Dirty Feet.

My favorite things about Bluegrass:

1. John McCutcheon
2. Finally getting out my rope sandals and tie-dye
3. Watching crazy people
4. John McCutcheon
5. Tom Chapin
6. Long lost friends
7. Watching drunk crazy people
8. SO. MUCH. GOOD. MUSIC.
9. Taking pictures of drunk crazy people.
10. John..........Mc..........Cutcheon.


What a weekend! So many great pictures, so little blog space. I can't tell you how much fun it is being sober when so many around you are drunk. I met a man with a parrot. His shirt said 'Saucy Wenches Follow Me". Sadly, it made my day.

I was surrounded by amazing music and great people all weekend. The talent these musicians possess blows my mind. I was born without that gene entirely. My dad can pick up an instrument and just play. I grew up listening to hammer dulcimers, mountain dulcimers, guitars, and more recently mandolins. Keyword there is LISTENING. I can't carry a tune to save my life and I sure as hell couldn't play a darn thing on an instrument - he didn't pass his talent onto me. BUT...he passed on a great love and apprecation for it. Now Isaac? That boy will do something great in his life. Music and/or dancing will be involved. He griped and complained about going to Bluegrass, but as soon as we got down there it was like...."Dirt? Music? Food? Suh-weeeeet".

I have a small obsesssion with John McCutcheon (no, seriously?!) and was so happy to see him this year. I'm a total McCutcheon groupie. I could go into great detail as to why I heart him, but that's not what is important. The important thing is that I got this amazing picture that will be framed on my bedroom wall. Brandon has never understood my strange mind (insert insane laughter here) and my love for Bluegrass music and John McCutcheon just further fuels that. I have to stare at his camoflauge everywhere. He can stare at John:

The amazing Tom Chapin:



Walking into Pecan Grove:

There are all different kinds of camps in the grove. This was Isaac's favorite!

Hanging out with my boy on the midway (fooooooood!):

MOMMA!!!!

2009 Music Video of the Year

Let me preface this by saying that I am singing and I am sorry. I know I am not Shania Twain although you wouldn’t know it by how I freely warble away in this video. When I started filming I didn’t know what an EPIC movie I was shooting. I thought my quiet little whisper of singing would be drowned out by my car stereo and The Zac Brown Band. Sadly, my mouth was DIRECTLY in front of the mic on my camera. What the hell, Zac Brown?! I blame you.

Isaac loves the song ‘Whatever It Is’ by the aforementioned group, The Zac Brown Band. He knows almost every word and it’s become ‘our’ song. I pulled up to my house Saturday night and had both the kids with me. I let them out of the car and let them play in the yard while I finished my jam session with Jason Aldean. The second ‘Whatever It Is’ came on, Isaac was ready to boogey. And I was ready with my camera. You are so welcome.





Okay, I know this one is long, but stick with it. Gracie does some interpretive dancing/tai kwon do at the end that is just amazing/hysterical/slightly scary.




And with September comes THE WALNUT VALLEY BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL!!!! I don’t give a hoot if you don’t listen to Bluegrass music, this festival is made for everyone. I remember sitting on my balcony in California and seeing the infamous “I Can’t – I’m Going To Winfield” bumper sticker. Our town’s population doubles and the energy of the fairgrounds is just soooo laid back. My mom and I were talking about it this weekend and she said it perfectly – it’s the spirit of Bluegrass that we love so much. There is no such thing as a stranger – everyone is your friend. The people are so eclectic and so is the music. Down one dirt road there is a hillbilly with a washboard and a banjo and right around the corner there is a jam session with mandolins, guitars, fiddles, etc.,. No one cares who you are or what you do. It’s a family. My brother and I drove through the grove the other night and it’s already packed. The festival is only 5 days long, but for two weeks before the festival there are thousands camping. And glory, glory, halleluiah – I get to be me! There is tie-dye everywhere! And I’m not the only one in rope sandals!!! Wooo!!!! And you bet your sweet little BUTT my kiddo is rocking the tie-dye too. He is totally in his element down there. So there may not be too much blogging going on this week. You can find me in the Grove =)




Those are the campers and tents at the Fairgrounds. The bottom of the picture is cut off, but that's Pecan Grove - where the REAL party is!!!

P.S. Thank you Brandon for working your butt off this weekend doing security so we could have free tickets. Isaac and I love you more than you will ever know. MUAH!!!!