You are one of the few things worth remembering...

I am still sorting through the emotions of the final Faire weekend. Fortunately, the underlying foundation to all of it is love... but my my, the expressions were varied and all over the map. Needed a day to myself to process everything.

On the unmitigated joy front, QAL got made honorary Girl Scouts! After the bridging ceremony a few weeks back, we found ourselves with an audience full of Girl Scouts. One of them had been a fan for years, and brought her friends along. At the end of the show, we joked that they made it through and needed a merit badge to reflect that accomplishment.

So when she returned this weekend and gave us QAL badges in our own colors—including one for D!—we were so honored and thrilled (and in no small measure terrified to realize that, crap! we're role models!). How awesome is that?!?

Then there was the moment that reminded me with utter clarity why I do this. Sure, I'm a music-based life form. Creating harmonies and sharing songs with some of my favorite women is therapy for me. But that's only a small part of what drives me.

Let me tell you about Diane from Detroit.

She found us after opening gate. She was so excited to see us, and said she'd worn out all her QAL CDs because she played them so much. We took pictures, and her excitement came off her in waves. It was flattering, of course, though just a little unnerving, too.

After our first show, she caught up with me before I headed back stage. She said once again how much she enjoyed the show. Then she paused for a moment. I couldn't see her eyes; she had on sunglasses.

"Your 'Q' CD. The blue one?"

I nodded.

"Well, that song—"

Her breath fought back a sob. Oh no.

"That song 'What'll I Do?'"

I put my hand on her shoulder and nodded again.

"When my husband was healthy—"

She took off her sunglasses and wiped her eyes. I tried to hold it together, but as we all know... with Lace, no one cries alone.

"We loved your version of that song. As his health declined, it became our song."

Another pause to collect herself. I gave her a squeeze to tell her it was OK.

"We played it at his memorial, too. It just meant so much to us...."

Then she was lost. Ye gods. I tried to hold it together long enough to simply say that I hoped someday it will bring more comfort from good memories than pain of loss. I thanked her for letting us be part of such an important moment, and wished her well for the rest of her faire day.

I had to bolt back stage and come unglued for just a moment. Fortunately, a fan had gifted us some chocolate. Kath had the presence of mind to hand some out; we all lost it for a moment when I shared Diane's story.

And THAT, my friends, is why I stress and sweat through sometimes miserable conditions. You just never know how you will touch someone else's life. What a truly mind boggling thing.

Then there were all the unexpected friend visits. I hope I didn't damage Dread Fred, but I couldn't do anything other than run full tilt into a hug. And seeing a former boss and fellow Boobonic Plague survivor was such a treat. Cheri, you rock, woman! Hope the rest of your day was amazing, too. And kalinobeche, you made my day. Can't wait to see you and the rest of the KCTribe soon.

Having so many friends come home... priceless. Thank you for making my heart bigger so I can love you more.

I just hate that I didn't have more time to catch up with folks from back in the day. But hey, isn't that what social networking is for? ;-) Hooray internets!

I wore a yellow ribbon to honor a few special veterans on Memorial Day. Though I didn't know him well, Sean Caughman was dear to many who are dear to me. His name was on my ribbon. My Dad was in the Navy, and my brother and sister were in the Army. So my ribbon had several names.

Once again, the faire parade on Monday made me a sobbing wreck. It's been a long-standing tradition to hand out yellow sashes to veterans who may do parade and let us honor them. I am getting choked up even now as I think of it. I am so damned proud to see so many of our faire family in that line up... I can't even articulate it. My heart just swells.

We once again sang the National Anthem and America the Beautiful. The ladies of Foxglove from CO joined us, as did the O'Boys. Our chalkboard signs thanked the veterans for their service. But still, they thanked us. Oh no no no no no! It's not even a little bit about us. But what an experience.

And mistletoeelf? Thank you for the honor of holding the space with you. I am glad my broad, Teutonic farm girl shoulders could be of service.

The emotional echoes still linger today. None of it is bad; there is just a lot. I am still processing.

Ye gods, what a life I live!

