Let me be a clear channel and an instrument of your love

Good morning everyone...I just had to write about this morning. It’s been typical Catskills weather, hot , a little muggy, some days an afternoon shower...but this morning the air wasn’t so hazy and the breeze is constant. I can hear every creature chirping in the surrounding woods. I went to the main lodge (Valley View House), got my coffee and stood out on the sprawling front deck taking it all in. I called to Johnny with my secret whistle. If he was awake I would hear the whistle off in the distance. He was awake. I walked to the end of the drive to meet him. We cheered with our coffees and agreed this morning was magical.

We are finishing up our week at The Full Moon Resort teaching with Tommy Emmanuel and Jorma and it has by far, been one of the most amazing weeks. These mountains have an amazing wealth of talent in them right now. When you have teachers like Jorma and Tommy, we see poets of the guitar in our students. I think Tommy played with every one of his students and the pieces the students chose were great. Having Tommy sit in as accompaniment must have been the thrill of a lifetime. I know it would be for me. Tommy is such and amazing human being. He is a true lover of life and he’s never not completely grateful for his life and the ability to do what he does for others.

A big up to Jorma too. A few days before we started , he was in Winnipeg performing with Hot Tuna. He flew in Monday afternoon and started teaching right after dinner. With Marjorie Thompson by his side as his teaching assistant, his students got the kind of music lessons you can only find at The Fur Peace Ranch.

One of the things we never wanted to do when we opened the Ranch was to get financial assistance from the state (because we are a school) or from inventors. Because when the economy is not up to par, the first thing to go is the arts. We couldn’t risk the possibility of someone else saying, “Sorry, this isn’t working anymore…time to call it a day.” If we couldn’t do this with just Jorma’s and my income and savvy, then maybe we wouldn’t work as hard to keep it alive. We had no idea that it would be the students that fed the spirit of The Ranch. The Ranch is an amazing place….but whether we are in Ohio or off-site like here at Full Moon, when the students show up….it becomes The Fur Peace Ranch. We’ll be back in 2011. Next year David Bromberg and Jorma will be here. We just posted our 2011 schedule late last night. It will be another impressive year thanks to all of the instructors and of course….our blessed students.

I’m heading up to breakfast now...then a Coffee Break Concert after that with John Hurlbut & friends will close out this stellar week. Tommy just stopped by on his way to the lodge...he told us about the prayer he offers to his students before he always plays... Lord make me a hollow reed from which the pith of self has been blown so that I may be a clear channel and an instrument of your love.

Amen brothers & sisters

Two blogs in one day is rare, I know. If you actually read any of these you can tell that it takes me while to write, but blogs do happen and usually I am moved by the great spirit and then I write. Well, the great food G-d moved me tonight so I must tell. I had made plans before I left Ohio to take everyone out for dinner after the long ride to upstate NY. I told everyone in an email..."If you make it by dinnertime I will treat you to a great Italian meal." We have a fondness for all things Italian at The Ranch and in our home so to find a good place would be really special. I wasn’t even sure about this one because I had never eaten there and everything I found out about it was done through the internet. So, everyone arrived around the same and off we drove to Frank Guido’s Little Italy in Kingston, NY. Their motto is Chi Mangia bene, vive bene. Who eats well, lives well.

The location of Little Italy was great. Tucked into a corner on a sharp turn in one of Kingston’s historical neighborhoods, sat a picturesque restaurant with burgundy awnings and matching café style tables just outside the entrance. It looked like a movie set. When you come through the front door the walls are peppered with black and white autographed pictures of Al Pacino, James Gandolfini, Robert De Niro, Danny Aiello and Tony Bennett. That was a good sign.

