simpleblog RSS feed http://blog.8pixel.net/ An RSS feed for Simpleblog EN <![CDATA[Autumn]]> ...As the falling leaves surround me, swirling colors to astound me, I stand amazed in the beauty that is now...
from "The Beauty That is Now"
What a beautiful, but cold, Fall morning! I get so discouraged at the thought of the impending winter that I forget how much I love the fall! As I write, the leaves are raining down outside my window and there isn't a cloud in the sky!

I am constantly being reminded to be awake in the moment. "...the whole world dances before us, and it sings in joyful chorus..." Almost as though the very Universe is saying "Hey, hey... look around! Stop wasting this precious day thinking about being somewhere else!" This is our time, this moment now. To quote my favorite book of the Bible:

"There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor."

So, here I am and here I vow to stay... as the famous title of the great book by Ram Dass declares... Be... Here... Now!

Happy Autumn Everyone!]]> 10/25/2011 http://blog.8pixel.net/?view=plink&id=139 139 <![CDATA[It's Gonna Be Alright]]> Don’t you remember the tale all the angels tell?
That you are loved, fear not, all will be well…
It's Gonna Be Alright

I think I've mentioned before once or twice that this moment, this very moment, is all we really have. No matter how freaked out you may be, no matter what kind of shit-storm is raining down around you, putting your thoughts in the past or future is not going to change this very moment. And, in this moment, if you're still breathing, you're alive and you can be awake in the moment.

I'm not saying that everything tomorrow is going to be rosy or that life isn't difficult at times. I am saying, that you're best way of working with whatever is plaguing you at the moment is to stay centered and clear as you can in this moment!

You are loved... All is and will be well. So please, fear not, be here now with me and rejoice in this moment whatever emotions it evokes.

Cheers!
]]> 10/21/2011 http://blog.8pixel.net/?view=plink&id=138 138 <![CDATA[Call it Love]]> ...the first time we kissed, a smile on the face of Infinite Bliss and it’s all in this moment right now…Call it Love
click here to listen to the song...

I guess I write so much about love because, as a subject, it is the most important to me. I've written before that my purpose is "just to love and be loved in return" but today, on this pristine, wonderful morning, I see that it ties in with all my other favorite subjects as well.

Love is now, in this moment. We can reminisce and anticipate, but those are pale shadows compared to love felt in this moment.

Love is the removal of boundaries. When I love, I remember that I'm one with whatever it is I love. So, if a sense of love arises for all things, then in that moment I know I'm not separate, but One with All.

Love is joy, love is celebration! You can cry in love, you can laugh in love, you can dive into the passion of life with love!

Love is not just God's highest expression, Love is God. God, the Universe, the "All That Is" is LOVE! Synonymous. And so, my purpose can now be restated: "I am here to know God, and to know us all as God."

May love guide, and fill you today my friends! Cheers!]]> 9/28/2011 http://blog.8pixel.net/?view=plink&id=137 137 <![CDATA[United]]> “We are so blessed to be the ones to heed the call…As long as one of us is suffering then none of us is free…”
United in our Brilliance

I'm not sure I can agree with the above statement but I suppose like all things, it's a matter of perspective.

Here in this moment, I feel free. I know there is suffering in the world and I know I'm not separate from it but near as I can tell, the best way to work with that reality is to come from a place of abundance and continue to give from that limitless supply. And so I choose to believe, we are all free despite circumstance or individual belief.

OM DZAMBALA!]]> 9/26/2011 http://blog.8pixel.net/?view=plink&id=136 136 <![CDATA[Once more into the miracle...]]> “How amazingly unlikely anything happens at all, let alone a world of magic filled with dreams and miracles” from Once More

Today has been the most wonderful of days. A day of fun, contemplation, great friends and great joy. A miracle. Some of my nearest and dearest are going through difficult challenges right now but they each are handling their unique situations with great aplomb! I stand in awe of their innate wisdom and competence and feel honored to call them friends!

I've spent a lot of time today in an internal dialogue with the Universe. Not really seeking anything, but simply touching base with the Infinite. Spirit has given me some new words to incorporate in statements of my life's purpose and after I've sat with them a bit and perhaps honed them down into something concise, I will share them here.

Friday night at Shangri-la was the best of times. If I never played anywhere else, the experience of playing there is enough. That being said, I am sure the future holds many incredible opportunities to share these songs. I am so blessed to know you all and I am filled with gratitude, admiration and affinity for each of you. Thank you for making my life so rich!

