Your donation allows you to get a signed CD (or two, or three! ) about a month before they will be widely available for purchase online or download.

The advanced CD donations cost a little more but you get a CD signed to you (which you can’t get from CD Baby), you get the music early, AND it helps me greatly as an independent artist because the donated money goes directly to cover my production and manufacturing costs. Also, I’d love for you to have a physical CD because a) I don’t have room to store them hehe and b) I think the artwork is pretty cool (I took most of the pictures and designed it myself!), and very personal to me. It’s a little walk through some of my favorite things…and you get the lyrics!

The CD was produced in six days last fall with cool cat Clay Cook, who is pretty much a master musician and all-around great human. There are also some special guests: Emily Kate Boyd sings background vocals on a few tracks and Doris Muramatsu of Girlyman (who doesn’t LOVE girlyman?!?!?!) sings featured vocals on “You Got Me” and “How To Run.” I think it came out great…

Here’s the tracklisting:

1. You Got Me (feat. Doris Muramatsu from Girlyman)
2. Never Regret The Nights
3. London
4. A Good Day
5. How to Run (feat. Doris Muramatsu from Girlyman)
6. One of These Nights (Blink)
7. Matinée
8. Flat Earth Theory
9. The West Coast
10. Happy

I’m so proud of these songs, and this work as a whole, and they represent a very important chapter in my life. There will be some samples up on MySpace shortly…

www.myspace.com/lucasmire

I appreciate your support! Feel free to tell your friends or social networks

IMPT: Remember to tell me who you’d like me to sign the CDs for! See the chart above to calculate your donation based on the number of CDs you desire.

AND with your donation, I’ll email you an mp3 from the album (“You Got Me”) so you can have something to listen to as you await your snail mail.

If you have any problems, email me at lucasmire@gmail.com.

I’m trying to get better about dipping in here for a quick post in stead of making it a big overwhelming deal. So, here’s a taste of that.

Regarding the new record, I’m dying to get started on the pre-sales, but in this economic climate, I feel a little bit like a douchebag asking people to pay me in advance for a CD. Still, you don’t know until you ask, and if I word the email correctly, I think I can convey that I understand these are extraordinary times. More to come on that, you can be sure.

I found out last night that my friend Hilla is taking me to see Kooza. Well, I’m paying $20 for my ticket, which is basically free. I love free stuff, if I haven’t mentioned it.

I was trying to decide if I should purchase a new watch yesterday, as both of my favorite watches died last year and I’ve been using my dress watch everyday, or not wearing one at all. The watch was a little pricey, but I found a good deal online. I was thinking though, in relation to the Kooza tickets, that I’d much rather spend money on something that will last for a few years than on an experience that will last for two hours. I think this makes me materialistic, but only in that I like that I can actually see/use the thing I’ve splurged on, instead of the money just being spent on an experience.

The exception to this is when I’m doing something for someone else. For instance, rather than buy something for my (former) in-laws a few Christmases ago when they were visiting (former) B & me from Ariz., I took them to a nice dinner and to see a Cirque show, which was a terrific and meaningful experience — something we all shared that I’ll never forget.

But when it comes to me alone, I’ll tend to take the watch.

Neither here nor there, I guess, but as you peruse these blog pages, and don’t see images, it’s just the way it is…Hopefully it’s not too much of a distraction.

Daddy give me one more chance
At least another dance
Across the floor
Spin me round
Throw me up
And push me down
Throw me back
But pull me up close to your heart

He has thrown
Like a teenager from home
The webs been spun
And the funeral march has been sung
And my wheels are turning
And this heart is burning

Daddy give me one more chance
At least another dance
Across the floor
Spin me round
Throw me up
And push me down
Throw me back
But pull me up close to your heart

Throw me down
Pull me up
Crash into me and then break apart
Throw me down
But pull me up close to your heart

Follow my eyes across the room
You drunken groom
What a surprise
The music stopped the shoe has dropped

If you go then I go
If you throw then I throw
But you know and I know
I just can't dance with anyone

Throw me down
But pull me up
Crash into me and then break apart
Throw me down
Pull me up close to your heart
Throw me down
Pull me up
Crash into me and then break apart
Throw me down
Pull me up close to your heart

He has gone
He has
He has gone…
He has gone…
He has gone…
He has gone…
He has gone…
He has gone…
–leona naess, whose lovely new album "thirteens" is in shops now.

Relationship: I've known Scott since I was about 19 years young, but we lost touch for about 13 or 14 years…one day he googled me and we discovered we were living about four blocks from each other! The world is a crazy, wonderful place. So we reconnected and I got to meet his lovely significant other, Art. Their back deck is pretty much an oasis of calm, peace, and tranquility — and dance parties. They wanted to get in on the Well-Fed thing, because they are at almost every show, and will do most anything to cheer me on.

Menu: Scott did the cooking, and can be quite adventurous in the kitchen. For the salad course, he made a dressing that was kind of caesarish, but of course, homemade, inspired by a Paula Deen show he saw on TV. A basket of toasted french bread and butter was on the table, and went perfectly with the main dish: A shrimp, crab, and sausage gumbo served over fluffy white rice. (Scott wanted to serve brown rice, but said it seemed wrong to serve gumbo without white rice. I agree!) The gumbo was quite the hit, as I had two servings, which I am rarely letting myself do these days. It was just so good, I couldn't resist. Scott once made these stuffed peppers that I still talk about, but I think the gumbo takes the prize. Thanks, guys!!

