Monday, January 28, 2013

The Last New Year's Eve

The new year's eve concert is family tradition. We've done it for years. This year, for the first time, we had it somewhere different -- at the Shue barn in Kidron, OH. It's an amazing venue (pictured above, from the loft.

Great evening -- Tim Shue tore it up on electric, accordion,  trombone and vocals. Toby Hazlett anchored the tunes and occasionally showed his amazing chops on a variety of basses. Andrew Simms drove halfway across the state to play percussion and Kimberly Glick jumped in on vocals and gave us a glimpse of her songwriting talent as well.

All this happened in the great space cluttered with instruments, hand carved spoons, tools, and delicious food -- with snow swirling around outside.

I think it's the best this particular band has ever sounded. Made me so thankful to have the opportunity to play music with quality musicians and welcome the new year with a great mix of people: poets and writers, teachers and pastors, family makers and lovers of the single life -- that is to say: family, old friends and a scattering of people I just met.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

On the road (and the blog) again

After several very quiet, travel-less months, December and January launched us out of the mountains into a swirl of motion. I've been home only a day or two and have posted less on this blog than any time since sabbatical. The pace is picking up and the challenge is to find a good rhythm and fit the most important things in. More about that soon.

This is me in a hotel room doing a bit of late night practice on the guitar I've been using since my sister Kimberly dropped it off at our place late this fall. It's a Washburn, and it plays nicely with Marshall (who recently got new tubes). It's enjoyed it's visit with the Reuels and I've taken it to PA, OH and TX. It travels well. But that's enough gear talk.

I'll post more about the travels and what Christa and I have been thinking and making recently.



Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Copyleft

Copyleft defined: I grant you permission to use this image however you like, provided only that you grant the same permission to anyone who chooses to use the image (or its derivation) from your website.

So, technically, taking an image provided under the copyleft rubric, and offering it for sale, or otherwise restricting its use is a breach of copyleft. The degree to which an image is modified and becomes an original work, is a very gray area of intellectual property law.

I like the idea that I could protect an image I made -- either from being used without permission or from having it's use restricted by monetary issues. Of course you can argue philosophical and moral advantages of both approaches -- I think there is value in both, a "time for every purpose under heaven."

Monday, January 7, 2013

And How (Any Thing)

Any thing you pass on your bike
Any thing at all
Any thing you're willing to like
To paint or name or call
Any thing that you spend attention on
Mention in passing, or examine meticulously
Any thing can be a portal, a method of learning
A hint of the Holy
Anything can be a pillow, a spur or a crucible
Depending on who
Uses it, gives it, defines it
And how

- Jonathan Reuel, 01.22.2013