I'm On Award Winning Record Label!

Congratulations JK and Colt Records!!!

A facebook post re-pictured on Instagram:

Colt Records Josie Show Award: Record Label of the Year!

Like Kriz Rogers on facebook: www.facebook.com/krizrogerscountrymusic
Follow Kriz Rogers on Instagram: https://instagram.com/krizrogers/

Colt Records roster and website:  http://www.coltrecords.com/roster.html

A Re-write Blessed With Sunshine

Today started out a little grey and rainy. It ended up with sunbeams blessing a project; a song.

As an NSAI member active in submitting songs for evaluation, I submit songs I've written and receive feedback and suggestions on improvement.  If you are a songwriter and have not yet started getting your songs evaluated and critiqued, I highly recommend it.  When you let true professionals look at your songs, they have your best interest at heart, the best interest for the song becoming the best it can be and the process of making you the best songwriter you can be at heart too.

Recently I have put effort in re-writing a song I submitted a while back. It is an inspirational song and at first it did not seem to be wanting to be re-written (yes, songs do have life and soul and can talk to you, just not with a regular voice). I dis not give up though, I kept at it and tried soooo many different angles for verse 2. Today I finished it easily with a new bridge too, and as soon as I did, the sun started shining. I take that as a sign from above. You may think that it is silly or crazy, but I am a believer in the Divine in everything and therefore a believer in signs. My re-write was approved by sunbeams from above.

Some Swedish Music Culture Need-To-Know

To simplify it:


ABBA

ABBA's first recording with the girls singing lead with the guys before they became ABBA. Here they called themselves "Festfolket".

ABBA's sound engineer Mikael B. Tretow

Mikael B. Tretow on wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_B._Tretow

The melancholy and melodious traditional Swedish music

This tune is called "Tune For Father". A little side note: see the building? Constructed with a log house building technique the immigrants implemented when they came to the US.

This tune is composed by my great grandfather. The late and very talented Klint-Olle is playing my great grandfather's tune.

Baking and Eating

The past week and a half I've started enjoying baking as much I when I first started baking. That actually says a lot. The only down side is ... someone's needs to eat it too and that responsibility falls on me. Not me alone of course, and that's a good thing too.

Things I've made lately:

Banana Cake with Vanilla Frosting

Blueberry muffins batter waiting to be put into the oven

Swedish Thumbprint Cookies

What Every American Should Know

I am blessed and honored to say that I have lived here in the US long enough to understand what holds a huge importance here.  One thing I understood pretty much as soon as I had moved here, because it was very important to a former neighbor of mine to have me initiated in a particular ceremony. Almost the first thing he did for me was to take me to an Eagle's Club event. In the beginning of that event, one part of the opening ceremony was to do The Pledge of Allegiance, which I was very honored to do.  This is what it reads:

"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all".

You can read more about The Pledge of Allegiance and about the Flag Code in this document issued by the Congressional Research Service's Report for Congress:

http://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/RL30243.pdf

If you wish to read 4 U.S Code § 8. Respect for Flag.of the Flag Code, you can find it at the Cornell University Law School's page here: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/4/8

Back to the event my neighbor John invited me and my husband to: I remembered his smile of approval and a pat on my shoulder after he saw I took The Pledge of Allegiance, and, later when I received my legal residency, he gave me a full sized, official flag, that I still have to this day.  That particular flag had been presented to him when he stepped down as President for The Eagle's Club Chapter.  Unfortunately, John is no longer with us; he passed away of cancer in 2011 and is interred at the Chattanooga National Cemetery. He served in the Navy in the Pacific during WWII.

Mac-in-Gravy

It's been years since I last made and/or had the Swedish comfort food Mac-in-Gravy and I just HAD TO fix it to fix my fix.

You can make this too! Boil macaroni and drain. Make a thick white gravy and season it with salt, white pepper and a pinch or two of ground nutmeg. Stir the macaroni in and enjoy. Maybe the way I do with ketchup and meatballs.

A Happy July 4th

This year Independence Day in Nashville was a little bit rainy, but still happy. We managed to dodge the rain showers at a picnic at my favorite spot and went home to listen to all the bursts of fireworks around us and the AT&T Live stream online from the largest fireworks show in the nation!

Beans, chips, veggie dogs, hot dogs, home made potato salad and white grape juice to drink. 

My favorite spot in nature in Nashville: Bryant's Cove