End o' week musings

It's been a decent week considering all the fun I had last weekend.

Saturday was the 36th Occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade and I had a great time doing the commentating for the official webcast. If you missed the parade or want to relive it, you can watch it replay at www.doodahlive.com


I got a lot of comments on my angel outfit. It was supposed to look as if I had walked through fire when I originally made it for a show years ago, but most people called me a fallen angel. Hmmmm.... perhaps being at Doo Dah had something to do with that.


Many of my favorite entries returned to the parade, including the purple moose. I also made new friends, like comedian Robby Ravenwood ( robbyravenwood.com ), who was the devil. He was kind enough to share some video of us dancing at the after-party at the American Legion

 http://youtu.be/Yq_Rl1ymbig


I had a huge giggle over Pasadena Star-News editor Frank Girardot being honored as the Thorny Rose. He not only deserved it, he enjoyed it. 

And my photographer and Knight Terry Miller shared his column rapping up the big day:

 http://www.pasadenaindependent.com/featured/the-2013-doo-dah-parade-are-you-experienced/

 Sunday I danced at the Renaissance Faire, but it got so hot and so crowded that we had to cut one of our parades short. Strangely enough, I felt pretty good despite the heat. Maybe I finally have this hydration thing working in my favor.


This week I did a lot of interviews and wrote a lot of stories. I also received a lot of emails, including a very cool one from my friend (and reader) Bill Cagle who sent me a video of his performance during his vacation in Alabama. I guess you could say that you're a touring musician now, Bill... Anyway, check him out

http://youtu.be/XYiJXv7Q5W8

I've got more Faire this weekend and next week looks pretty much the same, but you know I'll find an adventure or two!

In rotation this week: Dust, bowed psaltry music, Hot Water Music and Owl City.


Photos we got 'em: A clutch of photos from the Doo Dah Parade most by my webcast videographer Dean Lee and the jitney one courtesy of Light Bringer Project.


Thought o' the week: Make it sweet. When my friend's father died several years ago, one of her relatives gave us some coins at the funeral.  My friend explained that her Chinese relatives were following tradition and we were to use the money to buy some candy to eat when we got home. The idea was that something sweet would take away the bitter, as in the candy would ease the pain of the funeral.


I've thought a lot about that over the years. It's a simple gesture, but steeped in meaning and one that should be taken to heart. How would you like the last memory of you to be "bitter"? Probably not, so you should do your best to make every parting, every good night, every possible last time "sweet." The best thing about making this a habit is that it may just spread out and take over any bitterness in your attitude and replace it with sweetness.


Going through the sympathy cards after my own father died more than a decade ago, I remember that many people commented that he was very intelligent, but none said he was nice. I would much rather be remembered for being nice. It takes a lot less effort to be nice than it does to be mean or apathetic.

For example, I was walking in Chinatown in downtown Los Angeles recently and although the light had changed in our favor, the back end of a bus was still hanging in the crosswalk. I wasn't bothered, but I noticed a senior lady who was debating crossing. I reached out, took her hand and told her we'd be fine if we crossed together and we did. It was a small thing, but it seemed to make her day. The best part, though, was I didn't think, I just acted and it felt good to be nice. Feel good, make it sweet.

Keep on rockin'
Mickie