Black

Hello fellow writers!  I am about to do my usual thing and attempt to follow the prompt to the best of my limited writing ability.   This week Jenny Matlock has assigned us the following: Use the picture - a black canvas, to create a 25 limit centus.   Click on the button below to link to the meme and read wonderful examples of real writing!  

I was inspired my the words on my favorite singer/songwriter...Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam.  These are not my words, they are his...but they are part of a truly lovely song about love lost.  My entry is in bold. 

"Sheets of empty canvas, untouched sheets of clay...

Were laid spread out before me as her body once did.

All the pictures have all been washed in black, tattooed everything..."

Sorry, too long, totally not my own work, but this came to mind immediately after seeing the prompt picture.  


For those who are regulars and know about Superman Sammy (my son who has been fighting leukemia), he is now OFFICIALLY OFF TREATMENT!!! Our canvas is no longer black....but we look forward to painting many pictures on it as we enjoy our lives together.  If you would like to celebrate with us and help fight this dreadful disease,  please visit: Sammy's Page




For your pleasure:

Observation

As I'm getting the blog up and running again, I cannot believe how many searches for Eddie Vedder have led here.  It seems most of the traffic is for any posts on him.  Believe me, I understand....his voice is amazing and Pearl Jam is my favorite band.  So, to please my audience, here is a little sample of the 'Young Eddie Vedder" as the google searches seem to be mostly looking for!

Enjoy!  I hope this is the opening song at Alpine Valley:)

My Next Purchase

A-Z Challenge

Despite my total lack of time, I am part of the A-Z Challenge on my Wordpress blog (yep, it's started up again as people kept subscribing and commenting despite my link to this blog).  As today's post is about Pearl Jam, well Eddie Vedder really, I thought I'd add it here too....just 'coz!  

D is for DEADLINE….you know, the one I missed yesterday.  I do have a good excuse but I won’t bore you with it now.

E is for EDDIE VEDDER.  He is the singer from Pearl Jam for anyone younger than 30 (although many young’uns do know him so I don’t mean any offense).  I am very Excited because I’m going to see him perform in his solo show.  I have never seen him live, not even with pearl Jam!

Many might remember Eddie as the crazy guy with the angry snarl and baritone growl in the early ’90′s.  Pearl Jam recently celebrated their 20th year together…they have lasted, remain relevant,  and pack out arenas around the world.  Eddie Vedder sold out his solo shows within minutes of tickets going on sale and, believe it or not, he performs playing a ukelele!!!  Bet ya didn’t expect that!

His solo songs are beautiful, still send out important messages to the listener, and are currently new additions to my iPod.

Eddie as you may remember him:

But now…

Enjoy!  Long Nights from the Into the Wild soundtrack:

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Obsession???

This past summer I discovered something I hadn’t known before: I am a hard-core Pearl Jam fan!  Why is this so strange?  Because I NEVER listened to any of their songs for the past twenty years, and now, in the space of a few short months, I know most of their catalogue, have viewed most of their concerts (at least in part) on YouTube, and have begun a collection of bootlegs (PJ issues them through their fan club – yep, I’m a member), and even read Five Against One, the book which seemed to be the most accurate account of the Pearl Jam story.

I am a Pink Floyd, Beatles, Stones, The Who, Black Crowes, Morcheeba, Massive Attack, Jose Carreras, Tchaikovsky kinda girl…with a bit of Eminem thrown in…so I do have diverse taste in music.  I am now listening to PJ almost exclusively…well, they do have a lot of songs for me to get to know!  I stumbled across an old 1992 video of PJ at the Pinkpop Festival. I still have no idea how I came to be watching it; I usually watched comedy on YouTube and didn’t even know I knew the song Black. Yet, here I was entranced by a truly amazing performance of a song I actually had heard many years ago but had no idea who sang it.  I think, had I seen this back in 1992, I may still have just clicked “next’ and ignored it…so why did it spark so much obsession?

Some may say it’s the Eddie Vedder crush, but I didn’t go wild when I was young and  this week is the first time I have listened to his solo stuff, so I don’t think so.  I do think I am smitten with his voice…I recognize it instantly now…and do now enjoy his solo stuff and really appreciate how different it is from most PJ songs.   So what else can it be?  Yes, they are an amazing band together…their videos through the years show how great they are performing live.  There is a certain electricity even through the screen that is captivating.  Yes, I am also enjoying watching how the band evolved through time, and how their music, style and attitude had changed in certain ways.  But I like other bands this way too, although I am no where near as crazy about them.

My husband had been quietly supportive of my new obsession and has bought me a couple of CD’s.  He used to listen to them years ago, but he does not have the same desire to play PJ music daily; I tend to save it for driving in the car alone now. 

There was a moment of clarity a couple of weeks ago when, on a date night with hubby, I got a little tipsy and decided to announce that I was going to the PJ 20th Anniverary Festival…WHEREVER it is being held.  He replied, “doubtful” and I then let loose with “Oh, I”m going…I hope you can too, but I’m going!”

“Alone?”

“If I have to”

“What on earth has got into you?”

“I don’t know, but I am sure as hell not missing this…I have never seen them in concert and I am not missing this chance!”

And then it happened….my husband revealed the reason for my obsession…”I think you are just trying to relive your lost youth!”

“I didn’t like them when I was young!”  I barked.

“That’s just it….your LOST youth!”

Bother!…I turn 40 and get obsessed because I DIDN’T listen to PJ when I was young….

Unthought Known

Let me introduce the song that inspired my name.  It is written by Eddie Vedder and performed by Pearl Jam.  I grew up with this band but didn't really listen to their music until recently.  Now I'm utterly hooked...I listen to their very large catalogue on a regular basis and relish finding various versions of now familiar songs on video channels.  I have evolved in many ways as I have grown older.  I really did not expect to find myself becoming a rock band fanatic at this point in my life...but that is what is so wonderful about life: we do grow and change, we open our minds to new things, or understand old things more than we used to.  

Unknown Thought was on an album released in 2009, Backspacer, so it is not an old song.  Pearl Jam, however have hit their 2oth Anniversary year.  I now feel much older as I distinctly remember my indifference to them while at college!  I also feel like a bit of an idiot for not realizing how good they are!  

The song, to me, is about the decisions we make in life and how we should make the most  of what we have and appreciate the good things...not material, but much more important things such as relationships and  opportunities.  I am certain that the words can be interpreted in many ways.  I am open to any and all suggestions. 



Antonio Joao Santos 

Unthought Known

Pearl Jam

All the thoughts, you never see, you’re always thinking,

Brain is wired, brain is deep, oh are you sinking?
Feel the path of every day, which road you taking?
Breathing hard, making hay, yeah this is living.
Look for love and evidence, that you’re worth keeping,
Swallowed whole in negatives, it's so sad and sickening,
Feel the air up above, a pool of blue sky,
Fill the air up with love, black with starlight.
Feel the sky blanket you,  with gems and rhinestones,
See the path cut by the moon, for you to walk on,
For you to walk on,
Nothing left,
Nothing left,
Nothing there,
Nothing left.
See the path cut by the moon, for you to walk on,
See the waves on distant shores, awaiting your arrival,
Dream the dreams of other men, you’ll be no one's rival,
Dream the dreams of others then, you will be no one's rival,
You will be no one's rival.
A distant time, a distant space, that’s where we’re living —
A distant time, a distant place, so what you giving?
What you giving?