Wendy V's Ponderings

One Day At A Time

2011-02-23T10:05:00.002-06:00

OK, time for an update of some sort. I will be here at Alive Hospice for the time being. I will be saying goodbye to my condo. I have been lucky in my life to have done and had many of the things I wanted and I can say my condo and office was one of them. Even though home is now one room, there is never a dull moment around here. Those who know me best know that there are always a zillion things going on in my head to do besides keeping up with all the daily stuff around here.

One interest I have begun to cultivate in here is modern history…I am becoming a fan of the History Channel. I prefer the documentaries, but have started watching “Pawn Stars”as well. I didn’t think I would like that kind of show, but these guys are so smart about any kind of item that gets brought in to their shop…really amazing.

As always, thanks for the love and support…stay tuned

How Bright The Sun Shined

2011-02-15T10:55:00.002-06:00

They came from the West, the East side, from across the river to a place that in the past year became a second home to me…Kingston Springs, TN. The Fillin’ Station so generously opened its doors and heart to so many friends who wanted to say hello and play their music. There were so many very special, God-ordained moments that it’s impossible to name them all…everything from people who may not have known me who donated, bought something, showed up or posted on Facebook.

Here is one such God moment. My transport van to the Fillin Station was donated. The very special gentleman who drove it had done ministry on Music Row, was a songwriter himself but was away from it for awhile. As Rene and I talked to him each way, it was clear it was no accident that he was supposed to be with us. He joined us for the whole event, even remade some contacts, and it all turned out to be a true blessing for him to be there as it was for us.

Besides all of the personal love I felt from so many, the most satisfying thing for me is to know this message of encouragement I’ve been preaching for years has worked. And I must say, worked here in Nashville (and beyond). How blessed can you be to go listen to new writers, give some attention and a smile, and know it really means something?

Immeasurably, as I found out.

God bless you all who had anything to do with this day.

Better To Have and Not Need

2011-02-11T09:08:00.001-06:00

When I moved to St. Paul in 1989, my first apartment was a renovated hotel room, much smaller than where I am now at Alive Hospice. It had two hot plates, a bed, a night stand and a table, and a TV that didn’t work half the time. But I was thrilled because it was my first place on my own. I was there for about six months until I found a better job and a bigger place. Then came the year long shipments of “care packages” and things from home sent by my dad.

Over the years in MN, I bounced back and forth from living in apartments and owning a home. When I arrived in Nashville, I first moved into an apartment, then
my own condo with finally an office space…which is where I’ve been until all this happened. Now I am back full circle in a smaller room here with only a fraction of my stuff. I spend a lot of time rotating things from table to table on each side of me as I need them.

Surprisingly though, one of the things I am realizing on this part of the journey is how many things really were true necessities and how much else you can make do with what you have or with reasonable substitutes. It makes you wonder how much of the life clutter you would really miss if you had to, and to what you could say “been there, did that” to if you needed to. I’m finding that out right now, and realizing that all the letting go isn’t a bad thing.

Another update

2011-02-10T10:47:00.000-06:00

Thought I’d try to give an update….I am in good spirits, feeling reasonably well and the positives we are focusing on are hanging in well. Again, I am completely blown away by the support of all kinds of folks and for those who have been willing to take part in a benefit for me. I will see you all for as much as I can on the 13th (medication schedule permitting}.

Despite their humility, my angels remain my angels. I want to thank TJ for his thoughts on the show last week. Would I have done the same? Without a moment’s hesitation. God took our partnership along with Rene and made it bigger than a radio show. By the way, we are still trying to get the phones patched in on a Saturday so TJ can bring me on for a moment—stay tuned.

I must say I did not miss my work commute here in Nashville as I saw folks abandoning their cars in the snow along my work route.

Continuing to praise God for continued healing.

At last...more on the journey

2011-02-03T07:55:00.008-06:00

First, please excuse any and all typos. The shift, caps lock and enter keys are still confused.

I am, after all, happy to be online right now.

It has been quite a whirlwind since about 1-24-11 when life turned upside down in one evening at St.Thomas Hospital. I went from dragging my painful,swollen legs to the radio station to TJ and Rene taking me off to the ER. Tests were run and I was pronounced with advanced breast cancer. After a couple of days in the hospital, I was sent home with pain meds and plans to have some home health care complete with hospital bed and all.

but then, another day, more decisions and the next I knew I was in an ambulance being whisked off to Alive Hospital downtown where I was told I would be getting the kind of care I really need now. Life has been a bit uprooted and uncertain. No more working (though that job would have ended at month end anyhow) and no driving on pain pills.

Now on to the blessings.

The incredible outpouring of love and support from friends, church, music people, Facebook friends by way of calls, visits, cards, gifts, concerts(yes, in –room). All including a benefit show in Kingston Springs with about 25 acts playing. Go to my Facebook page for info on that.

The angels who have been in my life through it all: TJ and Rene Kirby first and foremost. Kimberly, Cathy and Jack, Sharon and the rest of you who know who you are.

The magnificent women and men of Alive Hospice. These are not glamour jobs. But these people are American heroes.

Now to address a comment or two. I do not accept man’s opinion of how much time I might have—only God decides that. I heard there was a comment of me having “limited days” left. That is NOT true –my vitals are very good right now and I feel pretty good overall. As for the radio show—TJ’s not about to let me go without a fight!

As long I am able to (health and tech wise) I will be blogging this journey. So stay tuned.

Unfortunantely--me too

2011-01-26T11:53:00.002-06:00

My fuzzy brain is slow right now so sorry for typos. I went to St. Thomas Hospital due to my friends and their worried insistance over my swollen legs SaTurday night. Well, the doctors did their their numerous tests and found advanced cancer starting from my breast. Please know I am at peace with this. I am getting much help from friends and others from this. So I join that other large group of groups: cancer patients. Please do not be sad--the last thing I want is negativity or doom. The main thing is positivity.

More news later--I love you all!--Wendy

Where Have I Been This Year?

2010-12-19T14:14:00.002-06:00

I realized it's been a year since I wrote anything in this blog. I guess for the most part I've been too busy to ponder. Anyhow, I've always done some year-end recap around the holidays, so here's what's been happening for me this year.

At the end of last year I stepped down from my "Never Too Old" radio show and joined T.J. Kirby as a sidekick on "T.J. and Company". It's been quite the experience. T.J. has always been a radio mentor to me, so I have learned a lot in the process...most of all that a supporting role is what I am most comfortable with. In addition to being on air, I also do the "administrivia" for the show. I created and maintain our website (www.tjandcompanyradio.com ), I write our show blog and make sure guests and stations get MP3s of our show. Yes, we are syndicated as well with at this writing six stations that also broadcast our show...we like to call it the "see ya on the radio network." We've had some great guests on our show, ranging from music legends such as Lenny Welch, Beverly Bremers and Alan O'Day, to some up and coming talent such as Runaway Home, Calico Trail, Brittany Allyn and many others. Another exciting thing that happened for us this year is being nominated in two categories for the 2010 Nashville AIR awards. There is more to come in the next year, so stay tuned.

In March, I got back to work long-term. An agency out of North Carolina somehow got hold of my resume and offered me a temporary position in the Brentwood area. It was supposed to be for a few months, but here I am coming up on a year. My position will be up in February and then it will be time to look for work again.

I thought turning 55 was going to be positive, with maybe even some senior discounts out there. But around this time, I began going through something that had pretty much eluded me: health problems. I started having leg and hip pain and began to limp. After waiting a while to see if this would just go away just like every other health problem I had did, I recently bit the bullet and went to a chiropractor. I found out that my spine had rotated a little and it put my right hip out of alignment. So we are at the beginning right now of attacking this problem. Chronic pain is not fun. It's been the worst ordeal I've been through. It's forced me to put every ounce of energy to get through my job each day and curtail my trips to writer's nights. So that is why you haven't seen much of me, my songwriter friends. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. But I'll be back.

So that's my year. I hope you had a good one. Here's to you in 2011.

School Days

2010-01-28T07:12:00.005-06:00

I've recently rediscovered many of my elementary and high school classmates from my hometown of West Haven, CT on Facebook. One of the most fun parts of this is the groups that were created around my neighborhood elementary school and high school covering the time I attended in the 60s and 70s. What's really been a blast is the memory-jogging photos, names and stories that have gone along with the postings. So far, I've managed to escape any unearthing of photos of me from these sources, which could be a good thing. But isn't it funny how looking at a picture of a childhood friend in the old neighborhood can bring you back nearly 50 years with instant recall of what it felt like.

On one of these groups, the talk turned to teachers we had and various stories. Being a writer, I have a few of those to tell. I don't want to hog the group so I thought I'd add a couple of those here.

I went to Noble School which was just a few blocks down from where I lived. I actually lived on three of the four sides of the block during my childhood (starting with Noble, Cottage and then our home built on the extended side on East, so we skipped the Blohm side). I learned some key things about myself during my time there. I was apparently a precocious reader...I remember being brought by one of my kindergarten teachers, Miss Keefe, into one of the other teacher's room (I think it was Miss Sullivan, who I eventually got as a teacher) to read a paper or something for her. I also remember getting a peek of the almighty "permanent record card" of mine which was on a teacher's desk. I could have sworn the description written on it of me said "Odd child". Actually, I don't think I'd dispute that description.

I also recall another incident which perhaps foretold my destiny. I remember one day a few of us kids were brought down to the all-purpose basement room of Noble School. I might have been in kindergarten or first grade. I was placed in front of a microphone and told to say something that went pretty much like this: "My name is Wendy Vickers. I go to Noble School. I cross at the corner of Noble and Washington. Please watch out for me, WDEE listener." I remember a teacher or someone saying, "she says that so cute". I think I even heard it once on the radio. Funny how I remembered that throughout all these years. This, folks, could very well have been the genesis of my ensuing "radio career".

In third grade I had Miss Bluette as a teacher. Somehow or another I became the "teacher's pet". She must have really liked me because my report card for that grade was all A's. I kept it for the longest time but it eventually got lost in all my moves, I guess. I doubt very much that I was that brilliant at everything I did in that grade. One of my "perks" of pet-ism was that I would get to "watch the room" when Miss Bluette had to leave the room.

Probably the most memorable occasion of that was the day President Kennedy was shot. She and the other teachers went from room to room trying to get the latest news. There was a bit of confusion as to whether she told me to watch the room or take over the reading group that was going on--but I decided to presume she said to watch the room and so I took the seat at her desk. I remember a couple of kids sitting in the back of the room laughing and drawing a picture. I asked them why they were laughing at a time like this and they said "nothing". Finally she came back and announced to us that President Kennedy had died and they sent us all home. I remember it being rare that I walked home on my own; my mother would usually meet me and she probably freaked that day that I walked home myself (or at least with other kids). But hey, I survived. Perhaps that particular memory is why one of my biggest pop culture interests is media coverage of the JFK assassination (there's a treasure trove of that now archived on You Tube. Uncle Walter got us through, as did Frank McGee, Bill Ryan and Huntley-Brinkley on NBC; ABC's coverage, however, was a train wreck. But I digress...).

When I got into high school, I was one of the stereotypical misfit nerds who wouldn't have a snowball's chance of being on the cheerleading squad and such. But that's been one of the other surprises of these Facebook groups: learning that so many not only remembered me, but did so fondly. Maturity changes one's perspective. Taking a cue from Brad Paisley's wonderful "Letter To Me" song, I advise all teenagers who were like me to ride the years out...it'll change. And maybe it's better than you thought...and so are you.

When It's Done Right...

2009-12-22T06:34:00.002-06:00

I watched most of the episodes of "The Sing Off" this past couple of weeks. There were some really talented groups competing. One of those was the Voices of Lee, who I have seen many times at Gaither Homecoming and Mark Lowry events, so I knew them to be amazing. Despite the fact they were out of their usual comfort zone and did some music on the show that was very different for them, they did a great job. I voted for them, but could have gone with any of the finalists. I enjoyed the humor and style of the Beezlebubs, but I sort of felt Nota had that thing going on and they would win...and I saw that it would have meant the most to them to win.

The finale was superb. One other standout was the judging...imagine--positive, encouraging, helpful, constructive criticism. And if you saw the last show, these judges really cared about these artists. Awesome job Ben, Nicole and Shawn.

This series was done first class all the way. I hope it returns. If you missed it, take a look here. American Idol, take a hint. You can do something besides being cruel and outrageous and have a success.

Halloween Surprise

2009-11-01T15:03:00.004-06:00

We've had some technical issues in the course of the upgrade to a new frequency at Radio Free Nashville. My friend and "radio mate" T.J. Kirby's planned Halloween afternoon show was a casualty of those issues. So with his afternoon free, he called me and asked "want to go for a good meal?". I said sure, why not. When all else fails, eat, is what I say.

I met T.J. and Rene at their place, got in their car and rode with them. We started in the direction of Kingston Springs. It seemed like maybe we were heading to Sonic again, as we've often done lately. Nope--went past it. We didn't stop at the nearby Mexican restaurant, either...another wrong guess. We got on the freeway and T.J. said he and Rene had a surprise for me. Fine by me. When it comes down to food, I'm game for most things...except foods which are onion or egg-heavy (as they hear from me all the time!).

The surprise was a visit to some of Rene's relatives, who were having a southern catfish fry in a huge barn. The spread was enormous and incredibly delicious: fried catfish, fries, chicken, cole slaw, white beans, turnip greens, macaroni and cheese, and a host of desserts. For a chow hound like me, it was paradise. There was also a lot of warmth and southern hospitality.

It wasn't just about the food, though. It was about continuing love and friendship being shown to me by angels in my life who know of my ongoing difficult circumstances. When certain parts of your life get tough, you have to look at the "big picture". In the midst of challenges, be grateful and focus on those things that are blessings. Sometimes that's easier said than done. But it's what keeps you going.

Honesty Is The Best Policy

2009-07-29T10:54:00.002-05:00

This morning I went out to pick up a few groceries but needed to first stop at my bank's ATM. I pulled behind someone who seemed to be taking a little time and pressing a lot of buttons. The person drove off, and I pulled up to the window. As I was about to insert my card, a stack of bills spit out with a receipt. It looked like it might have been about $200 or so--I didn't even count it. I think this person ahead of me probably thought the transaction didn't work the first time, tried it again and unknowingly made a double withdrawal. But I didn't think twice about what to do. I pulled around to the bank entrance and brought the money and receipt inside, explaining what happened and asked if they could track the customer down.

All the people at the bank told me how sweet and nice I was to have done what I did. Are you kidding me? I wouldn't have thought of doing anything else. I wouldn't have considered keeping the money--even in my situation of being out of work for so long. I also answer to God. It's someone else's money and I know had it been me realizing I might have lost the cash, I would have been in a panic. I would hate to think anyone would have done otherwise.

So I drove back through to the ATM and did my own paltry withdrawal. I lingered for a second to make sure nothing extra was going to spit out. :)

Too Busy To Ponder...

2009-07-16T07:30:00.003-05:00

I've pretty much been behind in all my blogging as of late. Too many activities going on. I'm perhaps spreading myself thin but hey, I like doing all these things.

