I'm officially re-obsessed with cupcakes. So forgive me for a girly food related post. I'm just so happy with how Sherri's birthday treats turned out and wanted to share. =)
The tiny cupcake toppers are made out of Reese's Cups with a frosting swirl, an awesome idea stolen from this blogJeff sent me. (Why he was reading Confessions of a Cookbook Queen, I have no idea.)
The frosting: homemade of course! (Homemade frosting covers a multitude of cake shortcuts.) Here's the recipe if you want to give it a try:
Chocolate Butter Frosting - 1/3 cup butter - 4 cups powdered sugar - 1/2 cup cocoa powder - 1/4 cup milk - 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1) Beat the butter until fluffy. (I usually take it out of the refrigerator while the cupcakes are baking to get it soft. In Florida summer, this doesn't take very long) 2) Slowly work in 2 cups powdered sugar + 1/2 cup cocoa powder until you get this nice sandy crumb-like stuff. Beware the impending Airborne Cocoa Event that will float out of the bowl. Messes are normal. 3) Blend in milk and vanilla until it's dark and creamy. 4) Continue beating in the rest of the powdered sugar. Add some more milk if it gets too thick; more sugar if it gets too thin. 5) Spread and/or pipe all over your cake-from-a-box. Impress your family and friends with mad cupcake skills. <3
That's it! So simple there's no excuse to use the canned stuff. It works really well for spreading or decorating, and it sets beautifully without refrigeration. They even endured a 3 hour road trip without getting squishy. (The mini cupcakes have canned frosting on top and they.... didn't fare so well on the ride back. They kind of melted.)
A sweet close to a rather eventful three-day weekend. Only bummer is my car didn't get her new battery today. Turns out the necessary computer at Honda crashed, and they can't install until it's fixed. Boo.
I don't know about you, but I've been pretty frustrated with the way the comment system works on this blog lately. People leave comments and I want to reply, but the blogger default... isn't too conversation friendly.
So! I think I've figured out how to install a new commenting system. Trying out Disqus, because it works well on other blogs I visit. Crossing fingers and hoping that I've successfully earned a little techie cred. =)
Please help me test and give it a whirl below? Introduce yourselves, sing a song, plug your blog/Twitter/band/book/whatever. Have fun! Hoping this will help make getting to know each other and having conversations a little bit easier.
Noticed while driving home Tuesday night that my Check Engine and IMA lights were on. Remembered every "omg I know a guy who knows a girl who has this third cousin who had to pay 10,000 bucks to get her hybrid battery replaced so hybrids are crap!" story that I heard after buying the car. Freaked out.
Nice person pulls up alongside me and honks. Points to my wheel and mouths "You have a flat tire." Rejoiced inside, hoping my car was confused and only thought the IMA was broken.
Pulled over in Jo-Ann parking lot and called Parental Rescue Unit. (Dads are awesome.) Contemplated how close I was to Twistee Treat as I waited for rescue. (Aside: I had no idea there were so many of these in Florida.)
Dad changed tire and made it look super easy. Marveled at how tiny and fragile a donut tire looks. Other than menacing huge trucks tailgating, a successful (yet slow) trip home.
Rise bright and early Wednesday morning to go get new tires. Honda people check the IMA light issue first and discover all that makes a hybrid awesome is dying. Remembered horror stories again and wondered how long it would take to replenish life savings after replacing this thing.
After an hour making phone calls, the wonderful Honda people share the good news... that it'll only cost $2500. Compared to the original quote of $5000, this is awesome. Oh yeah, still need tires.
Tires replaced. Appointment for IMA replacement made. Rejoiced over new tires, less-expensive-than-I-thought IMA on the way, and the fact that I no longer have to sit in a waiting room reading creepy Flannery O'Connor stories and can finally go eat lunch and have a normal day.
Backed into a parked car. In the Honda parking lot. Epic. Fail.
A note: Some time ago, I stumbled upon a website called Viral Bloggers, hosted by The Ooze webzine. Basically, they send you free books to read and review.... and there is no bigger sucker for "free" and "books" than I am. :) Read on for my first VB review:
What is the Gospel? If you've been a Christian for a while, then it's very likely you can look no further than the verse everyone knows: "For God so loved the world, he gave his only son..." It's "good news" that leads to much discussion and many conclusions, and in his book The Naked Gospel, pastor Andrew Farley defines it as such: Jesus plus nothing. The subtitle "The Truth You May Never Hear in Church" sounds provocative enough, but in the end, though he makes some good points and got me thinking, this new "naked" gospel is a lot more complicated than it seems.
