Back from Clare and a complete life shake-up

Hello ladies.  Ireland was fantastic, I learned a few new tunes and played in more sessions this year than I did last year (fiddle).  There was another harpist there this year and we chatted and swapped tunes and now I'm thinking of getting a harp teacher up the the Boghill Centre for next year.  It might be worth it if there are going to be two of us again!

The life shake-up is that I found out that my husband wants a divorce.  I am doing OK, but am determined not to let this set me back (my first divorce set back my harping by a couple of years, Lucy will remember).

Yes I am heartbroken, betrayed, devastated, but I must believe that there is a opportunity around the corner.  And there is.  It looks like I'll be moving to Ireland for a year or so.  This is going to be an adventure, one I must have on my own.

There and Back Again: Somerset 2014

Of course my view of Somerset is warped (not in a bad way, mind you) by working behind the tables, but people seemed contented and good-natured about the few things that went wrong, which had to do more with the physical environment of the hotel than the festival itself.   The pre-workshops, liturgical and historical were successes and I heard more than once from people who didn't get to attend their first choice workshop that their second choice was terrific.  Kathy knocks herself out trying to respond to comments and criticisms and lies awake nights trying to think up anything she can to make the festival work smoothly and it shows.

Unusually for me I attended no classes (yes, lazy - but also overwhelmed by all the tunes I haven't learned - feel the same way about all the books I haven't read) so I made that choice which was .... a bit odd, frankly.  I did show up at the Carolan Marathon which was not as well attended as sometimes and we certainly didn't even come close to breaking any records and didn't come close to exhausting my Carolan repertoire, but that's the breaks.  Very amusing time playing for the ceili  - five concertinas!  And afterwards some more music in the redone atrium.   I should add the concerts were spectacular and.... if you didn't get to sit inside the hinterlands weren't bad and you had the entertainment of Miss Hambly-Jackson dancing around and blowing bubbles along with the music.

As it was also my birthday on the 31st everyone was very friendly about that which was nice as was receiving what felt like a multitude of splendid gifts and greetings!

It was also delightful that everyone was extremely sensible about their harps and parking them responsibly etcetera.  A literal load off my mind.  It does take up a lot of space, but it works.  And reconciles me to the Hilton somewhat.  

The truth is I don't know what to do about all the music I haven't learned that I could learn - that I want to learn - it's making it very hard for me to want to go to any workshops where someone might try to teach me a tune!  I know I don't have to, but I am nothing if not conscientious so it is difficult.  I am in a space right now where less is more so any traveling I do to music venues will be for one purpose only! (Read on!)

The most lovely thing for me about Somerset is rooming with Laura E. and hanging about with Kathy and Dennis and Debbie and Corinne and Kim and Laurie N and Emily G. and.. and.. and if I've left your name out forgive me!  It's always wonderful seeing so many people who love the harp together.

I'll be back with the photo Kathy took as I was leaving the festival on Monday morning.

Today I am fighting off a cold and we've had a huge thunderstorm.  Glad I didn't have to drive home in it.