Safe Journey Home. Come Back Soon.

We had a great time with a visit from our Pilgrim, Jude...She's somewhere over the Atlantic now. A drop-in at the studio, a great dinner with the family at the Mellow Mushroom, an intervention at Target, and connecting the circle of friends in some new ways...

Jude and Jena are already conspiring towards Greenbelt, and the opportunity to have us play and Blood:Water develop a presence in the UK.

A wonderful time to connect with a dear friend. Those times are alway too brief - and yet we were spoiled to have as much pilgrim time as we did.

Role reversal.

Lis is off at a retreat this weekend, and I've had a great time being home with the kids. The best part so far, has been our dinner at Shogun, the Benihana's of Franklin. It was good. The kids had a great time, especially when the chef lit some stuff on fire. That was good times. Have I mentioned how much I love rice? And that nectar of rice known to the world as "sake"?

I do love it.

Recalling memories.

My dad and his wife are visiting this weekend. He and I watched "From Russia With Love" tonight, in between NFL games. He was always a big Bond fan, and tonight was a great reminder of our connection over 007. I recall seeing this on the tv, late on Sunday nights.

I didn't see the gaps in the story. I saw some cool gadgets, women always adorned in cocktail dresses chasing after Bond, and lots of henchmen taking a "I've just been shot" slow-motion-death-dive off of great heights. What's NOT to love?

Besides that, some great hang time at a BBQ place watching the Illinois/Michigan game, and a relaxed weekend finding many reasons to be grateful. That makes the heart feel light.

Feels like the last day of camp...

Well, we've just finished the 2 weeks at Blackbird Studio in Berry Hill. It was an amazing time. All the work we put in, beginning with writing immediately after the hymn record a year ago, to spending a few weeks arranging...it all made recording the basic tracks together one of the most enjoyable creative endeavors I've ever been a part of.



Two of my favorite people in the world engineered the record. I've played some wonderful classic guitars in the process. We've yet to sing, but I think the finishing touches will happen quickly. I have great hope that this connects and stirs people.

Starting the process...

We're back in studio. After weeks of rehearsing in Matt's basement, working with Ron Aniello on song arrangement, we're going for it. It's like they made records a LONG time ago. A band would come in and play their songs. The engineer would record it. It's a new era - I don't think years ago we were anywhere near able to consider this sort of process. It requires lots of maturity in discussing parts, and self-separation from the issues and one's own sense of self-worth. Early in a band's life, it can be said a guy's contribution was his identity in a song. The two were intertwined.

Now, a new era. We're bringing the weight of who we are to the process. It's pretty frightening sometimes. Because it's truly about the song, the art. Not about identity. That changes the discussion in some really great ways. I'll keep you posted. Here's a pic of Jeremy and I in the midst of it.