New Music

I've decided that this year, 2013, is the year that I am going to learn some new music.

First on the list is "River's Jig" from Firefly. It's an actual trad tune, and how lucky am I that one of my dear's already knew the tune and taught it to me!  I'm a very happy camper about this.

Second on the list is Music from Tolkein. I have a book of Tolkein's songs and they are so lovely. I think they will translate really well to fiddle as well as voice.  I'm going to pick 3 tunes/songs to work on.

Third on the list are 10 tunes (generic Celtic) that people keep asking me to play.

Fourth on the list are Gypsy tunes. I am not going to go crazy (hahahh, too late ;>). I'm going to pick 4 tunes and work on them.

I think the next step will be to write down the names of the tunes/songs.... I guess I'd best do that before I pack all the books before we actually get on the road to AZRF, huh...

*crossposted at Fiddlemama on Tumblr.

AZRF, here we come!

New post up at Fiddlemama on Tumblr!

Go check it out! :D

Life in the Fast Lane, 2013

One of my friends posted today that she was reading how all the people she knows are vowing to blog daily, or exercise, or eat less, or sew sweaters out of dustbunnies for poor orphaned frogs. Well, you get the idea. The thing is, she can't do those things. The most she can do is live each day without too many regrets. Then she apologized for that, as though she should be doing more. All the time. Every day.

Fuck.That.Noise.

I'm so tired of this. I see it everywhere. I see it in myself. I see people who seem to be doing so much more than I am. People who are achieving more. People who are losing more weight. People, people, people.

Again I say, Fuck.That.Noise.

I'm not saying that folks shouldn't set goals or have dreams or lose weight. I'm saying that I'm tired of keeping up with everyone else's goals and dreams. I'm tired of feeling like I'm screwing up or a failure because I'm not keeping up with everyone else's goals and dreams.

Here's the thing. I want them, those amazing people with their incredible goals and dreams to live their lives. In return, I want to live my life, with my expectations, in my reality.

Who's with me?

Live Your Life, with Your expectations, in Your reality.


Crossposted at freerangefiddler

Hello and Goodbye

3 months. No blogging. Bad blogger. No biscuit. 

The transition from my regular fall show to a new show was less than stellar. I was rarely online, and I couldn't even begin to write how things were going. Combine that with electronics that were fritzing out the last 3 weeks, well... I'm lucky that I can get online now. 

It's 12 minutes until the calendar turns from December 2012 to January 2013. 

Watching the NYE shows I am already inundated with dieting ads. Apparently I'm fat, and so is everyone else in the the Western world. Oh, and Jessica Simpson is pregnant again, so she's going to continue dieting with Weight Watchers.  

It's 8 minutes until the calendar turns from December 2012 to January 2013.

My cat is asleep next to me. Jenny McCarthy is supposed to kiss some shmoe based on twitters.  Also, she should NEVER say "OMG, I can't believe I'm going to do.... THAT!" Seriously, who the FUCK says OMG. I weep for the world. I kind of wish some Weeping Angels would find Ms. McCarthy and transport her to some other world.

It's 6 minutes until the calendar turns from December 2012 to January 2013.

My daughter is asleep. She's dreaming. She smiles in her sleep. I love this.

It's 5 minutes until the calendar turns from December 2012 to January 2013. 

I have no resolutions. I do have intentions. Time to put them into action. Time to watch the wheel turn. Time to breathe. Time to release. 

It's 3 minutes until the calendar turns. 

December 2012

January 2013

Intentions count.

(crossposted at freerangefiddler)

Running running...tumbling tumblr....

I'm a little behind in writing. There's several posts in the works, including the write up from my penultimate weekend at PARF. Right now, however, there are 2 quick bits that I posted on my Tumblr.  They are cute and funny and you should got there right now and show my tumblr some love. ;>

2 bits, minus the shave & haircut

A completely non-NeidFyre related post for y'all...

I should have posted this yesterday, but I got distracted.  I hope everyone had a grand day, avoided scurvy, and enjoyed some rum!

10 years ago today, Firefly premiered. 10 years... damn.  I wonder, how many of you are Browncoats? :D

PARF: Pirate Weekend (wknd 7)

Arrrrr, me hearties, this be Pirate Weekend!

OK, I'll stop talking like a pirate now. Although, since it's after midnight and it's September 19, today is the official "Talk like a Pirate Day". Technically, I should talk like a pirate, ye scurvy dogs!

Yeah, I'll stop now.

So, Pirate Weekend. This was only a few days ago, so I have a much better recollection of this weekend. First, let me tell you about the weather. The weather was PERFECT. Low-to-mid 70's. No rain. Warm in the sun, pleasantly cool in the shade. Perfect.Faire.Weather. I would love for the rest of the season at PARF to be like this (or cooler!).

Second, let me tell you about my migraines. There were none. Yeah, you read that right. For the first time all season I didn't have a migraine during the course of the weekend. It was crazy awesome.

Third, let me tell you about my fiddle.  Jimmy is quite the old-man fiddle, and I can't see that all the out-door playing is doing him any good. He's officially (for me) retired to in-door only play Thus, there was a new-to-me fiddle that I had to break in.  The new fiddle is a blondie (which is odd). The fiddle is decidedly male, and to quote my friend Duglas, "it's a teen-age boy".  I'm not sure of the new fiddle's name, but "Thistle" seems prominent. I'll try to get some pics posted by next weekend.

Fourth, let me tell you about pretentious cheese. Pretentious cheese is one of my favourite parts of the day. It's held every weekend (both days) at Up Your Kilt/As You Like It. There is fruit. There are veggies. There is bread. There are pickles. There is (pretentious) cheese. Lordy, is there cheese. This particular weekend, there was also cake, as it was the Mistress of the Shop's birthday. So.Much.Cake. So.Much.Cheese.  This particular weekend was highly amusing, as my sweet daughter trundled into Up Your Kilt/As You Like It at the end of the day with her Papa and said to the Master of the shop, "Is this pretentious cheese?"  Yeah, that's my daughter!

Speaking of my child, she visited me at the Pubsing. I have so much fun playing on stage and watching her. All she wanted to do was come up on the stage with me and the rest of the musicians, but did not. She danced around, sang, and waved at me. She was adorable. Of course, I am hugely biased.

Going back to the weekend, it really was grand.  The shows on the Rose Stage went well, as did my sets at the Gazebo. It felt like the patrons were really drawn to the music this weekend. I can't count the number of children who came up to me, transfixed. There were adults as well, who seemed to be touched by the music. It was quite magical.

The fiddle performed well. I had a grand and impromptu fiddle set with Tim, the "fill in fiddler" from Empty Hats. We've known each other for a year, and this was the first we'd ever played tunes together (not in a group, like the morning Gazebo jam or the Pub sing). It was glorious fun. Tim is a fabu fiddler. He's got great Irish fiddle technique with his bowing and ornamentation. I'm hoping we'll get to play a bit more over the next 2 weekends.

So there you go, a quick recap of the past 3 weekends. This coming weekend is Scottish Weekend. I'm reviewing all my sheep & haggis jokes now.

My girl on Pirate Weekend with her Papa

(Note the Mustache)