Amazing Grace

Please note:  This post is by no means intended to be disrespectful to anyone's religious beliefs.

I've been writing a bit here and there through Blogger lately and when I close or sign out, I get directed to My Blog - as if I needed to see it through your eyes.... in case my eyes were a little different.  Anyways, I don't really need to see my Blog, since I'm the one that wrote it, so I click on the "Next Blog" button at the top of my page and I click and I click.... 

What I noticed is that there is alot of Family Blogs and Blogs about Grace and God and sometimes an occasional Cupcake Recipe Blog... which are all fine and dandy but wow there are ALOT of Blogs about Grace and God.  So, I dedicate this post to Grace. 

I'm not going to confess that I know that much about God.... but I will confess and ask, Who is Grace?  I guess I should just Google it... Grace, I mean.  If I had time, I would. 

Lots of expectant parents name their kids, Grace - indeed, it is a beautiful name.  Not too many parents name their kids, God.  Well, maybe you're not allowed to name your kid, God....so, I think they choose Grace because it's the next closest thing to God?

I don't want to get in trouble, so I'll leave Grace and God alone for now....

When I first started playing the Ukulele, one of the beginner songs I, and all of us have probably encountered is this song:  Amazing Grace.    Yes, I'm sure there's many songs out there about God, but not one that you learn while strumming the C-F & G7 chords in Uke School.... So here's a toast...

To Grace:  you have helped many a beginner Ukulele player through their very first chord progession, so I have to agree with the song.... you're Amazing!


LOL I Googled "Grace Kelly Ukulele" - because she's the only famous Grace I know and thought she might have had time to play the ukulele between acting and marrying a Prince... here's what popped up:


Yes, seriously!  Too Amazing if you ask me... Grace Kelly with her Uke!!




Ahhh... this is what I call Amazing Grace.


xxx Carrie.

Here are the "Amazing Grace" Ukulele Chords... with diagrams!
http://jenfo.com/ukulele/songs/soprano/amazing_grace_uke_s.pdf

My Little Grass Shack

She was my favorite Mouseketeer then...

and always will be....

RIP Annette

In 2012, for the Ruby's Ukes Ukulele contest, I chose this song to play & sing.  I bought this song presented by Disney & Annette on iTunes for 99 cents and had listened to it at least a thousand times.  I still love this rendition of My Little Grass Shack and amazingly, I  did not tire from listening to it.  And of course, after my final recording, I sounded nothing like Annette - could anybody?   I'm not going to post that video here but you can search for it on YouTube for a good laugh.

I was deeply saddened by Annette Funicello's passing this year.... she will remain my favorite Mousketeer forever in my heart.  LOL, and of course a beach bunny :)

xxx Carrie

Ukulele chords in the Key of G for:  My Little Grass Shack

http://www.alligatorboogaloo.com/uke/tabs/030809-2.html

Penelope Bagieu

If I knew what I know now, this is how I would have liked to live my day-to-day life....

.... and my parties would be just like this one!

Oh, and I'd be able to play my Ukulele...


Carrie.



Read about this fascinating young artist at:   

http://www.ukuleleboudoir.com/index.php/fr/article/detail/229/Penelope-Bagieu

Mother's Day 2012

I'm a year late posting this, as Mother's Day 2013 is fast approaching but you know how the saying goes, "Better late than never..", which is so true!

Oh my daughter knows me so well....

Since Mother's Day 2011, my daughter, Crystal has taken me to a park... has a homemade little picnic... and brings her dog.  I only have to bring two ukuleles with me.  This is the only day she'll let me teach her some chords and then we make up a song!

She likes the one finger barre chords where you fret all four strings across the neck - I guess technically they would be your 6 chords or your m7 chords... and she likes to move them up and down the neck.  She doesn't care that they're called moveable chords.  She says it's cool!

And... It is cool! 

It's cool to be with your kids on Mother's Day... it's cool to be silly with your kids... and it's cool to rock it out on ukuleles with your kids...  but the most coolest thing about this day is when they say they had a great time with you and they post the musical masterpiece they created with their mom's on Facebook or Youtube!!  Very cool indeed!!

What is way more cool is when your kid becomes a mama herself!  This Mother's Day will be my daughter's first Official Mother's Day... I know 100% that she will feel the joy and love for her kid that I do for mine.

I want to wish her the bestest ever Mama's Day ever and when my grandchildren get older, I hope they know exactly what to do on Mother's Day for their Mom and they won't hesitate for a second to do it, whether they like it or not xxx....

