don't you know, you're beautiful?

I don't know exactly what is going on with me (although I have a few theories), but it is undeniable that the older I get, the more I identify with the music of teenage popstars. Literally everything Miley Cyrus puts out, as Hannah Montana or otherwise, I end up listening to on repeat for weeks on end and never get sick of it. This is my favorite track off of her new EP, "When I Look At You" - although I had thought/hoped the video would go down a less romantic, more family-friendly path. But, that's probaly just because this song makes me thing of my Granddad, and my Great-Aunt and Uncle.



~courtney

"when there's no light to break up the dark,
that's when i look at you."
~m.c.

they say the neon lights are bright....

dmbandie is now in NYC.

new blog coming soon!

In memory of my grandmother

From the Grandchildren:
Norma Mae McDorman Kiracofe was the very definition of a Southern Belle; seemingly fragile on the outside, but tough as steel on the inside. Above all things, family came first, but "family" was an all-encompassing term that could be, and typically was, deceiving. Grandma’s family included her children, the seven of us, her two sisters, her brother, their children and children’s children. Her family included this church and everyone that ever set foot inside. Her family included Ruitans, Woodmen, volunteer firemen, Methodists, Baptists, Mennonites, residents of Mount Solon, Clover Hill, Bridgewater, Staunton and Harrisonburg.
Her family included you.
And you know this, because you, like anyone that ever stopped by the Hill Farm, knew you could count on three things at Norma Kiracofe’s house; a tall glass of iced tea, good food, and a welcome reception. Nothing made our Grandmother happier than receiving guests at her home and hearing about the recent events in their lives. Grandma was at her best when she was socializing and being an active part of the community she adored. At the very least, you could always count on Norma to have the latest information about what was happening in the Valley.
To the seven of us, however, she was first and foremost simply Grandma – the most giving person we knew and the source of a never-ending supply of unconditional love. She was the first to celebrate our accomplishments, and she always accepted our set-backs with the quiet understanding that only a grandmother can provide. Grandma treated each of us as if we were the most amazing people she’d ever known. A letter, a phone call, picture or postcard from any one of us was cherished by Grandma, whether we were on the other side of the globe or the other side of Augusta County. She loved to giggle with us, and was generally a good sport when we were giggling at her, except when those giggles occurred on the most important of holidays, her birthday. As a beautician, she always stressed the importance of looking our best, even going so far as to bribe us not to bite our fingernails. She taught us the importance of hard work and the value of a dollar, and it was much later in our lives that we realized a quarter apiece wasn’t exactly fair wage for picking up sticks on the 100-acre farm.
Above all else, however, we learned from Grandma that family came first. She never stopped encouraging us to love and support one another, no matter how strongly our sibling rivalry raged. She wanted us to understand our family history and how we became who we are. She hoped, more than anything, that we would be healthy, decent people who found love and happiness in whatever we attempted.
We are so blessed by having known her, and having had her love in our lives. We will never forget her and, as our words fail us, we end with a quote.
"Our love will fly to you each night on angels’ wings. Godspeed, sweet dreams."

i'll be waiting...

ridiculous. i have no excuse for not posting in so long. definitely have made some big changes. was accepted into the most perfect grad program @ GMU, start this fall... got a new (day) job so i'm not broke anymore. sarah and mike are moving to SD as of monday, sadness.

LOST is over for the year. not as good as last years' finale (RIP charlie, forever) but still pretty f'in amazing...

much, much more.
very, very soon.

~cfc

"hasta manana, always be mine.

viva forever, i'll be waiting

everlasting, like sun.

live forever,

for the moment,

ever searching for the one..."

~S.G.

Dr. Hawkes

I got home from work last night, tired and frustrated but anxious to watch the rest of "Lost"... and then I saw it, a plain white envelope from GMU. I almost threw it away, thinking it was another newsletter or solicitation for donations, but, for whatever reason, I opened it. Had I known what it was, I'm not sure I would have been able to think clearly enough to tear open the envelope.

"Dear Friend," the letter begins, "As you were a supporter of Bob Hawkes's efforts in scholarship and teaching, I write to you to inform you of his untimely death." Over the course of two paragraphs, the letter reveals that he had been diagnosed with cancer last fall, and died at his family home earlier this week. The funeral services were taking place today, entirely too late for me to get out of work to attend.

They were wrong to refer to me as a "supporter" of Bob Hawkes, because I was so much more... pupil, fan, believer, follower...

