Every Other

The Martins

I saw my physical therapist last night, and I have graduated yet another step. I can now do either PT or yoga once a day! No longer twice a day. That feels like such a relief. Every single day since November I've dutifully done my exercises twice a day - with no exceptions. There have been times when I've been on my mat at 10pm but determined to get it done. And I'm still not perfectly recovered. So frustrating. Biking across town for my commute - I can feel it a bit on the bike and then once I get off. She says it's a matter of now strengthening the front of the leg and hip flexor. We've spent months stretching and a lot of strengthening, now the ratio will switch.

Here's a picture of our Martin guitars. We leave them in their cases when not playing them, but come warm season they can stay out. Mine is the dread nought on the right. I'm still looking for a name and am circling back to "Karl" as in Karl One Knausgaard. I finished the 6th and last in his series "My Struggle" just this morning. Although I have to confess that I skipped about 500 ages of the middle section. His musings on literature, religion, Hitler and who knows what else. I do intend to finish but ran out of renewals at the library. It was not a very satisfying end because I know a lot happened after he finished writing in 2011. But what a read!

Martin D18

Music Emporium
Arlington, MA

On Friday I drove to Newburyport to meet an old friend for lunch. More on him another time. (Butch is launching a distillery business and gave me samples of 3 of his bitters. Wow. It brings cocktails to a whole new level. Hand-foraged. Tulip Poplar Bark. What???)

I was also expecting to meet a guy who is selling his Martin D35 guitar. We had a major confusion - I thought he was driving to Newburyport, he thought I was driving to Portland, ME. I had $2200 in cash as I had intended to buy it. Anyway, on the way home I swung through the Music Emporium where Glenn bought his Martin OM28 a few weeks ago. I thought it would be helpful to play a bunch of guitars (again). I picked up the Martin D18 and knew - it's the one! So the price almost exactly what I had in cash. And I bought it! The "D" stands for dread nought - it's a big body with a big BOOMing base.

On Saturday we went to a bluegrass jam in West Concord. It's for musicians, no audience. You play in the round - meaning that one person chooses the song and the key and sings the lyrics and chorus, and everyone else sings the chorus. There's also a break after the chorus, and one of the good players does a solo (that would not be me). I was the only woman player and everyone else was really good. but they were very supportive and patient and it was a blast.

Now I"m adjusting my work schedule so I can finish by 7pm on Thursdays so I can jam with Judy every week. I've got the music bug!

Guitar quest

Mr. Music
Allston, Massachusetts

Recently I abruptly announced to Glenn that I was going to change my life. He drew in a sharp breath, waiting for a bombshell. The sea change is: switching arm full of silver bracelets to the left side (rather than the right). Why? Easier to play guitar. He cracked up.

I'm so excited about playing music. I started taking lessons again a few years ago with a wonderful singer-songwriter. But she's way across town and inclusive of lesson and travel time, it took about 3 hours. Everything changed when I met Judy last summer. She is a neighbor, mentor, teacher, friend but she likes to call herself my coach. She is 78 and has played music since she was a teenager.

We get together a few times a week and play and sing. Since I was a kid I loved to sing harmony. But never thought I "could" so never pursued it. Until now. She plays guitar, bass and banjo. Now and then we play the few songs I've written and she totally rocks out on her electric bass, but mostly we play bluegrass/traditional music.

She makes me CDs of songs we work on. I also bought a book called "Parking Lot Pickers Songbook" and am going through that alphabetically. She wants me to memorize lyrics as well as the music. In bluegrass, no one uses sheet music. It's all from memory. I went to a jam at her house a few weeks ago and one of the players said she knows at least 200 songs. Wow! I have 2 memorized.

So now I"m on a quest for a new guitar. This take up a lot of time! Glenn got a new Martin recently. So I'm spoiled by playing that. Right now I play on a $300 Walden but am looking to upgrade to a really good one.

I saw the oncology NP this week. All is well (although cancer never showed up on blood work) but hey, I'll take it. Will get scans in 6 weeks. In the meantime I'm continuing with physical therapy and am 98% recovered. I'm "allowed" to bike to work every other day. This week I went 2 days in a row and really felt it. So clearly she knows what she's talking about.