The 13 GRANDMOTHERS...

      The Salt of the Earth

Dear Readers of Ageless… 

Grandmothers are wise…they know the answers,  they speak the truth… if we are smart we will listen. I had the distinct privilege of not only hearing the 13 Indigenous Grandmother’s speak, http://www.grandmotherscouncil.org/ but of driving some of them to their speaking engagement! They are prayerful, mindful, and wise. They know we must change how we humans are abusing this planet. And they desperately want a clean future for their grandchildren. Among them all they carry the state of the world on their shoulders. They know the future of this planet will not be a good one if we continue to abuse  Mother Earth. I  saw the pain in their eyes and the tears that followed.

 On a lighter note, while I had them in my car I played some of my favorite music, Van Morrison, for them. Bells Were Ringing Down at The Kingdom Hall blared out on the way to their gig. I rolled the windows down and let the breeze blow their braids. I showed them pictures of Aunty. They all agreed she looked like a movie star!  During our little road trip  I engaged them in a conversation about tea.  Grandma Mona said she enjoys ginger tea with lemon and honey. Another said she likes to make a  sage brew. Grandmother Beatrice makes her own spearmint tea.  I realized that I had prayer, and my love for music and song in common with these wonderful elders, not to mention a love for family. Family is what they care most about. Some of them even travel with their children/grandchildren. I really felt a connection and a bond.  One of them had a name that I would like to think I would have had if I had been born on a Native American reservation…Holy Dance. She would later tell the packed hall that she gets up every morning and in her bare feet goes out to greet the morning sun with her arms raised above her head and prays in gratitude! “I pray all the time,” she said. 

honored to stand with the Ageless Holy Dance

Take a moment and go to their site, maybe even send a donation. You have my word…they are worth it. The future of the earth is worth it.  The grandmothers say each one of us makes a difference. Grandmother’s speak the truth. They represent the past so eloquently. I pray that their message is heard and carried safely into the future. 

http://www.grandmotherscouncil.org/

http://www.forthenext7generations.com/trailer.php

Lela Washtae Che La Ke

Renee Faith

I MET GRACE KELLY!

She lives up to the "Amazing" in Amazing Grace

I was spared by hurricane Irene. But I was hit by another strong force. Her name is Grace Kelly. This extraordinary jazz performer just blew me away. She is truly a force to be reckoned with.

I cannot sing her praises enough. I was enraptured with every note during her snazzy set at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston this past Thursday night. While most people were preparing for the storm the entire Art audience was wrapped up in a whirlwind all our own thanks to the extraordinary talent of Grace Kelly. She embodies every letter of the word J-A-Z-Z. At the end of the set we all naturally jumped to our feet for a much deserved standing ovation! For this music lover, it will always be a special moment…as I sat awestruck discovering a star. There is no doubt Grace’s ability and talent will soon take her into the stratosphere. I hope she remembers me as one of her early fans!

Miss Grace is 19 years old. She plays the sax, and is also a bandleader, arranger, composer, and singer. At age 14 she played alongside Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops. She has shared the stage with Esperanza Spalding, Wynton Marsalis, and the band James Farm. All things considered, her talent is unmatched.

Lee Konitz, one of Charlie Parker’s contemporaries who recorded with Miles Davis in the “Birth of the Cool” sessions, became one of her closest teachers. She is now unstoppable. Wynton Marsalis says “She has a great amount of natural ability and the ability to adapt that is the hallmark of a first-class jazz musician.” She has even played with Dave Brubeck among countless other greats!

If all the winds, the rains, and the bad news have you down, do something uplifting. When you are not reading Ageless with Aunty, check out this mega-talent Grace Kelly. She is everything a great musician should be AND MORE… She is so swinging cool…

www.gracekellymusic.com

AGELESS TIP OF THE WEEK:  for anyone visiting or living in the Boston area, the Institute of Contemporary Art is a venue well worth any effort to get to. It’s stunning and stimulating. Get away from the tempest…wake up your senses….turn on some Jazz music and check out a vibrant museum….NOTHING LIKE A NATURAL HIGH.