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April 30 WowConsidering the number of readers we have on any given day, to only have four people chime in on liking their office job...well, it's interesting. Granted, I do have a lot of readers who have avoided office jobs at all costs so the survey didn't include some. Interesting, nonetheless.
I'm redoing everything in the house right now. It was way past time. Jim and I repainted my living room this week (he was clearly waaay too bored) and we tore up the carpet. My floors are concrete underneath. I've been having so much fun watching the dogs run and then wipe out on the slick floor, that I've decided to ban carpet in there henceforth. Free entertainment is the better deal. Bernice won yesterday with a triple 360 roll coupled with a forward flip...and she landed on her feet. MmmmHmmm. Proud moments.
I played a thing at the Country Music Hall of Fame yesterday. I've mentioned this before, but I basically put music to kids' lyrics and then their classes come for a field trip to the Hall of Fame and then they get to hear the songs they've written at the end of their tour. It's such a great program. Yesterday I had four classes of fourth graders. There's only enough time to do maybe five songs per sessions. Well, I chose one child's song and, gang, her lyric was really clever. It was about running for president and her name was Destiny. So, the chorus was something like, "I want to be your president, I am your destiny." It was such a great play on her name. How could I not choose the lyric to put music to?
So, I sang the song and everyone liked it. Well, everyone except Destiny. She sat in the seat with her arms folded across her chest scowling. I said, "Destiny, the song was great!," and she wouldn't even acknowledge that she was being spoken to. She was furious with me, I guess.
 So, later her teacher came up to apologize and said that Destiny was horribly shy and that she wasn't mad at the song, but at having attention called to her. The teacher said that's how Destiny handles attention.My reply? Ma'am, I write for the Christian market. Destiny's attitude was NOTHING compared to what I'm used to.
 -b
April 28 Survey, pleaseIf you're someone who gets up and goes to an office job everyday and you actually look forward to going in, I'd like for you to leave your comment. You don't have to give your name--make up some login--just tell me what you do. What office jobs do people do that they look forward to doing? My brother and I were trying to think of one person we know who has an office job they love and we couldn't think of a single person. Anyone?
-b April 27 GMA Wrap-UpWell, it was a good week. I came back from Mom and Dad's surprise party straight into GMA week. I was fortunate enough to have been nominated for a Dove Award again this year so I drug Jim along to the awards show. I didn't win, but it's still fun to be included. Sue and Gina won one and theirs was presented by Bible Man. He's this superhero who fights evil with...the Bible? Yeah, not actually sure on that, but nonetheless, they shared the stage with a man in a superhero costume. Could winning GET any better? I'm so supportively jealous.
Another highlight was seeing John Rowsey win his first Dove Award. I've known John since I was a teenager. We used to travel the same local group circuit back in the day. John is the person who took my songs to Niles Borop (my first publisher). When John's current publisher told me that it was his first Dove, I was almost ashamed of myself for winning one before him. John's generosity literally changed my life and I was THRILLED to see him up on stage accepting. He's such a talented person. Chalk another one up for the home team, gang.
Ricky Scaggs and his wife were seated right behind us for the show. Okay, SHE was happy to be there. I'll have one of what she's having...
Anyway, I just thought it appropriate to give you an update. I'm sure there are so many things I'm forgetting. Oh, wait...
I had a moment to catch up with my friend Tom who lives in California now. What I would've said had I actually won the Dove Award is thanks to Tom for helping me navigate 7th Row Music. His help has been invaluable over the past couple of years. I am so, so, so lucky to have the particular set of people in my life who are here. You all just could never know how grateful I am.
Okay, I think that's it. If not, well, it's my little space on the net and I'll just add to it as I see fit.
Happy Weekend.
-b
April 26 Hiding PlacesIt is Saturday morning and I'm just gettting the day started. Lots to do.
