Three beautiful things from our time on the road last week:

1. I took knitting on vacation with me. (This is not surprising; I take knitting everywhere, almost.) I packed Rudi’s sock, which I didn’t work on much because damp or sweaty hands do not encourage the easy flow of narrow-guage yarn, and I packed some cotton my friend Cynthia had sent me to make dishcloths with. Dasch and Reesie watched me knit for a while, and then Reesie asked if she could try. “Sure,” I said. “You work the yarn and I’ll hold the needles.” And sure enough we knit a whole row together like that. Then Dasch asked if he could try. And he did, but then he got bored and wanted us to switch and for him to work the needles and me to work the yarn. “Okay.” I showed him how and off we went. But then there were marshmallows to roast and s’mores to make and yarn was abandoned for loftier pursuits (by me as well as them). Next year, though, I’m breaking the yarn and needles out early.

2. There is nothing like having little kids sidle up to you and want to sit on your lap or snuggle with you on a blanket. Dasch, Reesie, and their new friend Aveeva all wanted some lap time over the weekend. And a couple of times I ended up on the blanket late at night with a sleepy child dozing off in my lap. There’s no nicer feeling in the whole wide world.

3. We arrived at Turkey Ridge after the folk festival ended to discover two new residents had moved into the family homestead. Callie and Chloe are two pint-sized, nine-week-old fluff balls. They’re a little skittish around people yet, as they’ve only been part of the family for a week. They run and jump and play nonstop until they crawl under something to sleep for 10 hours, causing mild alarm and panic about where they’ve disappeared to. They’re still at that age when their purrers are more developed than their tiny, palm-sized selves and when they consent to sit with you for a few minutes, their motors run full-speed.

Chocolate and knitting, of course!

Sarah organized a party tonight so a bunch of us could get together to knit and eat dessert and see our friend Grace who no longer works with us and who is seven months pregnant.

Sarah made salad and pizza so there was a base layer upon which to lay the dessert. Yum!

Amani made indoor s’mores which involved Golden Grahams, mini marshmallows, and gobs and gobs of chocolate. Suzanne made cakey chocolate cookies. Sarah made peach cobbler and fondue. I made chocolate cream puffs. We were very stuffed.

Suzanne taught Amani how to knit. Suzanne is a patient teacher and Amani is a quick student. Hurray for converting the friends!

Grace is nearly halfway done with a baby blanket that she started less than two weeks ago. Crazy pregnant lady! She also looks adorable and hip with her baby bump.

Sarah has a darling and gigantic apartment in Adams Morgan with a view of the Washington Monument. She has a deck with a breeze. She has a roommate with Fraggle Rock dvds. She rocks — as does he. And maybe we’ll all move into her house the next time she invites us over. They can fit another three people, right?

It really was a great night. One of the best I’ve spent in D.C. in a long time.

We’re back from Falcon Ridge, but the brains aren’t quite firing at full power yet. So I offer you another list in lieu of in depth content.

Top ten acts from the weekend:

1. Tracy Grammer

It’s been four years since Dave Carter died and Tracy has shown up every year and every year you sense that while she is still devastated, she is becoming less fragile. This year brought the final cd of their joint work, which they’d begun to record before Dave’s death. Tracy brought Dave’s sister and nephew and niece with her up on stage so they could begin to understand the impact Dave’s songwriting has had on all of us. She also performed “Salisbury Hill,” which I, at least, interpreted to mean that she is able to keep Dave’s spirit with her without him overshadowing her. Could just be my own wishful thinking, though…

2. Christine Lavin

Christine is a long-time family favorite with 17 albums to draw from, including such hits as “Mysterious Woman” and “Ballad of a Ballgame.” She is a riot to listen to on an album and worth almost any price of admission to see in person. She crowned a King of Falcon Ridge. She passed out whipped cream to the crowd. She invited all the male performers up on stage to perform the chorus of one of her songs. She was a bundle of endless energy. And that was just her mainstage act! From the workshop stage she passed out her bread recipe. And during the Friday Night Song Swap she sang about how New Yorkers are the politest people in the world.

