In the Positive Thread... I'm just wondering what some of you are doing for the holiday season!  Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukka, Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa, or you just 'do cozy things'...  tell me what plans you have to make winter meaningful or enjoyable.
Are you looking forward to a family gathering or cooking a special meal?  Do you have a musical event planned or going to a cool concert?  Are you getting a new instrument to play?  Adopting a pet?  Reaching out to an estranged relative?  Traveling to a place far away?  Knitting some festive socks or making some other homemade gift?  Working a double shift so others can enjoy the holiday?  Having the neighbors over?  Honoring the memory of a loved one?  Setting up bird feeders for wildlife to enjoy?
Tell us how you add something positive to your December/January. ☃️ 🕯

Omg, this thread idea is amazing. I need positivety in my life! Hope everyone is having a fun safe Saturday! 

Best wishes to all at FOTMD.

Happy birthday, FOTMD!

Everybody is a mother and/or has a mother, so Happy Mother's Day, FOTMD!

Just saw this thread; what a great idea! In between playing dulcimer, if you have Apple TV, I can highly recommend Ted Lasso if you haven't seen it. Also, here is a photo of some happy chickens! 

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Those sound like positive developments and omens, Leo.
I was surprised to see a huge bald eagle flying over my village a few weeks ago. They sometimes hang out at the Hudson river which is near to us, but are seldom seen actually in our village. I saw one in a corn field here about 15 yrs ago while riding my bike. Snowy owls are equally majestic! I think i read there was one in NYC's Central Park last year.

I'm wishing positive new things for all FOTMD friends for this new year!

Well, Happy New Year to all!! 

I have to say, mine has had an auspicious start 'on steroids': Copies of my new album, 'Mixed Colors,' arrived 12/31 and on New Year's Day I saw the wonderful snowy owl, an arctic circle bird making the NYTimes etc for being in Southern California. Yes I am a birder too. AND, so over the top, I saw a rainbow on the way home from that. 

So, I'm either going to have a really good year, or I'm being set up by the fates for a big sucker punch! (Time will tell...)

I'm starting to put some of the tracks from the new album on YouTube, and am working on it 'streaming' and such. My YouTube channel is: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9OT1F765UQHoyaB2ChzxeQ  

I can also tell you there will be a '4-Equidistant Strings Dulcimer Day' on March 11 and 'read all about it': https://4-equidistant-dulcimer-day.simplerosites.com/     More information coming on all this.

Let's hope for another great year for mountain dulcimers!! 

Leo 

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Merry Christmas to all of our dulcimer friends.

Thankful for friends & family who survived Hurricane Ian whether they lost everything else, or nothing; thankful the dulcimer which has brought me so much joy over the years; and thankful for having been alive for nearly seventy-five years and having seen the changes, good and bad which have taken place around the world.

I'm thankful for a warm, well-lighted home to live in, family and friends, a meaningful job, the dulcimer that has brought joy and peace to thousands of folks worldwide, and like Richard, this Christmas season, I'm thankful for Christ stepping down from Heaven's splendor to be born as a baby, to show us God's love and the gift of salvation.

I am thankful for the Christ Whose birth we celebrate this time of year, for His love and peace and joy given to all who accept His gift of salvation and forgiveness of sins.

Things I am grateful for:

I am thankful for the many friends I have met through  the Friends of the Mt. Dulcimer website. They have sent me many touching messages of encouragement that I cherish.

 I am also thankful for the mountain dulcimer itself which produces such sweet, soothing music.

I am also thankful for family who take time to record my videos and encourage me to enter this larger world of sharing.

What a blessing to have found such a community that offers such peace, joy, and encouragement!

List 3-5 things you are grateful for right now. 🙌🏻  🎄  💕

You're correct John. I think it was in the $2,000 to 3,000 range, but I may not remember it all that well.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I don't remember this "Jeopardy!" episode, but I do recall the "Antiques Road Show" episode with the old Virginia dulcimore on it. The appraiser valued it way high, it seemed to me.