The Gospel of Misery?
Farley sets up his premise with his own life: a recovering hyper-legalist, he describes a time where being a Christian meant working hard for Jesus, even to the point where he couldn't sleep at night until he had shared the gospel with just one person. Though his case was definitely extreme, his "Obsessive-Christianity Disorder" turned into a joy-stealer, a Gospel boiled down to “Would you like to become a Christian and be miserable like me?” (p 23)
The Naked Gospel isn't about this story though; Farley dedicates one chapter to a whirlwind tour of his Christian life, concluding, "Hope began with grasping an important distinction between two operating systems -- one Old and one New." (p 24) What follows is a presentation of the Gospel that brought him freedom. Drawing most of his argument from the book of Hebrews, he lays a dividing line between the Old Covenant (Old Testament plus the time frame of Jesus' teachings) and the New (anything after Jesus' death and resurrection) and explains what that means for today's Christian life.
Old Things Passed Away...
Farley's book gives a lot to digest, and some of the ideas are a little tougher than others. The heart of his message is to abandon the Law, the Old way, and reorient our thinking toward a gospel of salvation through Jesus' death and resurrection and nothing else. Which is great. Kind of.
The entire book's argument hinges on a dividing line of Old and New established at Jesus' death... not his birth. There is something to be said for this perspective that views Jesus' teaching as under the Law, but the implications don't always line up. By this thinking, teachings like the Sermon on the Mount are rendered messages of despair, to show people how they could never measure up to the Law. In other words: "Peter, James, John, and Paul wrote epistles about life under the New Covenant. Years earlier, Jesus was teaching hopelessness under the Old. The audience wasn't the same. The covenant wasn't the same. And the teachings aren't the same." (p 86)
In a way, it makes sense -- Jesus raised the bar so high to show people the futility of reducing religion to a set of rules -- but the dismissive tone of paragraphs like this is unsettling and confusing. If the Gospel is Jesus plus nothing, then why disregard his teachings as for another time and another audience? The epistles count, but the gospels don't? Though this is the good news that rescued a legalist, for me it raised way more questions than it answered.
In Conclusion... nah, just kidding.
Don't misunderstand... I do like fresh perspectives on truth I thought I knew. But somehow, it's hard to pinpoint just how I feel about this book. One one hand, I appreciate the message of grace vs. works and absolutely agree that grace governs the lives of Christ's followers, that our attempts to reach and grasp for God's favor always fall short to the mystery of his love. This idea revolutionized my faith a number of years ago when I read Brennan Manning's classic The Ragamuffin Gospel and informs it all the time. But I also prefer a more holistic look at the Bible, at the intricacies of Law and Grace, Old and New. Throw out one or the other, and you're left with an extreme on either side.
If the "naked gospel" really is Jesus plus nothing, then shouldn't we consider His own words regarding the past? "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill." (Matt 5:17) Or was the Law fulfilled in His death, the accomplishment mentioned in the next verse? "until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished." (Matt 5:18) Did I just indirectly accuse the author of proof-texting with proof-texting of my own?
Ahhhhh, it makes my head hurt to think about it! This is why I read lots of memoirs. It's so much less of a headache to read about the messiness of life without expecting answers. :)
Overall, this is a finely tuned argument with plenty of good ideas. Abstract concepts are broken down into logical pieces and fit together, Farley's point is clear, and if you're feeling caught in an endless cycle of trying to figure out how to please God and live right, then it could be the fresh approach you need. But as with any teaching/theological sort of book, read with both open mind and discerning eye.
As for me.... The Naked Gospel didn't quite do it. If anything, it makes me want to re-visit The Ragamuffin Gospel, a classic I would recommend instead for burnt-out believers in need of grace.
1) It's way too late to be putting caffeine in me. But I gave in to the craving and made a pot of coffee. Mmm, Starbucks 3 Region blend + half and half is kind of good this late at night. I'll worry about the sleep deprivation in the morning, I guess.
