Another Blast from the Past

This is a picture of my great-grandmother, Margaret Farrell, taken in Ireland in 1866.  It’s the earliest photograph of any of my relatives that I’m aware of, since photography itself was only about 40 years old.  Needless to say, I never met this woman, but I did know her daughter, my grandmother, who lived in our house for the last few years of her life.  (I was only twelve years old when she died.)  Nevertheless, I can still see some family resemblance between her and my grandmother, even though I only remember my grandmother when she was in her seventies.

This ancient photo is the kind of thing that makes you think about things like the phenomenal degree to which the world has changed since the middle of the nineteenth century.  Margaret lived in a world which was not that much different from the Renaissance in terms of day-to-day living.  Most people lived on farms, traveled very little, were seriously religious and had little education.  Life was short and hard.  There was no such thing as self-esteem or living one’s dreams.  Children were treated like little adults, and those that married did so in their late teens, and lived with one set of parents, working on the family farm.  Other than newspapers, which had a limited circulation, they had very little knowledge of what was happening in the world.  Sometimes, when I see all the war and other mayhem on the TV every day, I wonder if they were better off in that regard.

By contrast, my great-grandkids and their kids will have full-color pictures and videos with sound to show them how their ancestors looked, sounded and interacted with others.  If looking at this old photo is a time trip for me, I imagine that’ll be a very weird experience for them.

The Hawk

Usually, we see hawks soaring gracefully in the sky, far away.  The other day I was shocked to see one perched in the tree right outside our living room window!  Why he was there became clear when he suddenly flew, not into the sky, but right down in front of our house, to pounce upon a mouse that was in the grass there.  He then carried it back into the tree, and, as we watched, swallowed it nearly whole.  It was a compelling little drama, one that you usually only see on those animal documentaries.  Every once in a while we’re reminded that, indeed, we live in the country!

Family Dinner

Every Monday night is family dinner at our house.  There are, of course, times when one family or another can’t make it, but most of the time everyone arrives around 5:30 and claims a seat at the big table.  This time I managed to get a picture of all six grandchildren, although all their faces aren’t showing.  Believe me, it was enough of a challenge just to find an instance where all six of them were actually in the same room, much less on the same side of the table!  Anyway, from left to right:  Ellery and Alex, both 2, Shep, 4, Chris (in the hooded sweatshirt) 5, Neko, 6, and in the high chair, Joe, seven months.

It’s a fortunate set of grandparents who have all their grandchildren living in the same town.  Fifty years ago or more, it was common, but now most of our same-age friends have grandkids spread out all over the country, and some overseas.  We’re lucky to be able to see almost day-to-day growth of all our descendants, and to know that, as they grow older and more independent, most of them will be within walking distance of our house, and will come and go as they please, like having a second home.  So we get the convenience of living in a modern era, coupled with the closeness of family from a previous era.  Nice.

Farm Day 2009

Every year for the past seven years my daughter, Wendy, and her husband, Tom, have hosted an event they call Farm Day.  It starts about three in the afternoon and over a hundred adults and children gather to celebrate the fall, enjoy a tasty dinner, make t-shirts in the shop, and just socialize in an atmosphere that resembles a huge family reunion.  My musician friends and I generally provide the music in the living room after dinner.  Usually there are about a dozen of us, but this year a bunch of major musical events seemed to fall on this day, so most of them couldn’t make it.  Bob Kotz and I were the “band” for the evening.  Even though we haven’t played together that often, we pulled it off.  The picture shows us playing while two of Wendy’s children, Neko and Ellery, frolic nearby.  Ellery, who is two, donned a helmet and did a wild dance in front of us, while Neko, 6, put glowing necklaces and other stuff on us while we played.  You can’t see the dozens of other folks in the house from this angle, but they were there, singing along and tapping their toes.

There were a number of folks who traveled significant distances:  my brother-in-law, Keith, flew in from Virginia, and my daughter Susie’s in-laws, Robert and Jane Lute, drove from Clymer, Pa.  It’s become quite a tradition.  Next year’s Farm Day is already set for Oct. 9th of 2010.

