Riksgewijs -- Welcome to the group!!!
A Trossingen Lyre? Congratulations! Did you include all that wonderful kolrose carving found on the original? Here's a photo of an Oberflacht 84 replica that I made, with kolrose carvings of a pair of Pictish Beasts.
I'm looking at a used McSpadden FM12S, 1999.
Hang in there folks.......... it is now 10:46 PM and National Doughnut Day ends in 1 hour and 14 minutes on the East Coast.....other time zones...........be strong!
Thanks for the update Greg.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
I just looked up that Moog album on google out of curiosity, and discovered that it is indeed 50 (really 51) years ago when it came out, here's a post from last year's 50th anniversary:
https://www.synthtopia.com/content/2018/10/06/the-50th-anniversary-of-switched-on-bach/
Makes me wish I could celebrate it with my mother.
Hey thanks so much for bringing us up to date on this Greg!
I remember my mother (a huge classical music fan) about 50 years ago getting all excited telling the teenage me about some fellow inventing and playing the Moog Synthesizer. She bought a vinyl record called "Switched On Bach" that was played on the Moog. She thought it was all so 'happening', but I was rolling my eyes, being more into The Doors, the Airplane, Tull (Jethro, not Glazner, lolol) and Hendrix at the time. 
I bet you can relate.
Hello, I'm updating the information here - the fellow who made all these wonderful Kantele and Eppinette videos and music as "Orange Kantele" has moved on in his musical interest towards making making more "Moog" synthesizer music and changed his YouTube channel name to "MOOGNASE". However if you go to his channel's Playlists you will see the over a hundred videos of our kind of music.
Just bumping this OLD thread in case there are new members who love contra dancing like I do.
I'm excited because in two weeks there'll be a DOUBLE contra dance at my favorite venue I regularly dance at in Lenox MA. They'll have a 2 hour dance, then a 1 hour potluck, followed by another 3 hour dance. Woo-HOOO!
I'll have to change shoes halfway through, because using the same shoes (even if they're normally comfortable) for more than 4 straight hours of dancing has never been a good idea for me.
I can't wait! Meanwhile, there's a normal 3 hour dance this weekend in a lovely barn 40 minutes from me, and I'll be going to that one. That barn series is usually only during the warm months.
It'll be interesting to wear my new step counting wrist fitness tracker for this upcoming double dance. 
I am loving this discussion! Years ago I used to ride 11.5 miles each way to work. I loved it, because I beat the bus by 4 mins and didn't have to walk 30 mins at either end depending on the day and time. That ride would kill me now, but I long to get back on my bike! Y'all are encouraging me. I will get there again, or I'll create a new love. I really want a longboard skateboard to ride the neighborhood on... Can you imagine? OH keep talkin'!
BTW Friday = 3 weeks into my HASfit workouts. I am amazed at the difference in my knees and how stairs don't hurt anymore!!!!!
Make sure you wear shoes that have semi-hard soles, so that all the pedal pressure does not concentrate just on the ball of your foot... that creates hotspots that might really hurt you if you have gout. A hard sole will help distribute the pressure more evenly over the entire bottom of the foot. 
Andreas, I hope your derriere is not in terrible pain today. Mine would be if I did what you did on a new bike.
About 10 yrs ago I did my longest bike ride ever... 70 miles round trip, and pretty hilly here in rural New York. Thought I would die but I didn't. That was when I was in top biking form though. I think I'd have trouble with a ten mile ride today.
My husband and I have good bikes... he has 3 and I have two. They are all steel bikes designed for touring. I do way more dancing than biking these past few years though. At least I;m moving around briskly for several hours once a week. 
Good for you, @Andreas-Fischer, for getting the new bike. Don't overdo it too fast, though. You might want to start out doing 3 km a day for a while, and then slowly increasing your distance. I applaud your enthusiasm, but none of us would want to see you injure yourself.
Andreas..........good for you! Keep up the good work, your an inspiration. By the way, how close are you to Dusseldorf? I have long lost cousins living there.
@eaglenest61 , I love your story about your whole family now learning to play dulcimer together.. all due to you!