Here's a recap of what I have (and haven't) been up to:

The lack of employment situation remains the same. 'Nuff said. There is always talk of possibilities, but nothing yet materializing. I am doing a little support for an artist I absolutely believe in, which is great in that at least I can say right now I am an artist assistant, if anyone asks.

I have not had time to continue the "Wendy V's Pondercast", plus that well's been a bit empty lately. Thus, I have decided to bring it to a close for now. I'm grateful to all who have listened and to Cyberears for being a great host site. I may take some of the better ones and see if I can host them on my website as a "best of" series.

I spent the 4th of July in a small town called Pegram, about a dozen miles west of the part of Nashville I live in. A fellow Radio Free Nashville DJ and the mayor of Pegram, both of whom I got to know via Facebook, recruited me to judge some baby and children's pageants (No such thing as an ugly baby by me-I was quite generous in my scoring!). I also helped with some various and sundry tasks before and during the event. It was a lovely small-town America celebration. I've always been a cityfied gal, but these folks treated me as if I were their own. I felt I made a bond with this area and its people with a few new friends.

I also had my big break in the music community here. I was accepted to present a topic at a fairly new music industry networking organization called Indie Connect. This helps various independent artists and service providers network and find each other for potential opportunities. One of my fellow industry professionals suggested I share some of my radio station knowledge, so I proposed a topic on how radio interviews/appearances could be effective for artists. I've gotten quite a bit of compliments on my recent radio show guest interviews. Thus, I took some of what I learned there and brought it to this presentation. It was the first time I spoke before an industry crowd here in Nashville and the first time I've done any kind of group speaking in quite a while. I hoped some of my Toastmaster training stayed with me, and I'd have to say that it did. I had a couple of friends and Indie Connect meeting regulars come, and that was fine by me. I was pleased with how it all went and very grateful for the opportunity. Here's hoping it leads to others!

I also filled in for a couple of DJ friends of mine on their WRFN radio show while they were playing at a music festival in Latvia. See, it's things like this show, the presentation, etc. that makes me continue to want to have my days flexible to take advantage of these opportunities.

Of course, I am still writing, going to shows 4-5 nights a week, etc. and doing what it is I do. Right now I am continuing to trust God to provide for my needs and He has not failed me yet. The one thing I need right now is an efficient computer with enough memory to do proper support for folks. So I'm trusting and believing for that as well...

Check in and I'll keep you posted.

...But Sometimes It Doesn't

2009-05-23T10:35:00.003-05:00

I guess I jinxed myself by opening my mouth. The temp position came to an abrupt end. I won't say much about it except that either I was gone too long or God changed His mind about where He wanted me. At least He put me in the right place when I got the word...right in the middle of the Tuesday night prayer group I attend.

To add insult to injury, there was a mouse in the house the next day. Many of you know that's one of my worst fears and nightmares. But I guess if you buy a house, you're due to have a mouse (gosh, I'm so poetic). The main advice, of course, was the same: "get a cat." Look, I like cats, but cats mean care, feeding, and vet bills. I can't afford that. It's cheaper to buy traps. However, I haven't seen any sightings since I placed traps everywhere. I gave the mouse an ultimatum: leave or die. Maybe mice are a little more polite here in TN than they were in MN and it said "yes ma'am" and split. Could I be so lucky? We'll see. I'm not sounding the "all clear" yet, though.

From here on all fronts, it's about moving forward and focusing on the things I know I am successful at. Most especially, I'm concentrating on my goal of supporting artists for most of my time and getting by financially doing it. I am stepping out in faith for awhile and trusting God for provision, trying not to get sidetracked by economic fears which lead to wrong places. There, I said it. I'll take any prayers and encouragement.

It All Makes Sense(us)

2009-05-16T12:28:00.002-05:00

Just to catch folks up who have been following my employment(or lack of) status:

For the past month I was working for the US 2010 Census. I was a lister, or address canvasser, going around with a hand held computer to local neighborhoods. I was updating the address records for the mailing of the 2010 Census form, matching what I saw on the ground to what was on the computer's lists. I got to make my own schedule and braved rain, dogs, various conditions of homes and petulant computers. It all was very interesting at times. Last week I and the rest of our team completed the mission and were let go. Friday of that week I was called back to my old temp job. Absolutely, positively, without a doubt, God in the timing and details of that one. It's nice to be back among familiar people and surroundings. I'm not certain for how long that will be, but I'll keep showing up until they tell me not to. And I will trust that God will continue to provide as He has for the past year.

It's Not About Me...

2009-04-10T05:37:00.002-05:00

My musician friend Steve Haggard was kind enough to say a few words about me in his latest column "The Real Music City" in the Nashville Free Press. But, especially reading the posted comment that followed made me realize that it wasn't so much about me but about two things I believe in and that guide what I do.

The first is the message of encouragement that I've been "preaching" all these many years. I've said over and over again how critical encouragement is and how much it matters in people's lives. It changes lives and it brings hope when it seems there is none, and that power's in every one of us if we'd just use it on each other. Need more convincing? Please spend some time here.

The second is that I've noted on many occasions that this musician support work that I do is bigger than me. It was shown to me a long time ago that this was a calling for me. Trust and obedience are sometimes not easy things to hold on to as you're being used of God for a particular purpose. But if you're willing to hang in for the end result...it's priceless.

Easter weekend was a fitting time for this column to come out. I'm one grateful and thankful gal.

DOG is GOD Spelled Backward

2009-03-28T06:43:00.000-05:00

I came home from one of my nights out feeling slighted, rejected and somewhat shattered. As I pulled into my carport, I was greeted by my neighbor's dog. He's getting old now, and has a hard time walking. But as soon as he sees me, he always heads straight for me, wanting to come into my house or my car, and always appreciates being loved on and petted.

Then I remembered something someone once pointed out: DOG is GOD spelled backward. As I thought about it, that's not all that far off base. Dogs (or at least the ones I've known) aren't fickle; they don't love you one moment and move on to someone different the next. They love unconditionally, no matter who you are, how unattractive you may look in the morning or how badly you've messed up.

God loves us that way, too. It seems like dogs, and perhaps some of our other pets, do a better job sometimes representing Him in the world than we humans do. And we're supposed to be the intelligent ones.

Could the answer for humanity and how we should treat one another lie in our pets? Should I just get a dog? I'm just asking...

Network, Network, Network

2009-02-26T10:51:00.003-06:00

I've been too busy to post here lately, I guess. I've been otherwise occupied...networking. So many of these online social networks have been popping up these days. I think I am in about 10 of them right now. I've been set up in the obvious ones for awhile--My Space and Facebook--but I'm also in a handful of music business related ones. I've also been out almost every night in the week at music events. I've never had so much fun.

I must say that it does work well for meeting people here in Nashville. The one piece of advice I've gotten the most since I came here was to network. 'Course, if I were that good, I'd have a job by now, I suppose. But the value for me in it all is not so much the professional aspect as it has been the personal. I now can go to a number of writers nights and such around here and know a bunch of people, and most of all feel included. That's huge for me.

Another advantage of these networks is you can find people you've lost touch with. I re-found a lot of my old southern gospel music friends recently. I had to leave the Gaither.com site I was part of for many years when the price of their old community became unaffordable to me. I was glad the Gaither site decided to be more in line with other networks and go with a free Ning network community. It's been a lot like being a prodigal returning home.

So now if you'll excuse me, I need to update my status and answer those messages...

TN or MN?

2009-01-16T09:31:00.002-06:00

Once again, as I see I did last year, I find myself wondering if I am in Tennessee or back in Minnesota with these cold temperatures. This same time last year I wrote an entry or two about temperatures here in Nashville as cold as in MN. This year, though, it's a little worse. I am keeping in mind of course that we are technically above zero, which would be a heat wave right now in the Twin Cities. But I guess my blood thinned out pretty fast after living here for a bit. I just wish I hadn't given away my long johns. I am also getting nostalgic for the "big black bear" coat.

On top of that, there is something wrong with my condo. It's cold. Cold air is coming from everywhere. I've tried the light the candle to find the draft thing, but it's a steady flame. I think it's coming from some place I don't have the money to try to fix. So I guess I am going to suck up those high electric bills somehow for the next couple more months. Not a good time for that, either.

Ah well--this too shall pass.

Big Southern Gospel News...

2009-01-14T07:03:00.007-06:00

Well, all the Southern Gospel bloggers are weighing in on the biggest buzz out there since yesterday. I know friends and others will be looking for my opinion, so I will weigh in on this as well. There's been a major shakeup in the Gaither Vocal Band, with the revamped lineup being Mark Lowry, David Phelps, Michael English, Wes Hampton and of course, Bill. Guy Penrod and Marsh Hall have exited the group. Here's my $.02 and change:

- My guess is either the GVB reunion video or the Guy Penrod substitute rotations, or both, sparked the fire for these guys and made the group experience fresh once again.

- I knew when I saw all those Gaither Homecoming dates suddenly appearing on Mark's schedule that something was up. I thought perhaps Mark was continuing to cover the Penrod hiatus, which is of course now permanent. Big change for sure for Mark and some of the people that support him. I am happy, though, that Mark's new solo release, "Life Gets Loud", was not a casualty of this change...it will be out in February. I'm anxious to hear it, particularly some songs written by a couple of Nashville songwriter friends of mine, Steve Christopher and Scooter Simmons, that Mark covers.

- It will be fabulous to hear David back in the group and knocking that range into the stratosphere.

- It is a compliment to Wes Hampton that he remains in the lineup. I'm glad for him...he's a fine singer and one of the most down to earth, sweet persons I've met in this circle.

- Sorry that Marsh will be gone, but he will be fine. He's a great singer and I was a fan of his before he joined the Vocal Band. He's done some good work with Benjy Gaither on their CD "Songwriters". But you know, if I had to choose between baritones it would just have to be Mark.

- I will certainly be looking forward to a Guy solo project. I also wonder if he will eventually put together a family group--the kids sing and the harmony I've heard them do in his video was quite good.

- I'd only heard the Michael English era of the GVB in video clips, so I will be up for hearing him back in the fold. My good thoughts and prayers are with him and Marcie in this musical and life change.

It should be our turn here in Nashville to get the Gaither Homecoming Christmas show this year, so unless I get a chance to hear the group live before then (doubtful, since I've more or less "retired" from concert travel), I'll be waiting on that concert.

Sad Goodbye

2009-01-02T05:46:00.002-06:00

The first post here of this year is, unfortunately, a sad one. My mom passed away peacefully in her sleep Thursday evening in CT. She was 89. She had been ill for a long time, so we were expecting the news. She now joins my dad in heaven.

The tribute page for both my mom and dad can be found here if you are interested.

Pot, Meet Kettle

2008-12-27T16:37:00.002-06:00

That's a recent way I've heard this phrase. My mom always said, "Pot calling the kettle black." Anyhow, it describes one of my pet peeves. That's when someone calls you out for doing something wrong, or not doing something that was supposed to be done, and then they go and create the same offense themselves.

I talked about an example of this when I did my audiobook "Treasures In the Tip Jar" (which is available on CDBaby!). There were some interesting fan behaviors that people would criticize in blogs or message boards...then I'd observe the offenders doing the same things in concert settings.

I had one of these "pot, meet kettle" things happen this past week. I got ripped for supposedly neglecting to do something...and then the same person didn't do this when in a similar situation. My problem is I'm so dang nice and go to any lengths to avoid confrontation in minor things that I really should use that phrase more often toward such offenders...but I don't.

Instead, I'll just have the satisfaction of knowing that other people are just as imperfect as I am...and be kinder to myself. As we should all be to ourselves.

Holy Cow...There IS A Santa Claus!

2008-12-21T20:59:00.001-06:00

So I'm at Doak Turner's 3rd Sunday songwriter get-together and about to leave to head over to stop at my church group's Christmas gathering. Doak pulls me aside and says, "you know what you've won, right?". Um...no. I knew I had entered the Nashville Muse contest for December with a number of prizes but hadn't heard that I'd won anything. Well, we go into a side room and there are boxes of Epiphone guitars signed by Anastasia Brown (whose book I just checked out of the library)...and I had won one of them! I've thought about learning guitar or mandolin someday but of course am in no position to buy either. Now I had my own guitar.

OK my songwriter friends, here I come, LOL. Once I learn to play this thing (Anyone in Nashville giving free lessons these days? Can't afford lessons now either...), I'm gonna start writing down the ideas and fragments of lyrics that pop up in my head at times and I'm getting me a co-writer. One thing, though: somebody else is gonna sing, because I'm not. I can't and I'm too phobic.

Yes, Virginia, there is indeed a Santa Claus. Thanks, Doak.

Year End Wrap 2008

2008-12-16T09:47:00.003-06:00

(Following is the text of my podcast episode #26 - Year End Wrap 2008. I included the podcast link with my e-cards and am providing the text here for those who aren't able to play it.)

Well, we are about at the end of another year. Last year I did a "Year End Wrap" podcast and for the life of me I don't know why, but that ended up being one of my most popular shows for this year. So why argue with success—I figure let's do another one and I can also send a link to all the folks I send holiday wishes to instead of reading one of those annual letters (and maybe they will go out and listen to another podcast or two, ha ha ha!). OK, well, speaking of the podcast, my stats for this past year are showing me at about 18,000 hits which is double what I did last year (probably because I did more podcasts), and over 6,000 downloads that I know of. I also remained in the top 10 of my host site Cyberears' most listened to podcasts. So thanks to all who have listened.

It's been an amazing ride this year. It was my first full year here in Nashville. I'm still thrilled to be here and life for the most part has been pretty awesome. I had one major life change. I did something I swore I wouldn't do again...which is, I bought a home. But this time, no 100 year old single family house for me—I bought a condo which had pretty much new everything. What brought that about was the rising cost of rent and wanting to keep up one of my health practices, that is, use my mini-trampoline rebounder whenever I wanted to without noise complaints. So I found the place of my dreams west of the city –it's a lovely area that I wish I'd moved to when I first got here, but all things in their time, I guess. Also, I finally have the home office that I wanted for so long. I also am blessed with wonderful neighbors this time around.

I thought once I'd bought this place I'd be done with the long commute to work I'd been having. But as it turned out, I ended up with...no commute. I was laid off of my job one week after I closed on my condo. I'm grateful for this timing if it had to be since it would have blown my deal and I'd have lost out on my home had it been sooner. But you know, in this period, it's been some of the most wonderful times of my life. I started freelancing and doing musician promotion here and there, I got to experience some things I wouldn't have been able to do with a normal 9-5 schedule, and through it all the good Lord's been providing all my needs. I know a lot of us are in the same boat, so I continue to live in the present moment and remain hopeful each day.

