Forked Deer

I went walking in the woods this afternoon. Even though the temperatures were in the teens here in Wayne, there was no wind and it felt warmer. I thought some of getting the snow shoes or cross country skis out, but since there's only a few inches of snow from the storm, I decided to just jump into my boots and walk... good choice! There are some paths off the front yard, not only for humans to use, but apparently for the deer... they are definitely making good use of the cleared trails where Richard and Toby drove the tractor when they were getting firewood. I mentioned this to David & Kathie, and they asked if we had any groves of small evergreens. We do indeed have a nice little grove just north of the back yard... David thinks that is where the deer are bedding down and living. No deer near their house, but obviously we've got a good population living right around ours!
Forked Deer can be found in several resources including the Fakebook, the Portland Collection (blue book), and the Phillips Collection of Traditional American Fiddle Tunes.

Home Waltz

I've decided to use a vacation day and spend today here at home. There are quite a few things on my "Personal To-Do List"...

• go through photographs and put some favorites into the frames I've been collecting...
• play through the newly received, thanks to Eric, Cape Breton tunes in anticipation of the once-a-month fourth Sunday jam at his house... learn more about program & design of web sites...
• settle on a course of study for the next few years in preparation for a new or altered career path in five years, and then taking the first step by enrolling at UMA today...
• sit down with scrapbooks and geneology information

In addition to my "Personal To-Do-List" there are a few other things that seem to be chores or work but are enjoyable enough for me to consider doing today and those things are: cleaning a closet, putting away the Christmas stuff (yes, it's still not stored but it is behind a closed door!), or tending to our personal finances. I'm going to start with the first category, and use the second group as filler! Nice to have some relaxing time at home and the flexibility to choose!

Home Waltz is in the Fiddle Music of PEI.

King's Reel

Today is Martin Luther King Day...

I don't consider myself a political activist or a historian, and I have to admit I don't know a lot about this man. My impressions are that he believed in love, tolerance, awareness and compassion for all men and women. I did find the following excerpts from his speeches:

I know that love is ultimately the only answer to mankind's problems. And I'm going to talk about it everywhere I go. I know it isn't popular to talk about it in some circles today. I'm not talking about emotional bosh when I talk about love, I'm talking about a strong, demanding love. And I have seen too much hate. I've seen too much hate on the faces of sheriffs in the South. I've seen hate on the faces of too many Klansmen and too many White Citizens Councilors in the South to want to hate myself, because every time I see it, I know that it does something to their faces and their personalities and I say to myself that hate is too great a burden to bear. I have decided to love. If you are seeking the highest good, I think you can find it through love. And the beautiful thing is that we are moving against wrong when we do it, because John was right, God is love. He who hates does not know God, but he who has love has the key that unlocks the door to the meaning of ultimate reality. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.~Martin Luther King, Jr.

So, I'll take this opportunity to reflect, and ACT on my ability to be loving, tolerant, and forgiving... to have awareness and compassion for my fellow man and woman... regardless of race... regardless of social class, religion, gender... regardless of any label or classification.

King's Reel is from the Fiddle Music of PEI.

Reel des Onions

Mmmm... delicious and nutritious. This is the first evening I've actually cooked anything more than microwave nachos since last week! I pan browned pieces of boneless pork with freshly chopped garlic... added chunks of onions and peppers (yellow, red, and green) and seasoned with sage, parsley, pepper and garlic powder. A glass of Syrah rounds out the meal. The table setting is for the photo... I brought the meal into the den and watched the news rather than sit at the table :)
Ahhhh. The living room is finally back together! How nice to fill the wood pile, put the furniture back in place, put away the ladders, and watch it snow this afternoon. It's been a busy few days, but definitely worth it. I think it would have been difficult to get this much done if R was home... only because it takes time away from the project to fix meals, and even to sit down and eat.

In other news, the snowstorm came and went with some minimal accumulation, and some minimal amounts of sleet. I was prepared to hunker down here, light the oil lamps and cook on the wood stove, but no need. I did go out on a "Snow Emergency" ride. For anyone who is not familiar with a "Snow Emergency", it's a term I heard years ago on Prairie Home Companion. Essentially, it's when the weather is so bad that people are encouraged to STAY HOME and not go out on the roads... but instead of following that recommendation, you NEED to go out for MILK or something else... all in the guise of maneuvering on snow covered roads and byways. My "Snow Emergency" did not have anything to do with grocery purchases, but I did have a nice visit with Kathie & David, and with Mom & Dad. Now I'm safe at home, enjoying the evening.

Reel des Onions can be found in the Portland Collection.

Over the Waves

The waves are gone! They're totally covered now with paint that is called "Toasty Tan" but really looks like wet beach sand. This bookshelf holds home improvement reference books, biographies, and our nature & environment collection. This also seemed like a good place to display some of our many family photographs. We have a lot of books. This book case holds most of our paperback non-fiction collection. We each have some authors that we favor, and some topics of personal interest. Library book sales are one source of acquisition... the Cary Memorial Libray in Wayne and libraries in Topsham and Brunswick are ones we frequent.

Over the Waves is a lovely waltz.

Whitewater

This morning I finished painting upstairs in the balcony. This allowed me to move the ladders downstairs into the living room. The first thing necessary here was to apply Kilz sealer over the blue wavy stripes. I experimented upstairs, trying to avoid using the Kilz but the stripe still showed through. After putting Kilz over the stripe up there, and then applying two coats of paint, the blue waves are finally gone up there... now to get them covered over in the vaulted area in the living room! While the Kilz dries, I'll get the books and furniture back in order upstairs... check in later for a photo of the upstairs balcony.