Cheers!]]> 9/25/2011 http://blog.8pixel.net/?view=plink&id=135 135 <![CDATA[Awaken from the Dream]]> "A tapestry of life is what we are
Every thread graces another no matter how near or how far. Just breathing out, your breath caresses each and every star, I think it's time we awaken from the dream"
Awaken from the Dream

We are not separate from the Universe. We all know this, and yet the illusion of separation is so strong that we often feel alone. We're not. So today's reminder to myself (and of course to anyone listening) is that separation is a learned illusion and with practice, we can live each moment with the knowledge that we're all connected.

With that knowledge, we can begin to live without fear. We can begin to know true compassion. When we know we are the Universe expressing Itself through our bodies and minds, then we can truly live in the present moment and allow the magic of our lives to unfold effortlessly.

Reminder: The Tropical Cowboys are playing at Shangri-la Tea Room this Friday Click here for details!]]> 9/20/2011 http://blog.8pixel.net/?view=plink&id=134 134 <![CDATA[Come as you are...]]> “...you can dream as large as you want, you can reach the furthest star.
Only know that you are loved just as you are”
Just As You Are



What is it to begin from perfection? A long time ago someone said to me the simple phrase "No, you're fine". I think it was in response to something banal like "Excuse me" but for some strange reason, the channel was open and his response went directly into my central nervous system. "Oh my god... I AM fine" I thought. I'm fine, just the way I am, right here and right now! Nothing needs to fixed. Certainly, I can improve, and grow, and moved towards my dreams. But, I begin from where I am right now.

Beginning from a perspective of "something's broken" or "this sucks" etc., not only keeps your mind focussed on the negative, but it trains you to live from a place of always repairing an inadequate life. So, let's not do that! Let's start from the realization that even though what's happening around you may be unpleasant, it is the perfect place from which to begin! In essence, it may suck, but it's fine... walk on!

And in the midst of this Here and Now, whether it's a time of Joy or Sorrow, you are loved. Billions of years brought you to this moment, and in this moment, someone loves you. You are worthy and you are loved. They say ya teach best what you most need to learn, so I am beginning this day from this knowledge.

Cheers!]]> 9/19/2011 http://blog.8pixel.net/?view=plink&id=133 133 <![CDATA[Laissez les bons temps rouler!]]> "Laissez les bons temps rouler!”

Let the good times roll! This should be my motto I think. I went and danced to the amazing reggae band Voice of Reason over at Hyde Park Street Faire last night. Moving to the music with my beautiful son, Kevin by my side singing "I will fear no evil" at the top of our lungs was one of the best times EVER! So many ecstatic people, the beer flowed and all was right with the world.

Celebration is why we are here! Or, anyway, it's why I'm here! When we rejoice, we express true gratitude for the precious life we've been given. The bible tells us "...David danced before the Lord with all his might.." There's our clue... dance a dance of joy and gratitude that we're ALIVE! Today I'm going to go embrace my celtic roots at the Highland Games (more dancing) and may head our for more rejoicing at the Street Faire later this afternoon. I think I like this weekend each year even better than Christmas!

Cheers everyone!]]> 9/17/2011 http://blog.8pixel.net/?view=plink&id=132 132 <![CDATA[Hope]]> "All our hopes belong to the future our regrets are ghosts of the past
It’s this never-ending moment that’s the only thing that lasts..."

One of my songs (It's Gonna Be Alright) advocates "abandoning hope" and someone today asked me what I meant by that. Isn't "hope" a good thing? Aren't we always told to hope for the best, and that hope is what keeps us going, etc?

Well, it occurred to me in one of my walking meditations that many of our thought patterns, by their very nature, pull us away from the NOW. Just by invoking a time-honored habit of thinking, we pull ourselves mentally away from the only reality we truly know... this moment. Hope is that way. It seems to have a positive effect, in that we are "thinking positively" about the future but when we do that, we not only take ourselves away from this moment, but we create the possibility of our wishes NOT coming true!

It's like we're telling the Universe that we know the opposite of what we want exists as a possibility - so what does the Universe create? IT creates BOTH possibilities. Meaning to say, that by our innocent hope, we've told the Universe to give us a 50/50 chance - and it complies completely.

Hope belongs to the future. Faith on the other hand, is HERE and NOW. I usually don't presume to know what is actually the best thing for me - I leave those details to my larger self. That being said, I have cultivated an unshakable faith in the idea that everything will work out fine - and so far...

Have faith my friends! Cheers!]]> 9/16/2011 http://blog.8pixel.net/?view=plink&id=131 131 <![CDATA[Games People Play]]>
For some, life is a game and it must be played vigorously and it must be played to win. I get that. I know that a lot of people take great joy in games and sports and competitions. So for them, life as a game makes ultimate sense. In games, you have your team and you have the other team. The aim is to win! which means... someone has to lose. I don't think there's anything wrong with that (I don't think there's anything "right" with that either, but that's what I'm getting to).

