It's all about Living............

doing it authentically, making it real.............
              and FOLK magazine is where you can find it.............

 

Last August I received a subscription to FOLK (check out this post to see how I learned about the magazine).  I keep the issues by my bed and I love to flip through an issue and find something nice to read before falling asleep.  The photography in the magazine is gorgeous. I dearly wish that I could take some of my quilts and things and create the look that you can find in FOLK. I tried to get "that look" in my photo above. I took one of my favorite old quilts that my friend, Judith, gave me and put it on the bed, placed my dulcimer atop it and spread out my three favorite issues of FOLK.  It took me nine tries to get a photo that didn't have glare so I clearly need some photography lessons!  I do have a friend that might be able to give me some tips so I'll have to give her a call. When it comes to lessons, though, the real thing I want I want to learn is how to play that dulcimer! It was custom made for me by Leland Ilgen, a wonderful dulcimer player that I met when I worked at Historic Murphy's Landing in the late 1990's (it's now known as The*Landing).  I spent a couple summers there as Martha, the dressmaker, and sharing the history of the late 1800's. Leland would often be on the porch of one of the houses playing tunes for the guests who visited the recreated homes and businesses. It was like "stepping back in time". Such a peaceful setting!  When Leland played those folk tunes, he loved to tell people how easy it was to play the dulcimer. He convinced me and I decided I needed one. I placed an order and he took the flower design from my business card and added it to the front of the dulcimer. I remember that my husband and I drove to his home in a terrible snow storm to pick it up. I kept it safe in it's case and some days, I'd get it out and just strum it a bit. I tried to play it and even bought a lesson book.  Then Real Life got busy and I wasn't able to spend as much time at The Landing so I never really got the lessons I needed from Leland.  And then last week, I discovered lessons on YouTube! Oh, my, I gave it a try and I may finally learn to play that beautiful instrument after all. As I strummed a rather off-key version of "Amazing Grace" tonight, I could not help but think of the stories my mother has shared about her Grandpa Whitt and his fiddle playing. He was from Missouri but his father, Elijah Whitt, was born in Fayette County, Kentucky in 1800 and the fiddle was handed down in the family. Maybe my dulcimer will be passed down through the generations. You never know. All I do know is that there has been a lot of good music and real authentic living going on through these many generations!!  I'll keep you posted on my musical progress. If I succeed at this, maybe I'll even share a tune on You Tube!

Spring is just around the corner, even though here in Minnesota there is still a lot of snow covering the ground. But the calendar says spring arrives next week and I am ready for it. I'm also ready for the Spring issue of FOLK.............

It will be here soon! If you'd like to see this issue arrive at your home, you can subscribe at 50% off, just click here and enter the code #FOLK.

And then, just like me, you can have a relaxing read before bed........

or with a cup of coffee in the morning .........

or a cup of tea in the afternoon! Just enjoy!

Have a lovely day!
Sandi

Oh, and yes, those are teeth marks on the FOLK issue that features the candy apples. Dear beagle Kaiser took a liking to the magazine and must have thought those apples were real!  :-)