My last post was 2010? I am still here. I am notified of a new comments, mostly on an older post "The Bawdy Balladeers". If you left a comment on that post you might find a reply there. Every time, I promise myself to make a new post indicating that I am alive. To quote Baymax from Big Hero 5, "I am not fast".
As for me, see that selfie+1 up there? That is us at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2014, 7 years after diagnosis and treatment for brain cancer. I say us because Life Is A Team Sport. I still go for a brain MRI every 4 months to visit my favorite tech Paul. A week later Dr. Grossman shows me it is unchanged since treatment finished in 2008. Pretty nifty team.
We have been keeping busy. In the last year we've been to (probably out of order):
- Philadelphia for the Flower Show 2014 (and 2015)
- Charlotte N.C. for NASCAR race
- Drumstrong music festival
- Atlanta Aquarium
- Atlanta Botanical Gardens - amazing
- Dream Cars exhibit and more at The High Museum in Atlanta - even more amazing
- Atlanta Braves game
- My favorite Mexican restaurant in all the world - Zocalo
- Orioles vs. Yankees
- The Big E - if you have to ask, look here
- 12-14 car shows in various locations
- and one day while just driving down the road, we had to turn around and go back because we both did a double take. Across some train tracks and down a steep hill was the TV set for Sheriff Hood's home/Sugar's bar from Banshee (a sick, violent show we indulge in). The girl on Sugar's porch said they are no longer filming in N.C., it was private property and wanted to charge us $5 to go in. We were content with a few pictures.
I am still amazed when I get a blog comment, an email from a fan or am recognized as Bliss. That happened a few weeks ago. I had to sing Thing Be for a surgical tech during minor surgery on the back of my shoulder. What a hoot! I haven't been to The Maryland Renaissance Festival for two years because it was just too dangerous last time. Balancing my scooter on rough terrain has been increasingly difficult on three wheels. Tipping over is for cows. I might live to eat mor chikin without rocks and mulch under my wheels. I miss visiting, but every year there are fewer friends and more changes. Better to have the good memories I think.
It might take a while, but I will still try to answer if anyone reads this drivel and clicks "post a comment" down at the bottom. If not I'll be back in another 5 years to let the blogosphere know I am still here.
Promise.
4 comments:
Dear Bliss,
I just discovered what happened after the Bawdy Balladeers.
A friend converted one of the tapes to a CD and I listened to it for the first time in years....bringing back memories.
I'm so happy to see that you are doing "relatively" well. I had no idea what your "health problems" had been. God bless.
I've introduced my 15year old daughter to your music and she loves it.
She started out at as a 2nd grader in love with the Pyrates Royale and has expanded to other "bawdy" singers. She's listening to a CD right now.
"you canna score at Revel grove...you canna score at all..."
I just wanted to send you a note to say thank you for all of the fun. I hope you continue to be well.
All my best wishes
A long lost fan.
Mark
Dear Cargosquid,
Fans are never long lost, if they last long. Thank you for your continued fandom.
Delighted to hear your daughter is digging the old music. Folk music has no expiration date. Still, it boggles my mind that a girl born after we made those recordings is just being introduced to them. sigh Even little children used to love our live shows and recordings. The bawdy content was only realized when it became appropriate I think, and then accepted as part of the bigger picture of life. Scarlett's daughter was born and raised at our rehearsals and shows :-)
Hope the CD gives you a lots more years of fun than the cassettes did. Some folks leave it in their car mix for those private need-to-grin moments.
Cheers
Bonnie/Bliss
Every once in a while, I do a search for the Bawdy Balladeers. I become poignantly nostalgic, and occasionally look to see if ever a copy of Roll Your Leg Over cassette is avaialable. I still have the 2nd CD with all 3 of your lipstick prints on it. You 3 ladies, and your performances were ever and always the highlight for my Faire visits. I even was lucky enough to be Number 4, and he'd been there twice before (typing with a tear or two in my eye at this moment) with Scarlet O'Harlet when i bought the CD. Thanks to all 3 of you for some very wonderful memories.
I read trhoguh your story, and though wasn't aware you had brain cancer, and so very glad to see you have fought and won, and continue to improve. May you live to 100, and in continued good health.
I hope to one day find find the songs from your first tape, that they are available online for sale/download.
Good wishes to you and yours,
A loyal fan today and forever, even beyond the veil,
Ham Channell
Hello Number 4,
How nice of you to seek me out, glad to hear about the happy memories. Hopefully you are still going to whichever faire(s) you attend. There is so much great music out there still. You can spend a whole day with just music shows and not hear them all.
About once a year, I too do a "The Bawdy Balladeers" web search I am not ashamed to say. I call it research, as in "Is anybody out there: still singing those songs, with verses we wrote, with the harmonies we arranged, even the title changes?". It tickles me because that is the nature of folk music and other oral history.
But I digress.
Your best chance of finding Roll Your Leg Over is to network with friends who might have a cassette. Heck, a wistful mention that you would love to hear "Three Whores of Tottenham" again, or that you can't remember the words to "The Clean Song". Both were on that album and might get you some help from the oddest of non-faire places. Or try humming one of our songs. I spoke with someone on the West Coast who had a copy. One even reached Australia. Don't give up, the faires are well into their Spring season.
Good Health to all your Company
Bonnie/Bliss
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