A very wonderful Christmas gift...

B. Ross Ashley
B. Ross Ashley
@b-ross-ashley
13 years ago
59 posts

That is so pretty! I can't wait to hear yours.

John Keane
John Keane
@john-keane
13 years ago
182 posts

They're pretty cool at FOTMG, but we're MUCH cooler at FOTMD! Grin.gif

Macy Jayne said:

Wow, I just joined FOTMG yesterday and I'm truly amazed and see that is a very special group of people!

Macy Jayne
Macy Jayne
@wendy-coons-karrasch
13 years ago
24 posts

Wow, I just joined FOTMG yesterday and I'm truly amazed and see that is a very special group of people!

Strumelia
Strumelia
@strumelia
13 years ago
2,246 posts

Val and Brian- wonderful sentiments and thoughts- they really hit home and are so true.

John Henry, I plan to get in a little epinette practice this afternoon- after I work on some machinery valve drawings for a few hours (um, gotta make a living too!). It's an exciting new challenge for me, since I think I need to develop a new method of 'attack' more in keeping with its epinette-ish charms.




--
Site Owner

Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990
Brian G.
Brian G.
@brian-g
13 years ago
94 posts

What a fantastic gift and thank you from John Henry. I realized right away that this was a very special community of people as soon as I joined, and this gift to you is, in one sense, a gift to all of us. Thank you, Stumelia, for making such a great place available to us, and thank you, John, for this wonderful example of generosity and kindness.

Best wishes to all for a wonderful new year.

Kind regards,

Brian

John Henry
John Henry
@john-henry
13 years ago
258 posts

9.gif Thanks folks, this site (and the people on it) has provided me with a lot of pleasure these last two years, impossible to 'shake everyone's hand' so to speak, so something made from reclaimed timber to the originator of FOTMD hopefully fits the bill, particularly if she shares it with us all, lol !

John

Blue Hand
Blue Hand
@blue-hand
13 years ago
8 posts

That's a nice christmas gift. Enjoy your new Epinette!

Mary Z. Cox
Mary Z. Cox
@mary-z-cox
13 years ago
62 posts

Lovely! What a fun surprise :)

Best wishes,

Mary Z Cox

www.maryzcox.com

Paul Certo
Paul Certo
@paul-certo
13 years ago
242 posts

If that don't prove there is a Santa Claus, what will? His spirit moves people to do special things, even if you don't see him. The story is almost as much fun as the gift, ain't it?

Paul

Strumelia
Strumelia
@strumelia
13 years ago
2,246 posts

Wayne Anderson said:

It is a lovely instrument, Lisa, and am sure that Sheba even gave it two paws up.

Wayne, Sheba wants nothing to do with it! lol!

I've been experimenting today, and it's obvious that this little charmer needs a lighter touch than my usual heavy handed Galax-ish power-strums, which might send it flying across the room...

So I've decided to try to re-learn a bit of finger-picking again- which I have not done since about 15 years ago...!!

I'm very glad now that I took a one hour class in beginner fingerpicking a year and a half ago from Nina Zanetti who was teaching at a local dulcimer fest I went to. That one class, along with my old Sue Carpenter fingerpicking book, and FlintHill's Travis-picking videos here on fotmd, will surely help me re-learn this skill that I have forgotten long ago. I dug out my old fingerpicks that were stored away for years.

This will be FUN!! And challenging...so don't expect any immediate videos until I get at least a very simple beginner tune under my belt. It will take a little time...I have to relearn all the moves and it will take a couple weeks at least I'm sure. But I'm determined to do it, partly because I have seen how beautifully John Henry played this instrument.

But I just love love love this sweet little music box!




--
Site Owner

Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990
Jim Fawcett
Jim Fawcett
@jim-fawcett
13 years ago
85 posts

What a great gift for the Queen Bee of FOTMD. When are we going to hear it sign, Lisa?

John, very thoughtful of you.




--
Site Moderator
Janene Millen
Janene Millen
@janene-millen
13 years ago
28 posts

Such a wonderful gift and I visited some of the tunes I had not heard John Henry play earlier...thanks for making the references...but what a lovely tribute you made to his gift with those beautiful photographs. Stunning!

