Monday, July 31, 2006
Hannibal Session
Tonight was the music session in Hannibal.
I'm still tired from my trip to Kansas City, but I was there by golly!!!!
It was a good night tonight.
I found myself hungry and unable to resist an order of cheese bread.
It was really good.
They were having some kind of problem with the oven and there was a back log or pizzas to cook, but it was worth the wait.
I had three sodas tonight!
Very bad girl!!!
Got there at 6:30 and got tuned up and ready to play.
The players tonight were Chris on banjo and fiddle ... me on fiddle and guitar ... Doug on banjo, mandolin and fiddle ... Sondra on banjo and mandolin ... Joann on Irish whistle ... Beverly on Irish whistle, mandolin and percussion ... Dwain on guitar ... Andrew on fiddle, banjo and mandolin ... Larry on fiddle and mandolin ... Betsy on Irish whistle ... Kevin on percussion ... Rob on percussion and harmonica ... Tony on flute, Irish whistle and fiddle ... Lisa on fiddle ... Robert on fiddle ... Dave on guitar ... Dale on guitar ... Sarah on bass and whistle ... Ian on guitar ... Fred on guitar ... Wade on percussion ... Paul on whistle ... and Becky on guitar.
Bill and his wife and daughter were there. Charlie was there. Noel and Mary Jo had a ton of family with them this evening. Evelyn and Bob were there. Evelyn H was there. LA dropped in for just a few minutes. Lydia and Maddie were there. There was a pretty full audience there this evening. That always makes it extra fun.
I missed Harry and Ellen this evening. George was also missing. Don and Jeanie were not there this evening.
I know I've missed a few ...
Thanks to all for making it such a fun evening.
Poetry: Quiet Power
Quiet Power
There is a quiet power
At work in this old world,
The steady, moving force of Love,
it's flag of Hope unfurled.
There is a gentle strength released
With every kind word spoken;
The barriers of prejudice
By understanding broken.
An act of simple friendliness
Moves in where Hate holds sway,
And Love is once again the quiet
Winner in the fray.
There is a quiet power
The heart pays homage to -
The gentle strength of love to make
Man's dream of peace come true.
Helen Lowrie Marshall
Barns:
Here are a couple of barn pictures that I took on my way to Kansas City this weekend.
Yes,
there were a couple of "detours" on the route
that involved gravel roads.
This one was all faded,
but perfect other than that.
Here's an old one.
Look at how the smaller one has settled and the whole thing leans to one side.
I'm back!!!!
I survived my girls only weekend in Kansas City!
Boy, I'm really tired today!!!!
I only took a few pictures, much to my surprise.
Was either too busy or too tired ...
depending upon the moment!
I'll have a few to show you a little bit later though.
Friday, July 28, 2006
Going to KC
Just a reminder that I'm going to be away from the computer for the weekend.
I will be back on Monday!
I'm sure I'll have a ton of pictures ...
especially since my grandson is going to be there!!!!
Hope that you all have a great weekend!
To my friends in Ely ...
wish I was there playing with you all this weekend!
I'll be there for Shelbina though!
To my blogger buddies ...
Talk to you on Monday!
My love to all of you!
Ta ta!!
I will be back on Monday!
I'm sure I'll have a ton of pictures ...
especially since my grandson is going to be there!!!!
Hope that you all have a great weekend!
To my friends in Ely ...
wish I was there playing with you all this weekend!
I'll be there for Shelbina though!
To my blogger buddies ...
Talk to you on Monday!
My love to all of you!
Ta ta!!
Quincy Session
Well, here it is 8:39 ...
and I'm supposed to leave for Kansas City at 10:00.
I'm not dressed ...
Not packed ...
and still have to take the dog to the kennel!
Oh well ...
I'll get there!
Wanted to get these two posts in before I left.
Had fun at the Quincy Session last night.
We had a new person, Jeff, who played guitar.
Jim came back again also,
So that made a rhythm section of three guitars.
It was wonderful!!!
We've figured out Apples in Winter.
Just had to leave all of those "F" chords out and it sounded really great.
We played a new song that Lisa introduced called "The Jackson Stomp".
It was a good one.
Had a blues flair to it.
It's definitely going into our repertoire!
The players were me on fiddle ... Joann on Irish whistle ... Larry on fiddle and mandolin ... Dave on guitar ... Tony on Irish whistle, flute and fiddle ... Lisa on fiddle ... Jeff on guitar ... Jim on guitar... and Rae on percussion.
My lupus was making my left hand swell and I had to quit early in order to let it rest some. It's still swollen today, but not like it was last night.
Thanks to all who came and made it a great night!
Sorry if I missed anyone!
and I'm supposed to leave for Kansas City at 10:00.
I'm not dressed ...
Not packed ...
and still have to take the dog to the kennel!
Oh well ...
I'll get there!
Wanted to get these two posts in before I left.
Had fun at the Quincy Session last night.
We had a new person, Jeff, who played guitar.
Jim came back again also,
So that made a rhythm section of three guitars.
It was wonderful!!!
We've figured out Apples in Winter.
Just had to leave all of those "F" chords out and it sounded really great.
We played a new song that Lisa introduced called "The Jackson Stomp".
It was a good one.
Had a blues flair to it.
It's definitely going into our repertoire!
The players were me on fiddle ... Joann on Irish whistle ... Larry on fiddle and mandolin ... Dave on guitar ... Tony on Irish whistle, flute and fiddle ... Lisa on fiddle ... Jeff on guitar ... Jim on guitar... and Rae on percussion.
My lupus was making my left hand swell and I had to quit early in order to let it rest some. It's still swollen today, but not like it was last night.
