Sixty-one-derful
a number, a feeling, a curiosity, a gratitude
I am about to have yet another birthday in a few days. I like birthdays and I don’t mind telling people my age. I am about to become *sixty-one-derful* as my friend Nita used to say. I feel like a kid inside most of the time. I get bubbly excited about so many things like finding a fern fossil in the dessert or a trail up to the base of the mountain beside where I live. A songwriter friend asked me to help him with some lyrics he’s stuck on with this month’s prompt and I went home and could not sleep until I came up with some ideas I think might help. It was fun and I was giddy to do it! Earlier this month I went dancing (and got 16,000 steps in) and felt alive and free as a bird. I was as delighted as a child could be.
Sometimes I feel old though. Like the morning after said dance!! Sometimes the dang bursitis in my hips making me slow down when I walk makes me feel older or not understanding today’s lingo completely-it’s not that the younger generations have new words I don’t know, they just shorten longer words so that I don’t recognize them! That’s kinda sus don’t you think?!! ;-)
Whether I am feeling young or old this month, I am definitely feeling grateful. I am grateful that you are here reading this. I am grateful that you exist. I am grateful for my music and that some of you choose to listen to it and read these musings. I am grateful that I have such inspiring songwriters and musicians in my life that help me be brave and do this thing I love so much.
I got two emails this month that were bummers to my ego but not my soul. One was feedback on a song that I submitted to a nationwide song contest that guarantees feedback to every entrant. The feedback may have been worthwhile but the delivery wasn’t and that’s what is harder to take especially for my ego/less-confident side of me. The song I submitted this time is Daydrinking Day. My soul/most-confident self knows how much people love this song when I play it and that my dear friends, is all the feedback I will ever need. So, cheers to that, then!
The 2nd email was from Howlin Dog Music Group that said “The Project Committee spent a long time wrestling with the hard choices that had to be made, and unfortunately, we are unable to offer you a grant this go ‘round.” Sigh. I was really hoping to get that grant. I guess I thought it would make the whole recording thing a lot easier and it would have but easy isn’t everything.
No, everything is what I have here. Everything is friends and family that want to support me and help me make this record. Everything is Colleen Gino saying Daydrinking Day needs to be the closing song of our set for our gig together at Box Canyon (which was an absolute blast!!). Everything is having friends from 3 counties come see my show! Everything is having that songwriter ask me for input into their lyrics. Everything is Chris (a subscriber and wonderful friend) sending their (new to NM) friend to see a gig. Everything is the beautiful songs that come out of the Socorro Songwriting group I host every month! Everything is walking into my favorite brewery and having the person singing on stage stop to say, “Terri-I’m so glad you’re here!”! Everything is getting to headline Sunday Sessions in Socorro the day after my birthday!! Y’all should really come to that if you’re local-ish (Capitol Bar in Socorro on the 28th)!
Everything is having supporters like you following along on my journey to write the songs my inner muse gives me the joy of capturing from time to time. A big shout out to those of you that are paid supporters of this blog and if you’re not but have been considering it, I have a present for you! From now until May 27th I am offering a discounted opportunity for you to offer your support to my writing, my musing and my ability to get another album out into the world or at least into your hands!
Happy Birthday discount is Your gift from me!
If you are not able to do a paid sub right now please consider sharing my music journey by sharing this publication. You never know who might be most able to help get me further down the recording road, as it were! Big love for any and all support!!
Another gift to you is no paywall post this birthday month so please enjoy the song clips, the gratitudes and the love I have for all of you as I celebrate all I have to be grateful for as a newly sixtyonederful human!!
I hope you are having a wonderful April and that spring has sprung all around you. May you be well and at peace and have lots of opportunity for music in your life.
This may be longer than a song but it’s mine to sing. Thanks for listening, TerriSunflower