Scraps Of Mind

Music…Ughh! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing

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….that should get my membership of the human race revoked!

OK, true confessions. Music has never really played a big role in my life. As a kid I just tuned into the ‘fashionable’ music of the time to keep up with my peers. I’m perfectly happy to spend a day alone in my house in complete silence rather than make the effort to put some music on. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy listening to it when it’s on; it’s just not important enough that I would make any effort for it.

However a significant (in level of importance) section of my acquaintance is very musically inclined/talented. So a few years ago I thought I would get with the programme and join the cognoscenti of musically minded people. I decided I would learn to play an instrument. That would get my mind shifted into the right gear and enable me to converse with my friends on a more even basis (mind you I’ve never allowed lack of knowledge to impede my ability to talk about any subject).

I was introduced to the Folk Festival scene and found I really enjoyed it. At my first festival I came in contact with the folk/celtic harp, and decided that was the instrument for me.

So I had a harp built, and signed up for lessons and practised regularly (though not diligently, I fear) for a couple of years. It has been a growth experience as I have discovered that am now the owner of a beautiful harp but I do not have a musical bone in my body.

But part of me had always foreseen this possibility. Whilst the harp may seem an unusual instrument for a musically dysfunctional person to pick, it has the advantage of being a beautiful piece of furniture which doesn’t take up a large amount of space.

So now my musical pretensions are satisfied by this great conversation piece in my living room which makes a wonderful prop for photo poses, as Seona demonstrates.

Allan’s Organ

You may recall the organ I wrote about last week that we saw at the Macedonia in Lancefield and Allan was quite smitten by.

Well the days passed and I was wondering if he was still thinking about it and considering buying it. I tried to give him a gentle prompt by the following Wednesday. Remember I didn’t want to be too pushy, and he hadn’t discussed the topic on the Saturday whilst he had been installing my garden lights.

Anyway he sent me a depressingly negative email about how the piano stool we’d seen didn’t come as a package with the organ and would have to be bought separately, how the cost to ship it down to Melbourne was looking exorbitant, how he was worried that it might be too heavy for his floorboards, how his dog had died and his woman had done left him with four hungry children and a crop in the fields….

So I thought, OK; time and distance have cooled him off. So after a bit of email to-ing and fro-ing I suggested that we might take a trip up to Lancefield the following (last) Saturday and pay it a visit, just in case seeing it again might tweak his heartstrings.

And he told me there was no need to visit it as it already had a sold sticker on it. With his name on it! Ratbag!!!

Other related posts:
St Patrick’s at the Macedonia

28th Annual Festival of the Sun

The 28th Annual Festival of the Sun was held yesterday. This amazing party has been running every year for the last 28 years, held at Rob and Doreen’s place. This year there were three bands playing, including the ever-popular Jack Rabbit & the Pubic Hares.
Jack even had some new songs to present, although it would probably have been a good idea if all the band members had been present at rehearsals.
This year’s invitation was an incredible Sgt. Pepper-esque  photo collage of Festival goers, past and present, put together by Rob, who ran a competition to guess the names of all the people. Unfortunately most people were daunted by all of the retro photos, some couldn’t even recognise themselves (yes Allan, this means you) and only a few brave souls actually took up the challenge. Unlike previous years, no one jumped into the pool for the traditional games of water polo. I suggested that maybe Festival goers were turning into grown-ups, but this was hotly denied by all parties and a number of other excuses were hastily dragged out.

Rob and Doreen have such a great place. Including a Pavilion overlooking the swimming pool (just because) and a fantastic model railway which winds its way through the undergrowth around the garden. We always get a visit from some of the wildlife in the area, usually possums. But this year this Kookaburra sat in judgement on the event.

As has been our custom for several years I was designated driver and picked up Thatch and Jools in my little red taxi.

Phil and Seona didn’t attend this year as the logistics of coming down from Sydney for this weekend didn’t pan out. Allan has now joined our little group so we still had a full car. brought along the dip and nibblies and the wine and the Thatchers, as always provided the deliciously pretentious meal — barbequed lamb wraps with garlic sauce and salad and Crème Brule for desert. Complete with the blowtorch to create the toffee crust!! Yummm.

Ahhh, roll on the 29th Annual Festival of the Sun.