Marion's other busking tour

Subject: RE: Marion's other busking tour
From: Marion
Date: 20 May 04 - 06:34 PM

Hi Dani. No, I wouldn't be surprised either if that party ended up skyclad, but if so, it was after I left too.

Stilly River Sage, I forgot to mention this earlier: if you go a little lower on the Events Photos page, there's one called Marion's Tour 2003. It has a few pics that Rex and Sorcha sent in.

Gang: I mentioned above my feelings of being sick of the road. Well, a few more recent discouragements: I got a bad cold, so I haven't felt much inclined to go socialize with people, and I sprained my thumb so I haven't been able to busk or otherwise play music for almost a week (I was playing on a trampoline with some New Brunswick urchins when I decided to see if I could still do the gymnastic tricks I did when I was 12.). So I asked myself, What would Steinbeck do? - and went back to Mommy's to spend several days cross-stitching and listening to CDs.

Anyway... off to Charlottetown tomorrow... and if Prince Edward Island can't cheer me up, nothing can.

Love, Marion

Subject: RE: Marion's other busking tour
From: Big Mick
Date: 20 May 04 - 09:48 PM

Marion, my friend, you are an amazing woman. I love your journals and the music you share. Rest until the urge to take a ramble grabs you. It will. And .... write more songs.

Mick

Subject: RE: Marion's other busking tour
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 May 04 - 10:47 PM

Sprained your thumb on the trampoline? You're lucky that's all you sprained! (Puts Mom-Voice back in the box. . .)

I'm sorry about that cold--it went through here for several weeks in late April/early May. I think it took almost a month for the symptoms to finally go away, and it started a sinus infection with its own attendant miseries. Take care of yourself, and enjoy your few remaining weeks of bus travel.

SRS

Subject: RE: Marion's other busking tour
From: John Hardly
Date: 21 May 04 - 06:35 AM

Marion, you wimp! Wrap the damn thumb. Take Sudafed. Misery makes great music. You need to suffer for your Art -- get off your butt and back out the door! Don't you know that there are lots of middle age losers out here living vicariously through your adventures?! Don't let us down.

Or do. Whatever,

John

Subject: RE: Marion's other busking tour
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 May 04 - 10:47 AM

*edit the apostrophe out of puts*

sheesh.

My dad didn't like catching colds, of course, but I remember his remarking more than once that as the cold was clearing up he liked the way it made his voice sound for a couple of days.

SRS

Subject: RE: Marion's other busking tour
From: Marion
Date: 29 May 04 - 11:22 PM

John said: Misery makes great music. Well sure... but other people's misery, not my own! You want me to turn into some kind of singer/songwhiner?

And keep in mind that if I do let you down you can always switch to living vicariously through Allan C. as he follows the Grateful Dead around the country.

SRS, there was a great episode where the Simpsons get a trampoline and Homer is telling the neighbourhood kids "When you get injured, it's somebody else's turn."

Anyway... I am happier and healthier. I never did get to PEI - I got distracted on the way and ended up spending the long weekend in Montreal instead - but I have just finished a silly song about Anne of Green Gables, so that's just as good. I visited my sister and her children in mainland Nova Scotia, then proceeded to the L'Arche community in Cape Breton where I used to live. So lots of lovely time catching up with friends and singing "Working Man" over and over again. Being in Cape Breton is a pretty good substitute for PEI as well. Now I will start back towards Upper Canada and points west.

Love, Marion (Whycocomagh, Cape Breton)

Subject: RE: Marion's other busking tour
From: Mudlark
Date: 30 May 04 - 01:11 PM

Hi Marion...Just wanted to let you know you are not forgotten here in the California back country. Just 2 days ago, playing country-western tunes with my Okie neighbor, he was asking about you, saying what a fine fiddler you are. And your wonderful flowcharts have been much appreciated by a select few of like-humored friends. And your tape has given me many pleasant hours...

Good travels with your last 6 wks...but remember there is nothing more luxurious than abandoning a plan, when the plan stops making emotional sense! In any case, keep in touch, please, and I'll hope to see you again down the road.

Nancy

Subject: RE: Marion's other busking tour
From: Sorcha
Date: 30 May 04 - 03:56 PM

Fond memories of your stay here, Marion. You are welcome back any time! I don't understand how you did nearly a year....6 weeks was long enough for me. Good luck and keep in touch.

Subject: RE: Marion's other busking tour
From: Marion
Date: 04 Jun 04 - 09:07 PM

Hi Sorcha, and happy homecoming. To be fair, I took two months off in the middle, so "almost a year" is really only eight months of travel.

Hi Mudlark. I'm so glad that you're enjoying my souvenirs. I hope to have a new tape to send around later in summer.

All: I just rolled into Toronto, so that I can go to Rick's memorial tomorrow. It feels good to be home, even if I'm off again in a couple of days. Since last writing, I visited a different sister in Belleville Ontario, and I went to watch three soccer games that her kids were playing/reffing in; I'm turning into a real soccer mom. Then I went to Simcoe in southern Ontario to see an old roommate. The town park is full of baby Canada geese. So cute.

Mudcatters may be interested to know that I've made an agreement with Heather Fielding to rent her basement for my first year back in town. So there'll be guitars hanging on Rick's wall for a while longer.