Kilz is a stain killer/sealer that has the consistency of Elmer's glue... really runny like white water. I wonder if it works like Elmer's... you know, like when we were kids and we'd cover our fingers with Elmer's, let it dry, and then peel it off in a plasticized layer? As long as it gets rid of the stripe, I guess I don't care too much.

Whitewater comes from the Lighthouse Collection.

Orange and Blue Jig

IMPORTANT UPDATE... this post title refers to the colors only... Avery is NOT a Gator fan! This family is NOLES all the way! Avery is sporting his mom's new winter hat while he counts pine cones!

Orange and Blue Jig comes from the Fiddle Music of PEI.

Far Away

Note the orderly appearance of the desk :) The prayer flags are a gentle reminder to be mindful of the air we breathe, the water and the land, the sunshine, and for life itself.

Some of Richard's "Marilyn Monroe" collection.

Richard may be physically far away, but he's close to my heart and in my thoughts. I finished painting the bedroom today and spent this afternoon putting the room back in order. I absolutely LOVE the color in this room... it's called "Peaceful Pines" and picks up the green in the linens we have.

Far Away is from the Waltz Book, Volume One.

Mug and Brush Reel

Blue waves... like living in an aquarium... maybe cover this with sand color!

Our office space... no changes planned in here... just a "clean and organize" campaign. We have recently installed faux wood Levolor blinds on this window.

Purple stripes (what is it with all the stripes?) in the bedroom... we have our bedroom up on the stage area... it makes me feel like the Swiss Family Robinson being up higher than everything else. I think I'll use green in this area and keep all the linens fairly neutral.

Good morning! I woke up early... with lots of great energy for a weekend of focused house projects. These photos show the areas I am starting on the "Pine Needle Alley Make-over Project". There are a few other areas I may work into (powder room, dining room, kitchen, living room)... Sound ambitious? No problem! I've kept a clear schedule from now until Tuesday morning, with only a couple of trips out of the house. The scheduled breaks are good for me... I know I can have intense focus and allow all my creative energy to lead me without restriction... the breaks give me the opportunity to re-focus and get a reality check before diving in again. My goal is to have this project completed by the time Richard gets home next week. He seemed a little nervous that things would change a lot, but really it'll mainly be painting the walls... okay maybe a few little changes here and there... I'll keep you all posted!

And in case any of you are wondering about the "Mug" part of this post's title, I'm sure I'll be having a little mug of ale as a reward later on AFTER I've put the paint and ladders away for the day :)

Mug and Brush Reel comes from the Fiddle Music of PEI.

(Not a) Broken Down Gambler

News from Richard... he and his mom reached Atlantic City in plenty of time to check into their hotel and make it to the casino! This was R's first experience at the slots (I've only been once, years ago)... sounds like it was everything he expected. His impression of gambling seems to be similar to mine... fun activity with friends/family that enjoy it but not something either of us would put on our "List of Things We Want to Do". He came out a little bit ahead though, a good evening out, and all part of the adventure!

Road to Lisdoonvarna

or somewhere along the way! Richard is heading out this morning on a road trip with his mom. His dad, Dick, had back surgery and isn't able to make the drive this year to Florida... he'll be flying out next week. In the meantime, Richard gets to spend some quality time with his mom... what adventures they'll have... and how I'll miss him!

Struggling Heart

CPR recertification class was held after work today... we gathered at Club-E for instruction, practice, and finally THE TEST. Everyone passed, of course. The guidelines have changed, as they do from time to time, and it's good to stay well practiced. Bottom line though is, any attempt to deliver rescue breaths and chest compressions in an emergency situation is better than doing nothing... so whether or not you do the exact number or ration, while important, is not as critical as JUST DOING IT to your best ability. I'm in high hopes to never need to use it, but if the need did arise, I can honestly and proudly say "I know CPR, I can help".
Struggling Heart comes from the Portland Collection Volume Two.

New Box

Club-E has gone digital... x-ray that is! We got our first "real time" training today. There are a couple different areas of learning. First, positioning of the sensors is very similar but slightly different than using standard film... plus there's this "tail" attached to the sensor that has to be allowed for. The other part of the process is the computer. Setting up templates to receive the images, getting the timing sequence just right, and then manipulating the images once they've been acquired... this is all new as well.

The training went great. As with anything new, the next few weeks will bring many questions and suggestions. We have a dozen or so team members who will be taking these x-ray images so I anticipate lots of input! We have another training session scheduled in February, this time with a professional from another office... she will come and answer our questions, and point out tips and techniques to enhance the basics we are learning right now.

This "new box" means lower radiation for the patient, faster diagnosis "in the chair", and the ability to instantly critique and improve the images we take.

New Box can be found in Along the River.

Head to Head

I had an interesting experience on Monday afternoon... an ocular migraine! It didn't last long, but it was activity stopping. I spent a few hours taking it easy with the lights low, took a couple of Ibuprofen and felt much better. Seems to have been a "classic case" that matched up with several on-line descriptions. I wouldn't have had any idea what was going on, though I did think of brain tumors, strokes, and other random scary thoughts. Richard had heard of ocular migraines, and when he looked it up, we both felt certain we'd found the correct home diagnosis!
Head to Head is from the Lighthouse Collection.

Ways of the World

Jen, Avery and I spent part of the day browsing at World Over Imports in Bangor. This is one of our favorite places to look for interesting gifts and special bargains. We were not disappointed today... we each found a few things to purchase... some for our own homes, and some to put away as gifts during the year. The nice thing about finding interesting gifts at a good price and putting them away is that when an occasion comes up (planned or unexpected), having a stash of potential gift items in the closet comes in pretty handy... much more economical than running out to purchase something the day before (or the day that) you need it! I like the idea of making gifts, and I like to put some of those away too, but truth be told, time is a commodity these days and home made gifts are not easy to come by on short notice. Also, to be honest, it's fun to find some little thing to brighten up our own home now and then, something to add a little "special" to our world. Today I found some pretty candle rings for the dining room table... an arrangement with little leaves, and some clear beads that remind me of glistening ice crystals on the evergreens outside this time of year.