Thanks to all who came and made it a great night!
Sorry if I missed anyone!
Ely Opry:
I had a fun time out at Ely last night.
I didn't get home as early as I had planned ... 1:35 ...
but that's okay.
On the way out the door Doug and I were looking at the stars. Boy, there were a lot of them up there! The Milkyway was awesome!! I'm going to have to get my constolation book out and brush up on where things are in relation to eachother. They sure were pretty though. Being away from all of the lights sure made that sky just light up with stars. I can't see them that well in my yard.
I wore my cowboy boots last night ... and all day yesterday. I'm paying for it today!! I just had to wear them though. I hadn't been able to wear them for four months since my foot surgery.
While we were playing last night, I had my hair down except for the front part which was pulled back into a little pony tail. Anyway, the fan kept blowing my hair across my fiddle and my bow was running over it. I reached up to pull the rubber band off, thinking I was going to just quickly pull all of my hair back. Sounds simple enough doesn't it?
Well ... it didn't quite work.
For some reason the rubber band got ALL tangle up and I couldn't get it out. Luckily, Doug's mom was there and she got it out for me. Yes, it was embarrassing! But what can you do? She got it out in no time at all ... with just a little of hair clinging to it . I sat down there on the floor at her feet. Reminded me of when I was little and my mom used to do my hair.
I braided it and then it didn't get in my way anymore.
Thank goodness!
On the way home it was very foggy once I crossed the Mississippi in Hannibal. I had to slow way down and really watch the road carefully. I had the sun roof open and you may not believe this, but the fog smelled like potatoes.
Ever been in a potatoe cellar?
That's what it smelled like.
We used to store our potatoes from the garden in the crawl space under the house. It was my job to crawl down there and get potatoes for supper. I'll never forget that smell. It even left a taste on your tongue.
Well, that's what the fog smelled like last night. Crazy, huh?
There were a couple of people there last night that I hadn't met before.
One was Ruby. Dorothy told me that Ruby is 88 years old (I think that's the number she gave me?) She sure was having fun. She was there with a friend who played guitar, but I can't remember what his name was.
Let's see ... who else was there?
Me, Jim, Deann, Del, Patty, Anita, Kyle, Greg, Ruby and her friend who played guitar, Allan, William, Bill, Bill's wife (sorry I've forgotten your name dear ...), Dorothy, Doug, Danny, and the guy who plays the mandolin whose name I should remember but it's escaping me at the moment.
I blame it on being tired!
Now, I'm sure I'm missing several,
you know the disclaimer ...
Sorry if I missed you!
When Kyle was leaving we hugged eachother goodbye and bumped our heads together. We're both claiming to have concussions now and to have lost our memories!!!!! Hopefully we'll have our memories back the next time we see eachother.
:)
I got to look at some of Bill's pictures.
He had a picture of him sitting on this very big Harley.
It was awesome!!
Then he also showed me some pictures of some of the cars he's had.
Very cool cars!
It was a fun night and I can't wait until next time!
See you all then!
I didn't get home as early as I had planned ... 1:35 ...
but that's okay.
On the way out the door Doug and I were looking at the stars. Boy, there were a lot of them up there! The Milkyway was awesome!! I'm going to have to get my constolation book out and brush up on where things are in relation to eachother. They sure were pretty though. Being away from all of the lights sure made that sky just light up with stars. I can't see them that well in my yard.
I wore my cowboy boots last night ... and all day yesterday. I'm paying for it today!! I just had to wear them though. I hadn't been able to wear them for four months since my foot surgery.
While we were playing last night, I had my hair down except for the front part which was pulled back into a little pony tail. Anyway, the fan kept blowing my hair across my fiddle and my bow was running over it. I reached up to pull the rubber band off, thinking I was going to just quickly pull all of my hair back. Sounds simple enough doesn't it?
Well ... it didn't quite work.
For some reason the rubber band got ALL tangle up and I couldn't get it out. Luckily, Doug's mom was there and she got it out for me. Yes, it was embarrassing! But what can you do? She got it out in no time at all ... with just a little of hair clinging to it . I sat down there on the floor at her feet. Reminded me of when I was little and my mom used to do my hair.
I braided it and then it didn't get in my way anymore.
Thank goodness!
On the way home it was very foggy once I crossed the Mississippi in Hannibal. I had to slow way down and really watch the road carefully. I had the sun roof open and you may not believe this, but the fog smelled like potatoes.
Ever been in a potatoe cellar?
That's what it smelled like.
We used to store our potatoes from the garden in the crawl space under the house. It was my job to crawl down there and get potatoes for supper. I'll never forget that smell. It even left a taste on your tongue.
Well, that's what the fog smelled like last night. Crazy, huh?
There were a couple of people there last night that I hadn't met before.
One was Ruby. Dorothy told me that Ruby is 88 years old (I think that's the number she gave me?) She sure was having fun. She was there with a friend who played guitar, but I can't remember what his name was.
Let's see ... who else was there?
Me, Jim, Deann, Del, Patty, Anita, Kyle, Greg, Ruby and her friend who played guitar, Allan, William, Bill, Bill's wife (sorry I've forgotten your name dear ...), Dorothy, Doug, Danny, and the guy who plays the mandolin whose name I should remember but it's escaping me at the moment.
I blame it on being tired!
Now, I'm sure I'm missing several,
you know the disclaimer ...
Sorry if I missed you!
When Kyle was leaving we hugged eachother goodbye and bumped our heads together. We're both claiming to have concussions now and to have lost our memories!!!!! Hopefully we'll have our memories back the next time we see eachother.
