Monday, April 25, 2016

Random Acts of Kindness -- Yoshi Gish

    Let me give you some background....
    We moved to Idaho last November. You'd think I'd be used to it now--the deer, the millions of rock chucks, the beer on tap at the gas stations--but it's still an adjustment.  Mike, the kids, and I have made some awesome friends--and I love Idaho--yet there are some things I miss, like playing the violin in a band.
    A week and a half ago, I stood in an eclectic coffee shop simply thinking about how much I miss playing the violin in a group, getting lost in the chords, connecting with people through the language of pure melodies.... Anyway, I'd just gotten my mocha bolo (yes, that's a coffee with custard in it--BAM) and as I walked away from the counter, this really tall guy called out to me: "You should come to my show tonight." 
    I stood stunned for a minute, studying his long hair, black clothes, and kind eyes. I still couldn't figure why he'd called out to me, but somehow I knew instantly, I'd met a kindred spirit--that's how some musicians are. You can catch their vibe, really 'cause music practically eminates from true musicians, even when they aren't playing.
   So, I stepped over and before I knew it, I'd told him I play the violin. I'm still not sure why, but that saint of a man asked me to play with him during his show. 
    When I got there that night, excitement coursed through me. Yoshi (the singer) and Chris (the drummer) had given me such a gift by letting me jam with them.  Had Yoshi somehow known how terribly homesick I was, or how badly I'd wanted to play my violin in a band again?
    Yoshi and Chris were amazing, truly: not merely how they played, but how they engaged the crowd as well. And at the end of one song, Yoshi Gish told some local bands that if they didn't offer me a spot in one of their groups, they were crazy.  I got two offers that night and one yesterday.  
    So, from a small-town girl who needed this more than anyone might really know, thank you, Yoshi Gish and Chris the AMAZING drummer. The two of you are badass!
    Signing off,
        A Very Happy Elisa

Check out a clip of the show below--a mashup of some covers:


      
Random Acts of Kindness: Because Life Really is Good

Check out Yoshi's Facebook Page 
here: CLICK ME

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Fishing with ‪‎Jeremy Wade

    Well...I'd like to go fishing with ‪‎Jeremy Wade‬ (ya know, ‪‎from River Monsters‬ ). It would be unforgettable--like when I went sky diving, hooked my husband, or realized channel cats were finally likin' my lures. Some people might not understand this, but fishing has grounded my life. After my divorce when my ex had my kids, fishing took my mind off of things. I'd sit by the water for hours, never knowing what surprise I might hook. 
    As the months dragged on, and the divorce really sunk in, my kids and I somehow started watching River Monsters each weekend on Netflix. We got so into it that we began fishing together, everywhere we could find around our hometown: ponds, lakes, you name it. We learned how to hook trout, bluegill, large mouth, and all the catfish we could find. Other fishermen--usually men--would laugh about a single mom who'd bring her kids fishing. Didn't they know fishing is my therapy? And by teaching my kids how to fish, they've learned a whole lot about life as well. 
    Anyway, back to my point.... my kids and I started fishing together because of Jeremy Wade's enthuism. Sure my kids wouldn't swim in a pool for weeks after watching an episode with piranha, but that's beside the point. And now since I've remarried, my husband has even been fishing a lot too. 

     NOW there's a contest: submit the best pic to win a fishing trip (for two) with JW. This would be a dream come true--see, I even posted about ‪‎Mr. Wade‬ on FB last year. Here: http://tinyurl.com/j5ued84 So, to make a long story even l.o.n.g.e.r., I'm gonna submit a pic; I just haven't figured out which one yet.
    Here are some of the "blopper" shots we took. Mike, our oldest daughter, and I had way too much fun taking these pics.

 photo GEDC0400_zpstjxalfkn.jpg 
I'm so lucky I didn't lose this smaller pic in the water. 
 
 photo GEDC0402_zpsqao9qr5a.jpg
After almost falling in a hole. 
As little Jeremy just floats along like nothing's wrong.
 

 photo GEDC0413_zpsuvoe2trk.jpg 
Mike is such a good sport to help me with all of this.
 photo GEDC0439_zpslbrd8sp8.jpg
He thought of some pretty hilarious pic ideas, too!
 
    As you can bet, people at the pond kept looking at us like we were nuts. We didn't catch any fish that day, BUT we made another hilarious memory. 

In closing....
    Is there anyone you've wanted to meet? I asked my mom and she said, "Elvis." 
    Side Note: Elvis has nothing on a biologist who can fish!

Sincerely,
-A Hopeful Fisherwoman-person--who still has a TON to learn about fishin' (Elisa)

P.S. If you'd like to submit a pic of your own, here's the link to the contest: http://www.animalplanet.com/…/riv…/reeljeremy-photo-contest/

‪#‎DreamBig‬ ‪#‎LoveFishing‬ ‪#‎GetErDone‬

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

What's Most Important, Having a Heart, Brains, or Courage?

When I was a kid, I'd play a hilarious Disney game. The players would answer about 30 questions like this: 

If you were at a wishing well, what would you do?
(a) Sing about your wish
(b) Practice your sword fighting skills around the well
(c) Find a furry creature to befriend in the nearby (obviously) magical forest
(d) Look for your prince (since that's all you think about anyway)

If you saw a frog, you would . . .
(a) Sing a full-length song about it
(b) Practice your sword fighting skills on him
(c) Ignore him and find a Furry creature to befriend
(d) Kiss him because, let's face it, anything that walks (or hops) COULD be a prince 

The most villainous person in your life is . . .
(a) Your stepmother
(b) Your stepmother
(c) An octopus
(d) Your stepmother

Depending on your answers, you'd find out which princess was most like you and the prince you'd marry.  The game would then provide a description.  I ALWAYS ended up being Ariel . . . and I ALWAYS married the Beast.

From my answers, I was doomed to be perpetually spontaneous, basically willing to be an idiot, just to have fun.  They were kind of right. Wasn't I homeless in Hawaii? And I also wanted to find someone with a heart of gold.  

After recently watching The Wizard of Oz, I started thinking about the idea behind Disney's quiz.

What about these three wise men and their wishes?


If you could pick one of these traits for yourself, or for your spouse/sig other, what would you pick?

(a) a good heart
(b) intelligence
(c) the lion's share of courage
(d) a gift for speaking to munchkins 

Friday, April 1, 2016

I'm Excited--I Just Got My DNA Results

This is ridiculous, but I'm soooo excited. I got my DNA results back *smiling

And my highest percentages are *drumroll please*

31% Italian/Greek ♡
28% British
22% Scandinavian


 photo ancestory_zpsxfhpfegv.jpg

Would you ever do something like this?  
    I just got my kit on Amazon--through Ancestory.com It took a little while to get the results back, but it is pretty neat!