Classical, Bluegrass, N'awlins . . . Awesome

As part of the Cleveland Orchestra's Fridays @ 7 Series, Bela Fleck played with Cleveland Orchestra. Afterward, he let loose with a trio featuring New Orleans-based musicians Johnny Vidacovich (drums), Mark Mullins (trombone), and Roland Guerin (bass)  in the Grand Foyer. 

The best part? A surprise cameo by Bela's wife Abigail Washburn! She sang Nobody's Fault but Mine and His Eye is on the Sparrow. 

The demographics of the crowd was a little younger and a little less stuffy than the typical orchestra audience. Between Friday's @ 7 and the concerts at the Happy Dog, the Orchestra is being creative and clever about building new audiences in Cleveland. 

The Right Side of the Sofa

You were a Wild Turkey
Sharp as a tack, good as gold and bad as sin 'til the end
My memories of you are a paltry honor to the vigorous life you lived

You through a haze of cigarette smoke pulling me somewhat unwilling 

onto your knee 

saying, "c'mere goil (girl)" in your cotton country accent

  Smiling while smoke blows from your nose 

Me, wondering if your one, light-colored, milky eye

 was proof of our kinship

(this was before I knew about that fish hook)

Hitching up your pants before you sit down on the right side of the sofa

Grandma chastising ornery you with a graceful hand draped over her hidden smile

Road trip to West Virginia to watch those dogs run that track

Jesse McGowan was your name, and no, you were not Irish

You are my working class hero who lived your 90 years with unbeatable charm and an abundance that defied economics. 

Grateful for your genes and your genius
Thank you Paw Paw

My Lovely Commute Today

I walked in dewey, cooling weather to the Rapid Station and saw  some eco-conscious urban art that gave me hope,



got off the train and saw an angel in Tower City,



and finally, was amazed by the raw Soul Train talent shown here:

I love you Cleveland. 

Lit from Within

pumpkin party
Originally uploaded by Jenita McGowan.

My heart shines with love for Cleveland.

One of my dad's nicknames for me is "Punkin Head". I am not sure why. I never had red hair, but I do have a funny connection to pumpkins since I probably thought about them more than most over the years.

Sketch

I am surprised how quickly summer is over--autumn's beaches empty but for birds. Pale afternoon winds have me at a loss for words. I can paint a picture any way you can shout it, but sometimes the quiet things I can only depict with bare feet on a wooden floor. 

I Root for Beets

Picking Beets


Dirty Beet Pile


Pretty in Pink


Cooked and Cubed


Dark Chocolate Beet Cake Batter


What is left after a dinner party with good friends. 

The Cat Days of Summer

The Cat Days if Summer
Originally uploaded by Jenita McGowan.

The Cat Days of Summer

Happy Interdependence Day

"State of life, may I live, may I love
coming out the sky, I name me a name
coming out silver word for what it is
it is very nature of the sound, the game

Siamese, Indonese, to Tibet treat the life
as a game, if you please (hey)
coming up Caribee such a freedom
derives from a meditative state
movin' on, believe that's it, call it magic
third world, it is, I only guessed it

Sly

I was listening to Sly and the Family Stone the other day: Everyday People, Que Sera Sera, Dance to the Music, I Want to Take you Higher, Stand, Family Affair, You Can Make it if You Try. I was feeling so good listening and singing along when I realized how lucky I was to be raised listening to those songs. 


We had several of their albums in my parents vinyl collection. Yes, the music is infectiously soulful and funky, but what struck me were the messages contained within. My outlook on life--generally optimistic, open-minded, fun-loving, hard-working-- can be summed up quite accurately in Sly and the Family Stone lyrics. 


Made me wonder what kids are listening to these days and how it will color their world view. Here is my life philosophy summed up by Sly, Freddie, Larry, Rosemary, Greg and Cynthia: 


Everyday People

Sometimes I'm right and I can be wrong

My own beliefs are in my song

The butcher, the banker, the drummer and then

Makes no difference what group I'm in

I am everyday people . . . 

I am no better and neither are you

We are the same whatever we do

You love me you hate me you know me and then

You can't figure out the bag l'm in

I am everyday people 

Stand 

In the end you'll still be you
One that's done all the things you set out to do
Stand
There's a cross for you to bear
Things to go through if you're going anywhere
Stand
For the things you know are right
It s the truth that the truth makes them so uptight
Stand
All the things you want are real
You have you to complete and there is no deal
Stand. stand, stand

Family Affair

One child grows up to be

Somebody that just loves to learn

And another child grows up to be

Somebody you'd just love to burn

Mom loves the both of them

You see it's in the blood

Both kids are good to Mom

'Blood's thicker than mud'

You can Make it if you Try

You can make it if you try

Push a little harder

Think a little deeper

Don't let the plastic bring you down

And this one, you must hear for yourself:

Grapes of Zap

My grandmother Mentoria believed in understanding and listening to her dreams in order to better play the lottery. Keeping with tradition (minus the lottery part) I've interpreted the vivid dream I had last night.

I was riding on a passsenger train through the Ohio countryside. Looking out of the window there were miles and miles of utility poles. Strung between each pole are perfectly pruned concord grape vines laden with 2-inch, perfectly round juicy grapes.

According to some dubious online sources on dream interpretation, grapes mean abundance, traveling on a train symbolizes my life's journey, and power lines mean a struggle for empowerment.

An alternative interpretation is that I never pruned my grape arbor this winter and I feel guilt.

Sustainable Irony

I got a promotion and after some time trying to make it work, I've ended my time (for now) as a car-free Clevelander. With my new schedule, I tried a combination of cycling, bussing and Zipcar. My new sustainability related position has me attending meetings all over the place with very little travel time in between. I'd been leaving early and arriving late to everything which just "aint gonna fly" as my dad would say. The irony is not lost on me.

I've learned a lot from being car-free for 14 months in Cleveland. I've learned:

• you can live in Cleveland and have a good life sans automobile
• instant gratification is a lot harder without an auto, I spent less
• a "transit oriented lifestyle" is the inevitable result
• I like running into friends on RTA and in the bike lane
• empathy for families with little kids making complex transit journeys
• patience for standing outside in all kinds of weather
• the joy of cycling in winter
• how to smile at rude motorists
• how to be a rude cyclist
• that we need to have better transit network connections

and much more that I hope to apply in my new position. Someday I plan to be car-free again, but in the meantime I plan to have 2-3 car-free work days a week. 

Opportunity and Constraint

Opportunity and Constraint
Originally uploaded by Jenita McGowan.

Opportunity and Constraint

Weebles Wobble, but they Don't Fall Down

A nearly tipped stemless wine glass just reminded me that I used to love Weeble Wobbles when I was a kid. We had a parrot named Ricky Ticky Tacky (yes, he could say it). We would put one in our parrot's cage and he would peck at the Weeble Wobble, but being a Weeble Wobble, it never fell down. 

Cleveland from Columbus perspective

I am in Columbus for my great aunt's memorial service. Headed home soon, but stopping for lunch. This guy next to me at the Northstar is talking to his buddy about the reasons rich young people have to leave Cleveland to "get started". I'd love to know how he came to this conclusion and how often he espouses this.