I had a few necessary tasks to do on this work holiday. The worst was to "make some space" in our outhouse, which we use as a composting toilet. The trouble in the winter is, every deposit freezes solid and takes up a lot more space than if it had just composted and evaporated down like it does in summer. So I hand picked (with a bag over my gloved hand) two 5 gallon buckets of stuff and carried them to the compost bin. Nuff said.
After I washed dishes and completely reorganized my kitchen shelves, it was time to jam. When I went to my banjo lesson on Saturday I bought Tony Trischka's Banjo Song Book, because it looked like it had a wide variety of stuff to learn. I didn't look at the copyright date 1977 when I bought it, but when I saw a photo of a very young Bela Fleck, still in his teenage years, described very prophetically as "the crest of the wave of the future (of banjo)", I realized this was a dated, but timeless book. I have learned perhaps more from it than I have learned music, on any instrument, from any other source. I have realized that I want to play melodic banjo, not straight Scruggs or clawhammer. I have even learned the differences between these styles! I am ordering a copy of Trischka's "Melodic Banjo" book tonight.
Tonight's meal was a delectable bean soup, made with the bone from our New Year's ham. The kids even asked for seconds.
8 comments:
Deb, and you were somewhat...aprehensive about three days at home. Sounds like you had a fun, relaxing time. Good for you!
Cindy
Howsabout another audio/video clip? We've been good all winter!
Bean soup...yummmmmm.......
You make me want to hear some melodic banjo music. Any recommendations?
Bean soup sounds yummy! Sounds like you are having a great time with your banjo!
Cindy- It was pretty relaxing, although there were moments...
Pablo- I'll have to make an appointment with my cinematographer, and work something up.
Denise- It was yummy, and amazingly it had very little in the way of "side effects". ;)
Robin Andrea- Bill Keith is the one credited with "inventing" the style, but I'll admit I haven't heard any of his stuff. Tony Trischka, Bela Fleck (of course...there is nothing this guy cannot do on banjo!) and Alison Brown come to mind; they've all done some cool fusion stuff.
Momadness- It is a good comfort food. And, it is so fun to discover a new (to me) kind of music to practice. It really helps, in all areas of life, to have musical goals to focus on.
Maybe it's me, but discussion of by-hand outhouse cleaning and yummy bean soup in the same post just seems wrong!
That said, I follow your descriptions of your lifestyle with considerable amazement and awe.
Mojoman- I was wondering if anyone would dare "touch" the outhouse description.
Sometimes I wonder about myself.
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