Dr. Hawkes was one of my first professors at GMU. The course was History 121 in the fall of '98. He came highly recommended from a girl I knew through my job at the time, and I thanked her often over the next few years for the suggestion. I ended up taking four more of his courses throughout my five years at Mason, and subsequently minored in history purely because I realized I basically had finished the minor in his courses alone. His passion was Southern History... the Civil War, before and after, and the social impact it played on the world. He loved to lecture, and made every lesson into a fantasic story that literally forced you to hang onto his every word. His sense of humor was unquestionably unique, and he never hesitated to tell a joke if it seemed like he was losing anyone's attention.

Dr. Hawkes was a tough professor tho, don't be fooled. His exams were straight-forward and very thorough. I never cared for studying enough to completely ace his exams, but that didn't matter to me. I just loved being in his presence and feeding off of his excitement over the subject. As the years went by, I increasingly became "that" student regularly hanging out after class to talk with the teacher, and I made a point to stop by his office whenever I could to talk about history, Mason, life, or just whatever. He was such a huge personality that I think, in a way, I was a little intimidated by him, but I didn't let that stop me from trying to get all the possible life advice I could.

Dr. Hawkes constantly encouraged traveling and learning as much about the world as possible. He always said, "If you wait til you have the time and money to do travel, you'll never do it." He loved Virginia and all the state has to offer, but was also the first to criticize anything he considered poor management by the state government. He loved George Mason the person, and the University, and always stressed the importance of giving back to the institution of learning. Dr. Hawkes always made you feel good about the world, as if positive change was not only possible, but highly probable if only you'd do your part.

I knew he retired in the spring of 2006 and planned to move back to his family farm in Hanover County, and there wasn't a single time I drove in or around Richmond that I didn't think of him. Visiting Dr. Hawkes and his farm was on my "list of things to do"... but of course never got around to actually doing.

I so regret that now.

Suddenly gaining a new perspective can often be the most painful thing in the world. You're living your life, getting fed up with this or that, dwelling on things that seem so ridiculously important, when suddenly reality hits and you realize how much of your time is spent fussing over completely trivial matters.

Some people stay with you no matter how far away or how long it's been since you last met.
I will never forget you, Dr. Hawkes.

~cfc

For more information on Dr. Hawkes, please visit the following sites:

Civil Warriors
The Washington Post - Obituaries
GMU Gazette

2007 - the shows.. (Work in Progress)

as was the case in 2006, this list becomes more complicated to compile when you factor in all the State shows I was forced to attend. I'm only counting them if I made an effort to watch the show rather than simply work it.

1 Apr - Christina Aguilera @ Verizon - w/Chris
28 Apr - Christina Aguilera @ 1st Mariner - w/Ashley
30 Apr - Peter Bjorn & John @ 930 w/Rox
15 May - Brett Dennen @ State - w/ST
19 May - Grace Potter & Nocturnals @ State - w/ST
25 May - Damien Rice @ DAR - w/yusef
29 May - Keane @ 930 - w/meredith
12 June - Mika @ 930 - w/micah
10 July - Smashing Pumpkins @ 930 - w/micah
12 July - Dolores @ 930 - w/yusef/toni/shannon
16 July - Travis @ 930 - w/yusef
19 July - Spencer Day/James Harries @ State - w/ST
06 Aug - I'm from Barcelona @ Southpaw - w/Laura/Kevin
08 Aug - Rocco Deluca & the Burden @ State - w/Meredith
10 Aug - DMB @ Post Gazette - w/Kirsten
11 Aug - DMB @ Nissan!!! (BDAY SHOW) - w/Matt
15 Aug - Rufus @ C'ville Pavillion - w/me
17 Aug - Rufus @ Mann Center - w/Valerie
06 Sep - DMB @ VATech - w/Matt/Claire
15 Sep - Hanson @ Sonar - w/Ashlie/Courtney
18 Sep - DMB @ Raleigh - w/Mandy
20 Oct - Mason Jennings @ State - w/ST
03 Nov - Pat Monahan @ State - w/ST
28 Nov - Blind Melon @ State - w/ST
04 Dec - David Gray @ Beacon Theatre - w/Laura
21 Dec - Rufus @ 9:30 - w/Micah
22 Dec - Rufus @ 9:30 club - w/Micah (sober)

i leave the stars to judge....

my new obsession, and one more reason why a january week in london is looking more and more for sure... :)



"a bag of songs and a heavy heart..."
~d