AfroBohemian Rhapsody

Check out video from my appearance on the Google+ Flying Circle

2012-01-27T00:06:00.000-06:00

Download Amazing Grace

2011-11-18T17:43:00.001-06:00

Uke Go Girl Meetup/Jam MON 11/07 8-10PM @Shameless Grounds

2011-11-03T10:21:00.001-05:00

My latest project, Uke Go Girl, will be having its next Meetup & Jam Session on Monday, November 7th. The location is Shameless Grounds in South City. We'll get started at 8pm.
Whether you have been playing ukulele for years, just started, or are just curious about playing, you are more than welcome to join us.

Download "Summertime" for free...

2011-07-27T18:08:00.001-05:00

ME+MY UKULELE=SUMMERTIME

2011-07-25T15:59:00.001-05:00

Backing my BabyGirl on ukulele...

2011-04-21T22:45:00.000-05:00

Study in Yellow

2011-03-28T22:21:00.002-05:00

Beauty...

2010-12-21T12:34:00.001-06:00

Eye+Ear Candy from my BOLD as LOVE Concert

2010-03-01T12:17:00.000-06:00

with love...

from l to r: Fred "Smooth" Saunders, Monties Gillespie, Me, Blue, C. Jay Conrod, DJ James Nappy Needles

Silent Wishes

2009-10-01T12:13:00.000-05:00

Silent wishes

rest on my lips

I don't have words for this

I want to fall

into my dreams

to become one with everything

Watching the sun dip

low in the sky

My spirit longs to take off and fly

Tofu Florentine

2009-10-01T12:11:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning the Missus and I decided to try a new recipe for brunch. I have been wanting to make the Tofu Florentine I saw on the Could It Be... Seitan blog. We used everything bagels instead of english muffins and my homemade vegan caesar dressing. The result was crazy delicious. super easy, and very very filliing.

GODness

2009-07-14T12:04:00.000-05:00

Respect...

2009-06-25T12:02:00.001-05:00

Michael Joseph Jackson "King of Pop"

1958-2009

Vegan Fried "Chicken" Strips

2009-06-24T11:55:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far. Im gonna stray from the poetry today and share some vegan goodness with ya.

A couple weeks ago, the family and I went to a blues concert in the park. We had homemade hummus with veggies and pita, a fresh fruit assortment, and a brand new recipe for me... VEGAN FRIED "CHICKEN". It was a hit! I used homemade seitan and the following recipe for the batter:

1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups whole wheat flour
4 Tbsp.nutritional yeast
3 Tbsp. spicy mustard
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp. baking powder
1 lb. mock chicken (homemade or store bought)
3 1/2 cups vegetable oil

Mix together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, flour, and nutritional yeast in a deep bowl. In a separate bowl, dilute the mustard with 1/2 cup water. Add 1/3 cup of the flour mixture to the mustard mixture and stir. Add the baking powder to the dry flour mixture and mix. Dip chunks of the "chicken" into the mustard batter, then drop each chunk into the flour mixture and coat with the desired amount of “crust.” Fry the chunks in hot oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet or deep fryer until crispy and golden brown, turning as needed.

I made a huge batch of seitan the night before. It took about 45min to make the batter and fry it all up. I doubled the batter recipe, which was a good thing because it was inhaled. Even the non-vegans in attendance were impressed. I also served BBQ sauce for dippin :-)

Heart Song (Haiku #5)

2009-06-22T11:55:00.000-05:00

Woman lay with me

Listen close to my heartsong

It plays just for you

My Angel

2009-06-08T11:52:00.000-05:00

Sometimes

it feels like

this life

ain't enough

to do everything

When sometimes

I'm too scared

to do anything

Don't want

my heartache

to show

when

I just do not know

If I am

good enough.

Am I good enough?

Then she takes my hand

and whispers

"You are loved,

you child of God.

The Universe is yours,

all it's gifts at your feet.

You are more than worthy.

You are more than enough."

