Bits and Pieces

Apr 21, 2016 | Welcome Column

This month is proving particularly difficult and I am having a great deal of difficulty finding a clear head space to write in. I am always reminded of Rick’s words to ‘write what I know’, so this month it’s the things that have been on my mind and occupying my time.

Awesome Banjo Solo!
Last month I had the absolute pleasure of seeing The Brothers Comatose play to a sold out crowd at Harlow’s in Sacramento. If you haven’t seen this 5 piece string band that hails from San Francisco, you are missing out! These guys are friendly and fun loving; they love their crowds and they leave it all on the stage. Their music makes me move and there is no escaping the urge to stomp your feet and dance along. There were a number of highlights for me, but one of my favorite moments was Alex Morrison’s wicked banjo solo which elicited a roar of cheers from the frenzied crowd. And they say no one likes banjo! 800+ people that night disagreed! These guys are definitely one of my favorite bands and I will be taking every opportunity I can to see them live.

Father’s Day Festival
Excitement is starting to pick up around my house for this year’s festival. My son got a spot in the now-sold-out Youth Academy, and we are already starting to plan out our meals for the week. Yesterday I heard back about volunteering and I am very excited to help out with hospitality (or whatever else comes my way, ha ha!). I am really excited about all the people I will get to meet through volunteering and am looking forward to hearing lots of (new-to-me) music. And this year I’m going to join in a square dance!

Times They are a Changin’
My life has been full of change over the last year and it looks like 2016 will continue that trend. I packed up the last six years of my life over the weekend and moved 2/3 of it into storage. The rest I managed to make fit into my old bedroom at my dad’s house. It’s weird being back at dad’s, but it’s also comforting. He hasn’t moved anything in ten years, so I still know where everything is, but he also hasn’t really cleaned anything in the last ten years, so there’s a thick layer of dust that needs scrubbing and I definitely have my work cut out for me! I am proud of myself for packing up, moving out and unpacking in 48 hours. I had a lot of help, but there were definitely times when I thought I wasn’t going to be able to finish the job. It was daunting, but I am thrilled to have met and overcome the challenge.
Which is why I am forcing myself to write something for my Welcome Column this month. I may be under a lot of stress and having a hard time concentrating, but I am looking at it as another challenge to be met and overcome. I have come to realize that nothing worth having is easy, part of what makes anything rewarding is the amount of work you have to put in to obtain it. I truly enjoyed getting to lay down last night in my old/new room, exhausted by two long days of work. But I felt accomplished and I certainly earned being tired! I looked around the room and knew that I did this. I am making the best out of a less than ideal situation because I refuse to be brought to my knees by life. I’ve got kids that need to see me shine in spite of adversity. They need to see that people can move through life without anger and pettiness and resentment. There is enough of that in the world and I’m not going to add to it.
Challenge accepted! And yes, along with my new adventure in life I am getting a new/old name – Amanda Takemoto – back to my roots! 

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