And a poem for the shifts of summer

You are tired.

You are tired,
(I think)
Of the always puzzle of living and doing;
And so am I.

Come with me, then,
And we’ll leave it far and far away—
(Only you and I, understand!)

You have played,
(I think)
And broke the toys you were fondest of,
And are a little tired now;
Tired of things that break, and—
Just tired.
So am I.

But I come with a dream in my eyes tonight,
And knock with a rose at the hopeless gate of your heart—
Open to me!
For I will show you the places Nobody knows,
And, if you like,
The perfect places of Sleep.

Ah, come with me!
I’ll blow you that wonderful bubble, the moon,
That floats forever and a day;
I’ll sing you the jacinth song
Of the probable stars;
I will attempt the unstartled steppes of dream,
Until I find the Only Flower,
Which shall keep (I think) your little heart
While the moon comes out of the sea.

@ ee cummings

(repost from so what)

Days of summer

The Supremes, You Can't Hurry Love

the cafe on the harbor, where I go read

les plages sauvages

The Beach Boys, Disney Girls

Sometimes it rains too. Kids and family everywhere, with hardly any time to think, or do the work I need to do. My reading stalled.

But I liked this poem.

Deer territory

Some of the gems collected on a recent little trip to the country, where I was visiting more family:

A walk in the forest,

The view from the door of the cottage where I was sleeping,

And a drawing from my cousin's thirteen year old daughter after I played some songs in the living room:

I played them this song, you see.

*

Speaking of, don't forget about the Deer Convention Project. There is only until the end of the month to contribute and reserve your awesome rewards!...

go here:

http://kck.st/cjWe5e

Some of my favorite foods

Of this I already had three times on this trip and I can't get enough. My dad made it every summer when I was a child, and back in the US, when I was thinking of coming here, this is what I was fantasizing about: grilled mackerel.

They come from the fish market in the morning, fresh, line caught and never kept on ice. You can press them with coarse salt and herbs ahead of time:

Once you got your fire just right they can go on the grill:

And after a few minutes...voilà:

Eat them with potatoes in the skin with a lot of butter, and some dry white wine - it's a feast!

Let's hear it for July

Summer seems to be settling in the Bay- I'm writing in the morning with full sun outside, and I left my house without a sweater...amazing! Let's hear it for July. Here are a few other exciting things this month brings: a show in Fairfax this Tuesday, a KALX appearance on Thursday (4pm), the Mission Creek Music Festival with a show at Cafe du Nord a week from today, and a show in San Jose on the 25th. More detailed info lives within that side bar on the right.
Since there's nothing like keeping busy, I also agreed to accompany Xoel Lopez (from Spain) on violin and vocals on Saturday, July 18th (the Free Concert in MacLaren Park, put together by the festival) Russ is also playing with him...fun! We'll go on at 3pm.

The Seasonal Sevens are doing well: our split single was voted record of the week by Norman Records - and it left them 'ecstatic'...Two other nice reviews, one at Losing Today (after a long ramble, but it's fun to read) and another by Psyche von het folk in Belgium.
You can support the lovely Autumn Ferment records by ordering directly from them here. I will have some copies at the Du Nord show, but they might go fast. Did I mention it's yellow?

Yellow Vinyl!

Today, Bumblebee is coming out on a split seven inch. Isn't the yellow vinyl pretty? like the rising sun of summer. And look at that cover...I can't wait to hold one in my hands (very soon!), let alone put it on the record player. You can go and get yourself a copy from the excellent folks at Autumn Ferment Records. I will celebrate in San Francisco on July 20th (an amazing bill at the Cafe du Nord)- and throughout California over the summer. Check the side bar for details - and let me know if you'd like me to play a town near you!