Two for Tuesday

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Jake reconnecting with the world, after just getting home from Afghanistan~Here he is with his dad in North Carolina showing off his fancy new phone and pineapple shorts. He said just stepping into a pair of sandals was "amazing".

Up and over....that's our couch going into our new living room, Yikes! but they did it...with two couches!

Our Son Came Home From Afghanistan Today!

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It's been a busy week! I was off from last Wednesday until today...moving. Can I just say, I hate moving! :) I love unpacking, but, packing and the move itself is never fun! Our moving days fell on the same days that our son, Jake, was supposed to come home from Afghanistan, so I wasn't able to fly to North Carolina with my husband and welcome him home. It broke my heart to not be there, but for him to be safely on US soil is an answer to many a prayer. Knowing he was coming home and out of Afghanistan also ended the many sleepless nights and free-flow of tears at the thought of him being in danger. This morning my husband kept me up to minute with text messages and pictures via text, so as best I could, I was able to see and keep up with what was happening, from his plane landing on US soil, to the busses arriving at USMC base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. As Jake got off the bus he hugged his dad, I was called, the phone handed to him and I heard his voice and got to welcome our boy home... I will get to finally put my arms around him next month. I can hardly wait. A warrior, a hero, our son. We are so very proud of him.

Help for Nashville

Such devastation...sadness and loss. The pictures and video from Nashville break my heart. Nashville is a beautiful city, rich with history and it has been devastated. The thousands of flood victims who are struggling and have lost everything need our help... The worst flood on record for the middle Tennessee/Nashville area, it will take a long time to restore and rebuild after the deadly storms and floods that hit last week. Please donate today...here's how:

Please Help Now

Click on the Picture to Donate Online

OR

TEXT REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross Now!

Watch Video Now:

Kenny Chesney's home before and after:

Grand Ole Opry 'Circle of Wood' Survives!

Mother's Day

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What a great day! I love Mother's Day!

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The weather was beautiful, which was a nice change with all of the rain we have had here on the coast! Sleeping in on Mother's Day, it was a nice surprise to here the front door swing open and hear, "Happy Mother's Day!" Our oldest daughter decided to come home for the day from college to spend Mother's Day with me! Our youngest daughter, Jodi brought flowers and visited too. I went to church with my mom and then we all got together for lunch at my mom and dad's, where my sister showed up also! A phone call from my son Matthew was a perfect addition to the day. A relaxing beautiful day, wrapped up with BBQ'd dinner by hubby....it was nice. I hope all of you also had a lovely Mother's Day.... I have always thought that being a mother has been the most important and enjoyable gift I have been given in life.

Lilies from my sister, Ann. One of my favorite flowers ever.

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Yummy soap from Jessi bought for me at the Sunday Market in downtown Astoria. It was the first Sunday Market of the year. I am looking forward to many a Sunday this summer strolling through the many vender booths and browsing.

Crazy women on a relaxing Mother's Day

L to R: my daughter~Jessi, my mom~Berit, me, my sister~Ann and daughter~Jodi.

Lilacs... another favorite flower of mine! They always remind me of when Jodi was born. They were in season and my hospital room was full of them!

Flowers Jodi brought me on Mother's Day!

Beautiful and bright, just like the day!

Time Capsule Thursday

Three more pictures from the last year..

Welcome Home Coming Again...

Marine Corp and Troops coming home is about all that has been on my mind. Our son Jake is due to return from Afghanistan in the next 7-10 days. He is a sniper with the USMC 2/2 and it has been entirely too long since we have seen his smile, put our arms around him or heard his laugh~when he steps foot on American soil, we will all sigh a huge sigh of relief and give thanks to the good Lord above..... Below is a photo of our son, Matthew, hugging his sister, Jodi, after returning from his deployment (in December 2009) to Afghanistan with the USMC 1/5....with both of the boys deployed at the same time, I think we all squeezed Matthew extra tight when he walked out on that deck.

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Rest in Peace

....and with every homecoming, there are those who don't come home, but to be laid to rest. Who gave the ultimate price for our great Country. A friend of our son, memorialized a 'brother' who lost his life in Afghanistan while they were deployed...this was one of the first things he did after he got home.... Rest in Peace David.