2) Speaking of... I think I'm having a bout with insomnia or something like it. Maybe entry-level insomnia? The kind where you drag and yawn all day and still stay up way too late, then sleep for like 10 hours on Saturday night/morning to make up for it. Ugh! Maybe I should take Sarah's Sleep Challenge. Oh, but when would I write? So it goes...
3) Regarding Friday's thoughts on hurried, scheduled lives... Anne Jackson blogged some thoughts on a similar note last Thursday. Yes and amen. I think I'm adding this book to my reading list too. Fight the Cult of Speed!
5) In the "Aw, snap!" Department... I saw the newest trailer for Twilight: Eclipse today. And it looks kind of awesome.
After suffering through reading New Moon, I vowed to never have anything to do with Twilight again. I was just too angry at the bad writing and at the annoying characters and the TwiMoms. But... werewolf action! Will I cave to the phenomenon again? We shall see.
And so, the Random Sunday Night Dispatches conclude. :) Have a happy week.
I used to never keep a calendar. I was a home school kid of the school of routines, a homebody, never the hyper-scheduled socialite. Sure, that can be a lonely arrangement, but it did allow for lots of free time to doodle and dream and let the mind wander... something that turns into a rather precious commodity when you've "grown up."
Lately, I've wondered what happened... mostly how lives get so fragmented, so scheduled, and why I put off doing the things that make me feel most alive.
I'll be the first to say that I love my job and am thankful every day for it. I love the privilege to work for something that matters, something bigger than making money, bigger than success, bigger than myself. But jobs take up lots of time, y'know? And then there are other daily life things, and there is driving time, and important, soul-nurturing things are sent to the "I'll squeeze it in" category. Write it down. Add it to the schedule. Sure, here's a free hour. You can have that.
Sometimes, when everything is compartmentalized into blocks on my handy dandy Google Calendar, I'd just like to erase it all, slow down and enjoy other things I love.
Like getting lost in a great book for a few hours. Like lingering over dinner or coffee and conversation with a friend. Like letting a poem or story flow from pen to page and losing track of time in the writing. Like going to a concert and getting caught up in the music without worrying about the time or mentally criticizing the venue's sound or getting distracted by the crowd.
Stuff like that.
Earlier this week, I had a fun-filled evening with my sister Sherri and my like-a-sister Lindsay. We went to this cute little local restaurant called B3 Cafe (aka Bikes, Beans, and Bordeaux. not a biker joint, I swear.) and enjoyed some quiche, salad, and the awesomeness on a plate called a Nutella panini. Then we wandered next door to Park Ave CDs, one of my favorite places in the world, to pick up the new Dead Weather album (on vinyl!) and generally explore the wealth of the indie record store. Oh yes, an actual release day pilgrimage to the friendly local record store. It doesn't get much better.
No time frames. No deadlines. Just good food and music and company. It does the soul good and I wish I could do it more often.
What am I getting at? Not quite sure. Maybe just a lament and a hope that I'll learn to better use the time I have? There's no point wishing for more hours in the day, because we all get the same amount... it's just in learning how to not waste them.
Then again, maybe the real lesson is learning how to waste time well, count the things that make me feel alive, and chase after them in the minutes that might otherwise float by unremarkable. Yes, maybe that's it.
On MondayI shared a little bit of my thoughts on Jason Boyett's new memoir O Me of Little Faith. Before then, I interviewed Jason about the new book. Well, it was all too big for one blog post, so lets just say Jason's taken over Div Sense for the week. :)
Read on for a conversation with Jason Boyett about memoir writing, doubt, and the mysterious disappearance of @FakeJasonBoyett Your new book O Me of Little Faith feels so different from any other book you’ve written. For someone already known for funny historical books like the Pocket Guides, how did writing a memoir come about? Or what inspired you to share your story?
Back in 2007, I gave a sermon at my church one weekend when our pastor was away. It was one of those times where I really didn't have any idea what I wanted to talk about, so I just decided to be honest about where I was. I talked about spiritual uncertainty, and openly confessed to having doubts, and began to explore the co-dependent relationship between faith and doubt. The response was really encouraging. I thought I might get booed off the stage, so I was pleasantly surprised when people began to thank me for expressing something they felt, too, but didn't ever talk about. That's when I began thinking that there might be a book somewhere in that idea. Lots of us were doubting, but no one was really talking or writing about it -- or those that were kept approaching it via propositional apologetics, which didn't help me at all. So I put together a proposal and eventually it landed at Zondervan. I wrote it in the fall of 2008.