:)
I got to look at some of Bill's pictures.
He had a picture of him sitting on this very big Harley.
It was awesome!!
Then he also showed me some pictures of some of the cars he's had.
Very cool cars!
It was a fun night and I can't wait until next time!
See you all then!
Thursday, July 27, 2006
General:
Went to Walmart to have some extra keys made for the blazer. I also got a couple of key chains and two little flashlights that go on your key chain. Might come in handy sometime.
Went to Autozone and bought one of those nets that goes across your tailgate so nothing falls out. Last Monday Sondra's banjo fell out of the back when I opened the hatch. It was awful!!!! I was so embarrassed.
Now, nothing will fall out again! Problem solved. Only cost $20.00. Worth every penny.
The count down ...
only two hours and twenty minutes until I leave for La Gondola
and
only four and a half hours until I leave there for Ely!!!!!
How much longer?
Seven hours until LaGondola
and
Nine hours until Ely!!!!!
I'm ready!!!
Barns:
Here are a couple of barns that I took pictures of while out on a drive the other day.
I like to do that.
Just hop in the car with no particular place to go
See where you end up and what there is to see along the way.
I found this round barn.No ... it isn't crooked ...
I was the photographer.
(smile)
This barn was in Passa Park,
which is a gun range.
Now I'm going to have to buy me some guns
so I can go to this range.
It was beautiful.
It really is a park ... with gun ranges.
What that means is it is very scenic,
well maintained,
has water, gardens,
and is gorgeous.
I have a 38 pistol ... that will get me started.
Each shooting range specifies which gun can be used on it.
I'd like to be able to use each one!
Now, that's a lot of shopping!
Look out Game Masters ...
I'd also like to get back into archery.
I used to be a good aim with a gun,
good aim with a bow,
good aim with throwing knives
and I used to be able to aim with a sling shot.
It's been a while.
Surely it will come back.
That reminds me,
I've never shown you my sword collection, have I????
Hmmm ...
Music Day
It's music day!
Ten more hours until La Gondola Quincy Session
and
Twelve more hours until Ely Opry!!!!
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Quotes: Opportunity:
There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
We must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures."
William Shakespeare
Buildings: Pittsfield, IL court house on the square
Here are some pictures of the court house in Pittsfield, IL.
It's located in the center of the town square.
I thought it was very impressive.
Look at all of the angles, curves and points.
Incredible mason work.
Here's a close up of some of the windows and the words
Court House
Erected in 1894.
Pig Days
Back on July 7th we went to Pig Days in Pittsfield, IL.
We were there on Friday.
On Saturday they were having a pig roast.
We had supper from this little vending trailer.
Here's a peak inside.
See the little pink big to the left?
Here's my BBQ pork sandwich.
It was pretty good.
Here are some of the booths that were set up.
There were crafts and then general merchandise.
Here's the flyer that tells what will be going on as the day goes by.
I missed the pig calling contest!
Pig Days
Here's a picture of the growing crowd.
Shown below, they are watching the 'Miss Piglet' contest.
There are about seven little girls up there on the stage.
Shown below, they are watching the 'Miss Piglet' contest.
There are about seven little girls up there on the stage.
Here's a closer view of the little gals on the stage.
The winner was the one with the longest "pig tails".
Here are some people eating their dinner.
Here's one of the many smokers that were there.
Flaming!!!
MMMMMmmmm...
Funnel Cakes!
Is there anything better than a fresh funnel cake?
I think not!
Funnel Cakes!
Is there anything better than a fresh funnel cake?
I think not!
Look at that!
I made quick work of that, I'll tell you!
It was delicious!
This is one of the local bands that played.
This one is called 'Jessie and the South'.
They sang country.
Here's a closer look.
Today:
I'm embarrassed to say that I slept in until 9:20 this morning!
There was a nice gentle rain
a little thunder
and it was just too relaxing to get out of bed!!!!
I taught today from 10:00 to 3:00
Then I teach again from 5:00 to 6:30.
Wednesdays are my short day. I like having a day through the week where I have an evening to stay home and not work so late.
I took all of my change in today to the bank and cashed it in. I remember when we used to have to count it all out ourselves and wrap them in the paper rolls.
Now you just take it in, they drop it into a machine that sorts and counts it.
Ta Da!
All done and you get your money lickety split!!!!!
While I was out, I stopped and got a Pepsi.
Yes, that's cheating! I usually only get Pepsi on Monday and Thursday nights. The rest of the time I drink caffeine free stuff. I just wanted one! And I was so close! Couldn't resist!
Fred dropped off some sweet corn from his garden. Can't wait to eat it. It sure smells good!!
Right now I'm sitting here enjoying a quiet moment and eating a poptart.
Blueberry, of course. That's my favorite.
I got a new cell phone and used it for the first time today. I couldn't figure out how to tell what my number was, so I called someone, they called me back and told me what my number is.
Hey,
whatever works!
Hope your day is good.
Now you just take it in, they drop it into a machine that sorts and counts it.
Ta Da!
All done and you get your money lickety split!!!!!
While I was out, I stopped and got a Pepsi.
Yes, that's cheating! I usually only get Pepsi on Monday and Thursday nights. The rest of the time I drink caffeine free stuff. I just wanted one! And I was so close! Couldn't resist!
Fred dropped off some sweet corn from his garden. Can't wait to eat it. It sure smells good!!
Right now I'm sitting here enjoying a quiet moment and eating a poptart.
Blueberry, of course. That's my favorite.
I got a new cell phone and used it for the first time today. I couldn't figure out how to tell what my number was, so I called someone, they called me back and told me what my number is.
Hey,
whatever works!
