Review: Field Tripp @ the Clubhosue, July 28th

(Front man, Dan Allmond of the band Field Tripp)

Thursday night the band Field Tripp entertained a small crowd at the Clubhouse venue in Tempe, Arizona. This was my second time at the Clubhouse, the first time I was elbow-deep in Fun ballads. Although it seemed brief, the Field Tripp set did not disappoint me. Bug's on the Blades is my jam!The band has been transformed several times, but this time things seemed to click. Field Tripp holds an Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zero's quality it's history of large numbers. The last time I saw Field Tripp was at the Rouge in Scottsdale. It seems as though Dan calls up all his musician friends and invites them to jam on stage.The Rouge was a good show, but a bit chaotic. Two drummers, a stand-up bass, LOTS of guitars, banjo, etc. Thursday night at the Clubhouse was certainly more organized, but didn't lack the meat.

 Dan Allmond (guitar/vocals), Brian Mabry (guitar/clarinet), Amir Azzabi (drums), Paul Balazs (bass) and Eliz Christy (vocals/keys)

Dan is the one constant member in this whirl wind of talent. From the first time I heard the indie-rock grooves there was something familiar. Live, they have a very raw, garage band quality that makes you feel like one of the cool kids. The softer songs are romantic and easy to start slow-dancing to. I loved my husband's arm around my waste during those songs!

I recently commented on Dan's weight loss and asked him what he is doing differently he replied,

"I'm laying off the beer." 

 Coming from a musical background, I was not impressed with Field Tripp's former female vocalist. I think one of the smartest changes to Field Tripp was the addition of keyboard/vocalist, Eliz Christy. The urban songstress's voice blends perfectly with the rest of the group. The rhythm is spot on which is impressive with all of the time changes and break downs. The new album will became a life-soundtrack really quick.

Self-proclaimed influences include Modest Mouse, Beach Boys, Built to Spill, Elliot Smith and the Beatles. Although there is catchy familiarity, the songs all ring with whole hearted originality. The recordings available on the Field Tripp Facebook will give you a good idea of their vibe, but overall DOES NOT do them justice and does not include the current members. I recommend picking up their new album, Super Ego-Friendly, or checking out a live show.

Field Tripp's Next Show:

7pm Tuesday, Aug 9th 2011

The Rouge, Scottsdale, AZ





Snowflake Pioneer Days

 This was my third year celebrating the annual Pioneer Days in Snowflake, Arizona. The first time I came to Snowflake (located in Northeastern Arizona) was when I had known my then, future husband for less than a month and he invited me to meet his parents and join in the festivities. This weekend was perfect. The weather was cooler than the valley and there was plenty to do. My husband's younger sister was playing in a church softball league. I loved getting into the game with the rest of the family. Saylor made some friends and played in the dirt.

Saturday is the main day for events. The day starts off with a parade complete with creative floats. This years theme was "Joy in the Journey". Saylor adores Cassidy's family. Here she is snuggled up with Grandpa.

 Cassidy was content in the shade with his sunflower seeds.

 In between the parade and delicious BBQ we enjoyed the festival at the park near Cassidy's parents home. They had bouncy houses, climbing wall, vendors, and food. Saylor sat in this barrel train thing long enough to get a picture and then wanted nothing to do with the ride. Cassidy tried sitting in the barrel with her and that didn't help. At least I got my money back. We settled for a homemade old fashioned root beer and cream soda instead.

I didn't get pictures of the rest of our fantastic trip but we had got pretty rowdy at the rodeo and fireworks. I forced Saylor to ride on Grandpa's dune buggy. She fought me to get the seat belt on so I wrapped one arm around her and took her for a spin. Cassidy got to meet up with an old friend that he hadn't seen for a long time. And as for me I was just excited to have a few laughes with my family. It is a wonderful tradition that I hope we continue for a long time!

Pancake Love

I spent the morning with my beautiful daughter, Saylor, making chocolate chip pancakes. I can't believe how she is turning into a person right before my eyes. Everyday I watch her grow and become more lovely. She is able to do so much on her own these days. She is entering a phase where I can actually use her help. She was full of joy as she poured ingredients into the bowl and mixed it up. She is slowly learning to be patient. She asks important, valid and smart questions about the world. She is trying to understand each detail of life and put it together like a puzzle. I told her that we are going to a rodeo this weekend, and once I got to the part about the horses she was jumping with excitement screaming, "I go to a radio, radio, radio!!" It must be hard to learn words and meanings. And to learn that some words have the same meanings and that some words are spelled the same, but have different meanings. I am impressed with Saylor's level of understanding. She will be three in October and already she is asking to go to school. My heart breaks at the thought of her leaving. I can't imagine a life without seeing her everyday. I am quick to complain about how much work being a mother is and then when I leave I miss her terribly within an hour.

