Author Archives: J R
Hitty Namesakes: The Walker Sisters
Hitty sisters I recently carved made a trip hiking in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The Hitty sisters, wood dolls, share the heritage of Methitabel, (“Hitty” for short) a carved doll starring in the Newberry winning book Hitty, Her First Hundred Years. While I enjoy carving the dolls, the detailed tiny clothes are fashioned […]
Summer Song Sale: Flutes, Kanteles
In the heat of summer, what can cool you immensely is sitting in the air conditioning and playing a soothing musical instrument. During the summer, I am often making instruments and getting ready for my Fall art and craft shows that I travel to. Some of you have asked why I don’t have more flutes […]
My Elixir Gazpacho
When I was in Barcelona, I had some absolutely fabulous gazpacho. The best gazpacho I have ever tasted! We ate tapas in a cafe outside the Sagrada Familia. The waiter brought the freshest gazpacho. I long to go back for more. You can understand, then, that I have been on a quest to recapture that […]
The Changed Nashville
In May 2017 I was in Nashville, Tennessee, city of country music, to attend the Four Voices Concert. I stayed downtown to be able to walk to the Ryman Auditorium for the concert at night. During the day I looked forward to sauntering into some nearby musical instrument stores. But I was in for a […]
A Philosophy of Carving Spoons
From time to time I get interesting and/or encouraging correspondence through my website/blog. Recently, I have had a few comments and queries on my spoon carving. For example, I appreciated hearing from Mrs. B who wrote to tell me about her adventures in beginning spoon carving. She is fortunate to have so many trees on […]
My new mandolin
I’m now learning to play the mandolin. I hadn’t expected to be adding the mandolin to my musical instruments, but a nice series of events has led to me having a Kentucky KM-620-S. A few weeks ago, my aunt gave me her old mandolin (pictured right). She had started taking mandolin lessons, inspired by the […]
Four Voices Concert
Joan Baez. Mary Chapin Carpenter. Indigo Girls Amy Ray and Emily Saliers They were on stage in The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville for the opening night of their Four Voices Tour. The concert was two hours of harmony, addressing issues of life situations and politics, and enthusiasm about performing together and enjoying the response of the […]