You are one of the few things worth remembering...

I am still sorting through the emotions of the final Faire weekend. Fortunately, the underlying foundation to all of it is love... but my my, the expressions were varied and all over the map. Needed a day to myself to process everything.

On the unmitigated joy front, QAL got made honorary Girl Scouts! After the bridging ceremony a few weeks back, we found ourselves with an audience full of Girl Scouts. One of them had been a fan for years, and brought her friends along. At the end of the show, we joked that they made it through and needed a merit badge to reflect that accomplishment.

So when she returned this weekend and gave us QAL badges in our own colors—including one for D!—we were so honored and thrilled (and in no small measure terrified to realize that, crap! we're role models!). How awesome is that?!?

Then there was the moment that reminded me with utter clarity why I do this. Sure, I'm a music-based life form. Creating harmonies and sharing songs with some of my favorite women is therapy for me. But that's only a small part of what drives me.

Let me tell you about Diane from Detroit.

She found us after opening gate. She was so excited to see us, and said she'd worn out all her QAL CDs because she played them so much. We took pictures, and her excitement came off her in waves. It was flattering, of course, though just a little unnerving, too.

After our first show, she caught up with me before I headed back stage. She said once again how much she enjoyed the show. Then she paused for a moment. I couldn't see her eyes; she had on sunglasses.

"Your 'Q' CD. The blue one?"

I nodded.

"Well, that song—"

Her breath fought back a sob. Oh no.

"That song 'What'll I Do?'"

I put my hand on her shoulder and nodded again.

"When my husband was healthy—"

She took off her sunglasses and wiped her eyes. I tried to hold it together, but as we all know... with Lace, no one cries alone.

"We loved your version of that song. As his health declined, it became our song."

Another pause to collect herself. I gave her a squeeze to tell her it was OK.

"We played it at his memorial, too. It just meant so much to us...."

Then she was lost. Ye gods. I tried to hold it together long enough to simply say that I hoped someday it will bring more comfort from good memories than pain of loss. I thanked her for letting us be part of such an important moment, and wished her well for the rest of her faire day.

I had to bolt back stage and come unglued for just a moment. Fortunately, a fan had gifted us some chocolate. Kath had the presence of mind to hand some out; we all lost it for a moment when I shared Diane's story.

And THAT, my friends, is why I stress and sweat through sometimes miserable conditions. You just never know how you will touch someone else's life. What a truly mind boggling thing.

Then there were all the unexpected friend visits. I hope I didn't damage Dread Fred, but I couldn't do anything other than run full tilt into a hug. And seeing a former boss and fellow Boobonic Plague survivor was such a treat. Cheri, you rock, woman! Hope the rest of your day was amazing, too. And kalinobeche, you made my day. Can't wait to see you and the rest of the KCTribe soon.

Having so many friends come home... priceless. Thank you for making my heart bigger so I can love you more.

I just hate that I didn't have more time to catch up with folks from back in the day. But hey, isn't that what social networking is for? ;-) Hooray internets!

I wore a yellow ribbon to honor a few special veterans on Memorial Day. Though I didn't know him well, Sean Caughman was dear to many who are dear to me. His name was on my ribbon. My Dad was in the Navy, and my brother and sister were in the Army. So my ribbon had several names.

Once again, the faire parade on Monday made me a sobbing wreck. It's been a long-standing tradition to hand out yellow sashes to veterans who may do parade and let us honor them. I am getting choked up even now as I think of it. I am so damned proud to see so many of our faire family in that line up... I can't even articulate it. My heart just swells.

We once again sang the National Anthem and America the Beautiful. The ladies of Foxglove from CO joined us, as did the O'Boys. Our chalkboard signs thanked the veterans for their service. But still, they thanked us. Oh no no no no no! It's not even a little bit about us. But what an experience.

And mistletoeelf? Thank you for the honor of holding the space with you. I am glad my broad, Teutonic farm girl shoulders could be of service.

The emotional echoes still linger today. None of it is bad; there is just a lot. I am still processing.

Ye gods, what a life I live!

