Bell-Myers Family

Man Behind the Curtain

2008-07-20T15:06:00.002-06:00

I posted the final version of the song to the MN Music Gather.com Group today! Sorry, Jimmi, we were hoping to get a mando track on there, but the submissions were rolling in fast, and I didn't want to miss the window!

Work in Progress

2008-07-19T13:01:00.002-06:00

I'm working on a submission for the Songs from Scratch contest at our local Public Radio station. Here's what I have so far: The Main Behind the Curtain. I'm hoping my buddy Jimmi can record a mando track for me...

St Patrick's Day Gig

2008-03-23T14:13:00.006-06:00

Our band, The Mighty Fine Wake Band, just did our annual St Patrick's Day gig at Cravings in White Bear Lake. It went well, all told. Here's MP3's of the entire first set (I forgot to press "record" for the second set (!!!!!)). I included "Teach Your Children", even though it did not go all that well. If you want, you can skip to the end to hear our patter about it, which is the best part of that particular MP3.

01_Long_Black_Veil
02_She_Was_the_Prize
03_Fare_Thee_Well
04_Leaving_of_Liverpool
05_Joy_of_My_Heart
06_Pipe_Organ
Teach_Your_Children (removed for your protection)
08_Helpless
09_The_Weight
10_Irish_Water
11_Helplessly_Hoping
12_Evangeline
13_Things_We_Have_To_Do

Enjoy!

Three Christmas Songs

2007-12-17T23:14:00.000-06:00

Darcy did a gig last week, and she has a bunch of Christmas songs under her fingers on the harp. So, we've gone into the studio and recorded the entire set. Here's the first three for your listening pleasure, Let It Snow, In The Bleak Midwinter, and Gifts (Underneath the Christmas Tree), a song I wrote for Darcy last year. It's such a pleasure to hear her sing my song!

Let Yourself Listen

2007-09-22T14:26:00.000-06:00

I've completed work on Let Yourself Dance, the last of Rick's song I recorded in NC. Hope you like it.

<guilt>However, I do notice that no-one has taken the time to leave even one comment on the previous two songs, so I guess nobody has anything nice to say? OK, I'll let Rick know his fanbase is shrinking...</guilt> :-)

More Music from Rick Myers

2007-09-21T06:38:00.000-06:00

While our family was on vacation this summer in Corolla, NC (more on that later, perhaps), I was fortunate to be able to pull Rick, Darcy's dad, aside and record another couple of songs. I had already recorded Crossing Streets the last time he was in Minnesota to visit. But I wanted more! So we got three recordings started while we were out there. Fishing on the St. John and Orlando are ready, and I'm still fighting with the drum part on the third - soon to come. Post your comments, so Rick can hear what great songs these are!

Old McDonald, Amelia Style

2007-08-05T20:52:00.000-06:00

Amelia turns 2 next week, on August 19, and she's ready to celebrate. Here's her version of Old McDonald, on the piano. She provides her own applause.

I Hold Your Hand

2007-08-05T20:33:00.000-06:00

The Yoguys have (partially) emerged from the shadows! Though the miracle of the internet and distributed music production, we're been able to record one of my songs! Doug plays the uke on this tune, and I'm playing my new keyboard from James. Thanks to both of you!

We're OK, Despite the 35W Bridge

2007-08-02T09:09:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone, we're just fine, if you were worried. We haven't been using that bridge into Mpls, due to the construction on 36. What an awful thing. I'm anxious to know what caused this, as I'm sure many are, but I think it'll be quite some time before they figure it out. Our thoughts are with all those injured, and with their families.

OH BABY

2007-05-16T20:25:00.000-06:00

I made this song up to soothe Amelia, so I decided to record it. She "sang" along, as you can hear. She loves to dance to this recording, even as she listens to herself cry! I dunno, I kind of think her part adds some atmosphere, don't you? I did the recording in Garageband. That's my new acoustic bass you're listening to.

Admirable Restraint

2007-05-09T20:49:00.000-06:00

Doug and Sylvia came by the other day, and I got out my guitar. While I was playing Holy Now by Peter Mayer, Doug got out his video camera and recorded it. And Rowan was very sure he wanted to be in the video. So he got up on the couch and started jumping behind me as I played. I kept my cool. I was a model of adult restraint. They show went on. That is, until I just couldn't take it anymore...

