Toad and More!

Christmas and New Years Day have passed by and it is on to the real world of essays to grade and lessons to plan. I have always felt a bit of a let down after the holidays and in spite of an alcohol household growing up, I love the holidays! I am leaving the tree up till next weekend. It was fresh cut in Vermont by Bailey and I and very alive. Also, the 12 days of Christmas are not over. January 5 is twelfth night followed by Epiphany.

I received an e-mail from Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket and in it there was a new and free song that they recommend sharing and posting. It was a gift to their fans as they are reforming as a band! COOL! Here is an excerpt from that mail.

Happy Holidays!

2010 is coming to a close, and Toad the Wet Sprocket is preparing for a busy 2011. We'll be touring throughout the year, and are excited to be switching up the set and adding some new surprises. Since we broke up in 1997, we haven't made much in the way of long term plans. That's changing this year - we're a band again. In honor of that change, and out of thanks to you all for sticking around so long, we want to give you a Christmas gift in the form of a song: Click here to download "It Doesn't Feel Like Christmas". The song was penned by our friend Sam Phillips, and we hope you enjoy it! If you'd like a friend to have it, please encourage them to join the mailing list as well. They will receive a link with their confirmation email. You can also share the song and post it on your interwebs (blog, FaceBook, wherever) via Bandcamp here. We'll see you on the road in the coming year.

Thanks!

-Toad

Here is the song off of You Tube....

Another cool development is that Bailey tried out for, and was chosen to play in the Western Massachusetts District Music Festival at UMASS this Spring. His point total from his audition gave him the highest score in Western Mass. That is what I said...Bailey is the best percussionist in the junior division in Western Massachusetts! Amazing! I am so proud and he is so talented. He teacher told me recently that Bailey has a future in music. I am happy, but also sad that others have ignored this talent!

Lastly, since before Thanksgiving the exterior of my house is undergoing a complete restoration. A back mud room that was poorly added has been torn off and a deck added. New siding is being installed. It is almost done and it looks great just as our tree did this year.

So for those who care to ask (and not a single person has) I am not caught in some dark, morbid wallowing in mourning of Vicki's death. I receive support from my therapist and I am in a place that seems to be typical for someone who has encountered what I have. The hard part is the life stuff. The responsibility that I have taken on that two people once did! Only one person has ever commented to me in a right on the mark kind of way. Ironically the person was an assistant teacher who works in my room and one day at lunch she said, "It must be very demanding to be a single dad and do this job! You must be exhausted!" I am paraphrasing her, but I thanked her for her soulful and rare understanding!

The last part of this entry will be a montage of pictures I took in front of the tree with Bailey this year and a cool remake of Madonna's Holiday. The song is by Darren Hayes who was half of the duo Savage Garden and I have posted many of his and their songs in the past. I want to be sure to end this rare post on a positive note...