Pure Love

This is a sight I will never forget. Our son meeting his daughter again after 9 months. He was deployed when she was a month old. Here, she is 10 months old and a whole lot different than when her daddy left!...unexplainable love.

Five for Friday

1) I came across this picture today and with the 60th Loyalty Day Parade coming up in a few days over in Long Beach I thought I'd post it... here I am in my crazy 'peacock' hat (that I hated!) many years ago in a parade, representing Denmark for the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival, as Jr Miss Denmark. 1977. WHO? Doesn't love a parade!? This Sunday I will be broadcasting a parade for the first time ever, with our News Director, Michael Desmond. I am looking forward to it. Long Beach, here we come!

2) It was supposed to be sunny today. It wasn't. It was rainy and cloudy all day! Just saying... I wish Mother Nature would make up her mind and bring us REAL Spring weather!

3) Tomorrow is the first day of May! My brother, Niels's, birthday! Here he is with his wife Allison.... I am sure mom will have cake and coffee at her house to celebrate! Yummy...mom's cake! Happy birthday big brother!

4) I think I have an unhealthy, abnormal love of coffee.... a random thought I know, but my eyes keep trying to close and my brain is screaming... COFFEE!


5) Well, I didn't quite get to 5, but 4 is good.. Happy Friday Friends and Happy May Day!

Time Capsule Thursday

Happy Thursday everyone!
So...3 random pictures from last year.
Here they are:

1) I know...I can go on and on about how beautiful this area is! This is the foot bridge out at Ft Stevens...I can't count how many times we passed under this bridge last year going to explore the beach and/or many trails!

2) Bowling with Carrie Underwood....read about it here! :)

3) Harry Glickman came to the studio to chat about the Blazers Basketball Camp in our area and was a joy to talk with! A lifetime full of stories...to hear only a few of them was an honor. Glickman is considered the "father" of professional sports in Oregon. Here he is with myself and Antonio Harvey, former Trail Blazer, who was currently in his third season as radio analyst for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Two for Tuesday & Taylor Swift

1) THIS is WHY So Many People Love Taylor Swift

She's Sweet and thoughtful. Genuine and fun....and of course, talented. Who doesn't love this: Taylor surprised a few college students who had a mission. To get a hug from her. She heard about their website, twitter page and facebook page and responded! She put them up to some challenges, which they took above and beyond to impress her.... Their website, A Hug from Taylor Swift , explains it all....fast forward~ They ended up getting their hugs... check out this video ~ I love it!

2) My Favorite Taylor Video....

This is one of my favorite Taylor Swift videos...in bed with her mom, watching the nomination announcments for the CMA awards and she got her first nomination for Entertainer of the Year...I can't watch this without tearing up.....everytime. She's just a regular kid~(young woman)...with a spectacular opportunities.

Five for Friday!

A Most Favorite 1 of 5!

I chatted with my son on the internet today and saw pictures! Getting to see his smile for the first time since he was deployed last year was wonderful~ Jake comes home from Afghanistan next month~ Our USMC scout sniper... we are so very proud of him.

2) My Namesake...Yes, a Chick...Princess Sonja

My sister, Ann, texted me this photo today and it said, "Meet one of our new chicks. Her name is Princess Sonja- after you dear sister...." A white crested hen chicken. She will grow to be a beautiful. My sister is a city girl and lives in Portland, Oregon, but her backyard is a farmyard of fun! Chickens, ducks, a rabbit, a garden and more~quite a city farm!

3) A ride on the Trolly

Old 300~Astoria's Riverfront Trolly what a great ride and day! My husband's dad and his wife came to visit yesterday and we don't get to see them often, so it was a definite treat and blessing to see them! We decided to eat some lunch and play it by ear...We went to Rollin' Thunder BBQ had some great southern BBQ and we heard the bell of the trolly! We decided to jump aboard and were so happy we did! 'Bear' was on board playing conductor and he was hysterical ! As we rode along the waterfront and historical areas were pointed out, jokes were told and 'Bear' even led the group of riders in a few fun songs, that were, yes, corny, but fun! 'If You're Happy and You Know it' was belted out by all aboard, followed by a good round of 'B-I'N-G-O'. The trolly is such a wonderful addition to our community and for a dollar a ride or 2 dollars for all day of jumping on and off, you can't beat it! Be sure to take 45 minutes out of your day for an afternoon relaxing ride on occasion, but for sure, it's a must if you have company visiting Astoria or the surrounding area!

