26 September 2009

Lessons from the Street-Hannah

I just got back from doing some street playing this evening. I made a total of 80$ in about 4 hours, which I did in two shifts. The farmers market down here was having a "Harvest Moon Festival" with lots of booths, lots of people, and lots of money.
I smell like hippies right now, this most recent shift was spent across the sidewalk from a hippie dude and his hippie girlfriend selling hippie memorabilia and henna tattoos, so now I smell like henna and incense.

Anyway, not only is street playing a fun way to make some money (and see hippies) but you can also learn a lot about people out there.

For one, the people that can afford the least, often give the most.

Children still have a sense of wonder and appreciation of beauty that most adults, in the hum drum of life, have forgotten. Some parents understand this and some don't.

Most people don't care about the mistakes, those that do are not worth your time.

Some people are more willing to give if you smile at them, some only care about the music.

Non-mormons will often give more than mormons.

Only one person in all of ogden knows that the song is called "Ashokan Farewell" and not "That Song from the Civil War"

Most people don't understand that you can't answer their questions and play the fiddle at the same time.

Hard work and time pay off.

People are generally good, giving, and appreciative.

It makes me realize that humanity is not as pathetic as I sometimes think.
It also makes me wonder how many random people have pictures of me on their cameras right now.

20 September 2009

Canning

We canned yesterday.

I still have 50 or so quarts of tomatoes, salsa, and tomatoe juice sitting on my picnic table outside.

For those of you who can, here's a SWEET tip--can on a camp stove on your back porch. Keeps the kitchen cool, keeps the mess to a minimum.

I really should be bringing the jars in instead of posting on my blog. But I probably won't. I'll probably make the kids do it tomorrow.

10 September 2009

Pimp Your Phone

Just for fun, I decided to 'pimp' my new phone.

Then Hannah wanted hers done.

Then Maren wanted hers done.

So--mine:


Hannah's:


Maren's:


Nail polish and toothpicks, folks. And a steady hand.

Our Fiddling Fools

Hannah and her Ogden High Yet-Unnamed Fiddle group played their first paying gig last week--a performance for a ward party in the canyon. It was GREAT!! They played a bunch of fun tunes, talked about the instruments, entertained nicely. Hannah is really coming into herself and being a great teacher and leader. Oh, and she's not half bad on the fiddle either.

Ian amazes me with how quickly he changes from one instrument to another and how fast he picks up tunes. His finger fly over that penny whistle.

And yes, that's me on the Irish drum. Their percussionist couldn't make it that night.



That Time of Year

Hannah's rubbing the fact that fall is coming in my face. Curse her.

She keeps pointing up at the mountains and the first yellowing leaves. Doesn't she realize what that means?

First of all, school. No more sleeping in, no more doing absolutely nothing all day.

Second, harvest time, which means picking and washing and scalding and canning and freezing and making a giant mess of the kitchen, and since we're busy picking and washing and scalding and canning and freezing and cleaning up the kitchen, the rest of the house goes to pot.

But it needs to be done.

I have nectarines and peaches ripening on the tree, tomatoes turning a lovely shade of red, beans and squash and cucumbers out the freaking ears. And in between all that, the lawn needs mowing (we made the mistake of fertilizing) and the garden needs weeding--BADLY. I THINK there are still vegetables out there. ;-)