Wrangling Words. It's What I Do.

The secret to writing is simple.  Just do it.  That's it.  It takes procrastinating whatever you should be doing, putting pen to paper, scrunching up your eyebrows and starting to scribble...or typing as is in this case.  I read enough history to know that the written word is the ultimate secret weapon.  In a world of OMG, LOL, Twitters and pithy Facebook posts, putting real thoughts to the page defies the barrage of the ordinary and creates something that will last longer than the meatloaf you make for dinner.

May is in full bloom of things for me to do.  I'm touring in Nevada, Utah, Colorado and Canada.  I also have a household and big property to manage not to mention my kids who keep me going with a flow of projects, appointments and important needs like frosting cookies for a  party, helping hunt for the new litter of barn kittens or preparing our 19 year old son to leave for a two year church mission.

With all that is going on, it's tremendously inconvenient and even rude for songs to keep wanting to be written.  Songs are real things.  They are little sets of music and words that have something to say.  They grow up and become bigger and better, or they don't.  Either way, I find that as a songwriter, if I don't write the idea's down, they are like a seed that just blows away never to know what it could be.  It's honestly frustrating, because sometimes I don't want to plant a radish seed, I would much rather plant a Big Boy tomato.  Everyone likes Big Boy tomatoes, but no, the seed I have is a radish, dang it.  You won't be hearing this song on top 40 radio.

I'm excited for my next CD.  I've talked to my manager, who happens to look an awful lot like my husband, and it looks like I will be back in the studio soon.  We are even tossing around the idea of launching a big, newfangled crowd funding campaign to include the fans in the wild ride and fun of a new CD.  The support and love we receive from friends and fans across the West is an amazing gift and one we don't take lightly.  I want my music to tell OUR story.  The story of the West that Nashville almost completely ignores.

Following the overwhelming response from fans hearing our 13 year-old daughter, Millie sing with her incredible big voice, we will start preparing music for a CD of us as a family group as well.  I really love singing with my daughters and hope to get our two youngest daughters, CeCe and Adaline in the mix with Sophia, Millie and I soon.  We are on the hunt for a motor home that can accommodate five Cowgirl Diva's and one poor Daddy-Manager-Driver.

So, even as I write this blog, my oven is at 350 degrees waiting for me to do the baking I've putting off all afternoon, my girls are still waiting for me to help them find where our mama barn cat has hidden her new litter, but I am doing something important.  I'm wrangling words.  It's what I do.