urban tapestry, happy songs, private dancing

Had a good practice with Allison and Jodi last night. Geez, I love being in Urban Tapestry. I feel incredibly lucky: not only are we all friends, but we also work so well together. After ten years, we've all gotten to know each other's strengths and weaknesses and we've settled into a wonderful comfort level while still supporting and encouraging each other to grow, learn new things, whether it's in songwriting or performance or trying new types of food in restaurants or our personal lives.

Taught my new song, "I'm Gonna Make A Rocket Ship," to A&J last night and we added harmonies, counterpoint. Lots of fun, and I'm looking forward to performing this in our kids' concert (shared with Ookla) at OVFF. :-) Allison taught us some other new kids' songs and we also ran through some of our regular grown-up repertoire, taking out songs we haven't done in a while, shaking the dust off and oiling the creaky joints, etc.

OVFF's only a couple of weeks away, woohoo!

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Thanks for the bug info!

Yesterday I asked if anyone could identify the bug in the photo I took in Austria. Some replied in LJ and Blatherchat that it was a grasshopper or katydid, and I also got the following info from my biologist friend, Peter Kotanen:

"It looks like a Long-horned Grasshopper (Order Orthoptera; Family Tettigoniidae). It's rather a diverse family, and includes a variety of grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids. It's likely in the subfamily Decticinae (Shield-backed Grasshoppers). They lay eggs in plants or the ground with their rather menacing ovipositor, and eat a wide range of plants. Specifically, it might well be Pholidoptera griseoaptera (Dark Bush-cricket). See here or here for some images!"

and from Alexa Karina on LJ, who suggested the bug was a grasshopper in an earlier post:

"Now I know for certain: Pholidoptera aptera, female. Rather common, in higher region (600m above sea level), day active but sing also at night. The attachment at the back is a ovipositor to lay the eggs. Does not sting but can bite. Best wishes Alexa"

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Thanks also, everyone, for the lists in LJ and Blatherchat of depressing songs! I modified my own list a bit as a result. Lots of weeping to do, I can see.

One of my favourite excerpts was from my friend Andy:

"...Also, a special mention for ABBA. Whenever I hear any ABBA song, I always end up feeling that the human race must be destroyed, and the sooner the better.

So thanks for putting me in a miserable frame of mind. Here are some cheerful sad songs for you, you wet blanket, you.

Bessie Smith - Gimme a Pigfoot
The Clash - Brand New Cadillac
George Thorogood - One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer
Joe Jackson - What's The Use of Getting Sober?
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
The Pogues - The Sickbed of Cuchulain
Rolling Stones - Midnight Rambler
Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
They Might Be Giants - Particle Man
Tom Waits - Jockey Full of Bourbon
The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again

because sometimes when you're sad, the last thing you need is some hippie weeping over her acoustic guitar."

:-D

And to continue on the theme of CHEERFUL songs, I offer the following poll:

What are the best FEEL-GOOD songs you know? i.e. the kind of music you can't resist dancing to, or that almost always cheers you up, or makes you feel good about life and friends in general?

Also, do ever dance in private, when no one else can see you? I do, in my office (a challenge to do without knocking things over) or the living room. Sometimes just because I need a short break from working in front of my computer and sometimes because I can't sit still when listening to music, like my new Carbon Leaf CDs, which arrived from Amazon a couple days ago!

I am not a good dancer. I'm uncoordinated, have no slick moves, have never taken lessons, but it's wonderful to dance just for the sheer joy of it.

I've always avoided formal dance situations, though I do admit a curiosity about the whole contra-dancing thing. Mark Osier gave me a short lesson a while back, and it was fun (and man, can that guy LEAD). Also had fun dancing with Bill Sutton at GAfilk last year, though I think he was startled by my unorthodox style. :-D

Have a great weekend, everyone.

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