Jim had left his dress shoes here after the Dove Awards and they are still sitting at my door. Last night he made split pea soup for us (it's the best soup in the world) and he gave the ham bone to dogs. Pete, being the biggest at 20 lbs., ate most of it. Bernice, now weighing in at 4.1 lbs. took whatever was left.
Well, as of 9:00, everything was quieting down and both dogs were worn out from the excitement, and I couldn't find a bone left. I'd assumed they'd eaten everything.
Then, much later in the evening in what I assumed to be unrelated incidents, both Pete and Bernice were trying to chew on Jim's dress shoes. They both got in trouble for that.
As I sat here this morning on the couch with my laptop, Pete started at Jim's shoe again. So, I got up, picked up the shoe...and out fell a ham bone.
Oooooooooohhhhhhhh.... 
-b April 25 Freaky Friday morningToday at 7:45 AM, this guy knocked on my front door wanting to know if he could use my phone because his car was "broke down." I said no, but that I would be glad to call the police for him. Funny how quickly people can disappear given a little motivation. Since there was no abandoned car on the street, I called the police anyway. I doubt anyone came out, but whatever.
Then, maybe 45 minutes later I was getting on the freeway. Standing at the entry of the on-ramp was a man with grayish hair, dressed in khakis and a dress shirt. He was holding a sign which read, "Doctor—Need Ride." Gang, when the medical professionals of Nashvegas are hitchhiking to work, you know gas prices are too high.
Weird start to the day, huh? April 20 40Okay...there's been SO much I couldn't tell you until now.
As of Saturday, April 19th, my parents have been married for 40 years. You all know that in this day and age that kind of marital committment is becoming more and more rare. My brother and I had been considering this for probably four years. And, so, we began planning.
Mom and Dad live in the same small town in which we grew up. There are really only two places which are equipped to hold a crowd. As luck would have it, BOTH places were booked. We planned the celebration for the hotel and conference center in one of the smaller rooms because the larger room was booked for a prom.
After a lot of phone calls, emails and flat out lies, the party was in place. My aunt and uncle were in charge of getting them there (which may have been the hardest job) and all everybody else had to do was show up. My brother and I took care of everything--how nice would it be for everyone to come and enjoy an evening and feel truly appreciated for having been an important part of Mom and Dad's lives.
My aunt and uncle got Mom and Dad to the hotel restaurant with a, frankly, impressive set of lies, and then the restaurant got in on the act by going so far as to even take their drink orders. Next, the chef came out and told them that he would like to move them to 'other' part of the restaurant due to the impending prom crowd. Mom and Dad were carrying their menus, their drinks and their silverware when they walked into the room holding fifty of their closest friends and family. Surprise!!!!!!! It was such a fantastic moment for my brother and I. Mom wept openly and Dad did what he could to hold it back. Loved ones had come to West Virginia from as far as North Carolina and Illinois, and the people who are in my parents everyday lives had carved time out of their schedules to come and celebrate with Mom and Dad, as well. My brother and I were honored that we had such a glowing response--not one single cancellation. And, gang, had we been able to secure a larger room, we could've had a lot more people. We were just so limited by space.
To tell you the truth, Mom was still crying over it this morning. She said she only slept four hours...as compared to my wonderful full 8 hours...sans new puppy. ha
My brother and I are truly honored to have people who we are so proud of for our parents. As he said, we are proud of who they are, of their integrity and that we get to be their kids. It was a magical surprise party and I can't tell you how thrilled my brother and I were at the outcome. We were lucky to be born into the family. Heaven knows God could've put us anywhere. Mom and Dad are good people, and it is our priveledge to be theirs. We also feel so blessed that Mom and Dad have had, and continue to have, such good people in their lives. The people there last night were but a snapshot of the great people God has placed in their lives along the way.