Girl with Dog

2007-04-20T11:54:00.000-06:00

Now That's One Fine Harp

2007-04-20T11:40:00.000-06:00

Darcy recently drove to Chicago and back in one day. Seriously. And this is what she came back with! The worlds coolest harp! It's a Camac Clio, made in France. She's doing the rent to own thing, but they don't carry these at the local Rent-A-Center:

Mad Science

2007-04-16T19:42:00.000-06:00

Here's the most scientific love song I've ever written, inspired by my teacher and mentor, Peter Mayer. It's called I Hold Your Hand. Please forgive the scratch recording - I just wrote it tonight and I really wanted to share it with all of you.

Driven to Distraction

2007-03-31T10:25:00.000-06:00

So, I made oatmeal for the kids this morning. Rowan and Nessa are both sitting before steaming bowls, watching cartoons and eating - well nothing. Transfixed by television. Amelia, like the ravenous toddler she is, has eaten 20% of her oatmeal immediately and smeared the remainder in her hair. She has then proceeded, as is her habit, to scream at the top of her lungs. Presuming she wants more cereal/hair tonic, I am running to the stove to get her some more. Then Rowan comes out with one of those gems I just have to share:

"Can you make her stop? She's distracting me from not eating!". Which is clearly true, since his entire bowl of oatmeal still sits before him, untouched.

The Case for Cookies

2007-02-27T20:46:00.000-06:00

Several of you have already heard the call - help 'Nessa get cookie orders in for Girl Scouts, without having to hit the "cold hard streets" of Stillwater, MN (which are certainly cold this time of year, and necessarily hard, to avoid wear). For those of you who have not yet responded, I ask again - won't you help her?

Nessa has joined the Girl Scouts this year and is participating in the
annual cookie shake-down... errrr sale. If you would like some yummy
cookies, please let me know and we will order them for you. There are all
the delicious favorites from yesteryear, as well as a few new varieties.
All boxes are $3.50 each, and this cost helps the scouts do fun things like
camping etc. I will mail the cookies to you for free, or arrange to get them
to you if you live in town. Just think of it as my way of avoiding sending
Nessa out onto the mean, cold streets of Stillwater and of my having to go
with her.

Here's a link with pictures of the delectable baked treats.

Thanks,
Darcy

P.S. You can pay for them now or when they arrive, all checks payable to
troop 2159

Baby Whale on YouTube

2007-01-24T22:05:00.000-06:00

Well, the Bell-Myers family has finally joined the online video revolution. Check out Baby Whale on the YouTube video site. It's the (famous?) video we made back when Rowan was just a baby, now available to a world wide audience :-).

Some of you have mentioned it has been a while since our last post. Blame it on Christmas and exhaustion. I'm back and hits will just keep on coming!

Things at work have not been all that good, I'm afraid, but I still have a job. Partially due to Darcy's illness, my bosses have seen fit to put me in a position of less responsibility. I guess I should be grateful, which oddly, I sort of am. But how it went down, well it didn't go well. But that's part of the reason I'm grateful to be out of their spotlight.

Nonetheless, I'm putting in my time and spending my evenings digitizing video for your viewing pleasure! I wrote a song for Darcy over Christmas, I'll post it as soon as I can.

BTW, James, Darcy and I, plus some other friends will be playing music at Cravings for St. Pattie's Day. Come by and join us if you're in town!

Dance Baby Dance

2006-11-19T12:04:00.000-06:00

We went out on our first date last week, 11/11, to see John Gorka play live at the Cedar Cultural Center, with our friends James and Jill. It was a great night. So inspiring for me to see a great performer up there playing his own songs. And so inspiring too, to see Darcy so happy and having fun after such a trying time.

After we got home, we found the kids loved the music just as much as we did. Here's a short (very short) of Amelia dancing to the new CD. I took the video with our old digital camera, so the quality isn't that great, still it's what was at hand. If you need quicktime, click "Get Quicktime" in the menu at the right.

Looking Good

2006-11-13T19:05:00.000-06:00

As far as we know, we're through now. The last full body scan on Friday didn't seem to show anything I didn't expect to see, based on what I had been told.

