It is winter. Dark... but getting lighter every day. Cold... but once in while the sun shines. People mostly stay in and the streets are quiet.

But, Hudson still has its Farmers Market. 

Rick and Marilyn played there this past Saturday. Inside, but near the door. There were times that if i was not otherwise occupied, I would have asked, maybe loudly, to close the door. We were next to Mei's dumplings, and if you are local, you KNOW about those dumplings. Yum!!! And LOTS of other premade foods, donuts, gluten free pastries and breads, even cutting boards and woman's hats. Of course, there are others too... the woman whose products make you smile just to see them... flowers!!  And UNCOOKED foods, otherwise known as vegetables, eggs and meats, lol. 

And, standing just inside one of the doors, two people doing this Guitar and Song thing. One singing old folk songs and the other telling the heart side of the story on his guitar. Rick and Marilyn.

At first, I felt cold and distracted. It seemed that the music just kinda dropped. But it changed, and I don't quite know when or why. I just started realizing the songs were entering lives as women walked past, singing along. The kid over there, bopping around to the beat. The tips, sometimes just put into the basket, but other times, along with a whispered, 'Thank you'.

Thank you. 

The Farmers Market is not something you just go to for fresh vegetables. It is a social thing, a community thing. Some folks stayed an hour or more, just walking around, talking to this one and that one. Obviously, more than one family ate a meal that day that was made by the same person who sold it. 

I am so glad to be able to make music at the market. Hudson is my home, and the Hudson Farmers Market was my first steady gig, back when tips were all you got, lol. They have always made me feel so good about the music, and I am very thankful. 

I hope you visit your local Farmers Market!!

Thanksgiving

 Hi Folks!!!

What a year this had been... and it is working on being 'what a decade!', LOL.

We all may have plenty to mourn. I know many of you have lost loved ones, retired and are having trouble adjusting, are worried about the direction the USA may be headed.

But, we can also say that it is good to have had loved ones!! It is good both to have had work you enjoyed and now the opportunity to do other great things!!!  And... the USA still has choices to make, we have the opportunity to help make some of those choices and continue to work on all the things that just are not done yet, right?

I will be helping prepare and serve a Thanksgiving feast for my community. I have wanted to do this for years upon years, to give back to the people here. I am not too close to family, so this gives me the opportunity of doing something useful while being around truly wonderful folks. I look forward to it being a time of true thanksgiving. 

I hope that you have plans for the day that have you looking forward in anticipation.  I hope that you have an easy list of things to give thanks for, to be grateful for, to hold dear.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

 

Rick and Marilyn on the Sloop Clearwater

 Rick and Marilyn played the Sloop Clearwater on Labor Day 2024. I was so very happy to be able to do this, and I jumped at the chance, right? And what a perfectly beautiful night it was. A cool wind was blowing and it looked like we would have a nice sail. 

We get there, with a few minutes to spare and we are happy about that, because I have no clue on parking. Everything is marked ‘Permit Only’, but what kind of permit and what does any of that mean? So, I parked where we could fairly easily unload and get to the boat, and the people on the boat did not have a clue on parking either, so I left it there. 

It was there when I returned. Without a ticket attached. whew.

We walked with our ‘calling cards’, otherwise known as GUITARS. LOL. We went right past the guy who was stopping people from boarding and went right to the boat, greeted by Jacob, who was just a really wonderful guy and our point person. 

We talked briefly about what we would be doing, that our gear is battery powered, that we basically did folk songs. We were asked for a labor song after the silence, but we don't have one. Should have thought of that, but really we also didn't have time to develop a song. But the captain was ok with us doing the environmental song by Joni, Big Yellow Taxi.

So, we hang out, saying hi to the folk who board. Now we are all on and the captain tells us all the stuff we have to know to be safe on the boat. Like where the life jackets are. Be sure to listen to the crew members. Do NOT step here, do not walk there. You know, the things that might help keep you alive on the river.

Oh, didn't I say? I am PETRIFIED of the water. of drowning. I can not swim. I don't have a CLUE once I am in the water, on how to keep breathing. But I have always loved Pete Seeger and his boat and his ideas on using music to bring people together.  So, here I am. To play music on Pete's boat.

We push off and prepare to raise the sail.  It goes up and up and we sing a chanty to keep the beat.

Music! 

And now it is time to make Rick and Marilyn music!!!. 

I don't remember which songs we played.  What I do remember is seeing all these people with the wind in their hair and smiles on their faces enjoying being on this majestic river on this beautiful day! What I did not know, until we got off the boat, was that MANY people, in the spirit of Pete, I imagine, were singing our folk songs, belting them, enjoying the music by making it their own! THAT is what it is all about.  

We had the traditional silent time, and watched the river, felt the wind and heard the birds around us.  And then we sang the old song ‘Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around’, with labor oriented verses (instead of Big Yellow Taxi). And headed back to shore. 

What an amazing time!