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Dear friends,

Today was another lovely morning. Peaceful, happy, snoozing baby. Reasonably rested mom and dad. Just beautiful. There is something special in the quiet of the morning. Like the day gently tiptoes into our home, the birds calling out its arrival and we just get to bask in that moment.

I knew what the track should be this morning a few moments after Noble and I bedded down into the couch.

One of my first friends to drive when I was in High school was Carrie Specksgoor. I have a distinct memory of laughing and riding in the back seat of her car as we rode to the mall for our pre-rehearsal dinner. It was in the back of the car that I first heard Joni Mitchell. I don't know that I can articulate it, but I liked her from the start.

As I began to learn to play the guitar Joni was one of the first artists whose music I was interested in playing. I remember looking up several of her songs and being so intimidated by the alternate tunings and complicated chord progressions, I set that idea back on the shelf.

Pretty quickly this morning I knew that it was a Chelsea Morning.

4. Chelsea Morning                           Joni Mitchell

I don't know if I could think of prettier poetry but it's almost as if it is tangible, like you can feel these words wash over you. I didn't even need the music, right there I sang to my son:

Woke up it was a Chelsea morning and the first thing that I heard
was a song outside my window, and the traffic wrote the words (Love this imagery)
it came ringing up like christmas bells and rapping up like pipes and drums
Oh, won't you stay, we'll put on the day and we'll wear it till the nights comes (Today was a day to wear for sure.)

Woke up it was it was a Chelsea morning and the first thing that I saw
was the sun through yellow curtains, and a rainbow on the wall
blue, red, green and gold to welcome you, crimson crystal beads to beckon you
Oh, won't you stay, we'll put on the day there's a sun show every second. (YES!)

Woke up it was a Chelsea morning and the first thing that I knew
there was milk and toast and honey, and a bowl of oranges too (I've never had this breakfast, but somehow in this song it sounds so delicious.)
and the sun poured in like butterscotch and stuck to all our senses (This just seems like the perfect metaphor.)
Oh, won't you stay, we'll put on the day and we'll talk in present tenses

If you haven't heard this song, you must, and I am not kidding go to your itunes right this moment and purchase it right away. I recommend listening to it twice on the first go through.

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Cheers