Holy Ground, Precious Friends, Wonderful Music and Love All Around

photo credit Ann Ehringhaus
***CAUTION!*** This is a novella! I'm relishing a great weekend and want you to feel you were right with me! ENJOY! And read it in chapters if you must!!!
I am currently sitting on a ferry, leaving Ocracoke Island after playing at the OCRAFOLK MUSIC AND STORYTELLING FESTIVAL on of course, lovely Ocracoke Island, North Carolina.
This is the NINTH year of this festival and it amazes me how the level of talent grows, how people hear of the festival and return year after year...I find so special that I, as one of the performers, take away so many more friends and lessons EACH year from this gathering of spirits.
There are dear friends and people that I love so very, very much and sometimes this once a year event is the only time I get to see them. For that, I could be sad, but the spirit of the festival is strong enough that the memories can carry Wayne, Geordie and me until the next year.
This year, I found even deeper connections with friends that I felt already deeply connected to. Those experiences are tremendous. I was able to sing and perform, as always from my heart and soul,totally relaxed and hopefully giving my audience plenty to think about and continue my resounding theme of LOVE. My prayer is that everyone who attends my show leaves with the feeling that we were all "piled up" in my living room and just having a great time I hope they leave with thoughts of "how we love." It's pretty easy. Love everyone...even if you don't want to or feel like it! Time IS of the essence. There are no politics in Heaven. Therefore, on the earth, we must live each and every moment to its fullest capacity. We must SAY I love you and then do the sometimes awkward task of DEMONSTRATING it.
Ann Ehringhaus, as you may have read about in previous posts, was right there, camera in hand... with that big, beautiful glowing smile. She truly is one person that really RADIATES "love" in every step she takes and every word she speaks. I was able to spend time with Martha and Gene, my friend Chris. We shared an apartment and it was a breeze and a blast. My "brothers in music," Catesby Jones and John Golden added such wonder and beauty to my set. We love each other deeply and that connects us in ways that words could never show. John's wife, Mary Ellen Golden was right there with her ever calming presence and once again sharing her abounding love for all those around us.
We take our friends for granted. I am sometimes guilty as charged. I dislike it immensely when I don't make the time for connections with my loved ones (both friends and family) as I should. Now, don't get me wrong. I love and adore my them all. I pray for each and every one of them regularly. That said, perhaps I should pick up the phone more. Perhaps I should take a paper and pen and use my handwriting to fill out a little card just to say "I'm thinking of you and love the fact that YOU are in my life." How easy is that? As those of you who read my blog, you know I do love electronics, so I let email suffice for the times I don't send cards, make calls, and use the old, wonderful ways of communicating.
This weekend, was magical in many ways. Gene, THANK YOU for loving me. You are a dear and true friend. I appreciate the time you took for just the two of us to share. I said last night, the words escape me to say what that "forever link" means to me and will continue to mean to me as I go back into reality and our lives move ahead.
The ferry is slowly moving along now. We are on the Pamlico Sound. My thoughts are already moving toward the farm, what the animals are doing, praying the heat didn't affect them and we go home, finding all the critters safe and sound. We are listening to Catesby Jones' "SAMPLER" CD. My favorite song (I have many favs that Catesby has written...but this one is "it." It is called "HOLY GROUND." Tears stream down my cheeks as I hear his voice and know he is speaking to us all from HIS heart.) He is singing to Wayne, Geordie and me about love, life, hurt, tears and ALL the things we all experience every day. Cates, sometimes, it's feels as though you are looking into my soul and writing about it. Does it scare me? NO! It assures me that "as humans," we all have the same fears, we all have the same wants, wishes, desires, questions and most of all, we are just not that different after all.
I want to thank Wayne, as always for being my "right hand man." He watches over me, makes sure that what I need is THERE as I need my equipment and so forth. He thinks ahead and knows my routine so well. What a wonderful feeling that is. To have someone who knows what you're thinking without words makes performing so much easier...and Wayne is good at that. He's always looking ahead, making sure plans, as I have announced them, get done in the way I both want and need them to be carried out.
Mary Ellen, thanks for sharing John with me. John, your voice and your presence are beautiful. I couldn't have been more thrilled than I was yesterday having you and Catesby join me in my show. It gave the audience a "treat" that they would not have had otherwise.
My friends Ruth Fordon and Ken DeBarth, who own the Lightkeeper (google them and see the wonderful things they have to offer to maintain a healthy, happy life!) had plenty of hugs and kisses. Just their presence lowers your blood pressure! PROMISE!
In keeping with "how Annie does things," the shoes came RIGHT OFF immediately. The next thing was to ask all the lady folks in the audience how much time they spent putting on make up that morning, KNOWING it was 1000 percent humidity, hotter than blazes and that our air-conditioned, perfected faces were simply going to slide right off as soon as we stepped outside! I had to laugh. So before the show got started and I asked about the makeup (oddly I didn't see any fellows raising their hands. I guess they opted out of the makeup thing!) So, I took a towel and simply smeared ALL my makeup off and got to work! Folks were there to hear me SING. Not to check to see if my makeup was impeccable, or if my blush was making me look smooth and youthful. What a release. So, the definition of insanity? (Doing the same thing again and again, expecting a different result!) What did I do this morning? You guessed it. I jumped up and there I went, putting that makeup on AGAIN! It wasn't quite as hot, so I didn't melt as quickly as I did yesterday.
