As a Chef, I often time tell you about events and festivals. But one of the things I have ‘missed’ is the Free Music at the Library! Probably because I didn’t know there was free music at the library…. but on a beautiful Saturday afternoon I got invited out….. and in retrospect, it was a pretty amazing experience.
You know that I play a couple of instruments, sing harmony and write my own music, right?
WE DIDN’T KNOW THAT CHEF.
Oh yeah. I have a picture of me on my piano of me at 5 years old sitting at the piano playing. Been doing it for – EVAH!
I remember writing a really sarcastic song about “Earth Day”, and not knowing the words, the Principal of the school let me sing it over the PA System (people dying but being born just as fast, breathings getting harder among each and every mass… Listen to what I say, for these words might be my last… Today is Earth Day. Don’t ya know it’s Earth Day).
Always a rebel….
So, I would say both food and music are my two passions…. oh yeah. And art.
Well, I got all three yesterday!
From 11am – 2:30pm the Encinitas Library celebrated with their free Centennial Music Festival (build it and they will come). Officials in limo’s showed up ~ pretty exciting……..
There were 3 acts…. (I stayed for the first two) that played against a back drop of pretty amazing local art. My favorite of the day was Erika Davies…. beautiful lilting voice as talented as Bette Midler, Rosemary Clooney or anyone of that genre doing standards as well as her own music just loving what she does… (so obvious).
Break in between? Let ’em eat cake! And if you’re going to sugar out, what better place to buy a cake from than Costco, huh? (I know right)?
2nd act, a country sanger who talked about her redneck background and a friend commented “Sounds a little like Dolly Parton”. Now, country is not my favorite. Found myself closing my eyes in the beginning… to take a little snooze… but once she warmed up, Sara Petite was funny, had good ‘back stories’ to her songs and her voice and guitar certainly did carry her the half hour or so…
The 3rd act was a jazz musician with a washboard guitar named Nathan James… but by that time I was in the entry area getting some green tea…. and all of the ‘almost free’ books, dvd’s and vhs’s caught me by surprise. Time to shop!
I have been wanting to do a Spice Blog, calling it Spice World ! And there sat this book giving me a basis to do my research. 75 cents. It’s mine! I also found a couple of books I know my kids want, and had asked me to spend good money on. SOLD! And a couple of Cd’s to listen to in the car…. inspirational like a reading from Michael J. Fox, etc. $1.50 a CD. What a deal!
Then, my favorite thing happened. At check out, I younger couple with kids came up to pay….. It was cash or check only. They had gathered a bunch of stuff. When they realized they had no cash, the wife looked disappointed but proceeded to place the books back where she found them. I turned to the cashier and asked: “How much”? Well, it was within my budget, so I walked up to the woman and said: “Take the books. It’s on me”. The joy and appreciation from both her and her husband was amazing. Unexpected joy!
So what did we learn today?
I DON’T KNOW. WHAT CHEF?
We learned that giving feels really good.
Made my day!
Happy Eating,
Chef Marian
mm@chefmarian.com
P.S. ~ A quick ‘shout out’ to management. Kathleene is new. About a year old. Running the Encinitas Library. Received an Award at this event. Really friendly. Love, LOve, LOVES books and is right where she should be! Congratulations Kathleene!