July 5, 2012

Tonight's rehearsals for Friday's Tom Petty concert.

I woke up with my eyes as wide as coins.

"I have so much work to do today," I whispered to Chup as I fumbled out of bed. "Take care of my babies for me."

From eight in the morning until four in the afternoon I worked. Emails, arrangements, tweets, facebook connections, blogging, researching, checking in. Periodically Chup would bring down food, or Erin to nurse or a rub of the ol' shoulders.

When I came up for air Ever saw me, ran into my legs and sobbed,

"Mom! I need you!"

Ever has discovered the dress up closet as of late and she's wasted no time figuring out the world of fancy living. Now, she walks around with her red (hobo) hat, pink sparkly kitten heels and vintage purse like she's off to tea with Eloise.

She's like me, she prefers to play alone with her imagination intact.

Utah collectively has been praying for rain, we've been plagued with fast-burning fires that mow over our hot, dry desert terrain and blow smoke into the valley. The rain fell relentless this morning and it was like drippy manna from heaven. God lives and answers prayers!

In the afternoon though, the sun was taking a spell and we went for a cool walk down the street, up and around the corner. We passed Delsa and her girls planting a potted herbal garden and helped a brown snail on his way to a patch of mud.

At five Chup set up chairs for the funeral of our dear neighbor. He enlisted nephew Jay to help him.

Meanwhile I set out bowls of strawberries, blueberries and watermelon. I made fresh guacamole and fried some chips on the stove. Steve and Suze joined us for this light dinner. They asked me,

"Will you be glad when we're gone?"

and I replied with,

"I wish you could live with me forever."

I meant it too. When they come to stay our house is filled with happiness and lots of laughing. The kids adore their aunt Suze and uncle Steve and cousins Sharky, Jay (Jane, Ever calls him) and Muggles. When they leave for St. George on Saturday there will be much weeping and wailing (probably some gnashing of teeth too) from the small crowd.

At six Chup set up the barricades for tomorrows Rooftop Concert. He enlisted Jay AND Anson's help this time.

At seven Chup delivered Slab Pizza to the rehearsal venue for the Rooftop Concert.

At eight it started raining again. An absolute downpour. Instantly my Instagram feed was a downpour of the downpour, and after that, a rainbow. Instagram of seventy rainbows. God's promise that he hears our prayers, isn't that what a rainbow signifies?

Then we had warm peach cobbler and ice cream and watched the deep blue clouds boil out the front window. Suze said,

"I feel like a queen."

After that we put the kids to bed. Erin first, then Ever and Anson--a little damp from not resisting the downpour under an umbrella. How will I ever remember how much they loved today?

At nine Chup and I went to check out the Rooftop rehearsal. It sounds so good. We tried to get Stuart (Fictionist) to do a vocal battle with Tyler (Neon Trees) on the last song. They battled a bit. It pleased me. Such gorgeous man-voices.

At ten I tried to find Chance Lewis' house (and eventually found it). Chance generously offered to let me sing GANGSTA SIGNS during his set tomorrow with Apt. I got to tell you, rapping never felt so good. During our rehearsal Tyler (Neon Trees) came walking in and said,

 "I about fell down the stairs when I heard you doing this."

I don't know what that means. (And I'm in the wrong hood if you know what I mean.)

Anyway, everybody talks.

At eleven I came home and opened my laptop and lost my husband to sleep. It's now 1:15 and I think I'll wake him up to tell me I'm pretty. That's what good husbands are for right? Tomorrow I am doing a few TV appearances, treating my kids to a field day, hosting (and performing) a Rooftop Concert and dying into a pile of exhaustion.

Yet somehow, I feel like a queen too.



Me and Chance tonight, performing Gangsta Signs--my big, dropping single. As they say.


(Be there at 7:30 should you want to see some legitness coming off the stage, YOU KNOW.)