Archive for November 2009

We’ve all had those “defining moments” when we learned something so powerful, that our life literally changed right there, on-the-spot. This happened for me when Neil Diamond came here to Minneapolis in 2005 for two back-to-back concerts. It was then that I learned the power of being clear on what you want, asking for it out loud, and declaring it to the world.

Quick backdrop: My love of Neil started in the early 80’s, when getting tickets to concerts was a whole different deal. I skipped school one day in 8th grade, standing in line for tickets for eight hours! Through the years I’ve remained a loyal and faithful fan. It’s been a fun constant in my life from the days of feathered hair and braces…to my wild college years…to maturing into adulthood…and to most recently hitting the big 4-0. Throughout it all, when Neil goes on tour, you can bet that I am there.

So on the day before the festivities back in ‘05, believe it or not, this huge fan (me) did not have tickets for the shows. While mediocre seats were available, I wanted the best. I had gotten in touch with all my connections, searched the Internet, and tried a few tricks. But I didn’t seem to be getting anywhere. I started to wonder if I was going to have to pay a fortune to get those great seats I wanted, and I wasn’t sure what to do. It certainly wasn’t a good time for us to be spending extra money, and I wondered how there would ever be good seats still available for such a high-demand entertainer?

When Bill came home from work, he could sense my turmoil about not having tickets, as the first of the two shows was closing in on 24 hours away. I told him about all the roadblocks I had come up against, and he stopped me dead in my tracks and Read more »

One of the many constants in my married life with Bill is a tradition we started when we first began dating over 17 years ago. Our favorite thing to do is to hang out at home together, relax, and enjoy each other’s company. Routinely on a Friday or Saturday night (when we’re not out hittin’ the town), we have what we call a “Personal Evening”:  Bill makes dinner for us (thank goodness I married someone who loves to cook!), and my role is to light the candles and put on the perfect music to accompany the evening.

Since the beginning, it’s always been legendary musician Herb Alpert’s tunes that perfectly fit the bill. His smooth trumpet fills the room and creates the ideal blend of relaxation, calm, and joy. And it’s just the right backdrop to complement our dinners by the fire and our deep conversations about our hopes and dreams for our future.

A few weeks ago, Bill and I were talking about how much music fills our lives and how much joy we get from seeing our favorite artists live (we’ve traveled from to New York to L.A., from Oklahoma City to Sioux City, and from Miami to Omaha to see our faves!). We got all excited reminiscing about past experiences and “feeling” what it feels like to be in the presence of live music. We also talked about the importance of continuing to make this a priority in our lives. After all, it’s following our joy in the truest sense.

The next morning to my surprise, I checked email and saw in my Inbox a last-minute announcement that Read more »