Feb 25, 2011

Chloe Dancer


February makes me think of love; Lady Estrogen makes me think of Rock 'n Roll. Funny how the two so frequently fit together. The memories that are most important do not play back in my mind as a silent movie, I'd say they're more like MTV; a stream of music videos with short interludes adding witty commentary here and there. Memories of love are always tightly connected to music.

When I think back to the humble beginnings of me and Nate, music plays a big role. I was the bartender at the pub his band played in, he was the bass player. He managed coffee houses during the day, jammed with the guys in the evenings and dragged me all over the province to be his personal (and only) groupie. It was a different life back then. I'd work until 3am, and miss my 8am classes, he'd sleep until 3am, and spend a couple of hours with me before rushing off to his early morning shifts.

Things are a little different now. Where we used to get ready in the mornings leisurely with coffee and Pearl Jam videos on the tv, we're now methodically racing through a morning routine including a to do list that a sane person couldn't fit into an entire day. Instead of the stereo emoting constantly, I find that at times I'm reluctant to even turn it on because I know Chloe will be quick to test the speaker's full potential, and then pull the volume knob off. Most days, I just don't want the fight. So long to Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews and Ben Harper providing the audio for my memories. These days I'm more likely to be humming the lyrics to 5 Green and Speckled Frogs.

While our melodious roots seem to be put on pause for the time-being, they are certainly not forgotten. I will admit, the tunes are not taking the centre stage these days, but we do (almost) always dedicate some musical space for Nate and his dusty gear. We no longer frequent dingy hotels in remote towns so Nate and his mates can entertain the masses, but Nate does make it down to the basement from time to time to lay down a track. Music is still very much a big part of our lives.

Memories of love are always tightly connected to music, at least for us they are. And I can see that this will be a tradition that we build many of our family memories on. Be it Liam sneaking down to the basement to plunk on the little organ we found abandoned down the street, or Chloe intently bobbing to the beat; music will remain a big part of our lives.

I will leave you with a song that is very meaningful to our family. When I asked Nate if he had any ideas for a name for a daughter, he didn't have to think for a moment; he'd known Chloe would be the one for years.



This post was written by Kristy Dolha, who writes amazing and inspiring posts over at Life - Inspired by the Wee Man. She also organizes One Wee Voice which is a blogger collaborative to help raise awareness through our writing of particular causes, such as Child Poverty and Domestic Violence. Check her out when you have a chance!

14 comments:

  1. I absolutely love this post. Strange how things change when you have kids. I remember lying in bed all day with my hubbie-now we feel guilty lying in passed 7am at the wkend! x

    ReplyDelete
  2. I loved this when you submitted it!
    I got into Mother Love Bone because of Pearl Jam and anything associated with them meant it had to be awesome ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Man this song brings back memories! It was on the Singles movie soundtrack I remember, great tune.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Haha.. yeah - I got a H-U-G-E kick out of seeing the guys from Pearl Jam in that movie! I used to rewind it and watch that part extra times, even though they were just sitting there like stoned zombies watching a documentary about bees or something like that. LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This post along with the comments really made me think. I wonder how life will be for me when I grow balls and have children of my own? Will I be as wild an carefree? Is it possible to be? A lot of unanswered questions.

    ReplyDelete
  6. oh man i love this song and haven't heard it in forever. Like other commenters, I distinctly remember it being in the Singles movie (which i have on DVD) and on the soundtrack (which i now have on iTunes).
    Our family really values music too and I've always listened to 'real' music when my son was in the car with me from the start. He's been a Green Day fan since he was two. Kid loved Jesus of Suburbia.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Music evokes such great memories. I love how a song can transport you back to a moment in the past, a memory you haven't though of in ages, yet a song can make it seem like yesterday. Thank you for the post and the song. x

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love being taken back to a specific moment in my past with just the opening bars of a great song. Terrific post!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow! Something must be wrong with my headset I could barely hear this song, but very cool. I love the piano for one, and the songs that just make you close your eyes and go with the flow. Thanks for your help, and stopping by leaving a comment. I've grabbed your button also! Have a great weekend. Hope to see ya on Monday!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks for posting, Lady E! Happy to have brought everyone on a trip down memory lane :) We have that movie, too....a music junkie's dream!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Music and love are SO intertwined. I love it when songs transport me back to times and places that sometimes I've forgotten. And they are mingled with other love too, like the birth of my children, times spent with people who are no longer with us. It's so, so powerful.

    ReplyDelete
  12. And Liam entered this world with some cool as well; he spent his first hour at home planted in front of the stereo listening to Pearl Jam Ten... Now firmly a rock and roll kid!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ah, Nate; you guys are awesome :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Yep they are totally awesome and Chloe will love this when she is old enough to understand what a way to choose a name. I can imagine you both rocking in the basement at 80 (that's you and Nate not you and Chloe - she'll be doing the OMG my parents are sooooo sooo embarrassing but secretly she'll be rocking those tunes too) x

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.