Here I am…At Club Passim…in Boston…in the back…waiting…
August 27, 2008
Tick tock.
Hmm. I wonder what John Gorka is doing tonight? What is Carole King doing tonight? What is Annette Funicello doing tonight? Is Annette Funicello still alive? Am I spelling her name right? Do I get pre-show jitters? Yes. Will I throw up? No. Did I have a lovely salad? Yes, I did. Is my rental car fast? Yes. Will I get a speeding ticket? No.
Especially since that last one in New Mexico. Will I sell cds tonight? I hope so. Is anyone reading this blog entry? I don't know. Do I care? Yes, indeed, I do care!
You know, this seems like a good time to have another conversation with Roger, my brain. It's been such a long time that I've gotten to actually noodle
on my blog. I think I will noodle now.
ME: Roger. Wake up.
ROGER: Uh, HELLO. I'm obviously wide awake. I'm doing all the typing, sister.
ME: Don't get smart with me.
ROGER: I'll be smart with you because I am you, you nitwit.
ME: Nitwit! Hey, that reminds me. You know the word "nimrod"?
ROGER: I already know what you're going to say.
ME: Look, I know you know, but let's say someone from the intergalactic galaxy of the internet surfs on by and stops in and thinks, "This is odd. A woman who talks to her brain and shares the conversations. Hmm. I shall have a look-see!", then I think it is only appropriate you let me spell out what I was going to say.
ROGER: Be my guest. I'm still way ahead of you, though. I'll be typing it before you think it.
ME: STOP IT! Ok. (Regaining composure, fixing hair.) Back to what it was I was going to SHARE with everyone. "Nimrod" was a dumb king. Did you know that?
ROGER: Why must you ask me if I know something when I already told you I do?
ME: It's a figure of speech. I mean, a figure of typing.
ROGER: I've got you typecast. Ha ha ha! (You can't hear this, but my brain is laughing very loudly at me inside my head.)
ME: You've lost your mind.
ROGER: Ahem. I think it would be YOU that has lost your mind.
ME: I'm going to tell everyone what you just thought.
ROGER: No, you won't.
ME: You're right, I won't. I'm going to report on something else. Like how nice the soundman, Scott, is here at Club Passim. How parking to perform here costs $30, so I better sell at least two cds tonight to pay for that.
ROGER: Stop worrying. Just get out there and have fun and think how lucky you are that your fingers work.
ME: That's true. I'm glad I can play the guitar. I just feel old sometimes.
ROGER: Think about the fact that there will always be someone older than you. Do you hear them complaining?
ME: No, but they aren't inside my head having these crazy conversations with me. Maybe if they were in here with us they WOULD be complaining.
ROGER: Yawn.
ME: This greenroom is an office with a curtain covered in fruits, right next to the bathroom. I have a funny job! I never know what to expect one performance to the next.
ROGER: The elderly couple on the plane today was very kind. Remember them? They were older than you. They shuffled when they walked and they STILL used their manners.
ME: That's true. They were so sweet. They both had white hair. The little old man had an orange pillow he brought to sit on. That was cute. And then he carried all his wife's belongings. They were like high school sweethearts. Only with wrinkles.
ROGER: That's going to be you any minute.
ME: Where does the time go?
ROGER: Speaking of going, why don't you go to the bathroom before you go up on stage so you won't have to take a break?
ME: Good idea. Remember that time in the Lonestar Dub Band, when I played keyboards in that reggae band, and I wore a leather mini-skirt and fish net
stockings and had to leave the stage to go pee? Greg, the leader, was looking at me all cross-eyed as I said "Excuse me" in his ear, hopped off the stage,
and then came back. They were still playing the same song and I just jumped up and started jamming again. Good trick, really! Good thing reggae is so long!
Whew.
ROGER: You better make a set list.
ME: You're right. Ok, I'll get off the computer now and hope when I walk out there that there will be 50 people in the audience.
ROGER: 50?! Don't you want more?
ME: Well, at this point, I'm hoping for 50. It sounds deadly quiet out there. I'm sure my booking agency will find out about this and it will be
back to the bunker for me. How'm I gonna get people out to hear me?
ROGER: Don't fret. Someone will read this entry and give you some ideas. Surely, SOMEONE will read this drivel.
ME: Hey!
ROGER: (Low cough) Sometimes I forget we're attached, you know. I have a mind all of my own, really.
ME: (Rolling my eyes.)
posted by Sara Hickman at 03:09 pm
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Great speech, Hillary!
August 26, 2008
speak.
But...when Hillary spoke tonight, I was proud. I was laughing out loud ("Traveling Sisterhood of the Pantsuits!") and finding myself teary
eyed over references to women's rights and the history of the suffragettes.
As some of you know, I haven't always been much of a fan of Hillary's, especially after meeting her two years back; I was really
disappointed when I found her to seem even more stoic, more of a political player, in person. I hadn't walked into the dinner, then,
expecting that of her....I don't know who I thought I was going to meet, but I felt sad when I walked away that night.
And now...she is warm. She is wearing orange, a color of hope, of the sun. Her being out there in among us all these last 18 months brought her to who
she really is, who she really can be. A beacon of beauty. And I sincerely mean that in the deepest sense of
the word---someone who has grown, grown in wisdom and thought, and recognizes the power of her gifts, of her unique position and
how that position can actually change lives...and by changing lives, she can help to change this world.
