Emmie Jayne is Here!

I just met the newest addition to the family -- Emmie Jayne. She was born on June 28th, and she is beautiful. I made a short trip to see her yesterday, and she is perfect! Every time I see such a wonderful creation, I am amazed at the whole miracle of conception and birth. It is mind boggling. My sister had a fast delivery and has recovered quite well. This is getting old hat for her. She is a pretty remarkable woman -- no epidurals. I know I could never even consider that route, but my sis is a tough one. I think she was born to be a mom. She is great at it and loves it. Meg and Joe say this is the last, but we will see. For now, I am glad to have another adorable niece whom I am sure I will adore like I do the other nieces and nephew.

West Virginia

Lately I have been so busy that I forgot how to relax and enjoy everything around me. A few weekends ago I was getting burned out which my body confirmed by shutting down and getting some kind of virus. So I took myself for a solo weekend to Braxton County, WV, in order to relax and enjoy life for a moment. I ended up hiking Holly River State Park one of the days. It had been years since I had been there, but I knew they had great waterfalls, and boy, did my memory serve me well. It was gorgeous there! What a great weekend, and I got a good song out of it too. Here are some pics of that area.

Hanging Rocks One of Holly River's Falls

The Holly River

I loved this fall. Not bad for a self portrait.

Chupe's Shoot -- a great fall. Chupe's Shoot -- from the top.

All around Chupe's Shoot

Almost Heaven

Every time I stay in WV for a long period, I get the hankering to explore it. This weekend I re-explored the Elkins area. My friend DJ and I had discovered Seneca Rocks a few years ago and loved it. I have been longing to go back for a year or so, and this Saturday was the perfect time to make a day trip. Michael went with me this time. He had never been to that part of WV and was so excited, and I must say WV did not disappoint him. Seneca Rocks was as beautiful as I remembered.

We look very posed in this next pic, but Michael actually just scooted in one second before the self timer went off. Impressive, huh?

A view from the top This place is amazing!

We also drove to Spruce Knob -- WV's highest point. All I can say is it was breathtaking. No, DJ, we did not even attempt any of the trails. Lumberjack is still fresh in my mind!

This reminded me of England. A view from the top of Spruce.

So that is a little bit of catch up on my blogging. Yes, I love this state and while I don't want to be here too long, I must admit I truly enjoy all it has to offer.

Blogging Backup

My life has been a bit haphazard for the past month so I freely admit to a complete neglect of the blog. There have been lots of new developments in my life, to be disclosed at a later point. For now I will try to do a short recap of the past month. Most of my time in the recent weeks has been spent between Nashville and Atlanta, and during the course of this time, I have been able to see many people who are dear to me -- one being Becca Dawahare. When I was in Nashville, I made a stop by Belmont to visit my friend Becca who is studying music there. Not only did I get to spend an afternoon with her, but I also got to sit in on one of here vocal rehearsals and hear her. I was pretty blown away. She has gone from the little teenager I knew singing Billy Gillman (was that his name?) to singing classical arias, and quite beautifully I must add. It was wonderful to see her, and I am so proud of you, Becca.

The next stop I made was Fido's where my friend Ryan and I met up. We met in Nashville last fall and have remained friends. Although the time we have known each other is short, we have that connection like old youth group friends. It was great to see him, and I look forward to living near him soon!

A definite blast from the past was staying with my friend Steve. I met him in 1997 at Triple-R Ranch and despite a long history, we are now friends again. :) He was gracious enough to let me crash at his place, despite having a house full of company. We both were pretty busy during this trip so we didn't see each other much. His son and dad were visiting which kept him busy, but I was glad to meet Tristan and to see his dad again after so many years. Here is a pic of him and Tristan. (Meg, this is for you :) Thank you, Steve, for letting me stay!

The next friends I reunited with were the Wisconsin gang. Unfortunate circumstances brought us all together, Keith's dad passed away. The service was beautiful, and the number of persons present spoke volumes about his father. Although it was not the ideal circumstance to get together, I enjoyed my time with the three of them. Keith and Kevin also produced a show called "One Kiss Cafe" that played at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Angie and I enjoyed watching the show.

