Category: Love
House Has Got Da Blues
For my music loving readers, let me ask you this…
Have you ever been to a live music show that simply left you speechless?
I have. It happened to me Tuesday night.
The Good Man and I took a couple extra vacation days after the Monday holiday so we could road trip up to the beautiful Napa Valley.
Our destination was the historic Uptown Theatre.
The journey took us to see one Mr. Hugh Laurie, who many might know from the American television show “House” but who The Good Man and I know better from BBC shows such as “A Bit of Fry and Laurie,” “Jeeves and Wooster” and “Black Adder.”
Turns out the venerable Mr. Laurie isn’t just an incredibly talented actor, but he’s one hell of a musician, and a consummate entertainer. Apparently the guy is good at everything he tries. I’d have to hate him if I didn’t admire him so much.
His deep love of very old New Orleans style American blues, jazz and spiritual music prompted the release of his album “Let Them Talk.
I’m a fan of blues music and was happy to give the album a listen. To be honest, it’s more jazz than blues but it’s so well arranged and so well produced that I dug the album from first cut to last note.
And then the live show. So incredibly engaging. The crowd was totally in it all along. Mr. Laurie knows how to entertain and his backing band is solid (except for the guitar player).
Whew. My arms hurt from clapping so hard.
What an amazing show. If it comes near your hometown, I can’t recommend it enough!
Here’s a couple shots I took at the show (we had amazing seats).
Photos Copyright 2012, Karen Fayeth, and subject to the Creative Commons license found in the far right column of this page. Photos taken with an iPhone4s, an iPhone telephoto lens and the Camera+ app.
Plane Spotting
Today I have another story from my Costa Rica travels. Forgive me, longtime readers, but I have to get all these stories out and written down.
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While I was visiting San Jose, I had a chance to meet not only with coworkers at my own company, but some fairly high level representatives from local suppliers.
Which is to say, I was treated to some really expensive dinners by some fairly wealthy people by Costa Rican standards.
These were city folks from San Jose. The more advanced and sophisticated type.
In all of those conversations, it always became clear how proud Costa Ricans are of their heritage, and the talk would lead to stories about Costa Rica, both personal and historical.
And multiple times, over a cold glass of Cas, I heard a similar tale.
These business people in expensive suits would laughingly tell me how, on the weekends, people will pile their kids in the car and drive out to the airport. Cars park along the runways, just outside the chain link fence, and Costa Ricans spend the afternoon watching airplanes land and take off.
“They even sell ice cream!” they would say with a shade of embarrassment, and then say “well, it’s mostly the people from Alajuela that watch the planes.”
By the standards of San Jose, Alajuela is seen as farm country and the people from Alajuela are considered bumpkins.
So the implication is that only the rural folks watch planes.
But then, to a person, every time I heard this story, the speaker would finally admit “so, yeah…my dad used to take me out there too. We’d be out there with all of our family and neighbors. I used to love it, it’s a great memory.”
Then they’d also admit they had taken their own kids out to watch planes too.
Because it turns out watching airplanes is really less about being a bumpkin versus being a city sophisticate, and more about the spirit of community. It is families spending time together. It is friends and neighbors taking a break from working hard to simply feel the joy of watching modern airplanes landing and taking off.
“In Mexico, they’ve even built seats like football stands,” one guy told me, as if to say that while Costa Ricans enjoy the show, they don’t make it a permanent thing.
I smiled. Such a simple joy I heard as these stories were told. To me this is a prime example of how Costa Ricans look at life.
They may not have a lot of money.
They may work very hard.
They may have seen a lot of hardship in their lives.
They may have to ride a bus belching diesel for several hours to get to their job.
They may lament too much or too little rain.
But they never forget the simple joy of ice cream and airplanes.
That, my friends, is the heart of the Costa Rican philosophy of pura vida.
And that’s what I take home with me in my heart.
I told my coworker that after a week, I’m a little bit Tico now, too.
I’ll never watch an airplane again without remembering their kindness.
Photo caption by photographer: “Douglas DC-8-63(AF)…San Jose Juan Santamaria International airport” Image from jetphotos.net Today’s Theme Thursday is: community
The Next Best Thing
Turns out world traveling makes me homesick more than ever for my homestate.
When I can’t pay my Fair New Mexico a visit in person, I have to go there in my mind.