And I believe every word.

Leap of Faith

2009-05-24T11:51:00.000-05:00

A mosaic

of emotions

laid out beautifully between us

This spectrum of

human feelings

stretched

from heart to heart

eyes pleading to please

please forgive the words we each say

We are hurt animals

abused enough

to stay afraid

sore enough

to never trust

this kind of love

because it cant be real

its just too good

Pulling

to get closer

pushing

to keep the distance

Faces

wet with tears

chests

full of yesterday's fears

for tomorrow

We fight with ourselves

until our bodies

cannot stay apart

So we lay

in our love

and pray

Clarity (Haiku #4)

2009-04-23T11:48:00.000-05:00

i have clarity

looking through love's eyes at her

all my fears dissolve

Love Light (Haiku #3)

2009-04-13T11:43:00.004-05:00

Goddess of my heart

banishing the dark in me

Her smile is love light

Higher

2009-04-09T11:40:00.002-05:00

Ive come to take you higher

Hold my hand

And lets

Ascend

See I got to take you higher

We are meant

For greater things

We are meant

For divinity

Our time on Earth

Is damn near spent

We are meant

For infinity

Our time on Earth

Is damn near spent

We are meant

To dance between realities

To taste a black holes' lips

We are meant

To slip through stratospheres

And embrace the consuming abyss

Will you melt with me

Into eternity

And we'll evolve

Into the eyes of God

I have grown weary

Of this human form

Lets shed the flesh

And be reborn

In the image of Her serenity

We'll be the void between the stars

The ear-splitting silence

Of echoless songs

Lets get higher

And infinity is ours

LOTUS BUDDHA
Uploaded by romapada

Eve

2009-04-02T11:37:00.001-05:00

she

reached out

her arm

stretching across

the passenger seat

and handed him

out the window

a yellow-green

apple

his sign says

WILL WORK FOR FOOD

and in the lower

right-hand corner

GOD BLESS YOU

from the bus

i am touched

been feeling

overwhelmed

with the state

of things

the craze

of things

the pain

of things

the weight

of things

but

love is all around

yes

love is all around

GOD bless her for

reminding me

LOVE IS ALL AROUND

i am

2009-03-29T11:35:00.001-05:00

i am

a well of desire

and

dreams

and

heartstrings

pulled taut

across

the universe

refracting light

and

dark

and

hidden wishes

of the soul

ascended

to breath-taking heights

soaring on wings of destiny

leaving behind

remnants of shackles

and

fear

and

uncertainty

no longer

my uninvited companions

on this journey

of self-actualiztion

Direction

2009-03-11T11:33:00.000-05:00

"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading."

~Lao Tzu

Life

2009-03-11T11:27:00.000-05:00

“Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.” ~Unknown

What Are You Waiting For...

2009-03-03T11:25:00.000-06:00

"What Are You Waiting For?" I once received a refrigerator magnet with those words on it. So simple, but a very good question indeed. Too many of us have dreams, goals, and aspirations and a list of reasons why those dreams haven't come true yet. We are waiting on the right circumstances, situations, weather conditions... I don't know. It seems like there is always time. There is always tomorrow. But many, if not most people find that tomorrow comes so much quicker than they anticipated and before they know it their whole life has passed them by. They look back at their lives and imagine all the things they could have done, should have done. And now its too late.

Ive come to the conclusion in my own life that "There is no time but NOW". There will never be a better time to make my dreams come true. NO EXCUSES! NO PROCRASTINATION! NO EXCUSES!!!

Everyday there is something I can do to make my dreams come true. Everyday I can take at least one step that will get me closer to the life I want. I will not take no for an answer. Any wall I come up against I will knock down, dig under, jump over... whatever it takes. NO EXCUSES! I'm not waiting...

What are YOU waiting for?

Today's Motivation

2009-02-27T11:21:00.000-06:00

photo by Cilla

“If you only do what you know you can do- you never do very much"
~Tom Krause