Bad new for A.Joy. I had a super busy, but fun weekend. Awesome gig on Friday nite, cooked and prepped food all day Saturday for the YWCA auction on Saturday night (had a great time at that!!), played at a cool art fair on Sunday, had the whole neighborhood over when I got home for a bbq - then: broke my toe!!!!! My house is trashed, have lots to do - can hardly walk - this is not good - help!!!!! not so xoxo A.Joy

The "Starburst" family would like to introduce our new member. Hubie Louis, the border collie mix. He's rambuncious, crazy, but lovable.

HERE'S AN ARTICLE THAT WAS IN THE NEW DETROIT FREE PRESS MAGAZINE "PLAY" ON THURSDAY:

Twinkle, twinkle punkish moms - April 26, 2007 - BY MARTIN F. KOHN
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Electric guitarist Paula Messner likes to say that the Candy Band's audience is anyone from zero to 99, but "the moshers are 2 to 10. Diapers and sippy cups are flying."
Around 2 p.m. Sunday, then, diapers and sippy cups should abound at the Farmington Hills Festival of the Arts. That's when the Candy Band headlines the live entertainment at the event, which will also include demonstrating artists, hands-on activities and other family fun.

Known for taking nursery rhymes and old songs like "I've Been Working on the Railroad" or "Skip to My Lou" and making them punk rock tunes, the Candy Band consists of four moms from Royal Oak and Pleasant Ridge: Messner, Daniella Burckhardt (vocals), Anita Kelly (bass guitar), and Tammy Ristau (drums).
Since first getting together in 2003, they've made four CDs, played Lollapalooza (they've been invited back this summer), NBC's "Today" and lots of local gigs.
Messner, 43, was the instigator. A rocker to the core, she played in a couple of notable Detroit bands, the Motor Dolls and the Vertical Pillows. Then came motherhood. "I couldn't do that bar thing anymore," she says. But she loved rock 'n' roll, had loved it since she was a kid.
She figured a new generation of kids would, too, but there's no way you're going to get up in front of little kids and sing "I Wannna Be Sedated." But you could take that drive and energy and apply it to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."
But what to do for a band? "All of my musician friends work day jobs" so they were unavailable. So Messner, who was teaching aerobics at the Clawson YWCA, rounded up some friends she'd made there. "None of these girls ever played before. I wanted it to be raw. What better way than finding people who didn't know how to play?"
She can't use that excuse anymore, Messner says. The band, whose repertoire now includes original songs, sounds pretty accomplished.

Someone sent me this picture. I have 2 kids and could not imagine if I would laugh or cry if this happened. I wonder if that is permanent marker?? Maybe you could just take the kid to the doctor and have them clean the baby up? How would you get if off the eye area? With this moms luck, it's probably the baby christening the next day?? xoxo A.Joy

It's that time of the year again. I do my annual catering gig for the YWCA Silent Auction this Saturday, April 28th. There will be lots of new items on the menu this year - many items on sticks - including Peanut Chicken, Zesty Steak Bits and Sassy Shrimp Kabobs!! Please join me for the food and fun - tickets are $25 and that includes the food!! Drinks are available for a nominal fee!! Hope to see you there! Questions? Call 248-435-9100 xoxo A.Joy

Today we had the most awesome assembly at our school with "Bubbleman". He made bubbles inside of bubbles, square bubbles (yes!! square), bubble harmonica with string and bubble sculptures - and a whole lot more!! He was amazing!! Thank you Bubbleman - you totally rock!!! xoxo A.Joy

Today I thought I would post a picture of the Candy Band having lunch 3 years ago. We arrived at a gig in Canton early and we all brought lunch salads and stuff to share. What a bunch of moms we are!!! Also - nobody told me we were wearing pink that day!! xoxo A.Joy

Today is Earth Day (to me, every day is Earth Day!). This is a beautiful planet - let's try and take care of it. Recycle, walk, use less of it's resources. Why would you do otherwise???

xoxo A.Joy

I think kaleidoscopes are cool - At left is an art installation at some museum about them. My mother just sent me a cool site where you can make your own on the computer - Warning!! It's addicting!! Thanks mom!!

xoxo A.Joy

Today I went on a field trip with my daughters class to a fruit and vegetable market to study rain forest products and to see how they get to our table. I thought it was going to be lame, but it was really cool. We went into the "back room" and the super large fridge. Plus the chaperones got a free gourmet coffee. Now I want to look up some recipes to use some of the bizarre foods I saw today at Nino Salvaggios International Marketplace. Any recipes out there someone might want to share with me?? xoxo A.Joy

