I’m looking at my blog for the first time in 12 months (apparently!), though I’m not sure how that much time has passed! My take-home is this: if you wait to find the right time to do something, it probably won’t happen. So, here’s to just doing it! First post in 12 month – GO!

Last October, I played for a local cable television show called, Eclectic Evenings. This is produced by a creative branch of local nonprofit, The Music Initiative, called {tin}, which stands for, “This Is Noteworthy.” I’m so excited to have a little bit of video for those of my fans who haven’t yet gotten to see me perform live! As always, I could pick this piece apart, but really, when it comes down to it, I’m proud of where I was in October, creatively and professionally, and as a time capsule of sorts, this production is priceless.

{tin} presents Virginia Street [Eclectic Evenings, Season 4 / Episode 9] from {tin} This Is Noteworthy on Vimeo.

I also recorded one song for an international online website called, BalconyTV.com. This was also produced by The Music Initiative’s, {tin}.

Amidst these little triumphs, I finished writing and started recording for an album with Billy Baldwin and Rut Leland, for which Billy wrote the lyrics and Rut and I wrote the music. As my first real collaboration, I have been floored by the creativity that is unlocked through the process of collaborating with other artists.

A bit of loner, I’ve always liked the stability of only needing to depend on myself, and through this experience, I’ve been forced a go a little bit more “with the flow.” Rut and I performed for the first time together at Awendaw Green a few weeks ago, and that marked my first collaborative performance in many years.

Over the last 12 months, I’ve experienced more of the nitty-gritty of life than I care to recount, but through it all, I’ve come to acknowledge that whatever the cost, I must push forward. Even when I have writer’s block for six months, I must press on. Even when I feel like my relevance is waning, I must keep on keepin’ on. And, even when I’m tired, and maybe even especially when I’m tired, I have a few true callings that tell me, “Virginia, you’ve got a lot more to offer.”

I hope that with the eventual release of our album, which will most likely be entitled, “These Our Offerings,” I’ll be doing just that.

My sister gave birth to a precious baby girl this past Monday, and to say that I am excited is an understatement. Mixed in with the excitement is a bit sadness too, though. For reasons out of my control, I wasn’t able to be there, and still haven’t met her, Eliana – that’s her name. When my nephew was born, I got my 30 seconds of auntie joy in person. This time around, I’m having to sit on it – not something I do well!

As with all major events in life, I decided on Monday to go to the bench for palliative care. I sat down with lofty goals. “I’m going to write a whole album of children’s lullabies today, and I’m going to dedicate it to the baby.” At that part of the day she hadn’t been born, and I didn’t yet know her name. This is classic Virginia, trying to fill up perceived inadequacies with overly ambitious and grand gestures of love and loyalty. I started the day with a simple card written in an “on the day you were born”-esque fashion. As the hours and the waiting from so far away (my sister and her husband live eight hours away!) ticked on, I began to feel more and more separated from the whole experience. So very helpless, kind of like my niece.

As the music started to flow, I noticed that no matter how hard I tried to keep my fingers on the white keys, they kept sneaking up to the black ones. I thought, “Cheer up, Genes [My sister’s term of endearment from childhood, when “Genes” was a more logical interpretation of the nickname than “Jeans.”], this is a happy, joyful day. Think of happy notes and joyful words.” And, I was happy, but the song I needed to write was the song of an auntie, who was missing her niece’s birth, missing the opportunity to be one of the first welcome wagon-eers, who will patiently wait another couple of months until she can meet the little one, and who, reluctantly needed to give in to the black keys that were so very present on an otherwise “white key” day.

And so, Eliana’s Song was born around the same time that Eliana Grace was born and on the same day. In fact, I added the last little snippet after I learned her name. How could I know before, that her name, Eliana, meaning “He has responded” in Hebrew and “sun” in Latin and Greek, would fit in so nicely? I definitely can’t take credit for that kind of poetry!

I’m hoping to get a recording of it up soon, but until then, here are the lyrics:

You are on your way
You have been the apple of your mother’s eye
Before you even breathed your first tiny breath
I am miles away
Every ounce of my inside is wishing I was there with you
To greet you as you enter into here

In my mind, I am there with you
I reach out to hold your tiny finger
Your tiny nails scratch right through to me
In my mind, I am holding you
Whispering nothings in your ear
Speaking in the only language we can share

Tokens of my love
All I have to give and send to you
Remembering you, as if you’ve always been
A part of us, even though we’ve never met

In my mind, I am there with you
I reach out to hold your tiny finger
Your tiny nails scratch right through to me
In my mind, I am holding you
Whispering nothings in your ear
Speaking in the only language we can share

Hush, sweet girl, please try and sleep
Your days is here and almost gone
You’ve stepped into this world
I can’t wait to take your hand
And show you my world too

You arrived today
Made your grand debut
To an audience of two
A special delivery
Sent to everyone I love
He has responded with you
That’s you

In my mind, I am there with you
I reach out to hold your tiny finger
Your tiny nails scratch right through to me
In my mind, I am holding you
Whispering nothings in your ear
Speaking in the only language we can share

Eliana, you’re finally here
Eliana, welcome home, my dear