I have a folder on my computer, called November songs. Late October and November have always been a melancholy time for me. Those feelings often manifest into story songs. I can’t help but wonder what will happen this year because I can’t play a guitar and often times the melody and the story come to me together at the same time. It will be interesting to find out if I have the will to capture any musical ideas using an alternative approach. I suppose we’ll find out.
This past October has been strikingly beautiful with a mix of incredibly blue skies and diverse clouds coming off the lake. What’s not to like about deeply textured skies over a landscape dotted with the subtle, yet colorful oak trees, and a few other species that are slow about letting go of their leaves. And these trees are surrounded by the stark bare limbs of those that have already shed. Yes, there is a lot going on in November. Orion is rising, deer are moving, steelhead are making their way up stream. There is change in the air.
It feels like I’m making progress. Albeit slowly.
I’m convalescing in the barn right now with my arm suspended by a rope in a pulley and piece of surgical tubing. My hand is in a medieval-looking, Velcro-lined glove that’s forcing my recalcitrant fingers to bend around a piece of foam pipe insulation. Modifications of my own design, I might add.
It’s nice to feel a bit of progress. I mean, I can move my arm enough to imagine holding a guitar neck, now I just have to get those fingers to work! They flutter a bit but they don’t have much strength and the flexors are still not really working, but it’s better than it was, trust me.
I occasionally swear a lot, not out of frustration, but pain. It doesn't happen too often but when it does, i can’t image what it would feel like if I was not taking narcotics? And I’m not a big fan of taking medication like this.
I got my resonator guitar back from Ken Lesko. It had a broken neck and he fixed it for me. It’s remarkable. I spent the better part of an hour trying to Velcro a slide to my left hand, and while this might sound a little desperate, or maybe pathetic, the reality is two weeks ago I did not have enough movement in my left arm to even think about moving a slide on a guitar neck in any capacity!
So I do call this progress!
I’m continuing to write my monthly column for North Coast Voice and I’ve been doing record reviews my most recent being Bent String, which I might add an incredible record.
You can find these reviews on this website on the Songs From The Heartland page.
Thank you for the support and the concern. It means a great deal.
I’ll try to keep rambling on!