Tonight was the Free Laurie Freelove benefit. What a lovely tribute! And how awesome to see Corn and Gretchen and Laurie
together on stage again. I hope they consider performing together as Two Nice Girls. Wherever. Even if just once more.
They blend so beautifully together. Leaves of a tree, blowing on a spring breeze. Just perfect. Plus, Gretchen’s hair may
get even taller. I think I could climb it to the rafters, now.
I got up and sang with Mady Kaye, first. That was sweet. She has a touching song she wrote about her mother’s house
in honor of her father’s birthday! And, then, I got up to sing with Two Nice Girls on a song Gretchen and I had written
in high school called, “My Heart Crawls Off and Dies”.
Then, Paul Pearcy came out and played udoo (I know I’m not spelling that right, I’m certain) while I sang “Comfort’s Sigh.”
I ended my little set with having everyone sing “I wish you well”. I wanted everyone up and around the stage, a tight family,
no strangers. Just love on behalf of Laurie.
I saw my dear friend, Nina. We danced together on the dance floor, two happy women, caressing and smiling and
doing a jig together. When you hear that phrase, “I delight in you!” that is how I feel about Nina. She is smart,
she is present, she is compassionate, but she won’t except no bull.
I had to park about four blocks away, and the wind tried to whip through my heavy coat, down past my pashmina
that Brian sent me so many years back. But I was humming with happiness, walking to the car. There was a fountain,
making music, water lit from underneath, the sky so black above! I felt like I was in the palm of Austin.
I felt like good things happened tonight.
This afternoon, I spent several hours with iolana and her friend Sora, and Sora’s mom, Lori, selling Girl Scout Cookies
at the Alamo Drafthouse south. It’s funny, when you stay in one place, one hometown, for a long time how you can go anywhere in
town and you see people you know. And it’s always the most wonderful combination of surprises….many times people
I have just thougth of, for no apparent rhyme or reason, they just pop into your mind…and then, shamwow! There
they are, in front of you on the street, or walking out of the cinema, or at a benefit concert, and you can hug them
and laugh out loud together. And isn’t that how life should be, all the time? Just revelling in the beauty of surprise,
grabbing one another in bear hugs, asking “What’s up!? How ARE you? Tell me everything!” and just smiling like
a bunch of fools because you are glad to be alive, glad to see others living, waltzing, wondering.
I wish this love so much.