Now, I'm no nuclear medicine specialist. But I think what we were looking for was a bright spot around the thyroid area, and darkness elsewhere, which is just what I saw. This because the thyroid tissue takes up the radioactive iodine, and if it's just in that one area, it has not spread. Plus, if it's bright, it means the medicine was taken up well by the remaining thyroid tissue.

Because I-131 has a half-life of 8 days, it was 50% gone on Friday. According to the rad specialist, they expect 97% of the dose to be flushed from the system in those first few days of seclusion. So, 3% was taken up by the thyroid, of which now 1.5% remains to light up last Friday's scan. And in a couple of days, we'll be at half of that - 0.75% by my calculations. IE, not very much.

Darcy's rebounding very well. Less tired each day. She watched the kids today for the first time since this all began, and she seems just fine, a bit tired, but not bad.

Over the last few weeks, first my mom, Ann, and then my buddy Doug both came out to help, and man were they appreciated. They worked hard to help, and I'm so personally grateful. Here are a couple of pictures from that time, with their little charges in tow.

Thank you for all you've done, I can't even say how grateful I am, cause it's too big for words.

Escape from Alcatraz...

2006-11-07T20:47:00.000-06:00

I"m officially "out" of my little cell, i.e. our downstairs guest room. It was interesting to sleep there and to know what it's like to be a guest in this house. Not too bad, but a little chilly. From now on, we'll keep an electric blanket down there. It seems like some form of karma to be made to sleep in one's own guest room. Just glad we don't make people sleep on a futon anymore! (I can hear Bruce saying right now, "what's wrong with a futon?" each to his own, I guess).

I joked with my dad that I was tunneling out of the closet with a spoon and was going to make my escape into the sewer system. In reality, it was nice to have a rest and a chance to do nothing but sleep, read and watch movies. Actually, the morning I was officially out I climbed back into my little cell to take a nap, it was so cozy.

Still feeling tired from the radiation, but getting better every day. It reminds me of climbing up a hill while riding a bicycle. You just keep pedaling and pushing up up up, knowing that eventually you'll get to that plateau where it's a bit easier and you can breathe freely again. I'm still tired, so things seem a little harder than they really are. Bruce is taking good care of me though and I'm officially on the same nap schedule as Amelia ;) Your phone calls and e-mails helped to cheer me up when I started to feel sorry for myself, so thanks for them. I have learned to accept graciously when people send their love to me. In a way, that is such a hard thing to do. I think to myself that it is more than I could ever deserve. When I say this to Bruce, he tells me that I will do the same for him one day - hopefully when we're both old and gray or old and an unnatural shade of auburn on my part! Maybe that's the lesson in all of this, that we are here to care for one another and love one another. That there is no scarcity of love and that when you give it, it comes back to you with interest.

We'll know on Friday if I'm in the clear for awhile and won't have to deal with anymore of this for another year or not. Please keep your fingers crossed for me!

love always,
Darcy

The End of the Treatments

2006-11-06T12:29:00.000-06:00

Darcy is now freed from her prison seclusion, and is recovering from being hypothyroid for over 2 weeks. She's still very tired (in fact she's asleep as I type this), but seems to be in good spirits, and is getting better all the time.

Doug is due in town this afternoon, to help out with the transition this week. I'm looking forward to challenging him mightily throughout the week with tasks ranging from changing diapers to addressing what can be generously described as a "refrigerator". From the current state of it, that's probably a very generous description. He's brought his guitar, he says, so I suspect a hootenany may be in the offing, as well. It'll be a fun week.

Darcy really had very little reaction to the medication - some small swelling of her salivary glands, but no pain or discomfort to speak of. The hardest part was the boredom from being cooped up, and of course being so very hypo.

I'm looking forward to her recovery and to getting back to the normal business of being a busy family.

My Dear, You're Positively Glowing

2006-11-02T15:57:00.000-06:00

Well, we did the second scan today, and no surprises on it too, so good news. As now expected, Darcy was given a quite small dose of Iodine 131 to destroy any remaining thyroid tissue (50 millicuries). We're home from the hospital now, and Darcy is now ensconced in her lair. It's so odd to think she's radioactive. I'm joking she should try experimental photography. Get a large sheet of photo paper and see what kind of exposures she can make!

Anyway, now it's down to waiting it out. She'll be out on Monday, and back on the Synthroid. Almost out.