Hope your day is good.
Salt and Pepper Shakers:
Aren't these little cats cute?
I like the way their each looking different directions.
If you had them switch places, they would be looking at eachother.
I think they look guilty, don't you?
I think these bears are adorable!!!!
I haven't been collecting any new shakers lately,
and may start looking again.
That would mean getting another shelf!
Doh!!!!
How much longer?
Whew- Hoo!!!!
One more day until Ely!!!
Think they'll do the Electric Slide with me??????
I learned how to do it yesterday!
I also learned a dance last night called "Shit Kickin".
Now, that's a fun one!
Let's see ...
One day and eight hours!
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Cats, Birds, water, rainbow:
Now, that little guy looks comfortable!
I wonder what song he was playing when he drifted off to sleep?
I watch bald eagles down at the river front.
They are so pretty and so graceful.
Sometimes I watch them for hours.
My grandparents had a pump like this.
Us kids always thought it was fun to pump up some water and then drink it as it came out.
Yes ...
We got drenched!
But it was so fun!
You know what's at the end of a rainbow ...
Your fortune!
And apparently it's in this little shack!!!
What's up?
Howdy, howdy, howdy!!!
What did you do today?
Me?
I was up at 8:00,
answered some emails,
read some blogs ...
Ate some bologna and tomatoes for breakfast.
Cleaned out the van and then detailed it so it's all nice and super clean.
Smells good, too!!!
Did some laundry,
Ate some icing out of the can,
(was craving something sweet)
Counted all of my change and one dollar bills ...
there was $76.00.
Not bad!
Practiced piano for half an hour,
worked on my crochet project ...
Practiced my "moves" for dancing this weekend in Kansas City.
I saw Nacho Libre again ... for the second time.
I said something that embarrassed myself today!
Ever have those moments?
I was commenting on people driving by and seeing me dancing through the windows.
I said they'd say I was in there flopping around like a dead fish.
Then I realized that dead fish don't flop around.
I think the saying is "flopping around like a fish out of water" ...
I was just confused.
Oh well ... too late ...
I'd already said it out loud.
Doh!!!!!!
Hope you all had a great day!
Chandler and Chris:
There's my little Grandbaby one more time!
They went to get Father's Day pictures taken together.
Oh yes, there will be more to follow!!!
I can't wait to see Chandler this weekend
and hold him
and squeeze him
and kiss him
and talk to him
and sing to him
and hug him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
General: Want to Dance?
I just spent the last half hour dancing in my living room.
I'm practicing for our girls only night in Kansas City this weekend.
I'm supposed to lead dances.
So ...
Here I am ...
in my living room ...
dancing away!!!!
I did the Macarena,
Hokey Pokey,
Mexican Hat Dance,
The Limbo,
The Hand Jive,
The Hustle,
The Chicken Dance
and last but not least,
the Bunny Hop.
I have to tell you, while doing the hustle I felt like I was in a rerun episode of "Chips". Any of you ever watch that show? Oh my gosh! Crazy stuff going on in here!!!!
I guess I ought to also teach them how to belly dance while I'm there.
That would be interesting!!!!
Anyway,
I hope I know enough to make it fun for them.
That's the whole point, right?
Wish me luck!
I'm practicing for our girls only night in Kansas City this weekend.
I'm supposed to lead dances.
So ...
Here I am ...
in my living room ...
dancing away!!!!
I did the Macarena,
Hokey Pokey,
Mexican Hat Dance,
The Limbo,
The Hand Jive,
The Hustle,
The Chicken Dance
and last but not least,
the Bunny Hop.
I have to tell you, while doing the hustle I felt like I was in a rerun episode of "Chips". Any of you ever watch that show? Oh my gosh! Crazy stuff going on in here!!!!
I guess I ought to also teach them how to belly dance while I'm there.
That would be interesting!!!!
Anyway,
I hope I know enough to make it fun for them.
That's the whole point, right?
Wish me luck!
Tractor:
I don't think this one is going anywhere!
You know, I've ridden on tractors all of my life.
I've always enjoyed them.
You just feel powerful when you're riding on a tractor.
I will always have a soft spot for tractors.
Like any kind of machinery though,
they can be dangerous.
One of our family friends was killed in a tractor accident.
I have a cousin who was riding with her dad, fell off, and was ran over by the tractor before he could get it stopped.
Be careful out there!
Mmmm ... Bologna
I just had a piece of bologna
and a hand full of cherry tomatoes for breakfast.
Not your first choice?
Well,
I was in a hurry and wanted to eat something before lessons started.
I spent the morning detailing my van.
My son Tom is going to buy it.
I found some things!
(He he!)
Monday, July 24, 2006
How much longer?
General: What did I do today?
Hmmm ... What did I do today?
Got up at 7:30
Taught from 10:00 to 12:00.
Went to pick up my Trail Blazer at Shottenkirk at noon and then ran to the insurance office to get verification to put in the glove box.
Barns:
Here's a lovely old red barn for you.
Look at the contrast of how nice the roof is and how the wood is beginning to fade and wear.
There's not a whole lot left of this barn.
It's pretty much colapsing in upon itself.
If you look closely, you can see some loose straw up there in the loft.
View:
If you click and enlarge the above picture,
you will see that it's a logging yard.
Those are all logs floating in a storage spot on the river.
I like this picture.
The trees look so small as you look up the moutain into the clouds.
They just disappear.
Hannibal Session:
Well, I got home from the Hannibal session at 10:25.
We played until 9:30 tonight! Yowza!!!!
We had an appreciative audience tonight.
Lots of applause and hand clapping.
Charlie was there tonight!
