NEWS:
Aug'10
Hope this finds you well and enjoying summer. We have some great music coming up on the calendar through November! Check out the Gigs page to find out when, where and why you should come!
August 14th is a fundraiser for my friend, Vikki Farrow, who is winning her battle against ovarian cancer (Yay!) but the hardships of treatment and medical bills have left her and her family (husband and 3 yr old son) financially strapped. If you want to help out or donate items for the fundraiser click on her Facebook page HERE! to post and/or go to her Paypal account.
August 21st is our big summer family outdoor concert with bluegrass music by Mark & the Merryman!! Open mic afterward. BBQ potluck. So excited about this show!! Please RSVP.
If you come to the Bluegrass concert you'll be able to see what's going on the garden and my three chitlins in person so I'll spare you the details. ;P
Be well!
CJ
May'10
Hi y'all! It's been a while!
We are so excited our next house concert. I wanted something really different. Don't get me wrong I love the singer/songwriters and one band (Dakota Blonde) that we've had but I have to keep you interested! So this next show will be an evening of several different musicians: Dale Backus-classical pianist, Tamara Maddaford-flutist, and Krista Hinman Classical/Operatic singer. I will be playing a few classical pieces on flute that I've been working very hard on for the past few weeks. Told you it was different! As always, please rsvp because we will cap out at 60 people.
We also have a show booked on August 21st. This will be an outdoor family event during the day with a bluegrass band. So mark your calendars.
On the homefront we are in the process of adopting our two little girls ages 2 1/2 & 18mos! We couldn't be happier :) Shane is 12 years old and recently bought a drum kit with his own money, is taking lessons, plays in the school band and wants to start his own band this summer. He's going to Rock Band Camp for two weeks in June. He also wants to be a ninja in his spare time ;)
With the arts being cut out of schools it is so important that we keep it alive and remind people how incredible the power of art it is. I can't count how many people have come up to me after one of our house concerts and commented that life was so busy it seemed almost easier not to come out to the show but how glad they were that they did and how music fills them up. Music is awesome that way.
xoxo
Charlene
Mar'10:
Hi there! Hope you're well and off to a good start in 2010. I can't believe it's March already. I'm really ready for spring. Being a Calif girl now living in Colorado, I actually love the snowy season but wish it ended a bit earlier. I'm a big gardener and can't wait to get started. I'm tired of anemic looking and tasting vegetables from the store.
We are having a house concert on March 26th with Putnam Smith & Shannon Wurst on tour from Maine. As usual, Greg and I will open with a set so it's a three bill night! Please RSVP soon because we are now renting chairs for the concerts.
Our last house concert was truly at max capacity topping over 60 people with the amazing Dakota Blond. If you've not experienced a house concert, it's hard to describe in words the experience. When I look around at the living room audience the musical experience just seems to be felt at a deeper level because the artist is so up close and personal. I see people laughing, crying, rocking out and feeling the music with much more intensity. So, come on!
xoxo
Charlene
Jan'10:
Happy New Year!
I am feeling very optimistic and good about the coming year. It's been a "sucky" year for so many I know. It feels good to tuck it good night and start fresh. Do you make New Year's Resolutions or set goals? I always do and whether or not we attain all of them doesn't matter so much to me as the process of getting the wheels turning and wanting to be more of who you are and spreading that love.
I hope you have it marked on your calendar to attend our first Music on the Mesa concert of this year with Dakota Blond on January 30th. We are excited to have them as the first band in our concert series as we've only had solo artists so far. See the gigs page for more info and get your rsvp in soon!
So Cheers to 2010 and all it brings!
xoxo
CJ
Dec'09:
Going to California very soon and can't wait! It's been a really cold winter so far here in Colorado. My mom mentioned to me that it's a bummer it's only going to be in the 60's while we're there. ONLY. Where we live no one wears a jacket if it's above 45. I am getting thicker skin too (finally it's been four years!).
It's been a long time since we've played a show in California and we are excited to play at The Neighborhood Cup in Aliso Viejo on Sunday, 12/26. Hope you can come. We'd love to see some old (and new) faces! We hope to have some special guests come down and sit in for a tune or two.
Shane's new passion is drums (and being a ninja) and he's taking lessons (drums, not ninja lessons). He practices daily and keeps it quite lively around here.
We still have our foster baby girls and have had them for almost a year (baby just turned one and toddler is 2yrs 4mos). We hope to be able adopt in the New Year. It's never dull at our house and not a lot of extra time either. We did get some chickens though and have had way more fun than I ever thought you could have with chickens (they avg about four eggs a day for us).
SAVE THE DATE: we have a house concert set up for January 30th with Dakota Blond. cGorgeous folky Dollyish voice and amazing musicians. Our first band in our concert series. Our last house concert was pretty much at capacity so we will be taking rsvps a little more seriously this time around. Hope to see you. Reserve your spot early!
Love to you and yours,
xox
Charlene
Oct'09:
Hello! I'm looking out my window right now at a gorgeous sunny day covered in white sparkly snow. If you'd have asked me years ago if I would like snow (being born/raised in So.Cal) I would have said no way as I was scared of cold. Now I love it and one the best things about it is that you don't feel guilty staying in and hunkering down maybe in your jammies playing games or for me cooking.
