Uphill idealist

Hey all! Just a quick note to let you know that my CD recording, mastering and art work are complete and will be off to be duplicated on Monday. It will take about ten days to get the printed CD's back, but if you would like to pre-order the CD, just click on my Paypal link on the right hand side of this blog (or click on the hyperlink) and I will ship it out to you as soon as it arrives. The cost on paypal for the CD is $12.00 due to some shipping costs, but if you would like to pick it up for $10.00, please come to the CD release party on September 26th at Labyrinth Press Co. on 4th Street in Jamestown NY at 8PM. Thank you to everyone who helped with this project in so many ways: Ian (awesome CD art design), Heather (great photos girl!), Nigel, Liberty (great chalk drawing!), James Reed (Drums), Dave Trusso (Bass and production), Labyrinth Press Co. (for giving me the opportunity to get back out there and play again!), Grandma Janet, Lois D., Jacinta W. , Jeanne T. and al...

The Youth Specialties Convention is a great event. In fact, I'd say that I'd agree with the "Skit Guys" and concur -"It's like Disney Land for Youth workers!" There is time to learn, meet fellow youth workers, take in a great city, (Pittsburgh ROCKS, but they have the event in Sacramento and Nashville too!) take time to rest, reflect and plan, enter for all sorts of cool drawings in the merchandise area, take a walk through the prayer labyrinth or chapel, take in some concerts or just take a nap.... (sometimes we need that you know!) Three years ago, I attended the event in Pittsburgh PA - and it did provide me with lots of opportunity to learn about what resources are available, but the greatest thing I came back with that event from was an affirmation of my calling to ministry as well as some lessons in how to live in ministry and continue to foster my own faith journey as well. If you have an opportunity and the budget to send your youth people on a...

Yesterday evening I had a chance to go and play some music with my friends in Warren and I also needed to get gas in my 1993 red and silver Buick Skylark, so I loaded up my kids and gear and hit the road to PA. It was a fun trip with my shuffle playing, the sun shining and it was an all around beautiful day. As I bonus, I had a $15.00 gas card that I had earned from Quality Markets for buying my groceries there. It's honestly been a long time since I've filled up my gas tank to the brim, but since I had the benefit of PA's thirty cents less a gallon and my gift card, I filled my gas tank with 13 and 1/2 gallons of liquid mobility. I cruised over to my mother-in-laws house to drop off the kids and say hello to the family before my rehearsal for a bit. A few minutes later, my husband pulled up behind my car in the driveway to meet us for dinner at Mom's place. He said his hellos and gently took me aside and said, " Tara, I think you need to come outside and take a lo...

My blogging friend Mary Lue let me in on the prayer practice of Sleeping with Bread about two years ago (wow it's really been two years!). Our little blogging collective had gotten away from regularly posting our Monday prayer blogs, so we're turning over a new-old leaf and starting Monday posts again. Please visit the other bloggers that are participating in "Sleeping with bread Monday" and I'm sure you'll find some thoughts and life stories that will fill your heart and soul. "The examen, based on the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius, helps a person hold onto what spiritually nourishes him by looking at what is giving him consolation in his life or causing him desolation. It allows someone to express his gratitude to God for the good stuff and turn to him for solace for the bad stuff. It is quite simple. You simply ask yourself, in the last day/week/month what gave me consolation and what caused me desolation. I've done this with groups of frie...