Fun in the Fall

After a summer of gigs and trips, fall came quickly this year, or so it seemed to me.  Fortunately, the opportunities to play music haven’t disappeared with the summer.  Besides my open mic at Crosswalk Coffee every Thursday evening, and the jams at Leo Coffeehouse each Sunday, I’ve also found a third musical “home” in Metamora, Indiana, which has extended its Final Friday open mics through the fall and winter months.  Starting the last Friday in September, the open mic was moved to the Mill Street Pizzeria, because of the rain.  It was so successful that they decided to hold it there every month (except December) until May, when it will return to the Back Porch stage of Lane’s End Barn.  The picture shows me performing there with Margie Stoller and Gene Webb, who are also regulars at Crosswalk Coffee.

In addition to the Final Friday open mics, the Mill Street Pizzeria also hosts an open jam with Metamora’s Baggy Bottom Boys, on the second Wednesday of each month.  I went there last night and had a blast.  There were about a half dozen musicians there in addition to the Baggy Bottom Boys, and  there was also free pizza and cake in honor of Catrina’s birthday (she plays bass and does vocals with the B.B. Boys).   A good time was had by all.

Performing solo is wonderful, but performing as part of a group is especially fun and rewarding.  The jams are not only fun, but they are one of the best ways to grow musically, particularly when there are players that are instrumentally more advanced than I am.  I can almost feel my skills building when I have to stretch to find the right chord or fill in a stretch by picking out the melody of a song “on the fly.”  It gives me motivation to continue practicing at home, too.

iPhone Generation

Wow–it’s been more than two weeks since my last entry.  I could offer excuses, but I’d just waste space.  Instead, here’s a picture I just couldn’t resist taking and posting.  My daughter Bonnie got a new iPhone the other day.  And, since her seven-month-old son, Joe, has been fascinated by this gadget, she gave him the old one to play with.  So here they are, mother and son, playing together with their iPhones.  How very 21st-century!  I could write all kinds of comments on how technology has wormed its way into our lives and such, but, as the old adage goes:  a picture is worth a thousand words.  Besides, this way I don’t have to write a thousand words, which makes it possible for me to finally get back to blogging!

Every Thursday I have the distinct pleasure of hosting an open mic at Crosswalk Coffeehouse on Main St. in Eaton, Ohio.  I arrive around 6:30 and set up the microphones, stands, etc., and set out the sign-up sheet for the evening.  Folks start arriving shortly afterwards, and there are usually half a dozen or more performers signed up when the music starts at 7pm.  I was so frustrated by driving sometimes over an hour to open mics, only to find that all the time slots were already filled, sometimes weeks in advance, that when I got the opportunity to host, I decided to do things differently.  So my policy is that everyone who shows up will get a chance to play–I just divide the two hours (7-9pm) by the number of acts, and that determines how much time each act gets at the mic.  This has been pretty successful so far.  We have a lot of repeat business, and this past year the “regulars” usually hang around for an open song circle/jam that starts at 9 and goes until closing time at 10.

The picture shows one of the jam sessions with Mark Ward, Gene Webb, Margie Stoller and myself.  Of course, I sign myself up for one of the slots, so I get to play out, even if just for 15 or 20 minutes, at least once a week, and that helps keep my performing skills, such as they are, up to date.  But more important, it’s just plain fun in an atmosphere of good friends and good coffee.  So if you’re looking for an open mic in a friendly, non-threatening venue–come on down!  Just be sure you get there around 7 or so, so I can determine the length of each time slot.   For more information about Crosswalk Coffee, go to their website at www.crosswalkcoffeehouse.com.

Lately I’ve been getting to know my newest grandchild, Joe (we call him “Little Joe” since I’m “Papa Joe”), as his mom, Bonnie, started a part-time job and I’m helping out with baby care a couple of afternoons a week.   When my kids were six months of age, I was very busy going to graduate school or experiencing my first year as a college professor.  I don’t really remember doing much baby care, so this has been a real learning experience.  I can change a diaper very quickly and efficiently now, and feed him solid foods without managing to get the food all over myself and my surroundings.  Babies this age pretty much need constant attention when they’re awake, so I’ve discovered a number of activities that can more or less keep his attention.  The wonder saucer in the picture, which looks like it could provide hours of fun activities, actually only keeps him occupied for about ten minutes, max.  Apparently, this is not unusual, according to my daughters’ accounts from when their kids were that age.