Strumelia
Strumelia
@strumelia
13 years ago
2,246 posts

Yes John Henry is indeed a very special man.

I did indeed wait until Christmas morning to open the package! It was a real surprise because the shipping tube looked like it might contain a mouth bow or a violin bow or something- there is NO WAY an epinette could have fit into a cardboard shipping tube that slender....and yet it did! Even now I would never imagine it could fit back into that tube. I was totally amazed.

Benjamin- yes, I do feel very blessed in so many ways...and very grateful too.




--
Site Owner

Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990
Robin Thompson
Robin Thompson
@robin-thompson
13 years ago
1,415 posts

Bobby, John Henry has special powers-- he would've known if Strumelia had opened that package! Grin.gif

Strumelia, I don't have to tell you you've got a treasure. And John Henry is a jewel.8.gif

Mandy
Mandy
@mandy
13 years ago
140 posts

Wow that is a special gift! AwesomeGrin.gif

Strumelia
Strumelia
@strumelia
13 years ago
2,246 posts

Bobby, you are just plain naughty. Brian would have known, and of course I would have known!

Bobby Ratliff said:

Congrats to you! John.......... that was mighty kind of ya!

But I have to say............ I wouldn't have waited! I woulda opened that package! I mean......... who woulda known?




--
Site Owner

Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990
Randy Adams
Randy Adams
@randy-adams
13 years ago
113 posts

One of the things I love about our little community here is how John Henry has endeared himself...to all of us.....

John Keane
John Keane
@john-keane
13 years ago
182 posts

That is really cool! John Henry has outdone himself, but I can't imagine a more worthy recipient. Congratulations on your wonderful surprise!

Ben Barr Jr
Ben Barr Jr
@benjamin-w-barr-jr
13 years ago
64 posts

What a wonderful gift. You are so blessed.

Strumelia
Strumelia
@strumelia
13 years ago
2,246 posts


Well I just have to relate the extra special Christmas gift I received this morning...

About 10 days ago a Mystery Package arrived in the mail for me, a long thin sturdy mailing tube with no return address except for a rather cryptic customs stamp and the name "Musical Novelties Company". It also had a warning to not open til Dec 25th, so I just had to wait, wondering.

Finally Christmas morning arrived today!

The generosity and thoughtfulness that went into this gift is overwhelming. I'm still not quite sure it's really real! I hope I will be able to do it justice.

Fotmd member John Henry sent me an epinette des Vosges that he made. !!

He remembered how I had talked of wanting to get an epinette a year or so back, and he knew I admired his skills in both making and playing his own epinettes. How incredibly kind and sweet of him to send such a wonderful gift. It's hard to express how delighted, amazed, and humbled I feel. But I know I will enjoy learning to play some simple folk tunes and hymns on it, and it is already cherished. I will definitely post a video of my humble attempts on it in a week or two once I get used to playing it...though I cannot hope to play it as skillfully as John Henry has in his videos! But I'll play it in my own way as best I can!

It's so dainty , I've never played such a pretty little dulcimer-thing before!

Despite it's diminutive size, it has a very resonant bright voice- it really really makes me think of sleigh bells jingling through the cold sparkling crisp snow. So festive and cheerful! I feel like i'm in a Dickens story, receiving such a lovely gift. So unexpected.

John Henry, I just don't have adequate words to thank you for this precious instrument.

Here is our kitty Sheba and also myself getting to know our beautiful new epinette des Vosges this Christmas morning 2011!:

Here are some of John Henry's videos of him playing the epinettes he makes, he plays them so very beautifully, who could not succumb to their charms? :

http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/video/a-french-waltz

http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/video/good-king-wencelas-1-12-2011-wmv

http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/video/mingulay-boat-song-1

http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/video/the-gloucestershire-wassail

http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/video/trial-run

http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/video/bouree-caree-de-st-chartier




--
Site Owner

Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990

updated by @strumelia: 02/28/19 06:50:11PM