http://maggiemayall.com/blog.html Maggie Mayall: Blog Jannis' PHPRss class - http://www.jannis.to/ Mon, 10 May 2010 14:43:45 -0700 http://maggiemayall.com/blog.html/mission_accomplished
Anyway, I also ticked off a couple of bucket list items: Climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Bicycled and Kayaked on the Gold Coast, and snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef! Mission Accomplished!

The tour ended in California, where I joined the band once again. Here is a link to the pretty-good YouTube recording of "Howlin' At The Moon": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQHJe6pAMQ8]]> http://maggiemayall.com/blog.html/mission_accomplished Mon, 10 May 2010 14:43:45 -0700 The Official Maggie Mayall Website - Maggie Mayall - Blog http://maggiemayall.com/blog.html/winter_solstice by Maggie Mayall

Worn-out browns and faded golds
Say Time has run out, Autumn is old
The wind sings "Winter" in my ear
She pricks my cheek with a chipped ice tear

But there is a rose on the rose bush there
She clings to vines that have long been bare
A lonely trophy of a timeless Spring
Confronts the threshold of Wintering]]> http://maggiemayall.com/blog.html/winter_solstice Sun, 17 Jan 2010 18:24:53 -0800 The Official Maggie Mayall Website - Maggie Mayall - Blog http://maggiemayall.com/blog.html/winter
So I'm out there, nose running, glasses slipping down my nose, cursing my gardeners, who are about to get fired now that I've had a good up-close-and-personal look at the tangled mess of a jungle out there. Out with Alphonso and in with Jaime, because I know a guy who knows a guy.

At the same time, I waxed nostalgic thinking about my dear mother-in-law Beryl. She taught me to be bold and brutal when it comes to cutting your rose bushes back every year. Don't be afraid. The more courageous you are, the more the roses will love it. Isn't that a great metaphor for life? How many women can claim they truly loved and were truly loved by their mother-in-law? I know I'm very blessed. And we miss her.

So I got the job done in time--at least the ones that will be in my line of sight from the kitchen window for this next rainy spell. I won't have to look out and feel guilty or sad about it now. 21 down and only 19 to go! At some later date. And Alphonso will be history for 2010.

And I owe my husband John a new pair of work gloves.

In the meantime, I picked the last remaining red rose and stuck it in a vase for the kitchen. I remembered a poem I wrote when I was a young(er) woman. Oddly enough, the poem is about aging. Nevertheless, here it is:

WINTER SOLSTICE
by Maggie Mayall

Worn-out browns and faded golds
Say Time has run out, Autumn is old
The wind sings "Winter" in my ear
She pricks my cheek with a chipped ice tear

But there is a rose on the rose bush there
She clings to vines that have long been bare
A lonely trophy of a timeless Spring
Confronts the threshold of Wintering]]> http://maggiemayall.com/blog.html/winter Sun, 17 Jan 2010 14:45:58 -0800 The Official Maggie Mayall Website - Maggie Mayall - Blog http://maggiemayall.com/blog.html/2010 Let's have some fun!
You only live once
And when you're dead, your done
So let the Good Times Roll!

Thank you, Louis Jordan.

Have started the New Year off with a bang. We were in Maui as the clock ticked down. John was sitting in with Mick Fleetwood and his band featuring old friend Rick Vito. It was a lot of fun. Alice Cooper was there and rocked us into the New Year. They treated us great at the Mala Restaurant in Wailea.

Last year, sadly, MadAsHellClub went defunct. It went dark. I was enjoying writing my monthly column called "The Tour Bus Is On Fire," about what it's like to live in my shoes--usually funny, sometimes messy, sometimes sad, sometimes kind of normal and sometimes weird. And I was enjoying reading what the other writers on the site were getting up to as well. Ah, well...While I try to figure out where to put my writing energy next, I think I will post some of the 35 essays I wrote so far here, on the News/Journal page.

John and I celebrated our 28th year of wedded bliss on Jan. 8. Yes, I know it's also Elvis' birthday, but we actually didn't pick the date for that reason, it just worked out that way. Actually, I have an essay about it called "The Ice Storm," the title of which is a clue to how our wedding date came to be changed to Jan. 8. Anyway, this year we celebrated with some friends at Cozy's Bar and Grill in Sherman Oaks, listening to John's former guitar player Coco Montoya. John sat in, which was planned. Just as I was thinking Coco was going to have a hard time getting John off the stage, Coco called ME up! Boy that was a surprise! I was quite flustered at first. I could use at least 5 minutes warning. But in the end, professional that I am, I think I pulled it off with some semblance of sanity.

But Coco was awesome. We stayed and enjoyed ourselves as just plain ol' audience members for the 2nd set. His performance was actually mind-blowing.

Anyway, welcome to whoever out there reads this. Can't promise how much I'll be filling you in. Keep checking.

And Let the Good Times Roll for 2010!

love, peace and serenity,
Maggie]]> http://maggiemayall.com/blog.html/2010 The Official Maggie Mayall Website - Maggie Mayall - Blog