Even better than the good deals we found was the time we spent together. Jen and I have a nice relationship, one where we can discuss important things like colors we want to use to decorate our homes, and even more important, the unspoken bond between mom and daughter that now goes beyond to include grammah and grandson. We share a lot of common personality traits and also share a certain way of looking at the world that not everyone can appreciate. Whether it is a reality check or not is up for debate, but it sure is nice to spend time with someone who "gets you" in ways that are non-verbal. These are the ways of the world I think... that we all seek some kind of understanding with someone.

Ways of the World can be found in the Fiddler's Fakebook.

Chinese Breakdown

We spent the afternoon at a workshop, learning to call contradances. My motivation is to learn which tunes go best with certain dances... and to be able to fill in as a caller when necessary. Richard's reasons for attending are similar. I actually got to call a dance by the end of the afternoon... it was challenging and fun, and a lot of work! After the workshop finished, Richard and I decided, with our friend Maggie, to go to the highly recommended Chinese restaurant in town. Now, you should know that we were in Norridgewock, so expectations were not all that high to begin with. We ordered our food, said hi to a couple of other people we knew from the workshop, and then proceeded to re-arrange the tables so we could sit together. More workshop folk came in and ordered, we added another table to form a long line and sat down for what turned out to be quite a dining experience. The food came one or two dishes at a time, and even the rice didn't come at the same time as the entree. The vegetarian dish had pork in it, one person kept getting the new dishes of food brought to her, she'd eat some and then realize it wasn't what she ordered so the dish would get passed down the table. And some meals were served in bags because there weren't enough dishes to serve everyone. A mixture of stainless steel flatware intermingled with plastic cutlery... a pint of lemon sauce for one serving of chicken... and the only meal served steaming hot was the last one brought to the table! The only thing missing were the Chinese cooks and wait people... it's possible there was actually only one employee in the establishment, and he was Caucasian! We had to wonder, where did the rave revue of the restaurant get started!?!?

The conversation was priceless though, and it made the entire meal a positive experience. Stories about how each of us first came to contradancing... other dining stories... lots of laughter. We couldn't have had a better day if we'd planned it out. Our homework between now and the next class is to prepare a dance and be ready to call it at the Fairfield Contradance.

Chinese Breakdown can be found in the Fakebook as well as other resources.

Tartar Frigate

Frigate

We spent our evening at the Belfast contradance with a core group of musicians surrounded by as many drop-in players as show up... tonight there were about 15 people (including Richard and me) playing tunes to about 100 people... all this at the community dance! There were a lot of children and families, and it appears they've been paying attention at previous dances because they looked GOOD out there on the floor!

This dance started a little over a year ago, and has grown stronger with each passing month... amazing to see what can happen with good planning, publicity, and a community of support. The community dance is followed by a dessert potluck & social time and then that is followed by the regular contradance, which is also well attended. Tonight's regular dance band was Frigate with Glen Loper, Fred White, and Steve Muise... they're amazing... and the caller was Adina Gordon, who we also heard at the New Year's dance. Great fun. Quite a few dances give tickets at the door... numbers are drawn at the breaks and prizes are given out. Often times the prizes are CD's, and I think tonight they were giving out tickets to get into the dance.

Tartar Frigate comes from the Portland Collection Volume Two.

Smoke Above the Clouds

For anyone out there in cyber land who has made a resolution to quit smoking, I challenge you to DO IT NOW. It's one of the hardest, and the best, things you can do for yourself, for your immediate family, and for those with whom you spend your life. We all know the downs of smoking... it smells bad, affects your senses of taste and smell... makes you cough and hack... gives a less than positive impression to those around you. It's become increasingly unpopular to smoke, and most public places and businesses ban smoking on their premises. If you need any other reasons to consider quitting, check out this blog. Smoking isn't just about personal gratification. Smoking stays with you long past when you can care for yourself on your own. Residual affects of smoking last until you need serious medical care. Think about it. I know I did. I used to smoke. Somewhere in the mid-1990's I got a nasty cold, and I had a hard time breathing... and still I smoked... and the cold got worse and I found myself gasping for air... and I got scared. Scared enough to realize that I didn't want to live my life gasping for air... and I didn't want to die like that either. It'll be a long time (I hope) before I know if I quit soon enough. But I know that it was one of the best things I've ever done for myself, and my family. So, if you haven't quit, do it now.

Smoke Above the Clouds is from the Phillips Collection.

Sleepy Eyed Joe

Back to work today... and tired tonight. Not the kind of tired where I'm falling asleep, but the kind of tired where I am restless and irritable for no reason. I've wandered through the past few hours since getting home without accomplishing much... and realize all I want to do is settle in to do something to occupy my mind. Television isn't really satisfying me, and I'm not feeling conversational... so I'm going to try Logic Problems! Richard got me a nice new book of problems for Christmas, and I think that's just what I feel like doing for a little while before turning in for some sleep.

Sleepy Eyed Joe is from the Phillips Collection.

Portland Fancy Reel (Real)

For real, we dropped Bryan off at the Portland International Jetport to finally begin his journey back to San Francisco. We'd not even gotten out of Portland when the cell phone rang, and even though B cannot believe I DARED to answer, I did... he was calling to let us know that his flight was again over-booked and he didn't have a ticketed seat... and he was waiting on stand-by. We offered to turn around, but he said there was NO WAY he was heading north again, and he'd wait to get a seat on a flight out :) We've had a fabulous holiday season, having good visiting time with the kids at various times... and in spite of last night's joking about "12 hours of getting this kid on a plane and he's STILL HERE" we truly have loved the house being full of laughter and conversation with these children of ours.