I hope you will enjoy this site and find support and inspiration when you see others learning as well in their home music journeys. 
@riksgewijs ...I'm impressed that you have made a Trossinger lyre replica. Did you use Michael King's plans? Or did you just design it on your own? The kolrosing is so complex and beautiful, would love to see a picture.
Hello, my name is Bill, though I have used Eaglenest61 as my username for years in everything I do. I am new to the world of mountain Dulcimers...or any Dulcimers for that matter. I have always wanted to play the guitar; but was unable to teach myself due to my big fat fingers. Just could not wrap my fingers around the neck properly. My mom suggested the Dulcimer and then informed me that my grandmother on my dad's side played the Dulcimer. Do here I am! I bought a Dulcimer for my mom and I to give her something to do during the day. After my dad passed away 2 years ago; she just seemed so lonely and board. I figured we could learn to play and that would give us more 'us' time. Little did I know my wife would fall in love with the Dulcimer as well. So now, my mom, my wife, and I are all learning to play and having a blast doing it. So now you know a little more about me. I look forward to meeting new friends and learning all that I can about Dulcimers and playing the Dulcimer.
Those fresh peas sound really good Dusty. I've tried growing peas several times in my garden... to no avail. Sometimes you just have to figure out what grows well for you..and grow lots of it. I do that especially with tomatoes, which I seem to always have great luck with. 
Those radishes look delicious, but I'd prefer the roots to the greens.
I don't grow them myself, but this time of year I eat a LOT of fresh English peas. I think last year (and maybe the year before that) I posted a picture of a big pile of them. One of the local supermarkets doesn't even put them out for the public. They sell them only to a small handful of us who buy their whole stock. By mid-summer they won't be fresh anymore, so there is only about a month when I can indulge.
And I don't do anything with them. I used to make a pasta sauce with them, but they are just so delicious fresh and raw that now I just eat 'em. Shell 'em and eat 'em like popcorn. Mmm.
And I don't think it's evil to add butter to the greens. I cook chard sometimes with apple cider and bacon. Check out the work of Samin Nosrat (Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat). She explains clearly how fat functions as a purveyor of flavor. If you heat up some garlic in water, the water will smell mildly of garlic, but if you cook something in that water, it will not pick up much garlic flavor. However, if you cook that garlic in olive oil or butter, those fats become infused with garlic and will pass on that garlic to whatever you cook in the them.
I picked some French radishes from the garden this morning, got about 8 nice big ones. Brian likes the radishes so much, but I also like to eat the tops, which are super nutritious!
The leaves are a bit prickly so not great for salads...better to cook a bit. After washing and cutting off the thicker stems, I like to make a cup of chicken bouillion (made with 1 cube) and simmer the greens in it for about 1.5 minutes. This makes them soft like spinach, eliminates the prickles and easier to chew and digest. My evil secret is to also add a half pat of butter. 
I just had that for breakfast.. mmmm....it's something I can only have on rare occasions when I have radishes in the garden. As soon as the weather warms, radishes won't grow well anymore for me- they seem to only like chilly Spring growing.
I do this same thing whenever I find young stinging nettle in the Spring. These spring greens things are like a Spring tonic!
I don't eat super healthy all the time, but I do enjoy these rare fresh garden treats.
Here's a pic I took a few years ago of my garden radish greens in broth:
@hugssandi Hazel's violin with your singing was just right! You enjoyment would have shown through. <3
@Robin-Thompson, I can't wait to hear about your mini concert!
Today Hazel and I played in church. I have practiced and practiced and practiced, and I don't know what happened, but most of the song ended up being Hazel's violin with my singing. LOL! AH well. I still enjoyed it very much!
@salt-springs, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH! I really loved your sharing, and I've been wanting to tell you so! It's just been crazy here. I may send you a message with way TMI sometime....
@Andreas-Fischer, YOU'RE AMAZING!!!
@Strumelia, I love the idea of your new gadget! Please share how you like it over time.
Hearts of the Dulcimer Podcast - Episode 42
The Multifaceted Bonnie Carol and Max Krimmel
In this episode, meet Bonnie Carol and Max Krimmel, multi-instrumentalists and the builders of the well-known and loved Bonnie Carol Dulcimers.