I don't know when I will see all of them again so I was glad for the short reunion.

Last but certainly not least, I was able to stay with another dear friend of mine that I had not seen for six years or so. Shari and I knew each other when I lived in Nashville in 2003, and we have kept in touch since. She and her husband were kind enough to let me stay with them for a few days, as well as getting me connected in Nashville. I had never met Red so it was a double delight to finally meet the man she had told me so much about. If I have ever had a fan, I would say next to my aunt Barb, Shari is the biggest. She certainly believes in me and does all she can to help further my career. Thank you!!! Thank you also for your hospitality, help, and encouragement. I look forward to seeing you soon in Nashville!

After Nashville, I headed to Atlanta. Bethany was traveling back from Nashville that day so I picked her up, and we did the drive down together. It was great having a few hours in the car to do all our chatting and catching up.

One of the neatest surprises was finding out that two of my favorite men in theatre were working at the Legacy. Matt and Larry were rehearsing for the current show so I got to see them. Matt and I played opposite one another this summer and became instant friends.

Larry and I have been friends since my Hershey Park days. I actually lived in his basement during that contract so I was overjoyed to see him after all these years.

The neat part was we all hung out with Mark and Bethany one night so I was in the room with years of friendship all coming together. God definitely has blessed me with some great friends from theatre, plus Biscuit (the dog). :)

Another great friend I am always glad to see is Becky who also served as my hostess that trip. She and her husband let me stay with them and as always I had a great time at their house, despite Becky's 3 am bedtime. Talk about chatting, I think if we didn't cut ourselves off, we could stay up for two days just talking. I'm looking forward to you being my Mama again!

:)

While there I got Becky hooked on The Tudors. I had season two with me so she got hooked and watched quite a few. She, Larry, and I ended up watching the Season Finale together at Mark and Bethany's. Good times.

The next day Mark and Bethany had a cook out in my honor, at least that is the excuse they gave. We had a great time lounging around the pool, enjoying the Georgia sun and just being with friends.

After blogging this, I realize how truly blessed I am with not only good health and a good family but also great friends who love me. I'm not sure I could ask for anything more out of life.

The Week in Review

From last weekend to this weekend, my heart has been quite warmed because of all the people I have been able to spend time with -- I love them dearly. I went to Lexington last weekend for auditions and while I was there, I stayed with the Mays -- my second family. I hadn't seen them since this summer so it was a great reunion. As always, we packed as much fun as possible into the two days I had with them. Friday night we ate at the Outback and then saw Alice in Wonderland. Afterward, V and Tessa (her friend and one of my JWT friends) played their songs for me, and I played mine for them. They are really talented and witty girls. I hope the songs continue.

!

The next day we had an early rise for the boat show in Louisville. Yep, they are considering a new houseboat and since I've lived in the present houseboat quite a bit, I had some say-so in the new pick. All, I have to say is I vote against the boat with the kid room. Everyone grows up literally and figuratively. On the ride home, we heard a huge thud followed by lots of loud noise. The tire had gone flat, quite flat.

Frank was not happy.

And Cheryl was sad because she was hosting her Uncle Keith's party, and we wouldn't be back in time. No cornbread pudding for the party this year.

Although the visit was brief, I was so glad to see them! I promise to make another trip soon. That Saturday night, I rushed home because three of my favorite people in the world were in WV -- Maggie, Owen, and Josie. Meg had a huge water problem so mom had to come to the rescue and take the kids for the weekend while Meg and Joe took care of the problem. Again, it was a short visit, but I always love any amount of time I get with them. Here are Mag and Owen on the car ride back which they convinced me to join. Josie was not participating in the photo session thus no pic of her. I was informed on this trip that "Aunt Amanda never says no" to anything they ask me to do. The joys of being an aunt.

This weekend my friends Michael and Miriam had a preview showing of their short films in Charleston. Yaaay! another dress-up event. Mom, dad, Suzi, and Fred even went. It was cool to watch their stuff on the big screen. Hopefully, this is the beginning of the road to blockbusters!

Miriam and I. She is lots of fun and a curly-haired girl. No wonder we click so well!

James, me, and Michael at the after party. Love these boys.