This afternoon it's quiet... sunshine streaming in and warming the house... trees swaying in the wind... and I relax and reflect... and plan because I love to plan things... planning helps me feel grounded and focused, helps me direct my activiites in positive direction with some expected outcomes that give me a sense of achievement.

Portland Fancy Reel comes from the Phillips Collection of Traditional American Fiddle Tunes.

Ice House

Ice on the greenhouse windows...
...and on the trees in the yard.

Our first adventure of the New Year was to attempt driving to the Portland Jetport. Bryan was scheduled to fly back to San Francisco early this morning. The weather forecast called for freezing rain mixing to sleet and then rain . An early check of the thermometer at 5:00am gave a reading of 22'F, and went up to about 29'F by 6:00am. We packed up the car, scraped ice off the windowshield, and headed out. We got a little more than a mile from home when we made the decision to go back home, having to abandon the car on the side of the road and walk because the roads were covered with ice! We got almost all the way back home when a town sand/plow truck went by, giving us hope that we'd be safe in heading out a bit later. Bryan arranged a different flight, so we're having some breakfast and another round of coffee before making another venture out. What a way to start the new year!

Ice House comes from the Portland Collection, Volume Two.

Happy New Year

Best wishes for a great start to a new year filled with joy, peace, love & laughter...

Mother and Son

Jen's face expresses all her joy at being a mom! This photo was taken Saturday when Avery was feeling well. We had fun watching him dance for Uncle Bryan, teaching us all his newly learned signs including "Don't like it" and giving him gifts to tear open off and on throughout the day so he didn't get overloaded all at one sitting. He had a rough night though, sicker than sick, and they headed home this morning as soon as they got their stuff together. Avery loves his mama, and she defintely has his best interests at heart, always. Notice Avery's yellow shirt here, he picked this out himself to wear over the blue shirt that he also chose. I think he looked pretty cute, and I like the fact that Jen lets him wear what he picks out :) He really does love this yellow shirt, his face totally lights up when he talks about it and shows it off!

Year End Two Step

January~ Snowshoes on the rail trail, Avery at the piano, playing at the Wescustogo family dance, attending the Snow Ball in Peterborough, NH, carving a Spam pig for Club-E, geo-caching at the Arboretum...

February~ finding our new home, ordering the FDDLHDZ license plates, going to the Dance Flurry in Saratoga Springs in the dark, celebrating our meeting at the previous year's Whitefield dance, sending SK off to Europe for a winter tour...

March... celebrating Avery's first birthday, moving to Fiddle Ridge, a long distance baby shower for niece Tasha, Richard's hand surgery, Bryan's birthday...

April~ cutting Richard's hair after letting it grow for a year, moving more things into our new home, Easter, Jen's birthday, celebrating our first wedding Anniversary, crocus, daffodils & azaleas...

May~ firepit corn, birds and squirrels, burning brush and clearing the land, playing for a silent auction, robin's nest in the apple tree...

June~ Maine Fiddle Camp, planting the garden, flowers & birds, ticks, painting the barn on Murray Street, having Jen, Toby, Bryan and Avery all at the house together, going to see Beolach in concert in Carthage, Katie's birthday...

July~picking strawberries, splitting firewood, library book sales, selling the Murray Street house, beginning of my Jubilee year, swimming in the outlet brook from Lovejoy Pond, Damariscotta Lake with Richard's family...

August~ splinter in my thumb, Maine Fiddle Camp for an entire week!, playing our first gig at the Norlands, surgery to remove the splinter, purchase of a de-humidifier, the American Folk Festival on the Bangor Water Front...

September~ celebrating my mom and dad's 50th anniversary with all my sisters, playing music out on Chebeague, getting a food freezer, giving up Fiddle-icious and intitiating an occasional date night on Mondays with Richard, picking apples, Common Ground fair, Jen & Jason's anniversary...

October~ Stone Mountain Arts Center for Dean & Kristen's wedding, Toby's birthday, a long drive to Cape Breton and back, family hike up Mt Pisgah, flat sisters go to Virginia...

November~ first snowfall, Bryan moves to San Francisco, a Jerry Holland concert and jam session, family Thanksgiving, Richard's birthday and acquisition of the double bass, Jen & my annual shopping trip and lunch out in the Old Port, welcome to Sam Crilly...

December~ wood fires in the stoves, making date balls and granola to send to family, putting up the biggest Christmas tree ever, outdoor party on Kathi & David's new deck, Ryan and Sam both out of Iraq for the holidays, coffee with the ladies at the Kopper Kettle, holiday cards & gifts, packages being sent...

What a great year it has been.

We are playing more music, hosting a regular weekly jam at our house, have hosted some great family gatherings, live in the woods where it is quiet and peaceful and in general feeling fairly balanced. Tonight we are planning to go to the New Years dance in North Yarmouth, and will toast in the new year with the people, the music and the dancing that is so important to us, that introduced us into each other's lives over the years, and that we've chosen as a focal point for our life together... weave family and nature into all of that and you've got the makings for another great year for the Greens of Wayne Maine. That's probably all the posting for the rest of this year!

Year End Two Step comes from the Fiddler's Throne.

Old Favorite

As the old year winds down, thoughts of the past 364 days wind randomly through my mind. 2006 has been a year of personal growth and achievement. Some of the highlights will get posted today.

December 31st is a wonderful time for me, one of my favorite days of the year... I use it to take stock of who I am and who I want to be... of what I've done and what is still on my "to-do" list... of where I've been and all the places still to be seen... of my place in my corner of the world and how I want to live better here... and of how my actions have impacted the world at large, and how I can be more effective as a sentient being.

