Love at First Sight - An exploration of what that might feel/look like :)

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My friend told me they really clicked with someone last Friday night. It inspired me to want to write a song about love at first sight with a Latin twist. Actually, this song started out bluesy, and developed into this. #art #guitarsongs #loveatfirstsight #latinasingers

A post shared by GG Sparkle (@gg.sparkle) on Sep 27, 2019 at 11:52am PDT

A song for someone that might be feeling down..

Hold on, you just don't know what's around the corner

A song for suicide awareness..

So, I decided to start using Instagram to upload my videos instead of having them on youtube... Let's see how it goes because it is easier for me to get stuff uploaded. I know the thumnail is upside down. I can't figure out why that keeps happening.

I never did upload that fun beach song from our song writer group. I'll have to just upload the last video we made.

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I initially wrote this song for myself. I was in a sad mood... But then I decided to stop throwing a pity party. Since it is #suicideawarenessmonth , I decided to write a message about that.

A post shared by GG Sparkle (@gg.sparkle) on Sep 17, 2019 at 4:31pm PDT

Rainbow World

I have been working on some new projects that have been taking up my extra time. However, I have been working on some songs as a group with my guitar class. We seriously have the best time together. Katie is due at the end of June to have a baby boy, And I am going down to Panama in June, so we are all taking a little break. However, we will most likely continue to get together for our guitar buddies. I was a little bit sad because it was our last lesson tonight.

 We came up with two songs within only a few weeks together. Larry wrote the lyrics to this song, Rainbow World. We all had fun singing and playing along. It has a very hippie vibe. I’m sure it is not everybody’s cup of tea, but we had so much fun, and isn’t that what making music is all about? I can't think of another place where there is so much laughter and good vibes than when we all get together for class and make up songs together.

This is by no means a polished recording of the song, but you get the general idea.. I'll pay the other fun shopping we did. The other one isn't hippy, but it is somewhat fun and groovy about a girl and a guy on the beach 😄.

Somehow we decided to give our group a name and settled on, "Simple Fools" 😜😂

💕Emily 💕

When Emily asked if I could write a song about her, I thought to myself, where do I even begin? I decided to keep it simple. So, this song, and even this post, are the over-simplified version of my perspective of what an amazing sister I have.

Emily is the most kind, compassionate, beautiful, elegant sister anyone could ever ask for. When we were younger we used to talk about what best friends we would be when we grew up. Being seven years apart, we couldn't really do the same activities together or hang out together much. However, when we were together, we got along very well. 

I remember telling Emily all of the things I was going through when I was about 13 or 14 and she was 6 or 7. When I vented to her, she would start playing with her hair and would get this deep-in-thought expression. She wouldn't say anything for a long time, but her beautiful brown eyes held so much thought until she would finally answer. She always gave me the most wise advice and I remember feeling so surprised by how much wisdom her little body held. 

As she grew, she was blessed with much beauty and grace. She was loved by everyone, especially the boys, in her High School for good reason :) She never allowed this to get to her head. She was always kind to those around her, even those that were unkind to her. She became a target by jealous people for being thin and beautiful, but she never allowed it to get the best of her. She would come home crying about how someone called her anorexic and told her to eat more. She never understood why people would say such mean things.. She would never do that to anyone. I don't think I have ever seen her be mean or jealous towards anyone herself. In fact, if ever she overheard gossip, she would either leave the room or tell everyone to stop gossiping.

She was a Ballerina and had a real talent in dance. She has worked very hard in her life to obtain her education and start her massage therapy business. She still currently runs her business owner with her husband and is the Mother of two beautiful children.

Now that we are "grown up", we are wonderful friends, as we have always been. It is sad that we live so far away from each other, but many people don't even get to experience this kind of beautiful sisterhood I share with her, so I always try to remember that.

Here's the song and lyrics/chords!

Locked Out

When I played this song, I came up with some "bops" that I wanted to use as a melody. I tried to think of what it reminded me of, and all I could think of was running through a field. I tried to see if I had a memory where I was wildly running somewhere, not just running for exercise. The only memory that came to me was a time when I was locked out.

I was dropped off at my house after swimming with friends. I only had on a wet swimsuit, and for whatever reason I didn't have a towel or clothing. I soon realized that no one was home and that all of the ways I usually got in were locked up. I sat in the backyard in a hammock for a while, trying to wrap the crocheted hammock around me to keep warm. It felt like I was waiting there for at least an hour, so I thought maybe my parents were at our church building, which was a couple of miles away. Barefoot, I decided to run to see if they were there. When I arrived, the parking lot was empty, so I turned around and ran home. By the time I got home, my parents were back and I was happy to be home. I remember my mom telling me my hair dried pretty - I was so mad! Haha... I decided to end the song with a grateful heart. I was able to get warm and was safe at home. 

