Well, I see I've missed some good topics here.   Don't tell Jan I'm here now--I should be actually clearing out what she calls the "shed room"--since it's where all the stuff which might go in a shed --if we had one--would go. Of course there are lots of papers in there, and I've tried to clear up--but I just get involved in reading the old papers, going through old articles I've saved, trying to decide if I ever can get any of the old electronic gear in there repaired, etc.   And not much cleaning out gets done. I've got to bite the bullet and actually do it soon.   Particularly since Jan says that if I don't, she will--and she'll toss out everything.

But anyway, I was real interested to see the talk about rhubarb.   There's the great parody about rhubarb by the Kipper Family--I can't even remember what it was a parody of but I do intend to learn it--rhubarb is a double entendre in it, and I love that sort of song.   It's totally clean, of course--which makes it even better.

But about rhubarb.   I used to put rhubarb on my cereal when it was available.   Problem was I just loved the rhubarb, didn't want to eat the cereal.   So I'd just put more rhubarb on and not eat much of the cereal. So the cereal would just stay there.   And eventually I'd have to eat the cereal anyway.   But by then the dominant flavor would be rhubarb--at least I hoped so.

Last night I sang and played at the retirement community where my mother and stepfather now live.   I tried to get Jan to come--the leader of the band says she could sing the phone book out of tune and they'd still love her.   But she says she can't learn any new duets--her back is really going downhill--and she's ignoring the problem by gardening all the time she's not working.   Which puts her in even more pain--so she can't concentrate on things like learning new songs--even though we have a long list of songs we could do.

And the group has lost 2 of its members--we have no idea how it happened--we only sing with them at the retirement community, and that's every 2 months or so.   And we're mystified, and wish the other members would come back. Now the group has changed its name. And the old name was really good--much better than the new name.   Old name was "The No-Hope Riverboat Ramblers".   New name is "Lonesome Pine"---which is just a standard generic bluegrass band name--I'm pretty sure I've heard of another one called that. So Jan is not at all happy about that either. (Well at least it gives us incentive to learn "On the Trail of the Lonesome Pine"--which is one I've been meaning to learn.

Well, Jan said she didn't want to do some of our old stuff, since they had heard it before. I told her they just wanted to hear us do our close-harmony duets--it wouldn't matter if they were new or not. and they wanted to see her. And I told her before I went last night that they'd all be asking about her.   And it happened exactly that way. When I came back I told her we almost cancelled the gig, since all anybody wanted to know is where she was.   I got asked that everywhere I went up there.

Ah well, at least she knows for sure they really want to see her again. And at least there's no more pressure on her to have anything new to sing til September. So she can take her time--though time sure slips away fast.

Anyway, I sang 2 songs last night, in addition to playing guitar-- (badly--but there were plenty of good guitarists)-- and playing viola--making up harmonies and playing double-fiddle breaks with the dynamite fiddler the group has.

I sang "I'm Sending You a Big Bouquet of Roses" and "There's A Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere".   It went amazing well--especially considering that it was a near disaster on "Banner".   The group never rehearses--at least Jan and I, and other "guests" don't rehearse with them.   I just e-mail them what we're going to do, and the keys. And get there early, to try to work out arrangements on breaks etc.   But the band itself doesn't always get there early. And they're always sure they know what to do anyway.

Last night the bass player was real late. She said she had left at 6:30, but realized she actually wanted to get there at 6:30. Watching too much Star Trek lately--must be. Then she couldn't find a place to park. But we really need a bass--so we were 15 minutes late starting. And it turned out I was SO glad she made it.   When I started "Banner" one of the really strong guitarists backing me started a really powerful 3-beat. But the song is in 2 (or 4). Sure not in 3.   But after about 2 lines the bass started up, since she knew the song and realized it was in 4--and finally got the song on track.   I told her afterwards she had rescued me. I just kept singing the whole time--I bet most of the audience didn't even notice the problem.

"Banner" is just a really great song--especially with Memorial Day coming up.   But it's fascinating how reputations change. In early 1942, when the song was written, and was a hit, Custer was considered a big hero--"I see Lincoln, Custer, Washington and Perry".   But now it seems clear his massacre was totally a needless sacrifice of troops--he only had to wait for the other regiments to arrive, as was planned. And Grant said so soon after. And of course the slaughter and general mistreatment of the American Indians--which Custer had been deeply involved in up to that time--is not anything Americans in general are proud of now.

And the song goes on "Nathan Hale and Colin Kelly too".   I'd never heard of Colin Kelly before I heard the song. It turns out he was one of the first heroes of World War II from the US perspective (not joining the war til 7 December 1941).   He was one of the men who bombed Tokyo on 10 December--just 3 days after Pearl Harbor. His plane was shot down, but he stayed on board til all his crew members had left. Then he bailed out--but his parachute never opened.

When I started telling this story, several members of the audience started nodding in recognition.   I was really impressed--they definitely remembered reading about this at the time. And several told me afterwards they really appreciated hearing the song.