Playing By Ear as a way of life
Notice the Blog Board behind Janette! - Kyle
In early July, our whole family was treated to a visit by the wonderful O’Brien family. We first connected after we were on Trading Spouses. They too were on the show (a different episode). They emailed us and we stayed in contact. This was our first time meeting. We connected so well. It is so … Continue reading ‘Poker Night with the O’Briens’
Beans are great! Delicious, cheapicious, nutritious, easitious! They are definitely more than just something to toot about.
We’ve been using pinto beans in our meals for umteen years now. Whenever I hear of people saying … Continue reading ‘Been Beaned’
Did you remember seeing in the 1984 Olympics in Cherry-evo the cherry pit spitting competitions? They were awesome. But it comes to us now that some competitors may have had an untold advantage and it wasn’t steroids.
We found out this week. Our cherry tree is loaded with cherries- our biggest crop ever. We had a pit spit off. Kyle, who is strong as an ox and fit as Arnold, though warmed up, his tongue posed a problem pertaining particularly to pit power. He can’t curl his tongue! It’s genetic. Luke and I can and therefore reigned.
Perhaps at the next Olympics they should have two groups: those who can curl and those who can’t. If you’ve every watched “curling” in the Olympics with the guys sweeping the ice to propel their stone to the goal you may find tongue curling and pit spitting even more hair raising, edge of your seat exciting. Be there. Next event is Pitts-burg then it’s 2008 Bing-jing Olympics or Bust!
My dad was Jewish and grew up in New York. I wasn’t raised in the religion. I haven’t heard my share of Yiddish expressions either but I have always thought that yenta meant a matchmaker in Yiddish. Actually I probably got that from Fiddler on Roof.
Matchmaker, Matchmaker,
Make me a match,
… Continue reading ‘Once a Yenta…’
Have you ever run into someone you once were “in love” with and thought “What the hell was I thinking?” I think rose colored glasses may have come into play. Those little glasses sure play a big role in a lot of romances. They can stay on for awhile too. When that lens clears up the view just gets dirtier. Ha. They have done scans on the brains of the people who are “in love”. I mean the love that can see no fault. I mean bow wow puppy love. It sure is fun when it’s going on until it isn’t. But back to the brain scans. They found that when they showed a person a picture of their beloved that the area of the brain that has to do with rational thought showed no signs of activity. I’m sure it’s for a reason. Nature wants us to procreate. Rose colored glasses or a 6 pack. Well…both have a price.
Well I have discovered another fun kind of glasses to ease up a not so pretty sight. It’s dark sunglasses. I have had a headache for going on 6 weeks now. I am very sensitive to light so I am wearing them all the time. Yes I am very hip. [Is that word still hip? - Kyle] I’ve noticed that the house looks a lot cleaner now and when I look in the mirror I look a lot lovelier.
Hey I just saw Carl come in the room wearing glasses with one pink lens and one black. Hmm. . .
You’ve probably seen the commercials that say “Diamonds are forever.” Get a diamond ring or necklace for your lovely lady and she will feel that she will be loved forever. Hmmm…that shiny rock may last forever but the love may be a little iffier. Liz Taylor comes to mind. She had one big rock or an array of big sparkly rocks.. She should stay married until at least the year 4000.
When I was in junior high, my mom let me wear her diamond ring to school. I thought I was something pretty darn special. Carl, my hubby and partner for 29 years, gave me a Zercon ring that he got in a magazine for 75 cents. Yes that was cents. It was fun to wear and is now long gone. All so fleeting. … Continue reading ‘Diamonds’
Kyle, Luke and I have a Thanksgiving tradition. We take a walk up the hill and make a big loop ending up at Noah’s Bagels downtown for breakfast. We play “come up with a joke on the spot,” where if it is your turn you have to come up with a joke which is then graded by the others. One means don’t even think about it and ten means get David Letterman on the phone. Of course, we usually fancy our own jokes but Luke came up this one which I thought was pretty darn good. Kyle wasn’t impressed. Here it is:
Sherlock Holmes [we've been watching a lot of him recently] and Dr. Watson are outside looking at rocks. Dr. Watson picks up a rock and says, “Holmes, look! This is an igneous rock!” Sherlock strokes his chin and says, “Oh no, no, no! Sedimentary, my dear Watson!”
What would you give it?
I want to play fiddle. With our method I am able to pick out melodies very easily. But the problem is that I have neck trouble and holding the fiddle under my chin is a no go. I put it in my gut but that seems to limit the mobility of my fingering hand. So I felt I needed to come up with … Continue reading ‘Fiddle Holster’
Every year for the past seven years, we help put on “The Johnson Farm Picking Party.” It’s held on 92 acres of beautiful land in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The farm was homesteaded in the 1800’s and still looks like it might be of back then. It’s a perfect place to play “mountain music.”
A tradition formed early on. After we arrived and set up, Luke and Kyle went into the children’s playhouse to jam. There, Luke finally coaxed Kyle into playing some fiddle tunes, instrumentals that Kyle strongly dislikes. It was another year before Kyle played another fiddle tune, and that was at the next Johnson Farm party. Since then, they’ve been doing the same thing every year. As you see, other friends join in too.
Brothers Kyle and Luke, and parents Leslie ("Mama") and Carl ("Papa"). This is our family blog.
This has been our main project for over seven years: helping folks to learn to play music.
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