3. Cheryl Wheeler

We discovered Cheryl during one of our first Falcon Ridges and have been in love with her sense of humor ever since. Her sets combine political humor (“Dubya Dubya” and “If It Were up to Me“), sweetly haunting melodies (“Howl at the Moon“), and just plain funny songs (“My Cat’s Birthday” and the apt “Handy House,” which had John Gorka and Christine Lavin out dancing and acting along).

4. Eddie from Ohio

Another early Falcon Ridge gem. They are terrific whether as a solo set or in combination during the Sunday Morning Gospel Wake-Up. They performed a beautifully haunting number at the end of their mainstage act, but the combination of distance (we were up at the campsite) and the overly loud sound system of the dance stage drowned out most of the lyrics, so I’m going to have to poke around to find out what it was. Julie Murphy Wells has been battling breast cancer since last year’s festival, so it was nice to see her out there looking and sounding as strong as ever.

5. Greg Greenway

I was unfamiliar with his work prior to his mainstage act Sunday afternoon and was so impressed I bought a cd. His voice reminds me of James Taylor and his songs lean toward the political ballads I grew up on. I’m excited to listen to his brand-new cd.

6. Modern Man

Comedy folk groups can be a lot of fun. They sing. They poke fun at the genre. They mock themselves. They mock us. And Modern Man did all of that with aplomb. Another cd I’m eager to delve into.

7. Winterpills

A folk rock group in the model of The Nields (drummer Dave is an alum) and EFO, the Winterpills clearly enjoy what they’re doing. And so do we.

8. Crooked Still

Centered around the vocals of Aoife Donovan, the cello of Rushad Eggleston, Greg Liszt’s banjo (he backed Springsteen on the Seeger session tour), and Corey DiMaurio’s bass, Crooked Still offers their own take on the marriage between folk, pop, and bluegrass. Aoife blew me away two summers ago in a solo set, and their group set last year inspired me to buy their first cd. This year’s follow-up was no disappointment and another cd has been purchased.

9. Gandalf Murphy & the Slambovian Circus of Dreams

Gandalf’s band has performed twice before at FRFF and I’ve never been impressed before with his afternoon sets. Maybe I wasn’t really paying attention, because this time I really enjoyed listening to them. I mean, they make the accordian look like a ton of fun. I didn’t buy any of their cds, but I suspect I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for a southerly swing on their next tour.

10. Nadine Goellner

The highlight of the 24 performers in the Emerging Artist Showcase, Nadine offered a jazzy, soulful pair of songs in a mini set that actually differentiated her from the crowd. Her cds had sold out by the time I hit the merchandise tent, which I think signals that many others agreed with me. I look forward to watching her career unfold.

Updating will resume shortly. Today was spent washing clothes, visiting cute kittens, and catching up with the family.

See you tomorrow…

You Are Big Bird

Talented, smart, and friendly… you’re also one of the sanest people around. You are usually feeling: Happy. From riding a unicycle to writing poetry, you have plenty of hobbies to keep you busy. You are famous for: Being a friend to everyone. Even the grumpiest person gets along with you. How you life your life: Joyfully. “Super. Duper. Flooper.”

I am happily listening to music this weekend at Falcon Ridge while spending time with my friends Shelley and Mike and their two cute kids, Irisa and Daschel. I expect to come back knowing many more truths than I did when I left home.

There’s something so entrancing, so bewitching about fireflies. We want to capture them, to make them twinkle just for us, but when we do manage to coax one to stay with us, we are surprised by how meek and unexciting they really are. Just like in real life.

Fireflies in the Garden
    By Robert Frost

Here come real stars to fill the upper skies,
And here on earth come emulating flies,
That though they never equal stars in size,
(And they were never really stars at heart)
Achieve at times a very star-like start
Only, of course, they can’t sustain the part.

I am away at Falcon Ridge, camping in a field and hopefully seeing skies and grasses filled with stars. I wish you a liberal sprinkling of both, too, for your weekend.