We were not disappointed. The food was fantastic... served family style and the service was great. I had the seafood risotto which is one of my favorite Italian foods. John had the classic brasciole. It was a tender piece of sirloin stuffed with prosciutto, provolone, roasted egg and garlic. You could smell the garlic throughout the entire restaurant. Jill ordered the brasciole too but with a side of pasta and clam sauce. Brett sat next to me and he ordered a four cheese ravioli. The marinara was so dark in color and the flavor reminded me of a marinara I had in Calabria a few years back. Our waiter Kyle, was a real pro. Izze was with us and you just never know how a four year old will act when you go out to eat...especially at a nice place. Kyle gave her a lot of attention and didn’t miss a beat with the adults. I could go on and on but it’s getting late and we start teaching tomorrow so I want to get to bed in a few. I just want to say that service...customer service is a big deal to us at The Fur Peace Ranch. No one does it better than we do. When we find a business that really puts it out there...they deserve a big up!

Grazie per una meravigliosa esperienza

I made the long haul to upstate NY yesterday. We are teaching at The Full Moon Resort in Big Indian. Truly a Fur Peace from my home and The Ranch. I wasn't planning on making the drive in one day being that it's about 11 hours. Once my foot hit the gas petal...I didn't want to stop. It ended up being a beautiful trip. I cannot remember the route I took being so green. The foothills of West Virginia and Maryland I do get to see a lot but I rarely drive thru PA. We used to take the route I took when we first started coming to our place in Ohio from Woodstock. Everything looked so idyllic...even from 81. I drove through areas filled with forests, lakes and mountains on all sides. Not that driving is relaxing....but what was laid out before me; the winding roads, the thunderstorm off in the distance, the lush greenery...it was a chance to naturally unwind.

The PA mountains were once inhabited by the Delaware, Iroquois, Minisink, Lenape, Shawnee, and Paupack Indians. As much as I pay attention to the road before me when I am driving, my mind, like when I was a kid, sometimes plays tricks on me. We traveled the roads of New England every summer when we were young. Playing road games was something we always did. When we got bored with that, I remember we would look to the tops of the pines as we entered the White Mountains and imagine that the very tops of the trees from far away looked like Indians. We pretended they were watching us come into their land. I showed Izze the Indians at the tops of the trees when we were coming into Wilkes-Barre. She got really quiet and looked as we entered their home land. Finally she said, "Your just joking, right Mom?" It brought me back to a time when the only thing I had to worry about was if the boy next door to my Grandparents place at the foot of Mt. Whiteface was going to like me this summer or pine for my sister Cynthia again.

The drive to the Catskills that I was dreading actually got my mind right for the boss man....as Cool Hand Luke would say. We arrived after 9pm, dropped our bags in our room and headed to the Olympia Diner. It's one of my favorite upstate diners. It was late but I felt like I needed food since I hadn't really eaten much on the drive. I ordered a tuna melt and Izze ordered a pancake. Her pancake was bigger than my dog and my tuna melt could have fed the staff at The Ranch. It didn't matter.....I kept staring at Izze and remembering my own youth and I felt such calm and gratitude. Not so much gratitude for the vacations I was lucky enough to go on as a kid....because, to be completely honest they weren't always great (another story for another time). The gratitude was for that moment looking over at Izze and feeling so lucky that my life has been filled with laughter and joy and lots of love despite some of the shit. The stuff I hold on to today is the good stuff and I can give that to Izze...like the Indians. I took her to see Toy Story 3 today, before the classes start tomorrow and she enters my world for a week. It was great! I cried thru the silliest parts but like I told her...they were happy tears!

Blow your horn......

Getting involved on whatever level is so necessary. It’s the little things about being part of your community that add up. We get to see a lot of that here in the middle of America. It’s not that it’s not happening in cities like NY or LA, it’s just that we actually get to see it because our population is so small . I learned that when I first moved to Ohio from New York. A local 80 year old woman, Jesse Curtis, who’s family had owed our property for over one hundred years, said to me when I moved out here, she said, “I hope you like small towns, cause folks do a lot of neighboring around here”. She was so right. The flip side of people knowing what you had for dinner is that they know when you need help even if you are not inclined to ask for help.

