Thanksgiving 2013

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving this year. We were joined by 11 wonderful friends who brought delicious dishes to the party. Dave started cooking three days ahead of time and we tried some new recipes this year, which made it really fun. We invited folks to come by after dinner if they wanted to play some music, and more friends came to do that. Here are some photos of the day, taken by Tom Stuart.

Dave made two bourbon pies, mashed carrots, and baked ham ahead of time. The carrots were an addition to our menu after he heard about them on NPR.

Here are the pies--his pride and joy! They were a huge hit. We set up tables end to end in the sunroom. This is the first time we've done this type of a set-up. It turned out so great.

Our guests arrived and chaos ensued in the kitchen. But it all came together well and we sat down to a great meal.

After dinner, we all had to rest up for dessert.

Our guests were nearly overcome after dessert.

So, we broke out the instruments to wake everyone up.

Our non-music playing friends sat and listened (and napped). One guest, April, astonished us with a rendition of "Over the Rainbow." And four more people showed up to pick. We went strong until 11:30 p.m. A good time was had by all.

Rejuvenation!

Yes, it has been almost two years since I wrote in my blog. But I suddenly today I felt pulled to it and decided it was time to come back to it. I think I have a lot to say, all of a sudden. Funny, but true. So, I will begin again. This orchid is blooming in my sunroom. I bought it this time of the year while it was in flower, and I always know that it will bloom in the wintertime. Sometimes I take it to bed with me and place it on my bedside table for the night and then return it to its spot in the morning. I never thought I could grow orchids, but I have eight of them. I have killed off my share, but I am getting the hang of it!

Bluegrass Tribute Show at the Bertolin Barn

Jim Bertolin invited Dave, Terry, and I to play in his latest bluegrass tribute show at the Bertolin Barn, Just as we had done previously, we represented the Stanley Brothers. I love doing these type of shows.



I especially liked working up some new songs, based upon Stanley Brothers material. We did some really old songs and tunes that we don't normally do in our Steel Pennies band.



The first band up was Flatt and Scruggs. Jim's band did this act and did a nice job.





Dave and I had an additional assignment that involved the first band. We played some characters out of the old Flatt & Scruggs video; Dave was T. Tommy and I was one of the Martha White ladies. Jim told me that I would be handling the biscuits. The Flatt & Scruggs band (played by Jim's band, The Stanleytones) worked up the little theme song and Dave went out and advertised the Martha White products like the real T. Tommy used to do. We made up some biscuits in advance, including one trick biscuit that had a rock in it (sealed in oatmeal) and I threw it on the stage and said that it didn't turn out very good. It was silly but fun.







After that we got to the real fun stuff, playing our Stanley Brothers songs for the show.





Dave and Jim served as announcers at different times in the show.





Our friends, Sebie and Tracy Denson portrayed Jimmy Martin and his band. They were also a repeat in this role and did a fabulous job.





Dave and I watched the on-stage antics from the vantage of the balcony off the green room.





The show ended with a big finale.

Thankful

We had five at the table for Thanksgiving dinner and two more joined us for dessert. The dessert table was quite photogenic, I thought!




Two of our guests were from India and one was British. The most special part of the evening was the presence of our friend, Ian. When I last saw him, it was July and he was in the hospital, in a coma, receiving dialysis and breathing via a machine. He is walking three miles a day, now and is ALIVE! Thanks, indeed!

Mountain Jam at the Gold Hill Inn

This past summer, we went up to the Gold Hill Inn, up in the mountains, for the Mountain Jam. It's an annual fundraiser event, and we were keen to attend and hear the band, Open Road. Ten years ago, Open Road was THE band around here, with rumours of national aspirations and predicted to be the bluegrass band that would put Colorado on the map. They traveled around and packed shows for five or six years, and then hung up their cowboy hats: too much travel and not nearly enough money to be made.

The four guys went on to different projects; one of them lives in Nashville now. This summer, though, the big RockyGrass Festival scheduled a reunion of Open Road as one of their performers, and the Mountain Jam folks jumped to put them on the lineup for their event.

Dave and I went up with our friends, Dick and Janice. It was a fabulous show, with the uber-talented Tim O'Brien sitting in for some tunes with Open Road and doing his own thing with some of his family members--Party of Seven.

Here are some shots from the sold out show, that was held in the side yard of the Gold Hill Inn.


Here are Dick and Janice; it was a boiling hot day, with no shade. We all covered up pretty good with clothing and sunscreen!



Here's Fergus Stone, local DJ and musician, warming up the crowd.



And Open Road--after all these years!


Caleb Roberts and Bradford Folk, founders of Open Road.




I take lessons from this extraordinary bassist, Eric Thorin.


Tim O'Brien joins the band for some tunes.


Tim also did a fabulous set of songs all by himself.


Then he performed with members of his family.




It was a great day!

Dave's Bird Rescue

Recently, I noticed a robin hanging around out in the yard. It seemed unable to fly, and I noticed it off and on as I worked in the garden one weekend morning. I mentioned this to Dave and he put on a couple of heavy-duty work gloves and marched out to investigate. He captured the bird pretty easily and it had a white string hanging out of its mouth. Dave removed the string and sent it on its way; he said he didn't know how it would do, but he had done his part.

Less than a week later, I was in the garage puttering around and as I was going inside, I lowered the garage door, and before I got inside the house, I heard a clamor. I stood for a minute, wondering what the racket was, and then saw it--a hummingbird was inside and banging against the window, trying to escape. Of course, I called for the local bird rescuer. As I opened the garage door back up, we watched to see if the little bird would find its way out; it didn't, so Dave got a broom and guided it over to freedom.

Last summer, there was another robin hopping around our yard, with a white stripe around its neck. Initially, we though it was a foreign object, but after observing him, decided it was a pattern on his feathers. I named him Stripe and we saw him around for a few weeks. It was kind of fun to see him out there and recognize him--how often does that happen?