One other significant thing happened this year. I walked into my local library and I found a flyer for Radio Free Nashville, a community radio station. It said "want to be on the radio?" Those of you who follow me know the answer to that one—well, yeah! At first I proposed doing a Sunday morning southern gospel show focusing on the music as a genre, but being that Radio Free Nashville is a station with a mission of representing the unrepresented, that idea didn't go down here in the buckle of the Bible belt. So I went with my alternative idea, which turned out to be a show I called "Never Too Old". It's a mix of oldies, reflective nostalgia, and some more current music made by folks of the "baby boomer" generation-- being squeezed out of mainstream radio these days. I found a slot on the Saturday schedule and also began a blog concurrent with the show (which makes my blog total out on the net at about 5 now, I think). It's been fun, and it's had its personal and musical rewards beyond anything monetary if I was paid for it (it's all volunteer) but it hasn't always been easy. I struggled with meeting my own standards and feeling worthy of airing alongside some folks on each side of my show doing some brilliant stuff. But I made some changes and decided to go with using what works—basically, writing my show. I also decided to include some of my encouragement pieces which may be of comfort for those of us in the baby boomer generation particularly feeling the pinch of the hard times. So now I'm starting to find my own voice, and it's challenged me creatively as well. I have also since kicked myself for giving away a lot of my vinyl and other items in my music collection which I sacrificed to make the move out here. Hey, I didn't know I was going to end up doing an oldies show, or I'd have kept more stuff! God's interesting sometimes.

Of course the biggest part of my life out here is being able to do what I came out here to do, which is to support and encourage singer/songwriters and other musicians here in Nashville. I had much to write about in my Wendy V's Nashville Blend blog over this year. I've been amazingly blessed to find some incredible talent out here, and made some dear new friends among them. These artists rewarded me over and over again by taking this non-music maker to heart and my mission seriously. Again, my fears that people here didn't need my brand of encouragement were largely unfounded. I instead found a community of artists hungry for support and affirmation in situations that some described as "sometimes feeling like December in July". I also heard stories of rejection, redemption and the ongoing quest for the dream that started to make me feel as if I'd been broken open inside, as if layers had been peeled off me. I felt myself becoming openly compassionate and I'm pretty sure that some of the tears that poured forth weren't due to change of life swings.

My faith continues to be the center of my life. My church family has been a great support to me and we're all looking forward to moving into our new home after years of meeting in a school gym. I also found a sweet prayer group run by some musician friends that I'll plan to visit when I can. This year I was part of one event, the Middle Tennessee Women's Retreat, which came along at the right time with a message which I needed. I also had a great experience once again being the "official blogger" for this year's Mark Lowry's Spring Fling Senior Trip event out at Opryland Hotel –I was proud of the work I did on the blog and humbled by the response it got.

So there's my year. It's been a blessing amidst the present challenges. The plan continues to live one day at a time, put one foot in front of the other, be thankful that I can do that and remember who's ultimately in control. If you want to keep up with me, you know where to go...head to my website at www.wendyv.com and click on the blog links.

Another Radio Goodbye...

2008-12-10T07:43:00.005-06:00

This week, as I noted previously, we prepared to say a goodbye to the Morning Show on Minnesota Public Radio as we knew it. I cried through the farewell show with listeners from far and wide...not just those in the Fitzgerald Theater audience, or my former fellow Minnesotans, but around the country and around the world. Truly amazing but not surprising, and well deserved.

But with the cancellation news came some healing for our hearts later on, as Dale Connelly will continue the tradition and spirit of the show with a new streaming web and HD radio venture at MPR called Radio Heartland. The people spoke loudly and were rewarded. Welcome to your new home, my friend.

I would be remiss, though, to not make note of the fact that also last week in the Twin Cities, another iconic radio show was lost to us. My dear friend TD Mischke was let go from his long time show at KSTP-AM. The firing happened one day after Tommy's successful CD release party. Many of us are still scratching our heads. The outpouring of support's been emotional and well it should be. His show's been recognized as one of radio's most creative and original and has a loyal fan base.

But maybe, like me, sometimes it's time to "leave home". With it comes a chance to flourish in a new setting and become something personally and creatively you might never have if you had stayed. It happened for me, and I pray the same for Dale and Tommy...I'm sure it will.

Cruisin' with JACK

2008-11-09T17:45:00.002-06:00

Best laid plans dept.: I was supposed to go hear someone play at a store opening. I drive out to the location only to find a detour on the way, which resulted in a massive traffic backup. That plus not being sure where the place was from the detour area, by the time I thought I was getting close to the area, I'd missed the show.

So I stopped into a bookstore for a bit and then drove home via some back roads and JACK-FM on the radio to try and clear my head about a issue that's been weighing on me. Normally I'm not much for driving, but it was somehow comforting and healing cruising on dark but generally empty roads with Tommy Tutone, Eddie Money and yeah, even AC-DC as the background.

Me and JACK

2008-11-04T05:41:00.003-06:00

Yes, the rumors are true...there is a man in my life this week. His name is JACK.

I was picked for JACK-FM 96.3 Nashville's "Ordinary Listener of the Week". This is where they bring you into the studio and you read blurbs for events going on each day of the week, and do some station IDs. They also take a video of you while you're doing this because they know everyone's going to have bloopers. Mine was pretty funny, actually. I thought I was focusing so much on reading the copy that I didn't show enough flair for the camera. But if you see some of my expressions, I did get some mugging in.

They also told me that my session was one of the quickest they ever had because I nailed the reads pretty well overall. Maybe there's hope for my radio career yet.

Anyhow, here is the profile page for JACK-FM Ordinary Listener of the Week --this will be up only for one week. However, the video is for keeps on YouTube. Go ahead--laugh at me.

Explain Thyself

2008-11-03T07:39:00.005-06:00

I've been in Nashville a year and a half. If you read the "Wendy V's Nashville Blend" blog I write, you know that I still hold a sense of wonder about this town. Yet, in the past couple of weeks as I've talked to many musicians, or even overhearing a conversation or two, the subject has come up about the downside of trying to have a music career in Nashville...it can be heartbreaking and ruthless if you don't fit inside a certain "box". Some of you may be very surprised to find that the people you've seen on a stage someplace shining like a bright star can be found these days working day jobs in various Nashville establishments.

The subject came up also as I've had musicians who understand what I'm trying to do in my calling to inspire and encourage beg me to continue and not stop. I came here wondering if any of the artists here would get what I do because their level of talent was so high that they didn't need to hear it. Instead, I found a community hungry for the slightest bit of affirmation and encouragement.

It would not surprise me in the least to learn that some may find my writings and approach as "Pollyana-ish" because I choose to not be critical in my blog. That's fine. I know who and what I'm doing this for. If I end up doing nothing else than writing in my blog, showing up at gigs and smiling and bringing energy to the struggling songwriters, I will still have gotten the greatest rewards I couldn't have ever imagined in my wildest dreams. Those who aren't on board with me can simply get off the bus at the next stop.

So, don't worry, all of you who do get it. I will not lose my sense of wonder.

End Of An Era

2008-10-15T15:53:00.004-05:00

This milestone must be noted: after about 25 years on the air, the Morning Show with Dale Connelly and Jim Ed Poole at Minnesota Public Radio will come to an end on December 11, with Tom Keith's (Jim Ed) retirement. It's not really a surprise to me. These guys hung in there moving over with the Current's alternative rock format a couple of years back, doing what it is that they do. They made an honest effort to adjust some things to try not to stick out of the format like a sore thumb, yet not completely lose what the show is, and what so many of us loved for all these years.

Dale and Jim Ed are special to me. I met them on my maiden voyage to St. Paul, MN in 1987, a couple of years prior to my move. I had been in contact with an MPR volunteer and signed up for answering phones on the membership drive during my visit. Both these guys made an effort to find out who the person from Connecticut was helping out with the phones. Over the years they have obliged so many of my requests for songs to play on my birthday and did them with great creative humor. I even had my own time slot for when it would be played (well, most of the time). I got up at ungodly hours and made it to the Minnesota State Fair for most of their live broadcasts for years until the year I moved to Nashville. (During one of the two times my late dad visited me in Minnesota, I took him to the fair for the live broadcast of the Morning Show and he talked about one of the skits for years afterward.) They even were kind enough to play some of the artists whose work I sent to them. Both Dale and Jim Ed have been good, supportive friends.

I understand that Dale Connelly will be offered other creative opportunities at MPR. Dale is one of the true comic geniuses of the business and I trust that whatever comes his way will showcase his tremendous talents and bring his work the wide audience it deserves.

Jim Ed/Tom, enjoy your retirement. Besides being one of the most naturally gifted voice actors and sound effects persons around, you also have some of the finest people skills of anyone I've ever known.

I hope that I will be available to hear this show when it is broadcast, but if not, I do hope MPR will archive it accordingly.

Thanks, Dale and Jim Ed.

Stepping It Up and Goin' For The Dream...

2008-10-01T18:48:00.003-05:00

Sometimes you just know when it's time to do something.

For the last year or so, I've been getting to know Nashville and its music industry. The more I've traveled in the circles, I've felt a greater sense of belonging. Now finally, all the networking, support and participation are starting to have an effect. I am defining what it is I have to offer and I am going for my dream of being a support person to musicians in Nashville. I am particularly grateful to some key folks here in town who have provided me with encouragement and productive feedback to help me step up my game (you can see a result or two on my website).

The timing of all this with my layoff in July is certainly not lost on me. I have to wonder if this was God's way of getting me out of what was "comfortable" to finally get me off and running. Since a full time "job" has not yet materialized, I've seized the moment to prepare harder for opportunities, and there has already been some interest in my work. So for now, whether this be part time, full time, or anytime, I am a freelancer and I am excited.

If you are wondering what it is I do, take a look here.

"Never Too Old" with Wendy V on Radio Free Nashville

2008-09-12T06:46:00.003-05:00

Well, I said I was hoping to have something exciting to tell you about, and I do. Here is "my official press release":

"Never Too Old" with Wendy V Debuts on Radio Free Nashville

(NASHVILLE) – Some music making baby boomers are getting a chance to be heard in Music City. "Never Too Old" with host Wendy V debuts on Radio Free Nashville, WRFN-LPFM 98.9 on Saturday, September 13 in its regular Saturday afternoon timeslot of 3-4 p.m.

"Never Too Old" celebrates the "upper demographic", or "baby boomers"...40s, 50s, 60s and so on who are active, energetic, engaged in life and out there making some valuable contributions. It's a unique mix of classics and current artist music and interviews. "The music that we all grew up with and paved the way for artists to follow matters just as much to us today as when we were younger...we think it still holds up and deserves a place to be heard, " says Wendy. " Plus, there are many musicians and artists out there in this demographic that are far from "over", creating great music today."

Along with its target baby boomer audience, Generation X, Y, or younger audience members are especially welcomed to listen and learn a bit about pop music history, explore some classic country, and meet some seasoned artists who know their way around a good tune.

For Wendy V, doing this show fulfills a longtime dream. "I grew up listening to the radio and have had a lifelong passion for the medium. I'm blessed to have this opportunity to share the music I love and help bring recognition to some of the great talent we have here in Nashville. You're never too old to appreciate the past...and never too old to embrace the future."

About Radio Free Nashville:
98.9 WRFN-LPFM is an all-volunteer local community, "low power for the people" 100-watt station licensed to Pasquo, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville, programming a mix of news, information, talk and call-ins shows, and music. Live streaming can be heard at http://www.radiofreenashville.org/ .

About Wendy V:
"Wendy V" is a writer and music promoter who has proactively supported musicians for over 20 years. She currently writes "Wendy V's Nashville Blend" (http://wvnashblend.blogspot.com/ ), a blog spotlighting the Nashville singer/songwriter community and other music events, and hosts "Wendy V's Ponder Cast", a podcast covering music, musicians, fans, radio, encouragement, and faith. Her website is at www.wendyv.com .

My "Summer Vacation"

2008-09-08T13:25:00.002-05:00

Well, the job hiatus continues at this writing. It was nice having most of the summer off but I am hoping it won't extend too much into fall. I did have some freelance work happening and a little more is expected soon, so I do thank those folks who made that happen.

Tomorrow is my birthday and I can't think of a better way to spend it than to go out and hear some new writers in town. I had to cancel my trip this weekend to Louisville and the National Quartet Convention this year due to economics and also because some great people are having rounds and writers nights I couldn't bear to miss. Thus, it's going to be a busy week for music and I'm sure much of it will show up in the Nashville Blend blog as long as I remember to pack a piece of paper.

Also by the time this weekend is out, I hope to be able to tell you about something exciting I have in the works.

Concert Trip Reports Updated

2008-08-09T09:00:00.005-05:00

Due to my continuing (un)employment situation, I've had to make some cuts. One was to cancel my photo storage account which contained many pictures from my concerts (compared to other options, way too pricey, anyhow). That meant I had to go back and update many of my concert trip report pages and remove links to photos. Once I choose another home for pictures, I'll add a link in the main trip report page.

While I was at it, I made a couple of other updates to my very first Nashville trip report and my Dallas trip report. At the time I wrote those, I had to leave out a couple of details which, frankly, at the time would have caused some fan jealousy and drama had I left them in. But I think enough time has gone by and circumstances changed so I can now include those details.

It's been very interesting to look back on some of those reports and see just how much has changed since then. Obviously, some big life changes happened to me (can you guess which ones?). We also lost dear people and places since these trips happened. I am grateful that I was able to preserve some of those memories in a small way by writing those trip reports. Someone told me recently that my reports had a sense of sweetness and wonder about them. I think that's fairly accurate. I can see a bit of "wide-eyed-ness" in describing some of these events. Basically, though, I always strived to be as descriptive and positive (yet, honest) as possible when I wrote them.

If you've visited my trip report page before, take another walk down memory lane. If it's your first time, I hope you enjoy reading them.

"Things To Do If I Had Time" List

2008-08-01T07:03:00.003-05:00

I've always had this list in the back of my mind of some things I wanted to do if I ever had a chunk of free time to do them. Since it's not certain how long my "hiatus" will be, I decided to take a look at what's on that list.

One thing is watch my DVD collection more often. I've done a little of that, but I have actually spent more time straying beyond the favorite channels on my TV and seeing what's out there.

Another is learning to play the mandolin. Checking out the price of mandolins, that's not very cost-effective for me right now. I do wonder if I should learn to play guitar first. Some of those are cheaper. Although, when I've been at the songwriter get-togethers, I couldn't even grasp some of those big guitars they've had there. I'll keep that one on the list.

People have been at me for years about my speaking voice (you don't want to hear me sing...really) and encouraging me to do radio or voiceover work. Someone pointed me in the direction of a good voiceover studio in Nashville. I gave them a call and the cost for doing a demo was pretty reasonable. I did have a demo done last year or so that my friend produced for me, but this time I'm looking for a bit more variety and types of copy that I'm interested in doing. I located a collection of royalty free copy and bought it. I'll look it over and see what works for me. So, maybe this one will move up to top of the list. My fantasy would be to do this and get one job that would pay back the cost. If nothing else, it should be fun.

Settling Into Life...

2008-07-29T15:42:00.003-05:00

Well, I am all moved in to my new home now. I love it. I continue to amaze myself on how organized it all is. It has not yet reached that state of chaotic "fwoom" of clutter that my apartment was in. Maybe it's the extra room. I also love the part of town I live in--reminds me a little of my hometown when I was growing up. Last week I went to a bandshell concert in a small park nearby and watched the little kids run around and smash into each other. Kind of made me wish my life was that simple again.

My hiatus continues...I am doing everything I can do, applying in several places and even had one interview, but the phone remains silent for now. The best I can do is relax, stay focused and enjoy my time while I wait, live in the present moment and not worry about what happens tomorrow or next month. There is, after all, something to be said for a cup of tea on the patio or taking a swim in the early morning before the mommies and kids take charge of the pool. You grab hold of these things while you can.

