Action Figure

About every 10 years or so we (read "I" in that spot) decide that some house renovations are in order. This year it was time to repair the broken floor tiles. If we had 8000 euros, we would have a company come in, move all the furniture, hammer all the old tiles out, even out the concrete foundation and lay new tiles. We don't.
So, we had to consider what options we had if we did everything ourselves (read "Eddie" in that spot). After visiting myriads of tile stores, talking to countless experts, and saving our pennies, we (read... oh you know) have decided to hammer out only the broken tiles, even those areas out, and replace them with tiles that don't match the original ones because they are almost 40 years old and not made any more.
Well into the project, Eddie decided that considering all the furniture had to be moved to get to the broken tiles, he might as well use this opportunity to renew the walls. So, old wallpaper is coming down, none is going back up. He wants to paint the bare concrete walls with a silicate paint that adheres to the surface. It only comes in white.
My job in all this is to keep up his spirits and strength by keeping him fed and watered. Yesterday I made him a strawberry cake. Today, peach cobbler. Tomorrow I'm making Spanakopita. Any contributions are welcome!
I'm posting a picture of him filling in the holes in the naked walls before he paints them tomorrow. This man was today the talk guest on the big local radio station. People think he lives a charmed life of luxury. He doesn't. Here it is 1:00 in the morning, and he's still on his feet forcing himself to get this job done.
I read this quotation by Frank Tibolt today while Eddie was cutting tiles with his diamond bit hand saw: "We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action."
While I am never at a loss for inspiration, Eddie is a man of action. This project would NEVER get done if I was trying to do it alone. Who's da man? My man!

Life is Fragile. Eat Together often.

Eddie and I sang the last note of the last song for our new album, "Inner Sanctum", yesterday. Luke had joined us in the studio just to listen and he did stay awake a long time considering how little sleep he had the night before! But at some point he just stretched out on the sofa and fell asleep. It didn't bother him at all that we were walking in and out and listening- loudly!- to the recording.
Such mixed emotions about finishing up the recording process! Could we have sung this line better? Should there have been one more verse to this song? Maybe I should have sung harmony on this part. Is this the right combination of songs? Lots of little details in the creation of this album that only we will ever know about.
And then we have to ..... let go. We have to say to ourselves "We did our very very best. We surprised ourselves sometimes with how well things turned out. And we were seriously disappointed in our performances sometimes. But now it is time to give this album wings and throw it up in the air and hope it will fly. "
Oh, wait- are we talking about the album or about our son, Luke????
It is a similar process. The difference being that the results of this album will just be a little flash of light in a night sky- if we're lucky. While Luke will go out and choose his life and possibly affect hundreds and thousands of people along the way.
Could we have done some things in the last 18 years different? For sure! Did some things turn out surprisingly well? Without a doubt!
Florian is still slaving away in the studio ironing out the wrinkles on the mix. So, Eddie and I will cook him a meal and take it to him in the studio and listen to what he's done today.
Because we have learned: Life is fragile. Eat together often.
Maybe Luke will join us.

And the winner is..... "Inner Sanctum"

Oh, dear Reader, so many good things happened yesterday in this adventure called- Let's Record an Album:
1) We got to hear all of the songs with all of the instruments, choirs, orchestra, etc. for the first time. There is a lovely depth, continuity, and surprise in each one of the songs. The arrangements are just amazing, thanks to the genius of Florian Sitzmann. It still needs to be mixed and mastered- that is studio talk for ironing out the wrinkles. But we can hear where it's going and we're very very happy with what we hear.
2) It is now official: The album title is Inner Sanctum. We are just so pleased and so relieved that this discussion is over and the most perfect album title has been approved.
3) Ralf Schroeter has hammered together a marketing and publicity plan for this album that is so ambitious and broad that it makes me want to go take a nap! This is a first for any of the albums I've been involved in. He is all fire and flames (a German idiom describing excitement over something) for this album. He just loves it and is already coming up with catch phrases to describe it. Things like "this album is a danger for your complacency", and "dare to awaken your spirituality" and "fragility meets power". I guess my voice is the fragile aspect of the music????? It's certainly not Eddie's. He sings like a Greek god!
4) Bernd Hartwig, our graphic designer, also heard the songs for the first time, and has a stunning idea for the cover. We can't wait to see what he comes up with.
5) Perhaps most amazing of all: Lukas was home alone all day and mowed the lawn, did his wash, cleaned his room and walked the dog. All without being told. What????????