4) A Drive Out Hwy 202

After our lunch and trolly ride, we headed home for a nap and headed back out again for a drive. Jerry Sr and Sue (my in-laws) haven't spent time here in many years and both love the outdoors, so a drive seemed appropriate! We stopped at waterfalls, we saw elk, deer, birds of all kinds and just spent the evening laughing and catching up. I can never say too many times, what a beautiful area we live in. Get out there and explore it!

5) Crab Festival Time!

It's Astoria/Warrenton Crab, Seafood and Wine Festival time of the year again! I'll be broadcasting again this year from the Clatsop County Fairgrounds, for 'locals night' of the Crab Fest...! This is always a time of the year to see old friends and have a bit of fun~in fact, I have lot's to do, so I've gotta get going! See you there and have a wonderful; weekend everyone!

Three for Thursday from the Last Year!

Time capsule Thursday!

Three more things from the last year to fill the blank place, called a blog, that I did no writing on!

Exploring Our Own Backyard

Seagulls on the shore of the Columbia River along on of the trails in Warrenton

Warrenton, Oregon boasts a ton of trails and amazing parks! Beautiful places that my husband and I explore a lot! Walk, ride your bike or walk your dog~Here is one of the many trails we went on last year. It was a nice sunny day and the view was fantastic. Looking out to the Columbia River, while resting on a bench it was a nice quiet place to reconnect after a long week. I encourage anyone to start exploring the many paths and trails that our communities offer. I find myself needing a vacation sometimes or I have hard a hard day and all I have to do is drive a few miles, ride my bike or walk to some of the most historic, beautiful places that people come from all over the world to see~ and it's right here in our backyard.

I Became Grandma

Macie-Jane~ MeeMaw's girl

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Macie Jane was born March 5th, 2009~ Our first grandbaby, she is a joy. This picture was taken in April 2010, when she was here visiting her MeeMaw (me) and PawPaw. She was climbing all around and was on the verge of walking. Becoming a grandma at 40 years old thrilled me to pieces. While many of my friends are just now having children or have just started their families, I am getting to enjoy the blessing of grandchildren~ They say the reward for not killing your own children in their teenage years, is grandchildren ~ haha. I think they may be right! Macie Jane is a blessing to us and has us all wrapped around that tiny pinky of hers!

Disneyland! The Happiest Place On Earth!

Disneyland Castle before the fireworks display

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When we went to California in December of '09 to welcome our son, Matthew home from Afghanistan, we had to hit Disneyland! We took our daughters, Jessi and Jodi, and headed on our way. I must say~ It truly is a magical place! It was Christmas Eve when we went and I felt like a little kid. Main St was decorated with garlands and lights, music was playing and I saw the biggest Christmas tree I think I have ever seen. A day of fun and laughs with our daughters created memories to last a lifetime. The end of the night was spectacular and a must for every child and grown up to see. The castle lit up to a music, light and fireworks show and because it was Christmas, it SNOWED...yes, snowed on Main St. It looked real~ it felt real~ but anywhere in California besides Disneyland's Main St. it was about 80 degrees out! I could ramble for days about every moment spent in Disneyland~ It truly is magical! A definite highlight of 2009!

Space Mountain~Sooo much fun! Jerry, Me, Jod & Jessi

Five for Friday

1 ~ I will be trying to my nephew how to ride his bike with no training wheels this weekend!

2 ~ As I write this, I swear I am starving, but I think it's because I just bought some 50% off certificates during our morning 1/2 off mini auction sale here at the station.... great deals.

