There's Something About Mary: Mary Catherine's Ash Wednesday Journal Entry

Christine Kane: Mary Catherine's Ash Wednesday Journal Entry

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Mary Catherine's Ash Wednesday Journal Entry is a live bonus track from Christine's Right Outta Nowhere CD - her introduction speaks of how the song was channeled through a 14-year-old Catholic girl... and when there is silence from Christine and then laughter from the audience, what's happening is that Christine has begun to mess up her hair to mimic a rumpled adolescent 'do, as well as take on the face of ennui that teenagers have perfected. Her guitar strumming evokes emo minor chords and even her phrasing is wrought with sighs and thinly-veiled annoyance for her family and their religious belief system - "I have always tried real hard to keep on pretending my family's normal but it's not"...

Been there, done that, bought the rosary beads - I was raised Catholic, attended 12 years of parochial school and am constantly amazed that I can still stand the taste/smell of tuna. Like Mary Catherine's friend Brittney, I am a Unitarian now - that line gets the biggest reaction, since Christine used to play lots of UU coffeehouse series!

P.S. Mari content, copied and pasted from my own blog:

The family legend is that my parents tried to have more children after me but were unsuccessful, until my father converted to Catholicism, whereupon my mom became pregnant immediately - the name Mary Catherine (which she later shortened and changed to Mari) was conferred on the "miraculous conception"... :-)

Mari, it's been fun to celebrate your 42nd in such a fun and unique fashion - today's photo is courtesy of a 2007 Snapfish album, highlighting your 39th birthday (really... although you look about 14 in this photo!) with your dear girlfriends. Of course there have been tears (oh, how we miss Mom!) amidst the laughter, but you know you are cherished... by your immediate and extended family, your sweet and supportive friends and a kind circle of music-loving strangers invoking your name all week long - Happy Birthday... Happy Always, little sister!

P.P.S. I am beyond grateful to my Star Maker Machine compatriots for the quantity, quality and variety of Mary songs contributed for my specially-requested theme - I'll be compiling everything and putting together a mix CD to send Mari after the fact...

Four-Legged Friends: Four Legs Good. Two Legs Bad.

Christine Kane: Four Legs Good. Two Legs Bad.

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I love this catchy, country-ish, cautionary tale about the importance of canine and feline companionship in our lives - literary bonus points awarded for Christine's nod to Animal Farm in her song title... :-)

Peace on Earth: Overjoyed

Christine Kane: Overjoyed

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If there is to be peace in the world,
There must be peace in the nations.
If there is to be peace in the nations,
There must be peace in the cities.
If there is to be peace in the cities,
There must be peace between neighbors.
If there is to be peace between neighbors,
There must be peace in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home,
There must be peace in the heart. ~ Lao Tzu

In these few days post-Christmas and pre-New Year's, one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite songwriters reminds me that peace (inner as well as global) is less about struggling and achieving and do-ing... and more about appreciating and accepting and be-ing - wishing you all the best in 2009 and beyond...