Our house concert in Sept was an amazing night for all. Seth Horan surpassed all expectations of an amazing house concert performance. We had a fun weekend getting to know him and he beat me Scrabble! Seth has a new album..check it out... Clang&Chime
I just booked a show in December in Orange County, CA at The Neighborhood Cup in Aliso Viejo. We'd love to see some of our old posse. It's been a while since we've played in Cali and we're really looking forward to it. We are going to try and finish up a few new songs for that show.
Shane just got his Taekwondo blackbelt and we are very proud of him! We still have our foster baby girls going on eight months now. Foster care can be an emotional roller coaster but has been so worth it and very rewarding for our family.
xoxo
CJ
Aug'09:
It's been a while since I've updated my site...too long! Hope this finds you well and enjoying summer.
We've got a fun house concert/fundraiser going on this weekend. The Whitts lost their two year old twin babygirl in Feb of this year. Her name was Tuesday. Here's a beautiful blog that chronicles their journey (Jess is an amazing writer). They want to get out of dodge for a while so they are taking our RV end of Sept through Feb with their three kids and heading out across the U.S. for some road therapy to promote pediatric cancer awareness at various pediatric hospitals across the U.S. If you'd like to donate money to their cause you can do so through their paypal account. Click on my contact page and email me and I'll tell you how.
Save the date! Sept. 26th will bring us another awesome house concert with Seth Horan! Seth is crazy talented coming all the way from from Reno, NV. Email me to reserve your spot now!
Be well.
CJ
Jun '09:
Hello!!
Excited for shows coming up in June! Music has been on the back burner for us for a while now. I don't feel good when not playing music. We still have the two foster babies and we, of course, are in love with them but caring for babies is a lot of work. It's a balancing act to fit in everything and make the things I love a priority too. I need to do so because if mama ain't happy nobody's happy, right!
We have worked out a few new covers and really want to finish our new original "After All These Years".
I have worked in my garden quite a bit since being outside is so easy with kids and we' have been eating freshly picked salad and spinach everyday.
Shane got a drum set and spends hours in the basement with his ipod headphones on perfecting songs. It amazes me how fast he's learning to play! Music to my ears even when it's pounding up through the floor ;)
It seems we've had friends and family that have lost loved ones or are battling hard times since the new year came upon us. It makes me so sad but also reminds me to live my best life as authentically as possible.
I hope to see you at a show or two this coming month!
xo
Charlene
April '09:
Happy Spring! Although yesterday was 70 as I look out the window all I see is dense fog and supposedly waiting for up to 10 inches of snow?
Can't believe it's April already. We said goodbye to our sweet baby foster girl who went to live with relatives. Less than a week later we were placed with two adorable baby girls 3 months and 18 months. They are adorable! Keeping us busy that's for sure!
Shane doing well and been really into music these days. Started his own band Thunderstruck and will perform next week in the school talent show. At his dr appt we discovered he's grown four inches and gained 20 lbs since last year's check up!
We have a few some shows coming up. If you have any ideas of any place you think our music would be a good fit let us know!
xo
CJ
January'09:
Happy New Year! 2009 is another year to try and get it right. The promise of this new year has me working on eating more healthy, exercising (like everyone else), having more patience, practicing not worrying about what others think, being a good mom, playing/writing more music, having the best garden ever this summer! That ought to keep me busy!
We have our 2nd house concert with Music on the Mesa the end of this month featuring Beth Wood. We are really excited to have Beth perform in our living room. If you haven't rsvp'd please do so! Check out the Gigs page to see how.
We still have our foster baby girl now 23 months old. If the time comes, I don't know how we'll ever part with her. She could not be a cuter, sweeter baby.
Shane got to go snowboarding recently and with the Colorado 5th grade pass; he plans to go next week too. He keeps busy with all his activites and is in training for his blackbelt test in May.
Take care!
xo
Charlene
November 20th, 2008
Greetings! Tis the season to be grateful. What are you grateful for?
I'm grateful for a cold day today and wearig my boots and new jacket. Hanging out by the fire with little "K" our 20 month old foster baby girl. Shane is kickin back reading a book that he says is the best book he's ever read even though he says about every other book. I'm grateful he loves to read so much.
Our first concert on "Music on the Mesa" was an amazing evening. Chuck Pyle has the most talented ability to weave a musical spell throughout the room. You can hear yourself breathe and the warming your heart energy permeate through everyone throughout the room. That sums up the evening.
Beth Wood is next on "Music on the Mesa" January 31st, '09. Make your reservations early!
Be well.
xoxo
Charlene
November 10th, 2008
Welcome to the newly rebuilt site! We are still working on it but I'm relieved to have some assemblance of a website finally. I'll be adding more to it and updating regularly. So keep checking back.
We are excited to have our first house concert at "Music on the Mesa" featuring artist Chuck Pyle www.chuckpyle.com. Greg and I will open with a short set. For more info or reservations go to the GIGS page. We'll be hosting house concerts every few months.
We became licensed foster parents this summer and we are hoping to adopt another child someday soon. But in the meantime we are doing foster care for a baby girl (20 mos.) and falling more in love with her everyday.
Shane is now 11 yrs old and has been keeping all of us busy with school, football, taekwondo, playing music in the school orchestra, and accordion. Not to mention some pre-pube attitude.
Since we are new to the Colorado music scene, we'd love to hear if you have ideas of venues for us to play. Or maybe you'd like to host a house concert for us?
xo
Charlene