I paid $25 for a $50 certificate to the Longbeach Lighthouse & Columbia Bar. Love this place. Great food and service. Last time my husband and I ate there, I had steamer clams and he had steak..perfectly done! 4 stories up on the ocean in Longbeach, Washington, the view is spectacular! I also got a certificate for Ilwaco's Imperial Schooner and Rollin' Thunder BBQ in Astoria! I have never been to either of those places, but I will be sure to let you know how they are! Now I am really hungry. Hmmm...what's for lunch? Probably Grilled Cheese and tomato soup. I can't use those certificates without my husband...can I? Well, I could, but that wouldnt be very nice now would it!

3 ~ Tom Freel is coming in to do my show with me this afternoon. He is the voice of our sister station KAST 1370am, news and talk. (he is also my boss...well, one of them) Here's a random thought~I think we should have a Tom Freel Roast....how fun would that be? We could sell tickets, have a dinner... a community event...all in good fun of course! *laughing~loudly* I have worked with this guy for a gagillion years and I know he would be a good sport...way better than I would ever be!

4 ~ Movies. I think a movie would be fun to goto this weekend...

5 ~ and the ACM Awards! Yay! I love the ACM Awards. So much fun .

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Three for Thursday from the Last Year!

Well, here's blog attempt 3 for this year! Maybe a way to catch up a bit...on Thursdays I'll post 3 random pictures from the past year, with a little description~ Ok~ here it goes!

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DANCING IN THE OCEAN

Pictured: Jessi & Jodi at the beach in San Clemente, California

One of my favorite pictures from last year and there are plenty! Dancing in the ocean at sunset! This does wonders for the soul~and the funny bone. This was this past December (2009) in San Clemente, California. Our girls, Jessi & Jodi, welcomed their brother, Matthew, home from Afghanistan and only a few months earlier said goodbye to their brother, Jake, as he was also deployed to Afghanistan with the USMC.

GREAT PLACE FOR A PICNIC

Pictured: Saddle Mountain and Astoria, Oregon. Taken from Fort Columbia in Washington State

What a beautiful area we live in! This is on the bluff at Fort Columbia on the Washington side of the Columbia River. There are so many areas right here in our own communities to discover and see! With the economy the way it has been stay-cations and staying close to home has gotten popular among locals...myself included! This is a lovely place for a picnic on a sunny day!

TERRI CLARK IN EAGLE COUNTRY

Pictured: L-R~ daughter~Jodi, me, Terri Clark, son~Jake, hubby~Jerry, daughter~Jessi

Terri Clark performs at the Liberty Theater! Another great concert in Eagle Country was enjoyed by a full Liberty Theater! With over a half a dozen albums under her sparkly belt, Terri has had a great deal of success in country music. Being a native of Canada, Terri has been certified platinum in both Canada and the United States and has produced several top ten hits. Terri was a lot of fun to chat with backstage and was a joy to watch onstage.

Umm..Too Funny NOT to Share

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This is my naughty cat Sylvester.

That is my fish...who apparently has a good heart.

~LIFE~

Sometimes your the Cat...Sometimes your the fish.

Disclaimer: No fish were hurt during this photo op

Oh, Yeah...My Blog :)

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Ok! Sooo~ I'm back~ I think. :) The last time I 'blogged' was a year ago and I have decided to try to be a good little blogger and add a little something at least once a week! There is so much that goes on in the country world of music and here at the station that I shouldn't run out of things to chat about...and if you want to read it, well, I'll share! I hope this year has brought you great things so far and continues to... so onto my um-teenth try at blogging, here we go! Welcome back!

Happy Easter

I Hope You Had a Beautiful day! Rain, wind and all!

Sissi's 40,000 Calorie, 20lb Brownie Cake

Seriously...we counted. My sister made this cake for my 5 year old nephew's birthday party this weekend.........and they ate it all!

8 boxes Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix
(use-9x13 cake pan , 2 boxes per layer)
Spray pan with Pam (non-stick spray) Line brownie pan with parchment paper, pour in prepared brownie mix and cook as directed, set aside and let cool.