A good book helps on that transcendental journey.
Time for a re-blog. This was first published May 16,2007.
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I’m a fan of books, always have been. I have to say that The Flamenco Academy (chronicled here a few days back) has really fired me up lately. I haven’t read a book in a long while that made me feel like there is hope for popular fiction. And that a book set in New Mexico was so well done makes me double happy.
So I know this has been covered plenty of places elsewhere, but here’s my top five list of the best works of New Mexico fiction. These are the books that, in my opinion, make me proud to be a New Mexican.
Without further ado (in no particular order):
1) Red Sky at Morning by Richard Bradford
This is a quintessential read for anyone living in New Mexico. It ranks not just as one of my fave NM books, but one of my fave books of all time. The main character, Josh is brought from Alabama to New Mexico by his parents and is introduced to the clannish people of Northern New Mexico, including the bully Chango. The scene where he and his buddy get liquored up remains a classic. I almost always quote from it when I, myself, tie one on. A classic, truly. And an easy choice for the list.
2) Bless me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
One of those books that gave me a wry smile as I read it. One of those where you nod as you read, thinking “yeah, that’s familiar”. Anaya is a beautiful writer and it is an honor to be a fellow New Mexican with a man of his caliber. This coming of age story is a nice contrast of old vs new, how Hispanic culture rolls into American culture in a way that is beautifully unique to New Mexico. It’s lyrical in the storytelling and a must read.
3) The Milagro Beanfield War by John Nichols
Yeah. This had to be here. You know it did. When I’m homesick I put on the movie to see the land as much as anything. It’s a salve for my soul, always. The book was a little tough for me to get through, but worth the effort. It really captures the feeling of that time in New Mexico in the 1970’s. It also captures a little bit of that magic that can only be found on My Fair home state. Milagro Beanfield War always takes me right back home, effortlessly.
4) Cavern by Jake Page
A thriller about a group of spelunkers who explore a hidden cavern and discover a near extinct species of bear…who is none to happy to be bothered. Not a particularly great novel by most standards, but it does speak to a bunch of interesting things including a fairly detailed explanation about how the caverns, including Carlsbad Caverns, were formed. Both my parents worked for a while at the WIPP site, so this book also showed the ongoing battle of all the government agencies involved out there. DOE, Environmental groups, BLM and private interests do war daily and there is some discussion of WIPP in the book and how it may affect things in that geographic area.
My mom turned me on to this book and laughed at how true to life some parts of the book were portrayed. Working at WIPP left her a bit…scarred…so it was good for her to see it in print. Validating, you know? For me, it was a fascinating read and name checked a lot of places I know from living in Carlsbad, including some truly dive bars (including the one frequented by miners, ranchers, roughnecks and college kids. They stopped serving beer in bottles because there had been too many fights. But on a good night, the dancing was unbeatable).
5) Anything for Billy by Larry McMurtry
Ok, not technically a New Mexico book but about a New Mexico legend (Feh to the Texas town that claims ownership. FEH! I say!) and certainly New Mexico figures into the story. I am a massive fan of McMurtry and this is my favorite of all his books. He portrays Billy as a young, impulsive, spoiled, petulant brat. It’s fabulous. To me it was a fresh look at an old legend and to do that takes a talent that Mr. McMurtry has in spades.
You’ll note my list is strangely devoid of Hillerman books. I’m actually not a fan. My mom is an avid reader of his stuff. I am not. : shrug : I’ve got no issues with Hillerman, it’s just not my taste.
Lois Duncan is another author I’m proud to know is New Mexican. As a kid I avidly read all her stuff. Loved her writing and always got geeked out when we saw her at the Coronado Club at Kirtland Airforce Base. My mom would point her out to me. Her husband worked at Sandia Labs like my dad so she’d wait there (like we did) for her husband to get off work. Those were fun sunny summer days as a family. I tend to associate Duncan with that time in my life.
I know there are probably a bunch of good choices I’m missing, but for now, that’s my list. I reserve the right to add, delete and change the list as we go.
Hello, Golden!
I never get tired of photographing one of the most photographed places in the world.
Photo taken Saturday on our way to wine tasting gulping sipping in Napa.
What a glorious sunny day!
Photo Copyright 2012, Karen Fayeth, and subject to the Creative Commons license in the far right corner of this page. Taken with an iPhone4s and the Camera+ app.