Mom has been here the last few days, helping with the kids and all. She's off back to NY on Saturday, and I'll be holding down the fort (with help from James and Ana) this weekend. Then Doug's coming out Monday morning to help with the aftermath. But I suspect she'll be feeling great by Tuesday, with the Synthroid kicking in.

One Scan Down, One to Go

2006-11-01T19:07:00.000-06:00

We went to St. Joe's to have the first of Darcy's two body scans done today. It was quite uneventful, and to my untutored eye, the scan looks OK. We'll get the official version tomorrow, after the final scan. We go in at 9am. Both Darcy and I were nervous driving in, but in good spirits, and it was a sunny day today. We listened to more "Freakanomics" in the car, and learned what the Ku Klux Klan and real estate agents have in common.

One fine feature of St. Joseph's is the coffee shop, run by local folk hotspot the Ginkgo Coffeehouse. Verrry nice. I think I truly annoyed our Nuclear medicine specialist, David. I kept interrupting him in his spiel with questions I had from my research on the internet. You could tell he didn't like to be interrupted. Eventually, he asked me to sit in the hall. Darcy says it was probably because he was trying to protect me from exposure to the radiation. But I think he was trying to get rid of me.

I did not sleep well last night. Amelia's crib toy was going off around 2:30am and after I got up to turn it off, I was up. I came downstairs and worked on coding my latest software program for a while. I didn't make it back to bed until 5:30. So, I'm pretty ragged right now.

5 small pills in the morning, then a 30 minute scan in the afternoon, both of which were easy. And it was so nice to spend some time with Darcy. We'll be seeing each other a lot less the next few days, it's nice to load up now.

Darcy's cell, er room, in the basement is all ready to go, but for the new TiVo we ordered, which should arrive tomorrow or Friday. Got it for a steal off TiVo's website. If you haven't tried TiVo yet, do so. It rocks. Darcy now can't live without it. How else could she watch 5 consecutive Oprah shows? Dr Phil marathon, anyone?

More tomorrow. Thanks for the well wishes. And, sorry to make you cry, everyone :-).

Halloween Dream

2006-10-30T22:01:00.000-06:00

The truth of Halloween is
I want to live.
I don't want to remember you
I'd like you to remind me.

When you wake up cold and pale,
You tell me your dream
And that’s why I feel better.
If you're dreaming, you're still here.

Before, you were grumpy, you
Still had some kick.
Now you are cheerful but
So tired.
I wish you would snap at me and
Show some spark.

Our ancestors visit us, they say,
On All Hallow's Eve.
I'm glad to see them.
Then, they depart, back to the other side.

Stay here, on this side, with me,
Because I could not hold my heart together.

That fearsome future lives behind a blank place in my vision.

The children say it's the best day with
Bright Spider Man costumes and candy favors.
They do not know the truth of Halloween,
As they should not.

The truth of Halloween is
I want you to live.

Radiation treatment

2006-10-30T10:45:00.000-06:00

I went in today for a routine bloodtest before the body scan which will be wednesday and thursday. The doctor pulled me aside to tell me to be prepared for the radio iodine treatment after all. "The margins were clean" meaning they'd gotten the tumor out, but the pathology report which only came back recently, indicated some stray cancer cells in the soft tissue in my throat nearby. "Any physician would feel the radio iodine treatment is needed", she said. So I guess I'm going to have it after all.

The kids will have to be away from me for about 4 days and we're still trying to work out the details of where they'll go and how. Anyone who comes in contact with me closer than 3 feet will be at risk for radiation exposure and could have their own thyroid compromised as a result. Getting the kids to stay that far back is nearly impossible, so the best thing to do is to move them out.

I must say I was really looking forward to going back to life as "normal" and am not happy that I'll have to be isolated and sick with radiation poisoning. I think to myself, "What kind of rational person would intentionally take something poisonous into their body?" I guess a person with no other good choice, is the answer.

I think back often to the scene in the "Princess Bride" where the giant is told he has to kill the man in black (really the hero in disguise). "How do I do it?", he asks the mastermind.

"Do it YOUR way?" is the answer.

"What's my way?"

"You know, hide behind a tree and when he walks by, hit him over the head with a rock."

"My way is not very sportsmanlike", says the giant. I guess "my way" is not very sportsmanlike either!

Darcy