Family history is an important subject for me. I wanted to leave my children with a sense of where they came from so I delved into genealogy. I have learned a lot about my family; some of it interesting.

I play in a band called Stringfield ; this is basically a hammered dulcimer duet. I have been playing with Gail Morrissey for about 14 years now. Over the years we have had friends join us on guitar, bass etc. We now have a new guitarist, Tia Becker. She is a fabulous guitarist and we are so pleased she wants to play some music with us.

We are practicing and have booked our first gig in May at Branson’s Plum Nellie Days … more info to follow

In a past life I use to draw. Life overwhelmed me with tasks related to raising a family, finding enough money to live and I forgot that life. My kids are grown and I am looking at the end of my “working” career; I wonder if I can find that girl who use to love to draw.

I took out pencils and pastels; I’ve always wanted to use color. I bought paper and stared at it for months before working up enough nerve to try something. I used a photo I had taken and the results were, well, mediocre at best but it is a start.

I earned an MFA in drawing from S.I.U. Carbondale many years ago; I know it will take time to recover my skills.

I’m learning to cook. I wish I could say I was an inspired cook but that is not the case. I watched the movie Julia and Julie. I realized that I had never tried to really cook; I just threw food together. It was always quick and easy.

For Christmas last year I made Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon .. it was fabulous. My son looked at me and asked me why I didn’t cook like this when he was home.

It is time to take down the Dulcimer Girl site; my life is more than just playing dulcimer so in celebration of that I am taking this site in a new direction. It will take me some time to tweak the look of it; changing my mind and moving things around … you can expect that for a while.

Hi all … taking some time to rebuild my site… SO if you see it change right before your very eyes it is because I am working on the design.

I’m taking some time to build a new studio for myself; I have a graduate degree in art and really need to get back to that. I’m also including a new “quiet room” for home recording.