You are one of the few things worth remembering...

I am still sorting through the emotions of the final Faire weekend. Fortunately, the underlying foundation to all of it is love... but my my, the expressions were varied and all over the map. Needed a day to myself to process everything.

On the unmitigated joy front, QAL got made honorary Girl Scouts! After the bridging ceremony a few weeks back, we found ourselves with an audience full of Girl Scouts. One of them had been a fan for years, and brought her friends along. At the end of the show, we joked that they made it through and needed a merit badge to reflect that accomplishment.

So when she returned this weekend and gave us QAL badges in our own colors—including one for D!—we were so honored and thrilled (and in no small measure terrified to realize that, crap! we're role models!). How awesome is that?!?

Then there was the moment that reminded me with utter clarity why I do this. Sure, I'm a music-based life form. Creating harmonies and sharing songs with some of my favorite women is therapy for me. But that's only a small part of what drives me.

Let me tell you about Diane from Detroit.

She found us after opening gate. She was so excited to see us, and said she'd worn out all her QAL CDs because she played them so much. We took pictures, and her excitement came off her in waves. It was flattering, of course, though just a little unnerving, too.

After our first show, she caught up with me before I headed back stage. She said once again how much she enjoyed the show. Then she paused for a moment. I couldn't see her eyes; she had on sunglasses.

"Your 'Q' CD. The blue one?"

I nodded.

"Well, that song—"

Her breath fought back a sob. Oh no.

"That song 'What'll I Do?'"

I put my hand on her shoulder and nodded again.

"When my husband was healthy—"

She took off her sunglasses and wiped her eyes. I tried to hold it together, but as we all know... with Lace, no one cries alone.

"We loved your version of that song. As his health declined, it became our song."

Another pause to collect herself. I gave her a squeeze to tell her it was OK.

"We played it at his memorial, too. It just meant so much to us...."

Then she was lost. Ye gods. I tried to hold it together long enough to simply say that I hoped someday it will bring more comfort from good memories than pain of loss. I thanked her for letting us be part of such an important moment, and wished her well for the rest of her faire day.

I had to bolt back stage and come unglued for just a moment. Fortunately, a fan had gifted us some chocolate. Kath had the presence of mind to hand some out; we all lost it for a moment when I shared Diane's story.

And THAT, my friends, is why I stress and sweat through sometimes miserable conditions. You just never know how you will touch someone else's life. What a truly mind boggling thing.

Then there were all the unexpected friend visits. I hope I didn't damage Dread Fred, but I couldn't do anything other than run full tilt into a hug. And seeing a former boss and fellow Boobonic Plague survivor was such a treat. Cheri, you rock, woman! Hope the rest of your day was amazing, too. And kalinobeche, you made my day. Can't wait to see you and the rest of the KCTribe soon.

Having so many friends come home... priceless. Thank you for making my heart bigger so I can love you more.

I just hate that I didn't have more time to catch up with folks from back in the day. But hey, isn't that what social networking is for? ;-) Hooray internets!

I wore a yellow ribbon to honor a few special veterans on Memorial Day. Though I didn't know him well, Sean Caughman was dear to many who are dear to me. His name was on my ribbon. My Dad was in the Navy, and my brother and sister were in the Army. So my ribbon had several names.

Once again, the faire parade on Monday made me a sobbing wreck. It's been a long-standing tradition to hand out yellow sashes to veterans who may do parade and let us honor them. I am getting choked up even now as I think of it. I am so damned proud to see so many of our faire family in that line up... I can't even articulate it. My heart just swells.

We once again sang the National Anthem and America the Beautiful. The ladies of Foxglove from CO joined us, as did the O'Boys. Our chalkboard signs thanked the veterans for their service. But still, they thanked us. Oh no no no no no! It's not even a little bit about us. But what an experience.

And mistletoeelf? Thank you for the honor of holding the space with you. I am glad my broad, Teutonic farm girl shoulders could be of service.

The emotional echoes still linger today. None of it is bad; there is just a lot. I am still processing.

Ye gods, what a life I live!

