My neighbor brought us some fresh bagels this morning - they were awesome!! Thanks D!!!! Anyways, our dog Priscilla is a huge beggar. She will stare, bark, growl and drool. Of course we always give in. So she had some bagel and kept begging for more. Then I went to toast another one and she puked it up but kept right on begging. If I threw up food - the last thing I would want is more of what I just threw up. Sorry for the gross posting - have a good day!! xoxo A.Joy

One thing about Spring in Michigan - SLUGS!! Lots of em! I guess they are around all the time - it's just that when we are cleaning out old leaves and stuff, there they are. My kids love to get a box and fill it with leaves and dirt and collect the little critters. They are kinda neat. Here is a fun fact about slugs I found when I was looking for the picture:

If you've watched a land snail or a slug moving across a dry surface, you may have noticed that it left a silvery trail. This trail is mucous the creature lays down beneath it as it travels. Land snails and slugs move upon a layer of mucous.
This mucous in wonderful stuff. For one thing, it prevents moisture in the animals' bodies from being soaked up by the dry terrain being traveled across. Also, it protects the animal's fleshy underparts from sharp objects. Snails and slugs can actually glide across the sharpest razor blade without cutting themselves.
The big danger in the lives of land snails and slugs is drying out. Gardeners know that one way to rid themselves of lettuce-eating snails and slugs is to sprinkle them with salt. The salt causes water to leave their bodies, and they shrivel up fast! xoxo A.Joy

Yesterday I tried to "save money" but cutting my dogs fur in the driveway with regular scissors. What a mess - she looked like she had been put through a blender (I guess you really do need to go to dog grooming school to learn how to groom a dog). Anyways, she is at Catherines Pet Parlor today getting a proper doggy do. Speaking of dogs, what do you think of the mullett on the head of "Dog" the Bounty Hunter pictured at left? Awesome!! xoxo A.Joy

Yesterday was so nice out (80) that I decided to clean my screens and put them in. My neighbor walked by and said "don't do that, now it will probably snow!!". Well guess what, it hailed. Does that count? xoxo A.Joy

www.zoogobble.com gave us a great review on our new CD - check it out:
Thanks zoogobble!! xoxo A.Joy

« February 2007 March 27, 2007
Review: Calling All Kids - CandyBand
One of the downsides to the recent increase in attention paid to kids' music -- what, there are downsides? -- is a proliferation of music that uses kids' songs as jokes, applying traditional songs to non-traditional song forms. The albums aren't so much for the kids as they are for the adults.
CandyBand plays punk music for kids and their recently-released fourth album, Calling All Kids is a fine example of why this band rises above the kids-music-as-source-of-amusement genre to make kids' music worth listening to.
To begin with, the Detroit-area band actually rocks. Paula Messner (or, er, "Almond Joy") has nifty guitar work throughout the album, particularly on songs like "Simon Says" and the "Eenie Meenie Song." And the rhythm section of Anita Kelly and Tammy Ristau, along with Daniela Burckhardt's vocals, are strong, too. None of which would matter if the songs weren't any fun or any good, but a lot of them are. For the most part, the band While there might not be something as great previous CandyBand songs like "Ken Lost His Head" or "Get Up Already," families will definitely have fun with the bouncy "Octopus On My Head" (the chorus of "I've got an octopus on head / It's messing up my hair / It's sleeping in my ear / I've got an octopus on my head / And I hope it won't make breakfast of me" will live your head for a loooong time). "It's Your Birthday" is deservedly destined for many 5-year-old birthday party mix CDs. And the band re-records an older tune, "Monsters," except this time they go all "American Idiot" on us and add strings from the Detroit Symphony Civic Youth Ensembles.
Kids ages 3 through 7 will probably enjoy the songs here the most. In true punk fashion, the album is brief, running through its 10 tracks in less than 22 minutes. You can hear the first couple tracks here.
CandyBand is a great example of kids' artists who are melding their non-traditional kids' genres to kids' themes and songs in ways that respect kids while providing something for the parents to latch onto as well. If your family sits on the rock side of the pop-rock divide, you'll particularly enjoy Calling All Kids, but even if you don't have the complete Clash and Green Day discography, it's an album worth checking out. Recommended.
Posted by SAShepherd at 08:03 AM Permalink Comments (0) TrackBacks (0)

