A Twice in a Lifetime Feeling & A Newfound Delicacy

Last night the Red Tide Ramblers came to the church for our third concert in the Spring/Summer Series.  They were fantastic.  They played Irish tunes, Scottish tunes, English tunes, Bluegrass tunes, American Folk tunes and even a Polish Polka!  After the first two songs I was invited up to play "Old Joe Clark."  OJC is an easy song to learn and to play, one of the first songs folk learn when they pick up a violin or a banjo.  I practiced the song for weeks, so much so that I was able to pick up new bad habits.  About 30 seconds before I was to be called up on stage, I forgot the notes to the song.  When I got up the notes came back.  I messed up a few times, but playing with another fiddle, a guitar, an accordian and a bass hid the mistakes.  

Someone asked me afterwards was I nervous, my response YES!  I can only think of one other time I felt that nervous: when the VOR and I got married.  I am comfortable preaching in front of people, but not playing an instrument and not telling the world how much I love my wife.  I loved playing - the concert has inspired me to practice and play more.

For Sunday Dinner/Sunday Supper the VOR and I made Roast and Yorkshire Pudding (or Yorkies, as the lady who loaned us the cookbook called them).  The roast was delicious, the mashed potatoes were delicious (the VOR uses a method from the latest Cook's Illustrated issue) the gravy was delicious, and the Yorkies were fantastic (they did not overflow from the special cooking tins but they did form deep cavities which begged for gravy).

I suppose I loved the Yorkies so much because they were so much easier than hotrolls - just five ingredients beaten into a smooth batter, poured into tins and  then baked - viola!