I've been obsessively, over and over, playing three new banjo pieces I've "written", one called "Dancin' Bob", named for my son-in-law, another called "Kickin' Bird", named for my daughter*, and a third, as yet unnamed. I put the quotes around "written" because they don't and probably never will exist on paper; only in my memory and fingers. Compulsively over and over, both to drill them indelibly into my consciousness and to devise variant phrasings.

* My daughter Monika was the kickingest baby I ever saw or heard of! (This was thirty years ago.) I had just read a novel by Robert Penn Warren (title forgotten now) which mentioned a historical Indian chief called Kicking Bird. Of course Monika became "Kickin' Bird" around our house.

"Dancin' Bob" and "Kickin' Bird" are the latest entries in a set of pieces I'm projecting called "The Sweet Family Suite". Previous pieces in it are "Little Dorrie", for my wife, and "Pop's Progress", celebrating yours truly. I still need to come up with a tune that will fit something about my son Theodore. The provisional title saved for him is "Ted's Truck", because he's always was, even as a little kid, fascinated by trucks, and is to this day. I think I'll limit the suite to that level; the grandchildren would make it tooooooo long!

DAve Oesterreich