Here is one of the only pictures of my Dad's old Chrysler Newport 1960 something?? Anybody know the year by looking at the grill? Anyways, had a great show last night with my pals (Club Friday) playing old Motor Dolls songs at Four Green Fields. Had lots of old MD fans show up and support the tunes. My kids even got to see me playing songs that they have only heard on CD. Saw the Mydols and they rocked the house! Thanks Kara for letting me do the show! Rock on!! xoxo A.Joy

How smart are you? I took this test this morning and my score was 17.1 or something like that. Keep in mind that you don't have alot of time with the question, answer quick or the next question will come up. Try it - it's fun!!
http://www.flashbynight.com/ xoxo A.Joy

My neighbors must think I am crazy - everytime it rains alot, we get this huge puddle on our sidewalk. I absolutely can't stand it - the kids love it though, of course. But, it is dirty, dirty water. So, my new thing is: I go out there with a snow shovel and "move" the water to the street. It really works - but I know this summer I will look crazy walking around with a snow shovel (I sometimes do my neighbors puddle too!). On another note: Oh, how I wish another member of band would post once in a while!!! xoxo A.Joy

This
morning
my
daughter
accidentally
broke
a
plate.
That
was
alright,
just
guess
what
was
on
it??
It
was
pretty
messy.
See the
posting below
for the answer.
xoxo A.Joy

Breaking a plate with syrup all over it is about as bad as breaking a plate with spaghetti sauce all over it. There was syrup dripping down my counter tops - and oh yeah, this was all during the time that I was trying to get the kids ready for school. Glass and sticky syrup - awesome. xoxo A.Joy

Have you ever been a Motor Dolls fan?? That was Almond Joys band before Candy Band - then the kids came and no more bar gigs for A.Joy. But if you ever were or think you might wanna be a Motor Dolls fan - please come on Sunday, March, 25 to Four Green Fields in Royal Oak at 13 Mile and Woodward. Paula’s little “side” project called CLUB FRIDAY will be performing at 5pm sharp. Why that name? Because we practice on Fridays!! And we started jamming on Motor Dolls tunes and it was fun!! Also playing from 1pm till 11pm: Tim Diaz, Stewart Franke, The Mydols, The Hits, and The Displays. This is a benefit for Beaumont Hospital/Lymphoma and Leukemia. $5 per adult – kids FREE Good food and good drinks!! Hope to see you there??? xoxo A.Joy

Yikes - Almond Joy is featured in an article in Sundays Macomb Daily regarding "Baby Boomers".

Tomorrow is St. Patricks day. Our family is getting together with other families on the block and making corned beef and cabbage. I don't know if this is what Irish people really eat on this day (I read in the paper they like bacon or ham with cabbage). Oh well, I like corned beef. Below is a tidbit about what corned beef really is:

Corned Beef again surfaces in writings from the late 1600's as a specialty, a costly delicacy - expensive because of the salt - and made to be eaten at Easter, and sometimes at Hallowe'en. Surprising to this writer, was learning what the term "corn" really means. The name comes from Anglo-Saxon times when meat was dry-cured in coarse "corns" of salt. Pellets of salt, some the size of kernels of corn, were rubbed into the beef to keep it from spoiling and to preserve it. Today, brining -- the use of salt water -- has replaced the dry salt cure, but the name "corned beef" is still used, rather than "brined" or "pickled" beef. xoxo A.Joy

Stayed out way too late last night for a school night. Went up to Four Green Fields with my neighbor "Party Time" and saw my girl Maggies Irish duo. They were warming up for one of my faves "The Orbitsuns". What a GREAT band they are - super awesome players. Vinnie knows how to get a crowd going and the guitar player was amazing (as were the drummer and bass player). Thanks for a great time last night guys!! You totally rock. xoxo A.Joy

Today I helped out at school. The 1st and 2nd grade class had to paint paper plates orange in preparation to make jaguars out of them. There was paint EVERYWHERE!! On top of this, one of the kids was trying to pull his tooth out with a bloody kleenex and someone threw up. It was an exhausting afternoon. I give alot of credit to teachers, they can multi-task (so can moms too!) and they have lots of kids going in all different directions (especially at that age). I like teaching guitar better - it's one on one!!
I am going to take a nap now!! xoxo A.Joy