Prepare filling:
Ganach: In a food processor finely chop 2 ½, 11.5oz bags of ghirardelli bittersweet dark chocolate. Heat 2 ¾ cups of heavy whipping cream until just boiling (pay close attention not to burn) While processor is running with chocolate still in it, pour hot cream into chocolate and blend well, as chocolate melts, consistency will be of a light pudding. Set aside and allow to cool until consistency is that of frosting.

Start assembling cake.

Brownie Layer, ganach, brownie layer, ganache, until finished.

Top layer may be finished with ganache, Butter cream frosting or frosting of of choice.

Yum. :)

Five for Friday

1) Easter is Sunday. To some it is about beautifully colored eggs and assortments of yummy chocolate and candy treats... little ones running and searching for hidden treasures in Easter egg hunts all over the country. To some Easter is a celebration of the day Jesus was resurrected from the dead, three days after his crucifixion... dressing in their finest clothing and feasting with friends and/or family.......To some it is a combination of both. Whatever Easter is to you and your family, Have a beautiful day on Sunday!

2) I will be welcoming my husband home after his visit with our son, our daughter-in-law and our new grandbaby, Macie Jane. Our son being in the USMC, is getting ready to deploy to Afghanistan....it has been a great visit for Jerry with the kids, but it will be nice to have him home.

3) It's rainy and windy...again! I think April didn't get the memo, that it was Spring!

4) It's been a long week and it's great to see the weekend arrive. A time to rest and recharge.

5) ...well, I almost made it to five! This Friday, there you have it..4 for Friday! Have a wonderful weekend friends.

Random Two for Tuesday

We live in such a beautiful area of the world......

Congratulations Julianne Hough

When Julianne came to Astoria she had already recieved the ACM Award for 2009 Top New female Vocalist of the year and was up for the ACM award for 2009's Top New Artist. Great News for Julianne! Last night, she walked away with the ACM for Top New Artist!

Friday Random Five

1. The Weather is supposed to be nice! Windows and doors open and fresh spring air reaching every corner of the house is something I just love. It puts me in the mood to spring clean!

2. The ACM awards is being broadcast on Sunday night on CBS. You can't pry me away from the TV set on award show nights! The performances are, almost always, great...the clothes are amazing and it all touches that 'little girl' in me that promised herself, someday she would be on that stage in a 'blue sequins dress'. Well....... she didn't exactly make it to the awards show stage, but many a dream has come true and life IS a stage...right? :)

3. We have been busy here at the radio station cleaning and throwing stuff away! It's almost moving day! We have a brand new, amazing, building that is almost done being built and is almost ready for us to move into! The new building is in Warrenton and it is going to be a treat to work in such a nice facility that will be welcoming to all who enter!

4. Daffodils. Such pretty flowers. Someone gave me a bunch of them today. It made me smile.

5. April. Can you believe it? April 2009. Our son gets deployed at the end of this month...to Afghanistan with the 1-5 in the USMC. When I see a woman or man in uniform, I thank them for their service. If I meet someone and I find out that they have served or are currently serving in our Armed Forces, I thank them for their service. I fly the American Flag everyday... it's going to be a tough day, the day our son leaves to fight for our country...but we are proud of him and what he stands for. I know God will keep him safe.

Julianne Hough Concert

Julianne Hough was here Friday March 27th! She was a pleasure to visit with and put on a great concert for Eagle Listeners. It was a Sold Out show .........

Five for Friday...

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1) The Julianne Hough Concert is tonite at the Liberty Theater

2) Spring Break in Oregon is over already... that means my Jessi-girl is headed back to college this weekend

3) It's raining. Again.

4) Like everyone, I am distressed with the state of our economy...more of my friends have been getting laid off.... I thought this was all supposed to get better.

5) It's going to be a great weekend! I love the weekend and time with my family.

...The 'Boat'.

With surprise appearances by Peter Frampton and Steppenwolf's John Kay, the Sony Music Nashville extravaganza aboard the General Jackson showboat Thursday, March 5th, lived up to its reputation of being the single most star-spangled event of Country Radio Seminar. The General Jackson floated celebrants up and down the Cumberland River in Nashville for the three-hour show....I was fortunate to be there and it was amazing. The internal 'wow' moments for me were many! The talent that was in the room that night was beyond fantastic. Having earned my living as a singer, performer, for most of my life, before getting into radio, it was exciting to experience every piece of some of country's biggest hits and soon to be hits.... from the lyrics to the artist and everything in between....

