in the process and had to change it. I did not change it here on the page because I’m not yet ready to present the new and improved Website. This person took issue with that.

Further transparency. I have been struggling with a severe case of stage fright for the past year and a half, which has impacted my recording or making YouTubes of my music. I am taking steps therapeutically to get past this. It is slowly improving and I’m looking forward to the day that I can share my music proudly with all of you, but for those of you that want a little taste , samples of my music are in my reels. This person evidently could not find them.

If anyone has concerns, I hope this has alleviated them. I further hope that if somebody has a concern, they would private message me before posting a bad recommendation.

If you have read this far, thank you. Know that I appreciate you and my music is an expression of my love for all of you.

Healing trauma is much like peeling the layers off an onion. You reach a certain amount of resolution and  think you are cured, then a week, a month or even years ago by and you are suddenly triggered and back at square one.

If you have been hanging in there with me, you know about the painful relationship I had with my mother the radio star. I have always been proactive and innovative in my approach to healing. I honestly thought I had this whipped until an incident happened about a year and a half ago that brought me full circle to a closed throat and freezing mid performance.

Stage Fright.

We have to rewind about a dozen years or so. I became fascinated with hypnotism and took a weeklong workshop where the instructor convinced me that I could make money doing both photography and hypnosis. Exciting for me and upon certification joined the Arizona.Society for Professional Hypnosis. Wonderful group of professionals who not only refer each other, but take care of each other. One of my colleagues was Michael DeSchalit who specialized in stage hypnosis and presently has a residency in Las Vegas entertaining the masses. We got to talking one day and I told him about my issues with my mother being an entertainer, and how my friends were pressuring me to try open mic, but I was understandably uncomfortable about it. He agreed to hypnotize me and make me absolutely fearless. It worked. My first time on stage I had a blast, and I even took down a heckler thanks to Michael. I enjoyed the hell out of myself on stage for many years. 

A year and a half ago I lost someone in my life who I had truly hoped would be there for the rest of my life, and the sense of abandonment was overwhelming. My next open mic I fell apart on stage and had to be walked off by the host. I was devastated.

I tried to work through it and kept spiraling. I was so fortunate that I had a good relationship with that particular bar and host. He did everything he could to support and help me off stage. Finally, I decided to try self hypnosis. I purchased programs online and while they were somewhat effective I couldn’t  get myself back to 100%.

Finally, I contacted Michael. It had been at least 10 years since we last spoke, and I wondered if he would even remember me or he was even working with private clients now that he was a celebrity in Las Vegas. To my amazement, not only did he remember me, but was eager to work with me again. He assured me that we were going to lick this together and on this day we did.

My session was about two hours long and it felt like 10 minutes. I felt refreshed and hopeful for the first time in a long time, knowing that I had picked the best person for the job.

I highly recommend hypnosis when you encounter blocks. I believed in it when I trained, I believed in Michael when he initially took care of me and 10 years later, I am so grateful to be able to hire him to help me heal from this new layer of trauma.

Long intro, new song.

You know what annoys me more than a mosquito in my bedroom on a hot Summer night? Those FB posers who hawk T-shirts or make fake accounts in your favorite celebrity’s name and try to friend you.

Steve Poltz is one of my favorite entertainers and particularly hard hit with this sort of imposterism. I got followed by a faker and that just lit the Latin in me on fire so yesterday morning over my bagel and coffee, I wrote this…

My Stalker The Imposter ©️Cia Mauskopf 2024

You think you can fool me, known him too long for that
Seen him back when he was short haired, 98 lbs dripping wet
When tacos were a super dilemma and he lost one left shoe
When he played small rooms and his rug was getting burned

I’m an old fan, you’re a big sham, a really smooth talker
I bet you’re a fat greasy woman behind a computer
Eating stale pizza while you try to sell us fools gold
No matter what you say you’re just not Steve Poltz

Don’t ask me to talk and don’t  DM, it’s not up for persuasion
Your words are in English but your dialect is Malaysian
Now my profile has a new follower, a guy named Steve Poltz
I have a stalker, such an imposter, sadly you’re not even close.

Taking his name in vain won’t do you no good
I’m to savvy for that in this cold digital world
Cuz I Knew him when that internet was just in infancy
Thieving his name won’t bring you cash, fame or infamy

You can try all you like we’ve all got your number
Whether it’s prez of his fan club or some tee shirt hawker
You don’t even talk like him and to be honest this is getting so old
Because no matter what your words say, ya ain’t Steve Poltz

I have a stalker, such an imposter and not even Steve Poltz….