The three directors and I -- Hopefully, we will all "make it" someday, and this pic will be worth a lot!

Michael and I posing. Everyone at the bluegrass night said we look like brother and sister. I can see it here.

Balls and Bluegrass

Believe it or not, since I have been home life has been pretty hectic. I met a great group of artists here in Charleston so I actually have a social life. Last weekend my friend Michael called and asked if I wanted to attend a ball. A client he had shot a commercial for was managing the event so they gave him some tickets. Of course, I accepted the invitation! Although we arrived rather late, we definitely closed the dance floor down. We also networked and ended up meeting some great people by the end of the night. Hopefully, there will be some more tickets in the near future. :)

I have also been frequenting quite a few music events here in Charleston. Mountain Stage to be one mentioned, as well as some jazz nights featuring my guitar teacher Ryan Kennedy. But I must say that the one I attended tonight may well be my favorite thus far. A man at my parents church plays quite a few string instruments and filled me in on a neat weekly gathering -- Bluegrass Night at Hardees in Big Chimney. Yep, that's right, I said Hardees. I was determined to get there tonight, and Michael was totally in since he plays quite a few instruments. We had no clue what to expect, but we turned out staying the entire time and playing about every instrument they had there. It was so cool. People brought instruments and just jammed. It was great practice for me. You are free to mess up because no one can hear you. I fooled around on the mandolin a bit and played the guitar. Michael played every instrument there, except the bass. We sat with Lewis, the man I know, and he called out chords, and we played along. I sang too and got invited to sing at some churches. Mike Parker, if you read this, I may start that "love offering" circuit. Haha.

Tonight is what I love about West Virginia. The people were great, along with the music. Where else can you find a weekly "pickin' and grinnin'" meeting at a fast food joint. Hopefully, I will be there again next week, along with my mom. (hint)

Lewis and I getting ready to pick a little

The mandolin was lots of fun. Thanks, Lewis.

Michael and I fit right in. Notice him w/ the fiddle. After my Smoke on Mt. attempt, I decided to let that one rest.

We really were having as much fun as we appear to be.

Food, Friends, and Feelings

While my life is definitely not the norm, I must say one of the great things I treasure about my abnormal lifestyle is the amount of quality time I get with my parents. There are days I think "What in the world am I doing?" This transition period is hard and plays on my mind, but then I have a great time with mom and dad -- like the Cheerio video or discussing life over mom's amazing cooking, and I realize how lucky I really am. My parents and I not only get along, but we actually enjoy spending time together -- silly and serious. One of my favorite parts of being home is mom's cooking. There is always fresh bread, fresh baked goods, or an amazingly fresh dinner around here -- to which I attribute my growing wastline. My mom is a great cook, and I am so glad I get to partake in her cullinary adventures. Last week she made filet mignon with carmelized onion and mushrooms, loaded baked potatoes, and sauteed spinach. Honestly, how could one not enjoy coming home to that? Thank you, mom, for all the great food you make. I hope someday more people get to experience it!

Also, my friend Angie was in town for a conference last weekend, and I got to spend a few hours with her after all was finished. It was great to see her again and catch up on life. I only wish she could have stayed longer and enjoyed some of my mom's cooking.

Come back again soon, Angie!

Recently, I have gotten into Yoga. Besides the stretching, I very much enjoy some of it's basic concepts, primarily the quieting the mind and meditating. I have found much truth in positive and negative energy, attitudes, vibes, spirit. Whatever you deem appropriate to call it, we humans have much power strictly from what comes out of us --what we choose to send into the universe or world. So, I have really been focusing on sending good energies to people and the universe. In other words, I am learning that Christ in me is more than just being nice to people because being nice can have a bad energy behind it. Christ in me is learning to have a positive spirit within me toward others and toward life in general. Oftentimes this is difficult because I like getting my way, and I tend to doubt heavily when I don't see life going in a direction I consider progressive. I find that when I take time to calm my body, the mind quickly follows and begins to calm as well resulting in meditating on good and lovely things. Today I am thankful for a God that created we humans so intricately that body, minds, and energies all work together to make us whole.

No pierde la fe!