New Home, New...

2008-07-13T15:42:00.004-05:00

I'm gradually getting settled into my new home. Unfortunately I've been burning a lot of gas with the back and forth shuttling. But now the loads are getting smaller and I can split my time between two places until the movers come grab the rest of my furniture. I spent my first night there last night, in my rocker/recliner, listening to the Grand Ole Opry, watching the lightning and thunderstorm and being glad I wasn't out in it. Beautiful.

I've been spending a lot of time in Dollar Tree (forget shopping -- the store pipes in great oldies!) and Home Depot. I'm getting slowly into the homeowner mode so I've made several trips to the latter. I even watched a demonstration on how to install a ceiling fan. That's not guaranteeing I'm attempting it, though. My greatest achievement thus far, however, is that I put up my own curtain rods. Blinds continue to be my greatest frustration. I got the measuring part down but the brackets are murder. After two hours of trying I threw in the towel.

One "tradition" I had for the past few years every time I'd move is that I would also end up with a new job. Timing once again became everything this past week, so the tradition continues in this case as well. I will be curiously looking forward to whatever opportunity God has in store for me next.

But right now, there's a move to finish.

Wait Till You See Me In My New Home

2008-06-30T19:48:00.005-05:00

The above titled song from many of the Gaither videos has been sticking in my head this week, especially since my friends Reggie and Ladye Love Smith so timely sang it in concert last week. Today it became official...I am now a homeowner in Nashville, having closed today on a condo. I am no fan of the process, however...it is stressful, with last minute glitches. But I do give props to my realtor, Debbie Henderson and lender, Charlie Thompson, for all their hard work. Check these folks out if you ever want to buy in Nashville.

My move happens in a couple of weeks. Till then there is lots of work to be done to get ready and knowing me, a few musical events to attend on the schedule inbetween. Note to self: try not to burn the candle at both ends.

Father's Day

2008-06-14T20:11:00.000-05:00

I spent a lot of this weekend watching parts of what must be at least 48 hours of non-stop coverage and reflections on Tim Russert's death. A large portion of the discussion has been about his relationship with his dad "Big Russ" and his two books about fatherhood. Tim was a good man, a good journalist and it seems tons of people loved him. When I watched a replay of an interview Tom Brokaw did with Tim on his own show when the tables were turned and he was interviewed about his book "Wisdom Of Our Fathers", the follow up to "Big Russ and Me", I realized the man was everything everyone said he was.

Tim Russert got me thinking more about my own dad this Father's Day weekend...my dad passed a little over three years ago. You can read about him here. We'll call him "Big Tom".

Go rest high, Tim.

Here We Go Again...

2008-06-04T18:43:00.001-05:00

Well, I am doing what I swore years ago I would never do. I am in the process of becoming a homeowner. I have found a townhome condo and all the steps are now taking place, with hopes of closing at month end. Am I "excited"? Not yet. My goal is to remain calm through this process. I will get excited when the papers are signed and the keys are in my hand. It's a really nice place, though.

Why did I decide? I have been in Nashville a year, I know I love it and I'm staying. I also want to be able to do my health practices (blenders, juicer, rebounder) without hearing anyone's noise complaints due to thin walls. Plus, it's closer to where I work...and I'm back on the busline. I am counting on a better experience than in the Twin Cities.

The first week of this process is the most wild one, with so much detail, travel to places to do business. I'm having trouble remembering if I'm supposed to be anyplace I've forgotten about. Thank God for checklists. I am, however, procrastinating mentally and physically about packing for a move. But I figure, for the move my friends and I pulled off getting here, this one ought to be a piece of cake.

All the same--keep me in your prayers and good thoughts for a smooth process.

Rewound Weekend

2008-05-24T07:51:00.000-05:00

A reminder to all my fellow radiophiles, pop culture fans and top 40 radio aficionados: This weekend is Memorial Day weekend, so on Monday it's time for an annual tradition I look forward to every year (except for one year, where I completely spazzed and forgot about it). I skip the picnics and stay close by my computer for WABC Rewound, where now talk station WABC in New York goes into its archives for 12 hours and plays some of the airchecks of its popular djs of the 60s and 70s. It's a virtual time machine where you can relive the glory days of one of top 40 radio's greatest stations and your younger years (for you under 40 folks, a fascinating look at how much fun radio was decades ago). The other half of the fun is joining in and reading the posts from other listeners on the WABC Rewound message board. It all wraps up with a call in talk segment featuring past WABC personalities.

One addition this year is an hour of airchecks from one of WABC's current lineup, Don Imus, who ruled the airwaves as a dj at WNBC in New York in the early-mid 70s'. I listened to him while I was in high school and college, so I am looking forward to his segment...should bring back some fun memories for me.

Here's where to join in the fun:
WABC Musicradio 77 tribute site
WABC Rewound info and link to listen live
WABC Rewound Message Board

Timing Is Everything, Part 2

2008-05-17T07:47:00.000-05:00

Update on last week's news: I've been called back to my job. I return to work on Tuesday so I can keep some commitments I made for Monday.

Thanks for your prayers and well wishes. God has been good. I guess He either thought I needed a vacation or it's not the right time for me to buy a place right now. Those plans are on hold for now until I get a clear sign to go ahead.

A Sad Week In Nashville

2008-05-11T21:11:00.000-05:00

It's been a week of loss and sadness here in Nashville. As death so often comes in threes, in the music world we lost Eddy Arnold, Jerry Wallace ("Primrose Lane"), and today, Dottie Rambo. I've been spending much time listening to tributes and reading reflections on Eddy and Dottie and watching some vintage video. Please pray for the families and friends who have been affected by their losses...some of whom I know.

The weather here has for the most part been gray and dreary for much of the week...it sort of created a setting to spend a little time in a mourning period for the job loss as well.

I will be glad to put this week behind me. But I approach a new week knowing the sun will shine again and God's still God.

Timing Is Everything...

2008-05-07T18:45:00.000-05:00

This afternoon I was preparing to meet my realtor and put an offer on a townhome I liked. The mood at work had been somber. A handful of temp staff at the job where I've been on a long term assignment since last July were let go, victims of a slower workload and the economy. Our manager discussed the situation today and when he asked for questions, I said "I'm planning on putting an offer on a townhouse today. Should I do it?"

The answer came toward the end of the day. No. There was another cut to be made. I was not surprised. Frankly, I haven't had much to do for the past couple of weeks. Three crushed co-workers walked me out to my car and I did my best to keep their spirits up. I was calm and accepting. This was, after all, a temporary assignment and it had to end eventually...but, we all had bonded as if we'd been working together for years. Yet, if I had learned anything at my weekend at the Middle Tennessee Women's Retreat, it was that we find treasures in our present darkness. God doesn't waste our pain or misfortune--He uses it. (I also realized at the retreat there are people who survived much worse than the end of a beloved job.)
The love and support I got from the people where I worked as I left is the legacy I leave behind in that position. I couldn't ask for much more than that.

I will be relieved, though, to have a respite from the gas-guzzling long (well, to me) commute, having to get out the door at 6 am in order to make a left turn out of my complex and spend an hour at the gym to avoid the horrid traffic. Plus, God knew and I knew that if I were going to make a move happen if I bought a place now, I would really have to scramble to prepare for it. Now I don't have to.

I'm looking forward to seeing what God has in store for me next. I hope to take a little break first. I've got some books to read and this place needs a good cleaning.

Middle Tennessee Women's Retreat

2008-05-05T20:38:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was the aforementioned Middle Tennessee Women's Retreat, led by gospel singer Ann Downing who I first came to hear of on the Gaither videos. I've been one of her "FANNtastics" for years now. She sought me out to come to this event but I originally said no due to finances. It was desirable to stay at the host hotel, but with trying to prepare to buy a home, that wasn't an expense I could justify. Well, Ann so graciously provided scholarship funds so I could be there.

I roomed with an extraordinary woman, Kay, who is 83 but looked and had the outlook of someone at least 20 years younger. I learned much from her about living life fully in later years, and most certainly in the present. She reminded me a lot of my grandmother, one of my role models. If she were still with us, she'd probably be much like Kay.

I said in my last entry that perhaps the reason it was important for me to be there was because God must have a message for me. Well, he did. But I'm not going to share it here...it will be part of an "Encouraging Words" entry or podcast, or maybe both. I met a lot of amazing women, including some who have endured unimaginable hard times, with only the strength of their faith in God to see them through. Amazingly, some of them have found humor in their situations.

It was fun to also meet some of the people from Ann's message board. I must say, I also heard the most Southern accents at that one event than I have anywhere else in Nashville over my first year of living here.

One of my favorite events of the weekend was the musical celebration. We of course had music from Ann. Other musical guests were Southern gospel writer Marty Funderburk and John Starnes, another singer known to Gaither video fans. This guy has a future in comedy--he gave Mark Lowry a run for his money in the humor area as he did a hilarious routine about exploring who he was.

Though it was a women's retreat, I must admit to flirting with a guy for parts of the weekend. His name was Ezra, and he was the ventriloquist puppet half of the duo Gail 'n Ezra. Gail has a magnificent talent of bringing this little fellow to life-- he was so real to all of us. I called him a "hottie" and he loved it.

I am very grateful to Ann, Kay, Sue and all who made this weekend possible for me. It was exactly what I needed.

I'm Tired...

2008-04-26T18:38:00.000-05:00

I knew the last part of April would be wild, and it has been. I spent last weekend out at Gaylord Opryland hotel for Mark Lowry's Spring Fling (read the blog here). On Monday I checked out of the hotel, went home and dropped off my bags, then headed for a Christian music showcase downtown (report in my Nashville Blend blog). Tuesday was the GMA Southern Gospel showcase, this year it being the Harmony Honors awards. That's chronicled elsewhere on the web (Google it), so I will skip that report. Realizing my limits, I did not attend the Dove Awards. I had the best seat in the house at home and in front of my computer, where I watched Mark Lowry and Paul Johnson win the Best Inspirational Album award for "I Love To Tell The Story". I was so thrilled for them both. (By the way, if you haven't heard this marvelous conversation with Paul Johnson that I did for my podcast, this would be a good time to do so...he gives a lot of interesting detail on the making of this album.)

I stayed home the rest of the week but saw one or two things happening in town that I would have liked to attend. A person can go insane here in Nashville with all of the possibilities to take in great music and events.

It all starts again next week, and next weekend I'll be at the Middle Tennessee Women's Retreat. I had not originally planned to attend, but mountains were moved so I could be there. I have to believe that God has a message for me at this one.

In the midst of all this, I have a couple of other pieces to write, too. Better get to work.

My next "project"

2008-04-10T05:34:00.000-05:00

So I've been in Nashville one year. It's been well documented how much I love it here. Thus, I have made a decision to "seal the deal" and attempt to do something that years ago I said I'd never do again. Yes--I'm buying a home. But this time, it's going to be a townhome or one-level condo. Some of the tales I can tell on my last homeownership experience with a single family home have turned me away from that forever. I know it's a different, and maybe pricier, ball of wax in the condo world, but renting sort of prepares you for that. (I must say, though, of late, renting has been a very different experience here than when I lived in Minnesota.) So I decided that if I am going to live the way I want to, get up in the morning when I choose to, etc. it's time to buy. Plus, I gotta get out of this traffic pattern.

Now that I've been preapproved, my realtor and I are ready to start looking. I'm excited but at the same time asking myself if I'm ready for all the stress that comes with it all. I guess we'll find out.

One Year In Nashville

2008-03-22T08:12:00.000-05:00

Obviously, this year's Easter weekend, though falling earlier in the calendar, won't be quite as memorable as last year's. Last Easter season I was on the journey arriving here in Nashville. It still feels like it all happened a few months ago. It has truly been a wonderful year.

Has it all been easy? No. There have been challenges in the working and living situations. Now that I have been here a year, it is time to try to make certain solidifying decisions in the face of an uncertain economy. But of course, the greatest joy has been to find acceptance of my call as an encourager among the emerging and accomplished in the Nashville music community. On that end, I give my greatest thanks to those who have been way-showers, door openers, dream-makers and supporters of the encourager who has also needed encouragement herself. I have also been lucky enough to find an extended family of sorts among my church group.

I'm still here...and I'm still thrilled to be here. I love this town.

New Podcast Interview

2008-03-21T05:40:00.000-05:00

If you haven't already done so, I hope you'll check out my latest "Wendy V's Ponder Cast" podcast where I interview composer/producer/arranger/conductor Paul Johnson. He's been in the business a long time and known for his work in Christian music and choral arrangements (Paul Johnson Singers), as well as having worked with some of the greats throughout the entertainment industry. It's certainly one of the best podcasts I've done so far. Paul is humble and articulate and addresses the joys and frustrations of being an artist which befall many of us, whether you're struggling or accomplished as much as he has. We're all floating in the same boat at times.

Admittedly, I was an FM rock and roll gal and out of the Christian music loop back in the 70's when Paul and his singers made many of the recordings which he shared with me after our interview. It was fascinating to hear some of the music which was the beginning of what we know today as contemporary Christian. Certainly the genre has evolved tremendously over the years. But, the message you'll hear in the music is timeless. You'll also hear some great voices. What's it like to be able to do that? Paul answers that question quite interestingly.

Website update #2

2008-03-11T18:16:00.000-05:00

The website updates I mentioned are taking place this week. www.wendyv.com is running as normal, but if you go to embraceencouragement.com and find it down, you can find it at www.embraceencouragement.net where it is also being housed temporarily.

Update: all is now working with my website as it should. Thanks, Rob, at WebAlong for hanging in there with me until everything was right. You rock!

Dove Award Nomination for Mark Lowry and Paul Johnson!

2008-02-29T20:16:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Mark Lowry and Paul Johnson for receiving a Dove Award nomination on an amazing album, which I've sung the praises of in this article I wrote last year.

Read the official press release here.

Website Update

2008-02-23T07:06:00.000-06:00

The update on my website is that I can't update anything right now. It is frustrating and totally unacceptable. So, some changes will need to be made. For those of you who read features like my monthly "Encouraging Words" newsletter, I hope to get the next issue posted in time for March but we'll have to see (of course, the best way to not miss anything there is to be an e-mail subscriber!).

Anyway, my apologies for not being up to date--it's certainly not my style but is out of my control right now. For now, please check here or at "Wendy V's Nashville Blend", or my MySpace page for current happenings and announcements.

Update to the update: OK, I have been able to update the home page...for now. But I do expect to have the website in transition sometime next week. So, keep those above links handy just in case.

Opry Classics

2008-02-21T18:14:00.000-06:00

Well, I am having a blast. A few weeks ago I happened upon a Time-Life TV commercial that Marty Stuart was hosting (that alone would make me take notice). He was introducing a series of 8 DVDs made up of clips from old Grand Ole Opry based and other TV shows of the 60s and 70s, featuring just about any classic artist you can imagine. Being the serious collector of old TV musical clips and shows that I am, I flew online immediately and ordered the set, trusting that my tax refund would cover the cost.