Good point, Dusty.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

The trick, Ken, is to record the show, memorize the answers, and then ask someone to watch it with you.  When you yell out all the answers they'll think you're so smart!

Haha, Dusty. I'm glad they repeat those old shows. Sometimes the second or third time through I can get the right question for the answer.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

If I'm only four or five months late, that's not bad.  I think of new music as anything played since the invention of the steam engine.

Jeopardy has been offering video and photo clues for years. That's nothing new. Also, this show is not new either. It was first broadcast in July of 2022.

Kwn

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Whaaaat?? I didn't think they showed picture clues on that show! Seems crazy.

As the question was asked, they showed a picture of a dulcimer, so the banjo answer was less informed than you might have thought.

That's actually pretty impressive!  Especially also considering that "mountain banjos" are actually a defined type of banjo.

On Jeopardy today:

Answer: The mountain this is the Kentucky state instrument.

Question: What is a dulcimer?

The first contestant to answer guessed a banjo, but the second one got it.

omg Dusty, too adorable! 

Do you love cats?  Do you love music?

Glad to see you active again. Looking forward to your participation.

I've been gone a long time.  Hoping to get back to trying to play again.

Hey friends, I created a new discussion entitled International Appalachian Dulcimer Day in the General Mountain Dulcimer Forum.  Let's move our discussion (especially the posters!!) over there and leave this space for other positive news.

Thanks.

Steve, I'll send you a private message through fotmd.

Strumelia, If you can send me an email address, I will send you a copy and you can edit as you wish.  Any help is appreciated.

Great poster!!!. Absolutely love it, the old timer sorta reminds  me of me😊....Robert.

I'm with Richard at thanking you for your original suggestion which got things rolling, @dusty-turtle!

National Guitar is February 11.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thanks Dusty for your original post. Now when is national guitar day? Seems that drifted off with the wind in all our talk of an International Dulcimer Day.

Hey everyone, I just want to say how wonderful it is that an off-the-cuff comment I made on National Guitar Day has led to a consensus here about International Appalachian Dulcimer Day.  When I get a chance (and recover from a long day at work) I'll create a new discussion somewhere else on FOTMD specific to IADD. We can share resources like Steve C's poster and, when the day arrives, share photos, videos, or just descriptions of what we do on that day.  (IF someone wants to do that before I get a chance, please go ahead.)

This is a positive outcome of a discussion on the positive thread!

I can adjust the contrast for the white text areas by deepening the yellow and pale blue background colors just a little, if anyone needs me to. Then it would be nicely readable if printed out or copied in greyscale.

Like those?

Thanks Stumelia!  I fixed it will try to get it re-sent

Great poster!

Note: the word "holding" at the bottom has a typo.

Also- many folks would be printing/copying this out in greyscale, and it'd be good to bump up the contrast between the lettering and the background colors so it's easy to read. ...making the background colors behind the white text just a bit darker. Here's how it prints out on a blk&white printer as it is now:

Great poster Steve

Good job on the poster, Steve!

Way cool from Steve C! 

..and from Steve Carney...

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Looks great, Robin!

P.S. Someone should copyright the name "grassroots celebration" before some corporation does.

In the way of many who have gone before us, I used what I had on-hand to make a little sign.  

My apologies for the big photo-- I've tried to re-size it yet don't really know what I'm doing (obviously)!

I'm wanting thoughts on going ahead and putting this picture on my Facebook page.  

We aren't an off-shoot of worldwide Play Music on the Porch Day.  It's a totally different thing.    

International Appalachian Dulcimer Day is its own thing-- just a day set aside to celebrate however you choose and in some small (or large) way, our favorite instrument.  (I live in an old coal mine village and everything we do here is on a small scale.  )   

I'm fine with it (assuming we are celebrating indoors--it will be cold where I live). Good to have an easy to remember date!