On September 3 is the photo shoot for this album. Now, if only I could lose 30 pounds before then.......

Inner Sanctum

Today we recorded the last 2 songs for our duet album: "The Prayer", made famous by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli and/or Angie Stone and Josh Groban. Pretty big shoes to fill. We gave it our best shot. We DEFINITELY don't sound like any of them, but we poured out hearts into it. And "Inner Sanctum", lyrics by me :) and music by Freddy Scholl (Galileo). Eddie sang the lead voice beautifully. Here is the text to the song.

INNER SANCTUM lyrics: Cae Gauntt

1) Mercy upon me
And those who are too kind to see.
Mercy upon the one who steals us blind
‚til naught but hope is left behind.

2) Mercy upon me
And the slaves of inhumanity.
Mercy upon the soul in disrepair
Save dignity unbroken there.

3) Mercy upon me
And the faces of hypocrisy
God, full of mercy, do not serve
The punishment we sore deserve.

refrain
Mercy on this humankind
On those well-bound And those who bind.
Mercy, mercy on us all
To halt the pride Before the fall.

Disperse the clouds that veil who we could be.
And hide the light you give
Lord, grant us inner sanctum as it should be,
And teach us how to live.

Deus misereatur (May God have mercy)
Mea culpa, mea culpa, maxima

Disperse the clouds that veil who we could be.
And hide the light you give
Lord, grant us inner sanctum as it should be,
And teach us how to live.

Lest we forget forgiveness makes us holy. Please teach us how to live.

I can't wait for you to hear this!

We've had guests from the States the last few days. A couple that we went to Baylor University with. We have seen them a couple of times since then, but never for such a long stretch of time. We truly had a gab fest. So many people we wanted to find out about, and they knew them ALL and could get us caught up on their lives. Of course, they don't know any of our friends, so it was a pretty one-sided information-gathering.
It is hard to fathom how much our lives have changed since we were at university. Our lives, family, jobs, friends, language, tax status, physical traits, and interests have changed drastically. But God's hand in my life has never disappeared. I look back and see how He has guided me/us in fascinating, scary, wonderful and sometimes painful ways. But His hand was always there. I have an awful lot to be thankful for!

Sometimes change is good.

Yesterday the string ensemble came to the studio to play on our new album. Florian had to do all that recording without us because Eddie and I were in Karlsruhe looking for a new suit for Eddie. He is singing the German national anthem for the first soccer game of the Bundesliga. We did find a new suit and he looks very classy in it! You can see for yourself tomorrow night (Friday) on television: ARD at 20:32 !
We will be in the studio next week working on the last 2 songs for our new album!!!
I was reminded today of my first paid singing job. I was a student at Baylor University in Waco, Texas and needed money. (What student doesn't?) So a fellow music major pianist and I went and auditioned for Surf and Sirloin Supper Club. Every Thursday and Friday night we did 3 sets of pop songs while the diners enjoyed their steaks and/or lobster dinners. We did fabulous songs like "Evergreen", "Midnight Blue", "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life", "Alfie", "Shop Around", and "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue". Tons of other songs, too. Fun fun songs. And we tried to learn about 5 new songs each week. And we took requests. When I remember how many classes I took each semester and how many choirs and singing groups I was in and how much homework I had and how much I was in love with Eddie then I'm amazed at how much energy I had.
Things have changed.
I still sometimes get paid to sing. But when I'm learning new songs, there's not much room in my little brain for anything else!
One other thing that has changed: One time at the Supper Club a man actually paid me to STOP singing! He couldn't enjoy his meal with me singing my emotions out all over his food. THAT hasn't happened since then.
Sometimes change is good.
p.s. I've discovered the "Axis of Awesome". Check out the 4 chords that rule the pop world. Pretty funny! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHBVnMf2t7w

My Summer Bird

Imagine a warm and sunny Saturday. Then imagine it spent in a dear friend's garden with the sound of her garden fountain and birds in the trees and good food and drink. Then imagine you get paint canvases and acrylics and get to paint a big old picture of anything you want using your fingers, putty-knife and brushes.
THAT was my day yesterday. How very cool is that??!! I feel like I just got back from a week's vacation. I had no idea what to paint, so I just doodled. And out came this bird. My summer bird. Carrying a carefree song to remind me of that golden day.
Wishing you a refreshing retreat from the ordinary.