Whiteley Creek Homestead

This morning, Dick and I attended the funeral of a lifelong friend. It was sad… a tragic, unexpected death. We had previously made plans to attend a concert in the evening, not knowing that it would provide the comfort we would need today. The performance by Ellis, a Minneapolis folk artist, was the 251st in a series of Grassroots Concerts debuting in 1988 in the Brainerd area. 

(photo from ellis-music.com)
Ellis's songs, which are retellings of simple, everyday  happenings and memories, are soul healing and uplifting. She is a gifted guitarist, vocalist, and storyteller who captures the details of life from both thought provoking and humorous perspectives. Three of my favorites were a tender song that she wrote for her granny titled "You Are Royalty To Me", a song titled "George Anne" about people who called Ellis's residence for two years asking for this woman who was apparently a former resident, and "How Would It Be." Here is a YouTube video of Ellis performing "How Would It Be" at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts August 26, 2007.