Indeed, this set is a collector's dream. I've been wondering for years where those clips of Patsy Cline, where she's singing "Crazy" and other songs and wearing the pretty flowered dress I saw at the Opry Museum, came from. The answer is The Pet Milk Grand Ole Opry program and there's lots of clips from that show and others. Another thing I love about this collection is that whereever possible, they have the broadcast dates of the shows...I like knowing that sort of trivia. And oh yeah, Marty introduces each DVD. Plus, there are some bonus artist interviews with Little Jimmy Dickens, JimEd Brown, the late Porter Wagoner and others reminiscing about their Opry memories.

Now, if only they'd release some of the full episodes of these old programs (yeah, I know, I want it all)...

Happy Quirkyalone Day!

2008-02-14T05:34:00.000-06:00

On a day when society tries to tell you it's the norm that you should be partnered, I just wanted to wish those of you who are uncoupled a Happy Quirkyalone Day. I have celebrated this alternative day for years. While I don't agree with everything found on the website, I think the basic idea makes sense.

I do believe we need to love ourselves as God loves us. It's only then when we can fully love others. So today, be yours.

Cold? Well, yeah...

2008-01-27T05:54:00.000-06:00

When I moved here to Nashville some people told me "well, it does get cold here", but I kinda brushed it off because I figured they were talking about temperatures in the 30s, perhaps. They were right. We've had temperatures in the teens for lows with wind chills close to rivaling the Twin Cities. I thought I left all that behind. Thus I am grateful I did not leave behind my black parka for those days. I was almost missing the "big black bear", my 3/4 length down coat which was given away before the move.

But I do comfort myself with a couple of things: one, it is usually 20 degrees colder in the Twin Cities than it is here, and two, I know that warmer weather and spring will come here when it's supposed to.

By the way, it's supposed to be back in the 60s this week.

Happy New Year...

2008-01-03T05:39:00.000-06:00

Well, the holidays are over and soon we will be back to normal routines and of course, normal traffic levels around here. Admittedly, it did feel like Minnesota around here the last couple of days, with low temps in the teens. The folks here sure didn't take well to that. I assured them they haven't really felt true cold, pointing out that the low overnight temperature would be the high for the day in St. Paul. I will say this: I don't think too many of these buildings here are set up for this kind of cold snap. Tried as my furnace did, my apartment hasn't been quite up to the task. Even my car, which granted no longer has the luxury of a garage, hesitated a bit ("C'mon car! You're supposed to start right up! You're a native Minnesotan!").

Good news for my podcast: it got over 9,000 plays last year and when the monthly stats were reset on my host site, Cyberears, it initially came in at #5 in its top 10rankings. (Then it dropped off, then went as high as #3, then back to #5, since stats change by the moment. But it's all good.)

My resolution for this year, if I have any, is to just put one foot in front of the other each day and walk through life as best I can. I will also be working on my newfound hobby, studying alternative medicine and getting my own self in shape (keep eating an alkaline diet, continue my daily walking, more raw and green foods...things everyone should be doing).

Happy New Year, everybody!

Catching up online

2007-12-25T18:11:00.000-06:00

I've been spending some time on this holiday season getting caught up with some online things. I did a year end wrap up podcast, indulged my passion for vintage clips on YouTube (everything from rock TV clips to soap operas) and some archived audio sites and message boards. Doing the latter, I caught wind of some items from the Twin Cities way that I want to acknowledge.

-Big congrats to my dear friends Tim and Paul, the Frantzich Brothers, for appearing on A Prairie Home Companion in November. I am so proud of these guys. I go way back in their history when they were making the gals swoon as part of the rock band Ride Ruby Ride at the old Music City Cafe in St. Paul. Their spiritual and musical growth has been remarkable to witness. This was exciting as when TD Mischke and Michael Loonan appeared on APHC a couple of years ago at the show's MN State Fair broadcast.

- Speaking of TD Mischke, I also learned of the passing of a frequent caller to his radio show. "Undertaker Fred" was a delightful personality, always with a song on his lips and his faith on his sleeve and in his heart. He will be missed. (By the way TD, a shout out to you, keep being as creative as you are. And please make a new CD one of these days.)

Season's Greetings...

2007-12-22T16:30:00.000-06:00

Having done my Christmas celebrating with friends and work family, I'm getting ready to enjoy a couple of days off from driving and the rush hour mess here in Nashville. My Christmas gift happened in April this year, when I moved into town. I'm just happy to be living here and grateful the adjustment to a new home went smoothly on so many fronts.

I'm thinking about the first Christmas I had in Minnesota 18 years ago. Things were especially challenging and I decided it wasn't a good time to fly back East for the holidays. The weather was kind of gray and depressing (well, it actually is here now, too, but it's about 40 degrees milder, so what the hey). A lift would have been good. I was volunteering for a Minnesota Public Radio production at the time, and out of the blue, the host of the show called me to say hi. It was totally unexpected, and I didn't even know he had my phone number. It was such a sweet gesture, and exactly what I needed. Dan, whereever you are, your kindness has never been forgotten after all these years.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays, everyone. May you celebrate in a way that suits you and not what someone else tells you how you are supposed to.

Another Senior Trip

2007-12-07T18:51:00.000-06:00

I'm getting ready for yet another Mark Lowry Senior Trip...this one being the Christmas Celebration at Gaylord Opryland. Once again, I will be doing a report on the three day events and I've set up a blog.

Watch this space for the updates.

Icing On The Cake

2007-12-02T22:32:00.000-06:00

Well, of all the wonderful things that have happened since my move to Nashville, tonight was the icing on the cake. But, I'm not gonna tell you about it on this blog. You need to click here.

Thanksgiving Ponderings

2007-11-25T19:42:00.000-06:00

I had a good Thanksgiving weekend. I did just what I said I was going to do...eat and then take a nap on my couch. I didn’t travel to CT because travel's just too difficult to arrange right now and I won’t for Christmas either, but I did talk to my sister. I did have one invite, but I just decided I was sick of driving a car and didn’t want to have to do that for a couple of days. So I found a small turkey breast which was free range and had all organic veggies and potatoes and gravy, stuffed myself and as predicted was out like a light on my couch for 2 hours or so.

I usually use the holidays for downtime. In Minnesota, when someone would ask me if I had any plans for the holidays and I would say "no", some people there would say "oh", not "why don’t you come to our place?". So I guess I’ve gotten used to making plans on my own when the holidays come. But, I had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal the previous Friday with my work family, a great potluck with a wonderful group of songwriters the weekend before and I just had lunch with my church CARE group. So, that’s people enough. It doesn't make it less because all this didn't happen on Thanksgiving day itself. After all, I've thumbed my nose at the Hallmark way of life for years.

But now the weekend’s almost over and it’s time to go back to work again tomorrow. I procrastinated until the last minute to get my month end writings done. I think I have one piece done and I need an ending for another. To think I had four days to do all this. I did do another podcast, though, a short one about Internet radio (which I hadn’t talked about previously).

The weather, well, it’s been kind of depressing the last few days. It’s been gray, rainy and was as cold as low/mid 40s for a high. I actually did break out the lighter parka once. But if this is as cold as it gets here, I’ll take it.

Once again...I love this town. I’m thankful to be here.

Baptism

2007-11-12T18:53:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I was baptized as an adult, with many wonderful new friends from my church looking on and one dear musician friend who offered me the gift of her voice. I'll let you read her account of it here: http://allisonlynn.blogspot.com/

I was baptized as a child. I was approached about baptism as an adult when I joined my church here. I thought it would be a great idea to do it to symbolize where I really am now in my faith. I had the honor of being baptized by Pastor Stan Mitchell, who I've written about in other pieces on this website--so it was meaningful to me to have him be a part of this.

Allison's simple acoustic rendition of "Jesus Loves Me" set the scene for us all beautifully. Many other musical images came to my mind regarding baptism: the scene from "O Brother Where Art Thou?" with the song "Down In the River To Pray", Trent Tomlinson's video for "One Wing In the Fire" and the Randy Travis/Kenny Chesney song "Baptism", which I first heard in the "Touched By An Angel" episode Randy starred in.

The water was warm, and so was the feeling that afternoon.

Blast From The Past

2007-11-05T08:59:00.000-06:00

As I was doing some radio airplay tracking for a client on a folk dj mailing list group, I came across a post from John Platt who hosts "City Folk Sunday Breakfast" on WFUV. He noted that he had Steve Katz and Danny Kalb, formerly of the Blues Project, in for an interview in support of their new acoustic blues collaboration with Stefan Grossman, "Played A Little Fiddle". As a 12 and 13 year old growing up in the 60s and in discovery of FM rock, the Blues Project and Blood, Sweat and Tears were two groups that meant a lot to me. So naturally when I heard about this interview, it was like throwing a huge bone to this puppy.

Now, as I've noted elsewhere on my website, I was a big Al Kooper fan. His vocal style didn't exactly get rave critical reviews (but that didn't matter to me and to this day it still doesn't), but to me he was real and passionate. One other prominent vocalist in the Blues Project and BS & T was Steve Katz, much different in style, with a warm voice like velvet, one that always caused me to lean into the speakers whenever songs like "Steve's Song" or "Sometimes In Winter" were played. Al, bless his heart, is still out there doing his thing with another new album due from him soon, but Steve has been off my radar for years. So, it was great to hear this interview and especially to hear him sing again, both in clips from the CD and as an extra treat in the interview, a live acoustic performance of "Sometimes In Winter". His voice retains that warm beauty and reminded me what it was like to hear him back when I was 13. I sure would have loved it if he’d done "Steve's Song" as well, but hey, you take these bones when you can get them.

I do ponder this: judging by some of the e-mail I received on my pieces about 60's FM radio and the over 1,000 plays my podcast on this topic registered just this year alone, it's obvious that 40 years later, the music of this time is still endearing, passionate and meaningful to so many of us boomers. It reflected an important time in history, one of intense cultural and social change. I just wonder if the music that the 13 year olds are growing up with today will have the same lasting effect.

Thus, I now have to buy this Grossman/Kalb/Katz CD and the Blues Project Anthology. Because now, I've got "Flute Thing" playing in my head, too.

TN vs MN, Continued

2007-10-31T18:41:00.000-05:00

We're now into fall down here in Nashville. I've not seen all that much color yet but I'm hoping by this weekend it'll be more scenic and I can get out and take some pictures.

At this time of year when I was in Minnesota, I would swear I would not give in to putting on my heavier coat until the first of November, the "unofficial" first day of winter there as far as I was concerned. This year here in Nashville, I didn't start wearing my light jacket until perhaps last weekend. We've been pretty much in the 60's with some 70s. I'm liking this.

Like Monday night, for instance. I went to WSM's Listener Appreciation Concert featuring Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Vince Gill, Mel Tillis and Ralph Emery. I hung out at the back entrance before the doors opened. It was a beautiful, mild evening, just about to get fully dark and I sat along the side with my favorite building hovering over me. Except since it's not the BellSouth building anymore, they took off the lettering, so it's not quite the same for me. It looks kinda naked now. But I did get a good shot of it on my cell phone camera to use as a screen saver.

Oh yeah, the concert was great. Whatta deal for $6.50 (or $12, with Ticketmaster fees added in). I love this town.

Music That Soothes...

2007-10-13T17:49:00.000-05:00

In my most recent Encouraging Words newsletter, I did a piece about how songs can inspire and express things for us better than words can. Having been through certain chewed up and spit out experiences, in those times I've turned to music to help me sort things out and gain a fresh perspective.

Gospel music is a no-brainer source, naturally. But actually, I find that two other musical types have strong healing properties for me: Bluegrass and early Beatles. Don't ask me why or how...I can't quite put my finger on it. I just know that listening to both has a calming and soothing effect on me.

As for artists, one in particular seems to have a way of speaking down into my soul in rough patches: Rob Thomas. No matter what I'm dealing with, if I'm listening to Rob's songs, it just seems like he "gets it". Again, I'm not sure why, either...something about his voice or his lyrics, in an abstract way, that says he's been there and just nails it.

Go here for the list of my 5 most inspirational and encouraging songs.

Big Bands and Standards

2007-10-11T20:06:00.000-05:00

Back when I was a kid in the 60s and first digging the Beatles, my dad was not into it at all. He kept telling us that Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey and those folks with the big bands were the "real" music. Now that I am a bit older and have learned about and appreciate all types of musical styles, my position is if it's done well, I'll listen.

There are two recent releases done in big band or orchestrated style that are most definitely worth listening to. One is Mark Lowry's "I Love To Tell the Story" hymns CD which I discussed here. The other is a new CD by Reggie and Ladye Love Smith, two superb singers you probably are most familiar with from the Gaither Homecoming videos. Their new release, aptly called "Standards", is a collection of covers of some of the classic big band/easy listening standards, such as "It Had To Be You", "All of Me", and many others. I heard Reggie and Ladye sing some of this music at the first Mark Lowry Senior Trip, with Rory Partin and his orchestra. They did an amazing job and I waited for this project with great anticipation. Ladye grew up on this music, her dad (a guest musician on this CD) having played in big bands. Her feel and sense for the music is obvious, and her pure soprano makes a perfect match. Reggie Smith could quite possibly be one of the best kept male vocalist secrets across any genre (see the couple's MySpace page for more proof)...he's emotive, versatile and stylish. Put the two together and it doesn't get much better than that.

I'm sure my late dad would have given these his stamp of approval.

Beatles-A-Rama

2007-09-29T08:07:00.000-05:00

I've found a great online station to listen to. It's called Beatles-A-Rama--it plays all Beatles songs, Beatles solo work, outtakes, interview clips, related artists, cover songs and "Beatle-esque" songs by artists that are Beatles-influenced. It will also play "British Invasion" era songs, a touch which I think effectively sets the scene for what it felt like to experience that time period...nostalgic if you're in my age group, and educational if you weren't born yet.

If you are a Beatles fan, it can be addicting. 40 years later, there's something just so comforting about those early Beatles songs. Maybe it's because I was lucky enough to grow up in that era. As a youngster I was swept up in the moptop frenzy, but bottom line I believe the music endures because these guys were great singers, great songwriters and fine musicians.

Listening to this station introduced me to a lot of the solo work I'd never heard. Paul is a pop craftsman, John's is soul-bearing transparency, George has some of the most interesting and introspective work, and Ringo is endearing and entertaining. I've also checked out an artist or two played in the "Beatle-esque" category that impressed me.

Take a listen, but be warned--it may be hard to pull yourself away.

Birthday Weekend

2007-09-10T05:14:00.000-05:00

Well, I must say that this birthday has been the best since my 50th, when my co-workers at the time completely covered my desk with 50th birthday paraphrenalia. I had little "50s" coming out of my keyboard for months. My favorite thing, though, was the sign that one of my co-worker's daughter made: Wow, the big 50. I kept that one.

Anywho...this weekend was quite awesome. It started with a dessert get-together with some friends. I got a bunch of cards, little gifts, even one from someone I'd just met that evening who stopped over. One highlight was when two songwriter friends came and showed their musical magic to those friends of mine also new to town or otherwise not part of my musical circle of singer/songwriters.