What kind of preparation goes into writing a book based on your life experience instead of research and facts?
Well, it's a really different kind of writing process. The Pocket Guides are so research-intensive. I spend 3/4 of my time reading and studying and looking stuff up. Then I write about it. With this book, the subject was me, which I'm already an expert on. Once I'd begun thinking about turning the idea into a book, I spent several months collecting my thoughts and thinking of metaphors and stories and generally brainstorming the whole thing. I had every chapter outlined before I actually sat down to write. So when it was time to actually do it, I was able to put together a first draft without having to stop every other line to do research. Which was a thrill considering how my other books come together.
Doubt is a tough thing to talk about... I would guess most of us Christians deal with it at some point, but don’t really discuss it nearly enough. Was it difficult or strange to open up about your faith struggles like this?
I wouldn't say it was difficult for me. I'm an introvert and emotionally guarded and rarely have deep face-to-face conversations with people. But not on paper. I've always been OK with revealing personal stuff via the written word. (There's probably some deep psychological explanation for this.) So the honesty in O Me of Little Faith wasn't too entirely difficult. But a few of the stories -- like the Brazil/charismatic one -- were stories only a few people in the world knew about. Not my family members. Not most of my friends. So the process of opening up about that left me feeling pretty vulnerable. Part of me worried at first about whether or not people would judge me for it, but I decided that I had to be honest. Straight up. If I wasn't going to be honest in this book, then what was the point of writing it? So you have to just let go and get the stuff down on the page and let the chips fall.
Sometimes, I wonder why we’re so drawn to memoirs and blogs, but I found a quote on a recent blog post by Kristin Tennant that really made sense to me: “People read memoir to feel less alone.” I know that’s true for me as a reader, so I wonder... is it the same for you as a writer? Does seeing people respond to your book help you feel less alone in your faith and doubts?
Kristin is exactly right. Writing a memoir in order to "reach across the loneliness" is exactly what I want to do. I wrote the book because for so long I felt completely isolated in my doubts. It's incredibly freeing to be honest instead of hiding this stuff down inside and pretending like I've got it all figured out. Every time people say, "I totally get it, and I'm there, too" it gives me a little emotional boost. I'm encouraged because I know I'm not alone. And they're encouraged for the same reason. It's mutually beneficial, and if that's the only good my book does, then that's plenty.
In the book, you mention things that make faith difficult, like science or the notion of hell. But what makes it easier for you to believe and keep the “kung fu grip” faith?
The thing that makes it easiest for me believe is found in the person of Jesus Christ and the revolutionary love and grace that he showed. There's a reason that Jesus is respected by almost every religious tradition in the world. It's because the stuff he taught was true. It is better to give than receive. It's better to love your neighbor...and your enemies. It's good to welcome the stranger and care for the sick and embrace the untouchable. Even if the whole Christian thing turned out to be a Da Vinci Code-style hoax, I could still live a life following the example of Christ and be perfectly satisfied. I have no doubt it is the best way to live, and I'm gripping that as hard as I can.
What are some of your favorite books and writers right now?
This may not be the expected answer, but I've been on a children's and YA fiction kick for the last few months. I met Kate DiCamillo at the Festival of Faith & Writing a few weeks back and just finished "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane," which is a short little parable you can probably read in an hour or two, but it is so so so good. Can't recommend it enough. My kids and I just finished reading "James and the Giant Peach" together and are about to start "A Wrinkle in Time," by Madeleine L'Engle. Which, to my shame, I've never read.
I'm a big fan of the economy and voice and truth-telling of children's books.
Totally off topic, but I’ve been wondering... whatever happened to @FakeJasonBoyett? I mean, his last tweet said something about tracking jungle cats with a spear, and that sounds kinda dangerous...
I loved the whole @fakejasonboyett twitter experiment -- such a great creative challenge -- but it was taking too much of my time. I had to let him go for a season, but I suspect I'll return to him at some point. For now, let's just pretend he's in a North Korean work camp or something.