You can listen to all the Hearts of the Dulcimer Podcast episodes directly on our website: http://dulcimuse.com/podcast or in most podcast apps.
Every episode has its own resource page with photos, videos, and song lists.
Here's the resource page for this episode: http://dulcimuse.com/podcast/resource/042.html
Okay, I am really late coming in on this, but I would choose "Wayfaring Stranger." My granddaddy used to sing that when was a little girl, so it is pretty special
Wow. Dusty! Sounds fantastic. I am one of those beginning beginnerests, and now I am wishing I lived in Northern CA instead of on the Mid-Atlantic Coast.
@Steve-Smith, that sees (and looks like) a fun gathering
@hugssandi, you & Hazel will be your wonderful selves. <3 Have fun!
Mark & I are to play a mini concert at the Coshocton Dulcimer Festival on 15 June. Though we've hardly played out much over the past few years, we're looking forward to seeing friends and sharing music.
@salt-springs, what an inspiring and upbeat post. Good thoughts in there to live by no matter what your situation. 
I haven't lost any more weight lately, but at least I've been dancing more often (my main exercise) so I feel ok for the most part.
Today I got inspired and bought one of those popular fitness trackers you wear on the wrist, on Amazon. It's not a Fitbit brand which is beyond my budget, but a $35 one that does most of those things and is well rated by customer reviews. It's supposed to work ok with my Android v.5 phone... we'll see, I hope it works well enough to be useful.
I don't have any big goals in mind for using it, but I know it'll be fun to try out because I used to love playing around with my old style pedometers. In any case it will definitely make me more aware of how much i move (or don't move) each day. Hopefully it will shame me out of my desk chair a little more often on days i don't go to a dance..which are most days. 
Andreas, and Hugssandi.........thank you for the bold posts and resolutions you have made public. I want you to know that as one who has been there in my younger days, I was just shy of 300 lbs at 16 years old. It is most important for you to always remember that you are not alone in this battle. It took years for me to become functional and fit....College Rugby, forced runs during Law Enforcement Academy Training, Physical fitness Training during Navy Chaplains School, 8 years of active duty and nearly 20 years of Hot Yoga. I say all that to say this, while all of that worked the real issue for me was one of re-learning how think about not only my relationship to food, but my relationship to the world around me.
Now I am nearly 70 years old and have the old man's gut and I don't move as fast as I once did. And yes, like alot of other Vets I have seen and remember all sorts of ugliness and sorrow..........but, those issues are history and no longer exist unless I choose to bring them into being..........so what's my point...........each day is a new beginning and fresh start. Some days run smooth and others do not.....so be it.
Hang in there and feel free to reach out to me or anyone else who has been there. Even if you can't believe in yourself from time to time, know that I'll believe for you until you get your feet back on the ground and pointed in the right direction. Anyone can message me at anytime and I'll respond...never judge and promise only to encourage.
@andreas-fischer please keep us posted! I have 150+ to lose as well. I'm sure we can encourage one another to success!!!
Andreas I wish you luck in this major weight loss goal you have. We all want you to be around and happily playing music for many years to come!
@steve-smith how did it go? That sounds AMAZING! Any footage to share?
You can think of something to play for Jesus if he just was going finish dessert and coffee, @hugssandi
Knowing the way I play, I'd be making all kinds of excuses & apologies, but Let Us Break Bread Together comes to mind.
MIKE & ME by Rosalys Peel. What a WONDERFUL BOOK to read when a loved one is on the edge or within the realms of Dementia or Alzheimer's. My husband is on that edge and caring for him at home is my chapter at this time in my life. I find that playing music together and Scrabble together is most beneficial to him and I'll keep that up for the rest of his life. Over 10% of our population has this disease....how to deal with it with love to them is healing to them and to the caregiver. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK. I just finished that book 2 days ago. Now for a fun one called HILO HATTIE, A Legend in Our Time by Milly Singletary. When I went to Hawaii in 1963 I saw her perform at the Kodak Show and this book tells her early story and it all brings a smile on my face. aloha, irene
