six string serenade

our yard may not look very good at the moment but it sounded pretty nice tonight.

when i was 19 i told my mom that i planned on marrying a man who played guitar. i told her that i wanted a house full of music. i did not come from a musical home but i always admired that talent in others. the next week my mom gave me my very own hummingbird guitar. she said i should learn to play myself and not wait for a man. this is the kind of mom i am so lucky to have.

at the time jon (my husband) was "just a friend". a friend who had recently began to strum the guitar. his natural talent was quite obvious from the very beginning. while visiting one evening he spotted my guitar with the hummingbirds on it in the corner. he immediately picked it up and began to play. i told him the story with my mom and he agreed with her completely. he quickly offered to help me learn. i asked if he could teach me ""five siring serenade" by mazzy star for my first number. he was a patient teacher and always believed that i could learn just as easily as he had. i did master the first three or four chords of the song, but not without a struggle. at the time i was falling deeply for my camera and i gave up much too quickly on my guitar. it ended up back in the corner only to be played when jon came to visit.

i did bring it out for a photo shoot once, the perfect prop. i asked jon to pose for me and play under one of my favorite tress. i told him that the photographs would be so much cooler if he took his shirt off (and they were). i added chunky rings to his fingers that i found at a pawn shop. i focused on the hummingbirds, old rings and his nimble hands. i enjoyed listening to him strum while i shot. i think this was the beginning of something between us. even though we didn't know it yet. couldn't believe my luck when i found a proof sheet from that day in one of the many photo boxes up in the attic tonight.

fifteen years later and i am still sneaking photos of jon with his guitar whenever i can. his talent is amazing and awe inspiring. his passion admirable and deep. he plays not for fame. attention or money. he plays for himself, because this is what makes his heart beat. he is a true artist in every sense of the word. our office walls are lined with his guitars. when i look up at the row while working or when i hear him strumming while i drift asleep..... i am reminded that i have just what i wished for when i was 19.

have a listen for yourself, and hear how spoiled i am to have this playing everyday and night. i especially love the track titled "outside my head". i think you will too....jon almeda-the one man band.

snapped this one on the "L"  yesterday on our way to the airport in chicago. that little travel guitar is so banged up because it goes everywhere we go. am surprised we don't have more nicks and scratches ourselves. what a busy and exciting summer it has been (and it's not over yet)!

Comments

[Joyce]

What a great love story! You're a lucky lucky lady. Lolz... funny thing was I grew up wanting to marry a man who plays the guitar too and my mum did what your mum did. I ended up being pretty good at it! Maybe that's why I didn't care anymore that Ryan's not a musical person. ;)

[Beth]

aww beautiful images!

[Peonies and Polaroids]

one. i love your mum

two. your husband is very very talented

three. you and your husband are magical (I saw M+D's sneaky peak photos when they were on their Scottish honeymoon, they made me well up. You're a very very clever pair of chickens.)

[Willow]

yummy, all of it, top to bottom and all the way to the music :)

[jenberry]

i'm so jealous you get to listen to that all the time. I popped over to myspace. WOW. i love love that bus pix

[Laney]

Great story! I love the pics and that guitar with Bob Marley on it is beautiful! I'll have to find that t-shirt for my husband, he's a musician too :)

[Erin]

So incredibly sweet! I love this! You two are the most talented pair :)

[Jason & Crystal]

Great stuff Heather. And Jon is far, far more talented than he lets on :)

[Kat Speyer]

Wonderful story. Thank you for sharing.

[Trude]

What a great read! Thanks for sharing...that last photo should be in a magazine. Love it. :)

[Jennifer & David]

Wonderful! This post is sweet (and your yard looks just fine). We listened to "Outside My Head" - it is gorgeous. Art & Love!

[april]

What a great story, Heather. Sweet and full of love!

[jenny]

I love how you conveniently asked Jon to take his shirt off the picture would "be much cooler." Heheh. Thank you for this blog post, it was a sweet start to my day. I look forward to catching up soon, it's been too long!

[Jesyka]

Is that a dobro in the top picture? My husband plays, so I was just checking.

[Martha]

I adored this post, words, pictures, and all.

[Cory]

I love love love this post. As I love the two of you!!

[kate]

i miss you guys. Jon looks so young, and funnything is, i think i learned the first few cords from 6 string serenade from you! What a great little story! I love the post.

[Sarah Neal]

A moving little post. I love it. And his music is beautiful... just had a listen.