I felt she "passed the torch" beautifully, as well, on to Barack, and she did so with grace, humor and intelligence---Molly Ivans would
have been proud, and I was very much missing Molly tonight! (As well as Ann and Liz and all the great Texas women of wit and umph!) The references---
"Were you in it for me ... or for the soldier, the young woman with cancer, the single working mom just making it---?" and her closing with a nod to my favorite heroine,
Harriet Tubman, cheered me and thrilled me to no end in that she married the concept of an African-American AND a woman in one fell swoop: reminding
us that Harriet carried on, never giving up, even in the darkest of night...moving on even as "the dogs were barking, the torches were coming closer"---Hillary
implored us to keep believing, keep struggling and fighting for freedom!
I am off to Boston. Come out and celebrate with me at Club Passim tomorrow night...or Friday afternoon at the Boston Children's museum, or Fox Run on Friday
night!
Pray for my friend, Wendy, as she undergoes surgery on Thursday morning.
Pray for my safe travels so that I can return home to my husband and daughters....
Pray for sanity, for reason, for healthy debate and dialogue and growth in this country.
And celebrate all the blessings in your life...take some cookies to your neighbors today...help mow the lawn of someone elderly!
Go watch a little league game and cheer on the teams! Be glad you can put gas in your car, even if it is $3.45 or more a gallon...
Be grateful! Be joy filled!
And...a special salute here to the Summerfolk Festival in OWEN SOUND, CANADA...Thank you to Richard for bringing me up
and to all the good folks who enjoyed my music, to all the great musicians I met (David Roth, Natalia Zuckerman, Twilight Hotel,
David Amran, the wonderful drummer from Diggin' Roots who gave me a two hour ride back to Toronto when I missed my shuttle and would
have missed my flight! and everyone I am forgetting at the moment...)
I LOVE Canada...the air was brilliant clear and clean, the double rainbow my first day there, the sound engineers, the craftspeople and their booths
(the two young ladies who gave me the henna lotus on my right hand), the amazing food (fries with cheese and gravy!?), the volunteers, the stages
and songwriters and children and families...Thank you for the opportunities!!! Summerfolk RULES!
XOX
posted by Sara Hickman at 07:26 pm
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SARA on the radio in NEW YORK Saturday, August 23, 11 am
August 22, 2008
wjffradio.org
at 11 am, following "car talk"
(if you test the feed the hour before, you should hear "car talk")
sara taped at SUMMERFEST FOLK FESTIVAL last weekend in Owen Sound, Canada!
FolkPlus/Hydro-Powered Public Radio WJFF
with Angela Page
Setlists: http://www.wjffradio.org/FolkPlus
Reviewer: Sing Out! Magazine
posted by Sara Hickman at 05:28 am
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PLEASE BOYCOTT this company: FOUR PAWS
August 21, 2008
Please visit and read/witness the following:
http://www.thechaistory.blogspot.com/
I have written Four Paws and requested they immediately remove and destroy any and all Pimple Balls (with bell)
before any other animals have to suffer the same unneccessary fate as Chai.
Love,
Sara
HERE IS THE RESPONSE I RECEIVED just now (one hour later) from the company. I hope they will assist Chai in his healing and help the dog owner with expenses....
Thank you for your recent note expressing concern over the Four Paws® Pimple Ball with Bell. We were equally alarmed to learn that a dog may have injured himself while playing with this toy.
Dogs have been enjoying the Pimple Ball with Bell for more than a decade with over 500,000 units sold. In all the years this product has been on the market, this is the first injury of this nature that we are aware of. Unfortunately, accidents sometimes happen. That’s why we recommend that dogs always be supervised when they are playing with any toy. We take great care in developing safe products for pets and their owners.
At this point we have identified the problem and are not shipping any more Pimple Balls. We have contacted customers that carry this product and have asked them to immediately return their inventory.
Thank you for your concern and feedback. Please know that we are in direct communication with the pet owner whose dog was injured. At Four Paws, happy pets and satisfied pet owners are our number one priority. Rest assured we will continue to work hard to deliver on our priority.
Sincerely,
Allen Simon
President, CEO
Four Paws Products
Sent by Haley Birk on behalf of Allen Simon
posted by Sara Hickman at 11:22 am
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Comment on “The One”
August 19, 2008
I heard you at Summerfolk this past weekend and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I was particularly touched by your song about Seung-Hui Cho's mother at the 'Heart of the Matter' workshop. For almost ten years I've wrestled with the murder of Matthew Shepard (yet another devistating heatache) and something in your song resonated with that sorrow. Thanks for challenging us to think differently - I was very moved.
What is the name of the song? Is there any chance you'll be recording it?
Thanks again!
Barry
Dear Barry,
Thank you for hearing my song and letting it touch you. It means so much to me when I get a letter like yours...
Your mentioning Matthew Shepherd reminded me that I had always wanted to write a song in his honor, too, but I just never did. That is an incredibly horrific story, and one that should never be forgotten---especially in this era when governments are condoning violence...
So, to answer your question, yes, I recorded the song ("The One") and made a video, as well. If you go to my website (http://www.sarahickman.com) and click on the "Start the Dialogue" link, it will take you to a site I started to get people talking. You'll see a bunch of videos there, and if you click on "The One", you can hear and see the song.
Bless you and thank you, again, for writing (and listening!)
In Grace and Gratitude,
Sara
posted by Sara Hickman at 06:51 am
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