Here are the chords and lyrics!

*Aminor --- G ---- Dminor7 ---- Fmajor7*

Nobody home so I guess I’ll be alone

Waiting outside, just hoping the door will open for me

I know there’s no point in this, there’s no one coming soon

Cold, shivering, wet, just holding onto hope.

*Aminor - Dminor7 - em - Fmajor 7*

What am I running from you ask?

Running from loneliness

There was no peace in sitting by

My heart can’t handle it

Maybe this leads to a point, and someone’s coming soon

<<bridge>> Aminor C Eminor G

I’ll keep moving, I know it’ll all work out…

---------------------------------------------repeat without singing

*Aminor --- G ---- Dminor7 ---- Fmajor7*

Sun kissed my skin and dried up all of my tears

Found myself home and now all my fears have disappeared

*Aminor - Dminor7 - em - Fmajor 7* 

What am I running from you ask?

Running from loneliness

There was no peace in sitting by

My heart can’t handle it

*****

*Aminor --- G ---- Dminor7 ---- Fmajor7*

Now the door’s open for me, it happened magically

I found my peace and now this is it, I’m home!

Stars Align✨✨

Hello! I know it's been a month... We skipped a couple of weeks for guitar class for different reasons and then my mom was in town and before that I caught a cold that took my voice away. So there's my excuse :)

I struggled with this piece a lot! Our teacher had us work together as classmates to blend different chords together and build off of each other's songs. I thought I had something after working with Katie, and then one of my classmates, Paul, was playing something that he made up on guitar and I became obsessed with it and had to have it in my song too. It took me a while to blend his part in with what I had. There was this one part that I also struggled to blend in, and it sort of sounds like a bridge the way it all came together, so I was happy about that. I had made that particular sequence up a few months ago and loved the way it sounded like something you'd hear in a 007 movie. So, it was cool I could kind of squeeze it in there too, because it had a cool sound to it I think. 

There were quite a few different chords in this song... After I figured it all out, I lost my voice, so it was difficult to come up with a melody line. Then it started to come back a little and I was able to kind of "ba ba ba" something out. I didn't know what to write about, so I looked out the window and decided to just talk about the snow and general life concepts. 

The actual recording isn't perfect, but I decided to just upload it anyway. I put the babies down for their nap and tried to record, but then James popped out of bed and wouldn't go back to sleep.. So I had a few interruptions from him and also a few phone calls in between. I finally decided it was better to just upload it and not worry about it anymore because I have a new assignment I have to work on and if I didn't record it today, it probably wouldn't ever happen. 

Here's the video of me and then the chords to the song. 

Stars Align ✨✨

Snow floats softly from the tree tops (end low)

Much like sparkles from the sky…. (end high)

Oh, what’s this

A Butterfly!

Wonders happen in their timing

Not when you want them most

Was a storm out my window

Now the view’s magical

Stars cross the sky

So well when they fly

Biding, biding time

Soon, good things will align

Wonders happen in their timing

Not when you want them most

Dreams

So many songs have been written about dreams. I think a lot of people are curious about them like I am. I have had all kinds of dreams. Some of them have actually warned me about things, some have seemed purely for entertainment, and some of them I am not sure which category they fall under.

A lot of times my dreams will be somewhat related to whatever the last thing I thought about before I go to bed. I have had dreams that were so terrible and when I wake up I am so thankful that it was just a dream and I have also had the opposite - dreams so wonderful that waking up was a bit of a bummer. My life is beautiful and I am thankful for it, but I have had times where I wish I could hang out in a good dream I had been having a little bit longer..

Chords:

Verses (2x's each chord)
C, E major, A minor (1x), F

Chorus (2x's each chord)
Am, F, G

I was a little confused at how to switch from the verses to the chorus, but it ended up being a little more doable than I thought. My teacher suggested this time I come up with the melody before the lyrics. I had already come up with one verse (which interestingly ended up being the very last verse of the finished song).

When I was humming around, trying to find a melody, I imagined some lady singing at a outdoor party on a warm night in San Diego with her ukelele. I thought, what would a song like that sound like?

I'm not sure if I accomplished it or not, but it's what the song reminds me of since that's what I was picturing when I was trying to come up with it.

The first time I recorded it a few days ago, I was playing down in the basement and James stomped across the floor upstairs right at the very end of the song. I decided to re-record this afternoon, but it just didn't have same feel at the end without little James' stomping across the floor! 😄 So, I decided to clip that part from the other recording and paste it on at the end. I feel like it adds to how random dreams can be, and then you get slammed shut out of the dream and there isn't going back the way James slams the door at the very end. At least for me, I hardly ever have a repeat dream. They're always different every night.