So, I've been obviously quiet about the real plans for last night. I missed the BMI banqet--so if you see me wearing a gold medal around randomly at Noshville one of these days, you'll know I'm just making up for a few missed self-indulgent hours. ha
Gang, some things could never be replaced--and last night was one of those things. Mom and Dad earned that celebration and so much more. I'm so truly thankful that we are in a position to be able to do something like that. The only reason we are, though, is because Mom and Dad worked so hard to give us every opportunity to fly. I'm grateful that I had enough sense to take the opportunities they presented to me...
Here's to a good 40 more years together--
-b
April 17 Dear Old Navy:Dear Old Navy:
This is important. Please understand the gravity of the content of this letter.
I will never wear pleated pants again. You may dress your pleats up in fun fabrics, interesting prints--you can line your big fat pleats with GOLD. It's not going to happen. Pleated pants existed in another lifetime, a time and place of ignorance long since gone.
Use your powers for good. Life is too short.
-b April 16 A few things you should know...1. If you leave me a voice mail message and you're not using your 'inside' voice, I will not return your call. I won't reward that behavior.
2. If I'm standing over the sink in the office washing off strawberries and you would like a strawberry, ask for one. Don't stand over me staring at the strawberry thinking that I'll get the hint and offer you one. What will happen is that I will get your rude hint...and take my strawberries far away from your rude self.
3. There is no need to set the air-conditioning temperature at 63 degrees if you expect me to get anything accomplished.
4. If you've angered me and you get an email from me in the immediate time-frame following the 'anger moment,' you probably shouldn't read it. I won't type what I won't stand behind, but you're not going to like it.
5. I used to be a nice person.
-b
April 13 To move the sunflower...On my computer, that sunflower in the background bleeds through whatever the top entry is. That's great if it's a text entry, not with photos. So, this entry is just moving the sunflower from the 'wall' posting.
I'm so technically inclined, aren't I?
-b
...still moving the sunflower.
...still moving the sunflower.
...still moving the sunflower.
Okay, just IGNORE the stupid sunflower. Wall Number 2I mentioned to you a while back that I'm doing some decorative painting jobs here and there. It's not something that I would want to turn into full time work, but I do like it and it's a nice creative break from songwriting for a few hours. Oddly, I fully believe it actually helps with the writing. I got all kinds of song ideas yesterday. Maybe concentrating on painting gives the ideas in my subconscious time to get to the top. I've been told something like that before, at least, and it seems to ring true.
Friday, my friends Kelley and Ned left town, and Saturday I went to their house and did a wall for them in the entry way of their very first house. I couldn't get good lighting so the colors arent' exactly true, but you'll get the idea. Think deeper brown and a sage green with some off off white thrown in to break it up. I LOVE this wall! I want it in my own house. The scary thing is that Ned and Kelley haven't seen it yet. They're on their way home now. Watch them hate it.
  Of course, I got to the end of the day and I was all ready to start cleaning up when somehow I knocked over a tray of paint which probably had a gallon in it. Thank GOD for dropcloths with rubber backing. Of course, the paint also splashed on the opposite wall...the one I wasn't painting. Hooray. That was just GREAT! So, I got to repaint the opposite wall just for fun.
It's probably best that people don't know everything that goes on in their homes while they're out of town...
-b BerniceI haven't mentioned Bernice since I got her, I guess. She's being a puppy. Today we had our very first vomit--twice! Good times, gang.
She barely hits Jim's ankles. -b April 11 problems and personal cheerleadersI've been having lots of problems with this space and getting things posted. I'm not overflowing with patience these days. Sorry, guys.
I was having dinner the other night with a friend who is a D.J. on Sirius radio. He was talking about how amusing it is when someone calls in to request a song by one of their relatives. You can just tell, I guess. He was talking about how kind this one guy's mother is...she's always requesting to hear songs by her son's band. My friend said that sometimes it can get annoying when people do that, but that this woman is just so nice that she could never irritate him.
