February 12, 2010
G’morning! It’s a snowy, sunny day here in Asheville today. Cold but nice. We had a snowy night last night. It actually took me an hour to get home, a drive that is usually a ten minute breeze. But drivers, excessively cautious, crept along and slowed down at the slightest grade which resulted in them spinning and not moving and then creating small and then huge jams. It was a big mess. I was happy to get home and happy to stay there too. I built a big fire, cooked (!) and watched the Olympics. Funny, they have no snow. We have lots. Curious, that.
We’re setting up for a Christening today. This party was originally supposed to happen in December but we had a big snowstorm. Today’s the rescheduled event. The Garden Room looks so pretty. White tablecloths, pink roses, a festive buffet. Should be nice.
Later on we’re having a birthday party for someone who is turning 70 (or maybe 75, I’m not sure.) I like that. Both ends of the spectrum. Right here. This sort of thing makes me happy.
And we have a big week lined up. Old-time jam is the Tuesday night event. On Wednesday we’ve got the Outward Bounders coming. Next week is a Uke jam, a Safari Dinner, and some uke and fiddle music. We’re talking about doing a Truffle Dinner. Many things are in the works. It’s coming right along.
I’ve been studying to be a certified beekeeper. The test is next Friday and is, for me, a big deal. I’ve been trying to keep bees now for two years. I picked two very hard years to start. The first year we had a severe drought. The next year, excessive rain. The first years are critical for bee-keeping and mine have had a hard time. I attended Intermediate Bee School recently and am now nose-first into my books. MY there is a lot to know. But I am determined to be a good keeper of these magnificent creatures. They matter so much. So much. And the more I know, the better I’ll be (I hope.) The picture, by the way, is a little beeswax bee made by the daughter of our delivery gal.
I’m also starting to work with an old-time fiddle teacher. There is a subtlety to this music. It seems very simple. The tune repeats, repeats again. It is mesmerizing. A friend of mine calls it Mountain mantra music. But for the fiddle the signature comes from the bowing. If you get it, you can play these tunes. If you don’t, it just doesn’t ever get the groove that a dancer moves to. I’m trying to get it. Winter seems a good time. I’m home. It’s dark. The music fills me, creeps into my bow, and gradually, gradually starts to be a part of me. It’s good.
The other big thing right now is glass. I’m playing with it, working on making things symmetrical, thinner, even-walled. This, too, is a mesmerizing thing to do. Any lapse of focus ends up turning the glass into a useless mess. I love the focus of this art. The drawing in, the shaping, the making the piece match the image in my mind. I am moving in the direction of actually being able to make the thing I imagine. I have my first big commission and that is a charge. Ten or fifteen pieces. Somehow matching, yet all different. I’ll start on them very soon.
Life is good right now. Full and rich. Not every single thing is perfect but then, if it was, what would I try for? Hope all is well with you. Happy Valentine’s Day. Happy Mardi Gras. Laissez les bons temps roulez. Pourquoi pas?
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