They say that one of the benefits of travel Is flexing your brain power. As you encounter issues, you use different parts of your brain to solve them because you are using unfamiliar tools in unfamiliar places. 

I love the challenge of playing in a completely new place in a completely new town. Looking into an audience of unfamiliar faces that are soon to be friends.

Last night I was in the little village of Hot Springs, North Carolina. One of the tiniest places I have ever been with some of the warmest people you’ll ever know. There’s only about three restaurants in Hot Springs, and one of the most popular is Big Pillow Brewery with its courtyard beer garden and inside bar decorated with artifacts of the Appalachian Trail.

You never know what’s gonna happen at a performance and Murphy’s Law struck hard, lol. I met the bartender Crystal, who pointed me to the host of the evening, Roy. My favorite position to go up in any open mic is third. That way I don’t have to do the sound check and it’s unlikely that anyone will play a song that I have planned in my head to perform.

Hot Springs has some great local musicians. The first one up was a banjo player and the brewery was his second home. He played three originals and I was in Bluegrass heaven. The second performer was also local and the audience went crazy when he came up knowing what he would do, if only I knew what he would do.  I haven’t played for a while so I prepared three songs and TBH I was not confident with one of them. Amarillo by Morning, Angel from Montgomery and Willin’,  but I digress.… Player number two starts out strong and I’m thinking about what I’m gonna do so I’m not paying attention  until his second song when he brings up a girl to sing with him and they start Angel from Montgomery. Panic. Alrighty, I can pull something else out of the hat, think, think, think. Jambalaya, that’s easy even in a bit of a panic. They finish to a roar of applause , and then he plays his third song. My heart sinks. Willin’. Two out of three songs from my set? How does that even happen? Take a deep breath, reshuffle, reset, ready and go. When I am out of practice, this is my worst nightmare, but I made it through playing a couple of songs that I had not practiced.

When I was a working photographer, I used to teach and the biggest piece of wisdom that I tried to my students was that if it hasn’t happened to you yet you just haven’t been in business long enough. I don’t know if I will ever be a professional musician, but here was just one more example of if it hasn’t happened yet I haven’t been doing it long enough.

It is a special challenge when your surroundings are unfamiliar and you don’t have a buddy to lean on when Murphy’s Law hits in a strange town but it sure is comforting when you’re a room full of supportive friends. 

 Whether coincidence or some divine plan of the universe, some days are landmarks.
I was on Facebook the other day, February 24 to be exact and in my memories a couple of things came up. Turns out that six years ago on February 24 I performed at a folk festival. I remember being just scared as hell, doing it anyway and I had a blast, but hidden in those memories a few years earlier was a post about a spaghetti dinner. It was a benefit for my home away from home Tierra Madre Horse Sanctuary. That particular post remembered a dinner conversation that I had forgotten but having revisited it, I realized that it was the turning point in my life, the day I stepped into my current life as a musician. With the encouragement of a local guitar guy at the table I went to my first open mic, and he was the one that taught me the confidence that I really could maybe chew gum and walk at the same time or more appropriately play a simple tune on my guitar and sing at the same time. 

​Hatman Dan, you’ve been leading the band in heaven for many years and now that I’ve been smacked across the head with my memory, I’m able to tip my own cowboy hat to you and say thank you.

Somehow, I never thought I’d make it this far. Just hearing the number is overwhelming but I’m still here. This is what I figured out about 65. It’s just a number. My life is more full than it has ever been and God willing I still have a number of years and a number of adventures ahead of me but for now 65 is glorious and it is me.

Back in August I made one of my every couple of months runs down to Mississippi to visit with my soul family.

Here is A look at my Facebook post from August 17:

Open Mic at McB’s Grill Tuesday night was a blast and a bunch of firsts for me.

First time performing for my friends in Mississippi. 
The tallest stage I’ve ever performed on… 
The biggest room I’ve ever performed in…
And ha ha, my first paid gig (drink ticket)! 

&, &, & (!) The host wanted to sign me up for the list for next week, but I couldn’t stay long enough. But I get to sing there again the next time I’m in Jackson. 

Life’s short… Make it your best.