I was planning for this to be my Well-Fed finale, but we have a few last minute additions…they'll be trickling in over the next couple of weeks…I told them I've made it past the two week point by now, plus some, but my friends are so sweet, they want to cook for me, so who am I to stop them!?

Host:

Relationship: Gina's another lady I met through work about six or so years ago, but she has also been a benefic force in my musical adventures…from helping me decipher legal paperwork, to buying music gear, to telling me how to hook said gear up, to actually coming to hook it up when i couldn't figure it out, to running my sound, she's kind of done it all…except cook for me. She's really been into Skinny Bitch (which I've also read and enjoyed), and to also appease the PETA-philes, she decided to cook me a vegan meal, which I got very excited about. (She's also pledged to cook for me when I move into my new place next week if I can't afford food. She also has some mad napkin folding skills.

Menu: Whole wheat pasta, broccoli, garlic, and sauteed vegan sausage. Topped with vegan cheese yumminess, and served with a Viognier. I know I was just raving about the apple pear dessert on Monday, but for the finale, Gina did something so simple and delicious. She grilled a banana and served it over soy dream vanilla bean faux-ice cream. The grilling of the banana really brought alive the flavor and texture of the nana, and paired with the gooey coolness of the soy dream, well, all i can say is mmmmmmmmmmm.

We then retired to the living room to watch Obama's speech at the DNC. Not one to ever get very engaged with the political process (Yes, I vote, I just don't need all this talking….), we also watched a little bit of an old Grey's episode and talked about the characters we loved or hated. (Hate George and Izzy, separately or together; love Meredith's flawed perfection.) And how creepy it was for TR to be dating a teen. Yes, we judged. Then it was time to go…


But if you see a sister biking down Boulevard with an insulated bag stuffed with vegan goodness in her bicycle basket any time soon, you know who it is.

Guests: Me, Hillary and the ever-adorable Dawn.

Menu: The girls called me on the way home from my "appointment" (group therapy, LOL), and we placed our orders at Flying Biscuit. Shelly always loves the warm chicken salad, Hillary loves the Devil burger (the only veggie burger she'll eat, she says, but she's never had the veggie burger at Houston's.), Dawn had the love cakes (also vegetarian), and I had the turkey meatloaf with pudge. (This was before I discovered turkey is acidic and I need to eat more alkaline.) Flying biscuits with apple butter were in abundance.

After dinner, we retired to the pool, where Hillary showed us her mermaid-like moves. Then we hopped in the not-so-hot tub (the storms had knocked out power to the tub, so it had to heat up, which it did suprisingly quickly!), and had one of those great several hour conversations that really quench your soul. I loved having two of my best gals together and we all learned so much about each other. Suddenly it was nearly 1 a.m. and we had to work the next day…. so we dried off and hurried home….. Great night though….Thanks, ladies!

Hosts:

Relationship: I met Laurel met six or so years ago at work, and immediately discovered a shared love of Mollie Katzen, shelter mags, yoga, small space design, old Ani DiFranco, and working long hours during hurricane season. When I became a product manager, she showed me the ropes, reviewed my requirements and spent a lot of time helping me not look like a doofus. (Thanks, Laurel! If only I could be 1/10 as organized!) She is also a fabulous vegetarian cook, and a constant supporter of my music (she and Mike were at my first real show at Red Light Café back in the day!), so she was a natural for one of my Well-Fed Artist dinners…And her girls may well be the cutest, sweetest, most well-behaved, polite, fun-loving, laughter-filled, smart, and lovable creatures to dwell on planet earth. And, in the right lighting, Mike kinda looks like Russell Crowe, minus the phone-throwing antics.

Menu: Appetizers were these delicious filo cups baked with a mixture of artichokes and black olives, paired with a lovely Prosecco. Main course was a totally scrumptious veggie-and-tofu-laden red sauce, served over fettucine, served with a wonderful red wine. Dessert was simple, but delicious: a fruit platter comprised of cherries, orange slices, mint sprigs, and the most amazing new food discovery, asian pears (sometimes called apple pears). Laurel is so sweet, she sent me home with one because I couldn't stop raving about it. If you've never had one of these, seek it out the next time you're at the farmer's market. I'm hooked, and you will be, too. Really, I'm not sure I've ever tasted something so fresh and flavorful!

After the real dinner, Ana and Zoe made us some additional dishes in their play kitchen. Ana cooked, and Zoe oversaw the cleanup. They're quite a team, and definitely quite a family. Thanks for having me over, M's, and hope to do it again soon!!

A few years later, I found myself in Castries, St. Lucia, after a friend won a trip on Jeopardy! and invited me along. (She played the last game of the 1900's!) One day, while exploring the town, I stumbled upon a park dedicated to Walcott — it turned out he was from St. Lucia! I had no idea. I love the randomness of the universe.

Anyway, there was one poem that I loved more than the others because it spoke of a love that sometimes seems most elusive: Self-love…  Randomly (or so it seemed), Michelle last week emailed me this same poem not knowing it was my fave…and I felt like it had come full circle. It had been many years since I had read it but I savored each line as if I were retracing a conversation with a long lost friend. Here's the poem…

Love, After Love

The time will come
when, with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other’s welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.

Sit. Feast on your life.

– Derek Walcott