UPDATED 1/1/2010

Greetings from the Outer Reaches!  Its almost like we're writing from outer space, there is so much snow here...Its New Year's Day, by God!!, and we're pretty darn well snowed in here in Lawrence Michigan!  Not to worry-there's at least a month worth of firewood out in the yard, and as of this moment the electricity is still on, although that old tree a mile down threatens to shut us all down...the 'fridge is full, and we're enjoying being hermits...especially after a busy Christmas season with family, friends, and at least one Sleigh bell Parade in Manistee MI.  Yes, life is good.

Hermits...we've been so busy with our dual passions-pianos and writing/recording music, that we fear we've neglected some of our dearest friends.  Well, we'll be bothering a few of you sooner than you might like...that's right, we'll be popping up to the Traverse City area to crowd the good Shaptons...and musically, we'll be pestering Mr. Viola and Mr. Bass in short order...probably Spring-ish for a timeline...this means that Bruce Dauser and Bob Hiddema had better pull together their respective wine glasses, and plan for some nice evenings sharing their ideas with the mighty Roland recorder...at least on several songs each!  With any luck (ok, lots of luck, lots of  late nights!) we'll have the new CD polished up and ready for prime-time by late Summer this year.

Its taking a while to give birth to the new music this time....but its not that we've been lazying around the place.  We're in MICHIGAN, don't ya know?!  Here, if nowhere else, the economy has been just north of demonic.  We've been spared at the Sytek and Davies ranch, for the most part, due to our insane work ethic, tuning and repairing pianos...pianos are a great "day job" for a couple of itinerant musicians...offering, most of the time anyway, a sort of regularity that most musicians would kill for...but its long weeks, long days, and long hours for both of us! Jane and I have a contest each week...see who passes out first from exhaustion.  Most weeks, she wins.  But, women are stronger, right?

Speaking of strong women; 2009 had its sadder side.  We lost a beloved family member to a tragic bicycle/car accident in Muskegon a few months back.  Alyce Lemke left the world a better place for her part in the play. She'll be missed by the rest of us who took inspiration from her athletics and her smile.  For Alyce, the word "love" was a verb, truly.  Strangly, the only time Jane and I performed in 2009 was at Alyce's celebration of life, at the request of her immediate family.

Plans in the New Year: There is much yet to do, by way of getting new work ready for publication, but, we're getting there.  2010 promises to be a grand year...much to celebrate in our personal lives, and much to look forward to in our musical adventure.  We've been on hiatus from performance for well over a year, and we'll hold off on shows until we've another disc ready...its been quite  stimulating to concentrate fully on new music, without rehearsals for travel, and the rigors of even a few concerts. With some added music from composer John Webber (www.webbermusic.com ) and new, beautiful thematic artwork from Ray Turner, we promise this project will offer more than a few new horizons.

More info as things develop.  Happy 2010, in the meantime! 

Hugs, Love, and All Good Things, Rick and Jane

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