I'm always glad to see him there. He lights up my night. Charlie is going to be 100 years old in November I think it is. He's quite the character. He used to judge fiddle contests and he always has tips for me and encourages me so much!
Tonight he commented that he's never seen a fiddler tapping both feet at the same time. I always do that. I find it hard to contain myself when you've got a good groove and rhythm going on. Larry told him that you can only do that when you're sitting down. So true! I think I would trip, get off balance and hit the floor if I tried that while standing up!!! I do the next best thing though ... just dance a little and bob on your knees!!! As long as you've "got it going" some how, that's what matters!
Charlie always tells me that I'm beautiful when I blush. Yes, you know what's coming. Jokes that make me blush!!! I had told him no more of that!!!! Of course, he did it anyway! I introduced him to some friends of mine from Quincy ... and he told them a joke ... and made me blush!
In the audience that I knew tonight were Bill, LA, Evelyn and Bob, Noel and Mary Jo, they had a friend there, I think her name was Betty ... who was visiting, Charlie, George, Harry, Ellen, Lydia, Gracie, Cindy A and many more people whom I did not know or just didn't get listed.
The players tonight were Chris ... Sondra ... Joann ... Dwain ... Larry ... Rob ... Tony ... Lisa ... Dave ... Sarah M ... Ian ... Doug ... Me ... Ned ... Paul ... the girls at the percussion table ... and Sarah on hammer dulcimer, here from Springfield, IL. There was another lady who came in toward the end and played my guitar for a while. I had never met her before and I'm sorry that I don't remember her name. Sorry if I missed anyone!
I took Doug out while it was still daylight and showed him my trail blazer. When we went out, there was another SUV parked right by me, the same color.
I said, "Oh no, which one is mine?"
He said, "Yours is the chevy."
I said, "Oh yeah."
I am such a dork!!!
In fact, everytime I looked out the window this afternoon and saw it sitting in the driveway I thought I had company.
Duh!!!!
When Charlie was leaving, he came over for the hug and kiss that I always give him.
Now...
every other time we've kissed each other on the cheek.
Not tonight!
He kissed smack dab right on the lips!
And not just a little smack either.
It was one of those "linger longers".
Someone yelled, "hey, quit making out over there!"
Charlie looked at me, winked and said "thank you".
Yes ... I was blushing ... again.
I think I'm blushing now!
It was a good night.
We played until 9:30!
I ordered cheese bread and had a soda.
A Pepsi to be exact.
I am now full, tired and will be going to bed shortly.
As soon as I'm through blushing ...
We played until 9:30 tonight! Yowza!!!!
We had an appreciative audience tonight.
Lots of applause and hand clapping.
Charlie was there tonight!
I'm always glad to see him there. He lights up my night. Charlie is going to be 100 years old in November I think it is. He's quite the character. He used to judge fiddle contests and he always has tips for me and encourages me so much!
Tonight he commented that he's never seen a fiddler tapping both feet at the same time. I always do that. I find it hard to contain myself when you've got a good groove and rhythm going on. Larry told him that you can only do that when you're sitting down. So true! I think I would trip, get off balance and hit the floor if I tried that while standing up!!! I do the next best thing though ... just dance a little and bob on your knees!!! As long as you've "got it going" some how, that's what matters!
Charlie always tells me that I'm beautiful when I blush. Yes, you know what's coming. Jokes that make me blush!!! I had told him no more of that!!!! Of course, he did it anyway! I introduced him to some friends of mine from Quincy ... and he told them a joke ... and made me blush!
In the audience that I knew tonight were Bill, LA, Evelyn and Bob, Noel and Mary Jo, they had a friend there, I think her name was Betty ... who was visiting, Charlie, George, Harry, Ellen, Lydia, Gracie, Cindy A and many more people whom I did not know or just didn't get listed.
The players tonight were Chris ... Sondra ... Joann ... Dwain ... Larry ... Rob ... Tony ... Lisa ... Dave ... Sarah M ... Ian ... Doug ... Me ... Ned ... Paul ... the girls at the percussion table ... and Sarah on hammer dulcimer, here from Springfield, IL. There was another lady who came in toward the end and played my guitar for a while. I had never met her before and I'm sorry that I don't remember her name. Sorry if I missed anyone!
I took Doug out while it was still daylight and showed him my trail blazer. When we went out, there was another SUV parked right by me, the same color.
I said, "Oh no, which one is mine?"
He said, "Yours is the chevy."
I said, "Oh yeah."
I am such a dork!!!
In fact, everytime I looked out the window this afternoon and saw it sitting in the driveway I thought I had company.
Duh!!!!
When Charlie was leaving, he came over for the hug and kiss that I always give him.
Now...
every other time we've kissed each other on the cheek.
Not tonight!
He kissed smack dab right on the lips!
And not just a little smack either.
It was one of those "linger longers".
Someone yelled, "hey, quit making out over there!"
Charlie looked at me, winked and said "thank you".
Yes ... I was blushing ... again.
I think I'm blushing now!
It was a good night.
We played until 9:30!
I ordered cheese bread and had a soda.
A Pepsi to be exact.
I am now full, tired and will be going to bed shortly.
As soon as I'm through blushing ...
Chandler:
There's my baby boy!
My grandbaby that is ...
I get to see him this weekend!!!!
I going to a girls getaway weekend in Kansas City this weekend.
It's me, my sister-in-law Tina, my niece Stefanie, my mother Glenda, my daughter-in-law Heather, grandbaby Chandler, my Great Aunt Eva and my cousin Pat.
I think my sister, Ruth Anne, has to work.
I'm not sure.
