playing at the beans.

Last night the hubs and I ventured down to the The Beans Cafe [find them here] in Sterling, IL.  The Beans Cafe is a sweet, local downtown coffee shop that offers trade free coffees and emulates a  handmade [and handy] vintage decor.  Our fabulous friend Erika is a frequent there and every once in awhile we have a chance to play and sing together.  Our selections ranged from Joan Osborne to Adele [our fav].

The second set of the evening I played a handful of songs that I have written over the years.  It is sort of like my secret hobby, which I guess is not so secret any longer.  Ha.  It is really one of my favorite things to do.  The hubs filmed a clip of me playing the most recent song that I have written, These Eyes of Mine.

These Eyes of Mine is a song about the impact that my hubby has had on my life.  It stemmed from a handful of comments about how since becoming his bride, I simply look different--a sparkle in the eye, so to speak. Then one early morning I stopped at a gas station on my way to work and an old man that I had never met before came up to me and said, "You know you're beautiful."  It was pretty special, so I scribbled what he said on a napkin.  A few months later I wrote These Eyes of Mine.

The song basically talks about one day looking into my coffee cup and being surprised at what I see in the reflection--him.  Then likewise, that early morning the old man looking into those same eyes and seeing someone other than me--him.  The culmination of the song is essentially that the crazy love I have for my hubby makes me want to light up every room with him.  Simply, he has changed these eyes of mine, he has changed this life of mine.

Here is the clip:: It begins a bit after the song actually started.  The brief pauses are where Kerry took still shots during the filming.  Also, kudos to Bruce [co-owner of The Beans] for playing a bit of mandolin in the background.  It is sooo fun to sing about what [who] you love.