There is a beautiful article in this months Ensign about setting aside a few moments each day to give one-on-one attention to your family members. It is difficult to find an activity to do with young children that will hold their attention and run smoothly. I have had to be willing to leave my comfort zone as a mother, by allowing things to get a little messy or loud at times if it means an opportunity to bond with my daughter. This morning was a great success. She was entertained and felt good about herself for helping. We were listening to Band of Horses (currently our favorite band) and I felt genuinely happy to be sharing that moment with my baby.

So much of my daughters ability to enjoy life depends on the tools that I give her. If every time she has a surge of overwhelming emotion (aka a tantrum), and I react by shaming her, or sooth her with food, it's likely that she will find it difficult to control or understand her emotions as she gets older. I am eagerly devising a way that I can help my daughter cope with her feelings as they arise. I do not want to mute her sense of confidence. She is strong, outgoing, compassionate, and silly. When nurtured, these qualities will enrich her life. However if she is taught to be pacified by immediate stimulation (i.e. electronics, food etc.) then that is what she will turn to in the future. What a critical time in a child's life.
I was given the idea to carry a small bag of 10 coins, buttons, beans, or any other small item. Every time a stressful situation arises give the child the bag and have them count the items or line them up if the child is too young to count. This is a quick diversion that allows the child to step away from the situation without feeling shameful.

I have struggled with guilt and low self-esteem my entire life. I can't remember a time when I didn't feel like everyone else was better than me. No guilt can compare to "mommy-guilt" though. I worry that although I'm with her 24/7 that I often take her for granted. I find myself brushing her aside to often. On the other hand I've come up with a mantra that has really helped me to over come "mommy-guilt" as it arises. Around the time that she has slammed my head in the fridge for the third time in morning I calmly guide her to bedroom and close the door for a timeout. She begins to sob and kick and I can just picture her sad little face. This is where the mantra comes in.

She's a white-American child.

She is fed.

She is clothed.

She is in an air-conditioned room, full of

toys games, puzzles, books, and stuffed animals.

She is not being abused.

She will still live even if she is mad at me.

You are her mother, not her friend.

Boundaries will be tested. Hair will be cut with kid scissors. Lemonade will be dumped on your lap top (sorry, Cass). Carpets will be peed on. Random grapes will be eaten off of the floor at Wal-mart; but lessons will be learned. When all is said and done, it's all worth it because she is mine. Even during the chaos there's nowhere else I'd rather be.

...Ye, are only in the Service of your God

Wow. I am in awe. I just feel so full of joy and hope and gratitude right now. I love Mesa, Arizona more everyday. I am especially in love with the people. When I first moved to this area of Mesa I felt loathsome and judgemental. I viewed the people and neighborhoods as "beneath me" and couldn't wait to move on from this chapter of my life. Now, I see how ignorant I was. Mother Theresa said, "if you judge people, you have no room to love them". Everyday I encounter people in this community who inspire me. I see the humility of the this class of people and I admire it. The 'nothing-to-lose' sincerity of these people is life-changing.  There is pain, regret, suffering, and selfishness among us. There is loss, there is helplessness and futility. My source of inspiration blooms from the willingness of this community to help one another. No one is immune from the hardships of life. There is an opportunity that arises in communities such as mine to serve each other. When our own problems become unbearable there is a God-given formula that can release us from our misery. The formula includes an open mind and a sacrifice of some kind. We might sacrifice our pride and smile at someone we do not normally favor. We can donate belongings or make a monetary offering to our church or charitable organizations. But to me a sacrifice of our time yields the greatest outcome.

I have felt so sorry for myself in the past few months that I have been oblivious. I have been oblivious to the needs of my fellowman. I have sorely neglected the principle most vital for anyone as chornically self-centered as I needed to survive. My willingness to help has been clouded by my selfishness. That is why I am grateful to be surrounded by my meek neighbors who are so willing to help remind me. Even though I am so bitterly proud and egotistical, I have been lovingly welcomed into a fellowship and a community of my brothers and sisters. We are all God's children and God is no respecter of persons. It does not matter if you are a "have" or a "have-not". We are all equal in the eyes of God. We are equally worthy of his grace. Therefore we have a responsiblity, IF we desire the blessings he has to offer. Here is to my willingness to be avaliable to for my brothers and sisters!

