down is the new up

There's nothing like a Radiohead show (especially at such a small venue) to give me an injection of creative inspiration and ambition. After last night's show, all I want to do is lock myself in my house with some musical instruments and recording equipment and write, write, write.

Their songs have never sounded better, most likely due to the amazing quality of the sound at the Greek Theatre. They opened with Airbag, then went right into 2+2=5. I wasn't all that excited that we'd get to hear their new music, because usually it takes me a few listens before I fall in love with Radiohead's stuff. But nearly every new song they performed blew me away right off the bat. It's some really amazing stuff that doesn't just amaze the mind -- it stirs your soul. Their genuis runs so deep -- they truly never cease to amaze me with what they come up with. It was all I could do not to hop into my car and follow their tour bus to their next stop.

sunny seattle

After sitting in traffic at the US/Canada border for God knows how long, we made it to Seattle in time for lunch on Tuesday. We checked into our hotel, which was one of the coolest places I've ever stayed (the ace hotel). We were within walking distance to lots of shopping, and (thank you God) lots of really, really good coffee. At this point, we were totally in relaxed vacation mode -- yes, the day before we were heading home! It's pathetic, I know.




It seemed like we walked the entire city of Seattle that afternoon. Our feet were aching by the time we got back to the hotel. Upon the friendly man at the front desk's recommendation, we went to Cafe Flora for dinner. The atrium where we sat is kind of like an indoor greenhouse, and the food was incredible. I don't know if it was the wine or our exhaustion, but Jon and I laughed through most of our meal.



We found so many great shops with interesting clothes and home stuff. In a lot of ways, I liked Seattle more than Vancouver. It's not so urban, and also has these great neighborhoods where it seems like people know each other. Because it rains so much, the trees and grass and plants are SO green! Everyone told me that before we left, but I didn't realize how striking it would be, and also how ugly the landscape back home would seem. And every cup of coffee we had was pretty much perfect. Our favorite place was practically across the street from our hotel. It's supposed to be one of the best bakeries in town as well. We're not arguing.




It was lovely to sleep in our own bed last night, but I feel so differently about things now that I'm back. This area just seems, well . . . boring to me. Boring and lifeless. I also want to totally redecorate after being around so much inspiring home design in our hotels and the shops we found. I think I'll have to wait on that one though. The ball is officially rolling to get us out of here. .

redemption songs

Let's see, where did I leave off? On Sunday Jon and I drove down to the Kitsilano area of Vancouver for some shopping and relaxing. We ended up down by the water because it was such a beautiful day. Everyone was out enjoying the sun. Out of all of the neighborhoods in the city, Kitsilano is my favorite area of Vancouver. Lots of my kind of shopping, and I love the beach there. I've never been somewhere where I could see the ocean, forests, mountains, and a big city all from one place.





The next day, we decided that we really needed to get out of the city and into nature. One thing I realized about myself is that being in big cities with lots of traffic, people, countless skyscrapers, advertisements, stores, and signs wears me out! So at this point in the trip, I was quite exhausted. We went to Lynn Canyon where they have a FREE suspension bridge, and some hiking trails surrounded by lush forests and amazingly clear creeks. They have a huge sign at one of the trailheads illustrating how injuries and death can result from being crazy out on the trails.


It was just easier for both of us to think while we were out on the trails. Although we had been discussing the possibility of moving away from the area quite a bit during our vacation, this is when the best conversations happened, and when we came to a good conclusion. And I started to imagine what our new, fresh start could be like.





I love this next photo because it's this old, dead stump completely surrounded by such flourishing life.



On our way home from hiking, Jon had the idea that we stop in Horseshoe Bay. We didn't really know how to get there or what we would find, but had heard that it was a nice place to go, so we went for it. Our mouths dropped open when we pulled into our parking space and saw what a beautiful spot we had happened upon.



As I was getting settled on a bench with the novel I'm reading, Jon said he wanted to go check something out and walked away. A few minutes later, he excitedly walked back and asked, "You want to rent a boat?" They have speedboats available and it's cheap!" It sounded good to me, and within 10 minutes we were in our little 15-foot speedboat, deciding which islands we wanted to check out. The water and mountains all around us were breathtaking, and - get this - it was SUNNY! We were out on the water, and there wasn't a rain cloud in sight!




One thing we didn't anticipate was how choppy the water would be. We were out on the ocean, after all. Jon did most of the navigating, but handed the wheel over to me briefly. Here I am reacting to the waves. I hope no one heard me screaming.

mid-trip update

We decided to skip the suspension bridge once we found out how much it costs to walk across it. Instead we took a ferry to Granville Island, which turned out to be mostly a tourist trap. We did, however, appreciate that a lot of the shops had hand-made merchandise, and you could watch the workers hammering out metal for jewelry, working with hot glass, and making shoes. Here's Jon enjoying some gelato at a coffee shop. I love the dog in this picture.




We spent most of the rest of the day on Robson street, the major shopping area in Vancouver. We stopped in at the Aveda Academy because we had to get a closer look at their earthy version of a chandelier.



It's taken us a while to rest up and allow ourselves to be in 'vacation mode'. I keep thinking that we need to stop spending money, and to always be out doing something. But the reality is - we have enough money, and we have an abundance of time. Why is that so difficult for me to accept?

Late Friday morning we decided to do this kayaking thing we'd looked forward to so much. The water out there was mezmorizing -- the perfect evenness and subtle ripples on the surface could have put me to sleep had I not been paddling through it.






