Quartzsite, A Campfire, and A Van

My wife and I just returned from an extended vacation. We were driving to a small desert 

community called, Quartzsite in Arizona; although, we weren’t staying in the town. We decided 

to try out our homemade camper-van and see how it worked in the desert. There were almost 

4000 other folks doing the exact same thing. You’ll be happy to know it worked like a champ.  

The solar array charged the battery, which charged our devices, and kept our little 12 volt 

refrigerator working just fine. 

Some of the funnest times during our vacation though were around the campfire. There was 

a sort of community fire pit, and we’d all dutifully assemble there after supper. Now as a musician 

I almost always get asked to bring my guitar and play some tunes which I have always been very 

embarrassed about. I get all flustered and don’t know what to say or do. This time was no different, 

but I brought it up. I said right out that I get all freaked out about it and it turns out there were others 

there who felt the same thing. Eventually we talked each other into playing and took turns around 

the fire. It was difficult at first to take a step outside my own experience of embarrassment and do 

what I do. However, once I did I had a pretty good time. Now I don’t want this to come off as a 

self-help thing, an ego thing, or Goddess forbid a promise to always be the guy playing at a campfire.

 I am just saying that in this case I had a blast playing and listening to others play. 

We are all capable of jumping out of our comfort zone in order to try something new or just to share 

with other folks of like mind the things we do. Whether that’s music, construction, or anything else. 

It can be a very fun thing if looked at right. 

Good luck with all things.

-Trevor Marty

Tiny Desk Concert Contest III

Hello Gang-

It is so great to see y'all. I hope everyone's doing well. The weather here in Minnesota is still cold, but it could be way worse. It's just snowed a bunch and it was a wet heavy snow so it's been warmer. Believe it or not snow helps to insulate and makes everything warmer.
Well for the third year in a row I've entered the Tiny Desk Concert Contest that NPR sponcered. My entry was just under the wire and is just below, so you'll be able to watch it.

The song is called, "Powder" and was written about a friend of mine who disappeared in the powder drugs. She lost herself and I've no idea what happened to her. I wrote this song in response to it.

I hope you are having a great and wonderful day.
All my best.

Trevor Marty
www.trevormarty.com

Memories, A Table, and Baby Drool

    Right now I’m sitting cross legged at my grandmother’s kitchen table which she hated. The cross legged bit not me sitting here. It was given to me by my mother. There just wasn’t room in her apartment for it. I still find it very comforting to sit here. I feel somehow protected and connected to my grandmother as if she’s still around puttering in her kitchen or taking care of some neighbors baby as they go to work.  

    She was proud of this table and chairs it cost her a small fortune.  Well money for her was difficult to come by, so when I say a small fortune I mean...well why not ask a single parent they’ll explain it.  The table sat in the kitchen of her trailer home and the whole family will remember it.  Most of the time when everyone was there the kitchen strained to hold everyone and eventually it burst wide open like a colorful water balloon. Spilling people, children, and laughter into the living room on card tables or with TV trays as they sat on her floral sofa.  

    Almost everyone in my family was raised around this table or sat at it as adults. It has two leafs,  is oak (I think) and is an oval. The legs are solid ‘turned’ beautifully and are a dark brown color as is the table. It’s still large enough to hold all of our memories. All of the tears, and laughter all of the children, baby drool, coffee spills, smashed peas and even sunlight, and rainy days are still here squished into this table. It’s almost a world onto itself where you can still hear the chaos of our big family while you sit typing a blog. My wife and I are building our own laughter, smashed peas, coffee spills and the like right here in this world at this table. We’ve even given it a name, “Grandma’s Table”.  I know it’s so creative right.

    Most mornings find me here sitting. This morning is no different. I sit in the dark at 540 in the morning with no sound but the clicking of computer keys and the smell of coffee. I’m thinking about the table and memories from this last year.  I had a terrible bicycling accident last December and found myself in a wheelchair for the first three months of 2016.

    For the next three to four months I’m going to be having ‘year memories’ that’s what I call them anyway. That’s memories which come from big experiences which are burnt into you. Weddings, births, deaths, first times for anything are all examples both tragedy and happiness count for ‘year memories’.

    I think we must remember these things when they come. We must allow and welcome them as travelers from our past. Give them some coffee or tea and cookies. Let them sit at the table and tell you their story. For the next few months my travelers will most likely be telling me a story of tragedy and healing as I sit at Grandma’s Table. 

Here's a song I wrote about an experience around that table, and there's a link below where you can purchase that song.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/grandmas-kitchen/id1082522402?i=1082522536