It is, I'll wager, the most prevalent game in the galaxy - and that is the game, as Alan Watts calls it, of "Black & White". It's the game we all know called "opposites". Good and Bad, Right and Wrong, Happy and Sad ad infinitum and it is of course fundamentally, logically, silly. But it is necessary in order to have a game. The reason I call it silly, (and yes, I know, silly can be contrasted against non-silly or serious but right now, I am playing the game of "communication through language" which like all games requires duality), is that it is based on separation when in fact nothing is separate (or non-separate either, but that's a whole other can of worms).

Ramble, ramble, ramble... here's what I'm saying: I think we are here to be happy. I believe games can only bring occasional happiness (while we play and when we win) whereas cultivating the awareness of non-separation allows for lasting happiness. You can still play any game you want, but you know even in the "heat of battle" that it's a game and that your opponent is in fact you.

Play on!
]]> 9/13/2011 http://blog.8pixel.net/?view=plink&id=130 130 <![CDATA[The Greatest Thing...]]> "The greatest thing you'll ever learn... is just to love and be loved in return"

"Nature Boy" by Eden Ahbez



In meditation this morning, I remembered that this is my true purpose in life. To love, and be loved. Surely, my deep desire is simply to be happy, but the path to that happiness, or so I believe, is this great purpose. When I'm happy, I can look and see that it is because of love. Conversely, when I'm down, it is a lack of love I'm perceiving.

Love is one of those undefinable things, like God (in fact I think they're synonymous). But for me, love is simply a dropping of boundaries. It is the recognizing of Self in Other and feeling recognized as Self by Other. The buddhists say that the source of all suffering is Desire but I'm beginning to see that desire can only arise when one feels separate... alone... unloved in some way.

So today, I remember why I'm here and rededicate myself to remembering, eventually, all the time, that we are one and we are love.

Cheers my friends!]]> 9/12/2011 http://blog.8pixel.net/?view=plink&id=129 129 <![CDATA[Sunday Morning come and play with me!]]>
Sunday Morning
words & music by
Pat McDonald

As the dawn breaks, the early morning sun shines through the window on my face
An' I wake up from a dream where I am floating on the outer edge of space
And I find to my amazement that the waking world is once again
More beautiful than all I've dreamt before
So I sip my cup of coffee and read the morning funnies
Softly laughing to myself on the floor

Sunday morning come and play with me
It's so peaceful here I feel so free
If there ever was a place called mine.
It's Sunday morning time

In the springtime as in summer when the sunshine softly sparkles on the sea
Then the autumn comes and ornaments the earth in cloudy sky and fallen leaf
In the winter when it's foggy out I rise a little earlier and cuddle with my baby by the fire
And we'll listen to the foghorn in the distance and I know that
this day will last as long as we desire

Sunday morning come and play with me
It's so peaceful here I feel so free
If there ever was a day so fine
It's Sunday morning time

I kinda miss those mornings of coffee and Sunday funnies... ah well - off to church!]]> 9/11/2011 http://blog.8pixel.net/?view=plink&id=128 128 <![CDATA[Happy Saturday!]]> actual Saturday wouldn't mean much to me. On the contrary, every day here in paradise seems to have its own flavor, and Saturday is no exception!


Today I woke a little later than usual, did my usual work and usual workout and soon will be heading into the attic to work on the next unusual stage of Operation: "Mary Kate's Room" (which still has quite a ways to go). I suspect that by the time I get the attic/bedroom done, MK will be moving out and Sue will have to chain herself to the wall to keep from filling the space full of doodads and whatnots.

Musically... nothing at the moment. To be honest, I was quite discouraged by the turnout of our last gig in Meridian. Mostly, I really just don't wanna play anymore. This happened before in 2002, when I realized the enormous task of promoting a CD just wasn't of any interest to me. Back then, I refrained from making music (except at our Saturday Island parties in the alley) for SIX YEARS! I may be heading back into that sort of dormancy. Who knows? It could herald the return of the fun fire-pit days!

I think really, what I'd like to do is just quietly record, here in my home studio, the songs I've written over the last few years and then release them for free into the ethers of the internet. Perhaps I'll make some simple, silly videos to go along with them. If the Universe aligns in such a way that the music propagates, that's delightful. If not... equally delightful. This may be the trouble of having such a perfect life: ambition goes out the window. Of course, I never have been the most eager of beavers when it comes to fame...

Love you all! Who knows what tomorrow may bring?

