First Weekend-- First Bluegrass Jam ... good playing

OK - I'm just getting around to blogging about the weekend...

I cooked a really nice breakfast for Leona, my host. She's fed me a couple of really nice meals, and it was time to reciprocate. Made my fabulous homefries and a green onion, goat cheese, lox omelet. yum. And then spent the next couple of hours using her kitchen to cook for myself for the week. Now my mini-fridge is stocked up with good soup, rhubarb, chicken and stringbeans.

Sat. eve. I drove to Cedar Springs, which is about 1/2 south of here, to catch a bluegrass concert that Mark from Mandolin Cafe told me about. It was at a cute little theater, but since I got there 10 min. late, it was sold out!! I should have known better-- Elliott has a thing about being on time, and she says it's a midwestern value and not just her obsession. I guess she was right. In Philly, the concert would not have even started yet... in fact the doors might not have even opened yet!

Anyway, there were a few folks hanging around who had come with their instruments b/c there was to be jamming after the concert. And one of them was Mark, who recognized me and pulled me into a side room with a bunch of pickers and thus began my first ever bluegrass jam. It's not music I've ever played before, so I didn't attempt any leads. They were friendly and kept inviting me - I felt very welcome - but I kept shaking my head... I was happy to be just playing chop chords in the background and being part of it. It was fun, and I was able to add some vocal harmonies. All in all a good time. I took some pix, but had forgotten to put the memory card back in the camera, so they're stored in the small memory on the camera and I don't yet have the cable to get them off. So I'll add later.

Sunday I slept late (yay!!) and then picked Jacob up at one of the student cabins where he's living and together we went down to Rockford (a little outside of Grand Rapids) to meet Bruce and Jim and Carol who get together to play mandolins once in a while... played there for a few hours, learning and teaching... good fun, low key, nice folks. Nice dog too...Jacob is playing feet with him in the pic.

Drove back and took Jake back to his cabin and went in for a bit and hung out with him and Eramin (not sure if that's spelled right) who is another 6mo student, and is from Brazil. Got to see the guitar he made in his first 2 months... really really nice. If mine comes out as well, I'll be a happy camper. The cabin is in the woods, and is a very nice, spacious, and clean living space. I'm sure I'll be visiting again...