(I'm not sure what these two beautiful girls have to do with service, besides the are slowly but surely learning that when they share what they have, life is sweeter!)

a Rainbow

My lovely little Saylor locks away the most beautiful memories. On one of our first days in Idaho we saw a rainbow appear after a thunder storm. Saylor was enchanted by that rainbow and often asked where it went?  

Several days ago my husband brought home a very unique gift for Saylor; Her own rainbow. He often finds little treasures that come into his work place of St. Vincent de Paul. 

She has been so fascinated that she can actually carry around a rainbow!

The pictures are so dark because the rainbow looks best with the lights off.

This is how it looks when projected on her bedroom wall. She likes us to leave her rainbow 

on while she falls asleep. 

She calls it her "specal rainbow". 

She also says "it's like Capitan Hook's rainbow", whatever that means.

I'm only speculating that Saylor associates this rainbow with the one she saw in Idaho. 

She is just so in love with that rainbow; it's pretty much the cutest damn thing. 

Get your own rainbow here.

Death Cab for Cutie..has the right idea in this video.

A Record

I have never been very fond of reading. Mostly because I am a lazy person and reading requires effort to be entertained. During high school I would rather cheat before I'd take the time to read a book. However, as I have gotten older I have come to appreciate a good piece of writing. As I have developed my own writing skills I have really come to appreciate the incredible work and intelligence it takes to produce a decent piece of literature. I have found a love for the words that are right at my finger tips. I enjoy a simple-everyday novel, but I find myself diving into philosophical, spiritual and religious material head first. When I was younger, still living in my home town of Moscow, Idaho I fell in love with a guide to meditation by Ram Dass called "A Journey of Awakening". It discusses the ego and how to remove yourself from it. It teaches you how to witness your life rather than react to it. I was interested in the fact that he describes how he found the effects he sought with drugs; through living a spiritually guided life and that the effects were continuous rather than fleeting. That was the kind of life I wanted. I wanted to be "spiritually in-tune" and feel genuinely happy rather than artificially happy through substance abuse.  

Lately, I have been blown away by the unfolding of the Alcoholics Anonymous theory for spiritual living. It is a beautifully outlined program that skillfully solves an age-old problem without stepping on any ones toes (religiously speaking). It is easy to comprehend while provoking significant moral evaluation. Chances are you have been affected by  problem drinking in one form or another. "The Big Book" holds incredible insight into a revolutionary camaraderie which paved the way for legions of suffering alcoholics and their families. I've skipped around in this book and read random chapters, but this is the first time I have read it straight through. So far I'm about 50 pages in and I am astonished at the bitter truthfulness of these personal accounts of alcoholism. I am pacing myself because there is so much to take in and I like to take notes, but I will try to update on this topic.. (fingers-crossed).

"So we clean house with the family, 

asking each morning in meditation 

that our Creator show us the way of 

patience, tolerance, kindliness and love."

-pg. 83

Another genera of writing that has captivated me in the past week is lyrical poetry. My husband and I have been listening to Band of Horses for the past week and as I was writing this post I was listening to this song. I happened to look at the video and this is what I found. It just seemed so appropriate. I don't normally post other material, but I am willing to make an exception for this song!

"The Funeral"

I'm coming up only to hold you under
I'm coming up only to show you wrong
And to know you is hard; we wonder
To know you all wrong; we were.

Really too late to call,
So we wait for morning to wake you
That's all we got
to know me as hardly golden
Is to know me all wrong, they were.

At every occasion I'll be ready for the funeral
Every occasion, once more, it's called the funeral
Every occasion, know I'm ready for the funeral
At every occasion, oh, one billion day funeral

I'm coming up only to show you down,
For I'm coming up only to show you wrong.

To the outside: the dead leaves, they're on the lawn
Before they died, had trees to hang their hope

And every occasion
I'll be ready for the funeral
And every occasion once more
It's called the funeral
And every occasion
Oh, I'm ready for the funeral
Every occasion
Of one billion day funeral 

(band of horses)

Wisdom is everywhere. The talent of stringing words along like pearls takes years of spilling them. Every, essay that I've developed, every talk I pondered, every blog post I constructed has helped me to understand. I now realized the amount of labor that goes into intelligent thought presented through written word.

Since the beginning of man, written communication has been prophesied to be of utmost importance in preserving our knowledge. So that those who live after us may not have to suffer as we have suffered. We have been instructed by prophets of old and in modern times to keep detailed record of our lives and experience to share with our posterity. The most influential writings often carry critical warnings and teachings. We we following these teachings and warnings are lives improve. Simple concepts.

