My son, Sam has something new. Since his birthday is Tuesday, and my inventiveness after 24 years is waning in the gift category, I dredged up an old wish of his. For as long as I can remember him wishing, and he doesn’t do that often, he has talked of a mandolin.
Since I had a bluegrass band playing for my art show last year, I now have a mandolin player contact, Matt Dudman, mandolin player and boss of all for the Pleasant Valley Boys.
E-mailed him on Wednesday last, he sent me some specs, I made a choice, the little blighter arrived on Friday at Matt’s place. Sam and I ventured to the depths of Dixon, California which is now just as modern as any other little former cow town.
Not meant to be disrespectful of the fine citizens of Dixon…. just what the heck is a wallmart the size of several football fields doing out in the fields of Dixon. I used to love driving through there guessing what crops were growing in the vast fields. Never knew it would be a thing of the past.
By the way, that quick representation of the Pleasant Valley Boys is the result of a day when they recorded a couple of songs at a local radio station — the one at the University of California Davis KDVS.
Back to the mandolin. It is very cool, all black made of some fine woods. Matt says the sound will continue to improve as the woods age. Now Sam has his first birthday gift of the year, and after tonight’s celebration with his friends at Roma’s Pizza, he should be graced with a couple more, but in this day of zero money, there are no expectations.
I was thrilled to awaken at 7 am this morning. That is the time I usually get to work. You know that I get there early so that I can get back to work here as soon as possible.
This weekend’s creativity is going into the completion of that green piece that I started a few weeks ago, then put back on the shelf when the pottery insisted on coming out and wouldn’t take no for an answer. I have taken several patterns for quilt blocks from quilter’s cache online, each resulting in a 12″ square. I have finished two, using the greens from the shelf, am working on #3, and will do perhaps 6 or 7 before I’m ready to add them to the green piece.
Also going to speak with a money lender this morning at 10 to see if I should even think about investing in another house. She is recommended by my friend the realtor, Tecca from Coldwell Banker, a wonderful woman who sold my last home two years ago next week. Yes, I’ve been on the prowl, but happy in the moves since April 16, 2007 when the house closed.
Feeling the pull to the fabric right now, so will close here and head off to the studio. That’s supposed to be funny, because the computer is now IN the studio. It is placed at a great vantage point. I can glance to my right and see most of the back garden through the window. Love watching the grapefruit from my neighbor’s garden plopping on the ground as the wind gets more and more forceful.
Photos to follow of the green piece next time.
later…………..
what you've said