Midwest Madness!!!

It feels great to be in the Midwest, watching the endless cornfields, the family farms, and anticipating sweet corn.

Wichita, Kansas was a great time.  We had a blast playing at The Artichoke Bar, and got a chance to experience the city for a great night.  We went and saw The Keeper of the Plains statue and witnessed the huge fire pits ignite on cue in the middle the night.  5 foot flames were screaming out of the black holes setting the sky on fire.  It was amazing.

4th of July was in Kansas City with family there.  We went to the first annual block party with my cousins and laughed with little miss Haley all night.

Next we headed out to Greene Iowa to lay my grandmother's ashes to rest in the family plot and we all said our goodbye's to Niecy.  She was quit a firecracker herself.  In life they say the weddings and funerals bring families together, and we all agreed over breakfast this morning that our celebration over walleye and steak in honor of grandma was full of tears, but left us all feeling more like we had been to a wedding than a funeral.  I don't know if it was all the funny stories Grandma Niecy left behind for us, or if it was the sense that she was somehow there with us drinking her dirty vodka martini, just in a state where we could only feel her presence and not see her.  

Life is an interesting ride for sure.  There is something special to going back and trace the roots of family.  This next month on the road is one full of reconnecting with cities my family have bounced around, as well as Stuart's family.  We are getting a chance to walk the streets of places that our parents and grandparents called home, visit the graves of ancestors we only got to hear about and some that we still hold dear memories for, and all the while make music along the way.

Grandma Niecy was an adventurer her whole life, she traveled and was always looking for the next new thing to spice things up.  I can't help but think she is watching us and laughing at all of our funny stories, and chuckling especially hard at the funny faces we all made as we tried to drink those dirty martini's in honor of her...man grandma, those things are hard core!