How cool is this? My buddy at the DSO asked me to pass this around. We play at these Young Peoples Concerts (end of October 07). They are awesome events, complete with an instrument petting zoo, yummy snacks and a wonderful atmosphere! If you aren't busy, ya gotta go!!!

xoxo A.Joy

Get a sitter this Saturday, Candy Band will be performing once again with their pals "Free Beer". Should be a rockin good time - we go on at 9:30 sharp - so get there early and grab a beer and a table (to dance on, of course!). The New Way Bar is located on Woodward north of 9 mile Road in Fashionable Ferndale!

xoxo A.Joy

It's very windy in the Detroit area today. Everyone's garbage cans are blowing all over the street. I call it natures way of trimming the trees!! xoxo A.Joy

Here's one of my views of Chicago. We went up on the Sears Tower (103 stories up!!). I am not really fond of heights and hate elevator rides even more, but this was beautiful. They do show a short cartoon on the ride up to keep your mind off how fast the elevator goes. I think I was expecting to be outside when the elevator opened up, so glad it was inside!! I wish Detroit was half as cool as Chicago - that mayor of ours really needs to get our city in shape!!! xoxo A.Joy

Back to school tomorrow - YEAH. I have lots to do that I cannot get done with these kids hanging around. It was a great spring break week - but I am ready to get back to business, gigs, guitars and chores!!! xoxo A.Joy

Crazy busy unpacking today - but I just wanted to post this cool picture of me and a slice of a human head at the Museum of Science and Industry. Enjoy!! xoxo A.Joy

Sorry for the posting delay - I was vacationing in Chicago with my family checking out Beluga whales at Shedd aquarium. I was really hoping another one of my band members might post while I was gone - oh well. xoxo A.Joy

This picture gives new meaning to "moving day". Wouldn't it be cool if you could live in a house like this and move from place to place this easily? Happy Easter!! xoxo A.Joy

Tonight our family went to the Baldwin Theatre to see "Miracle Worker". The actors were AMAZING. Wow, such talent we have here. We sat in the front row and almost got wet from the pump scene (Thank you Anne H and friends for the tix!!!). As I was surfing for a photo to use - I came upon the one at left. This is a picture of Helen Keller teaching someone to read braille. What an inspiring person that Helen Keller was!!

xoxo A.Joy

My grocery store is selling flowers that look like Easter bunnies - and this morning my mother sent me these pictures. I guess florists are getting more creative. Now, if they would only make a cool guitar arrangement!! xoxo A.Joy

I have a group of girls that want to sing Spiderman in the talent show this year. I told them that we have to come up with a dance to go with the song otherwise it would be very boring. I was telling my neighbor friend Emily about this and she said we should do the can-can (she is only 8 years old). Now that would be interesting. I was thinking of more interprative dance!! xoxo A.Joy

Did I ever tell you about the time I went kayaking and a shark was following me? Boy, that was a closeone!! Just kidding. xoxo A.Joy

If you've never read the book "Punk Farm" you need to read it to your kids. My daughters class gave it to me 2 years ago for playing guitar so much and having sing-a-longs with the class (they all signed it - I will love and cherish this book forever!!) Anyways, I was thrilled with they asked to be our friend on myspace and also gave us a cool comment:

Apr 2, 2007 9:23 AM CANDY BAND RAWKS!!!!!!! Unfortunately, no plans for Detroit yet...but...ya never know.... See you on the road! Maybe we'll be hitting up the same barns soon?!

xoxo A.Joy

Wow - I made brownies today and they didn't burn (and they aren't raw in the middle). That's gotta be a first. I am the worlds worst baker - I even burn the mix stuff. The last time I made banana bread - 1 loaf exploded and dripped all over the bottom of the oven. The other loaf was burned on the outside and almost pudding in the middle. So - if you come to my house for a fancy dinner - I usually serve ice cream for dessert!!! xoxo A. Joy

Today, I went up to 3 separate girl friends and told them they had a big rip in the back of their pants. Thay all freaked out!! Then I said "April Fools". I thought that was a good one that I thought of right on the spot. What could be worse??? I know I would freak out!!! Sorry pals!! xoxo A.Joy