Greetings:

Charley: Thanks for the suggestion, but Marilyn and I have been to Cecil Sharp House and Sharps Folk Club on our previous trips to London. The most recent was in 2006 when we met Mudcatters Micca, CatsPHiddle, and Gwenzilla. If all goes according to plan, the four of us -- Anne, Wayne, Marilyn, and myself -- will visit Sharps on October 14 or 21, or both.

Nick: Thanks for your suggestion as well. We intend to visit the National Rail Museum, so perhaps we will take a ride on the Yorkshire Wheel as well. Marilyn and I climbed to the top of the York Minster in 1999, but I have gained about 30 pounds since then. Let's see how we feel.

Redsnapper: Marilyn and I had a wonderful time at Sandy Bell's and the Tass in Edinburgh in 1999. We also spent an evening at the Whistle Binky, but it was mostly a session for tunes rather than songs. The other musicians tolerated my doing a couple of songs, probably because I was a visiting Yank and I did only old-time country numbers that easily lent themselves to jamming. We shall return, but not in 2008.

MGAS: We hope to meet you at Orpinton Friday Folk on October 17. Otherwise, almost all of our evenings are already committed, but we would love to get together with other Mudcatters if possible. So far we have nothing definite scheduled for October 15, 18, and 25. However, we need one of those evenings to visit my cousin Alisha, and we would also like to go to the theatre one evening. Saturday, October 25, is the evening before we return home. That may be the best time for us, but we cannot say for sure. Let's see what happens asthe date gets closer.

Anne: It's about time you become an official Mudcatter instead of forever posting as a guest.

DH: Thanks for the advice. :-)

There is less than an hour left in 2007. Marilyn is working a shift on the labor floor tonight -- she's a midwife at Mount Sinai Hospital -- and I'm left alone with my guitars, my computer, some cold chicken, and a 36-hour Law and Order marathon on TV. That explains why I'm here writing messages on Mudcat when everyone else is out partying. Ah, our time to celebrate will come tomorrow afternoon.

Meanwhile, dear fellow 'Catters, have a Happy New Year!

-- Steve