In my life I have seen 2 wars, said goodbye to friends who perished in 9/11 and watched a community crumble from hurricane Katrina. Disaster and heartache can also come from poverty. Poverty is one disaster that the nightly news doesn’t necessarily pick a powerful type font for when they are telling it story. The one thread however that they all share is the response of the American Red Cross. They are second responders to most disasters. Since its founding in the late 1800’s by visionary leader Clara Barton (who I did my first ever book report on in third grade), the Red Cross has been the nation's premier emergency response organization and on a global level, they offer neutral humanitarian care to the victims of war. They distinguish themselves by also aiding victims of devastating natural disasters. Their aim is to prevent and relieve suffering, offer compassionate services that help the needy, support and comfort for military members and their families, collect and distribute goods, process and distribute lifesaving blood and blood products, educate communities through programs that promote health and safety and provide international relief and development programs. I know that's a mouthful.....and here’s the part that gets me; an average of 92 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency (probably why is still functions as well as it does), it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.

We just hosted a luncheon here at the Ranch for our local Red Cross. We met the local Director, Pamela Martino a few years ago . She’s been our local Director for a few years and yet our local county hadn’t had the opportunity to meet her. Our local office has only 2 paid employees. They count on the response from volunteers and for the most part we have quite a few. Our goal was to bridge a gap and I think we accomplished that over a simple but delicious lunch. Chris and the rest of the kitchen staff prepared turkey cobb wraps, a local garden green salad, watermelon gazpacho and Ranch made ice cream. The conversation flowed like water over the common interest of everyone present to make sure we act like a community. That means taking care of the people that live here. It felt good. Extraordinary measures were not taken to pull it off, just a desire to help.

When I started this blog I was apprehensive about where it might go. I didn’t want it to be political and I didn’t want to write about what I think is wrong with the world. I hope in the few entries that I’ve shared I have steered clear of that. I will say this though, I think because of my life...the gift of my life...I have the responsibility to live it well and to pass on any goodness that was passed on to me. Today I was feeling the love. Everyone who attended our luncheon were members of a community that has seen it share of change, both good and bad. For the most part they were the working class. What I mean by that is that despite the money and riches they may have, they have all worked hard for it. I sat next to a gentlemen I have known for years. He is in his 80’s now and has is serving his sixth term on the Wildlife Council. With a farming background, he has a love for the land and everything that grows and lives on it. I am a better person today because of the people that the universe has put in my path. I’ll close out this lengthy post a few days before the 4th of July and just put it out there to get involved, help your neighbors, do service work and don’t forget to floss.

Family

I just got back from a week away on the coast of Maine. I have family there and spent my summers not far from there in the mountains of New Hampshire. My brother came up from Connecticut with all of his kids, their kids and their families that included grand nieces, grand nephews, second cousins and in-laws. It was an unexpected melding of personalities and hearts. We played in the waves, took long barefoot walks on the beach, enjoyed meals together and laughed like we were kids. It was so good to see Izze playing with cousins she had never met. They were instant family....especially when it came time to share buckets and shells and the best piece of driftwood on the beach. The search for hermit crabs on the rocks by all the young kids was so sweet to watch. It was brilliant innocence. No tears.....no fear...just safe...calm and sincere. I felt like I was dreaming at one point...trying to capture it on my IPhone...then just standing there with my heart full. That moment alone was worth the airport travel, standing in line for a rental car and the stress of leaving the comfort of your space for a week.

I have another family at the Fur Peace Ranch....not relatives....but a close group of people nonetheless. I know that for some it is probably just a job but it was never that for me and Jorma. Sometimes I think it is an art to maneuver your way around everyone's like and dislikes. But it all good. In some ways, I love them like I love my own family. Maybe that's why it all works. I don't really know. I know that when we are all there working together on whatever project, I stand back and feel that same full heart like I did on the beach.

It's good to leave my comfort zone every once in awhile. To put myself out there away from my own reality. What emails? What schedule? These unexpected moments are the stuff that matters. The time I have spent scheduling my "human doings" has probably resulted in me missing some of this. My own reality today is filled with joy. Joy for it all as it touches my heart.