Being that the date will change yearly it will make it possible for others to celebrate if not this year then next.  It will not be a fixed day. 

@marg I didn't check the date here or internationally.  My thinking was it is not a day which would interfere with anything (unless one were on silent retreat or some similar event) yet, rather, a day to celebrate what many of us do every day-- play mountain dulcimer.

That's fine, just checking if that date was good  Internationally.

'Block or street gathering [party] day' for dulcimers on an annual basis.

@marg I was advocating for using "International" because the spread of the fretted dulcimer is across the globe and the membership here at FOTMD reflects this.  

This is to be a grassroots celebration on only one day.  (This is how I understand it.  No committee with officers, a budget, etc.  More like a flash mob, maybe?  If I'm on the wrong track, somebody can jump in and point the way.)  Even if a person just wished to post a special still photo for the day or make an elaborate video or a piece of artwork or anything in-between, assigning a day is a simple way to celebrate the boxes with strings we all love.  

(International - last Saturday in March) 

Did anyone check if this date is ok for different countries - That their country doesn't have that as a special date? Did anyone discuss just (Appalachian Dulcimer Day)

@dan    Or 'MD Day".

OK  for me although 'Appalachian' sounds a bit 'puffed up'.  Reason, I'm used to referring to it as a mountain dulcimer .   Baaaaaa

{No need for a poll.}

Go for it!  

Sounds good to me for International Appalachian Dulcimer Day  on the last Saturday in March.

Go for it.

@dan Yeah, we'uns know!

Not exactly good for outdoor activities in my part of the world, but I have no objections.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

How many do we need for a consensus, can we just stop and agree at the conspiracy level?

P.S. You'ins do know the Black Sheep will refer to this as "Dulcimore Day"...just sayin'

No real need for a poll if everyone thinks that's a good plan, Dusty.

Does anyone have other options they'd like to see considered?

@dusty-turtle, I like it!  

OK, folks. I think this conversation has wound down. Perhaps it's time for a vote.  Before we go there, how 'bout this:

International Appalachian Dulcimer Day: the last Saturday in March 

What think ye?  If there are serious objections, we can isolate some variables and have Strumelia set up a poll. But I wonder if we might reach a consensus.

Friends, I hope I haven't shut-down conversation about an Appalachian Dulcimer day of celebration!  

I think of the roots of the Appalachian dulcimer and how folks used the instrument-- at home or church or another community event of some kind.  Since we're not near any clubs, jams, gatherings, etc., pretty much all we do with making music here at our house stays home or close to home.  Whether there is something "organized" or the event is more of a grassroots/several shoots sort of thing for an International Appalachian Dulcimer Day, I plan to celebrate our dear little instrument on a given day.      

It's pretty cool how @dusty-turtle came to raise the idea of a day of celebration!   

I plan to let my Facebook friends know a name and day to celebrate ahead of time and invite/encourage any who play Appalachian dulcimer to mark the day some way-- a still photo, a video, an audio, artwork featuring our loved instrument, etc., and just see what happens.  

Should there be a group or team of people to plan and write the news releases for The International Appalachian Dulcimer Day?  Making sure that we cross a few T’s and at least dot an “i” or two.  Otherwise, we might of just of had a nice discussion but we could easily just forget to follow through.  That is if you all feel strong enough about this.  

Oh, I understood, @ken-longfield -- many of us who were teenagers long ago understand joking about teenagers.  

I hope I'm not giving the wrong impression. I spent 40 years working with teenagers and enjoy them. I was being facetious in my first post about our teenage years here on FOTMD.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I'm thinking about making a video for our day of celebration of the Appalachian dulcimer.  Springtime will soon be upon us.

@ken-longfield I know the teenage years can be difficult, at times, for all yet there'll be a lot of fun times, too.  Young people give me hope!  

For sure Robin. My oldest grandson just turned 13 last week. Hence my comment.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."