but all the while, you feel a creature creeping up behind.

Currently Listening To: World Spins Madly On by The Weepies

Best Lines I Read This Week: Accordingly I sat and said nothing: "If he expects me to talk for the mere sake of talking and showing off, he will find he as addressed himself to the wrong person," I thought. - from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

So I was at my bff Sarah’s house and we were sitting on her porch. Her porch is screened in, which is a necessity, as her lake is often full of ducks. Ducks, in case you don’t know, are wicked. Sarah called a few weeks ago to tell me there were 94 geese/ducks/feathered water vermin on the lake. (Please note: this lake is not huge.) Yesterday, she showed me the aftermath of the duck invasion: approximately a billion feathers scattered about. We think there was some sort of turf war between the ducks. Can you imagine them snapping their feathers a la West Side Story? That would be fantastic. So we’re sitting on the screened in porch, chatting about singing/dueling ducks, and watching for turtles in the water when this lady walks down the side walk.

And Sarah whispers, “look what’s in her hand.”

She had feathers. Lots of them. I imagine she wanted to use them for decorative purposes. Also, I imagine those feathers are full of mites, bugs, bird poo, and nasty. Hobby Lobby has fake feathers, know what I mean? It was entertaining though, in a creepy way.

Then we watched Crossroads. Sarah DVR’d this particular Crossroads because it was a match up between Taylor Swift (whom we both love dearly) and Def Leopard (who we do not love … but the thought of Def Leopard singing “Love Song” made us all kinds of happy). Quite honestly, I thought it might be a little comical watching the concert unfold. It was actually kind of awesome. Not only did Def Leopard seem to really enjoy her songs, but they all sounded good together:

I think that song sounds really good as a duet! And then, in one of their songs, Taylor played an electric and then THEN she threw it to her stage manager on the other side of the stage and stomped back up to the microphone like a total rockstar.

Sarah said: We have got to learn to play an instrument! Ask your brother what’s easy … and tell him no when he says the recorder.

Speaking of music, it seems like every child of the 80’s is coming together today to share an MJ story. Here is mine: as a kid, I really liked his music. I have a CD in my car of his early stuff – Billie Jean, Thriller, Man in the Mirror, Beat It (which, as a kid, I used to sing as “Veeta!”). I haven't felt particularly moved over this event, but it has certainly made me nostalgic. No matter how different we 20/30somethings are we all watched Masters of the Universe and Rainbow Brite and tried to moonwalk*, ya know? My bff Melanies' husband, Ben, was writing about why people react to celebrity deaths in such a profound way (it’s a really good post, click here to read). He said he thinks it has something to do with nostalgia, and realizing you aren’t infinite. When a celebrity you idolized, or crushed on, as a kid dies, it dumps you back into reality in a rather brutal way. I think there’s some real truth to that. I will say, however, neither celebrity death this week really got to me. When Heath Ledger died that was weird (why is that?) but this one didn't feel the same.

Of all the art forms out there, music is most likely to make me feeling something instantly. When it comes to visual art, or theater, or even literature, sometimes it takes awhile for the force of the project to hit me. Whether immediate or delayed, that rush good art brings along with it is always worth it. But music is different. Sometimes I hear a song and there's an instant connection. Everything I want to say, but can’t, is wrapped up in a sound or a lyric. You don’t have to say it then; You can just experience it. Coldplay does that to me (and I know it’s cliche to like Coldplay blah blah blah**). Nickel Creek does/did*** that to me. David Crowder’s music does it. I listen to all those bands now enough to talk about songs I like but, initially, I was drawn to them for the way they made me feel. Even if they didn’t make me feel happy, they gave me a way to work through sludgy days. Michael Jackson made music that resonated too. I bet even non fans, who grew up in the 80's, can sing along with some of his songs. As an adult, I wasn’t much of a fan, but as a kid his music made me happy, made me want to dance. Everybody needs an excuse to dance once in a while.

Happy Weekending :)

* And we all developed massive crushes on Bo Duke. (Or was that just me?)

**Before you throw out the Radiohead argument; I have listened to Radiohead. I don't think they sound the same. I still like Coldplay better.

*** I know Nickel Creek no longer functions as a unit, but I'm having trouble coming to terms with this. .