Anniversary Cobbler

Four years ago this week, Craig and I became Still Married.

As a band name, it usually gets us a bit of a laugh and gives folks a little information about us. Beats the heck out of "The Friedmans," the really lame moniker we used for our first few gigs.

Until then, we were a relatively normal couple -- well, except for the whole homeschool thing -- which automatically branded us as "on the strange side." But I was still writing songs alone in my music room and pitching them (with no success) via mail, to labels in Nashville and LA. Craig didn't know a single thing about music. We had cable TV, a mini van, a golden retriever.

Then I started meeting musicians, playing at Open Mic events and getting involved in the local music scene and Craig didn't enjoy being left out of what was becoming an important part of my life.

So he joined me. He learned to play bass, learned to sing, and after a few weeks of practice, I dragged him out to the Red, White and Brew, where we made our debut as a band.

Four years later, we still rush through the dinner dishes so that we can play. Our front room has been transformed into a music room/recording studio. We make music every chance we get, and while I hardly ever pitch my songs, I feel more successful than ever, because we so enjoy sharing the music with each other and with local audiences. Pickin' and grinnin' our way through this mid-life shenanigans suits us both. And watching how our kids have taken a cue from us and run with it in a whole new direction is also immensely satisfying.


According to happy-anniversary.com, traditional gifts for the Four Year Anniversary are flowers or fruit. Do people really give fruit as an anniversary gift? Seems kinda goofy to me...but it's cherry season -- Oh, happy day! -- so I'll be whipping up a celebratory Anniversary Cherry Cobbler.

Still Married in Cottonwood

I tell my children -- "Because everybody else is doing it" is really not a good reason.

And here I am -- blogging because my regular website (http://www.stillmarried.net/) doesn't allow me to play with the rest of the blogging gang. No rss feed -- which is, apparently -- a deal breaker.

So I'll be posting here and on our band web site blog , mostly about our mid-life crisis band -- Still Married. And about this somewhat bizarre (just ask the neighbor kids) family life --- songwriting, homeschooling and making music.

More to come.