There are no men allowed ...
well ...
except for Chandler of course!
We're going to spoil him rotten!!!!!!!!!!
How much longer?
How much longer?
Three and a half hours until I leave for the Hannibal session!
Trail Blazer:
I just drove my trail blazer home!!!
It sure drives different, but I'll get used to it.
I've driven a van for the last six or seven years.
I'm loading that puppy up and driving to music tonight!!!!
Sunday, July 23, 2006
General:
Wow!
I am tired!
Got up at 8:00,
practiced the organ for church,
left for church at 9:10.
Played street music in Hannibal this afternoon.
My fingers are so sore that I could just cry.
I soaked them in Udder Balm this evening and it helped some.
We met lots of people this afternoon. Everyone was very friendly.
Especially the bikers.
I always get a kick out of the little kids who make their parents stop and listen to us play. Sometimes the kids just listen, wide eyed and smiling... and other times they dance. They just can't seem to contain their excitement or energy. Wish I had energy like that again!
One guy even bowed to us when we finished one song. I think it was after my rendition of Ragtime Annie. It was hilarious!!! I bowed back! We had several rounds of applause today ... that's always nice to hear. Lots of smiles.
I'm developing the art of being able to talk to people while I'm playing. It's much harder than it sounds. We're not allowed to use music on the street, so we're relying on our brains. Let me tell you, one little distraction ... and it's over. However, you can't be that way on the street. Too many people want to talk to you and ask you questions. We get a lot of comments on Sondra's mandolin and a lot of people wanting to know the names of songs. I can now say hello, thank you, hello again, goodbye, have fun as well as tell people where the bathroom is and a good place to eat! Yes, sometimes I have to stop, but sometimes I can keep on going.
We saw Chris and Melanie for a little bit when we were finished playing today.
Got home and showered. Let me tell you what, after two days of street playing my costume had developed a life of it's own ... and boy ... was it ever smelly!!!!! Whew! There's nothing like playing the fiddle or guitar with sweat rolling down your back. Yuck.
Spent the rest of the evening on the couch. I crocheted for a little bit. Then watched Funniest Videos, Cold Case and Without a Trace while curled up on the couch under an afghan. It was very relaxing.
It was a good day.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Barns:
Now,
this is my favorite type of barn picture to collect.
To me, this barn is beautiful.
See that cat on top of the post?
Sapsucker Woods, Cornell University
I like how you can see the reflection of the barn in the pond.
I also like the greenery in this picture.
And the hint of the wooden rail fence ...
I also like the greenery in this picture.
And the hint of the wooden rail fence ...
View:
Riddarfjarden, Stockholm, SwedenAren't the colors just fabulous in this picture?
I find the hues of pink against the browns of the buildings very relaxing.
Temple of Poseidon, Attica, GreeceCan you see in your mind's eye what this building once looked like?
General:
Another day has come and gone.
Got up at 8:00.
Got a chocolate iced donut at Daylight Donuts.
Was at Shottenkirk by 9:05 to sign papers on the trail blazer.
Took it for a test drive.
While there, got to see my son and meet his co-workers.
Yes, I'm buying the trail blazer from him.
(wink wink)
No garage sales today. Was too busy.
Left at 11:15 to play street music in Hannibal.
Left the first time ... forgot my purse.
Left again ... forgot the chord book.
Left again ... had everything ... made it just fine.
Remember Thursday night when I poked myself in the eye with my bow and then again with my finger?
Well today I poked myself in the same eye with my guitar.
Yes, it hurt.
No, don't even ask me how you poke yourself in the eye with a guitar.
Let's just say it has to do with putting your guitar strap over your head.
We had a good day today.
It wasn't too hot and there was a breeze.
Chris played bones with us on a couple of songs.
Melanie came out and harrassed us a plenty. (wink)
We even saw George!
We also saw Andrew for a little bit at 3:00 when we were finished.
On the way there, we listened to Roanoke,
my new favorite Bluegrass Tune!!!!
my new favorite Bluegrass Tune!!!!
Went to the grocery store after I got home.
Worked on my afghan.
Watched "The Fugitive" with Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones.
Now I'm headed to bed.
Worked on my afghan.
Watched "The Fugitive" with Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones.
Now I'm headed to bed.
Correction:
I made a boo boo!
The movie screen is 9 feet by 16 feet.
It was a chore to make,
but worth all the time it took.
The movie screen is 9 feet by 16 feet.
It was a chore to make,
but worth all the time it took.
Off to Hannibal!
I'm getting ready to go play street music in Hannibal in a few minutes.
I just ironed my shirt and vest.
Getting ready to go braid my hair into pigtails.
I play from 12:00 to 3:00 this afternoon.
I signed papers on my trail blazer this morning.
Now we just have to see if the financing goes through or not.
Well, I'm off!
Have a great Saturday!!!!
Friday, July 21, 2006
Horses:
General:
Let's see ...
Today I slept in until 9:00 ...
Which is exactly when my phone rang and the piano tuner was on the other end saying,
"I was worried about you. I knocked on the door and rang the door bell. Thought something might be wrong."
Yes ... I was embarrassed!
Threw on some clothes ...
Thought about my hair ... then ran to the door to let him in.
Then I went to comb my hair.
I had stayed out late playing music the night before but thought I would be able to get up and around ... even take a shower ... and be ready at 9:00 when Jim got here.
Oh well!
Had lunch at Fazoli's ...
Exchanged my broken watch for one that actually works.
Went to Shottenkirk where my son works and looked at a Trail Blazer ...
Which I may be buying ...
Taught from 5:00 to 7:30.
