Jeremy Larson

Good Things Are Gonna Happen

Photo courtesy of Arrow and Apple Photography. 

How is everyone?  I've been away for a few weeks doing wedding stuff.  Above is a picture from our wedding portrait session with Sarah Rhodes.  She's AMAZING!  Click the link above to see some of her work.  I'll be posting more photos from the wedding later on this week, as well as some pics from our honeymoon in Austin.

While Elsie and I were driving back from Austin, we did a ton of planning for this blog.  We talked for hours about what I want to do with it.  It's been a few years, but I feel like I still haven't really tapped into what it is that I want to do on here everyday.  I convinced her to read me her entire "Blog Love" e-course while we were driving.  I know this is going to sound like a shameless plug, and I suppose it is.  Her e-course has completely changed the way I think about blogging- good things are gonna happen.  I promise, it's better than any book you could read on this sort of thing.  There are lots of new segments I want to start doing on here, but I thought I should give a friendly hello first.  So, hello again!  Glad you are here, and thanks for reading.

Jeremy

I'm Back!

I'm back!  But I'm leaving again tomorrow.

So, these are some pics from my bachelor party.  Then I got married, and now I'm leaving for my honeymoon.  I've got LOTS of stories to tell.  I hope you guys are not giving up on this blog.  I'm going to be doing some major changes when I get back, so hang in there.  I appreciate your patience while I relax and enjoy these first few weeks of marriage.  If you miss me, you can hear me sing to you here:

http://jeremylarson.bandcamp.com/

and here:

http://fortchristmas.bandcamp.com/

Jeremy

PS, I'll be posting some honeymoon pictures on here occasionally.

1

Elsie,

   By this time tomorrow we will be married.  Here I am, at home, trying to find words to articulate all of the feelings I am having right now.  It's just not possible.  I suppose the key is, to focus on the meaning of marriage, and what it is that the act of marriage means about how I feel about you.  It means that the "searching" part of my life is over.  I have found everything that I want in a companion in you.  There are no other girls that I need to meet, I've found the only girl.  It means that every girl that I've ever met, and the possibility/idea of any girl that I ever could meet, pales in comparison to the girl that I have.  I have found everything that I want in a wife, partner, mother to my children, grandmother to my grandchildren, muse for my music, and best friend.  We will grow old together and we will be with each other even at the very end of life.  All of these things and more, are the reasons that I am marrying you tomorrow.  And I will spend the rest of my life trying to fill all of the roles, and supply all of the needs that you have for a husband.  I will see you tomorrow.  I love you.

Jeremy

(wedding rehearsal)

2

Elsie,

    I love the way that you love your family.  Within a week of knowing you, it was so clear to me that family was probably the most important thing in your life.  Your relationship with your siblings and parents is really inspiring to me.  My family is also the most important thing in my life, but I've had to take notes from you on how to show it.  You have traditions with your family that are important to you; and I'm thankful that I am now a part of so many of those traditions.  I don't think I've EVER heard you end a phone call with a family member without telling them that you love them.  It's such a simple gesture, but an important one.  As we begin to create a new family of our own, I realize that I'm very fortunate to have you to teach me how to build a loving and rich environment full of new traditions.  It's exciting!

Jeremy

3

Elsie,

    This actually should have been the first thing I wrote, but oh well.  I absolutely love your bright and shining optimism as you start each day.  It doesn't seem to matter what kind of a day/night you had before, you always approach each day with a smile.  You never seem to wake up cranky the way that I do.  I count on your smile more than you know.

Jeremy

4

Elsie,

   There are certain contradictions about you that I absolutely love.  I noticed when we first started dating that you had a paranoia about leaving things plugged in.  Whenever you'd leave the house, you would actually unplug most appliances instead of turning them off.  I believe it was because you were afraid of starting a fire.  So, instead of turning your curling iron, and flat iron to the off position, you'd just unplug them altogether, while still in the on position.  No appliances could be plugged in when not in use!  HOWEVER, more often than not, you'd forget to actually unplug them, and they'd just remain on all day while you were gone.  It's not often that paranoia is rivaled so regularly with forgetfulness.

