Music at Senior Living place - Live

 I was delighted last week to go give a live dulcimer music sharing time with seniors at a local senior living place.  It's been over a year as Covid came and closed off so many things.  It was great to see the people and even though lips were covered with masks for everyone I could tell some were smiling.  No singing was allowed but the curious bunch asked a handful of questions in between the tunes.  I 'took' them on a trip to other countries and far back in time with some Renaissance tunes, Celtic music, and good old American folk tunes from the South.  I have Scandinavian tune books but didn't feel I knew the tunes well enough.  I don't like to play looking at music sheets when I'm at a place.  After the music time one person came up and gave me home-made paper flowers she had made.  The bright daffodils were wonderful during the extra long grey days and the chilly spring here in Duluth.  Not many real flowers are up besides a few crocuses.  More to come!   I have cucumber plants, zinnia, and basil growing indoors.  Over the weekend I baked with the rosemary  from the rosemary that made it through the winter indoors. 

I normally would be organizing local art and gift fairs and arts, nature, and history day trips from Duluth but those still are on hold.  Over a year is a long time but at some point those will be able to be run again. For now I'm working at a sushi booth in a grocery store. The owner hums some Burmese songs as he creates and rolls the many kinds of sushi.  The store music system adds more music as you work.  I'm also doing meals deliveries and plug in a dulcimer CD, Gregorian chant music, and some of the CDs that I've had over the years.  My car is the main place that I listen and I spend more time in the car these days.  We are getting ready to do our first road trip - to the Pella Tulip Festival.  Outside camping, different foods, music, and a step toward normal.  We will get our 2nd shot this weekend. 

I hope everyone is staying safe and enjoying the re-opening of life.  Some places are more open than others - maybe that's good but we also need to be careful.  Wearing masks hasn't been the worst - the masks are from new and modified businesses that came forward during the past year.  I have one made by ladies in Nepal and is fair-trade.  You can even decorate your own.  Wearing seasonal ones also was a bit fun : Christmas theme, hearts, and now its time for flowers and flowers.  

I do have plenty of dulcimer books in stock, Cds, strings, MD hammers, HD hammers, and more items.  I plan to do more outside music playing this summer.  Outside painting, outside music, outside camping, outside garden.  All in time. Still below freezing some nights here but it's been toasty warm on sunny parts of the days in the greenhouse.

Happy Spring. 

Strum, pick, hammer -  breathe in the wonders of the new day.   

Wendy