Greetings Friends,
The fringes of summer (June, late September and
October) are so spectacular here in New York that
it lifts the spirits just to go outside and
partake of the beauty that surrounds us. But
today it's raining so I'm happy to take the time
to sit down at the computer, compose some
thoughts, say hello and wish you well as the
seasons change.
A few weeks ago I decided to observe some of the
last days of summer by doing one of my favorite
things, riding my bicycle. I spent most of the
crisp morning of September 21 riding in western
Connecticut and Dutchess and Putnam Counties, in
New York. Within 10 to 20 miles of our home is
some of the most delightful scenery anywhere.
Lakes, reservoirs, ponds, rivers, waterfalls,
horse farms, meadows, the last of the
wildflowers, the first leaves changing color, a
vivid blue sky accented with generous strokes of
white and gray, and panoramic views of the
distant hills and valleys all enriched my soul
and spirit that morning. An additional treat was
exchanging greetings with some of the school
children waiting for their busses. I enjoy riding
my bike up the biggest hills I can find and the
children seemed amused to see me struggling to
make it up. One little fellow gave me a great big
smile as I pedaled by he and his mom standing at
the end of their driveway. A few minutes later
when his bus passed me nearing the top of the
hill he had his face pressed against the bus
window and was waving enthusiastically as though
he and I were old friends. He doesn't know it but
he helped me make it to the top of Joe's Hill
that morning at a time when I certainly
appreciated the push. He also reminded me that
the simple act of a kind word or gesture makes a
difference. I'm really glad he was there to help
me and to share part of summer's last day. Thus
far the fall foliage in our area is as glorious
and colorful as I can ever recall. It has been a
spectacular October. Hope you are enjoying it
wherever you are.
OUR SUMMER
We were at our home on Prince Edward Island from
July 1 to August 18 this year and it was a
thoroughly enjoyable summer. It was slightly
cooler and wetter than most summers but there
were many sunny days and clear nights to enjoy.
Ann Marie expanded her flower gardens, we built
an outdoor shower, did some very leisurely
painting of the hallway walls, and spent much
time visiting with friends and company. We have
spent an average of six to seven weeks on the
island each summer since 1988 and have made many
dear friends on PEI. Because our time with our
island friends is measured we make certain to
plan gatherings, and each summer we enjoy meals,
bonfires and sing-alongs together. This year we
hosted our third annual Per-po-lu-pa (Perseid Pot
Luck Party). Around the second weekend in August
(10th -14th) each year there are meteor showers
known as "the Perseids." We invite lots
of friends to join us for a pot luck supper and
we hope for clear skies. The party is joyous
regardless of the weather. For the second year in
a row the skies were somewhat cloudy but the
food, bonfire, music, and camaraderie were
spectacular and memorable. I have written three
songs about these summer nights with friends and
hope to include them on a future CD. A few nights
after the party the skies were brilliantly clear
and we stayed up until 2 am watching the shooting
stars. At one point several of us went over to
the beach with sleeping bags and lay out under
the stars. We counted 62 meteorites in half an
hour and then stopped counting. At least one of
the spotters had dozed off to sleep at this point
and others were soon to follow. The serene beauty
of the night sky combined with the rhythmic sound
of the waves meeting the shore assured us that
all was well and that we belonged right where we
were. (If you are interested in seeing some
incredible photos of Prince Edward Island please
visit the web site of our friend, and
photographer extraordinaire, John Sylvester. The
address is
www.johnsylvester.com
WHAT'S NEW
I wrote several new songs this summer, including
two that were inspired by and begun during long
bicycle rides. The first titled "Glorious
Gray Day," is a reflection on the necessity
of rain combined with an observation about the
splendor of the sky on a lovely, cloudy, misty
afternoon. The second "Behold This
Morning," came from a sunrise ride along the
coastline and numerous images that presented
themselves to me saying "open your eyes and
ears and behold creation!" I'm hoping to
have "Behold This Morning" arranged as
a choral piece for many voices. Lots of other new
songs (for young and beyond) are percolating on a
range of topics from bald eagles, "The Bald
Eagle Isn't Bald," to our sometimes frenetic
culture of consumption, "Go-Go Gimme,
Gimme," to public cell phone use, "We
Don't Need to Know," to my feelings about
the election. Some of these will make it into my
repertoire of concert pieces and others will
remain in the living room and car, or just fade
away.
