Andee's November Ramblings

November already!  

I realized that I haven't learned any new Christmas music like I said I would this time last year.  Oh, well; if I get any Christmas gigs they will have to be 'An Irish Christmas' which is me mixing in the small handful of Christmas music I already know with the rest of my repertoire.

We just got back from a mini-vacation in the Dales and I've still got a few days off of work--things are going back to normal for me and I'm going to have to make a decision about the performance group and let the ladies know if I decide to leave.

I know so many harpers with multiple harps and I do have two myself (my 'big' Dusty Strings 32 and my smaller Dusty Strings 26).  I was just thinking how grateful I am for my big harp (small one, too but it's the big one I use most) even though it is two strings less than what would be ideal.  It has a wonderful bass and wonderful volume for its size and I've gotten so much use out of it--15 and a half years!

I remember the day I got it--a snowy March day a couple weeks before my birthday.  I took the train up to Bucks County Music Shop with close to $3000.00 in my pocket, (I didn't do credit cards in those days and I guess they didn't take checks.) because I had just spoken to one of the guys there and found out they had a couple second hand harps that had just come through.

I went back and forth for *hours* playing on first the Triplett and then the Dusty.  I finally made my decision which I had sort of already made before I even played them.  I remember the look on the guy's face when I handed over the cash.  Then the owner Carl drove me to the train station and told me how he learned to play the banjo by ear by playing records on a slower speed back in the day.

Then I walked from the train station to my apartment with my new harp!  That meant I had to say goodbye to Kathy's 31 string Caswell which I had been renting for 6 months.  I loved that harp, too but it was time to graduate.

It's been a busy month for me!  I haven't posted since my initial stuff above because I've been working so so much!

I've done one open mic since the above and have had only one big practice time--things should be back to normal week after next.

I've pretty much told the ladies I'm out of the performance group until further notice.  I've put three harp related items on my Christmas wish list:  The O'Carolan book and CD that Lucy told me about, a book on the harp in Irish music from 1900 til present day, and my favorite fantasy novel I gave away before I moved to the UK 'Gossamer Axe'.

I've no Christmas gigs at all unless I decide to play in my shop like I did two years ago, but this time I think I'll put a basket out for donations (to be made to the charity), we'll see....

I saw the Eastern European girl who busks on her accordian in town today.  In the past I've only seen her in front of the grocery store in my neighborhood, but today she was in the pedestrian shopping area where there are usually a few buskers scattered around, but today she was the only one.

She always looks so happy, playing the music of her homeland!  She recognized me (hard to miss I guess in my plaid purple coat) and gave me a big smile and a hello as I threw some change into her case.  I don't know why but she makes me feel good, she has a nice presence.  I do still want to busk, but will probably leave it until spring, now.