McGrath--I don't know of any, but my knowledge is fairly rudimentary.

Kat, that sounds exceedingly Eudora Welty-ish to me. Certainly the kind of thing she'd do, but I can't place the story. I'd love it if we could find out... Talk about the lengths to which an artist will go!

there you go, Rich, refreshed again.

You know, I have these little shakers that I love to play -- mine are in the shape of a plum and a goose-necked squash, some are egg-shaped, etc. -- but if you bring 'em out at many a folk gathering, you're looked upon askance. I heard later that I deeply damanged my reputation with a group of trad (bluegrassy trad, not celtic-y trad) people in New Mexico when I showed up with actual percussion-type playthings.

Tha' heck with them, I say. If you can't add a little ooomph were it seems appropriate, that just ain't my kind of music.

WW