The Whole Month is Mine!

Week One
You can tell I'm a teacher by the title of my post. Summer is so exciting and relaxing at the same time if you're a teacher. Clean out the garden, refinish a floor, reading, kayaking...the possibilities are endless! And, of course, more time than ever to practice my harping. Thanks to Andee's example, we've decided to busk at our local Farmers' Market in a few weeks. I hardly ever play outside, so that's cool to begin with. And who doesn't like playing and having fun when most people are not too focused on your performance??? (And everyone who has a table at the market sends a little gift your way - last year we got the BEST Wild Blueberry Jam...)So far the other biggie is Somerset, about which it's almost impossible to speak. Harp 24/7, so much to see and try! I hope to come back with some South American tunes that will make for good harp/guitar duets.

I work on O'Farrell's Welcome every day, but I seem to have hit a plateau. It sounds more like an exercise than it does a snappy dance tune. So I think I'll put it on the back burner and choose a new Kim Robertson arrangement of some other tune.  If I come 'round to it again in a few weeks, maybe I'll bust it out??

My dehumidifier is working overtime with all this New England humidity, but so far only one broken string!

Week Two
The heat/humidity twins make it hard to move. Too lazy to tune, just phoning in my practicing. Can sight read through Kim Robertson's Slumber My Darling, too darned stupified to clean it up and make ready for a performance. O'Farrell's creeps along slowly - I am thinking that in 4-5 years I will play it as fast as IrishKeyley(sp) on YouTube. When I'm done typing will go to iTunes and buy Grainne's version, which is maybe a little slower? (in my dreams...) If the weather cooperates my husband and I will play for an hour or so at the local Farmers' Market this Saturday. We have maybe 20 songs we always play together, so it should be OK; nevertheless I need to go back to 'Slow Tuesdays' and stop nancy-ing around. You'd think the thought of the zillions of terrific harpists I'll hear at Somerset would make me get off my duff. We'll see.......

Week Two and a Half
So hot and sweaty I wear an old pillowcase over my forearm while I'm practicing. :))

Week Three
Played at the local Farmers' Market for an hour. Made $25, not much but still we were happy to be paid. After the 1st 15 minutes was not nervous at all, and when I had a tiny brain freeze once or twice, found my way right back into the phrase with no issue. Of course, it helps that the guitar covers you while you're unfreezing....Our set list included  Scarborough Fair, Swan Lk 243, Sheebeg, Planxty Drew, Carolan's Concerto, Fanny Poer, Squire Woods, My Love is Like a ..., Ashokan Farewell, Baptist Johnson, George Brabazon #1, Var Det Du, Grenadier and the Lady, Trip to Sligo, O'Carolan's Welcome and Kean O'Hara #3. Nice children asking questions, nice puppy licking my foot, very nice shoppers who snapped our pix. In an unrelated story, got a wedding gig on top of our local ski area. Now, all focus will be on Somerset. Lucy, did you download the phone app? I can hardly say how much I like it! Your schedule, a hotel map, to-do lists (as in remember to bring a 3-hole punch this time!), artist bios, etc, etc. Will post more from Parsippany....