Music in the Valley

One of the things that made life worth living this year was rediscovering music. I went to a folk music weekend called Stringalong in Wisconsin last November, thinking to take up the guitar. Imagine my surprise, however, when instead an autoharp called to me. What is an autoharp, you ask? Well, you put 30+ strings on a box that rings...and tune for the rest of your life. The link above will tell you more about this delightful instrument than you'd probably ever want to know. I fell in love with it, bought one and by December, I was playing it and singing in the town Christmas show.

I met some other musicians at my church, and have started playing weekly with them. We just did a benefit last month in Pueblo at the Union Depot. It was a lot of fun, and only our second time playing in public.

There are a LOT of musicians in Westcliffe - both amateur and some professionals, too. Probably our best known band is the bluegrass group Sons and Brothers.

My next venture is to start an open acoustic jam/coffeehouse at my church on Wednesday nights. I have a feeling people are going to come out of the woodwork, especially in the summer.

As for music - well, I can't get enough of it!

Big Changes

It's been over a year since I last posted, and my life has changed almost beyond recognition since then. On February 1, 2006, my beloved husband John died in a household accident. I have dealt with my grief elsewhere, so I do not intend to expand on it in this blog, but suffice it to say that this year has been a journey of finding out who I am without him.

I have learned that it is possible to find joy and fulfillment again after a period of grieving, and that death is not the end of all. I am much less scared of death now than I once was.