I had a good long lunch with a friend Sunday and then the icing on the cake: a concert by Gordon Mote and Buddy Greene with Jeff Taylor (a/k/a "Michael Card's twin brother"). The crowd was smaller than expected due to rain, but no matter: their sets were incredible. I snuck in the door while the soundcheck was going on. Most people who hear the end results probably don't realize just how much preparation goes into the technical aspects of the sound. When some level is off, the artists know exactly what's needed to get it right in terms I and my untrained ears haven't a clue about.

Gordon Mote continues to amaze me with the level of his vocal and keyboard talent. Having heard Buddy Greene in a full bluegrass concert (see my Nashville Blend blog for a report) and then switch gears in this gospel themed concert showed me again how impressively versatile this man is. Once again, he was beautifully supported by Jeff.

We were even treated to some special guest singers: Kimberly Mote, Gordon's wife, due with a new baby this month (if this gal ever cuts her own album, she will be very major in the Christian music area--you heard it here first); Wes Hampton of the Gaither Vocal Band who was in the audience with his family (one of the most down to earth persons I've met in the Southern Gospel arena...as are all of those who performed this evening); and former Florida Boys bass Gene McDonald, handling bus duties for Gordon. If that all were not enough, Buddy and the players sang Happy Birthday to me from the stage. Wow. What else could a person ask for.

Man, I love this town.

I also got tons of birthday e-mails, message board posts and my MySpace page is covered with comments. I am not accustomed to such attention, self-celebration having been the norm for me for so many years. I humbly thank you all.

Did I mention I love Nashville??

My Birthday Poem

2007-09-03T08:20:00.000-05:00

I am having a birthday this coming weekend. I've gotten some cool gifts in my time, but my friend Teresa pretty much nailed my Nashville journey in this poem she wrote for me. Enjoy.

Wendy's Birthday

It's time for Wendy V's big day
And happy birthday is what I want to say.
This year's been a busy one for my friend
Exploring the streets of Nashville from morn til days end.

Just think, last year at about this time
She was asking for God to give her a sign.
A big move she was wanting to make
And decided to do it standing by faith.

Nashville was beckoning for her to come
To hear the music and have lots of fun.
One day some friends offered to lend her a hand
And packed up her stuff into a rented van.

After some misadventures she was on her way
And Wendy was in Nashville in a couple of days.
A new apartment awaited for her to arrive
Where unknown opportunities would begin in her life.

Now Wendy's having her first birthday in Tennessee
I forget how many this will be, fifty one, two or three?
If you want to celebrate with her and don't know where she's at,
Just look through the crowd until you see a red hat.

I'm sure she can be found waiting in a concert line
Trying to be first so a good seat she'll find.
Her dreams of living in Nashville finally came true.
And I want to say congratulations and happy birthday too.

© 2007 Teresa Hicks Banda
Reprinted with permission

Different...But OK

2007-09-02T17:03:00.000-05:00

We're now into Labor Day weekend as I write this. In St. Paul, the Minnesota State Fair would be just wrapping up. It's the first one I've missed in 18 years. But of course, I have a good excuse since I'm now living in Nashville. Yet, it was still a bit strange not being there. Usually I'd be making my way to the media booths, going to the live broadcasts of the local TV news broadcasts and offering a word of encouragement to the reporters if the opportunity arose. One of my yearly rituals was going to the Morning Show radio broadcast at the Minnesota Public Radio booth. This time, I was there virtually via streaming radio...so at least I didn't miss it entirely.

I must note, however, it dawned on me that I did survive not having my fix of a bucket of french fries, foot long hot dogs and malts from the dairy barn.

The weather has finally cooled here in Nashville, so I took a walk with my IPod phone. Some of the songs I'd listen to as I walked along the Mississppi River path down Shepard Road in St. Paul popped up, and momentarily my mind went back there. But now there are new places and paths to walk. Nashville is home now, I have a sense of place and settlement here. I'm looking forward to discovering even more and building new rituals.

The opposite of Minnesota is...

2007-08-12T13:09:00.000-05:00

Instead of two weeks of below zero wind chills, in middle Tennessee we are dealing with two weeks of 100 degree temperatures and heat indexes.

There are a few similarities here for me. Deceptively beautiful blue skies may lure you outdoors, but you don't want to stay out for very long because, instead of stiffening up and feeling like you're turning to ice in a Minnesota winter, here you are soaking wet after just taking a few steps. But as there are hale and hearty Minnesotans who don't let the cold stop them, folks here are still going to county fairs and other outside events despite the heat.

And just like in the winter in Minnesota where my weight goes up because I don't want to walk in the cold, here I am putting on weight now because walking is too uncomfortable.

It doesn't snow in Minnesota too much during a deep freeze because they say it's too cold. Here, we've seen very little if any rain over the past couple of weeks.

But, just like Minnesota weather, it will all change eventually if you stick it out. Won't it?

Bridge collapse

2007-08-02T06:07:00.000-05:00

The shockwave of the I-35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis was felt across the country. I know the area well, of course, it's in the U of MN area and it's just unimaginable to me. Please pray for all those involved. Because I lived and worked in St. Paul and am a freeway chicken, I would not have been in that area during rush hour in the last couple of years.

Update: all of my close friends have checked in with me and all were safe, thank God.

I've had occasion the past few days to meet new people and tell them I moved to Nashville from St. Paul, MN. It used to be when I'd say that, people would ask me about the cold weather. Now, they ask me about the bridge.

Probably the must surreal thing for me about it all was watching Channel 5 in the Twin Cities webcast their news online. Just as I would have watched from home if I were still in St. Paul. That made me realize that as much as I love my new life here in Nashville, nonetheless the Twin Cities and I are still connected.

More oldies, more often

2007-07-15T07:30:00.000-05:00

It's been great hearing WCBS-FM back on the air in New York City (via webstream for me, of course), and even better reading the comments by listeners from all over the place on the message boards. The outpouring of support, and emotions, from folks is really something to behold. If people thought radio was something to take for granted and doesn't have the ability to touch the listeners' souls, these posts will prove otherwise.

But I must say, also on the dial in New York is a great show on Saturday night that I never had a chance to listen to until last night. I know these things are around, but I always have to be reminded to actually get in and listen. WABC, one of the great classic top 40 stations of all time in its heyday, sets aside its now talk format on Saturday nights for a Saturday Night Oldies show hosted by Mark Simone, a DJ I also listened to for many years. It will actually serve as a complement to CBS-FM, as it plays songs that fall outside of CBS' 60s-80s format. Anyhow, last night the guest was the great Dan Ingram. His wit was as quick as ever, and the audience was clearly thrilled to hear him again.

It's been a great week. The spaghetti days end on Monday as I take on a new long term temp assignment which should be interesting. But I sure was glad to be freed up last Thursday and Friday to hear radio history happen.

Oldies Fans Vindicated In NYC

2007-07-12T06:36:00.000-05:00

It's a great day for oldies fans in New York today.

Two years ago, the heart was ripped out of New York oldies fans (and some of us long-distance transplants elsewhere) when its beloved legendary station WCBS-FM was "JACK-ed" to the mixed music format and all of its air personalities gone without a chance to say goodbye. It was like a death in the family to many of us who loved the station and its jocks. We feared it may be gone forever.

But, two things happened. First, the audience continued to speak and remain fiercely loyal, due in part to a New York Radio Message Board forum provided by Allan Sniffen. That gave fans a vehicle in which to continue to share with one another and carry the flame for the music they loved. Second, JACK-FM's ratings in New York continued to slide. Ultimately, CBS Radio President Dan Mason had the courage and vision to right a wrong and restore WCBS-FM's format with a 60s-80s playlist and the return of some of the familiar names like Bob Shannon, Mr. G, Dan Taylor and others. One person said Mason should be given a parade on 5th Avenue.

For me, it's just not New York City without WCBS-FM. It was like cutting a big chunk out of the city and throwing it into Long Island Sound or something. When I would fly into New York on my way to Connecticut to see family, the one thing I looked forward to the most was getting on the Metro North train and tuning my radio into WCBS-FM and enjoying it for as long as I could until the signal started to fade.

WCBS-FM officially returns to the airwaves at 1:01 p.m. Eastern time today. Nice work, everyone who made this happen.

4th of July week

2007-07-05T11:31:00.000-05:00

Hope all had a happy 4th of July holiday. I watched the Nashville celebration at Riverfront Park on TV rather than go down there live. CMA week was still fresh in mind for me. The sound was a bit off in spots and the cameras should have been showing shots of the fireworks in places they were focusing on the orchestra members, but it was good. I remember watching this event a couple of years past on TV and wishing I was living there. Who knew. In fact, I did a little driving around earlier yesterday, with not a lot of traffic, with WSM on the radio, and just thinking about how much I am enjoying life here, even in the midst of spaghetti days.

Pondering: I wondered how many of those orchestra members, most of whom had their backs to all the fireworks action, were tempted to take their eyes off their scores and take a peek at what was going on? I'm sure they are all very professional and very focused. All the same, it made me curious.

I did take in one event this week and another coming up later but I will detail those in the Nashville Blend blog as soon as the second one is done.

Update on the last post on the Mark and Tony taping: there is some backstage footage of the taping at marklowry.com . Thanks, guys, for the two seconds of fame!

Saturdays With Mark and Tony-Live

2007-06-23T20:27:00.000-05:00

Being that I have some free time these days, I was up to a weekend road trip to Stockbridge, GA for a live taping of Mark Lowry and Tony Campolo's internet video podcast "Saturdays With Mark and Tony". It was held at a warm and friendly little church called the Village Church. Special guest along with Mark and Tony was arranger/producer Paul Johnson, who just finished up Mark's upcoming CD "I Love To Tell the Story", adding some great theological insights to the many topics.

Questions from the audience sparked some of the topics over the 5 hour or so taping. I won't give you complete details because I don't want to be a spoiler and I want you to see the shows when they are aired (and it's hard to keep up when the discussion gets going). But here are some topics you can look forward to:
- Justice and the USA's role in the world
- Full revelation of God in Christ
- How can we integrate the church racially, socially, economically, etc.?
- Why does God not always allow us to use the gifts He gave us?
- Can prayer change God's mind?
- What happens when you die?
There were also specific questions for Mark about certain aspects of his career. Afterward, we celebrated Mark's 49th birthday this weekend.

Tony Campolo amazes me. No matter what subject or question you throw at him, he's able to speak at length about it knowledgably and articulately. I couldn't help but ask him if he's ever been stumped on these occasions, and he told me no--at age 72, he says, he's just about dealt with it all.

If the taping weren't enough, Sunday was the inclusion of Mark and Tony in the Village Church's Sunday morning service. What a thrill it must have been for this sweet church to have these two minister. Mark seemed genuinely touched that a number of people came from outside of Georgia to be there to hear him and Tony. Mark sang the "Heaven medley" and "Unfinished Hymn (Come To Jesus)" (Paul Johnson accompanied Mark on piano for the latter song) and by request, "Mary Did You Know". I'm not sure I can adequately describe Mark's singing. It was beautiful, passionate, emotional. He was so incredible that I had to catch my breath. Tony Campolo gave a typically dynamic sermon that went down so many wonderful roads including prayer, seeing Jesus in the eyes of a homeless person offering a cup of coffee, and the thought that "the King has one more move!"

Update: You can now experience this service on the Village Church's website media page.

It was also a special pleasure to meet and visit with Peggy Campolo, a gentle soul with a strong ministry in her own right.

(As a side note--we headed out quickly to make it to a wonderful closer to this weekend, a concert by LordSong at a Nashville church. Their music and ministry was effective and powerful. Those folks have great hearts. An excellent review of this concert can be found at averyfineline.com . )

Spaghetti Days

2007-06-17T18:35:00.000-05:00

It's been an interesting week.

I make it a policy not to discuss job things here, but let's say that this past week I returned to what author and entrepreneurial hero Barbara Winter calls "spaghetti days". For me, it's been a good thing. I must say I've missed those days of my first month here where I've been able to spend mornings awash in the beauty of my surroundings and get out and walk (and now that it's hot enough, swim now and then). But eventually, bills must be paid...and they will be. Some people believe I should go back to "settling" for any job that will pay the bills, regardless of the personal price (been there, done that). After this past week, I am choosing to believe that I have a right to something better. Why shouldn't I be happy and hold out for something that I will enjoy and want to go into with the enthusiasm of a racehorse wanting to belt out of the starting gate at the Belmont?

I also realized this week that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Some circumstances that I thought might be different here in Nashville looks like they will be the same as when I was back in Minnesota. But it's okay. The weather's warmer here. The music's great. It's all good.

CMA Fest-My Full Take

2007-06-08T18:50:00.000-05:00

Last year I decided that whether I was living in Nashville at this time or not, I was going to experience the CMA Music Festival and got me a four day pass. Well, I am living here and life got busy...so I decided I'd have to skip one day to work and sleep in between.

I did not realize that the artists perform at the festival free and proceeds are donated toward education. That is a great thing. That said and acknowledged, I must say after my initial experience that while the music's been great, there were a few things that disappointed me. Unfortunately, you have to for the most part make a choice between catching the great shows out at Riverfront Park or going through the autograph lines to meet artists at the exhibit halls. This is not as easy as it looks on TV. To do this, you have to stand in line for an hour very early in the morning to get through the doors of the convention center. Then once you are inside, you have to wait another hour for the exhibit doors to open up and snatch up tickets for autograph lines. If you don't have a ticket, it's difficult to get a place in line. It was also true for some non-ticketed signings. I was turned away in at least three places where lines were smaller, sometimes rudely (but it didn't stop me from taking a picture). At some booths, it was hard to figure out just where the line was because fans were standing in one spot and people were holding ropes somewhere else...so then you get accused of line-cutting. I did make it through to Jamie O'Neal, one artist I most wanted to hear at CMA. It would have been a shame to miss the chance to offer her a word of support just because I also wanted to hear her show.

Once I got to LP Field the first evening, I wondered if I'd ever get to my seat. I had a seat at the club level and there was no clear signage inside on how to get up there. I asked no less than five staff event people how to get there and not a one could answer my question. My thanks to the young lady who worked at the gift shop who gave me the proper directions. And yes, I found the outside club entrance for the next evening. All the concerts I went to were great, even though the sound quality varied at times. My personal favorite of the acts on the big stage: Big and Rich.

With one day under my belt, I had a few things figured out for the next couple of days--like how to get back toward downtown when leaving the concert because you can't get out the way you came in (I almost feared I'd be pushed onto the freeway, which would have struck terror in my heart at 11:30 pm). And, one thing most of us realized--drink LOTS of water and have plenty of dollar bills to buy it, because you can't take it with you.

If you go and are spending time at the convention center, take in the acoustic stage and you'll hear some very fine acts who deserve your attention, like Rachel Williams, who I caught on Thursday. While roaming the exhibit hall floor, I also sought out artists who didn't have long lines, to give them a word of encouragement. I met Roni Stoneman of the well-respected musical Stoneman Family, the awesome bluegrass family act Cherryholmes, and a lovely gentleman named Will Clements. Unfortunately, his acoustic set was scheduled when I couldn't make it...but I will certainly remember him and check out his music sometime.

