Yesterday when I came home from Clicking Needles, Gordon was in the garden and he took me to the summerhouse to show me the cupboard he and Jeanette had bought to put in the dining room to house my printer. He had spent all afternoon sanding and painting it a very pleasant distressed eggshell colour. Jeanette is going to line the glass door with gingham material tonight and I should take possession tomorrow - it will be lovely to get my printer and papers off the floor.
Once we had all viewed the cupboard and admired its proportions and suitability, I then had the tricky task of deflecting Gordon from making plans for our fly fishing lesson (which he always mentions whenever I see him), so I asked him when I could have my mandolin lesson. Gordon says the mandolin is vairy tricky and that he thinks it would be better for me to learn guitar. Before I could change my mind, he whisked me into his house, appeared with two guitars (one for him, one for me), and proceeded to persuade me that learning the guitar is the most simple skill ever invented by mankind.
In preparation for my first lesson, he wrote out some basic instructions complete with diagrams and spent twenty minutes showing me chords C, D and G. He gave me Blowin in the Wind to practice on the guitar he has lent me. I had difficulty stretching my fingers to reach the strings. He told me to cut the fingernails on my left hand. I think I might cut the ones on my right hand too, to make a matching pair. He is also giving Mahri, from the village shop, lessons. She has smaller hands than me - so they must be tiny - and she can apparently reach all the frets and strings. It was decided we might have joint lessons as he thinks we will spur each other on.
Gordon plays the fiddle and he recently decided to start up his own band, as gigs apparently pay really well. He made up flyers and sent them out to various pubs and hotels offering his band for performances at ceilaghs. The day after he dropped off the flyers he was telephoned and offered a gig. The only difficulty is that at the moment he hasn't actually recruited any other members for his band. He has agreed to perform at the ceilagh though. I just hope he isn't expecting Mahri and I to provide guitar backing.
At the coffee morning in the village shop today, Jeanette said people are needed to accompany the carol singers at the concert on December 20th and volunteered the guitar-playing services of Mahri and I. We are now seeking out a carol which only requires two or three basic chords to be played and which we might be able to master in time. The ladies around the table sang Away in a Manger very slowly, dirge-like, to illustrate the funereal speed at which the the congregation will have to sing to keep up with us. I think they thought they were very funny.
My first proper lesson will probably be at the weekend so I have to get in some practice before then - I have the feeling Gordon will be expecting no less than 100% commitment:
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