And finally... I have to ask everyone this question of deep importance: If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
I'm not sure what you'd call it, but the ability to exist outside the space-time continuum so I could blink and land, say, in another city. Instantly. Or blink and end up in California in 1819 or something. I love history and dislike the wasted time spent in airports, so something that would let me time-shift and space-shift would be 1) super-interesting and 2) super-convenient. As Masi Oka has amply demonstrated.
I've been a fan of Jason Boyett's blog and writings for a while, so it was definitely a privilege to get a spot on the blog tour for his newest book O Me of Little Faith. Just as I expected, it's different from anything he's written before, but in a very good way. Read on for my take on the book, and come back Wednesday for an interview with the author! Jason Boyett, an established blogger and author of several books (most notably the historical and snarky Pocket Guide series), isn’t new to the writing world by any means. But there’s always room for firsts, and O Me of Little Faith, his first memoir, turns from the history of saints and the Bible to the history of himself, and goes straight to the heart of his own spiritual doubt as he does it.
If it sounds like a heavy topic for a first memoir, you’re right. The Introduction gets the apologies and warnings out of the way: “if you are rock-steady in your faith and have no interest in reading a book about doubt, then by all means, put this one down... Firm faith is a gift. I’m happy for you -- I wish I could be you.” (p. 13) And it’s a good thing too, because by the end of the first chapter, he voices the toughest question of all, “Does God even exist?”
This is a hard book to read. It’s raw and asks the questions that many Christians fear to address (out loud anyway), forces you to examine your beliefs, wrestle a bit. As I read it, I saw some of myself in the words, and I suspect many who are willing to pick up a book on doubt in the first place will see themselves as well. From the annoying quirks of evangelical culture that trigger cynicism to the bigger questions of science and history, he lays out his fears and doubts and hang-ups, exposes them to the light, and -- and this is potentially the most frustrating part -- doesn’t find easy answers.
But don’t think it’s all doom and gloom and that you’re going to turn into an atheist if you read this. Not at all. Sure, much is left unresolved, but all these questions give way to a more hopeful one: “Is faith simply what remains when God is absent?” (p. 100)
Jason recounts the things that keep him going God feels distant and all of Christianity looks like a joke, such as finding hope in the revolutionary person of Jesus and security in the tradition of liturgical prayers. The difference is choosing belief in the face of questions: “I try to keep pedaling, even when I’m doubting. I keep living as a committed Christian, even when I don’t feel like one.” (p. 190) This is as close as O Me of Little Faith comes to an answer to the problem of doubt, but it’s a spark of hope against the odds.
Of course, along with the tough candor, there’s plenty of Jason’s signature humor too. This is definitely a darker, more serious approach than his other books, but take heart -- there are always turtles, French Daredevils, and awesome quirky footnotes to brighten the mood. There’s also the best description of Soren Kierkegaard ever: “If he were still kicking around today, he would have black-painted fingernails, deliberately unkempt hair, and a heavy rotation of The Smiths on his iPod.” (p. 171) (See? Philosophy can be fun.)
The warning holds true: this is not a book for the strong of faith yet faint of heart. This is not a book for those who don’t want their convictions rattled a little. I would still suggest you read it anyway, with an open heart, if only to better understand the darkness many fellow believers walk through. It’s not a pretty place, but it’s a very real one.
To those who find the road of faith full of twists and potholes, Jason is a friendly traveling companion. He speaks to the tension of hope and cynicism with compassion, honesty, kindness, and grace. O Me of Little Faith is both tough and refreshing, and a very rewarding read wherever you are on the journey.
Come back Wednesday for an interview with Jason Boyett, a conversation about memoir writing, doubt, and the mysterious disappearance of @FakeJasonBoyett.
The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor, because I've been thinking about Deep South literature and been in a Flannery sort of mood. "A Good Man is Hard to Find" and "Revelation" have haunted me since I read them the first time, so I wanted to revisit her. (That, and I really really want to go to Savannah.)
Confessions by St. Augustine, because it's the original confessional spiritual memoir and I've never read it.
Paradise Lost by Milton, because everyone needs a little epic poetry now and then. And this edition was especially recommended because of the counterpoint commentary by Phillip Pullman. Should be intriguing.
All in all... stuff that's been on my to read list for a very long time. I feel smarter and literature snobbier having them in my possession. But I will never read all this in three weeks.
