Banjo

One of our guests just bought an entry-level banjo en route to see us and took it out and played a bit, very gutsy as he’s never played one before. Given my fits and starts then stop on guitar for now I’m fascinated that he just took this up today and has several electric guitars as well.

He’s read music for many year but also can use tabs, and I want to get back to reading music. I learned it at a very young age and haven’t done it for years but had to learn new hymns at Jim’s parents church recently. I didn’t know most of the music but read it and was not swayed by the tone deaf woman singing behind me.

My father-in-law led our section with a basso, Jim and his brother chimed in with a bass-baritone, I’m more of an alto and like to figure out harmonies and Jim’s mother sings soprano. No, I didn’t harmonize there. It would have been frowned upon, making one person’s voice different than another’s or having a “solo” is not accepted.

We both love music and Jim likes to dance (also not allowed). Many years ago he taught me the Texas Two-Step in his closet as I was trying to pack all his things so he could move away from me. Note: He Came Back, three weeks later, got a job near me and a place I found 1,000 feet from mine and we were married within the year.

I gave up on the church I grew up in, except for a few extraordinary priests. Our Church allowed dancing, and drinking. The second-best dancing I’ve done is with my husband when he tossed me around the floor at a local honkey-tonk.

The third would be the last time I’ve ever gone home to the Armadillo, that involves a certain cadre that would not accept me into the frat years ago, where one kicks one leg after another to London Homesick Blues by Jerry Jeff Walker. I did visit the village where Jerry Jeff has played a number of times in Gruene, TX.

A dance competition, in college Freshman year. Boz and I joined late but made it nearly 12 hours, I entertained with several aerial cartwheels. We also did well on the twist. I got a knot in my calf that wouldn’t go away after several hours and had to give it up, kudos to Boz for putting up with me after I’d been dumped that night and he deserved a better companion.

Jim and I haven’t danced for a long time, perhaps it’s because we’ve been married for a long time or my arthritis doesn’t allow me to have dancing shoes or cowboy boots to enjoy the music we both love now. Not all country, but western and a lot of other styles. Don’t put me in a box. I’ve a lot of classical, big band, early 20th century, Sinatra, and many more. At my step-sister’s wedding years ago the band played music from the 1920’s until current sounds. I knew the words to all the early songs because of my dad’s piano and violin playing when I was a kid.

I have Someone To Watch Over Me, and someone whose Whipporwill echoes the sounds of my deceased mother honking the horn to get us up from the creek 150′ below for dinner. Night and Day, you are the one…. to my love J

All the best to my readers, I need to fix some things on the new site but please bear with me. If he’s up to it tomorrow we’re going to check out the local zoo and other destinations, in upcoming weeks, so we have first-hand information to give our family and friends who will visit.

Dancing and singing, not bad things as I see them. If one sees the worst in them, the singers and dancers will leave that, and perhaps any religion. Something to think about, Dee

p.s. Can we come up with a song that says “My widgets are gone, …”