Hello all, and welcome, Banjoperson! Well, Jubilee IS a Ritchie Family gamesong, but I never did a "protective" copyright on it because it was collected from another source in the community- everyone around knew it. A lady named Marian Skein wrote it down at Ary, KY, and it was published by (Mr.) Lynn Rohrbough, Cooperative Recreation Service, Delaware, OH in 1939. Now has become World Around Songs and has a different address (will look it up if anyone REALLY wants to know!).

The verses we sing are pretty well set, as we sang just the number to get us through one turn of the game (circle for as many as will, but our living rooms would hold just about six or seven couples). There's a reel down between the lines at the end, then another couple leads out, as in the Virginia Reel. If anyone needs my verses, holler.

Folk Songs of the Southern Appalachians was reissued last year by University Press of KY; this year they reissued, The Swapping Song Book. It's like having a second family, very pleasing.

Just home from "crusin, bloody-well cruisin." Amazing to float around on calm seas in eternally sunny warmth (80F every day), no cooking to do, no dishes to wash, family members being unbelievably, suspiciously nice. Cruising is something we never do- (we're so busy, and it's such an uppity thing for folkpeople to do), but we decided that as this particular Anniversary comes round only once in 50 years, we'd better get the hang of it. Report: It was beautiful, exciting, a bit boring, restful,expensive, exhausting and a lot of fun! I'm glad to be home.

Jean