Here's the song!

Dreams

Feel that breeze

Go through the trees (end up)

Waves, crash and flow

How can you know (end low) 6

What your dreams are made of

Maybe things you’re afraid of  

Or the people you want to      

love you

--CHORUS-------------

Stop the track

Let me turn back,

To that Eden please

----------------------------

Where do they come from

Push comes to shove

are they sent from above?

Are they things from our head

Are they things that you’ve always wanted?

Beepity bops 1 progression per chord here...

--CHORUS-------------

Stop the track

Let me turn back,

To that Eden please

-----------------------------

Dreams, are funny things

What do they mean

What would you say?

Neutropenia

We recently learned Glenny is neutropenic. Which is basically that his body isn't making an important white blood cell called a neutrophil. This is dangerous because it is responsible for fighting infection. We have been trying to figure out what could be causing it and the doctors do not know for sure. They suspect it is benign childhood neutropenia, but it could be something else. They would like to do an invasive procedure and more testing. For now we have to go in and have his blood tested weekly to monitor it.

Each time baby Glenny has a fever, we have to go to the hospital and have them do tests and give him a powerful round of antibiotics. Glen has done so well despite how hard it's been. The hardest thing was when he had to stay at the hospital for a few days. I felt so bad for him as he is at a curious age where he wants to move around and explore everything.

At one point he had ripped the IV out of his arm in the middle of the night and there was blood everywhere... Watching them pin him down, poke him, and try to look unsuccessfully for a vein over and again was also hard.

No matter the child, I am sure this would be difficult for any mother, but Glen is an ANGEL baby. I'm really not sure there ever was a sweeter baby born on the face of the planet. He is by far my most snuggly baby, and he loves everyone he meets. One time he leaned in to a perfect stranger just to give them a hug and have him snuggle him. His sweetness only makes watching him suffer all the more painful...

SO, this week our assignment was to write a song with these chords:

B Major, G flat, A flat minor, B Major, E Major, G flat

All of those chords are bar chords except for the E Major. I'm still working on switching between bar chords and trying to press down hard enough to get it to sound clear.

I had my teacher send me a recording of it so I could complete the assignment! It is amazing though, I can see how each week my fingers get stronger and sometimes I surprise myself when I hear myself play an a shape bar chord clearly on the first try. It doesn't usually happen, but when it does, it's definitely awesome and makes me feel super hopeful!

I was excited to work on my song and originally made a different song about how the season is changing and football/cheerleading is ending and how I loved my four children. But then when we had to go to the hospital this past week and also after learning about how Glenny might have to have a bone marrow test done, I really had a hard time thinking about anything except for what was happening with him.

I decided to redo my song with a new melody and lyrics. It felt therapeutic to write about and even to sing about it. I sometimes sing the line, "you're such a real live dollie" to baby Glenny now.

He truly is a little doll and I love him so much. I am thankful for all of the support and prayers we have had while we've been going through this. The people up here in New York and in our church have been so wonderful to us.

Here are the lyrics and the song:

Neutropenia

Here we go again

On and on and on

Back and forth we go

To and fro

Tossed around the hospital

Waiting for the answers, no answer...

Neutropenia go away

You’re not invited to stay

Why’s it gotta be this way?

He can’t deserve this

My sweet little boy

With everything he gives                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Love for everyone, hugs for all

A real life dollie

Neutropenia go away

You’re not invited to stay

      

Baby Tree

James watering one of "the babies."

This summer we bought the house we were renting from our landlords. There are so many things we want to do to it to make the place "ours," but we are going to have to take it little by little. We decided that if we want to plant trees, that should be one of the first things we should do because it can take a while for them to mature.

I wanted to plant them in a row lining our driveway and Clark has always loved dogwood trees, so we planted 5 dogwoods and they became known as "the babies." We gave them all of the good stuff and made sure to water them a ton.

When we left for Texas, Clark set up a hose system that ended up not working on one of the trees. When we got back, the leaves were dried and it was dying. We ended up having to replace the tree and it was sad, but luckily it didn't seem like there was much of a root system anyway.

Fast forward a few months, we were given the assignment to create a song with these chords:

Am, F, C, G

I wasn't sure what to write my song about, but when I thought about the trees and wondered if they were getting enough water from the rain outside, I decided that is what I would write about. It was a fun project! There were various parts in it that definitely could be applied to other parts of my life, which made the song a little deeper than singing about a tree :D.

I decided to find a rain sound and add a rice shaker to the song too. The rice shaker was a little hard to use, I may end up wanting to get an actual maraca if I end up wanting that sound a lot in the future.

Here's the song!