I don't normally do crazybusy weeks so well. After a solid week of busyness, it's nice and almost surreal to actually loaf around at home and read and check things off the proverbial to-do list. So, a little blog, to clear my head.
(warning.... this stopped being "a little blog" very quickly. It's uber-long and I apologize for inflicting so much text all at once, but I need to ramble and be done with it. cool?)
Basically, I went to three concerts in 5 days. No law says we can't have Music Monday on a Saturday, right? Of course not. And every one was pretty rad in its own way, so I kind of had to share. A brief overview of why I still can't hear this week:
April 22 - Florida Music Festival... and Anberlin! I've madenosecret of my ongoing borderline fangirly love for these guys. By my estimation, this was my sixth Anberlin show (eighth if you count Anchor & Braille/Stephen Christian solo shows) and every single one since that first time at Cornerstone FL in 2005 has had some special memory attached to it. I'm pretty sure that this one tops.
See, my dear friend Lindsay just might be a slightly bigger fan than I am. We didn't know each other then, but we attended the same show in 2005 and became fans, and when we met a couple years later, it was our mutual fanlove that bonded us.
With that old-school fanlove comes the angst that they never play their breakout first single "Readyfuels" anymore. Yeah, it's old, but show the Orlando faithful some love, guys! She even has the opening notes tattooed on her foot.
Sooooo... Lindsay made friendly signs. And we claimed our front row spots. And at some point, she gives me this panicked look and starts saying something that sounds like, "ohmygodohmygod Stephen read my signs!!!" I missed it, but she said he kind of looked at her, motioned for her to hold the signs higher, read them and said, "Unbelievable."
That in itself is pretty awesome. But then encore time came along and it got even better...
Needless to say, we were very happy old school fangirls, and my video is so shaky because it was midnight and I was jumping up and down and screaming every word. It's really special when you can do that. Anberlin, you really have made your city proud. =)
April 24 - New Traditions Jazz Ensemble. Actually, it was a dance, but I count this as a concert too, because the band was so incredibly awesome. I hadn't been dancing in almost six months, so being out on the floor again felt so good. The full big band made it even better. Oddly enough, it was the biggest crowd I think I've ever seen at Whirl & Twirl, yet a lot of my regular dancer friends weren't there. :(
April 26 - The Ettes & The Dead Weather. I'll be honest... I wasn't sure I wanted to pull another late night, or follow the awesomeness of Anberlin so soon. But well... this is a Jack White band. And Lindsay told me I'd hate myself forever if I didn't go see Jack "the god of modern music" White.
Yes. Yes I would have.
Firstly, The Ettes are freakin' awesome. I mean, they have a chick drummer! (who had huuuuuge curly hair and was so much fun to watch) And a chick lead singer/guitarist! Annnnnd said chick lead singer/guitarist is from Orlando! Score! They're kind of a garage punk/60's beat/Blondie/Yeah Yeah Yeah's-ish hybrid of sounds. I was way impressed.
And The Dead Weather... um... wow. I'm not sure what planet any of these people are from, but they were incredible. The frontwoman Allison Mosshart was mesmerizing to watch, occasionally so much thought she might be insane. And even though everyone was totally there for Jack White, he never seemed to upstage the rest of his band, actually spending most of the time in the background drumming. Kind of nice, actually. But oh, when he played the guitar, you knew it was what the crowd lived for.
Everything about this show was spot on. The sound was great (which, unfortunately, my inner sound geek hasn't been able to say for the past few shows I've been to), and the lighting really set the atmosphere... kind of a spooky Southern gothic graveyard feel.
Downside? Too many annoying drunks. Seriously, why would you pay good money to see an amazing band and then be totally plastered before they take the stage? What's the fun in that? I never wanted to kidney punch so many obnoxious people in my life. (/rant)
It took a few days, but I think the magnitude of this show finally sunk in. Definitely one of the best concerts I've ever seen. Though let's be honest... the "Readyfuels" moment is still the high of the week. :)
So now... I can rest. After so much loud music, I'm surprised my voice and hearing weren't shot. But I have to say, this crazybusy week really did re-confirm my love for live music, for a great rock show, for jumping in the crowd singing every song or letting it move me across a dance floor. And come June, I get the chance to check Imogen Heap off the ol' bucket list. (A list I should probably actually write down at some point.) Yay!
So far, 2010 has been a very good year for live music. :)