Pat]]> 9/10/2011 http://blog.8pixel.net/?view=plink&id=127 127 <![CDATA[Rehearsal for tomorrow!]]> Meridian tomorrow! This will be the only time to see us until the concert in October, so we hope you all can make it!]]> 9/6/2011 http://blog.8pixel.net/?view=plink&id=126 126 <![CDATA[Labor Day]]>
In my case, since I don't really do anything that would qualify as "work", I consider it a day off from routine. I am a man of routine, most of the time. Holidays serve to remind me of the wisdom and joy inherent in simply moving from moment to moment, choosing the task of my heart. I'm not usually one for sloth, although I have had days of donuts, coffee and extended tv - those days tend to exhaust me more than a day of actually doing things.

Happy Labor Day Islanders! May your day be filled with the tasks of your Heart!

Cheers,

Pat]]> 9/5/2011 http://blog.8pixel.net/?view=plink&id=125 125 <![CDATA[Turmoil]]>
I used to sail quite a bit and that may be where I got the weather metaphor. Often the sailing would be great one moment and stormy the next... Today is sunny with a chance of excellence and I see smooth sailing ahead now that we've gone through the maelstrom of yesterday.

I posted the Islander Newsletter today - still working on the members area and all is looking pretty exciting!

Cheers my dear friends!

Pat

I'll repost the newsletter below...



***********************************************
Islander News
Greetings Islanders!

Things are getting exciting! The Tropical Cowboys are moving into our next phase and we have lots of fun things going on!

Concert This Wednesday the 7th!

The Tropical Cowboys will be playing at an event for Mayor Tammy de Weerd in Meridian next Wednesday (the 7th)!
Come on down to the Grotto at Main & Idaho in downtown Meridian and join us for music, dancing and FUN! This will be our ONLY PERFORMANCE IN SEPTEMBER, so we really hope to see ya there!

Wednesday, September, 7th, 2011
6:30PM to 8:30 PM
The Grotto - Downtown Meridian (map link below)
Main & Idaho
Meridian, ID

Map Link:


Now Open: The Islander's Club!

We've created a special area just for Islanders on our website. JOIN TODAY, it's FREE!
Exclusive videos of the band
Pat's blog to keep you updated on the band
Discounts on tickets, tshirts, hats & cd's
Rough drafts of new songs
Islanders are the first to hear the latest news!
Scholarships to concerts will be available for Islanders!
In the Studio
We had our first recording session on August 26th at Cunningham Audio Production and we had a blast!!
The vocals are just "scratch vocals" right now, but you can hear a snippet of "Seasons Change" and catch a bit of our rehearsal when you join the Islander's Club!

SAVE THE DATE! OCTOBER 14TH, 2011
We're planning a big FALL CONCERT on Friday, October 14th - it promises to be a really fun event (like the park parties last year). You won't want to miss this performance! Details coming soon!
]]> 9/3/2011 http://blog.8pixel.net/?view=plink&id=124 124 <![CDATA[Spread Our Wings]]>
We got a rough mix of Spread Our Wings from Don's Studio! I am very happy with the results. This was the last song we recorded on that day and we were hot and tired but it still came out really well...

I will post a snippet of it on the Islander's Club page today! I'll be heading over to the studio today to get the rough cuts of the other songs we recorded... I'm hoping we have some usable tracks (I'm sure we do!)

Cheers!]]> 8/31/2011 http://blog.8pixel.net/?view=plink&id=123 123 <![CDATA[September Performance]]>
Mark the date, September 7th, 2011 we will be playing for "Tea with Tammy". A fundraising event for Tammy de Weerd - Mayor of Meridian. It's at the Grotto at Main and Idaho in downtown Meridian.

We'll be playing from 6:30-8:30 with food and beverages available from "It's All About You Catering"

Come on down and sing along and dance - this will be our only performance in September!
]]> 8/30/2011 http://blog.8pixel.net/?view=plink&id=122 122 <![CDATA[In the studio...]]>
On Friday, August 26th, we went into the studio to begin recording our First Professional Album!

We went to Cunningham Audio Production and just had a blast although we dubbed the experience the "Sauna Recordings" because it was rather hot in there. It's a great little studio and each of us was in a separate booth (except for Sandy and Frank being quite chummy in their own booth.

We recorded the basic music tracks for "Heaven On Earth", "To Be Your Friend" and "Seasons Change". I think we really got some usable tracks.

Sandy's daughter Shelly got some great video footage to use in our upcoming music videos. As soon as she renders the film, I'll post snippets on the Islander's Club pages.
Afterwards, a tuckered Sandy and Shelly headed home whilst the boys went over to Burger and Brew for some strong IPA's (9% alcohol... phew!)


More to follow... Cheers!]]> 8/29/2011 http://blog.8pixel.net/?view=plink&id=121 121