It all started back in 1998, when a kind-hearted co-worker asked me if I would like to add a hammered dulcimer, built by a friend of hers, to my musical collection. Curious, and unable to turn down the gift of an unusual instrument, I gladly accepted. Well. The dulcimer was a beast. It was clunky. It weighed a good 20 pounds. Some of the strings were broken, and the rest were out of tune. When I tried using a tuning key, I broke more strings. They sprang up like whiskers.

I was faced with a dilemma. I couldn’t play The Beast. I couldn’t repair it. I couldn’t fathom anyone else wanting it. And I could not bring myself to throw out a hand-made, gifted instrument. So I did what all good instrument hoarders do – I hid it under my bed. There it remained, month after month, year after year, until one day a visiting Vince asked me if I knew anything about dulcimers.

I crawled under the bed and presented him with The (rather dusty now) Beast. He was intrigued. Surely he, an artist and a musician who can play pretty much any instrument you throw at him, could figure out something creative to do with it. So he took it off my hands and out of my home (thus clearing a dulcimer-sized space under the bed for my next impulsive decision). I’m still not sure how Vince got The Beast home on his bike. And I’m not sure where he kept it in his tiny apartment. But time went by, and I forgot all about it.

Fast forward to 2007. Picture a newly married Vince and Heather unpacking our shared possessions in our first apartment. A box here, a shelf there, some coats, some dishes, several guitars.... and...... THE BEAST! It had come back! I gazed at it with horror. Vince shrugged.

Since we still could not bring ourselves to throw it away, we somewhat guiltily hauled it off to the basement, where it kept company with the mice, spiders, and those horrible multi- legged creatures that Vince’s sister refers to as “doggies”.

Three years passed, and we were moving again. When clearing out the basement, I ruthlessly decided to get rid of The Beast once and for all. It was too big. There was no basement at our new apartment. It was time.

It was a warm July day. I decided to set it out on the sidewalk in front of our house to see if I could entice someone to take it home. Sure enough, when I came out an hour or so later, The Beast was gone. HURRAH!!! I hoped it had gone to a good home. Time went by, and I forgot all about it.

Then. Weeks later, Vince was at his classical guitar lesson. After the lesson, Vince’s teacher mentioned a strange instrument that a friend had found on the sidewalk and brought to him as a gift. Vince blanched. His teacher left the room and came back with THE BEAST!! Vince admitted that it had been ours, and somehow it found its way back to our house again. Clearly, it is a loyal creature.

Now The Beast has taken up residence in our music room, where it leans on our big black bookcase, whiskers twitching, as we practice harp, guitar and accordion. Occasionally it emits a sympathetic high-pitched “Ching!”, particularly if it gets bumped, but for the most part we co- exist peacefully.

That being said, we do need to figure out a proper place to send our not so wee Beasty.

Any takers?

The Beast hangs out in our living room.

I found this in my accordion case yesterday. You know you are Canadian when you write your set list on a Tim Horton's bag!

Waiting for the bus this morning, I heard a loud and rather angry sounding "CHIRP" above my head.  I looked up to see my first robin of the year - a true harbinger of spring.

Granted, he looked very puffed up and none too pleased to be sitting in the blowing snow,  but he was a reminder of warmer days ahead.

Soon, a chorus of chirps erupted - and I turned to see that Robin #1 had been joined by nine others of his kind.

Not just one, but TEN robins!

Spring is coming!

I'm looking forward to my first crocus sighting....

H. xo

As the days get warmer, I look forward to more time spent with my bike.

In the years since I have known Vince, a lifelong and avid cyclist, I have moved beyond "too terrified to try" and am now (on nice days, anyway) a citified cyclist.

Cycling shaves 20 minutes off of my daily hour-long commute to work by TTC.  It gives me a sense of freedom and autonomy, is great exercise, and is a green way to get around.
The first time I made a long-distance trip with Vince, I was in awe that I could get that far by simply using the power of my own body. 

Looks like rain all this week, so my trusty steed will remain stabled for a few more days.

In the meantime, here's a quirky bicycle song by Hawksley Workman for you to enjoy. 

(The Happiest Day I Know Is a) Tokyo Bicycle 

How cute is that?

H. xo