Facing an audience of approximately 650 radio and music industry guests, Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Gretchen Wilson and Jason Michael Michael Carroll performed selections from their forthcoming albums. Carrie Underwood, Montgomery Gentry and Craig Morgan reprised recent hits, and Kellie Pickler and Chuck Wicks chatted with the show's host, TV personality Robin Meade, about their non-musical sidelines. Oh, and I can't forget to tell you about Peter Frampton and John Kay literally rockin' the boat with their explosive hits... keep reading...

We had a very nice dinner on the boat and I had to take a picture of the fruit! Look at it! Small town girls like me love that kind of thing. I was also lucky to have the seat I did for the show....front and center. It just happened that way, being with some friends, who knew friends, who had 4 seats open up and asked us if we would like them...uhhh...absolutly! They were the best seats in the house! I had to look up when Brad Paisley put his foot on the monitor while he jammed on his guitar...nice.


Kenny Chesney went on first, accompanied by his friend and songwriting partner, Brett James. He opened with "Out Last Night," which he indicated was a more-or-less accurate chronicle of his and James' nocturnal roarings. It will be his next single. The song was so new, Chesney had to sing it from a lyric sheet. Even so, he faltered a couple of times -- not that it mattered at all to any of us listening! It was fun to hear something new, something that will be coming our direction soon.

(When we arrived at the General Jackson earlier in the evening, no one knew for sure who would be there performing, but there were some of us that thought Kenny had to be there for sure. He is such a huge country star and half of the Nashville Police Depeartment was there providing security, so we thought with that kind of security he must be there... he was.)

With James taking the vocal lead, Chesney provided harmonies on "When the Sun Goes Down," Chesney's No. 1 single from 2004. (James wrote the song and even recorded it on an album for Arista Records that was never released.) "I wanted to be the first," Chesney told the crowd, "so I could come out afterward and have a few drinks."

He, like most of the other acts, was limited to two songs. At the end of Chesney's set, Sony Music Nashville chief Joe Galante presented him with a crystal plaque for having achieved 15 million downloads. That feat, Galante pointed out, made him the biggest digital-selling artist in the country format!

Martina McBride followed Kenny Chesney with her new single, "Ride," from her album, 'Shine', that came out March 24. She concluded with another new song, "I Just Call You Mine," which she belted out as if she were heralding the Second Coming and I am not even kidding!



Maritna was getting ready to exit the stage, when Joe Galante gave McBride a plaque marking her career total of 18 million albums sold.... can you imagine? It was nice to see Martina honored and so thankful for the milestone in her career.


Montgomery Gentry came next. The duo began with its most recent hit, "Roll With Me," and then brought out John Kay to roll back memories with Steppenwolf's 1968 classic, "Born to Be Wild." His feverishly commanding performance earned the evening's first standing ovation. It was SOoo rockin'! It was hard to stay seated as they jammed.

While the stage set was being changed -- each act brought its own band or backing musicians -- Pickler chatted with Robin Meade about her endorsement deal with Big Sexy Hair and of co-writing her current single, "Best Days of Your Life," with pal Taylor Swift. Kellie said she's already done the photo shoot for the Big Sexy Hair advertising campaign and that the promotion will launch next month.

She and Swift came up with "Best Days of Your Life," Pickler reported, in response to one of Pickler's thwarted romances. "We wrote the song about a pig I used to date," the singer said with her usual forthrightness. "He was an a******." She really is Dolly Parton re-incarnate. She is bubbly, cute and that girl can sing! She says things out loud that alot of us just wish we had the nerve to say aloud!

During a later set change, Chuck Wicks told Meade about the intimate "pelvis-to-pelvis" choreographic instruction Julianne Hough, his girlfriend and fellow recording artist, gave him for their upcoming appearances on Dancing With the Stars. Chuck having just been here in Eagle Country is a favorite of mine....he really is as innocent and cute as he appears. He makes me smile and I wish there were more 'good' boys like him! Oh, but wait! If that were true, Kellie Pickler and Taylor would have alot less to write about!