Maybe I will be bringing 3 ukuleles this year with me to the dog park...

xxx Carrie.

Stay tuned for the 2013 barre chord song.... to be posted here!  LOL

Sukiyaki... a little of this & a little of that

Recently, I had the privilege of being in Charlotte, NC for my nephew's hockey tournament.  I know... right?... Who would have thought Hockey in Charlotte!!  Anyways, while in between games, my brother and I decided to leave his 13 year old hockey star with his hockey team representing the state of Washington,  to seek out "Chinatown".  I love how we just assume every city has a Chinatown.... hmm, well, Charlotte does not - so to speak.  They have a few Asian type of restaurants, including this one....

After our meal of Sukiyaki... and I call it Sukiyaki, because  what we ordered was a mis-mash of things - some tasty, some not... our waiter brought us the traditional Asian dessert,  fortune cookies.  As a matter of fact, I'm probably going to offend somebody when I say, I'm not even sure what Sukiyaki is... LOL, it's not Chinese, I know.  To me, the word itself implies a mis-mash of Asian things put together....

So speaking of Sukiyaki.... here's mine:

• Hiroko is Japanese, I am not...
• She can hit the high D note, where I struggle with Do-Re-Me's...
• I wanted to play the melody but she made me sing it...
• She likes to sing, but I made her pick the melody...
• Hiroko likes the open chords, I like playing closed chords up the neck...
• Hiroko thinks mistakes are cute, I crave & want "Perfection"...

After 4 takes, I felt this video was not any where near perfect... I wanted to re-record it again and again but I think my friend wanted to  hit me, so I let her have her cute stuff in our contest video!!  It's funny how things work out... we won our division, "Group Cover Song" even with those "cute" moments unedited!

Sometimes "perfection" isn't always needed and

Sometimes a mis-mash of Sukiyaki is a great thing...

Kinda like ice hockey and North Carolina...
Did you know in 2006, the Carolina Hurricanes won the ultimate championship in hockey... the NHL's Stanley Cup!! That is something to brag about for sure!!!

Sad to say, Seattle, WA did not win the National Bantam Tier II title but I'm sure proud of them for being State champs but happily to report I had a lot of fun in N.Carolina with my brother & nephew...

Carrie.... 

 Sukiyaki Ukulele chords:  http://www.scorpexuke.com/song-display.html?song=Sukiyaki.pdf&id=425



Ukulele Lady

I wonder if Gus Kahn and Richard Whiting, were thinking of me when they co-wrote a song in 1925 and titled it.... "Ukulele Lady"

I bet your life they weren't! 

But I guarantee you, I am.... a Ukulele Lady!

Here, I'm about to go on stage with my precious Uke with my cool Uke strap I made and meet my Ukulele band, The Ukesters, for a 20 maybe 25 minute set of songs from the 1960's!!  I'm quite proud of my groovy color scheme for the night... especially my crocheted vest somebody's grandmother made that I happened to have found the day before my gig at a vintage clothing shop here in Vancouver.  $15 - perfect!!  Everybody loved it...  everybody asked if my grandmother made it!

On this night, we had a set list that went like this:

Runaway

Walk Don't Run

My Girl / My Guy

Samba PaTi

Oye Como Va

Low Rider

Wipe Out

Tequilla

It was a quite a set... challenging and fun and I was thrilled with my performance.  I memorized most of the repertoire and the parts I forgot, I managed to fool everyone with my effective and awesome tricki wicki wacki woo "X" strum.  I was on a high all night... danced the night away in my hot pink UGG knockoffs.  Hah.. went for comfort instead of the sleek look and uncomfortableness of white vinyl boots.  During the evening, I was offered Tequilla shots and pizza and on all occasions, I said "oh Yes, PLEASE and THANK YOU very much".

So you see... I am a Ukulele Lady!!

If you're a ukulele player, lady or gentleman, then you probably have heard of Ukulele Mike... He hails from Seattle, WA and is one heck of a Ukulele Teacher and promoter of all things uke!  Check out his YouTube tutorial of Ukulele Lady:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLY5arJ61m4&feature=related

Or if you prefer something a little lighter.... we all love Miss Piggy of Kermie! 

LOL, I'm pretty sure Kahn & Whiting were not thinking this either for their song....

                     

Until my groovy Uke strings meet yours.... Happy Strumming

 perhaps even under the moonlight of Honolulu Bay!

Carrie.