The final phases of my new Christmas CD are
underway and I hope to have CD's by December 1.
The working title of the new CD is "Season
of Light, Songs of Peace." It will consist
of all of the songs previously released on
"Season of Light" plus 5 or 6 new
recordings. We just did the tracks this week for
"A Little Bit of Scrooge," and
"Hot Chocolate and Diplomacy." The
latter is about our annual excursion to Sam's
Tree Farm to choose and cut down a tree. With
seven people involved in the decision it often
takes considerable debate and lots of hot
chocolate to make it home peacefully. The new
cover will feature artwork by my friend Gini
Frank Fisher. She's doing a watercolor painting
of our house at Christmastime. What I've seen so
far looks fantastic.
UNPLUGGING THE T.V. and THE
ELECTION
We don't have a television in Prince Edward
Island and I don't miss it at all. Each day is
filled to the brim with things to do. I enjoy
greatly hearing radio reports on events such as
the Olympics and also appreciate hearing the
world news from the perspective of those outside
the U.S.A. Since returning from PEI, I have
continued to resist the lure of television and
have decided to spend a year without watching any
TV programs. In our culture television is
prevalent nearly everywhere you go so it's
impossible to not see it, but I've made the
conscious decision to choose not to watch it. I'm
learning to draw and paint and I have the goal of
doing at least one drawing every day. I also want
to spend more time reading, writing, journal
keeping, talking with my family, practicing
guitar, juggling, exercising, etc. so it's no TV
for me. As I said I enjoy the radio and also
really like it when my family or friends tell me
about a sporting event or program they watched on
TV. I listened to the presidential debates on the
radio and found it a great way to really pay
attention to what the candidates were saying. As
I was listening in our bedroom Ann Marie and some
of the kids were watching in the living room.
From time to time they'd hear me yelling things
like, "He didn't answer the
question…" or "That was a great
answer!" Regarding the election, it is my
sincere hope that we, the American people, will
act on November 2 to change the course our
government has chosen, and that the US will look
to use our great strength and wealth to be
peacemakers, cooperating members of true
international coalitions, and leading stewards of
this amazing planet we are blessed to share with
so many others. I saw what I thought was a great
bumper sticker this summer. It read, "I love
my country but I think it's time we started
seeing other people." PLEASE remember to
vote. The future of our children and our
environment are at stake.
PERFORMANCES AT THE W.C.S.
ZOOS and LITERACY FOR ALL CONFERENCE
I will be doing performances at two of the
Wildlife Conservation Societies' zoos in New York
City this month. I will be at the Bronx Zoo
October 23 and at the Queens Park Zoo October 30
and 31. The WCS has a great website (www.wcs.org)
with links to the zoos, that includes directions,
upcoming programs etc. I'm really looking forward
to working with them and being involved in their
important work to educate people about endangered
species, threatened habitats, and what we can do
to help.
I will be at the "Literacy for All,"
conference
(http://www.lesley.edu/crr/lfa_glance.html) in
Providence, RI November 8 and 9. I'm doing a
session on the 8th and will have a booth in the
exhibit area both days. I'm also looking forward
to a trip to Cookeville, Tennessee the last week
of October.
TOLL FREE NUMBER AND ONLINE
ORDERING
You can now reach Mary Jain at a toll-free number
to discuss bookings, order CD's, or just chat.
That number is 1-800-928-4007. We are also in the
process of making it possible for you to order
online using credit cards. This should be in
place soon and I hope it will be helpful.
THANKS , and WE LOVE HEARING
FROM YOU
As always thanks to all of you who support my
work with your friendship and encouragement. I am
very lucky to work with such wonderful people.
Please send us a note at the website
www.johnfarrell.net or call and say hello. You
can also check the website for my schedule. It is
updated frequently Maybe there will be a
performance in your area and you can come do some
singing and say hello. Have a great autumn and a
healthy and peace-filled thanksgiving.
Keep a song in your heart,
John |