When guests first seated themselves at their dinner tables, they saw at each place setting a pair of two-and-a-half inch hoop earrings attached to a card that read, "She's back."The "she," it turned out, was Gretchen Wilson. When she came out to sing, the reason for the teaser gift became apparent. Her first song -- and next single -- was "Don't Make Me Take My Earrings Out," a combative song somewhat on the order of Loretta Lynn's "Fist City."

Gretchen said she's been hard at work on her next album at the studio she built on her farm. This time around, she's working with producer Blake Chancey. Her final song was "As Far as You Know," a pulsating yowl, which she warned the radio programmers might be a bit too "heavy" for their purposes. It was good to see Gretchen again...even though she still scares me a bit! She reminds me of that girl in school that you knew, could and would, kick you rear-end if you crossed them...yikes! Seriously, she sounded great and it was nice to see her back....the earrings? I gave them to my daughter, even though I can't see her wearing them, they came from Gretchen. Good enough.


Craig Morgan, who made his bow as a new Sony artist on last year's boat show, sang only one song, "God Must Really Love Me." It's from his first BNA album, That's Why.

Jason Michael Carroll gave one of the show's most dynamic performances via two new songs: "Where I'm From" and "That's All I Know." They're from his second Arista album, Growing Up Is Getting Old, which is set for release on April 28....I LIKE this kid. He has 5 children of his own, looks like he's 15 years old and just rocks. I ran into him throughout the week and he was just nice, nice, nice...and that voice!

Jason and Robin Meade bantered about growing up as the children of preachers. He said that when he was 15, his father caught him with a "pirated copy" of "Achy Breaky Heart" hidden under his mattress and spanked him for the transgression. Jason said it was the spanking of a lifetime!


Carrie Underwood scorched the room opening with, "Flat on the Floor," and then immediately cooled things down with her mournful rendition of the Randy Travis standard, "I Told You So."

Joe Galante gifted her with a trophy for having sold 10 million copies of her first two albums during the four years since she won the American Idol competition. "I can't process all the things that have happened these past four years," she marveled. (She even shed a tiny tear.)

To celebrate her achievement, she invited everyone to join her at a bowling party after the show was over. I did go with my buddies and it was alot of fun ...I posted about that earlier Bowling With Carrie Underwood ....

Next, Brad Paisley ambled out on stage and sat down patiently while co-host Tom Baldrica introduced him. His first song was the wistful, reflective, song Brad had NEVER performed in public called "Then." It was neat that he saved that for us.......He followed it with the decidedly more upbeat "American Saturday Night," which, he told the crowd, is the title cut of his impending album. The CD will be out June 30.

Brad Paisley was funny and sweet. In between songs, he told us that it was nervewracking for him to perform infront of all of us....he laughed and announced that his wife was due in a few weeks with their new baby and told us that we are the obstetricians of country music. It was cute...Brad Paisley a little nervous?? His singing and picking came across just fine, in Brad Paisley style.

Baldrica brought Peter Frampton out to close the show -- and he did so in grand style. Opening with a guitar solo that sent tidal waves of sound across the room, he then called Martina McBride and Carrie Underwood out to accompany him on his 1976 smash, "Baby, I Love Your Way." Powered as it was by a potent mix of nostalgia and urgent vocals, the performance brought the crowd to its feet.

Mr.Frampton lamented that he couldn't afford to take McBride and Underwood with him on his tour this summer....

The rocker finished his set with another hit from 1976, "Do You Feel Like We Do," and beckoned Brad Paisley to join him in a wild electric guitar jam. This earned him his second standing ovation, just as the General Jackson returned to the dock.

With an amazing night of performances, food and being surrounded by some of the most talented musicians in the country, my night wasn't over! I needed to get on the phone....while Peter Frampton was jamming with Brad Paisley I got a text saying that I was 'officially a grandma!' Our son had just welcomed his new baby daughter into the world. Macie Jane. 8lbs, 10oz.....I would make that call, en-route to the bowling alley........ Carrie Underwood was taking some of us bowling!