Channeling Acoustic Legends

A friend of mine in the group Selah posted a tweet about this guy today so I went to his website to check out his music. Holy Cow! I'll be darned if Jeffrey East didn't channel Kenny Loggins when "Bein' Loved By You" was written. Or maybe it's James Taylor. He performs it just fine but if Mr. Loggins and Mr. Taylor are ever looking for material, one of them totally needs to connect with Mr. East. I really like this song. Feel free to share your thoughts. If you don't like it, don't worry, you won't hurt my feelings. But, East might feel slighted.

If You Love Kansas

Someone I follow on Twitter posted a link to this blog entry about Kansas and it really struck a chord with me. I was born in Kansas, raised in Kansas, left Kansas to live in the beautiful state of Tennessee, and still chose to move back to this "dry, boring, plain, miserable, windy, dull, sucky, wasteland state". You read that correctly. I chose to move back. I could of stayed in the south in the wonderful city of Nashville where there is always something happening, but honestly, it doesn't hold a candle to Kansas. Every time I'd travel home, something kept pulling at me. Driving through the flint hills, seeing the wild sunflowers, enjoying the huge never-ending blue sky, feeling the biting winter wind against my skin...it's all part of me and I can't let it go. Sometimes you have to leave a place to truly see how special it is.

The only adjective listed above that Kansas qualifies to use is "windy". The wind shows its face quite often and can cause a ruckus when it wants to. Even then, there are more days than I can count that were so still and motionless, where the only evidence of any activity around me was the movement of air from my own breathing.

Kansas is a wonderful place, and I'm glad a lot of people don't see that. The open spaces stay wide, the sky stays blue, the air stays fresh, the beauty stays natural, the flowers stay sunny, nature stays wild, and there's more Kansas for me to enjoy.

This girl gets it, and I had to link to her blog entry. Set all of your Kansas stereotypes aside and read what she has to say. It helped me realize my appreciation for all that surrounds me and to know there is no shame in calling Kansas home.

Wimmer Wimmer Chicken Dinner: Dorothy's Slippers Are Definitely Not Here

Better Than A Hallelujah

The song didn't grab me at first, but the video sure did. Here's a new one from Amy Grant.

Wine's I Want to Try

A couple of years ago, we stopped in at Whiskey Creek Wood Fire Grill in Kansas City for dinner. It was the beginning of my venture into the world of wine. We didn't have any that night but I wrote down some selections from their wine list that I thought sounded good. I'm posting them here so I can finally get rid of this piece of paper that clutters my desk. I still haven't tried these wines. I've been busy. Look out, grapes. One day, I will drink you.

• Beringer White Zinfandel (sweet wine w/rich berry flavors)
• Rex Goliath Pinot Noir (light raspberry, red cherry & cinnamon flavors)
• Ravenswood Vintner's Blend Zinfandel (lush raspberry, blueberry & black cherry flavors)
• Ravenswood Vintner's Blend Shiraz (rich black currant & chocolate flavors)
• Robert Mondavi Prvate Selection Cabernet Sauvignon (rich dark cherry fruit & chocolate flavors)
• Toasted Head Cabernet Sauvignon (black cherry chocolate coffee)
• Wild Horse Merlot (wild berry & mocha)
• Fess Parker Pinot Noir (cherry & red berry flavors w/spice, smoke & herbal nuances)