Meg and I were bubbling over with delight. I think I
was a bit more
girlish about it all, seeing how there is a rather
large age gap between
us two. Which I look upon with a slight sadness
every so often, but I
know when I am 26 I'll be teasing her and her hubby
about how ancient
they are. :) I am in no way ready to be 26
now...anyways...a man named
Griffin House opened the show up. He was quite good,
he, his guitar,
friend, and friend's piano. Then we had to sit and
listen to a couple
anouncements, I drifted in and out of listening...I
perked up quite a
bit when he talked about the winter music fest.
Sufjan Stevens will be
in Grand Rapids people. I commited to go, then and
there. I can't
remember the exact dates, but this is only a minor
detail.

The show began on this happy note, and I was off.
Hands wringing in my
lap, pure excitement. Silent Night was the first
song they played...I've
sung along many times with their version on Darkest
Night Of The Year.
The natural urge was there out of habit and joy to
sing along with
Karin, but the thought of it embarassed me, and I
was ashamed of the
times I've attempted the feat. I am amazed at the
way she and Linford
play songs that I already consider to be quite like
perfection, but then
they turn around and make it more glorious than
before, causing new
chills to tickle my veins.

I keep taking breaks as I type this...I guess it's
one of those things
that I'm still holding dear in my heart. I really do
like Over The
Rhine. I've never been to any show that makes me
feel as much as thiers
does...I remember talking to Elise after seeing my
first show of them in
Dayton. I told her that it was amazing, but I that I
left with a pretty
deep sadness. I couldn't understand why that
was...she stated that she
always considered that feeling to be a bit of
homesickness. I looked at
her confused. She finished the thought like
this..."When you experience
beauty on earth, I think we have a brief
understanding of what it will
be like in heaven...when the beauty is over, the
understanding stops and
we miss it." I probably am not doing her words
justice, but you get the
idea I hope. I'm not saying I worship the band, just
that they provide
for me some genuine beauty here on earth...I am
thankful for that.