If there is no passion in your life, then have you really lived? Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it, and let it become you and you will find great things happen FOR you, TO you and BECAUSE of you.
– T. Alan Armstrong

I can’t stop thinking about all the fun that came out of performing with The Embers Thursday night at the North Hills Commons.   These mighty musicians really know how to put on a show!  They go big and even though I know they’ve played some of their songs over and over and over again… they perform them as if they’re new.  That is an effort that deserves major kudos!

You could not find a warmer, kinder group of gentlemen.  I had nothing to worry about. Nothing.  I knew before I touched the stage, that they had my back and that they wouldn’t let me fail. Oh, the comfort in those things.

That said, before the show I found myself fretting about the little things.. such as:  what shoes would work best with a red dress, and what kind of lip gloss would blend best with red lip stick, and accessories.  Stuff like that.

I have to give props to my beautiful and talented daughter Ashley Marie.  She hooked her mommy up.  We had this long distance phone call, with me in my closet, throwing shoes here and there… hunting for the ones that she described.  This young fashionista knows her stuff, I must say.  I was able to go comfortably into the night.

One day soon, I’ll learn to post pictures and all this describing won’t even be necessary: Red dress, black sling backs, black bold bangles, gold earrings.

So the show went on.

I was awed by the staging.. all the big electronics all over the place, the lights on top of the stage.. in the back and front.  This was a huge production… nothing I’ve been exposed to on this musical journey. In a word, WOW.

The people at North Hills could not have been nicer to me– before, during and after my performance.

They had a great night and so did I.  "A-plus", one woman said to me as I stood back stage.

I am up early and blogging, because I am still taking all of this in.  I can’t stop thinking about all the little moments that have made my heart so happy.  Little moments matter. Trust.

The vibe from The Embers is so positive…   And what they do– they do so well.  There’s nothing deep or  heavy or political about their shows.  They make happy music– fun songs that leave you lifted.  It works well for them.

Final note: I like what author Sam Parker writes about the essential fundamental of effort in his book: 212 The Extra Degree.

The bottom line goes like this:  It takes 211 degrees to heat water, but 212 to make it boil.  One degree makes all the difference… and in life, can separate the good from the great.  From where I stand, The Embers have that extra degree.

I am striving for that, too!

Onward and Upward and Loving !!!

See for yourself what I mean:

www.theembersband.net