Candid Creation

I have felt so overwhelmed with emotions for my family. We had the privilege of spending a lot of time together this past holiday weekend.  There have been so many little things that have made me smile lately. I love how my little family is growing and learning, together and individually. Each person has needs and desires. It's hard to find a healthy balance to make everyone happy or satisfied. I find the more I give and sacrifice the happier I am. Even though we live in a little apartment, nothing fancy, I enjoy personalizing it and making it a home. It is a place that my family and I have in common for a sense of safety, peace and refuge. It is important to me to make that environment comfortable and as pleasant as possible.

Saylor and I have been thrift store shopping. I found this adorable pillow case at Mesa Thrift and I fell in love with it. I want to get a matching bed set for Saylor's new big girl bed.

I am so proud to have this piece of furniture. My father has always had a talent for wood working, but over the past few years has really devoted significant time to perfecting his craft. I have several pieces placed in my home. Saylor takes so much pride in her custom princess bed. In this picture alone you can see the toy box, rocking chair and bed which are signature pieces by my father. I am so impressed by the development of his skills and the many treasures he has constructed for our family over the years. They hold special memories and I'm sure the sentiment will only become stronger as the years pass. Thanks, Dad!

Daddy's idea of keeping an eye on Saylor. She likes to bury people with her toys. The mess means there's people living here.  I'm thankful that Cass can find a moment to relax within the chaos of our lives.

'thrifting'

I don't know why, but this little fashionista makes me think of 'little miss muffet'. 

The simple pleasures of being a Nanny.  Creation is a innate God-like characteristic. When there isn't time left in the day to create something breath-takingly fantastic; play. Resort to playdough,  crayons, Mr. Potato Head, a puzzle or some blocks. Create something. I spend most of my time trying to create order and rarely achieving it. I have few minutes here and there to blog or improve my domestic skills and it keeps me smiling. What do you create?

the Beginning of Vegetarianism

One night as I was doing some aimless web searching and came across a very simple guide Vegetarian's "beginner's guide".I half-heartily made a choice to stop eating meat (for a time) to see if I noticed any significant health improvements. I've had several friends suggest a more plant centered diet to help my poor complexion and battle with weight loss. I am now ending day 6 without eating any meat or fish. More than anything, I am surprised at my ability to refrain from eating meat and to come up with creative meals. It has brought me a sense of accomplishment through self-control. I made a terrible mistake by beginning a new diet plan over a holiday weekend. Miraculously, I was able to resist the temptation for barbecued meat and still have a fantastic time.

(To clarify, by NO MEAT I mean vegetarian, not vegan. I'm abstaining from any animal tissue, such as pork, chicken, beef, fish etc. I am still consuming dairy products and eggs, but toying with the idea of phasing those out to depending on how well this portion of the observation goes. )

My husband, Cassidy, has been very supportive of my dietary efforts and has been open-minded about trying new foods. Saylor has been less receptive.
Meals
1.) The first meal I presented was a veggie sandwich that was very easy to add meat to for my husband. It included:

herb & cheese focccacia bread
pesto
sun dried tomatoes
provolone cheese
smoked turkey (optional)
  w/ grapes and Parmesan pasta

I like to put a smile on his face.

the 'meatless' option.

Saylor playing with her food

2.) The second meal was lighter. A whole grain vegetable soup (canned) and a tossed salad including:

spring mix
cranberries
cantaloupe
crushed pecans
parmesan cheese
raspberry dressing
  w/ tortilla chips & light yogurt

The presentation was a lot of fun and  I think Cassidy agreed how yummy the meals were. I think I've been surprising him (and myself). I'll try to keep updating my progress...key word TRY.  It's been exciting to achieve the few days of commitment to vegetarianism. Today also marks  24 hrs of abstinence from overeating. What abstinence requires is that I write down my 'food plan' and follow it exactly. The list consists of foods I exclude as well as what food I will allow myself to eat and how much. Food exclusions should be what you consider trigger foods that lead to overeating. As an example, here is my current food plan:


1,300 calories per day
no soda
no ice cream
no donuts.
vegetarian diet (no meat or fish)

24 hours of abstinence may not seem like a long time, but when you are struggling with a 

compulsion/addiction, it is a life-changing accomplishment. I commend all those you have over come this problem and am so inspired by the stories I hear. I have seen hard work be put into a recovery program and yield unimaginable success. It brings me hope!

..Here's to today..