The sun was a little too intense for me to spend any long period of time at the Riverfront Park over the weekend, so I decided to shell out and take in two shows which were going on at the Ryman: the Grand Ole Opry matinee on Saturday and Sunday Mornin' Country. They were both great shows and a welcome respite from the exhibit hall madness. Saturday's Opry Matinee was not broadcast so no ads in between...I kinda missed the Martha White Flour theme. "Sunday Mornin' Country" was a gospel concert featuring a mix of artists from Connie Smith to Chris Young and a host of others known in the country gospel circles. Connie Smith did a brief signing after the show. She is a stunningly beautiful woman.

I thought my biggest fear I mentioned earlier might happen on Sunday when I asked one policeman how to get back to downtown after the show (since they blocked the street I came in toward downtown on Saturday --I got a little creative and found an alternate route. I wasn't completely sure how I pulled it off). This cop said I had no choice but to go on to the freeway. It's not bad, he says, just get off the first exit to downtown. Hmm...didn't look that easy to me on a map. So, I got a second opinion from another policeman and he told me to go the way that I figured out last night. I did, and aside from a brief wrong turn, it worked. That's why the BellSouth building with the two antenna things is my favorite one in downtown Nashville. It's anchored me many a time when I wasn't sure where I was going. So nice try, cop #1, but freeway, schmeeway.

A few other random observations:
- Nicest artists I did meet over the course of the weekend: Bill Anderson (who gets my top vote. I told him I moved here from St. Paul and he keyed right into it with quips about the winters and the St. Paul Winter Carnival Ice Palace), Ralph Emery, Brad Cotter, Con Hunley, Kassie DePaiva of One Life To Live (getting a country music career going), Jason Meadows, a young lady named Joanna Smith and the aforementioned Roni Stoneman, Rachel Williams and Will Clements. They were the ones to take time to do more than sign and push you through, and acknowledge you when you gave them an encouraging word. For the record, I only went through lines that were manageable, so I'm not comparing to, say, a Carrie Underwood type line that went on for hours, where you understandably couldn't expect any response.

- Some of the staff managing the lines could be more organized and a little less heavy-handed. I went to one fellow's booth to try to hear some of his CD samples and got a steady eagle eye kept on me from someone working the Nashville Star booth next to him where the Hacker siblings were signing...she was making sure I wasn't going to jump in and cut that line, I guess. Sheesh.

Despite the fact that the music was great, would I do CMA fest again next year? Right now I'd have to say no. I'm just not cut out for all the driving hassles, lines, lack of rest, lack of healthier food fare and needed endurance. I think I'll watch it all on TV instead and stick to the smaller gigs.

Wild week to come...

2007-06-05T18:41:00.000-05:00

I think it was a couple of years ago or so I posted about having "8 days of insanity", a week long stretch of engagements, travel or whatnot without much of a break in between. I've got a week like that coming up. I'm attending a songwriter showcase where I will be speaking briefly, then there's the four days of the CMA music festival. It's my first time attending, so I have no idea how good my endurance will be. We're talking long days and late nights. I may not want to do it again after this, but hey, with my first year in Nashville, I just couldn't pass it up. I may pass on Friday because I do need to rest (and have a day job). For those looking for updates, if I have time in between I will try to post either here or in the Nashville Blend blog...but I won't see much of my e-mail during then, so I will have to get back to you later.

Busy, busy

2007-05-27T15:36:00.000-05:00

I've been busy and believe it or not, I have added yet another blog: Wendy V's Nashville Blend. It really was just a matter of time before I started this up. After attending a couple of events so far, I knew I had to get to work in showing support for the great talent I've been hearing out here. I pray that it has the kind of helpful impact eventually that "Local Blend" I did for the Twin Cities music community did.

The weather here has been spectacular for the past couple of weeks. Sunny and in the 80s. If it rained, it didn't last long.

My car is not doing well, though. I don't know if Father Time is catching up with her finally at 11 years or if she is making a rough transition to Nashville, but she is coming up with more ailments. Keep her, and my budget, in your prayers.

I was taking the car out yesterday morning to get checked, and on the way out I saw one of our nature attractions where I live, a duck family of a big mama or papa duck (whichever--I don't know, but it's got a big green neck) leading five other little duckies out for a walk. I forgot my watch and had to go back and get it. By the time I was leaving my building, there was the whole ducky family right out in the middle of a very busy road in harm's way. I wasn't going in their direction, but here I was with my window open and yelling at them "get out of the road". (I don't know if they would have listened to me. They aren't real friendly to people--I tried to take their picture once and the big ducks started to try to chase me, so I hightailed it outta there.) I wonder what the other cars did. Apparently they were unscathed as they were back in their usual spot later in the day.

Think I'm Giving Up Walking

2007-05-17T20:35:00.000-05:00

Today I took a walk at lunch to try to get to the post office. Well, I tried to walk, anyway. But, I ended up running. Running across streets, because you can't walk without risking getting hit, and dodging cars so you don't get bumped along the road by cars because there are no sidewalks in most of these spots.

Being a pedestrian in Nashville is as tricky for me as driving in traffic. I have never seen a city that is so car-oriented. No walk up ATMs at the banks...have to do business from your car. Also, I tried out a Sonic drive in--on foot. It took a few minutes for me to figure out that you can place an order if you walk up, so long as you're willing to eat outside if you stay. Otherwise, you drive up and order from your car. The burger was very good.

And yes, people have told me they go only a block or so for lunch by car...'cause I guess you can't do it on foot. I tried that and cheated death and injury a few times. So, I'm considering biting the bullet and doing the same. Thus, so much for losing weight from walking.

Getting Around and Getting Along

2007-05-13T06:17:00.000-05:00

I've been in Nashville six weeks now and still loving it. I am slowly making progress on making my apartment livable. I found a couple of furniture pieces at yard sales and did some creative purchases to come up with inexpensive options. For example, instead of a big dining table, I bought one of those personal folding tables and a decent looking folding chair, threw a tablecloth on the table and there you go--a mini dining space. I'm still on the lookout for a couple of other items that will help me avoid having to buy things you have to assemble. That's not one of my talents.

For a lot of folks who think of Minnesota, the standout is cold and snow. For me, besides the music here in Nashville, it's the traffic. I never thought I'd say this, but I almost started to miss the buses in the Twin Cities.

I just finished my first week at the job I'm doing and it's supposed to be a short distance. But, it's taken me 15-20 minutes each way during rush hour (and yes, people here say "that's not traffic" and I should be thankful). I've spent the first week trying to figure out the best way to get there and back. The commute home was interesting. One way I was stuck in the middle of an intersection twice on a red light because there are too many cars to always keep moving. Scary. Then I was forced onto the freeway on another route because two left turn only lanes appeared out of nowhere and I got stuck in one (if you aren't in the lane you need to be in out here, you're outta luck --there's no getting over). Even scarier for me. I got off the first exit I could and then spent 30 minutes bumper to bumper from the exit to the road leading to my street. Left turns are a crapshoot coming or going from my place or other areas where there's no turn arrow. So many times, I have to turn right and pick out a turnaround spot someplace when you can go left and spin around so you're heading right.

But, I'm learning. Believe it or not, my Geo is almost at it's second thousand miles since it got here (which would make it 17,000 miles).

Other than that, life here has been pretty seamless. The busyness I always had going on in MN is starting to happen here and the calendar's filling up. If I spend too much time reading the weekly listings of what's happening here, I can get overwhelmed. I have to remember not to book myself too much so I don't take time to rest.

Promised news

2007-05-02T16:35:00.000-05:00

OK, here is the news I promised you: I will be doing a monthly article for the Southern Gospel News.com website. . This website is one of the most successful in the Southern Gospel music field, featuring news items, articles by industry professionals, charts and forums. I'll be writing on one of my "expert" topics: being a fan. I'm very grateful to have this opportunity. My first one is called "Joys of Southern Gospel Fandom" and you can find it here: http://sogospelnews.com/index/articles/comments/7198/

And yes, there is news on the job front: I have a long term assignment for a company close to where I live, doing something along the lines of the last two tech jobs I had. It's been a great "vacation" but now it's time to start building a "normal" life routine. By the way, for anyone looking for a job, I recommend posting a resume on Monster.com -- it worked for me.

Settling update

2007-04-29T18:57:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe this coming week will mark one month since my move here to Nashville. It's starting to feel more like home here. I'm getting used to the faster pace of the traffic and the patterns, and figuring out what lane I'm supposed to be in on what stretch. Unless it's some off peak times during the day or weekends, you better know where you're supposed to be or you'll have to make the next turn and circle around, because you won't get much of a break getting to the proper lane. I think my car's starting to get used to it, too...she sort of struggled in the beginning but for a small car, she's doing okay.

My plant that has seen me through my last two apartments and my house is doing very well out in Nashville. She was looking a little leaned to one side for awhile in St. Paul but out here, her leaves and branches look much better rounded and filled out. This is the place for nature to thrive. Every morning I wake to "birdie birdie birdie" chirps of the birds. My favorite contemplation spot is a small pond where I get to watch two big duckies and all their babies roam around together.

Slowly but surely I am getting little furniture pieces and accessories, all on the cheap. My friend gave me a few items. I bought a folding table at Walgreen and a task chair at WalMart so I am not sitting on the floor anymore running my computer as I had been for the past three weeks. I got a stereo for $8 at a yard sale. However, the "processing area" in my living room will have boxes for a while until I get me a bookcase.

The one question everyone wants to know, is the J-O-B question. I will say that I have had a few inquiries due to a resume posting. But I will send everyone who asks the question here for the answer, which is: when I have something to report, I will let you know. So, just keep checking here, ok?

I will have one piece of exciting news to share--but I'm going to let that wait for just a bit.

GMA and encouragement

2007-04-22T21:13:00.000-05:00

This weekend I attended the GMA (Gospel Music Association) Indie Impact day. I went there to hopefully make some network connections and perhaps find out what some of the support needs of artists were. I did meet some great people, but I'm not sure that what I went for ended up being what I got out of it all. Instead, I learned that I needed to remain true to my calling. I also learned after hearing Dez Dickerson say many of the things to artists that I wrote in my booklet many years ago that at least I am in line with the pros on some things. So, now I should get going on getting that digitally published. I asked a panel of artists, which included Russ Lee and Allison Durham Speer, how encouragement played a role in their journeys. Allison, in her response, encouraged me personally and I was so blown away.

I do know why I am here---I'm called to encourage artists. I'm just not sure in what form yet I will do that here in Nashville. But I'll tell you the great thing about it being that this weekend here I have met people whose work I've enjoyed or admired. The celebrity part of it isn't what it's about for me at all. The best thing is being able to personally tell these people "I love what you do."

Some people tend to focus on one person, or one artist. Sometimes you'll have one opportunity to encourage people and they're blessed. Other people you can lift up for a dozen years straight and they still won't believe you. I've wanted to be the "#1 fan" of someone but that desire put me in a dark and unhealthy place. So I am grateful for the call and opportunity to encourage several people at many different levels, meeting them right where they are.

Back From Branson

2007-04-19T06:01:00.000-05:00

Well, if one road trip last weekend wasn't enough, I am now back from another one. This time it was an 8 hour journey to Branson, MO, for Mark Lowry's Senior Trip. I have all of that report detailed here: http://www.wendyv.com/srtripbranson.htm

Now I am back in Nashville. The place is coming along. I now have a sofa, bed, TV cart but still a deskless office. But you learn to work around those things. Next on the agenda is dealing with making a living and attending the GMA Indie Impact weekend on Saturday and Sunday.

Week 1 Continued...

2007-04-11T16:41:00.000-05:00

So far, so great. I got my new loveseat sofa and it feels like one big pillow, just like my beloved old beat up St. Paul loveseat did. I also got my new drivers license (not a half bad picture either), emissions test for the car and new plate. If I hadn't thrown myself out of the way by missing a turn on the way back, I'd have had all this done in two hours time rather than three. This process covered three different places and things went very smoothly...so not an all-day wait like I feared.

When you are adjusting to a new environment and managing details, weird things can happen. Some people may remember on my original "Ponderings" blog the story of how I thought my car was stolen but I had put it in the wrong garage. I have a bonehead story for you that I think beats that one. I went out walking yesterday and all of a sudden I heard this continual buzzing tone everywhere I went. I thought it was something going off in the complex, so I took a walk outside the area. I still heard it. It was bugging me now, so I took a short drive. I still heard it. Now I started getting nervous that I had developed some sort of tinnitus or ear problem. Oh God, I thought, how could you bring me to Nashville to dig all the music and now have something go wrong with my hearing?

My friend called to check on me and told me to lie down and if it wasn't better, she would come get me. I decided to bring her over to take me to a change of scene, thinking that might help. When she arrived, she heard the ringing tone, too. She did all kinds of checks and told me to call the emergency maintenance to tell them something was wrong in the apartment. Then she walked closer to me and said "I hear it around you." I had my purse nearby. I dumped it out and we discovered the culprit was my pocket key light alarm which got moved to the alarm position...but the battery was dying, so it emitted this tone instead of the usual loud blast. I didn't care how stupid I felt calling back maintenance to tell them to cancel the emergency call. All I cared was that I wasn't having a hearing problem and I was thankful to God.

Today we had some thunderstorms. After all my running around was done, I took a nap as I watched the storm outside my window. Then the weather moved on and we had a beautiful sunny afternoon.

It was a most wonderful day.

Settling in...

2007-04-09T15:00:00.000-05:00

All things considered, I am pretty well organized. I still feel a little bit like a fish in a different pond of water, but now that I have TV and cable, things are starting to feel more normal. I don't have any furniture yet and it will be some time before I have most things, but I am doing some creative improvising, like sitting up against walls with pillows at my back. I am getting a loveseat sofa first, so that will help.

But boy, this traffic out here, I tell ya. Me and the Geo are learning how to step it up and go. We don't have much choice.

This morning was the first time I watched the Weather Channel without fear, because I didn't have to worry about the weather in the upper Midwest any more for travel plans. I did notice MN is getting more snow though. Heh heh heh. Sorry, I know that's not nice but I couldn't resist.

I'm here...

2007-04-08T17:43:00.000-05:00

Well, we made it to Nashville this morning. My friends got here yesterday morning, made everything fit into the minivan, and we covered about 10 hours on the road before stopping for the night in Marion, IL. The weather cooperated all the way and I am very proud of how my Geo Metro did. That is the most surreal part about this whole deal...it is so strange to be driving my car out here and not some rental car with fancy gadgets that make me nervous.

No, we didn't make our goal of getting to church on Easter, but that's okay. We're safe, we're happy...and we're tired.

More later when I'm back online full time.

Happy Easter, everyone.

"Good" Friday???

2007-04-07T06:34:00.000-05:00

4/6 5 p.m.

I’m still in St. Paul. And I’m not going anywhere tonight. What a nightmare this day has been.

I stayed the night before in my apartment complex guest room, which was the best thing I could have done for myself. It was as classy as any 4 star hotel room. So the next morning, somewhat calm and hopeful, I go to Caribou Coffee with my laptop to check my e-mail and thought I would check the flight arrival web site. The tranquility quickly became short lived, as I saw “flights in and out of O’Hare are being delayed by one hour due to wind.” Great. That means my friends would never make their connection. I was expecting the phone to ring any time to give me the bad news, but it didn’t. Gee, maybe that meant no news was good news and their flight went off.