So I’ve discovered some odd things that keep him amused, like washing dishes.  For some unknown reason, he’s just enchanted watching me wash and rinse dishes in the sink.  And the same goes for loading laundry and folding it.  One day I tried playing my guitar and banjo for him, but that didn’t work at all.  Good thing he’s not in charge of booking venues.  Apparently, at this age his taste runs to the mundane.  Whatever–as long as he’s happy.

September Songs

September started while I was on my way home from SummerSongs, my annual summer adventure in the Catskills, and I had little time to unwind.  The next night I had a rehearsal with my buddy, Greg Tackett, for the Metamora Old Time Music Festival.  Then the next night I had my usual Thursday night open mic hosting at Crosswalk in Eaton.  Finally, Saturday and Sunday I spent in Metamora, Indiana, at the festival.  Greg and I performed at 12:30, and I led a workshop called “Lazy Folks Guitar” at 2pm.  The rest of the day was spent jammin’ at one of the music-makers tents, and seeing more performances on the main stage.  Sunday I arrived at 11:30, ate some lunch and watched Magnolia Mountain perform, then headed down to Smelly’s Gourmet for a cappuccino.  Smelly suggested he break out his guitar and we do some pickin’ and grinnin’.  Playing with us was Smelly’s father on washboard, spoons and harmonica.  We entertained the patrons of his store for almost two hours.  When I got home, Janet and I got an invitation to a neighbor’s house for a party and–as fate would have it–more jammin’ with the musicians at the get-together.  I played with five other folks that I never met before, and had a great time.  But now you understand why I haven’t been blogging since early last week!

The picture is another from SummerSongs.  It was during one of the two evening shows that are essentially open mics where all the campers have the opportunity to do one song.  Behind me you can see the list of performers for the evening–there were 35 each night.  After the show, we could join various jams and song circles, which often went into the wee hours of the morning.  I didn’t get a chance to take any pictures at the Metamora Festival, but in usually there are some taken by other folks and posted on the website.  That’s how I got this photo from SummerSongs.

September continues to be a busy month.  This Thursday, besides my usual Crosswalk open mic, I’m performing on Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati.  Then the next day I do a solo gig at Crosswalk Coffee in Eaton.  Finally, I think I’m going to be on the lineup at the Music Cafe in Hamilton on Tuesday the 22nd, then I’ll be performing at Greg Tackett’s annual Skidburner soiree on Saturday, the 26th.  So I should be documenting these activities at least, if not some of the other exciting and not-s0-exciting events in my life.

Summersongs 2009 – Day 3

To say SummerSongs is wonderful is easy, but it’s hard to convey the experience, the atmosphere, the activity, the comradeship, etc., etc.  A picture’s worth a thousand words, so the one to the left shows a scene that is so typical–dozens of guitars stowed at the back of the dining hall.  You can also see the bulletin board, where class schedules, messages, performance line-ups, sign-up sheets for one-on-one consultation and so on are posted.   They even fold up tables in anticipation of this area being filled with instruments, so you can see those against the wall.  What you can’t see (or hear) is the rest of the dining hall, which has campers practicing new techniques, writing notes for new songs, or at their laptops (like me) checking email or doing numerous other tasks.  Coffee, tea and lemonade, plus various snacks, are available all day and night at the self-serve beverage bar, also at the other end of the dining hall.

Each year I attend harmony class because it’s the one class where you sing almost all the class period.  This year, the group is working on Crosby, Stills and Nash’s “Teach Your Children,” which we’ll perform at the show tonight.  I also brought my handheld recorder and recorded about half the class session.  I’m looking forward to listening to that via my car radio on the drive home.

Today’s respite from the rain gave me a chance to go outside, walk around and take in some of the awesome scenery of the Catskills, where Ashokan is located.  Sometimes I spend so much time inside attending classes, eating, practicing or chatting with fellow campers, I forget to just wander outside and drink in some of this incredible scenery.  I didn’t have this problem in previous SummerSongs, because they lasted a whole week, but with the shortened version this year, my time was limited, and it was easy to neglect the outside, especially since the rain came down constantly the first two days.  I’m really glad it’s finally cleared up.  Tonight after dinner there’ll be a final show, then Monday morning will be the farewell brunch.  Then I’ll start the two-day trek home.