The title of my previous post led me to this...

Whenever I say the words "back in the swing of things" it reminds me of a song sang by a man named Vern Gosdin. He's a country/gospel singer and song writer who started out young in the 50's and ended up in the top 10 consistently in the early 80's and recorded an album that received 'best country album of the year' in '84. He has recorded songs with Emmylou Harris and Janie Frickie along with many others, and he was good friends with Jimmy Varney (Earnest in Earnest Goes To Camp)...hence the term "Know what I mean, Vern?" He has recorded many many songs and has been nicknamed "The Voice." You're probably wondering why I would even share any of this with you, but there is a reason behind this story. You see, in 1998 he recorded an album titled "The Voice", and my best friend Lacey Lynn Henderson sang harmony with him in 4 duets on that album. The two of us have literally been friends since Kindergarten. Her parents and my parents have known each other since they were kids, too. After high school she married young and went through a divorce. That divorce led her to follow a dream of hers to sing in Nashville. She set off on her own and moved out there all by herself. She worked at the Hard Rock Cafe in downtown Nashville, and somehow met up with Vern Gosdin. I am not sure of all of her stories, but she began singing with him and ended up recording this album. I remember accompanying her to an audition in Nashville when she was first thinking of moving there. The girl simply has no fears, and she has an amazing voice and should have been more recognized for her part in this album. There is a song on that album that I would like to share with you and unfortunately the person who posted it on You Tube put a picture of Rhonda Vincent with the song instead of Lacey. She, too, had done a few songs with him, but not this particular one. The person corrected his mistake with a little blurb that shows up on top of Rhonda's picture, but it would have been nicer to replace it with Lacey's. The song presents a wonderful message, and to this day I will pop this CD in my car and sing loudly as I am driving down the road. 'Back In The Swing of Things' was also on this album, but it was sang only by Vern and of course I want to share one of the songs that my bestie sang in! So, yes, the title of my previous post led me to all of this! :) She gave it a whirl, and I believe had the time of her life while she was there, but people change and so do their dreams, and now Lacey is living here in Muscatine and is part owner in a family owned restaurant called Port City Underground. Their menu focuses on pizza and wine, and was brought together by her families love of visiting Chicago's Gino's East Pizza nearly all her life. And of course, it's a little hard to focus on having a family when you are singing in Nashville, so with the flexiblility of the restaurant she is able to give her 2 year old little boy, Max, her undivided attention. And, yes, we are still the best of friends, and I am so proud of her for not being scared to try new things and for following her dreams whether they end up being right or not! She inspires me and makes me believe that you can do anything if you put your mind to it!

Here are a couple of pictures that she and Vern had taken.

And this one is my favorite because it is personally to me!

And this is Lacey (on the left) and me (in the middle) with our friend Tracy at Happy Joe's for my birthday. I think we were like 6 or 7 and seriously inseparable!(Looks like Gage in the middle doesn't it?)

And here we are going to a rodeo in Nashville when I went with her for her audition. Too funny!!

And this is her now with her little man, Max, and his daddy at Port City Underground here in downtown Muscatine.

This is the song I wanted to share with you and it is titled "Streets of Gold"