I am officially 40 Under 40

I was acknowledged for my contributions to Oklahoma City by OKC Biz. According to the article in the October edition announcing our names, “Forty Under 40 extols the achievements and community involvement these young people demonstrate while exhibiting work/life balance.”

 I am grateful. I do work hard and it’s nice to get a public you’re doing a great job by someone who isn’t my dad. I can’t say that I feel very balanced most of the time, but it’s nice to think someone else thinks I do. Life is pretty hectic most days. 

Want to know a secret? I nominated myself for two years in a row about 4 years ago, confident that I was a shoo-in. Both times never worked out and my second rejection letter convinced me to give up. Those were the immediate post-divorce years and I was desperate to be told I was awesome, because I sure didn’t feel awesome. 

But this year, someone else nominated me. I had a hunch I knew who and asked the suspect at breakfast one day. She confirmed, but it didn’t make me feel any less loved. It was nice. 

Getting this acknowledgement felt more like a gift to the Sheri back then than to the Sheri today. She worked really, really hard back then because she didn’t know anyone. Didn’t have a whole lot of friends. Life was harder, the village was smaller. She deserves this. 

The gift to today’s Sheri was this ad that my company placed in the current issue of the magazine. That evening when I got back from the reception I was on the sofa texting friends, telling them about my evening. As I was flipping through the magazine to see what else there was to see, I ran into this. Totally a surprise to me. I texted the pic and he responded, “You are loved.”

Indeed, I am.

AGE_40Under40

The Sketchbook Project in Oklahoma City

I needed coffee beans. 

I mean, I have coffee beans, but I accidentally bought beans that were so darkly roasted that they damn near taste like ash. So…I needed coffee beans. I decided that on my Sunday, late afternoon errand-running trip I’d stop by Urban Agrarian and fix the situation. As I pulled up I saw this… 

Untitled

It totally piqued my curiosity. After I finished up shopping and hugging my farmer, I beelined over to the black trailer. Two folks were inside and gave me the low down on The Sketchbook Project. It is a traveling library of artists’ sketchbooks. I created a library card and searched the catalog for a sketchbook to peruse. I chose a book by the criteria of where it was created: San Francisco. The system pulled a book from there along with a random selection.

Untitled

These books are born as blanks and anyone can purchase them. Then, the artist fills the pages. Or tears the pages. Or cuts. Or glues. or sews. Lots of the books are deconstructed and reassembled. There are no rules other than the books have to be mailed to The Sketchbook Project by the deadline so they can be catalogued and prepared for one of the national tours. For a year the current edition of books tour the country in these mobile pop-up libraries. At the end of the year, the books go back to the mothership, the Brooklyn Art Library. Oklahoma City was an unplanned stop due to a cancellation in Boulder, CO.

I was a teensy bit heartbroken that  I discovered them at 4:30 and they were closing shop at 5:00. But I did my best and got through about 8 books. 

Untitled

Untitled

Untitled

Untitled

Untitled

Untitled

Untitled

Untitled

Untitled

Untitled

Daily miracles, people. Daily miracles.

I accidentally found the coolest thing ever. Check out @thesketchbookproject. #thesketchbookproject

There was a concert in my living room

A little while back I texted my friends and veteran house concert troubadours on their opinion of my house as an appropriate venue for hosting a show. Not their show….just a show. David thought I might be able to get 30 or so people in the space. 

I never did anything with that information. It was just another one of my Beautiful Ideas

Maybe a week later he asked me if I’d like to host a house concert? A lovely woman by the name of Marian Call was embarking upon a tour across the states. She and David had talked about getting together for a show for a while but it never seemed to work out. I think. Maybe that’s the story? It’s the new truth because it’s late and god-so-help-me, I just want to get this story told. So I can tell all the other ones waiting in the wings. 

My answer was yes. Actually, since we’re making up stuff around here, I was all, “Oh hell yesss, muthafucka!”

Profanity aside, I truly was excited to have them play here. I am a fan of David’s band, Dr. Pants, and to have that glory happening under my roof seemed like a no-brainer. I had never heard of Marian Call, but I trust his judgement.

Bryan, Marian’s guitarist for this leg of her tour, had flown in Saturday night and Sunday morning I scooted to his hotel to pick him up. Later in the afternoon, we three moved sofas, unfolded chairs and ::boom:: a venue was born.

So...this is happening.

 FYI to any indie folk artist who are looking for a place to have a house concert in Oklahoma City, my house seems as if it could hold 45 or so people. The final count for Sunday was right around 30, so things didn’t get crazy. In fact, things only got cooler as the evening wore on. 

 Right when they were supposed to, people arrived and they all had their proper donations. Some even had extra and I think the bands  had a successful night in Casa de Sheri. I had a successful night, too, as a friend from Texas brought up a case of bottled Fat Tire each for David and I. As I cleaned up after the show I proudly tossed vegetables from my crisper drawer to make room for all those lovely bottles. 

I don’t remember a whole lot of detail from the show. There were a lot of friends in the room, which was a perfectly acceptable distraction in my book, plus I was knee deep in Fat Tire and whatnot. Sitting here tonight, I can think of ways to improve for next time as a person who wants to be writing about these many adventures upon which she embarks. Perhaps I’ll keep a camera with me? Or….I don’t know….take photos of all these lovely friends who attended? Next time. Next time I will be more present and less flittery. The times lately that I’ve most enjoyed the magic of live music, I’ve been writing words in my head as I’m listening and watching. All systems are go and I’m taking note as to not forget.  

One memory did surface, and it’s one I experience more often and more deeply as I become better friends with David and his wife K.C. I get a little weepy or get chills at least once during the evening, whether it be a Dr. Pants set or a K.C. Clifford set. To see people I love do the work they love makes my heart swell and makes me want to be a more open and vulnerable person. This is how music makes me better. I watch their vulnerability and it gives me joy and strength, even when it involves throwing donuts to a captive audience. You know what…. ESPECIALLY when it involves throwing donuts into a captive audience. 

Untitled

Untitled

Untitled

Untitled

Untitled

Untitled

Marian was delightful! She sings a lot about nerdy / geeky things, but then just funny / cool life observations, too. And she uses a vintage typewriter as a percussion instrument. Correction, she brilliantly uses a vintage typewriter as a percussion instrument.

And she handed out props for songs…

And Dr. Pants did what Dr. Pants does…

And it was glorious.

A big, huge thank you to David Broyles, K.C. Clifford, Marian Call and Bryan Ray for being so lovely to the newbie and for helping make a wonderful house concert happen. All I did was provide a venue and place for two musicians to sleep. They did all the magic and I’m, once again, grateful for the daily miracles. Sunday had miracles stacked to the rafters. <3

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...