You are one of the few things worth remembering...

I am still sorting through the emotions of the final Faire weekend. Fortunately, the underlying foundation to all of it is love... but my my, the expressions were varied and all over the map. Needed a day to myself to process everything.

On the unmitigated joy front, QAL got made honorary Girl Scouts! After the bridging ceremony a few weeks back, we found ourselves with an audience full of Girl Scouts. One of them had been a fan for years, and brought her friends along. At the end of the show, we joked that they made it through and needed a merit badge to reflect that accomplishment.

So when she returned this weekend and gave us QAL badges in our own colors—including one for D!—we were so honored and thrilled (and in no small measure terrified to realize that, crap! we're role models!). How awesome is that?!?

Then there was the moment that reminded me with utter clarity why I do this. Sure, I'm a music-based life form. Creating harmonies and sharing songs with some of my favorite women is therapy for me. But that's only a small part of what drives me.

Let me tell you about Diane from Detroit.

She found us after opening gate. She was so excited to see us, and said she'd worn out all her QAL CDs because she played them so much. We took pictures, and her excitement came off her in waves. It was flattering, of course, though just a little unnerving, too.

After our first show, she caught up with me before I headed back stage. She said once again how much she enjoyed the show. Then she paused for a moment. I couldn't see her eyes; she had on sunglasses.

"Your 'Q' CD. The blue one?"

I nodded.

"Well, that song—"

Her breath fought back a sob. Oh no.

"That song 'What'll I Do?'"

I put my hand on her shoulder and nodded again.

"When my husband was healthy—"

She took off her sunglasses and wiped her eyes. I tried to hold it together, but as we all know... with Lace, no one cries alone.

"We loved your version of that song. As his health declined, it became our song."

Another pause to collect herself. I gave her a squeeze to tell her it was OK.

"We played it at his memorial, too. It just meant so much to us...."

Then she was lost. Ye gods. I tried to hold it together long enough to simply say that I hoped someday it will bring more comfort from good memories than pain of loss. I thanked her for letting us be part of such an important moment, and wished her well for the rest of her faire day.

I had to bolt back stage and come unglued for just a moment. Fortunately, a fan had gifted us some chocolate. Kath had the presence of mind to hand some out; we all lost it for a moment when I shared Diane's story.

And THAT, my friends, is why I stress and sweat through sometimes miserable conditions. You just never know how you will touch someone else's life. What a truly mind boggling thing.

Then there were all the unexpected friend visits. I hope I didn't damage Dread Fred, but I couldn't do anything other than run full tilt into a hug. And seeing a former boss and fellow Boobonic Plague survivor was such a treat. Cheri, you rock, woman! Hope the rest of your day was amazing, too. And kalinobeche, you made my day. Can't wait to see you and the rest of the KCTribe soon.

Having so many friends come home... priceless. Thank you for making my heart bigger so I can love you more.

I just hate that I didn't have more time to catch up with folks from back in the day. But hey, isn't that what social networking is for? ;-) Hooray internets!

I wore a yellow ribbon to honor a few special veterans on Memorial Day. Though I didn't know him well, Sean Caughman was dear to many who are dear to me. His name was on my ribbon. My Dad was in the Navy, and my brother and sister were in the Army. So my ribbon had several names.

Once again, the faire parade on Monday made me a sobbing wreck. It's been a long-standing tradition to hand out yellow sashes to veterans who may do parade and let us honor them. I am getting choked up even now as I think of it. I am so damned proud to see so many of our faire family in that line up... I can't even articulate it. My heart just swells.

We once again sang the National Anthem and America the Beautiful. The ladies of Foxglove from CO joined us, as did the O'Boys. Our chalkboard signs thanked the veterans for their service. But still, they thanked us. Oh no no no no no! It's not even a little bit about us. But what an experience.

And mistletoeelf? Thank you for the honor of holding the space with you. I am glad my broad, Teutonic farm girl shoulders could be of service.

The emotional echoes still linger today. None of it is bad; there is just a lot. I am still processing.

Ye gods, what a life I live!