One Step Closer

Wednesday’s Child

Wednesday was my birthday. Coincidentally, I was born on a Wednesday. Contrary to the poem, I haven’t been full of woe. Quite the opposite. I feel that I have lived an exceedingly charmed life so far, and I try to stay mindful of just how lucky I’ve been.

My birthday week started with a surprise. Laura and Amy banded together with an extravagant gift to cover birthday/Christmas/anniversary. They got me a new trailer for hauling kayaks.

Their argument was that as I age I’m having a harder time lifting boats onto the top of my car. This would let me keep paddling for years to come. Laura said she didn’t want to spend the first part of her retirement tending to me with shoulder surgery, etc.

Of course, this came in several boxes and I had to put it together. I had to wait for a few sunny hours between rain spells, but I got it done.

I did make a video of the process…

Today (if it stops raining) I’m going to check out the lights to make sure they work, then I’m going to find an empty parking lot to practice backing up with a trailer. I used to be good at that, but my skills have lapsed a bit.

I spent my actual birthday at my usual Wednesday morning venue, playing banjo at the Pickens Flea Market. Despite the cool misty weather we had some good musicians show up. One new musician with a great voice showed up and we had a some nice three-part harmonies on Christmas songs. The highlight, though, was Ivy.

Friend and harmonica player Ivan keeps a bag of inexpensive harmonicas with him. When children stop by to watch us he gives them a harmonica to keep and invites them to play along with us on a couple of songs.

A few months back he gave one to four-year-old Ivy. Now she begs her grandmother to bring her back to the flea market to play with us. She always brings her harmonica and plays with wild abandon, swinging her curly locks back and forth on whatever song we play.

The harmonica duo of Ivy and Ivan have become a staple of our gatherings. So much so that Ivan wrote a song for her, with a lilting Irish waltz melody.

WHEN IVY PLAYS HER FRENCH HARP
By
Ivan Kershner

When Ivy plays her French harp
all of Heaven’s angels smile
For they hear clearly in her music
what it means to be a child.

No worries ‘bout tomorrow
No aches from might have beens
No doubts about the future
No scores kept of loss or wins

When Ivy plays her French harp
all of Heaven’s angels smile
For they hear clearly in her music
what it means to be a child.

Ivy plays with wild abandon
Her melody is pure and clear
The laughter in her music
Is free to all who choose to hear.

When Ivy plays her French harp
all of Heaven’s angels smile
For they hear clearly in her music
what it means to be a child.

On this particular Wednesday Ivy and I wore matching shirts.

It hasn’t been all roses and sunshine these past few weeks, though. We learned of the serious illness of a close friend and I also learned of the passing of a music colleague from out in Washington.

Three Funerals and a Song

Around Thanksgiving I learned of the passing of Skye Richendrfer from cancer. What Skye lacked in vowels he made up for in musical talent and knowledge of Celtic culture. Skye was the director of the Littlefield Celtic Center in Mount Vernon, Washington and had established the Skagit Valley Highland Games. He had even served as mayor of Mount Vernon for awhile.

Skye was a piper and also played Irish whistles. I credit him with getting me started in Celtic music through the sessions and practices he led at the Littlefield Center. He was patient with beginners like me, and I always enjoyed making music with him.

The week before Thanksgiving I attended two funerals. The first was for Jewel Pearcy, the mother of my good friends English and Mary and mother-in-law of fellow explorer Alan Russell. The second was for my father’s first cousin, Harriett Atkinson. Harriett was the oldest daughter of my great-Uncle Charlie.

Every time I attend one of these funerals I’m reminded of the opening lines from Lyle Lovett’s song “Since the Last Time.” I know I’ve posted those lyrics before, but here they are again…

I went to a funeral
Lord it made me happy
Seeing all those people
I ain’t seen
Since the last time
Somebody died

Everybody talking
They were telling funny stories
Saying all those things
They ain’t said
Since the last time
Somebody died

It was great seeing some of the cousins I grew up with, but I hadn’t seen them since the last funeral.

During my cousin’s eulogy there was one phrase that stuck in my mind, that she was now one step closer to the Lord. Seeing how much my cousins have aged, and me along with them, and since I’m now eligible for Social Security, I thought this phrase was appropriate. At 4:00 that next morning I woke with that phrase in my head. I say up and wrote out the rough outline of a song, then completed it the next morning. I’m still tweaking the melody and chords, but here are the lyrics to my new song, One Step Closer…

One Step Closer
Copyright 2022 Thomas E. Taylor

[Verse 1]

I came into this world with nothing but a smile.
first began to crawl and then I ran a mile.
I climbed trees out back in the yard I explored,
Climbing one step closer, closer to the Lord.

My two best friends and I were really tight.
We laughed with each other when we weren’t in a fight.
We cruised around town in a beat up Ford,
Getting one step closer, closer to the Lord.

[Chorus]

One step closer, one year older, 
I feel it in my bones when it gets a little colder.
The days go by, ever moving forward 
And we’re one step closer, closer to the Lord.

[Verse 2]

I grew up fast and started to rebel.
The preacher said my music would send me straight to hell.
Still we played our guitars, searching for the perfect chord,
Singing one step closer, closer to the Lord.

When I got a little older I tried to settle down,
Got a good paying job on the right side of town,
Had a wife and two children that we all adored,
And we’re one step closer, closer to the Lord.

[Chorus]

One step closer, one year older, 
I feel it in my bones when it gets a little colder.
The days go by, ever moving forward 
And we’re one step closer, closer to the Lord.

[Verse 3]

I woke up one morning with my hair all white
And a grizzly beard that would give a kid a fright.
The fingers of time could not be ignored,
I was one step closer, closer to the Lord.

(First three lines to the tune of “I feel like traveling on)

My heavenly home is bright and fair,
I feel like traveling, traveling on,
No pain nor death can sow discord,
Now I’m one step closer, closer to the Lord

[Chorus]

One step closer, one year older, 
I feel it in my bones when it gets a little colder.
The days go by, ever moving forward 
And we’re one step closer, closer to the Lord.