Nope. 11 am, when they should have landed, came and went with no word. Back into panic mode. I was scrambling for the airline phone number when the phone rang. Sharon and Kate were now on the road driving to Midway Airport from O’Hare to make it to a Northwest flight that was scheduled to leave at 2 pm and arrive at 4. They didn’t tell me because they knew I would be a basket case, which of course, I was. That’s how my family raised me--to worry about everything.

In the meantime, I had to get to the airport anyway around 2 pm to get the minivan picked up. I had to put Kate on as a driver, but couldn’t do that because she needed to be there to get added. The good folks at Alamo/National Car Rental were kind enough to let me get the minivan checked out anyway and even found the last big stow and go one they had. They also didn’t have a problem with me not letting me drive it off yet as I waited. After all, it was only a couple of hours wait.

Nope.

The 4 pm estimated arrival time then turned to 4:30 pm. Then 5:30 p.m. Then 8:30 p.m. Then 10 p.m. There was a maintenance problem with the plane, which escalated into having someone come from O’Hare to fix the plane. A few phone calls went back and forth from my friends and me, and it turned out I had more current info than they were being told on the ETA because I was sitting there watching the screens flip.

As all this was going on, I was shuffling like a zombie from the baggage claim area back onto the tram and back to the rental car area more than a few times. The folks at the rental counter were patient but I am sure very tired of seeing my upset face giving them updates and asking would it still be okay to keep the car parked and no one would take it if did, right? (For this reason alone, I recommend renting from Alamo or National Car Rental). As time wore on they were getting concerned they would have a space issue with returns coming in. So, they directed me to a tight space near their exit area. First of all, I hadn’t counted on even driving this thing at all. I was hoping Kate would be the driver. Remember, I’m a gal with a Geo Metro who never drove anything larger than a compact car. So here I was singing a hopelessly off key but earnest chorus of “Jesus Take The Wheel” as I tried to negotiate the space and not slam into the blue poles on the side. Fortunately, He did. He even got someone who had their personal car parked in the area rounded up and out of the way.

Finally, once Northwest decided to admit to my friends what I already knew, that the next time they were telling people the flight would arrive was 10 p.m., the dear souls, who even considered driving from Chicago from Minneapolis, gave up the ghost and decided to stay over in Chicago and book a flight out the next morning. Smart move. They would be more rested and they deserved to rest in comfort. After all, they had it worse than I did. And I wouldn’t have to drive the minivan again in the evening. So I took the van home while it was daylight. The good news is I think this thing is big enough to do what we need it to do. Another of my worries.

I am sure glad I paid a full month’s rent, for at least I still had a place to stay. I didn’t have any more furniture here and I would have had to stick my friends on the floor with pillows and blankets. Our caretaker here kindly lent me her cot and a few pillows she was tossing. She would have put us up in the party room if needed be. My apologies to the people below me though for the creaks from the cot.

So will Kate and Sharon get out of Chicago and make it here? It shouldn’t be so dang complicated to get from Chicago to Minneapolis! You know, they are still on Northwest, and the “S” word is in the forecast for tomorrow. But I’m letting go of that usual worry for my own sanity. Will Wendy, Sharon and Kate finally be on the road to Nashville? Stay tuned.

Winding down...

2007-04-03T10:57:00.000-05:00

For all those who wondered why I decided not to work right up until my move date, well, here's the answer for you. Final cleaning to get things in pristine condition to expectations is a full-time job. I'm sure there are many of us who don't have time to do a full round of housecleaning each day inbetween jobs and life. Trust me, even if you think you are a super neatnik, you will find dust, dirt, grime and forgotten about junk in places you didn't even know existed when you take on this task. I've got another full day of this to go before the arrival of the junkmen.

There's stuff everywhere, I can hardly move, but I'm almost ready. With April snow coming to MN (early April? Yeah, I could have called this one), I am certainly ready.

Update: something messed up at Comcast so I am being shut down at home a day earlier. Next post here will be after the move. Keep the prayers coming and I'll update as soon as I find access when I get to town.

Wow, now it's less than a week...

2007-04-01T07:44:00.000-05:00

Here we are, with less than one week to go for the move. I finished up Friday where I have worked for 12 years. I think I can say by the number of lunches I had with past and present co-workers, gifts and well-wishes that I went out on top. I remember when I left Connecticut for St. Paul 18 years ago I had pretty much the same reception. I believed if I can do this there, I could in MN. And, I did. So, I am holding fast to the same belief in Nashville.

I am pretty well organized and on track for final packing and cleaning. I am working out of open boxes for needed things. My guesstimate would be that I will have probably thrown out 100 or so bags of trash before all this is said and done.

I am very much at peace and calm, but I am sure the stress will kick in later this week. Will the junkmen show up on time? Will my friends' flight be on time? Will we get the right vehicle and will everything fit? I am not watching 5 day weather forecasts. Cold Canadian air is coming to MN this week and you know what that means. I will be so glad to be done with stressing over travel weather.

Please remember me in prayer for all the above items and safety on the 15 hour journey.

Top Minnesota Memories

2007-03-27T20:57:00.000-05:00

With little more than a week to go to the Nashville move, I am in the midst of a series of farewell luncheons and meetups with friends and co-workers past and present in the Twin Cities. So, it is a good time to list those periods over my 18 years here which stood out the most for me.

- Minnesota Public Radio and "First House on the Right". The MPR/Prairie Home Companion connection was the thing that lured me out here. It was a dream to be able to hang out and become friendly with a lot of the people I listened to when I volunteered at MPR...I am most grateful for the short and memorable experience with the show "First House on the Right." People were for the most part exactly as I hoped and imagined they would be, and I had the chance to begin developing the sort of encouragement I always hoped to give artists.

- The Music City Cafe/coffeehouse years. Meeting and becoming friendly with Don Vogel, TD Mischke and Michael Loonan changed the course of life for me and opened the doors wide open to a whole new community of artists to support and encourage. I gained my first promotional client in Michael, and much more--a partnership and friendship for 13 years which will continue seamlessly and, I expect, open much more creative opportunities for both of us.

- St. Joan of Arc Church musical community. Combining artists from the previous two circles and many others, it was musical excellence on a par with no other. Again, a great privilege to befriend and support a magnificent group of musicians.

- T.D. Mischke and Michael Loonan on the MN State Fair broadcast of "A Prairie Home Companion". It was an unspeakable thrill to witness this opportunity for these guys. As Michael usually puts it so well, "we came full circle."

St. Paul/Minneapolis, all of these experiences helped me grow to where I am today and made this next step possible. I couldn't have done it without you. I gratefully, always, will thank you, thank you.

The Remarkable Journey, Part 1

2007-03-19T05:00:00.000-05:00

I'm now back in the Twin Cities after having gone to Nashville to sign my lease and set things up. It was an amazing few days. My apartment is beautiful and the grounds are heavenly looking. I am optimistic about the possibility of shedding a few pounds living there...a lot of walking opportunity with getting from place to place in the complex and to and from all the stores around there.

The other attraction was the two Mark Lowry concerts I went to. I thought I was just going to one in Jackson, TN, but the traveling troupe also decided on Decatur, AL the next evening. I almost passed on that one, thinking I had still a lot to do to set up my place, didn't have a ticket and it would have meant taking two cars. But my two angel friends worked it all out for me. Boy, I am glad they did. The second night was even better than the first. I'd have been devastated if I missed it.

A few observations:
- Actually, aside from the concert experience, in my ramblings about town, I found very few folks with southern accents. Just about all of those I spoke to said, "I moved here from ____(fill in the blank), and I'd never leave."
- There is some serious traffic in Nashville. I learned that I cannot make a left turn out of my complex during rush hour. I have to go right on the main drag, turn somewhere on the left side and turn around and go back right.
- From the TV shows, the billboards, to the conversations in coffeehouses, it is for me very much a Christian culture, which I find comforting and appealing.

I hope now I am more motivated to put the finishing touches on my packing. I can't wait to start my new life in Nashville.

One month to go

2007-03-07T13:04:00.001-06:00

Well, I am now one month away from the big move. Now comes the overwhelming part...the packing and managing all the details. Last weekend I gave away 4 coats, half my winter weight clothing, all of my remaining vinyl records and other assorted items. This was a bit of an "end of an era" purge. I said goodbye to some of the records I had since childhood, like my Beatles and Paul Revere and the Raiders albums. But, there comes a time to be practical and let go. I don't have anything workable to play them on anymore. I have all the songs on CD or can get them on CD or digitally on ITunes.

I bid farewell to the coat I called "the big black bear" --a long black down coat which came out for -0 wind chill days. And don't you know a few days afterward was a day with a stiff wind cold enough where it would have worked. I survived, though. I also said goodbye to the little white coat I had since before I moved here from Connecticut, which makes that at least 20 years old. It was a great journeyman that served me well. But, perhaps a younger person will make use of it.

Next week I sign the lease and get my first taste of living in Tennessee for a few days. Then it's back to the Twin Cities and finish up work and packing, and preparing for the journey.

New Move FAQ Question

2007-02-22T09:48:00.000-06:00

At six weeks to go till the move, I am getting another question to add to the FAQ:

Q: Are you all packed yet?
A: Well, no. Would you be if you had a month to go and you still had to use most of your everyday stuff? A bit of my non-essentials are. I have a lot of stuff that if it's not packed, it's going to be junked. That's accounting for at least half of what's in my apartment. I admit, however, that packing is the area in which I tend to procrastinate the most. I still have to decide exactly what is going to be pre-shipped.

The good news is that I sold the furniture items that I needed to sell.

Day Job to Dream Job

2007-02-19T13:41:00.000-06:00

Well, that's what I am hoping for at some point when I move to Nashville (move now six weeks and counting, by the way). But the reason for the title is: if you are a musician who wants to do music full time, or if you are someone hoping to make a living doing something you love, I'd like to invite you to listen to my latest episode of "Wendy V's Ponder Cast". I have an interview with my dear friend Michael Loonan, who is doing just that, working from home doing music full time.

I think this will help and inspire a lot of people. He makes a couple of key points in the interview:
- Being encouraged
- Taking a leap of faith

Go here to listen to episode 11:
http://www.cyberears.com/index.php/Show/audio/163

Sick of cold

2007-02-10T19:26:00.000-06:00

At this point, I've had it up to here with cold. Two kinds.

One, my head cold I've had for nearly a week. This one nearly ranks up there with the one I had some years ago which kept me in bed for three days. I actually did take a sick day from work with this one--only after I had worked sick the day before because I had to...I was "it" because my other co-worker was out. But I am getting tired of blowing my nose and not going anywhere without a tissue box.

Two, this frigid cold we are having. Yeah, I know, MN is famous for it but even some die-hards admit two weeks is too long. It is so cold in the early morning it hurts. I can't keep my face warm out waiting for the bus without coming up for air every 10 seconds because scarves are smothering. And as long as it's -0 in the morning, I gotta put the thermals on. It will be this way for another week, I hear. Suffice it to say this is at the top of my "things I won't miss about Minnesota" list.

That's it. Thanks for letting me vent.

My Move FAQ

2007-01-25T05:47:00.001-06:00

Someone suggested I do this, and since my lunch mates have been asking me a ton of questions (throw the "not polite to talk with your mouth full" rule out the window!), here goes:

Q: When are you moving to Nashville?
A: Early April--hope to be there by Easter.

Q: Do you have family in Nashville?
A: Not blood relatives but lots of friends there and in surrounding states...so you could say many members of the "family of God".

Q: Do you have a job there?
A: I'm considering options at this time...conventional and freelance opportunities. I am also taking any leads in both those areas that anyone may have!

Q: What will your life be like in Nashville?
A: Full of music, music, music!

Q: What will you do once you get there?
A: My calendar is filling already! Senior Trip Branson, GMA week, CMA Fan Fair, lots of gospel music school concerts, music networking events and much more!

Q: What will you miss the most in Minnesota?
A: My musical friends' gigs in person. But, I trust the power of the Internet will keep us ever connected.

Q: What will you not miss about Minnesota?
A: The winter. Getting up for work and out the door early in the morning for a crowded bus in winter.

Q: Why can't I leave a comment here?
A: Well, now you can! All comments are moderated, so spammers, go elsewhere.

Farewell Tour Stop: MPR

2007-01-21T16:05:00.000-06:00

It's altogether fitting that one of the few stops on my "farewell tour" here would be the place it all started for me. I went to Minnesota Public Radio's 40th anniversary open house. It was the first time that I got to see MPR's new building. It's very high tech and slick, as you might expect.

I got to see a few familiar faces I haven't seen in some time. I've been out of the MPR volunteer loop for many years, so I was surprised that some of those folks remembered who I was. And, finally, I did something which I've been trying to do for many years. I would go the MPR booth at the MN State Fair year after year and fill out the little card that asked if I wanted to do a testimonial. Of course I did. After all, MPR changed my life. No one ever called. Today, I got my big chance. I did a couple of fund raising promos and told a little of my story of how being A Prairie Home Companion fan got me out here. I must say, all of the demo and podcast work seemed to pay off a little--from what I could hear, it sounded pretty good. Someone will have to let me know if it ever airs, I guess.

There were a few MPR personalities scattered about. I had a nice conversation with Cathy Wurzer of Morning Edition (and Almanac). I had to be honest with her and tell her that I watched her more than listened to her, it being she's on opposite my friends Dale and Jim Ed. She is as warm and friendly as her spouse, Erik Eskola, who I met many years before at the State Fair. I brought up my podcast, as she's thinking of doing her own, and left her my card. Maybe she will get a chance to listen. That'll be cool.

Over at the Fitzgerald Theater, Dale and Jim Ed did a couple of routines and hosted some great musical sets by the Auto Body Experience (a witty band with solid musicianship) and the always fine to listen to Becky Schlegel.

All in all, a pleasant nostalgic afternoon which gave me the sense that I had come full circle.

Details, Details, Details

2007-01-13T14:12:00.000-06:00

(First, a reminder that if you came here by way of Mark Lowry's Senior Trip website and you're looking for the Asheville reports, I've summarized those here.)

Update on the big move: We have a move date. It will be over Easter weekend. The goal is to be in Nashville for church on Easter Sunday. Since we are using my car and a minivan to move me down, half of my apartment will be junked before my departure. Some of my stuff will be pre-shipped. I am quite surprised how difficult it is to get rid of some good furniture...even to donate. Hey if need be, it will be junked, which would be a shame...but I can't take it with me.

A lot of people have wished me well and I am up to my ears in "lunch before you go" dates. But what also surprised me is the lack of reaction to the move of some who I considered friends, who have yet to say even a word. I guess I will just slip out of town without them even noticing.

Someone asked me how I can concentrate on my job with all this going on. In fact, my boss commended me for staying present despite all of the preparation and being very excited. Well, you do what you have to do. If you are still being paid to show up and work, then you have to put one foot in front of the other and do it...or try to, at least. Believe me, it's not easy. But I will be taking some time off to do things and try to reach places that you can't on the weekends.

A few months before I made the final decision to move to Nashville, I did an exercise that came with an audio series I got from Changing Course called "Making Dreams Happen." It was to describe your ideal life. I came across that sheet of paper this past week and saw that many of the things I wrote down are in the process of happening. Gave me goose bumps.