The first signs of Spring have sprung!! I see the daffodils coming up. I am sure we will get bombarded with snow again soon - but today is 70 degrees and sunny. Actually tomorrow is supposed to be 38 and rainy. But for now, I am cleaning up the garage, taking a walk and playing outside. People from Michigan are tough. We put up with all the crappy weather and really enjoy the great days. I bet people in Floriday have messy houses. If I lived in an area with great weather, I would be outside all the time. But then I guess you wouldn't be in your house to mess it up. Oh well, whatever! I just appreciate today!
xoxo A.Joy

Let's just call today "the awakening". It's been not a long or short Michigan winter - but just a winter. Today was about 50 degrees and the sky was blue. If you live in Michigan, you learn to appreciate the little things in life - like a blue sky (okay, LA people - you must be bored of beautiful days and have nothing to appreciate). We, on the other hand, are extremely thankful for a beautiful day. We celebrate by having pizza in the driveway, playing in the mud and having bonfires. So I celebrated (actually I picked up dog poo from the last three months and burned all the twigs that fell from the trees). But it was FUN!!!! Enjoy the picture I have posted for the day -tomorrow is supposed to be more of the same!! xoxo A.Joy

Today I was running alot of errands on foot (and excercising too!!) and I was thinking of how tired I was of "jogging" - when lo and behold - on my way to the bank - there was a bike that said "FREE - TAKE ME". It's a Huffy and it looks like the one at left - just not as nice. Actually it's even the same color as the one at left - just alot more rust. Isn't that weird? So off I went on my new/old Huffy. xoxo A.Joy

I have to make alot of rice for a party tonite. My friend Maggie told me to borrow her rice cooker (all the way from Japan). I thought "what a great idea, then I won't have to worry about it". Well, there are no directions as to how much rice and water. What to do? Chance it by putting in what you would normally use for the rice or just make it in a pot. It even has a button on there about something "fuzzy"? What's that supposed to mean?

Help - xoxo A.Joy (I watched Babel last night, what a good movie!!)

Hi all!! Wanna read a review with me (Almond Joy) on a new "Indie Kids Rock" blogspot?? The interviewer is a super cool dad out of New Jersey named Yosi. I am not the best at snappy answers, but I thought I did alright?? Let me know what you think - check it out at http://indiekidsrock.blogspot.com/ xoxo A.Joy (doesn't that picture make you hungry??)

Okay - enough rodent pictures already. My readers know that I love animals - especially rats. Mice are cute too - but they are too fast to be pets. Right now I think one is living in our family room wall. I can hear it walking around. My daughter heard it yesterday and said "don't tell daddy, he will kill it and I want it to live". I hope the mice don't take this as an open invitation - because they gotta go. They are cute - but they gotta go.
xoxo A.Joy

We had to get some drain work done today. I like to lock the dog in the bedroom so she doesn't bark her poor little head off and scare the plumber away. She is hip to my game of "come here good girl" - this is the point that she runs to the back door. So to get her into the bedroom, I grabbed a piece of salami. She still wouldn't budge. I let her sniff it - and the little monkey grabbed it out of my hand. Therefore I had to get another piece. She did eventually follow me to the bedroom with some coaxing, but she did get the extra salami too!! Dogs love meat!! xoxo A.Joy

Yesterday I went on a shopping spree of healthy home-made food ingredients. I have big plans on cooking lots of yummy stuff all weekend: Turkey, kale and zuchinni soup for one day and basil, canelli beans and cheese tortellini soup. I love soups in the winter. Yesterday I made chicken paprikash. The only bummer?? Cleaning up the mess! Rock on and eat healthy!!
xoxo A.Joy

Just wanted to thank Bill Childs, a good friend of Candy Band, for his recent rave reviews of our new CD "Calling All Kids". His review has appeared in Arkansas, Minnesota and Massachussets. Hopefully we'll have some new fans there because of this. Bill is a DJ of a super cool kids radio show out of Northampton, Mass. You can check out his website at: www.sparetherock.com xoxo A.Joy

Yesterday in my day of being home and being sick, I got into my kids hoop knitting kit. It was super addicting and I made three hats. The only problem, all you can make it hats. The kit my daughter has is not like the one at left, hers has 4 different size hoops. I was thinking of making a giant tube top and attaching smaller tubes to make a sweater? Any readers out there know if this can be done? Help! I'm hooping and I can't stop!! xoxo A.Joy