Dear Friends,
How are you? As rough winds swirl around us, imagine your roots running deep to bolstering you and your branches connecting you to those near and far. You are not alone.
"When I come to the end of my days
Measure my heart, measure the ways it’s been battered and torn
Many cracks filled with gold, may my heart be light and free."
Here’s a blog I wrote to accompany this song: blog link
“Funny, compassionate, and sometimes even wise, Blackall—through personal stories, paintings, and a list of 52 Things to Look Forward To—offers us a handbook on how to make the most of our time here on Earth.”
Evenings like this give me hope! Big thanks to everyone who shared their presence and lent their voice at my annual benefit concert with Christine Broxterman at the InterUrban ArtHouse. We joined together to create an evening of community and empowerment to benefit Stitching Change and celebrate remarkable women past and present.
The Six Triple Eight tells the story of “the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion – the first and only Women’s Army Corps unit of color to be stationed in Europe during World War II – deployed to England to take on a seemingly impossible mission. Their assignment? Sort through, catalog, and prepare for delivery a backlog of more than 17 million pieces of mail to US soldiers fighting abroad and their loved ones back home, often mislabeled or without a complete address. The task was Herculean, and the conditions arduous. As well as the terrors of war, the 855 women of the 6888th, led by Major Adams, faced segregation and sexism within their own military, and carried out their important work in derelict buildings lacking adequate light and heat. They were given six months to complete the job. They did it in 90 days, bringing missives of hope to the front lines.” (Netflix)
Enjoy beautiful wildflowers to the instrumental version of “Measure My Heart”…
Always remember you’re a wildflower,
Joy
Joy Zimmerman is a touring folk & acoustic roots singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, presenter, and former social worker. Joy's latest album,"Where the Light Lives," debuted at #6 on the Folk Alliance International Folk Chart in August 2023. joyzimmermanmusic.com
