Forum Activity for @dusty

Good for you, Andreas.  I'm sure somewhere between being a sports junkie and not moving for 15 years there is a happy medium and a healthy lifestyle.

Wow, that's stunningly beautiful, Susie!  Happy bowing! 

New bowed psaltery day! 

It's a Jerry Read Smith (Song of the Wood), 2 1/2 octave (33 string) psaltery.

The top is Bolivian Rosewood, with Ziricote binding. The back is Cherry, with my very own, unique worm hole.

I love it, is sounds as beautiful as it looks. Jerry does great work and Heather (in the office) is wonderful to work with. 

But Sandi, think instead of where you'd be now if had not started so many times!

SaltSprings, thanks for my laugh of the day. I can relate. 

Yikes.............I can't imagine doing that.........as it is I sound like a bowl of Rice Krispies when I start moving in the morning......

@Robert-Shuler I hope you're moving today!  Are they pumpkins good for pies?  :) Pumpkin pie is my favorite.  

Hugssandi...........check out Lynda Randle singing, "One Day at a Time" on YouTube..............and learn the second verse........she's the real thing and her music always lifts the spirit..........

Thank you for keeping up the conversation, Andreas!!!  I love reading your updates and am inspired by them. 

Salt Springs, you are the perfect encouragement!  Thank you!  I keep thinking about where I'd be now had I not quit so many times.  I'm not seeing that as a downer, but as a DON'T DO IT AGAIN!  That every little bit adds up, so if nothing else keep at least doing the little bit!  

Just transplanted 2 acres of pumpkin plants by hand. Countless deep knee bends lots of fresh air and sunshine. I'll be lucky if I'll be able to move tomorrow!... Robert.

If That Isn't Love -  Dottie Rambo

Second Choice

Mary Did You Know - Mark Lowry / Buddy Green

Good job, Andreas!!!  Wow, Hugssandi!  You are both well on your way to reaching your goals.    Sometimes the going seems really difficult, but if we set our minds to the task we can do it.   I remember having to pass a fitness test when I was in the Navy.  The weather was so hot and I felt absolutely terrible.  but, I had to do it anyway, 30 push-ups, 100 sit-ups and a mile and a half run in a total of 25 minutes with no breaks...........the last 3/4 of a mile was so difficult and the time limit was running out.........I made it only because of will power, stubbornness and lots of bad language along the way. ( I found out later that morning that I had pneumonia at the time, just to add to the drama).  

Sometimes we have to struggle and will ourselves to make it to the end of the race.  I've learned that struggle can become easier if we dare to think of ourselves as winners and never give up.  Press on and even if you feel like giving up resolve not to do so.  I know you can do it........we're all cheering for you and anyone else who dares to enter this race.

You'd be surprised where you'll find bamboo -- along streams, in weather protected areas, botanic gardens (ask permission).  It's all over the place down here in south Florida.  There's a stand of 6" diameter x 70 ft tall culms a couple blocks away that I didn't notice for over 5 years!  Finger diameter bamboo is everywhere, and most people will beg you to take a dozen culms!

Ken -- Chicago! Any bamboo growing around here is somebody's darling little houseplant :) 

Great idea, but those bamboo crochet hooks may be too small of diameter to make a good noter.  Worth the try anyway.  

Where do you live with no bamboo?  Alaska?  Almost every other state but Maine has some native or introduced bamboo.  Want some, I'll send it to you.  

Repurposed noters -- the malachite pestle of a mortar & pestle set that I picked up in Mexico many years ago;  ball point pens, of course; 1/4" Delrin dowel; glass swizzle stick; 3/8" brass tubing; a test tube; sea shell (worthless); shaft butt of a goose quill.  

Too bad you didn't make it to our Berea Traditional Dulcimer Gathering back in May.  Next year's Gathering will be in Berea, KY May 14-17, so mark your calendar.  LOTS of noter & drone players, no Festival fee, tons of hands-on, one-on-one playing, learning, and all around fun!!  Check out the flyer here from this year's Gathering.  To be put on our mailing list, send an email to:  berea.traditional.gathering@gmail.com  

I just had a thought - I have a handful of bamboo crochet hooks that I don't use anymore -- they can have a new life as noters!!

For those of us whose climate means no bamboo in the back yard, what have you repurposed to serve as a noter? 

Here's a link to the sheet music for The Ludlows - it is in D, so it would be very easy to tab, at least the melody line.   https://www.sheetmusicdirect.com/en-US/se/ID_No/111153/Product.aspx

Once glue joints are clamped, wipe away squeezed out glue, with a soggy wet paper towel,  all along the joints while the glue is still soft.

Glue your "maker's label" under a rear sound hole before you glue the top on!

I did one many years ago. Check the fit of the tuner head and check the fretboard for straightness/flatness. Dry fit before gluing. Remember to install the frets before gluing the top on. Don't dent the frets when installing with a hammer [pressing them in is my preference], use a metal spacer after getting them started [I use a metal lathe square cutting bit].

Yes, Dave, I've made several of this very kit over the years.  They are very easy to put together if you take your time and follow directions.  The resulting dulcimer is a fine looking and sounding instrument.

My McSpadden Sweet Song kit arrived in the mail this week.

I've read through the directions for building the dulcimer from the kit, and I've found a couple of folks online who have posted photos and general info about building the kit.

The directions and the process seem straightforward enough.

Just wondering if anyone on here has experience with this particular kit and might be able to offer any advice before I get started.

Thanks for the link.  My lyre is not from Trossingen, but from a burial site called Oberflacht, grave #84.  Similar but not exactly the shape of the Trossingen.   I have also made a lyre from the Cologne site.

Thanks for the link to your website Riksgewijs. That is a very nice lyre. I enjoyed seeing how you made it.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Many thanks for the warm welcome. 

Yes, this is the one. But the one on you're picture is not quite a trossinger. I has made a page about my lyre. This one i build to last on renaissance markts. So it can have a beating and handle some rain. but the shape and collrossing and looks ar spot on. 

I also made a view recordings. You can find them also on the site and my you-tube channel. 

Hope you will enjoy. 

Riks-Gewijs website, click here

Well, chances are Larry himself did NOT make that instrument.  You might drop him a note and ask the significance of the double circle.  None of the currently pictures flathead dulcimers have a double circle on he flathead.

@steven-berger, we are kindred spirits.  I love that song so much!  You'll hafta weigh in also on "A Man's A Man For A' That"....

"Hard Times, Come Again No More" by Stephen Foster, especially the last verse. This song means quite a lot to me.

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.