Getting close to Christmas. Very close.

12/19

Pat O, RL and Alex. Stay Awhile. Again.

Always enjoy Arcadia’s weekly visit to sign the checks. She always brings with her a comforting spirit and presence.

Jeremy and I are working on how to handle this week’s visit of  Theatre Dzieci, if we want to add anything at all to what they are doing for the service.

Boxer Mike is in with his Blueberry. The beautiful Dalmatian. After all these years, still, all he wants is just a place to hang up a bag so that he can train  the kids…I wish it were that easy..

I get back from Mili’s gallery in time for the latter part of Open Mic…Our spoken word man Poez is at the piano as I arrive.

Poez

David L does a strong set backed by Alex on violin.

David L and Alex

RL is doing his annual recitation of  Red Ryder and the Fat Lady, but asks me first to tell the story (briefly) of how I first heard him do that tale after our first Crafts Festival and Balcony Music fest in a frozen unheated church with no restrooms back in 2010. When no one was left but the clean up crew and boss. He’d left. And then moments later, walked back in, asking for just seven minutes, for something he had to do, and do here..and how slowly we all became transfixed. And as always, he chokes up as he tells the story of  the year with Mable, and no father…(worth a read, go to http://west-parkpress.blogspot.com/2010/12/advent-iv-today-we-lived-in-church-that.html….read to the end, amazing to look back at what life was like 4 years ago…). Pat O’Connell is back with his ever evolving pedal board and a good mix of songs including some seasonal with a quirk or two.

Pat O

Mandola Joe gives us what he has been waiting for, namely his declamation of Clement Moore’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas…

Mandola Joe

We’ve also got David Yorke with his originals. And NED from France, accompanied by a friend,

Ned and friend

and then as a special surprise, his father.

David Yorke

NED and DAD

As for me, I try to pull off Robert Earl Keen’s Merry Christmas From the Family with what I’ll call a strumstick and lose the battle. Again. Alex comes up to join me and I blend my You Won’t See Me with Norwegian Wood. (RL says that Lennon told him it’s a confession of an arsonist who set fire to a lover’s apartment when he found her gone…)It works.

Bob with Alex

And bring Pat up for a finish of a good wintertime Girl of the North Country. My first all covers set I can think of. And of course, it is a comfort to have  RL back for Stay Awhile.

It is getting close to Christmas. Very close.