Things are Changing

Has it really been three months since I’ve been here?! Wow. Life happens. I think something would be interesting to write about, but I never get around to actually writing. Every day seems busy, though often I couldn’t tell you what I did all day. 😄 The band has been playing. There was another trip back to the US. The band took a break over the holidays because our drummer went back to the US for a while. That was the beginning of some positive changes. I don’t think we realized how hard we had been working until we stopped.

It all started with our friends in Dracma (a local band). They have an awesome drummer, and we thought we’d borrow him to cover while ours was out of town. (This video is by our band friends. She is also an amazing bassist!)

We were talking and it came out that they would like more work, and they live in Boquete (45 minutes north of us, where we were playing every week). So, we thought, rather than go through the process of getting things ready to take out with a different drummer, why not just give them the gigs. So, with the boss’s approval, they took six of our Sundays over the holidays.

That was six weeks of not driving to Boquete with our equipment, six weeks of not practicing for the gig while also trying to add some new material, and most important, six weeks of not driving back in the dark, late at night, when we were tired. The boss was very happy with Dracma and said they could cover for us anytime. Dracma was very happy with the gig. So, we finished our obligations, (until our planned US trip in February) and handed the job over to Dracma full time.

Another video by our friends –

There is a venue, Hops, just minutes from our house and we have played there a couple times. It went really well and we expect to play there again in the future, but definitely not every week. Not only is it close, they have an excellent PA which is all set up for us when we get there, and they have a wonderful sound man. How nice to have that part of the work taken off our shoulders, and the sound man makes us sound really good. It’s a fun place, comfortable, plenty of parking, good food and drinks, and a staff that makes you feel like you are going to Cheers (where everybody knows your name). We have been having a wonderful time going there every weekend to hear other music, to see other bands, and to watch other people work while we relax and enjoy ourselves. We’ve met new people, new musicians, and been exposed to music we don’t usually hear when we are busy doing our own thing.

I’m getting pieces of my life back that had gone by the wayside. I’ve been riding my bike more, and not worrying about getting home so I can practice. I’ve been spending more time with friends. And, I’ve been painting, something I haven’t done for a very long time. I loaned Cesi, (the Dracma bassist) my amplifier and speakers while I wasn’t using them. She sounded so much better that I wasn’t about to ask for them back. So, Joel built me new speaker boxes. He said they were mine to do with whatever I wanted. I could paint unicorns and rainbows on them if I wanted. 💡 Who likes rainbows and unicorns?? My granddaughters, of course! So, I have been putting my granddaughters’ art on my speaker boxes 😁 I may have the strangest, most unique speakers, but they mean a lot to me. I was with the girls when they created their art, so as I carefully copy it on to my speakers I remember the times sitting at the table with them watching them create. And, I will think of the artists every time I look at my speakers.

I am working on the third side now which features my favorite drawing from my 8 year old granddaughter, a smiling unicorn. With no pressure to produce or finish anything (they work fine no matter what they look like), I’m finding I like the process more than I remembered. There is something calming and satisfying about working on something, bit by bit, and watching it all take shape.

The latest video from our friends. Can you tell that I think a lot of them? Not only are they outstanding musicians, they are the nicest people as well.

So, that’s a little of what has been going on here. Maybe I’ll even get back to writing in my blog more! It could happen 😁 I hope you all out there are well and happy.

The banner picture is a lizard than hangs out on our bathroom window. He lost his tail and we have been watching him grow another. It’s coming along nicely.