Some of the most wonderful things of this past year are:

• Finding this property with Richard, making it our home together
• All the gatherings, great and small, with our children and family
• Maintaining health, in spite of my lack of focus in that area
• Learning to listen, to myself as well as to others

Check back throughout the day for some recollections and photos of my "old favorites" from 2006... and comment & share yours!

Old Favorite is a jig that can be found in "The Blue Book" which is actually the first volume of The Portland Collection... also known as the indigo book, the purple book, the one that's not green, and pc1.

Andrea's Waltz

Richard's mom and dad hosted a lovely holiday dinner at their home last night! The table was beautifully set, and the dinner delicious (I even got to sample some Watermelon Rind which is a favorite treat from the south). How nice to have the holiday season extend throughout the week between Christmas and the New Year! It is easy to imagine Katie and her cousin Derrick as young children, laughing and joking, and generally having fun in each other's company. As young adults, they spent the evening laughing and joking, and still having fun. Derrick's mom, Andrea joined us too... a very festive time. Pops had back surgery recently, and is finally looking great... I love seeing him up and around, smiling and feeling much better. Thank you "Mom" for putting on a great spread! Some of the leftovers went home with Andrea for her chickens, in hopes that the special treats would encourage them to produce eggs! I wonder if it worked, and how the chickens liked eating turkey!

Andrea's Waltz comes from the Waltz Book Volume Two (the red book).

Steamboat Quickstep

Because we heat primarily with wood (our other sources being candles, personal body heat, and inefficient and as yet unused electric baseboard units) our air in the house is pretty dry. The best ways I know of to combat this are (in combination though not necessarily in order of importance) to A) keep a pot of water on top of the wood stove, B) keep house plants abundantly though not over watered, and to C) invite people in to play music or otherwise be engaged in pleasant conversation (human exhalation contributes in a nice way). No problem watering the house plants, and we've got a nice group of fellow musicians who come to play at the Tuesday jam... but the pot on the woodstove hadn't quite been worked out. We put a kitchen pot on, but ended up with some pesky mineral deposits... and were then minus the pot we'd use to cook our dinner.

Some time during the past couple of weeks, Richard was off to do errands in town, and I added to his list "pot for the woodstove". We had received a Gift Card to L.L. Bean's (thanks Greg, Lisa & boys), and I know that they have a nice dish made especially for this purpose. I tried to describe what I wanted, and I'm not sure if I was ever really clear, but it didn't work out that he found ANYTHING suitable. Imagine my surprise and delight to open this "Stovetop Steamer" which is EXACTLY what I wanted! We fill it every day, it quietly puts moisture into the air as the woodstove burns it's cheery flames, and our combination of "best ways" to keep our humidity levels balanced in the winter is now in harmony.

Thank you Jen & Jason for this lovely and practical Christmas gift!

Steamboat Quickstep can be found in the New England Fiddler's Repertoire... also known in some circles as "The Brown Book".

Lady Ann Montgomery

This post may be a bit obscure unless you are familiar with this particular fiddle tune. Most fiddle tunes have an 'A' part and a 'B' part... distinctly different, but they go together. When I play Lady Ann Montgomery, the A part feels like a "modern" Victorian era woman is out doing her errands, staying on task and focused, going in and out of shops, doing her business. The B part feels like when she is all finished with her errands and she's on her way home, spirits soaring as she lifts her face to the sunshine and drinks in the fresh air, listening to birds sing and grasses grow. Maybe that's why I like this tune so much...it gives me great joy to think of Lady Ann living her life as my role model... spending her mornings being productive and then letting loose in the afternoon with the joy of living as she continues on her way. You might be able to google "Lady Ann Montgomery Tune" and find a midi file to listen to... if you wanted to listen to it. Anyway, that's what I'm thinking of this afternoon :)

Marie Dips Her Bread

Tonight, in addition to our regular Tuesday fiddle jam, we invited fellow musicians to join us for potluck before we played music. We made a shrimp stir-fry for starters... added to that was a delicious curry and rice from Al & Marlene... bread and wine from Jim... nachos from Cynthia... bread and dipping oil from Sandy. After conversation and food, we got down to business and played a nice assortment of tunes... some standard favorites and some fairly new to us. We practiced a few tunes from the Mighty Cloud of Fiddlers list... this is an open invitation for all fiddlers to join in and play for the North Yarmouth dance on January 13th, it will benefit the Habitat for Humanity.

Marie Dips Her Bread can be found in the second volume of the Portland Collection.

Christmas Day Ida Moarnin'

Merry Christmas

Richard and I spent the day in leisurely fashion... checking out our stockings and having coffee this morning... hanging out in the den with our computers until the kids got up. SK unpacked her stocking before heading to her mom's... and T-boy slept in. So, mid-morning R & I headed out on the road to visit his parents, and then mine. We're back home now... and feeling really good about this holiday season. This past month has been about as busy as it needed to be but not much more... has been fairly commercialized but not totally so... has offered many tasty opportunities for treats and sweets but it doesn't show too much... and the bank account is a bit less than last month but not horribly so. It's been a good Christmas season, good spirits and good health all around.

As I settle in for the evening, and reflect on events of the last 30 days, I realize how lucky I am to have a good amount of balance in my life. It is a blessing to be able to let some things go in the name of "maintaining sanity" and also to recognize that there are some things that I just can't do without. I loved making hundreds of date balls this season (literally) and did not miss making the needhams (I challenge any of you who want them to put it on YOUR list next year, hehehe). I loved using salvaged brown paper to pre-wrap awkwardly shaped gifts and also to wrap packages being sent away, and I loved having many rolls of brightly colored holiday paper and bags of shiny bows. I loved making the evergreen garland to grace our front door, and I didn't miss making the wreaths at all. I loved hosting the annual family party this year, and I look forward to Deb hosting it again next year. I missed some of the music jams and dances this month, but I'm happy that our Tuesday jam happens every week and provides the venue to share music and conversation with friends. We haven't seen a lot of anyone in particular, but we've had the opportunity to visit with many. Balance... a little of this and that, and time to enjoy it all.