I don't even know where to start with Gary and Kitty Mitchell...my long-time, much loved "family." Oh wow guys. You know I love and appreciate you so very much. Thank you for all you do for the festival and all you are in my heart and in Wayne's. If I type too much more, I'll cry and my makeup will smear! (tee hee!) And a big thanks to David Tweedie and his expertise, all the folks who set up the Greenroom, the folks who man the sales tent. No one has ANY idea what it takes to pull off a festival such as this in such a seamless way. The sound folks make us all sound better than we really are! HA! And they have a pretty thankless job, really. But, they're THE most important ones.
I got to spend time with Gerald Hampton (mandolin player extraordinaire), our old pal and dear friend Wes Lassiter was there to play incredible banjo, as was a new friend Alan Forrest, who flat out SMOKES his banjo too! WAY COOL! Robbie Link was there with his "AMAZING BASS!" (WE MISSED YOU KAREN!) We love them dearly. Marcy, Lou and baby Charlotte were also right there. I got to spend time with my sweet love puppy Noah Paley (I still think the HALEY-PALEY PROJECT could work! HA!), Rodney Kemp was right there sharing his stories and making us roll with laughter. And Lewis Allen was there (WEWIS, don't forget to get my address from Gare and just send me the check, will ya?) I got to meet lots of new folks to boot! That's just so GREAT! In fact, some folks just came by my vehicle to say they enjoyed my show. I love it when they feel FREE enough to come and tell me that they enjoy what I "do." It is a blessing and a PRIVILEGE to perform...and most of all, MY pleasure! We had a nice visit and I learned about the various folks who come to see us and their lives too! They show SO much gratitude. It all becomes very emotional for me. I am truly humbled and still stunned that people actually want to hear what I have to say, sing and write about. That propels me to keep right on going...and the music I perform has given me SO much more in terms of friendships that run deep and lasting and acquaintances that I see from year to year. It's a weekend of love and fellowship.
As I have been typing this post, my friend Libby Steadham came for a visit. She brought laughter, some chat and some SQUASH! YUM! Thanks Libby!!! She is another friend I would have never known had it not been for OCRAFOLK and Ruth and Ken. My rewards are far greater in terms of getting to know superior people that you would think is possible.
I pray with all my heart that "THAT" aspect of OCRAFOLK is never lost. No commercialism. No fancy, schmancy stuff...just good music, good times with friends and visitors and as Gary Mitchell wrote in a song he penned a few years back, "Love All Around." That is how I pray OCRAFOLK remains...with love all around. Simplicity will keep OCRAFOLK in a beautiful place. I just feel it and perhaps that's the key to nearly 10 years of love, laughter, music and togetherness.
I love you ALL my friends. I miss "us" when we are not closeby and connected, but you are always close in heart. Just know that. Life makes things so very busy for us...but just know that you each have taught me something, you each love me and always know, I love you too.
OCRAFOLK 2008 is drawing quickly to a close...but the memories, photographs, laughter and the fun will carry us in the weeks to come. My prayer is that the grassroots simplicity that began this festival in its humble beginnings will be the mainstay in the years to come.
NEXT YEAR IS THE 10th ANNIVERSARY!!! It's almost like being married. This gathering brings us together for a weekend...one weekend that offers more love and fun than I could ever share with you in several lifetimes.
In the off-times last night, we played a game called "Chicken Foot" with dominoes. I called it everything but the correct name. It was turkey foot, chicken neck and anything else utterly ridiculous I could think of, but Martha won a game, I won a game, Gene won a game and CHRIS SIMPSON WAS THE OFFICIAL TURKEY NECK CHAMPEEEEEN!!!! GO CHRIS!!! What a blast we had while listening to Catesby's tunes. (Where was Wayne you may wonder? Asleep. He was tuckered out and he just gave himself the gift of REST.)
As I have said many times before, life is VERY, VERY good. This writer is one blessed gal. In my wildest dreams as a child, I couldn't have imagined that I would be "doing" what my heart said I would be doing all along...writing songs, performing them for people...and gee...THEY LISTEN!!! It doesn't get any better than that!!!
A SPECIAL NOTE TO BRENDA CAMPBELL AND JOYCE ALLEN: Wayne, Geordie and I missed you terribly. You were with me in every song I sang and every step we took on Ocracoke this year. You were with us all. We love you so much. And Joyce, you and your family have been constantly in our prayers. Just know that.
Support live music, songwriters and most of all BE a friend and love them as hard as you can! This blog post is for mostly for me, as a small token of thanks to all my friends. It may not make sense in terms of the "inside jokes,the "you had to be there jokes," but please take away this one truth...FRIENDS and LOVE are like bread and water. We have to have them to survive. Sometimes, things get changed up, and change isn't easy...but hold tight, hold dear and spread the LOVE...then it all works out just as smooth as that chocolate pie I was singing about yesterday. As Wayne says,"Let go of the steering wheel and let GOD do the driving...it's so much easier that way!!!" It's pretty difficult to mess anything up when God is doing the driving. (And I don't backseat drive as much when He's driving!) Wayne especially likes that part!
God bless and keep each of you and I'll you see out there somewhere...for now, I'll close and let the wind hit my hair, breathe salty air deep into my lungs, enjoy the ferry ride and relish this precious weekend.
Till next time,
Annie
What the heck...I'll "proof" this later...mistakes are even part of life...so, if it ain't perfect, just know I ain't either! I hope your weekend was filled with all things wonderful and happy! And yep! I said "AIN'T!" What a great Southern word!!! It ranks up there with "yonder." Here's a good Southern quote to leave you with: "We just left from over yonder at Ocreecoke (misspelled on purpose because that is how the locals pronounce it and that makes it correct!) and we shore did have a bunch of fun makin' music. Good music is just something' else, ain't it?" -Annie

|