Seasons change, and daylight hours get shorter. I respond very strongly to the changes, even though I try to ignore all things negative. Thursday night at Northwood was a lot of fun, but my evil mind kept sending devastating whammies my way. Since my 70th birthday will be here Monday, I kept thinking about age and decrepitude as I tried to play. What a bummer! If all that didn't get me down, all I had to do was think about Hurricane Sandy, the Presidential mess, a bad tooth, wrinkles, arthritic fingers, car problems, dwindling finances, etc. etc. The list is endless for that evil negative mind-devil. Every now and then, a glorious musical moment brings me back to a good place - the music and the dancing fans, happy faces and bodies in motion. How lucky I am to be alive. After a Thugz gig night, the world is so much brighter for me - no matter how dark it might become out there. And then, on Saturday, we played an inside gig at the Rio Nido Roadhouse. It's sometimes dark, damp and cold in that enclosed patio - I was hoping for the best, but not expecting much. Then, Kaboom! The music fit together well. The Thugz were in synch, and I got caught up in the magic and forgot about all the dark stuff. Our wonderful fans gathered, danced together and shared some exotic fruits David had brought. I received a vase of beautiful pink zinnias for my birthday as well as a rousing "Happy Birthday To You" from the gang. There was so much light, positive energy and warmth in that crazy dank patio. I was blown away. The Thugz didn't get into lots of jamming because folks really wanted dance tunes - but there were some moments when the band played complex, inter-twining riffs that exploded little fireworks in my mind. Mike's soaring trumpet and guitar, Chris's driving bass, and Ian's creative rhythms make me want to joyously smile. It was a good night - AND - Drew looks SO great with his new haircut. So I must remember there's always light in the darkness, and music is my candle out there. I'm so fortunate.
Take care. Love, Sylvia