Christmas Day Ida Moarnin' comes from the Fiddler's Fakebook.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

... and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not our cat Little, not a mouse.
Clement C. Moore did a fabulous job writing this timeless holiday classic, and it runs through my mind every Christmas eve. No little ones hanging 'round the house these days (other than Avery's sweet face on occasion) but we are thankful for the adult children who share our home during the holiday season, whether it is for an hour, or a day... or a day early or a week later... it's all good.
We unwrapped our gifts this evening as we had dinner. It was fun to take turns gathering presents from under the tree and then handing them out to each other, watching faces as the paper is untangled from the packages and the bows are tossed aside.
It's been a good year, one of great joy and also one of great lessons. I feel I'm more humble, and more strong... more tolerant and more impatient... more loving over all. If I could come up with one word that was a theme throughout the past year I would say it is relationship... with my husband, my children, my parents, my co-workers, my sisters and my friends. How I relate with each of them, and how I allow myself being related to by them... it's all such a process... a lot of work, but also a lot of joy and even more wondrous awareness. Not all easy, not all pretty, but all of it necessary at one level or another... and all of it good.
'Twas the Night Before Christmas, and all through this house
is the love of our children, of me, and my spouse.
Our stockings are filled, set aside with great care
waiting for morning to see what is in there.
The moon shines it's light on a lawn void of snow
no luster, no shine of the stars heavenly glow.
Out here in the woods, there's nothing to clatter
but a dishwasher cycling through dishes and platters.
The tree, how it sparkles... the lights, how they shine
with the joy of a family, a love quite divine.
The trimmings, the treats, the ribbons and bows
the eggnog and date balls and what else, no one knows.
As we quietly spend time this years Christmas eve,
it's important to remember in what we believe.
So, be it Santa, or Jesus, or a full Menorrah
Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday, and a Lovely Kwanzaa.
I believe that Jesus Christ came to us here on earth, the son of God in the form of man... a prophet, a guide, an example of goodness, mercy, love and faith. I believe that Christmas is a time of celebrating all of that goodness, of mustering all the goodness, positive energy, sharing spirit, love and faith that we can find within ourselves. I believe we have the opportunity and the privilege to open our hearts and to share all of that with one another, with our families and friends, and with our communities... we have that chance every day in small ways... and at Christmas we have the opportunity to re-assess our priorities and make choices about how we will spend our time and resources for those closest to us, and to humanity at large.
I believe we are each given a good measure of talents and abilities that can make a difference in our world. We each hold a different and special measure of passion, and we can each mold ourselves and our corner of the universe so that it will benefit the greater good of mankind. If we don't use these personal resources, we run the risk of losing those talents forever.
"Twas the Night Before Christmas... a week before the new year... in what do you believe? Where do we spend our time? Who do we talk with, share with, work with?
Though not a fiddle tune, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' is indeed a seasonal classic, compliments of Clement C. Moore.
Merry Christmas, 2006.

Giggles from the Bear

Avery LOVED his Christmas bear... maybe because he's all soft and squooshy, maybe because he can sit at his new table and chair set... maybe because the Christmas bear is agreeable to everything, including tea parties! Avery named his new friend "Avery Bear". We had a great afternoon visiting with Jen, Jason, Avery and Toby... and then at the Davis family gathering. We had tons of delicious food, lots of tasty drink choices, and some sweet treats. The Yankee Swap went off without any casualties or hurt feelings. And the hit of the day was the ongoing series of door prizes given out by Richard!

Christmas sharing of gifts will continue Sunday evening and into Monday, and even throughout the week until the 29th when Bryan is home. A week of Christmas! How special is that!

Giggles from the Bear is a tune you can find in the Lighthouse Collection.

Blackberry Blossom

Tuesday night we host a jam session here at our house... we started shortly after moving out here to Fiddle Ridge. We started it as an incentive for us to play music on a regular basis, if only once a week (we almost always play more than THAT). What has happened in addition to that is that we've had the opportunity to get to know some fellow musicians better, and now have some wonderful friends. Last night, Jim brought us some blackberry jam that he made, it's his specialty! And Paul brought a three legged jamming stool for me... he'd already made one for Richard, but the legs were a little tall... so he made another one that is a PERFECT FIT.

We play from about 6:30-9:00, and conversation weaves through the evening between playing tunes. When I look back over the past year, and all the great things we've done, and people we've spent time with, this is one recurring event that is at the top of the list. As we get ready to head into a new year, I'll be reflecting on some other highlights of 2006... check back for more!

Blackberry Blossom can be found with some variations in the Portland Collection and the Fiddler's Fakebook.

Coffee

I was right on target today, haha. Seriously, I had a great day finishing up all my Christmas shopping. It took the entire day, believe it or not... once I set my mind to task, I just had to see everything that was available so that I could make the best choices. Typically I'm not a big fan of shopping, and I avoid it at all costs. But this holiday season has been a lot of fun, and relatively stress free and that has got me just wanting to do things up big this year. I have quite a few projects in the works, things that I'm making or putting my personal efforts into making special. I try to set my mind against all the commercialism, but this has been a good year for us, and it's fun to be able to share that with our children and family.
My first stop of the morning was at the Kopper Kettle to have coffee with my mom-in-law and her friends... I had such a good time! It was fun to listen to the stories, past and present, and especially nice to experience their very close friendship. I hope I get to join them again sometime.
The next phase of my day involved shopping at various stores including Target, Sears, Big Lots, and some others that I forget the name of. The lines were short, the traffic was fairly light, and the weather was mild.
After shopping, I visited my father-in-law who recently had back surgery. He was out walking! It's so good to see him up and around. Then it was back home to Wayne to unload the car, have some dinner, and then wrap packages.