Love, and go Flames,

Marion (about a kilometre northwest of the centre of the universe)

Subject: RE: Marion's other busking tour
From: Marion
Date: 08 Jun 04 - 12:31 AM

Hiya gang from hot and sticky Toronto. They were saying on TV that it's 97 degrees American in Tampa Bay. No wonder the poor Flames lost.

I went to Rick's memorial (will post more on that thread) and have been hanging out with some local friends. I had a job interview today and now have a part-time job (that I can live off of in genteel poverty) lined up for when I come back for good.

Off to the Soo tomorrow.

Love, Marion

Subject: RE: Marion's other busking tour
From: InOBU
Date: 08 Jun 04 - 10:58 AM

By the bye Marion... I have been gushing about your ballads for several days now... to bad it was so late at night and I had to run back to the US... would have loved to hear much much more... I've been telling folks about the stories behind your songs (can't decide which I like the most - the busking or Underground Railroad songs...)
Cheers and my best to all up there...
Larry

Subject: RE: Marion's other busking tour
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Jun 04 - 12:08 PM

Marion,

Speaking of ballads, I haven't forgotten about that letter you asked about. I just haven't found it yet--it's in a file box somewhere. :) We're about to make a big improvement in clutter as we finish the construction of a very large and impressive set of shelves for my marvelous teenaged daughter who has held onto a lot of childhood stuff. This is that point where that party favor game comes into play: a little board with 36 spaces and 35 numbered tiles, and you have to move them all around, via that one hole, to get them into order. We'll start moving her boxes into her room and unpacking them into these shelves. I expect to evict a lot of out-grown things into other boxes for a garage sale. Then I'll have room to start moving my 35 little tiles through that one blank space. . . and the file with Edward's letter will turn up.

Maggie (SRS)

Subject: RE: Marion's other busking tour
From: Marion
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 10:39 AM

No rush, SRS, I've got a big backlog of stuff to write about...

Thanks Larry. I'll send you a tape sometime later this year too, including the songs you mention. I look forward to listening to your CD when I get home. I thought the Quaker boy story was an interesting angle for an UGRR song.

I am in Manitoba visiting some college friends, and I have switched from being a soccer mom to an ultimate frisbee mom. The adult ultimate league here has a charming tradition: during each game, each team is expected to write a parody song in tribute to their opponents then they perform them at the end of the game. The players work on it while subbed off or halftime etc. Is this common in other sports or leagues?

Love, Marion (Winnipeg)

Subject: RE: Marion's other busking tour
From: open mike
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 01:33 PM

the only music i ever heard of involving sports
are repetitive chants, cheers and "wipe them out"
type hollering.
this sounds like a creative outlet to give the
brain a chance to work in between brawny out bursts!

Subject: RE: Marion's other busking tour
From: Marion
Date: 11 Jun 04 - 01:34 PM

Further on the Underground Railroad songs (which have turned out to be popular favourites among my own compositions): my source is an 1879 book by William Still that you can browse at the link below. 800 pages of true personal stories... a great find for a historical balladeer.

The Underground Railroad, online at American Memory. Click on "View this item"; there's a table of contents starting on image 7. But the image numbers don't line up exactly with the book's page numbers.

Marion

Subject: RE: Marion's other busking tour
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 11:59 AM

Marion,
I know we spoke of visiting the Fort Worth Water Gardens, but did I ever take you over there? (I've been there recently with someone from out of town, not sure if it was you). Sad to say, several people drowned there yesterday. Here is the story if it you want to read about it. Visiting the front page (it's a PDF) of the paper for Wednesday brings that color photo into sharp detail--it's heart-breaking to see dead children (and a parent), and at what has been such a magnet for children and adults for so many years. If you're looking for material for a lament, this might serve.

SRS

Subject: RE: Marion's other busking tour
From: InOBU
Date: 17 Jun 04 - 12:06 PM

Ah SRS... You bring back a terrible memory... I was training a currach crew on the Hudson - for a race in Ireland... and we took a police officer out to recover the body of a young fellow, about 10, who had drowned the winter before... the body came up in the spring. There is just no way to be careful enough and let your kids have a childhood... We met the parents... it was torture.
On a brighter note, it is now hot and sticky in NYC I hope you're having a blast up north and that it is cooler... Larry

Subject: RE: Marion's other busking tour
From: Marion
Date: 18 Jun 04 - 09:17 AM

Hello gang. Since leaving Winnipeg, I have visited Saskatoon, with busking stops in Brandon and Sault St. Marie, and a couple more rides across Northern Ontario (devil take the blackfly!). Can't think of too much exciting to tell you - in fact, now that I'm in Canada and not seeing so many Mudcatters, I'm running out of things that I think would be interesting to post here. But not to worry, I'm going out to an Ottawa folk club with Catter RichM tonight.

Cheers, Marion

Subject: RE: Marion's other busking tour
From: Marion
Date: 05 Jul 04 - 10:26 PM

Hi gang! Well, the quest is over. I've put my backpack in the attic and started advertising my travel guitar for sale.   Anybody who hasn't already switched over to following Allan C.'s travels should do so now. I'll put together a final newsletter sometime soon. Thank you all for reading and responding.

Mandatory Mudcat gossip: I did have a night out in a folk club with RichM and his wife Sue a couple weeks ago. And very shortly after my return to Perth I ran into Willie-O, who told me that he's taken to driving past my house several times a week. I had no idea that he would miss me that much.

Cheers, Marion