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Pragmatist
Pragmatist

Infected
Thu Feb 01 2007

My daughter has been infected with the journaling bug.  Go check out HaveMayhemComitted.  Warning:  She's a terrible speller.    It's a little embarrassing because I was always a really good speller, and I had hopes.  But I love her anyway.

Went to Leisure League luncheon today.  The salads were good, but the lasagna wasn't up to the chef's usual quality.  But the entertainment was great.  Four banjo players, a bass guitarist, and the leader who played the (I think he called it) stump thumper.

The stump thumper is a "musical" instrument composed of a pole on which various sound effects are mounted: a bell, some little jingle-bells, a horn, a wooden sound box, door screen, two pie plates affixed rim to rim, and a tennis ball attached to the bottom of the pole.  How it works is this way:  He thumps the whole rig up and down on the floor, while simultaneously thumping the various accretions with what looks like two batons.  And every time he hit the ding-ding bell, I laughed.  It was a very rhythmic accompaniment to the rest of the instruments.

I never knew so much music could come out of a banjo.  To me it's always been a plinka-plinka sort of thing.  Wrong!!  Of course, they played old-timey music that we elders remember and enjoy, and can sing along with.  The leader did a couple of George Burns numbers, one of which was "I Wish I Were 18 Again."  I was thinking No Way!  Well, maybe if I could be 18 with all the memories of stupid things I did, so I could avoid them again.  But then, there comes 19, and then 20, and do I want my heart broken again.  Nah.  I'll go with what I have, thank you.

It was a gloomy day weatherwise, but a good day otherwise.

Shalom

6 Comments
  • From:
    Pragmatist (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Feb 02 2007
    Aaarrrgghh! Not door screen. Door spring. Spring!!! Y'know, that thing that closes the screen door when the kids forget to close it? Yeah. Spring.
  • From:
    DarrenLee (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Feb 02 2007
    lie934834758903475793845i have no kids
  • From:
    Mamallama (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Feb 02 2007
    I have always loved the banjo. But then, I love blue grass music, so there ya go.
  • From:
    Dustbunny3 (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Feb 02 2007
    I was never a fan of banjo or bluegrass till we moved to Arkansas, they are the most close family bonded caring people I have ever meet. every now and them they would have a GET togather and it was a fun fiddle, bango and other
    type no name instruments that you had no answer for
    juice harp thing . it was misic made up as you go
    and boy was it a toe tapping clapping nite. Not one could read music but it was got to every fiber of your body. Of course lots of beer helped things along.
  • From:
    Waterspriteflying (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Feb 02 2007
    Yes! Old timey music. That's what my band plays, but a bit newer than what you're talking about here. We do folk songs, and oh, things like ''You Got Me Singing the Blues'' and ''Blue Bayou''. If we like it, we do it, but we stay away from rock, and Peter has a problem with religious stuff, so we avoid that. We have five people, who double up on instruments and all sing, so we have guitars, banjos, mandolin, harmonica, flute, whistle, and recorder.

    And Yeah. Banjos can be really, really loud, lol.

    Hugs,
    Ani
  • From:
    Welshamethyst (Legacy)
    On:
    Fri Feb 02 2007
    Your leasure league sounds just wonderful!