Today’s post was written for the “litebeing chronicles” blog, where a
SENSE-SATIONAL BLOGGING CHALLENGE
is underway for the month of November. When I chose 11/11 as the date for my post, I received the following response:
“11/11 is such an auspicious date, great choice!”
Yes, 11/11 has been auspicious for me. Ten years ago — on 11/11/07 — I met the man I would eventually marry.
Truth be told, we met before that, on match.com, but that doesn’t count, does it? His match.com profile said he played piano and liked Jackson Browne. That would have been enough for me — I play folk guitar and love piano — but in his picture he was riding a train and had a camera slung around his neck, just the right combination of sensitive musician and street-smart artist to hook me in.
We met for coffee on 11/11. We talked a lot about music, and a little about our former marriages. Our first official date (a Herbie Hancock concert) went smoothly. Before long, we played some songs together, and I started to dabble in songwriting. (He’d already done quite a bit of that himself.) Eventually, we decided to record our songs, but we needed a name for our duo.
Because we’d met on 11/11, and his apartment just happened to be #11 (how’s that for auspicious?), I suggested the name Two Candles. But when I Googled “Two Candles,” I found that the name had already been taken … by a store that sold sex toys. We didn’t want any confusion about that, so we crossed Two Candles off our list and kept thinking.
We came up with at least a hundred possible names — I’ve still got the list — before hitting on the one that would stick: Pacific Buffalo. (He’s from the Pacific Northwest and I’m from Buffalo.) For me, the name Pacific Buffalo conjures up oceans and prairies, modern and rustic – and that describes our music, too. There’s no one genre that we fit into, so I’ve made one up: “Cool Americana.”
Writing and recording cool Americana music with my husband has been fulfilling, frustrating, exciting, scary, tedious, and exhausting … but never boring. It’s taught me so much about music, about singing, about breathing, and about myself. It has shown me what a nitpicky perfectionist I can be, and also what a patient person my husband is. It’s made me a better listener. I’ll never hear music the same way again.
It’s also what got me started on blogging. Our band needed a website, so I became the official blogger. For a real treat to your senses, go to our website and check us out!
Which senses bring me joy and delight? They all do, but the one I chose to write about for today is the sense of hearing, and more specifically, of music appreciation. When I listen to music, I’m carried on a sea of sound to a space outside myself, a beautiful space filled with energy, waves, and light. In that way, I get to commune with some really cool, rustic, and positive energy in the universe. It even helps me to believe that there’s some meaning to my life (although I haven’t quite figured out what it all means yet). Is there a song in there somewhere? I sure hope so. Maybe I’ll call it “Eleven Eleven.”
Thank you, litebeing chronicles, for inviting me to write today’s post. My being feels lighter now that I’ve shared my love of music with you.
Tomorrow’s Sense-ational Challenge writer is: Barbara Franken
Hi Lori,
Clearly 11/11 has alot of meaning for you , apart from the numerology of double 11s. Thank you for taking the plunge and sharing your love of music. Can you please link your post to the following link? https://litebeing.com/2017/10/26/sense-sational-blogging-challenge/
This will keep things consistent.
peace to you, LInda
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Linda, I loved taking the plunge! I approved your comment … does that allow the pingback to work?
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It was the wrong link. Link your post to the link I included in my comment and I will approve it.
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Linda, I hope you received the link to my post that I just posted on your link above. I think I’m link-challenged!
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I don’t think you get what I am trying to explain. If you go to Shree’s post from 11-7 and look at the link in the beginning of her post, you will see exactly what she did. You linked to hiya and read blogs and ??? , but not to my challenge post. See if looking at Shree’s post will make it simpler for you: https://anitashree.com/2017/11/07/its-all-about-the-senses-this-post-is-anyways/
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I just copied and pasted the link Shree used into my post. Is that better?
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Hi again … if you look at the beginning of my post, you should see where I did what Shree did, that is, I linked to your Sense-sational Blog Challenge post … I still don’t see what I’m doing wrong. So sorry!
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Also reminds me of something Art Blakey said, “Music is supposed to wash away the dust of every day life”
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Awm=, what a lovely story…11/11 being Remembrance Day here makes it all the more special. I would love to hear some of your songs. Could I find some on Itunes or Google Play? All Americana music…like that too, my tastes vary from folk to indie folk and being a boomer, Motown to folk to classic rock. I am so glad I discovered you from The Dungeon’s prompt 🙂
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Thanks, Oliana! Yes, I have more songs on iTunes, CD baby, YouTube, and on our website (www.pacificbuffalo.com). I am happy we found each other’s sites in the blogosphere!
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What a wonderful story and post, and how wonderful that 11/11 cropped up so many times.. Such is synchronicity at its best.. And I loved the name you came up with 🙂 And will be taking a look at your website just as soon as I catch up here at WP… 🙂
Sue 🙂
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Thank you, Sue (a little belatedly)!
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No worries.. Have a lovely weekend.. 🙂
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Pity you didn’t post this on the 7th then you could have called it 7-11 and got loads of people clicking on it that were trying to look for the website of the convenience store 🙂 Been listening to your Pacific Buffalo stuff too, love the melodies and humour too. Music does stir passions in me in ways that nothing else can, it never fails to elevate my mood if I am feeling down or enhance my creativity to new levels appreciating the beauty and complexity (or unique simplicity) of well crafted tunes. I’m so glad you and your husband share the musical bond, I think that is really wonderful.
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Yes, Seven Eleven does have a nice ring to it! And I’m extremely gratified that you’ve listened to our music. We’re currently working on some new tunes. Stay tuned!
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