Social change is often a topic of conversation here at the Ranch and in our home. What needs changing, how to make it happen and how to keep the momentum going. Years ago when our country got involved in this mess in Iraq and Afghanistan, we made a collective decision to change our youth scholarship program to now provide scholarships for returning Vets from Iraq and Afghanistan. We believe that music heals the soul and we could not think of more deserving individuals . All of our poster sales, private donations and matching donations from Jorma and I, built a credible fund. The Vets were slow in answering the call so Hot Tuna went to Walter Reed to visit as many Vets as they could and let them know that we had a network started and it was there’s to take advantage of. The politics to get Hot Tuna in the doors was typical but all in all we were grateful for the help of one soldier who helped make it all happen. I am not sure if I can use his name or not, so I am intentionally leaving it out. Our men and woman are still over there and we are still here offering a chance to come and experience what the Fur Peace Ranch is all about.

Fast forward to last weekend…..I got a call from Freddy Hahne, Board member of the Rex Foundation. It was an unexpected call and surprise to say the least. Freddy wanted me to know that he had been thinking about Jorma and the Ranch and everything that we have been doing here in the last 13 years. He was calling to inform me that he was going to bring up Jorma and the Ranch at the Board Meeting the next day and nominate us/Jorma to be the recipient of the Ralph J. Gleason award. This award is in memory of music journalist Ralph J. Gleason, a major figure in the advancement of music in America in the 1960s, whose openness to new music and ideas transcended differences between generations and styles. I listened on the other end of the phone stunned and grateful of course. He said he’d be in touch after the meeting. Well……as these things go, they awarded Jorma this special fund to offer music instruction to youth in Appalachia. I held on to this news for a few day and announced it to Jorma and the rest of the staff and students at last weeks at orientation. We’ve had a chance to let it settle in and now the work begins.

Appalachia runs from parts of Mississippi to Maine. Where do we start? Who will benefit from this gift? How do we find the kids? Lots of questions and already lots of progress. I am in the process of contacting students and instructors along this Appalachian trail and paving a plan to offer music instruction in many forms. Lectures, lessons and guitars will be offered to as many kids as we can find. When the money runs out….we’ll find a way to keep it going. A big up to The Rex Foundation for choosing us to fulfill their mission. In these ways, together, as participants in the Rex Foundation community, we are helping to foster the power of community, service and the arts to help generate positive social change toward health, happiness and prosperity for all.

I've taken a few days off from the Ranch to come to NYC to see Jorma play the City Winery and to have a few adventures with Izze. I have experienced one evacuation of Time Square and a traffic tie up that left us inching our way four blocks that took about 45 minutes. Ahhh New York....always an adventure. Makes me wonder just a little why I leave my heaven on earth in Ohio. Traveling isn't always this way....but it is challenging now a days. I know I sound like my parents...but it's true. You get older and those simple things in life just seem so much more necessary. I will always love traveling but I just don't need all of the bells and whistles anymore. Just a simple trip will do.

It got me thinking about how I am today and how I have been in the past....not just me but with Jorma too. There's so much you see in each other when you are cooped up in a hotel room or tour bus. I decided to write down all of things things you might not know about him.....I'll get to me later. So, I'll bet you didn't know that:

1. Jorma always gets choked up over the National Anthem....no matter who is singing it
2. When Jorma's electronics like phones, computers, etc. don't work....he doesn't work very well.
3. Jorma loves burgers....but only with lettuce and pickles....NO KETCHUP!!!
4. He has to take a nap every day otherwise.....well....you don't want to know.....
5. He loves Hershey Chocolate bars....but really likes M&M's with Peanuts
6. He will drink hotel room coffee.....
7. He eats really fast
8. He changes the strings on his guitar every day
9. He likes a good sappy country song
10. War...any war....makes him weep but he still watches television shows about them because he is a history buff

I thought about listing a whole bunch of things about me...and I did, but then deleted them. I'll just say that I'm a work in progress and if I can just keep my side of the street clean...I'll be alright someday.....