June 23

Tina Ross just celebrated her grandson's second birthday party this past Saturday, and he's just amazing. He was able to spend the week here. His parents (her son and daughter-in-law) went away for 5 days for the first time, so she had some really concentrated time with him, and it was just so incredible. Additionally she just found out that  at the festival up in Vermont called the Solar Fest, where they have a songwriting contest, she got an honorable mention. She will be on stage and do some song circles and sell my merchandise. Also, Andy's playing a lot more fiddle. 

Allan Kugel just came back from an enjoyable in person conference in Palm Springs.  This was the first time this group has been able to meet in 4 years. He added that the world does not use taxi cabs anymore. The cab companies were unable to provide cabs when he needed them because they didn't have enough drivers anymore.

Sam Edelston  recounted that he and wife Robin got back from a two  and a half week cruise in Iceland, Norway and the British Isles, a week ago . Highlights included incriminating videos of him attempting to step dance at a pub in Dublin. They had a lunch in a Belfast pub, and he had a half pint of stout, and it tasted just as good as the stout that he had at an Irish session in Philadelphia when he was in college, which is to say he hated it.

Loretta Brooks spent three days in Cape May with 250 members of New Jersey's Audubon Society, and she went out and looked at migrating birds of all different colors and feathers, and which was  brand new experience for her.

Mark Schaffer recounted that between age 3 weeks and maybe about 12 years, his daughter Rebecca and son Willy used to come and sit up front in front of the stage at the Troubadour, and when they got old enough not to come they didn't.  However, she was going to come this weekend to see the few people left that might recognize her. Now she's a 40 year old mother, with a ten-year-old and an eight-year-old. Her husband took them away for the weekend, so she had her first weekend alone. She was just about to visit the Troubadour for the first time in 30 years, but she got sick and her first time alone in 10 years was spent in bed.  Separately, Mark and Robin went down to Long Branch and took a boat ride and spent the day with 10 of his cousins that he grew up with on his father's side and it was just beautiful, with some of his oldest and dearest friends were telling stories all day long and he just had a beautiful day with the cousins. 

Gary Pratt was happy to say that he and Joyce plan on coming to the Fourth of July picnic.

Mike Agranoff was talking with Carol Wise, who was an opener last month, and she was said that she had such a wonderful time that she came all the way from Maine to the [50th Anniversary] Jubilee. He asked during the conversation if there someplace up her way where somebody can perform? She replied that there is a  place right next door to her, called Cadenza. He sent them a promo pack, and the next day got an email back saying they  just had a cancellation, and they'd love to have him. So in 2 weeks he'll drive 315 or 325 miles up to Maine to do a gig.

Paul Fisher turned 70 two weeks ago so and finally get his first social security check.