That reminded me of my first number one song. I didn't really know many people in the industry back then. One day I met a D.J. from a radio station here in town, the radio station was like a satellite station so they were broadcast all over the country. Well, when the D.J. heard my name, she said, "Oh, Belinda! Your grandmother is so sweet." What? Well, it turns out that my grandmother was calling the 800# request line to the station and requesting my song every day. They had become big buddies.
Had that station been a charting station, I might have felt a little guilty...maybe...
-b April 09 For Joel......who is in Oklahoma burying his Grandfather, his third loved one in three years-- Mom, Dad and now Grandpa. Joel is a fighter and if you know him, you know that. Sometimes, though, we get exhausted. You turn the key Then close the door behind you Drop your bags on the floor You reach for the light But there's darkness deep inside And you can't take it anymore 'Cause sometimes living takes the life out of you And sometimes living is all you can do Life is hard, the world is cold We're barely young and then we're old But every falling tear is always understood Yes, life is hard, but God is good You start to cry 'Cause you've been strong for so long And that's not how you feel You try to pray But there's nothing left to say So you just quietly kneel In the silence of all that you face God will give you His mercy and grace Jesus never said It was an easy road to travel He only said that you would never be alone So when your last thread of hope Begins to come unraveled Don't give up, He walks beside you On this journey home and He knows Life is hard, the world is cold We're barely young and then we're old But every falling tear is always understood Yes, life is hard, but God is good Written by Joel Lindsey Love- Belinda April 07 NickelsI'm so distracted today. This problem is getting worse as I get older. Recently I was in a writing session with Sue and Kenna and Sue would suggest a lyric and I would kind of look at her like I was listening, but all I really heard was, "when...and...if...so...but." I mean, poor thing, she was working and I was just zoned. I had my head in the lyric of the second verse and just couldn't leave it alone for even a second. I felt like such a heel because I'd have to ask her to repeat it a million times. Granted, this zoning out is a skill which Sue actually has and I have coveted, but she can turn it off and on. It's more like I'm in the early stages of becoming catatonic. Gang, it was so bad that even Kenna got uncomfortable about asking Sue to repeat something because I was doing it so much.
So, this morning, this woman was saying something to me and I had something else on my mind. She was talking and I was thinking about my schedule for the month, trying to think of when I could do this one thing I need to do, and then she asked me some question. It happened in a split second, but she asked the question (which I didn't really hear), looked at me expectantly and I said, "Maybe the 28th?"
As it turns out, she was complaining about the Coke machine not working and she asked me if I had a nickel she could borrow.
So, what was her reply to me? "Honey, I can find a nickel before the 28th. Forget it."
Maybe it is time for me to put on the 'special' jacket and take a ride to nice to new place...
-b
P.S. Happy Birthday to Mom, who had hers on Saturday, and to Simon, who celebrated yesterday!
April 04 Life ChangingToday I discovered these tiny rice cakes with peanut butter on them. They are made by Quaker, I think. They come in 90 calorie packages. It was an almost spiritual experience. LOVE THEM.
-b April 02 BoundariesSo, last week I met this man in a professional setting. There was nothing personal about it. I was working at my part time job and I was trying to help him solve a problem.
Yesterday, I'm driving to a lunch meeting and my cell phone rings. It's a number I don't recognize. Gang, this person who I'd met last week had tracked down my CELL number and called! I'm not even kidding you. Okay, just for your perspecitve, a similar parallel would be if I went to the bank, the teller assisted me and then I tracked down his cell phone number and called it on his personal time. It WREAKS of psycho. And, having been stalked before, I'm especially careful of boundaries. He actually said in the conversation he was "crazy about me." I replied, "Or just crazy."
I don't do well when boundaries aren't observed.
Had I given my cell phone number to this person, then it would've been okay for him to call it. To hunt it down and then refuse to tell me how he got it, that's just crossing a line that is unacceptable. There's something private to me about cell numbers.
Why does this matter, aside from it just being completely inappropriate? He's a successful songwriter...and this industry is very, very small. I HATE being put in these positions.
-b
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