This was a good day.
If you're mainly looking for upcoming shows and want to skip ahead, click here.
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We’re driving west, somewhere in Texas. The sun is barely below the soil and the leftover light looks like pink smoke. A long black snout nudges the back of my left arm and I turn to kiss his forehead with my forehead.
His steps are getting slower, less stable. His legs are losing strength and need the help of our arms to navigate stairs. Our old man of a dog is on a bit of a decline and we’re trying to soak up every second.
He still makes the most ridiculous face when in the presence of an about-to-be-eaten banana. He still tries to be touching as many of his toys at once as possible when we arrive home. He still reminds me what living in the moment looks like.
He also reminds me that everything ages at its own speed. His aging is accelerated compared to mine. I know this. But knowledge is not acceptance.
There are certainly times where we shouldn’t accept things we’ve come to know, and we should work for change. But aging and being mortal aren’t going to change. How we view these inevitabilities, and how we celebrate in spite of them, can though.
Trying to live in the moment feels like the obvious answer, but it is a delicate balancing act when so much time and energy are required to plan those moments you are trying to live in. It’s easy, at least for me, to lose sight of that balance and let the forward-looking and planning bleed over into time you should really be present. It becomes second nature and it’s hard to turn it off. Then the time is over, and I feel like I’ve wasted it. Not always, of course, but probably too often.
So I’m going to take this lesson from my sweet Benson and act on it. Work for less bleed and a better balance. May you find the same.
We’d love to share some moments with you this Thursday, Friday, and Sunday as we continue to celebrate our recently released album Honest. If you’re in Amarillo, Ruidoso, or Santa Fe, or know folks who are, you can check out the details a bit further down the page.
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// Music News //
Honest is out everywhere you can find music
Physical copies available at shows
or through our website here
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We are incredibly thankful for these kind reviews
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Parker and Benson on a beach in MA.
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OE Unedited
This is the section where we share an unedited journal entry or object write.
(Object writing is a daily 10 minute writing exercise, where you write to a particular object in a sensory stream of consciousness kind of way. You can read more about it here.)
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Interesting day to come across this when deciding what to include here. I wrote this last year on walk, a few days after Benson had a stroke-like episode.
July 18, 2018
fireflies flashing and fading
like the length of life
in the grand scheme of the universe
eyes open
coming out of the paralysis
of fear of loss
near-certainty of loss
to have it given back
to make the most
of what’s left
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Note: For fans of this section, my poetry book Words to Read is available here.
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UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
Schedule for the next couple months. Details for all events can be found here
— This Weekend —
5/30 Amarillo, TX - HPPR Living Room Concerts (Info/RSVP here)
5/31 Ruidoso, NM - Sacred Grounds Coffee & Tea (Tickets here)
6/2 Santa Fe, NM - Two Rocks and a Hubcap (Info/RSVP here)
6/22 Ojai, CA - House Concert
6/23 Huntington Beach, CA - Private Concert
6/29 Santa Barbara, CA - Hound Dog House Concert
7/19 Sacramento, CA - Stab Comedy Theater w/ Justin Farren
7/20 Sacramento, CA - House Concert w/ Justin Farren
7/21 Berkeley, CA - House Concert
7/24 Jamaica Plain, MA - Private Concert
7/25 Harwich, MA - CranFest in the Courtyard
7/26 Portland, ME - Frontier w/ Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio
7/27 Harrison, ME - Deertrees Theatre w/ Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio
7/28 Ossipee, NH - Three Pork Hill
We’re always looking to fill in more dates along the way, so hit reply if you know of a venue or house concert we should check out (or if you want to have us play in your home).
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As always, feel free to hit reply and say hello, or let us know if there is something in particular you'd like to see in our newsletters. Thank you for your support!
See you down the road,
Crystal & Pete (who is setting up the trailer at a new campground, but sends his love)
www.ordinaryelephant.net
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