Updated Again! Birthday Challenge Update

Someone asked me the other day how my birthday challenge was going and I realized that I hadn’t updated it in awhile. I’ve written a lot of songs. I was worried that challenging myself to write 55 songs this year would be difficult, but since September, I’ve written 29 41 songs, including 3 kids songs. It’s funny when the silly kids songs pop up out of nowhere. It’s not too surprising though, (in the words of Jimmy Buffet) “I’m growing older, but not up!” My silly streak remains in tact! I’ve got until the end of August to finish. As far as the other things on the list, it’s slow going with the Pandemic, especially the travel goals. Oh how I miss traveling!
- Write 55 Songs (they don’t all have to have music or be “keepers”)
- Redhead Blue – recording now
- Untame My Heart (Karen Novy – co-writer) – recording now
- When It’s Time (Karen Novy – co-writer)
- Misogyny, Hypocrisy
- The Last time
- I Don’t Mind
- Cowboy On Spring Street
- I Hear Tears
- Sure Enough’s Not Good Enough
- His Love
- No Choice
- Help Me Stay Gone
- Impossible Choices
- The Song of Forgiveness
- Sweet Dreams My Baby – recording now
- Crying, Crying, Crying
- No More
- Inmate 60624
- Love is What Remains (Karen Novy – co-writer, Sue Paine Luther – co-writer)
- I Need Your Heart (David O Cooper – co-writer) Getting a demo cut at a studio in Nashville with Adam Fears
- Seeds of Love (Karen Novy – co-writer)
- Yes, Please! (Children’s Song)
- Candle In the Window
- Normal Ain’t Normal
- Odd Duck (Children’s Song)
- Stories About Strangers
- Unfriend
- I Listen Now
- When I’m Finished Loving You
- Rock-A-Bye Roisin
- What I’m Looking For
- You Say That Now
- Ready, Set, …! (Sarah Peterson – co-writer)
- When You Love Someone This Way
- Wonder-Full
- Life Keeps Getting Better
- He’s My Baby
- When You Look At Me That Way
- Now’s The Time (David O Cooper – co-writer)
- Watch Love Grow (Co-Write with Karen Novy)
- Love Is What Remains (Co-Write with Karen Novy and Sue Paine Luther)
- Release 5 Singles – Currently working on recording 4 songs with my producer Eddy Hobizal at Treehouse Studio in Austin, TX.
- Busy Blues – Release in March
- Jumpin’ Jesus – Release coming in March
- Untame My Heart – Almost done recording!! This one is HUGE!
- Sweet Dreams – Almost done recording!! This one is different from anything else I’ve done!
- Visit 5 New State Parks
- Fort Cobb State Park in Fort Cobb, OK
- Lake Livingston State Park in Livingston, TX
- Visit 5 National Parks
- Visit 5 States
- Oklahoma
- Arkansas
- Read 5 Books (real hold in your hands books)
- Daisy Jones and the Six (***) Interesting format. I had to look it up to be sure it was fiction!
- The Heart’s Invisible Furies (reading now)
- Read/Listen to 15 Audio Books
- Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson (*****)
- Luster by Raven Leilani (***)
- You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero (****) I want to go drink a beer with this woman.
- Ink and Sigil by Kevin Hearne (****)
- You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero (****)
- One Minute Out by Mark Greeney
- The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett (****)
- Blood Song by Anthony Ryan (****)
- Anxious People by Fredrik Backman (*****) He’s written several of my favorite books. They stick with you.
- Bear Town (currently listening to)
- Write 55 Letters (16 so far)
- 6 to friends
- +10 to strangers for More Love Letters
- Learn 5 of my songs on Guitar
- Redhead Blue
- Let’s Just Sing
- Learn 5 Songs on the Piano
- Play 5 gigs
- Sell 5 Paintings
- Take Art Welding Classes – I’ve got information from ACC about classes!!
- Volunteer (at least) 5 times
- Try 55 New Things
- Velvet Taco Restaurant
- Virtual Yosemite Songwriting Retreat (****) loved it!
- Virtual Open Mic at Yosemite Songwriting (got through it!)
- Virtual Tin Pan South Songwriting Seminar (meh)
- Ola Maie Take-Out (meh)
- Emapanada Trailer at S 1st and Oltorf (meh)
- Coffee Dog in Bastrop (meh)
- Mrs Johnson’s Bakery Bastrop (meh)
- Camping on the coast in our camper Sargent Beach RV We stayed for 5 days and really enjoyed the laid back, quiet strip of coastline
- Tried Carne Lenta in Smithville, TX (pretty good, not my favorite tacos ever, but lots of meat and homemade tortillas!)
- Glass Blowing: I took a one-on-one, socially distanced, open-air studio, glass blowing session at Lost Pines Art Center. I can see how this art could get expensive and addicting very quickly. I would be happy just blowing spheres. There’s something magical about glass! Here’s the sun catcher I made (with help).
- Biderman’s Deli
- Sister’s Songwriting Retreat (virtual retreat based in Sisters, OR)