Then I did a sewing project for an hour and a half,
reinforcing the seems on our 9 ft x 10ft outdoor movie screen that I made a couple of years ago.
It's being used tomorrow night and I wanted to be sure it was in good shape.
Now it's 10:08pm ...
I'm going to do some computer projects and go to bed I think.
Hope you all have a great weekend.
Ely:
Well,
I'm already missing my Ely friends,
So thought I would post some pictures.
Above is Patty, William, Bert, John and Danny.
Taking it easy.
Below is Wes on the banjo,
Doug on the fiddle
and is it Kenny (?) on steel guitar?
(I'll have to ask him his name again!)
Quincy Session, Music:
Last night we had a fabulous session at La Gondola!
We had fourteen musicians there!!!!
John joined us for the very first time from Ursa.
Joe joined us for the very first time from Hannibal.
We play with Joe at the Hannibal session on Monday nights.
Samantha joined us with her accordion ... we also play with her at the Hannibal session.
The players tonight were me on fiddle ... Joann on Irish whistle ... Tony on flute, Irish whistle and fiddle ... Jeannie on percussion ... Don on string bass ... Larry on fiddle ... Lisa on fiddle ... Dave on guitar ... John on guitar ... Rae on percussion (for the third week in a row!!) ... Sondra on banjo and mandolin ... Andrew on fiddle and mandolin ... Joe on guitar (he plays a twelve string guitar) ... and Samantha on accordion.
For some reason, I threatened Joe with my bow
and while bringing it back over to my fiddle,
I managed to poke myself right in the eye with it!
Ouch!
Then, not twenty minutes later I poked the same eye again with my finger!
Double Ouch!
We got lots of compliments on the music tonight.
Having a nice full set of musicians sure makes a huge difference.
When the session was over,
Dave said, "Well Ava, no crying at this session!"
I've probably already told you before,
But when we first started this session,
it was just the three of us girls
(me, Joann and Sondra)
We played all alone for a while and it was horrible.
We cried every night when it was over.
But we kept it up in hopes that it would grow and blossom into a full session.
Well,
last night was the night!
It was wonderful!
A great session!
No more crying!!!!!!
Steve, the piper who is moving here from Austin
will be teaching us some new Irish tunes when he gets here.
We're all looking forward to that.
One of the first ones we are going to learn is "Mary's Wedding".
It's one of Rae's favorites and we're excited to learn it for her.
Thanks to everyone for making it such a great night!
We had fourteen musicians there!!!!
John joined us for the very first time from Ursa.
Joe joined us for the very first time from Hannibal.
We play with Joe at the Hannibal session on Monday nights.
Samantha joined us with her accordion ... we also play with her at the Hannibal session.
The players tonight were me on fiddle ... Joann on Irish whistle ... Tony on flute, Irish whistle and fiddle ... Jeannie on percussion ... Don on string bass ... Larry on fiddle ... Lisa on fiddle ... Dave on guitar ... John on guitar ... Rae on percussion (for the third week in a row!!) ... Sondra on banjo and mandolin ... Andrew on fiddle and mandolin ... Joe on guitar (he plays a twelve string guitar) ... and Samantha on accordion.
For some reason, I threatened Joe with my bow
and while bringing it back over to my fiddle,
I managed to poke myself right in the eye with it!
Ouch!
Then, not twenty minutes later I poked the same eye again with my finger!
Double Ouch!
We got lots of compliments on the music tonight.
Having a nice full set of musicians sure makes a huge difference.
When the session was over,
Dave said, "Well Ava, no crying at this session!"
I've probably already told you before,
But when we first started this session,
it was just the three of us girls
(me, Joann and Sondra)
We played all alone for a while and it was horrible.
We cried every night when it was over.
But we kept it up in hopes that it would grow and blossom into a full session.
Well,
last night was the night!
It was wonderful!
A great session!
No more crying!!!!!!
Steve, the piper who is moving here from Austin
will be teaching us some new Irish tunes when he gets here.
We're all looking forward to that.
One of the first ones we are going to learn is "Mary's Wedding".
It's one of Rae's favorites and we're excited to learn it for her.
Thanks to everyone for making it such a great night!
Treasures:
Here are a couple of my "treasures" in my glass cabinet.
The picture above is one of my grandfather's pocket knives.
***
The one below is one of my grandmother's little indian dolls.
I think it's adorable.
Ely Opry:
Last night was Ely Opry time!
I count down the days all week until it gets here.
They are a great group of people,
A great group of musicians,
They relax, enjoy the music and have fun.
I enjoy the drive out there.
It's time to think when I drive alone
And time to talk when Dave and I ride together.
I have to say,
I enjoy it more when there is someone to talk to!!!
By the time I got there a little after 9:30,
it was a pretty small group.
However,
that never affects how much fun I have.
For me it is just as fun whether there is a large group or a small group.
A smaller group just means it's more intimate and you get to visit more,
laugh more,
and we also get to try out more fiddle tunes!
I was SO impressed with the songs that Doug and John have already learned from the music and CD that I gave them.
They're awesome!!!!!!
I'm very proud of them.
Let's see,
I'm working on learning more names of people so I can give a better description of the evening.
It's just that there are a lot of names to remember!
There was Ashley (didn't get to sing with her tonight, I think we were both too tired) ... Allan on his mandolin ... Anita on harmonica (she blows me away!!) ... Bill (who can play that fiddle when he gets it out) ... Mrs. Potterfield (Bill's wife) ... his mother ... Bud ... Carol ... Danny (who plays a mean guitar) ... Deann ... Del on banjo ... Doug on fiddle ... Greg (plays the bass) ... Jessie (plays the banjo) ... Jim on guitar ... John on fiddle ... Patty on fiddle ... William on guitar ... Wes Jr and Wes Sr on banjo and guitar.
