Another Chance to Shine & Share...

"All hell done broke loose now!" Guess Who's Coming To Dinner" is on my mind. I watched the classic again recently and was reminded of our power, not only, to change our own perspective, but to change that of others as well. Z Free (www.myspace.com/zaccai) and his friends gave me another chance to re-create how I present myself artistically. Yippee! The uber artist strikes again! Plant the seeds and watch them grow!

The Uber Artist doing his poetorial on The Verge-a soon to be released web cast.

There was amazing creativity surrounding me when I attended a taping of The Verge: a fantastic show of political satire, commentary, consciousness raising, fitness, and just plain silliness produced & hosted by Jomo (www.myspace.com/unseentheamericandream)- the million dollar Mister. Don't call him a Buppie!

Me, Producer, & Uber Artist... Grins supplied by self-timer madness and the high of a successful performance.

Gotta back track for a minute... Z Free, Jomo , & his bride to be, Nicole met up with me on Monday night at Bar Nun for an open mic 10 years running. It's a popular showcase for singers, musicians, & poets. My bro knows the host, so I was assured a spot to perform. Good karma was how I stacked that one, because I ran a jam for 5 years & know it's tricky to slide in friends. City vibe? Yeah!!! Mellow soul, Z. He, Jomo, & Nicole gave a little pep rally to soothe the uncertainty lurking in me. There was a lot of rappin' going on and I felt a little a bit folkie. Who me??? Yep. The message handed down: what you have to give is yours & the rest doesn't matter. Whew!!! Got me right out of self-judgement mode, although my heart was still pounding.

Open Mic at Bar Nun in the U Street Corridor-every Mon. night, 10 yrs strong!

Live performance has taught me how to utilize the energy of nervousness. It is ENERGY!!! The nerves usually show up when I enter new territory or have an extreme emotional response to an upcoming event. All the nervous cylinders were firing Monday night when I took the mic and rocked the house with my music!!! The shouts for an encore thrilled me. It was also a kick to hear audience members singing bits of the tune I presented, Let It Rain Love!

This brings me back to The Verge and the tapping session to which I was invited on Wed. evening. Major love fest. Sooo cool to be surrounded by creatives and spontaneous combustion! When Jomo informed me I was to be the guest poet on the show, the heat was on. When did I become a poet? Oh well... I did have some writing with me I hadn't yet unveiled. So on with the show!

Unseen, host of the show, in a Verge induced frenzy.

Hanging with The Verge crew: Jim, Z Free, 2 Word Dueling Dudes, & Unseen.

All these guys are gifted. They're exposing a whole community of artists and doing their own thing too! I was captivated by Jim's-the sound man- incredible art hanging in the warehouse. Amazing stuff! Typical artist, though: a load of talent and fresh out of business cards. So I have no idea how you can find him or his paintings other than in Baltimore. However, if you want to reach out to him, I'll find a way to connect you. Networking is the way of the World.

Jim's self-portrait

Exercise your power to change your perspective and create the life you wish to live! As Z Free said to me... What R U waiting 4?

Grand Friends, A Lil' Princess, & 2 Queens

Jen, Me, & Meighan

There's nothing like great friendship, and I am blessed with wonderful friends around the globe! The weekend brought back old memories, literally. I got to hang out with two of my dearest pals, checking out photos from childhood, swishing glasses of vino, and belly laughing til we cried. It was a beautiful thing!!! We were kept on good behavior by the presence of a wee Princess, Rachel- an 8 y/o ball of energy. In fact, at times even we big girls became carefree and silly again.

Meighan, Me, Rachel, & Jen (R's Mom) practicing a little improv.

We were having such a terrific visit that time just got away from us. Finally it was Rachel's bedtime, so Meighan and I became Fairy Godmothers for the bedtime story. What was I thinking? All I know is that Rachel put up with our disjointed, wine-anointed storytelling. Well... she was having a blast.

Costumes were needed for the Fairy Godmother transformation. Even Rachel couldn't stop the laughter tears!

Hmm...think we'll pass the story wand to the other Fairy Godmother.

The magic elixir of Fairy Godmothers...

Rachel would have stayed awake all night, but the Sandman beckoned and she relinquished control. So did we. Having an 8 y/o in our midst had curbed our behavior...somewhat. All I can say is the conversation got a bit more adult! Jeez, girls... I'd forgotten some of those stories. Thanks to Jen & Rachel for Girls' Night In, and to Mega-liscious for making a DC pit stop on her way to the Big Apple. I'll have to get the details of her show there so you can check out my friend if you're in the City.

Which brings us to the 2 Queens...

The Queen is following me around the world. No, really! Could this be some sort of omen? HRH, Queen Elizabeth II made history at the Manchester Cathedral while I was there. (see post Kitty In The City-5 Apr) Now she is in DC for the 1st time in 16 years. He, who shall not be named, will host his 1st ever white-tie state dinner in her honor tonight at the White House. Sorry, no photo-ops.

Queen 2 appears in my next adventures... NYC is calling to me this month as is the Bard. I'll be in the City to visit friends before I head to my old stomping ground: the Emerald City, aka~Seattle. No ruby slippers to take me there, I left them in So Cal. Anyway, I'll be working... as the Queen in Shakespeare's Cymbeline. The show will reunite me with my friend, Kevin T Moore (www.kevintmoore.com), who is joining the show from NYC where he has been wowing audiences with his amazing talent. Plus, I get to work again with mentors and friends who ignited my passion for acting at Freehold Theatre (www.freeholdtheatre.org). Thrilling!!! Absolutely THRILLING!!! The gypsy magik is on full force!

Marianne, my own Fairy Godmother, having a Cinderella moment...

Look familiar? That's my old apartment, sale in progress, and my friend/fairy godmother, Marianne. I was looking thru my pix from when this journey began and there she was! I had been searching for this photo when I first decided to blog this gypsy year. Mz. M., as I affectionately call her, really, really wanted my FAB cowboy boots. Actually, I think she wanted to contribute to my adventure by being the first shopper. Jon, the Master Packer, was witness to this Cinderella moment and the 3 of us laughed so hard we couldn't breathe.

This past weekend and locating the photo of Marianne provided another reason for gratitude. I have to say, "Thank you" to my awesome friends. U know who U are. Many of U have appeared in this blog. As I weave my dreams, I know you're sending me love and encouragement. Nothing can replace the significance of your friendship! I love you!!!

Keep dreaming and allowing your wildest dreams to manifest...