Jon and I were in a tandem kayak, all sealed up in our seats with our lunch in the storage compartment. Our plan was to paddle out for an hour or so and pull up on a beach on Twin Island. On the way there, we noticed some dark clouds ahead of us. Why is it that every time Jon and I decide to go on on water in any sort of boat or kayak, the sky turns gray and a downpour eliminates any hopes we have of staying remotely dry? I'm not exagerrating here. It happens *every time*. Here's our proof for this one --



When the rain started coming down so hard, I had a choice: do I flip out, or laugh? It was a struggle, but I chose the latter option. To be alone out on the ocean in a tiny kayak, the rain violently dancing on the water and completely blurring my vision, well, I have certainly never experienced anything like it before. I thought, "if nothing else, I am really living right now. I'm not sitting in front of a television. Am I safe? At least at this moment, I don't really care."

The rain clouds did eventually retreat, and Jon and I enjoyed our picnic lunch on a rocky island. That beach we were headed for was never found, but I like where we ended up a lot more than a beach. Besides, it's so much more fun to stray from our plans rather than follow them.

a good start

I love being in totally new places. It does a world of good for me. I want to experience life from as many angles as I can, and traveling is one way to acheive that. Traveling is something I want to do a lot more of. But the getting there . . . ehhh, not so much.

But yesterday's journey to Vancouver was surprisingly easy. The taxi driver was right on time & got us to the airport early. The flight left on time. Our bags appeared on the conveyor belt not five minutes after we started watching for them. There was no wait at the rental car place, and we got our car right away, which by the way, is a royal blue PT Cruiser. We didn't ask for a car like that, but they gave us a "free upgrade", although we didn't exactly see it that way. We'd much rather be driving the unassuming, somewhat gas efficient Honda Civic that we saw in the lot. Anyway, we're here in our incredible apartment on the 13th floor in the middle of downtown Vancouver. We've already smoked our first Cuban cigars.




Today we plan on going for a run along the trail by the water, then going to this suspension bridge place. After that, it's time to hit the shops on Robson Street. Our wardrobes are so ready for an update! I have a feeling we'll have some great photos at the end of the day. Stay tuned. . .

connections

The string quartet began to play, and a breathtaking bride took her first step of this walk she'd waited so long for. The man who would soon be her husband stood and gazed at her not only with awe and adoration, but also a reverent respect. As the officiant, Keith pointed out, this day was a long time coming. But something tells me it will be worth all of the waiting. Molly and Bill shared their vows, which they had not heard from each other until then, and those promises were so profound and intricately formed, they left me in tears. Jon and I had the honor of playing a song during the ceremony. It was such a sacred moment in their lives, we still can't believe we got to be a part of it.

The night before at the rehearsal dinner, our eyes quickly caught those of Cat and Steve, a couple who we met briefly a year or two ago at the River. Now, if there's one thing you can guess about anyone with whom we discover that we have a good 'connection' and a lot of things in common, . . . come on, you know this. Yes! They don't live anywhere close to us! Houston is a long drive from here. If only we had known while they lived in California. I told Jon that the only way I can make sense of having this growing list of lovely people who are scattered across the country is that one day we'll be on tour with our yet-to-be-formed band, and we'll have a little sense of home in all of those cities.

So I mentioned the pastor, Keith a moment ago. For those of you who don't know, he was the founding pastor of The River Church Community. Jon and I attended and served there for about 5 years. We were never close friends with Keith, but the talks he gave during our time at The River were catalysts for some of the most thought-provoking, healing, and transformational times in our spiritual lives. He was also very deliberate about affirming our musical gifts, and the words he gave us about that stay with us still today. Although our feelings about church in general have changed immensely since our involvement at the River ended, we were thrilled to see him again. After chatting for only a few minutes, we discovered that he has very similar thoughts and feelings about the idea of "church" as Jon and I have developed over the past year or so. I can't express how much of a relief and really a source of excitement this is for me. We didn't have much time to talk with Keith, but we're in touch with him now through email (of course he doesn't live here anymore either!) so we can continue this conversation about all of this church stuff, and just what is really means to be a follower of Jesus. I have to admit -- since we ended our participation at the River, my pursuit of a more authentic life as a disciple of Jesus has dwindled down to a mere string of thoughts woven throughout my days. I do think about God, but when I look at my life, I can't say that I'm actually doing much of anything pertaining to my faith. But on the other hand, I am singing in public quite a bit, and when I sing, I am (as John Eldredge would say) "standing in my glory". And when I'm in that state, I just think that God comes through in those words and melodies. At least that's what I want.





So that's one wedding down, one more to go. Our friends Josh and Sarah have also invited us to sing at their wedding on July 1st. Now if I could just get my hands on a piano! It's hard not to get panicky about that sometimes. Maybe we'll find a good deal in Vancouver next week. Oh, we leave on 6/14. I expect that I'll have much to blog about. .

what's going on

I spent three whole days just playing the guitar, singing, talking about music, reading . . . allowing myself to only do those things that nourish my true self. We met with someone who believes that we have enough talent to get us on tour, which is really our dream. Wednesday we played four songs at an open mic night. It was the second time we'd performed there, and the words that were given to us by those who listened were so affirming. It was as if they were saying, "We see it too. You're the real thing." And when others start to tell you that you are this thing you've always wanted to be, you start to believe them. Those aspirations that once seemed so lofty have been coming into focus these days, and we're starting to wonder if they're not just an apparition, but an actual part of our futures.

It's not easy to spend three days living like that, and then go back to being a receptionist. But I guess that's life, right?