Coffee comes from the Portland Collection.

Quarter Deck

New life, visible on an ultrasound... welcome Baby E.

The outdoor deck tree, trimmed with many lights and pine cones.

The deck with it's partially arbored space... perfect place for overhead Christmas lights and beautiful holiday balls.

This afternoon, many members of the Davis family gathered at Kathy & David's for a seasonal celebration. This was the first big event held on their new outdoor deck space. Though there are many reasons to celebrate this year as a family, for my sister I know she couldn't have asked for anything better than for her boys to be back in the states. Sam is home from Iraq... Kathy got to visit him briefly as he had a layover in Bangor on his way home to Texas where he lives with his wife Jess. And Ryan is home too, visiting for the week with his wife Natascha. We enjoyed visiting with them both, and happy that they are pregnant with their first child, affectionately referred to as "Baby E" since the names they've chosen are Emily or Ethan... we wish them well.

It was great fun to have an evening with my sisters... to enjoy good food and to have comaraderie in spirit.

Quarter Deck comes from the Phillips Collection of American Fiddle Tunes.

December March

The United States Postal Service is on their December march to get the mail delivered on time for Christmas! Monday is projected to be their busiest day, that being the deadline for packages to be mailed for arrival by Christmas.

I got our two final packages in the mail this morning, beating the deadline by a day, whahooo! Our local Post office was actually closed for business, so I drove into nearby Winthrop, anticipating a crowded wait but there were only a few people there... a quick trip for me!

The march is on though, to finish up last minute projects and do any last minute shopping on Monday (my day off, which works out so good for me). I'll work this coming week, Tuesday through Thursday and then be off for the long holiday weekend. Having a clear time table at the beginning of the month has kept me on track for having a great holiday season. I've geared down my historically long gift list, simplified some activities, left a few goodies off my "have-to-bake" list, and said "no" to a few events... it's all worked to create a joyful and memorable (and hopefully repeated in the future) month of December.

December March can be found in the Portland Collection, Volume Two.

Train 45

Avery and I spent the afternoon together while Jen attended a meeting. We had a great time checking out the mice, gerbils, fish and cats at the pet store. Then, on to the craft store to see the Christmas trees, and various santa and snowman figures. We found some alphabet blocks, and A sang me the A-B-C song... then he spelled his name for me! We made our way over to the bookstore and after choosing a few books for me, we found the children's section of the store... complete with a HUGE table set up with a wooden Thomas the Train set. Avery loved it. Several other children stopped to play, they all shared trains pretty well for little kids. We checked out the nature section, stopping to identify all the pictures on the front covers, and making the appropriate animal sounds... "tweet, tweet", "roaaaarh", "neighhhhhh" among others. The cafe was our next stop, Avery chose a big sugar cookie with red sprinkles and a glass of milk. For me? My regular, soy caramel machiato. Now, I know there are about 5,000 calories and who knows what else in there, but I've been pretty good at limiting my special coffee intake... I really enjoyed this treat. Back to Thomas the Train until Jen finished her meeting and met up with us. We had plenty of time to chat while Avery played... he was very happy and content, and did a great job sharing and interacting with everyone this afternoon. How fun for me to spend time with him!

Train 45 can be found in Twin Fiddling.

I Feel Blue

This time of year can be hard on a lot of folks. The shorter days and fewer hours of sunlight... holiday rush and commercial pressures to buy, buy, buy... colder weather that encourages staying indoors next to the fire or heater rather than getting out and about... all these things work together to create a challenge to be positive. Not everyone who gets blue realizes that they're feeling down, but it can be evident to those around them. Whether it's true clinical depression that gets worse in the winter, or a seasonal affective disorder, or even just a day or two of feeling overwhelmed, it presents a challenge for those of us who feel more upbeat and energized... the challenge for me is to slow down once in awhile to give a smile, a hug, or to engage others into my activities at a level that is comfortable, and not to leave the humbuggers behind.

I don't always succeed, but I try.

Personally, I find a lot to be thankful and positive about... I am healthy, am married to a great guy, have a great job with people I respect doing work I believe in, have opportunity to play and share music with friends, get together with family, live in a beautiful home in the woods, and am blessed with wonderful children and an adorable grandson. Each morning when I check my email, I have a positive motivational statement waiting for me, and I post that onto my desktop so whenever I'm at my computer I have that message greeting me... I don't often remember what it says throughout the day, but I believe having that message early on sets the tone for how I approach the day.

Our personal perceptions don't always match up with how we really present ourselves to the world. Talking about our feelings and thoughts, our goals and being part of a community can help those who are positive, and those with more of a negative outlook, to achieve some balance with one another.

What are your thoughts?

I Feel Blue comes from the Curvy Road to Corinth.

Yankee Ingenuity

Yankee Candle's "Mistletoe" scent in a jar is aweseome. Our Christmas tree, big and fabulous as it is, does not have a lot of odiferous presence... you know, that evergreen smell that fills the room. At our office party, after all the theme baskets were exchanged Yankee Swap style, one of my friends and I made one more trade... I gave a bottle of wine and received this candle in a jar. The next day, after putting our tree up, I lit the candle and voila... instant evergreen aroma. It really does enhance the tree's presentation. With some nice Christmas music playing (I like Windham Hill's offerings) and a few tasty treats of the season, I have something for all the senses. It feels, sounds, tastes, smells, and looks like Christmas!Yankee Ingenuity is not a tune, but it is the name of a contradance band. You can find out more at http://home.comcast.net/~peterbarnes/bands.html.

