Smith Island Cake
December 24, 2008
C.C. gave us a wonderful Smith Island cake for Christmas. Ten layers of cake separated with homemade chocolate frosting.
We all had a slice and packed the rest away to save for Saturday when Gunny Mike and Matt stop by to pick a few tunes.
If you are in the area this weekend, give us a call. You can stop by, make some music with us and chow down on a slice of this wonderful cake.
Merry Christmas!
December 24, 2008
We are all settling down for a quiet holiday at home.
Patrick from Michigan and his family sent us a box of goodies. Cookies for mom and dad, lapsang souchong for me (everybody who tries this stuff seems to positively loathe it – Dear Old Dad once compared it to drinking a trash fire – but for some reason I just love the stuff) and a whole bunch of stuff for Miss Trudy’s little dog. Cookies, a fancy Christmas collar and a squeaky toy from babydogstyle.com.
As I write this mom and dad are in the kitchen making homemade bread and running hot loaves out to our friends. C.C. told me the other day that he would be stopping by with a Smith Island cake so I will probably end up running around all envening doling out slices.
The weather warmed up a great deal since the freeze yesterday. In fact, you can go out without a jacket.
I still can’t hear much of anything, but that is okay. I just hope I can hear a little better on Saturday when Gunny Mike stops by for a visit.
I am off to wrap presents and generally do nothing for the rest of the day. I hope each and every one of you has a wonderful day.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
-Patrick
Banjos We Have Heard On High
December 24, 2008
This is a fun one. Jana in California and freinds playing Angels We Have Heard On High and Auld Lang Syne at rest homes over the weekend.
We are trilled that Jana has agreed to be part of the Somerset S-3 tour.
Angels We Have Heard On High
Download MP3: http://somersetbanjo.com/Angles.mp3
Auld Lang Syne
Download MP3: http://somersetbanjo.com/auld%20lang%20syne.mp3
Picking All The Big Ones Out
December 24, 2008
Neil in the UK writes:
Hi Pat and Patrick
I appreciate that you are probably getting an awful lot of well wishing mail right about now, and that I am probably just adding to the pile, but I REALLY wish you and your family the best this festive season.
I hope everything with the ear, and also with the business, comes good for you in the new year. If I could afford a somerset banjo I would be buying one, believe you me.
I have a question I would like to ask regarding frailing technique, but I’m not going to ask it just now. I just want this message to wish you well and to hopefully make you smile.
I know how much you like folk music, and would like to include a link to a video I made for my father of his favourite song. He now lives on the other side of the world to me, and at christmas I miss my family and find t’interweb helps ease the pain a little.
Anyway, I found this video brougth a little joy to me and my kin and hope that it may bring even a fraction of that to you and yours, just as a thank you for all the banjo lessons!
Merry Chrimbo and a Happy New Year
Neil