  Another example.  You are completely attached to your phone.  You use Twitter, you post four blogs a day, you're taking pictures, and you're texting.  Yet, somehow you never hear your phone ring.  Somehow, whenever I call, the phone has made it's way to the bottom of your purse with the ringer off.

  I love how you can't stand even the thought of someone getting a small cut on their finger- you're probably turning pale right now- but you have no problem pulling a tick off of our dog (which I am completely incapable of doing).  

I really do love these things, and I needed to type them out so I remember that I love them.  

Jeremy

5

Elsie,

   One of my favorite things about you, is your commitment to fond memories.  We've been through many different seasons throughout our relationship, and you have the documentation to prove it!  I've never owned a camera and if it were left up to me, we would have nothing to remember these first few years by.  If I want to remember our trip to Sikeston, you have a whole collection of pictures from those days.  If I want to remember our time in Nashville (we had only been dating for a month!) you have photos of that.  You were the inspiration for the Fort Christmas songs in more ways then one.  Obviously you were the muse for the songs, but you were also the muse behind the music as well.  I wanted to remember different seasons and events, so I wrote songs about them.  And I wrote them in a much more simple and honest way than I normally write.  This was something I learned from you.  I know I give you a hard time when you always want to take pictures on our dates (especially when the Holga you are using makes cat noises as you press the button), but I'm so thankful that you have such a strong commitment to memories.  

Jeremy

6

So, I've been a terrible blogger this past week.  If I can use it as a valid excuse, I'd like to mention that I'm getting married in less than a week.  It's only going to get busier from here.  I would like to do something simple on here between now and then.  I'd like to do a simple post everyday about something that I love about Elsie.  So here goes.

Elsie.  I love that you are unpredictable.  When I met you, you were working for a scrap booking company.  Soon after, you were pouring all of your time into painting.  Then you got really into handmade stuff, then blogging, designing kids toys, kids books, owning a vintage store, and designing your own dress line.  You have claimed that you wish you were really good at one thing, which puzzles the rest of us who are good at only one thing.  You have excelled so impressively in so many things, why limit yourself?  You succeed in all of these areas to an extent that most people could only dream of.  You are completely unpredictable, which is wonderful for someone like myself who is so incredibly predictable.

Thanks for reading.

Jeremy

The Amazing Ojakangas Trio

Last night I had the privilege of attending a Drury Composition Recital.  Among a lineup of amazing talent, were my dear friends Kieran and Celka Ojakangas.  I left the recital feeling incredibly inspired, and challenged at the same time.  Here are two students (YOUNG college students) writing very complex and sophisticated pieces of music, and I am in the crowd taking notes.  I will keep my gushing to a minimum here, but trust me, it was quite incredible.  If I had only applied myself in the way these two do...

But the title of this post refers to a "Trio".  Kieran and Celka also have a younger brother who is equally talented, but still in high school; his name is Lian.  I was honored to share a stage with these three at our concert at the Gillioz.  I feel like I have made a very lucky connection with this family, and will be attempting to collaborate with them for my next album.  If you live in the Springfield area, and need a professional string trio for an event, you should contact them here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Ojakangas-Trio/196664010365563

or here:

http://www.gigsalad.com/ojakangas_trio_springfield

They are the best.  Book them.  Yes, I know that's a shameless plug, but trust me, I'm doing you a favor.  You want to work with them.  And check out their illustrated logo (created by none other than Celka Ojakangas):

 

Amazing.

Thank you Celka, Kieran and Lian for always inspiring me.  See you Sunday.

Thanks for reading.

Jeremy

I Don't Remember This

I found this this morning when someone asked if it was me in the video.  Enjoy.

Thanks for reading.

Jeremy