Now, these are just the people that I know names for.
That certainly doesn't mean those were the only people there.
I managed to not poke myself in the eye anymore,
although it was still sore from the previous two times!
I'm glad I could see to play and drive!
On the way out there,
I almost ran off the road trying to work my mp3 player.
I pulled over in Palmyra and got it all programmed for the rest of the drive.
Heaven knows you can't listen to the radio if you have an mp3 player in the car!
I was really tired on the way home.
Usually being tired isn't an issue on the drive home, but it was this time.
I think it's just because I didn't get much sleep the night before.
All in all, had a great night!
Six more days until next time.
I count down the days all week until it gets here.
They are a great group of people,
A great group of musicians,
They relax, enjoy the music and have fun.
I enjoy the drive out there.
It's time to think when I drive alone
And time to talk when Dave and I ride together.
I have to say,
I enjoy it more when there is someone to talk to!!!
By the time I got there a little after 9:30,
it was a pretty small group.
However,
that never affects how much fun I have.
For me it is just as fun whether there is a large group or a small group.
A smaller group just means it's more intimate and you get to visit more,
laugh more,
and we also get to try out more fiddle tunes!
I was SO impressed with the songs that Doug and John have already learned from the music and CD that I gave them.
They're awesome!!!!!!
I'm very proud of them.
Let's see,
I'm working on learning more names of people so I can give a better description of the evening.
It's just that there are a lot of names to remember!
There was Ashley (didn't get to sing with her tonight, I think we were both too tired) ... Allan on his mandolin ... Anita on harmonica (she blows me away!!) ... Bill (who can play that fiddle when he gets it out) ... Mrs. Potterfield (Bill's wife) ... his mother ... Bud ... Carol ... Danny (who plays a mean guitar) ... Deann ... Del on banjo ... Doug on fiddle ... Greg (plays the bass) ... Jessie (plays the banjo) ... Jim on guitar ... John on fiddle ... Patty on fiddle ... William on guitar ... Wes Jr and Wes Sr on banjo and guitar.
Now, these are just the people that I know names for.
That certainly doesn't mean those were the only people there.
I managed to not poke myself in the eye anymore,
although it was still sore from the previous two times!
I'm glad I could see to play and drive!
On the way out there,
I almost ran off the road trying to work my mp3 player.
I pulled over in Palmyra and got it all programmed for the rest of the drive.
Heaven knows you can't listen to the radio if you have an mp3 player in the car!
I was really tired on the way home.
Usually being tired isn't an issue on the drive home, but it was this time.
I think it's just because I didn't get much sleep the night before.
All in all, had a great night!
Six more days until next time.
Bridges:
I really like bridges like this.
Nice and long ...
Sun and shadows ...
Nice and long ...
Sun and shadows ...
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Music
I've got my new skirt on ...
Curled my hair ...
And now it's going to storm.
May not get to go to Ely after all.
Will probably make it to La Gondola though.
Drat!
I wish I knew what county of Missouri they were in.
Then I could check the weather channel.
I'll have to look it up on line.
Music:
Today was classical violin Thursday.
I played for an hour and here are some of the songs I played:
Worked on bowing techniqe for quite a while.
Then played:
Chorus from "Judas Maccabaeus" by Handel
Musset by Bach
Hunter's Chorus
Long Long Ago (classical style)
A Waltz by Brahms
Theme from Surprise Symphony by Haydn
Minuet by Haydn
Country Song by Beethoven
Theme from Ninth Symphony by Beethoven
March Slave by Tschaikowsky
I enjoyed them all very much!
I played for an hour and here are some of the songs I played:
Worked on bowing techniqe for quite a while.
Then played:
Chorus from "Judas Maccabaeus" by Handel
Musset by Bach
Hunter's Chorus
Long Long Ago (classical style)
A Waltz by Brahms
Theme from Surprise Symphony by Haydn
Minuet by Haydn
Country Song by Beethoven
Theme from Ninth Symphony by Beethoven
March Slave by Tschaikowsky
I enjoyed them all very much!
Animals:
Hey,
What are you lookin' at?
You got somethin' to say to me?
Bring it on!
Piano Tuning
Jim, my piano tuner, came at 9:00 this morning to look at the new electric piano and to tune my regular piano. He wasn't able to fix the electric one, but gave it a good look over. Some of the connections were loose and he reestablished those for me.
When he got over to the piano, I showed him a few of the problems I was having and he's going to have to come back tomorrow to fix those for me. Poor guy! I heard him say "naughty, naughty piano!".
So, he comes back tomorrow morning to make the piano repair ... my damper petal has severe issues due to the wood swelling. And then he'll tune it all up for me.
I always love playing all of my favorite songs on a freshly tuned piano. Perfection!!!!
When he got over to the piano, I showed him a few of the problems I was having and he's going to have to come back tomorrow to fix those for me. Poor guy! I heard him say "naughty, naughty piano!".
So, he comes back tomorrow morning to make the piano repair ... my damper petal has severe issues due to the wood swelling. And then he'll tune it all up for me.
I always love playing all of my favorite songs on a freshly tuned piano. Perfection!!!!
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Music:
Tomorrow is Thursday ...
That's Ely day.
I'm looking forward to getting there.
Family:
That's Tom in the hat ...
Chris is holding Chandler.
There's me, Chris, Chandler and Heather.
Chris and I together.
Little Chandler,
Snoozing away.
Here's a few of the cherries on my cherry tree.
There seem to be a lot this year.
The birds always enjoy them.
