A Concert at MeadowHouse

About a month ago we received an email from our friend Lydia McCauley. We were invited to a house concert at the home where she and her husband Kurt live, on August 14 - even though The Shepherd was scheduled to be at the Skagit County Fair with the boys this weekend, we knew that we couldn't miss this important event. I sent in my RSVP immediately - her concerts are very popular and I knew that only a few people would be able to attend this one because of limited space.

Training had begun in earnest (much to the boy's dismay) - and they were actually beginning to "respond" to being good boys with the halter and lead, in exchange for one of those yummy alfalfa & blackberry treats. Well, as it turned out, the halter training was for naught - a week ago (even though they'd had his paperwork FOR A MONTH!) we got a call from the fair office, that "unfortunately, there was no room in the sheep barn for our sheep this year" - The Shepherd was so very disappointed. But, it did give us the opportunity to go, unencumbered by worry about sheep on their own at the fair, to Lydia's concert.

Besides being her "sound man" Lydia's husband Kurt is one heck of a master builder. Their home,which he built, is a sight to behold - centered in a meadow and surrounded by lavender and herb gardens.

Inside - the kitchen and the bath have marble counter tops - a professional range in the kitchen - of course I would notice that you say - well, there are just some things that are important!



Lynn (the band's bass player) and her partner Keith opened the concert with a humorous song about a bumble bee and an old James Taylor song about life's changes - Lynn has been with Lydia's band for about 9 or 10 years - essentially all of the time that we have been, and I hate to say it - "groupies" - well - when you find a good band, you go to their concerts - you want to support them, so they will keep finding places to play, right? Over the years we have become good friends with Lydia & Kurt and the other band members, so it's almost like a reunion of friends when they have a concert any more.

If you click on Lydia's name in the first paragraph it will take you to her blog where you can listen to snippets of her music, or if you have an iPod, you can even buy some of her tunes.

Lydia is a very talented musician and has a lovely voice. One of the fun things that we have done together was a few years ago when she and the band came to our little church in Blaine and gave a concert. We packed the house for them . The Shepherd & I got to sing with her! That's one way to get to sing on stage - promote concerts staring your friends.




There were between 40 and 50 people there tonight - including poet Lucy Shaw who lives here in Bellingham, and chocolatier Kevin Buck, owner of Chocolate Necessities, just the best place in the world to get the world's best hand made chocolates! (get a feeling that these people make good chocolate? - you'd never believe HOW good their chocolate is!)

And, in the small world department - as we were preparing to take our leave, one of the ladies sitting in front of us - said "you're Tina aren't you? - Do you recognize me?" Well, I had kind of thought she looked familiar - but after working in two highly customer service oriented companies AND spending 21 years singing in a restaurant, many local people look familiar - Anyhow - long story short - she (Peggy) and her husband and their children used to come in after they got done with church every Sunday night (I mean, we're talking for many months) to have a snack of Nachos and listen to me sing. After she said that, I did place her - and even smaller world department, in the mid '70's, that same family had briefly rented a little house on a street called East Victor here in town - the very same house that I bought in 1981 and where I lived for 13 years until I married The Shepherd and we moved here.

In fact, "That Old House" will be the topic of one of my blogs next week. Check back in a few days to read more about it.