We're back safely home, an hour up the road to Richmond, Maine. We did a rather hasty departure after midnight to avoid the mess that iced up the roads later New year's morning. But it was a great party!

The roast beef dinner was superb (well, the roast was less rare than I like but very tasty), the wine/beer/harder stuff were all available in abundance, although this year I elected to finish the last two hours off with the more sedate diet gingerale.

And there was a wide variety of songs sung, including traditional holiday songs and some parodies of the same. Mary certainly can channel the late 19th century heart throb songs, including the unfortunately unforgettable "Poor Kitty Popcorn." I got a chance to revive "Pity the Downtrodden Landlord" which apparently people were unfamiliar with; it's tune is based on a music hall song that Linn had been leading, "She's More to Be Pitied Than Censored." BobBi regaled us with "The Fatal Glass of Beer." I tried out "The Tasmin Buster," another of Bob Watson's fine songs that I've recently fallen in love with; Jeri followed it with Watson's better known "Mollymauk." I also did my favorite Si Kahn song, appropriately titled "New Year's" which is dedicated to long-term organizers. JudyB did a fine rendition of Doug McCarthy's "Merlin." For some reason there were a number of cat songs, with an appropriate chorus of meows. Jacqui led a couple of Utah Phillips' songs, with Kendall doing his usual fine guitar accompaniment. Tami led "The Lewiston Factory Girl" which inspired several more texile industry songs. Edmund led a fine rendition of "Sam Hall the Chimney Sweep" and what was the title of his old French ballad? Tom led an Ewan MacColl favorite "The Thirty-Foot Trailor" and his more obscure eviction protest song "Hey, Ho, Cook & Roe." And in honor of Micca we did the "Gladiator" chorus. Charmion led several jigs and reels on her long-necked madolin (?). This is a mere sampling of what folks were singing over the four hours I was in residence. Lord knows how long they continued after our all too hasty departure (the small blue-green insulated chest is mine).

I'm glad I thought to bring fresh salsa, as an optional replacement for the gray and hairy salsa that Sinsull had been growing in her refrigerator since the last house party.

It was a lovely party, and it was fun to have folks from all over the world periodically phoning in.

Thank you, Mary, for hosting this one again.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble and JudyB