Forest Road

Our road is about 1/10 of a mile from the main road, and then our driveway into the yard is off that. The road is fairly narrow, and lined with trees and stone walls and I just love driving that little stretch. It's almost like it's a separate world from the house and chores, and the outside world of work and people. It only takes a moment to pass from one end to the other, but it's enough time for a smile to cross my face and a peace come into my soul.

Life intrudes even into those quiet spaces though... our plow guy requested that we trim back the branches to avoid them scraping his truck as he clears things out after a snowstorm. We know it's necessary, and had talked about it even before the request was made so it wasn't some new or foreign idea. Still, as practical as it is to have a cleared road, I still kind of like the idea of this 1/10 of a mile being separated from the rest of the world... and I think it won't take me long to adjust to the new open-ness.

Forest Road comes from the Fiddler's Throne.

High Level Hornpipe

Sunday afternoon found us out in the forest in search of the perfect Christmas tree for our first season here at Fiddle Ridge. The dense underbrush made it impossible to find anything full and shapely near the ground, so we turned our eyes upward and settled on this lovely spruce, about 50 feet up in the air. Richard cut it down... and cut it again, and again until finally we had about 15 feet of tree.

The weather was absolutely perfect for being outdoors this afternoon.

Well worth the effort, wouldn't you say? We used three ladders (including an extension ladder, an 8 foot stepladder and a 6 foot stepladder) to put the lights on and decorate the tree. Oh, and an emergency trip to Rite Aid to purchase more lights because, well, we really didn't know how many it would take to cover the tree. We finished after dark. It is truly beautiful though. We had fun.

High Level Hornpipe comes from the Fiddle Music of PEI.

Cold Frosty Morning

'Twas a cold frosty morning' here in Wayne. Temperatures in the 20's & 30's, no melting of snow or ice to be seen. Quite beautiful though.

We spent the afternoon and evening visiting with friends from work. First a pre-game get together at Kim & Mike's and then we all met at Sedgley Place in Greene for dinner and exchanging of theme baskets, Yankkee Swap style. We had such a fun time with everyone.

Cold Frosty Morning comes from the Fiddler's Fakebook.

Snowstorm

A substantial amount of snow fell last night. This is the lovely scene I found outside our door this morning... very peaceful.

Shove That Pigs Foot A Little Further Into the Fire

Yes, there really is a fiddle tune by this name, but it doesn't refer to the foot of a pig! A pigs foot is like a fire poker. These are our wood stoves. The Kent (top photo of small black box stove) is in the living room, and sports a glass door to add ambiance to the room. The Tirolia (bottom photo, big white box) is in our kitchen and has a glom of pipes going in and out of it, to heat the hot water. When the top of the stove is raised, it allows a lot of heat to come into the room. I haven't cooked in or on this stove yet, but I do know the oven will heat to 350 degrees... I'll be popping something in there to bake one of these days!

Shove That Pigs Foot... can be found in the Portland Collection, Volume One.

Orange Blossom Special

Bits of dried orange peel, coconut, sunflower seeds, oats and more go into the special granola that I make at home... tasty and healthy! I started making this breakfast treat earlier this summer, and found it to be so easy and delicious that I continue to make it for ourselves and to share.
This afternoon I also made date balls, a traditional treat that has been made in my family for generations. With its organic dates, unsulfured coconut, Rice Krispies and nuts, it too could be a little treat for the breakfast table! Hanging out in the kitchen for a few hours helps me get centered and focused in my busy life... and the results beyond my good mood last throughout the week!
Orange Blossom Special can be found in the Fiddler's Fakebook.

Annie May's Kitchen

We spent this evening in the kitchen at the Norlands, playing tunes for a dance. The Norlands hosts a live-in program during the year for students at UMF... it's an intensive study of life on a farm in rural Maine in the 18th and 19th centuries. The students take part in chores inside the home, in the barn, and on the property... and they also get to learn about things like making ice-cream and contradancing. We've played at the Norlands a few times this year, and we have such a good time. The live-ins are our favorites because the students have a great time. The dance caller, Bruce, is stern yet patient with them... there's a lot of laughing and smiling from everyone. The Norlands staff steps back in time to assume character roles, enhancing the experience. I don't know if there ever was an Annie May who lived at the Norlands, but I'll pretend for the sake of this blog post title!
Annie May's Kitchen is from the Lighthouse Collection.

Long Stretch

This week was a long one for me... five days at the office. Now, I know that many people work five or six days EVERY WEEK, and I've done that in the past too. The way I've structured my life for the past 12 years is to work three or four days a week... with the overall goal of having quality time in all areas of my life.
There is a couple who believed in putting four hours a day into bread labor, those tasks that will generate income for the household. They allow time in their daily routine for chores, and encourage time for conversation & creativity. (This is my impression of them anyway). What this structure does is help balance my time, or at least allow the possibility of balance... how I use the time depends on my personal mission statement. Having a personal mission statement helps keep my mind and activities focused on those things that I KNOW are most important to me. Whenever I get out of balance, feel stressed, or am not feeling personally fulfilled I know it's time to measure what I'm DOING against what I WANT to be doing... and then maybe saying no to a few people or activities.
This week I spent more than my four hours a day doing bread labor, but it worked out fine because I was doing work I love, with people I respect in an environment that is positive. And it was only one week.
When I got home Friday afternoon, I needed to re-group and get the house chores caught up, build a nice fire and settle into being at home. Knowing what I'm all about, and the things I want to be engaged in, having a personal mission statement to guide me... I'm ready for a fabulous day playing music, walking in the woods, gathering people together for music and food, and sharing our music with the community later on this evening. Life is Good!
Long Stretch can be found in the Lighthouse Collection.